gavitronic

Thank you very much. I had an expensively paid consultation with one of the most famous expat legal-consultancies, and they told me to do something similar to what you suggest. But I do not think that it is a good solution for my case: the "problem" with that is that I wish to use the tax exemption to remit some money into Thailand tax free, as it would be in my right to do under the LTR WP visa exemption. So, it is difficult to justify using the LTR WP exemption to remit well more than 10kand, at the same, filing a income tax return declaring having remitted only 10k EUR (and not uploading the LTR WP visa with the tax return, to pay tax, and hence losing the exemption for that tax year). Also, in a (free) consultation with the other top expat accounting-consultancy, I was told that many of their clients can get the Tax Residency Certificate by filing the tax return and without paying any tax: it is my understanding that they meant it is the case of many UK and German pensioners: their clients pay withholding tax in their country of origin, then they get the tax credit due to the Double Taxation Agreement: so they sumbmit the tax return, declare the remittance, pay zero tax due to tax credit, and, so I understand, they still do get the TRC... So, this seems to be the proper way. But, I hear you: you tried to get the TRC (in Chomburi) (by having done an income tax return) and you were denied the TRC on the basis of not having tax to pay together with the income tax declaration. Your idea of generating Thai based income was perfect: it seems that dividends already pay higher withholding tax... it seems unfair that the dividend (and bank interest) withholding tax, while being paid tax, was ignored by those issuing the TRC in Chomburi. I now plan an expensive consultation with what seems to be to be a real expert, and in a few days I will get also that opinion. I will report your painful case in case I will be advised that the LTR WP case is similar to the pension remittance with zero tax (due to tax credits abroad) case. Thank you again for sharing.

I hear that you do have the wealthy pensioner LTR. Do you know whether one can get the Thai Tax Residence Certificate in case of zero tax paid? I mean, if all income is remittances, with the exemption, one would declare the remittances and then pay zero tax (assuming no Thai income and 180 days in Thailand). Can one obtain the Tax Residency Certificate also with no tax paid? I could find many cases of pensioners from UK/Germany that get the Tax Residency Certificate with zero tax paid due to tax credits and Double Taxation Agreements: it seems similar to me, but I ask whether you know for sure. Thanks

Would using Wise, TransferWise, to exchange such savings to THB efficiently, create a problem when trying to prove that the cash remitted into Thailand is "savings" rather than fresh income? Can you recommend an accountant to do the Thai income tax return? (to give the impression of a stamp of an authoritative approval to Thai Revenue)

My understanding is: - in the UK you will have to pay taxes on amounts over £12,570 per year (which is your case). - Then any money you remit into Thailand (and you must declare it if you live here >6 months), will be taxed again, if its source is UK pension (because it is excluded from the Double Taxation Agreement). So the issue with the UK pension and Thailand is that you are taxed twice.

I am living on retirement visa in Thailand. no immigration officer ever asked me about insurance. is it a requirement? if so, why it is not asked?