Foresttrump

Stubuzz advice is good and may well be your problem.  The fuse box is another problematic area on the early Focus and often suffers from water ingress caused by air-con condensation.  This also brings on different accessories such as lights and wipers when driving, and is part of the immobilising system.  It's easy to inspect and can be found under the glove box on the passenger side.  If you're confident you can easily unplug the box and remove it to inspect the connections.  Use your phone to take pictures beforehand so you can remember where all the connections go.  Good luck. 

Homework and trust is the answer.  If you don't trust your partner from the start then it's not going to work.  Meet all the family! Parents, brothers, sisters and ex husband's if any, before you marry.  

Immediate family first financialy and if any spare each month the wife can help extended family.  i don't interfere because my partner understands how to budget on a set monthly income.  Maybe this will come back to bite me if she meets some western with a bigger budget !!

6 hours ago, steve187 said:

only a non immigrant 'O''A visa will allow a 1 year stay without leaving Thailand, only available in home country

a single entry non immigrant 'O' visa will give a 90 day entry. a multi entry will be valid for 1 yaer but still only gives a 90 day entry each time you enter within that year, each entry can be extended for 60 days to visit Thai wife

I plan to follow Steve187 advice, my situation is similar to the OP.  I have a business in the UK which I plan to retire from in April 2025 and don't wish to transfer lump sums to Thailand for now.  The O-A if used correctly can allow you to stay unto 2yrs in Thailand.  I will open a Thai account this year in May and transfer 40,000thb a month from my Wise account for a year this giving me the required funds for immigration requirements for future extensions based on Marriage (400,000 thb or 40,000thb a month).

If you wish to keep your funds in your preferred country you could opt for the 40,000thb a month to your Thai bank which you can set up with the O-A visa.

I know this is an old thread and the legalities of not telling the DWP you have moved to another country is breaking the law! But surely the UK government are equaly guilty for not fulfilling the entitlement of a UK citizens pension.  As I will alway's be a UK citizen and contributed 46 years full NI payments, I am only a guest in Thailand so technically not a resident.

10 hours ago, treetops said:

 

Can you explain why that is the case?  My understanding is the requirement is 180(?) days in a calendar year.  By May 2025 there will only have been 151 days elapsed so you can't know at that point, or is there another reason you chose that date?

Sorry treetops, I may have confused everyone including myself.  I currently visit Thailand for less than the required 179 days to be a resident for tax purposes, I will be retiring to Thailand in May 2025 full time, so will become a tax resident thereafter.  My concern is not my tax circumstances but the money that I send home to Thailand to my partner, obviously it's not income to her but it is from oversea's and doe's this make it taxable.  Thanks for your interest. 

3 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

Please read the following since it's not a simple Yes No answer but is dependent on several factors. If you don't have your answer after reading it, please come back and ask any remaining questions. Thanks

 

Thanks Mike, I had a good read and as you say not a yes/no answer.  I am not a tax resident of Thailand at present but will be in May 2025.  I'm not trying to buck the system but was more interested in whether my Thia partner who is a permanent resident will have to file a tax return on money's I send her in the next financial year.

Doe's money you have earned and paid tax on then given to your partner/wife get taxed again, just because it's from an external source.  I think it will be decided by how they identify that it's from oversea's which will require the receiving bank to declare all oversea's deposits.  I will consult with a Thai accountant next time I'm in Bangkok and see what's best.

I currently reside in the UK all income taxed by HMRC, I have O-A visa and visit Thailand 4 times a year but less than 180 days.  I live with my Thai partner of 7 years in our 2 bed condo in Bangkok when visiting, I send 60,000thb to her bank account via Wise each month to cover cost etc, will she need to file a tax return?