kinyara

Nice cheery article to get us in the Christmas spirit.

Is there a 1 year retirement visa option in Vietnam yet ? Surely that's the major consideration for a retiree, all the rest is pretty pointless if you can't actually stay there long-term.

If I wasn't already retired in Thailand but dead set at making the move, if I was planning on bring in the money to purchase big ticket items like a condo and a car, that would be the year I managed my time in country to less than 180 days.

I was talking about those on retirement visa status. The Japanese would certainly have been the biggest community of working foreigners back then and are probably still significant in the business community but they would already be taxpayers under income tax regulations. I seriously doubt the Japanese figure significantly in the currently retiree population affected by this tax law change

As you say it is hard to generalise, if they have all the above are they really likely to uproot themselves and potentially family to save what in reality with personal allowances a relatively small amount of tax.

I don't even think there is even a couple of hundred thousand retired expats in the country. I'm sure I read a figure of 60,000 quoted by the head honcho a few years ago. I think we generally overstate our importance.

They are likely attracting a lot of new longer term stayers under the new DTV visa, more flexible/mobile under 50's staying up 180 days as opposed to the over 50 retirees who may alter their personal spend. They may lose on one policy change and gain with another.

I agree with your approach if that works better for you, I'd do it myself if it became too significant a liability or too onerous admin wise. You can shout it from the rooftops for your personal satisfaction, but I doubt your local immigration officer or government official gives a monkey's about your decision. You and maybe even a few thousand expats departing pale into insignificance in the grand scheme of things especially with tourist numbers growing by millions each year again.

I didn't bring in anything this year to see how it pans out enforcement/admin wise for others who did by March 2025. I won't be making any changes to my spending in 2025, I own my condo so my annual spend is relatively modest. Looking at the annual allowances my potential tax liability would be around the 10k mark, I believe some on here pay around that for an agent for their visa renewal to save a bit of hassle and 40 minutes of time over a year, so I'm not going to affect a year of lifestyle for the same amount.

Looks like they will be 50% up on last year but still significantly down compared to the 2019 peak. 6.2 million year to date November compared to 11.0 million in 2019.

I've always used my driving licence without an issue at Jomtien immigration. It's one of the forms of address ID they list as acceptable. A copy of your blue book showing the same address just as back-up.

Exactly that's valuable productive time that can be spent sitting at your computer reading and posting thousands of comments on this forum

Arrive from November/December leave from March/April is the normal pattern I would say.

Economic forecasting is normal in all countries, governments rely on it as part of their overall financial/policy planning. Tourism is obviously one of the larger sectors here so gets more focus and reporting. Thailand does seek and cater to quality tourists, however in my view it has always been a primarily a mass market destination. The government relies on it to absorb a labour force of limited skills and education.

I look positively at it this way, the guys using agents make it easier for those of us that do it ourselves by firstly reducing queuing time and secondly lining the pockets of the immigration staff. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I've experienced it getting easier and quicker year by year, Really they are doing us a favour, thanks guys.

In what respect can't they handle the current level of tourism - 35 million ? The extra 5 million are only likely to come predominantly from China and they are typically short stayers on average. Spread it over 12 months, various locations and 5 days each, it's not that much to absorb. Personally looking at the continued low number of Chinese this year compared to 2019 levels I don't think they will achieve 40 million in 2025.

There is no difference between transfers this year and next year tax wise. December last year was when you should have done it if you wanted a years grace. All dependent on enforcement of course.

10pm Friday, the taxi drivers were likely all down on beach road taking customers away from the fireworks.

Irrelevant for those of us choosing to live in Thailand

I didn't require an updated one when I did my 90 day report the other week in Jomtien, exactly as I was advised by them in person prior to my overseas trip. Non O retirement returning to my same owned condo address. Copy of existing pre trip TM30 provided, no issue

When you think of the cost of a flight here, accomodation etc, I think that's actually a good idea that might actually act as a deterrent for this kind of anti-social behaviour by tourists. Certainly sleeping it off for a night with possibly a few thousand baht fine seems too light. I hate the yobbos from back home bringing their loutish behaviour out here thinking they'll be no serious consequences.

That was certainly my experience at Jomtien, I asked the question of them before my trip.

Nice one, logistically " drive through " definitely ranks in the category of never going to happen in Jomtien 😂

All I'll say is there is a sign on the 90 day desk in Jomtien saying that you have to do it in person the first time returning from overseas. I didn't bother attempting my usual online as a result, went in in person 2 weeks ago mid-afternoon, no queue to hand it in but a sign saying the waiting time was 1 hour. I live in the area so rather than wait just picked it up the next day when it suited me. Will go back to online for the next one as it has worked every time for me since I first signed up.

The middle of Sukhumvit and have a lie in.