Dah fahrang

Yep!

Yes. Dead serious.

Despite me telling her not to send anything to me by post any more, my sister in the UK, in a lapse of memory or a fit of sentiment, sent us a small postal package for Christmas. It contained some small items of little commercial value, plus a Christmas card. The cost of the postage from UK was extortionate - about £8 - likely more than the value of the items within! The UK post office will not accept a parcel for overseas posting without an attached 'customs declaration' stating content and value. Thailand Postman arrives at our gate. Beeps his motorcycle horn, and waves a Thai Customs demand for 70 Baht before he would release the parcel. I asked to see the sender of the package, then refused to pay the 70 Baht. He looked bemused, shook his head, filled in something on the form and put the package back in his sack. About 2 weeks later, I received a message from my sister - with photos showing the package had surprisingly been returned to her, intact, unopened, un-scavenged. Thailand Post, or Thai Customs would have to pay for the cost of the return, plus the cost of administrative faffing about. The cost would have been far in excess of the 70 Baht, which they could have waived. Morons. (I suppose the sender could have under-declared the value, or simply stated "Christmas Gift - no Commercial Value).

Quiet Preparation. I accept my mortality, but don't (yet) feel ready to kick-the-bucket. Talk openly and freely with my family about death. No taboo. Married to a wonderful Thai for 43 years, daughter, grandkids, small bungalow in Ratchaburi, two 'daft' dogs, big garden. Life-time's savings in joint names in Guernsey and Isle of Man, where UK taxman can't get them; just bringing enough into Thailand (two tranches - one for me, one for missus) so the Thai taxman can't grab either. Living a quiet, happy life, a few aches and pains, a serious and pricey piece of surgery last year, yet no reason to give it all up. BUT Day-to day Thai (and all foreign) bank accounts in joint names with either / or signature. I die, account operation goes automatically to missus (and vice versa). Immigration 800k account in just my name - kept untouched - missus has the online details and can subtly drain the cash when I've gone, or, she can use my Thai Will to get Thai probate and draw the funds the 'proper' way. Up to her. Thai and foreign wills written, signed, witnessed, notarised, put away safely where the family can get at them quickly. Thai Living Will signed, witnessed translated, notarised - making it clear what medical interventions I refuse if I'm terminally ill. And, just today, I signed a contract for a Prepaid Funeral Plan for a Direct Cremation with a Funeral Director in Bangkok. No ceremony, no attendees, body collected, cremated, funeral director does all the running around officialdom (Embassy, Official Translation of Thai Death Certificate, notarised at Foreign Affairs etc) and ashes returned to my next of kin, to later have a 'Celebration of Life' gathering whenever they want; THB47,000 all-in! I'm a lifelong agnostic, so do not want the hypocrisy of men-in-orange chanting over my body, with duplicitous neighbours (some of whom I despise, and they, me) faux-grieving over me. So, with the peace of mind I have with everything in place for my family after my demise, I carry on taking life each day as it comes, with its many surprises and simple pleasures.

This may be because there is a mis-match between the registered name of your bank account with the registered name for the SIM card in your mobile phone. It could be as simple as a single character in your name. I had this issue a couple of weeks back, setting up mobile banking with K Plus. The mobile number in the phone used for KPlus was registered in my wife's name. I had to go to my mobile phone provider (True) to change the registered name, and get a 'certification' from them which I took to Kasikorn. Easy enough. All done and dusted. Mobile banking running a treat. My online banking, ATM/Debit card use was unaffected during this switch.

Rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.

As an oldie who will be impacted by this nonsense from Krungsri, it would be really helpful to hear if anyone (over 70) has just recently successfully registered for the Krungsri app and received confirmation? Also, has anyone found that access to their Krungsri Online internet banking has been stopped (by Krungsri) after successful registration for the app? Thanks!

Ratchaburi: No. They were happy to accept a QR scan which opened a link to "my place" on Google Maps. (Two years running)

Yes, I have had a phone call, followed by a home visit for an extension based on retirement. Ratchaburi. It was 18 months ago, following my (successful and no issues) extension for the year 2024-25. The call was from one of the visiting officers mobile number. Two very courteous and friendly officers; a look at my passport, wife's ID card, tabien baan, some paperwork done by the visiting officers, a few jokes, admiration for our well-kept garden and our dogs, a cup of coffee, visit to the loo, some (inevitable) photos of me with the officers, and they were on their way. Best part was having a pick-up with Police plastered all over it parked at our front gate. Got the neighbours in a tizzy! April 2025, on doing my most recent extension for the year 2025-26, we (wife and I) asked the officer handling my application if I can expect another home visit following this extension. Answer: "I can't say. The boss decides which applicants get a home visit".

Absolutely. That's why I did it!

Thanks for this. Having decided to 'try the system' it was important to me to openly establish that a deduction was being made. I'm no accountant, so my method of doing this might be wrong. But at least the 'dam has been breached'.

Thanks for this. Good to know a mistake was made in my calculation method. Still, its better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.

Apologies for omission. The pensions concerned and aggregated are: UK Teachers Pension (deemed private pension scheme by HMRC) a Prudential Annuity (private scheme) and a small UK State Pension. HMRC add all these sources of income and then deduct UK tax accordingly. It is the UK Tax assessment for 2024/25 which I printed out to present to the TRD as evidence, and, until told otherwise, claimed as Tax Credit which I unilaterally deducted from my total remittances. I did not remit the total amount of pension income in 2024; only enough to keep me below the threshold for Thai Tax. In the absence of any clear ruling by TRD on this, and the lack of appropriate space on Form 90 to declare foreign tax paid, plus the fact that I am obliged by law to file for Thai Tax by the end of March, I unilaterally claimed a tax credit by deduction. Should 'TRD Eagles' decide to come to my door to make an example of me, so be it.

That is how I treated it. As a tax credit against Thai tax, until I am told by the RD otherwise. I declared the full total of two inward remittances on my spreadsheet, then deducted the Baht equivalent of UK PAYE tax deducted on my UK pensions (42.30 exchange rate). I (my wife) explained this to the RD clerk, and gave her to keep, the (English language) title page of the Thai/UK DTA signed in 1881.She had no idea of any DTA, but accepted my reduced figure.

Already had. so i could show Krungsri, who then stopped taking 15% withholding tax at source. Even that only took about 20 minutes.

TRD 2024 Tax Year Filing Report. Photharam, Ratchaburi. Tuesday, 21 January. Knowing what was coming, for the year 2024 we have lived off savings already brought into Thailand in preceding years. Due to unforeseen hospitalisation I also had to bring in two inward remittances totalling 450,000 Baht. Today I went to my local Revenue Department Office (with wife) this morning to file for Tax Year 2024. Took: My UK Passport; My Thai TIN (obtained easily years ago to prevent Krungsri Bank auto-taking 15% withholding tax off interest payments); A partly completed English Version of Form 90 (filled in as far as I understood it); the TRD attachment for Allowances for Taxpayer 60,000 Baht (and spouse with no income 60,000 Baht); the TRD attachment to claim exemption of 195,000 Baht for over 65 years old; my own Excel spreadsheet in English (with Google Translated Thai) showing MY calculations; a print-out from Gov UK HMRC web-site of UK tax deducted from all UK pensions for Tax Year 2024-25; a print-out of (only) the title page of the Thailand - UK DTA made in 1981 (from Gov UK HMRC web-site). My spreadsheet declared the two large payments brought into Thailand (with dates) and, on my own initiative, unilaterally deducted Baht equivalent of UK Tax paid, about 39,000 Baht (proof above) showing new reduced total of inward remittances. Then deducted 100,000 Baht 'expenses' allowed against income. The lady officer was very polite, chatty, cheerful, and extremely helpful. (Thailand Immigration would benefit taking training in Customer Service and efficiency from her, and I told her this). She worked entirely from my figures on my Excel Spreadsheet, put all the information into her computer, then entered all the numbers (which I didn't fully understand and omitted or pencilled-in) on my Form 90. She returned this to me , AND helpfully completed a Thai version for my wife to follow in the future, should we need to bring in larger sums of £ and so separate filing with separate allowances and exemptions. I knew we should do this, but the officer told my wife, in clear terms, this is what to do! She knew nothing of the Thai/UK DTA, but accepted my 'evidence above' along with my figure for claiming credit for tax already paid in UK. She asked to keep my Excel spreadsheet (presumably to show to those upstream of her in the food-chain). All computations made, she then asked me to sign her computer generated (Thai only) Form 90, and the Attachments for Exemption and for Allowances. Nothing to pay, but she printed out an official TRD receipt in my name, showing zero tax due. Time taken: about 45 minutes, including peripheral chatter with my wife. Job done for another 12 months. Hope this eases some anxieties, and clarifies some issues.

I hold two K Bank accounts. One in my name, one in joint names with my Thai wife. Today, armed with passport, both bankbook(s) and Thai Tax TIN, walked into a Kasikorn branch in a shopping mall in rural Ratchaburi - not my own branch! Showed the email on my phone to the Customer Service lady. She read it, still wasn't sure, but with a quick call to her head office, sat us down. Asked for my passport and bank book(s). Confirmed I'm not American, then downloaded just the FATCA Self Certification form, with "no" ticked in all the boxes, printed it, copied the bank book and passport ID page, and asked me to sign all. Job done. For good measure, as my wife is a dual national, we asked that she complete the same FATCA form to cover our joint account: no issue, same process. Wife showed Thai ID card, foreign (UK) passport and bankbook in joint names. Very easy, and politely done within 10 minutes. No worries about e-mailing completed forms. Branch will upload them. We did have to wait 10 minutes in 'sub-zero' air conditioning before being attended to by a smart-ass giving the staff a hard time setting up the K banking app on his phone. Hope this helps!

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Hi, UK State Pension recipients. You will never get a P60 from HMRC! Don't hold your breath! Reason is that the UK State Pension is not taxable. It is considered by HMRC as a state benefit. Example: if you are lucky to receive the full basic UK State Pension - about £200 per week, that is about £10,400 a year. It is below the £12,570 2023 HMRC Personal Income Tax Allowance threshold. However... your UK State Pension is counted as income. So, if you receive additional UK sourced private pension(s), the UK State Pension of £10,400 is added to whatever ££ you receive from your UK sourced private pension(s). If the aggregated money from the UK State Pension plus private pension(s) exceeds the 2023 Personal Income Tax Allowance of £12,570, then any/all income you receive above the £12,570 is liable to UK tax at the relevant current tax rates. HMRC, via a 'Notice of Coding' will instruct your private pension provider(s) to deduct tax at source from any amount above £12,570 from your private pension but definitely never from the UK State Pension. Your private pension provider will receive the relevant tax code from HMRC for the tax year, and will deduct tax at the source. It is your private pension provider(s) that must, by law, issue an annual P60, but never HMRC! You may find link this helpful. I was quite astonished by it. If you register to use the UK Government Gateway, you will find both notice of coding and tax deducted information from all your private pension(s). The information goes back several years, and is downloadable. https://www.gov.uk/check-income-tax-current-year

Yes. I extended my stay (Retirement) end of April. My wife was asked (twice) directions to where we lived, and identifying landmarks (school etc) nearby. Property owned by my wife who holds tabien-baan. Two weeks later, two Immigration Officers pull up at our gate in their Police Toyota pick-up. The 30 minute visit was quite sociable. Lots of niceties, whilst filling in copies paperwork; questions to my wife. I asked them directly WHY they had come. "To check you are alive, and living where you said at the time of your extension" was the reply. Customary photo-app at our front door with and without IO in the shot. Office in. question: Ratchaburi

Thanks for this! I was told some months back (by two IO's who made a surprise house visit) that there was a new office, but they told me maybe in error or maybe for rough guidance that it was next to the coffee shop close to the temple. Whatever, I suppose dealings there will be the same 'hit and miss' as it was in that awful bus station!!!

It is widely reported that using its advanced 'Thailand 4 Technology' Thailand aims to be the very first nation to launch a manned space mission to the sun. The launch will be the first from its' new space centre. When reminded that the capsule would melt, and the crew roast alive - long before reaching the sun, a Thai Government Space Expert replied: " We Thai have overcome that problem. We're going at night" (Joke. Not a Big-Joke, but a joke none the less).

"JETCO Director-General Auramon Supthaweethum spoke at length about the expected sectors that are set to benefit from this economic bolstering. These sectors range from food and drink, health, education, the automotive industry, agriculture, and the digital sector. The subsequent aim of these actions is to form a foothold for future negotiations of free trade between the two nations." Expected sectors! So, when Free Trade actually materialises, and I can readily get my Marmite, Bisto, Tetley tea bags, Robinsons fruit juices and other UK indulgences at prices considerably lower than now, I'll just dismiss this as more meaningless hollow talk: utter drivel.

A scorched earth policy is a last-ditch attempt to deter a hostile takeover by making the target company unattractive to the potential acquirer. Tactics include selling off prized assets, racking up mountains of debt, and promising management substantial payouts in the event that they are one day dismissed. Well used throughout history. Nothing new here.