TroubleandGrumpy

The Burriram track is not big/wide enough for F1 and the facilities are not up to scratch either - OK for the MotoGp bikes, but not the 'big boys'. I doubt very much that the costs to upgrade the track and facilities would be worth it. F1 is a business and is all about making money from the countries that they take their 'circus' to - huge payments and costs are involved - not as much as the World Cup Football, but in that ballpark.

IMO it is something to be avoided in Thailand - both because of 'spending patterns and information', and also because of Thailand's incompetent abilities with regards to IT security measures.

Aint gonna happen - this bloke talks and smiles and talks and smiles and talks and smiles ............... The sad thing is that many Thais think he is doing a great job - all these new deals with overseas bigwigs that will bring in lots of money money money. I thought TAT was ridiculous - this is way beyond even their lunacy.

Deal Talker NOT a Deal Maker - nothing has actually happened and IMO never will.

2 months? Miscarriage because of that?? Give me a break - maybe miscarriage was from carrying drugs up there. Smoke Screen if you ask me - to divert attention away from the drug charges. As in, you drop the drug charges and I drop the lawsuit.

Hope you are correct - but I am worried it will take a year of 'financial disasters' and Court appeals by Thais, before they realise they need to back down and do something reasonable like follow Malaysia's path - the big one being to exempt all FSI that has been subjected to the overseas country's tax rules.

Good advice IMO. But everyone needs to make sure they keep an auditable paper trail of every transaction and transfer - and keep them in separate banks - both here and overseas. Plus of course the tax free limit is twice the amount when you have a partner, because joint tax returns are very easy to do in Thailand.

I would do the same if I was making any income/earnings this year and beyond. You are not the only one leaving for a short or extended period. Most others I know of have decided to spend 179 days in Thailand, and the rest in another place - Cambodia and Laos are easy in and out - Vietnam is also very close. Others have gone to Philippines or Malaysia and most dont intend returning - lots of Yanks now live in Philippines.

Did I also popint out that big companies like Expedia dont actually pay the Hotel for every visit? They have an Agreement and under that they make a single total payment (after fees etc) once a month to the hotel. Friends of a mate have 3 small units in Isaan (we stayed there a few times) and they stopped using them because of the fees and late payment.

So you are saying that every tourists that enters Thailand, after paying for their holiday at home, has a potential taxation liability as they have remitted assessable income into Thailand. Lets hope none of them stays for two trips of 90 days - they might be hit at the airport when leaving for not havinbg a tax clearance certificate 😉 The point is that at this time there is no reason to think that TRD considers a credit card transaction as a taxation event and that tax is payable, so therefore it is a legal way to avoid paying income tax in Thailand. However, if anyone was to use a CC for everything they pay for, then they MIGHT be asked one day to come and talk to the local TRD Office where they wiull be asked to explain how they pay to stay in Thailand. I am not a lawyer and I cannot give legal advice, but if I was single with no ties to Thailand and doing that, and was asked to 'appear' in the local TRD within 7 days (say), then my time would be up in Thailand. Not an ideal strategy for someone intending to live here long term and/or with a Thai partner - not ideal, but a legal loophole.

Big Difference. Wise must and does send it to a Thai bank account. Expedia sends it to the hotel's bank account.

Simple explanation that is true, but has nothing to do with incurring an income tax liability for the remittance of assessable income. If I am living overseas and I book and pay for a holiday to Thailand using my money in that overseas country, that money is not remitted to me in Thailand. Remember most of the booking sewrvices are global - I paid for a recent triopo and the money went to Denmark (I had a quick look at the Ts&Cs). That is the same for the airline flights and car rental and anythign else. The booking service I use pays for the hotel and anything else - I pay them. It does not matter if I am in Thailand or not - the money is not remitted to myself in Thailand. Sure it is a 'get around' if you want to call it that - but I prefer to call it a 'loophole' - same as the previous one they changed that allowed income earned overseas to be remitted 12+ months later and not incur income taxes. I see it is on the list of unknowns - lets hope TRD answers them all.

Therein lies one of the many issues still outstanding with this change and lack of detailed explanations by TRD. Hard to plan ahead right now for certain - other than doing what is OK to reduce/avoid income taxes (legally), unless specifically advised by TRD (or Court precedence), that it is not legal. Example - staying overseas for 185 days in a year is a legal method to avoid income taxes in Thailand.

I agree. If/when I pay for something like a hotel using an Amex card in Australia, the 'money' is not remitted into any of my Thai bank accounts. And the payment is made to Amex from my bank account/s in Australia. Nothing to do with Thailand banking at all. I can see a lot of Expats using credit cards from their home countries (paid for in their home countties) as a way around remitting money into Thailand, and that makes sense to me. Most of the 'hotel booking' websites are 'global' and when you pay using them, it is them that pays the hotel. Same will occur for a lot of other things that can be paid for using a credit card I would assume.

Absolutely - we will be doing the same for all our holidays in future (unless this idiocy changes). That way the money never enters Thailand.

Think about getting rid of the middle/rear one - basically all they do is to protect the under car parts for those driving on dirt/rocky roads. The front one for the engine cover is useful - but the rest are rubbish and badly designed - they come loose a lot and rattle/vibrate. There is some argument they improve airflow under the car and therefore save fuel - but I doubt it make any real difference at 60-80ks which is by far the majority of speed at which we all drive.

And whatever the Officer decides is yuour 'tax bill' must be paiud within 7 days with an option to extend another 7 days, and then and only then can you appeals - in Thai only.

Click it and listen - you might learn something - for a change.

Yep. And I had the stupid rattling plastic 'protection covers' removed when I got the car. It is a 4WD SUV - but I have abolutely no intention of ever going 'off road' in a Honda CRV.

I read today that Malaysia has 'officially' overtaken Thailand as the second largest motor vehicles market in SEAsia (for 3 quarters in a row). This huge news because Thailand at 71 Million people was for a long long time second only to Indonesia with 277 Million. But Malaysia has only 31 Million and it has pushed past Thailand - meaning its economy is growing at a much faster rate than Thailand. As I stated above, SEAsia manufacturing across all industries is now being dominated by Indonesia and Malaysia - when 15-20 years ago it was Thailand who dominated. This 10 year Visa is a lame attempt to 'attract' wealth into Thailand via the EEC, and IMO it is doomed to fail.

Yes indeed - the issue of compliance and enforcement following this rule change is a big question still unanswered by TRD. Perhaps they are writing a new section of the tax code that will cover the issues related to foreign sourced income - unknown speculation and until they provide all the answers to questions many are asking we will not know (and even then maybe not).

Ditto - I use an oil extractor every 4 months and then to the shop once a year where the boys drain the oil fully and replace the oil filter - I am now too old to get under and back up without discomfort for days afterwards 😞 I can still change the engine air and cabin filters myself. When I can no longer do those things myself, then I know I am officially 'very old'. Something lik works fine - 60W 12V ไฟฟ้ารถปั๊มน้ำมันน้ำมันดิบปั๊ม Extractor Transfer เครื่องยนต์ปั๊มดูด + ท่อสำหรับรถยนต์เรือรถจักรยานยนต์ | Lazada.co.th

I agree - this is IMO the way most Expats who are not working in Thailand should move forward. If anyone thinks the TRD will be OK and understand the complexities in foreign earnings and how DTAs work, they are IMO extremely misguided and/or mistaken. Just look at all the problems Expats have in dealing with their local Immigration Offices with all their trials and tribulations and different 'rules and interpretations'. Remember - those Immigration Offices are set up to do one thing and one thing only - deal with Immigration issues. That is why many speak English and they have decades of experience in dealings with 'us'. The Thailand TRD is not set up at all to deal with Expats issues/complaints, and very few of them in the boondocks (where we are) will speak English. I agree with you mate - they are to be avoided if at all possible - and I also agree they can shove it where the sun does not shine - and there are a lot of us with that view. Give us equality and rights that Thais get, and also much easier residency, and then I will be happy to pay income taxes to Thailand. IMO only Thai citizens and permanent residents should be required to pay income taxes on foregn earned income. The rest of us living here long term are glorified tourists who have to apply to stay every 3 months and then beg/pay to do that for another 12 months - while spending far more money in Thailand than the average Thai.

In the past, prior to the change, the TRD just decided/accepted that retired/married Expats (those not working) did not have to lodge a tax return. I make that conclusion based on the fact that foreign Expats who are not working have been here for many decades, and I am not aware of anyone being charged or fined etc for not lodging a tax return. I do hope they continue with that approach and 'look the other way' - and they are certainly not prepared for an influx of Expat tax returns and all their associated issues/questions.

If it does, then there will be a lot (more) of Expats leaving Thailand. I remember when listening to the Thai TRD person being interviewed by the Swedish Embassy person, that he said that Thailand was thinking about as a next step to introduce global income personal income taxes.