expatsoon

Ok, got it thanks!

Nice to have people like you in this sub helping everyone out and I hope everyone you replied too appreciates your help and knowledge, I know I do, thanks again. Just to be clear, if I apply for the Non Imm O e-visa in Canada, they Thai Embassy in Canada will accept it because they can authenticate it, but how would it work once I try a one year extension when in Thailand when that is due, would Thai Immigration accept it since the Thai Embassy in Canada authenticated our marriage or would be still need to do what you said before and get it registered in Thailand?

Thanks, very good info there too, I appreciate it!

@Liquorice, again thanks for such detailed info, we would never have guessed that so much is needed to get the Thai spouse Non O. We've been married over 20 years but I guess that doesn't mean anything to Thai immigration. Are you maybe an agent? If we would ever need one, we would love to use your services if you are.

I know most people here in this group are not bothered at all about the worldwide income thing, but it bothers me a lot when I think about how it could over complicate and otherwise simple life that we want to live. I hate the thought of potentially endless paperwork where nobody knows anything but they expect us to know what to do when the rules are never clear.

@Liquoric, thanks for the detailed info, really helpful! Married in Canada but for some reason when we ask about applying for the 400,000 baht option in my name in the bank with the Thai spouse Non O, they never reply and keep steering us back to the 800,000 baht one.

I appreciate all the comments thanks. So if one day I decide to stay for a year without leaving, the Non IMM O-visa and 1 year extension can be done when I'm in Thailand as the tourist? Right now Thailand has changed the 30 day no visa for tourists to 60 day visa free but I never knew I could apply for the Non IMM O-visa extension based on marriage right in Thailand as a tourist. If I were to do that one day, I have to get a few other things figured out from my understanding to get a bank account there, such as a minimum 12 month rental lease etc. Maybe it would be better to get an agent to help us with all that if we cross that bridge in the future.

I didn't save the link so you could be right as I can't find the reference to it anymore so my guess is that I did read someone's speculation but I will keep searching in case I am able to find it again.

I guess it was a little retarded sorry about that but we have clearer plans now and for us at least with assets in our home country, the global tax outcome is a huge factor in deciding not to retire in Thailand.

I mentioned before that 22 of us which includes my family of 4 and some members of the hiking club I belong to would have wanted to retire in Thailand. I kind of messed things up for them as I told them one story then all these tax changes, proposed tax changes that I didn't see coming are now a reality and keep updating them what is going on. What I've decided to do is let them all figure it out for themselves and follow this forum which is really good for all the updates and everyone can make their own decision. I know what you're saying about not to over react and if it was only me I wouldn't think about it at all, but I'm responsible for my family as well and would have wanted some clearer signals from Thailand to be honest. Even though my wife is Thai, she has often said she'd much rather prefer Vietnam than Thailand and then 6 months in our home country so we don't have to give up anything so that is probably what we will do as well as fly once in the 6 months from Vietnam to Thailand to visit our family there for a couple of weeks.

I meant changing the LTR visa "17%" flat tax to worldwide income tax on scale!

First off, I meant changing the "17%" flat tax to worldwide income tax. I will look as I did not save the link, it shouldn't take me too long to find and I will post it tonight or tomorrow.

I think that was a wise decision as I have read the Government is now talking about revoking the tax free status of LTR visa holders.

I just read about many successfully converting the Retirement O to LTR visa but also just read that the Thai Government is now talking about removing the tax free status of the LTR visa. Sorry but this is just becoming a joke now, nobody can take them seriously anymore.

Thanks for the link, very helpful. I guess I was ranting a little because they keep changing the laws to fast, same with some visas but I'll let it be as I do not live in Thailand yet, just setting everything up so we don't have too many surprises. The idea was that my whole family was coming, so with the tax uncertainty, if more and more documents are required from our home banks with signatures etc, there would be no one to do that in our home country so we would have to fly back and forth every time which wouldn't be too much fun. That's it, no more whining!

That's our concern as well. Everything would be just fine if the rules were clear but many of us see a never ending back and forth nightmare scenario of paperwork, stamps, confusion and corruption unfolding. It is our understanding that Thailand does not have a centralized tax department with clear rules like western countries, but instead they have regional tax departments scattered throughout each region each with their own rules and interpretation of laws. It's really an insult to every human being to be taxed on worldwide income as apparently the case will be starting Jan 1, 2025 yet have no rights in Thailand, no free medical, report every 90 days and you name it. The whole thing does not add up.

Thanks, we have to study the visa options more to remember which is which.

Sorry, never had a retirement visa in Thailand yet, just assumed it was a non O-A. My wife of over 20 years is Thai so I guess we could do the marriage visa but the Thai consulate here in Canada is reluctant to do it and prefers us to do the 800k in the bank visa instead of the 400k in the bank marriage visa.

Not really, we would prefer to stay in one country and enjoy our retirement but things look shaky in Thailand at the moment with all the sudden changes.

Ok, took my chill pill! So O/A with money in the bank is still the best option then, got it thanks.

Over 50 yes but it just feels like Thailand is becoming a very unstable country with all these constant changes. We all feel better just to stay under 6 months and not think about anything. Getting on in age and don't want to think about being buried in paperwork. There are about 22 of us and amongst all of us we came to the decision that's it's not worth retiring or investing in Thailand anymore for "us". We like to keep things as simple as possible and are all family as well as members of a local hiking club. We've talked about this for some time as we saw how Thailand has been changing. Any visas that would work for us in that case for 6 months without having to leave in 3 months to come back again for another 3 months?

With all the talk about tax on worldwide income and all the headache that may arise from it, my wife suggested staying just under 180 days a year in Thailand and not to invest or deposit any money there. This actually sounds like a great plan not to be constantly buried in ever changing tax laws as well as having to deposit 800k bath for a 1 year visa. What then would be the best visa to stay just under 6 months then?

Kind of nice this all came up as myself, family and friends don't want to waist our time retiring in Thailand anymore with their ever changing tax laws. Just too much of a bother for us, but a thought came to mind.... how could we get a 6 month visa to stay in Thailand? Is there something like that? Since we all decided not to invest or retire in Thailand, we could still stay 175 days a year there and this would also avoid depositing 800,000 baht in the Thai bank for the 12 months O/A visa.