oldcpu

This was a BIG advantage for me, even thou my LTR-WP took a rather long time to get. I had MANY information requests, and in the most part (with on major exception) I was able to address them from the comfort of my condo, sitting on the balcony with my laptop computer, with a sea view and sipping a glass of wine.

I would not go so far as to say that they don't care. I believe it more accurate to state they will make exceptions to their policy ( when asking for tax returns as income proof) when it makes sense to them.

Yes. This is the COR (certificate of residence) which was mentioned above. You get this from your local immigration when you are in Thailand. It doesn't hurt to bring a copy of your lease. Ensure that the place where you stay has done a TM30 for you (typically done by the Landlord) - this may or may not be required by your Immigration Office, but if an Immigration Officer ( IO) asks for this when you go to immigration, its not something that can be done on the spur of the moment - so ask your landlord (or hotel where you stay) for this before going to immigration. For example, Phuket immigration purportedly requires a TM30: https://piv-phuket.com/residence-certificate/ Bring a passport sized/style photo, as it is needed for the COR. With passport, copies as noted in the link, passport sized photo, the TM30 in hand (and it doesn't hurt to bring the 1-month lease from your rental - or what ever from your proof of rental is provided, with that in hand) go to the local immigration and ask that they provide you a COR letter. They may have you fill in another form, but if so, that can likely be done on the spot. Then take the COR with you (and your passport that has the Type-O visa inside) when you go to open up your bank account. Its been almost a decade since I had to do the above. I have a different visa now (LTR) and I have a yellow-book & pink Thai ID so I have not needed a COR to open a bank account. Instead I have different requirements (re: the LTR visa).

As long as he understands with citizenship, comes responsibility. Further to my earlier post, ... when I lived and worked in Germany, a former work colleague (who has UK/German dual citizenship) told me the story of how he obtained his German citizenship and the consequence (he was drafted into the German military immediately after obtaining his citizenship (in those days Germany had the draft). He was born and lived in the UK. His father English, his mother German. Every year his parents would go to Germany where he would spend a few weeks with this German grandparents (on his mother's side of the family). At age 18 after completing highschool he decided to go to Germany and spend time with his grandparents. He landed a job at a local shop, but he was in fact not working legally (this was before 1973 ?? when the UK joined the EU). The mayor of the German town was a friend of his grandparents, and advised them if he applied for his German citizenship, he (the mayor) would 'look the other way' (and not notice his working illegally as not being an EU nor German citizen). So he applied for his German citizenship based on his mother being German, and he could speak 'just enough' German language to pass the citizenship language test (barely). Within a couple of weeks of obtaining his German citizenship, he was drafted, and he spent a small number of years in the German military. Now - I am not saying that is a bad thing. As I noted, I volunteered to join the Canadian military at age-18, and I benefited enormously from what I learned in the military, from the experience, and from the contacts I made. But the military is not for everyone. so just because a second citizenship is possible, it does not mean it is the best approach. So I re-iterate, care is needed to understand possible consequences. With citizenship, comes responsibility.

I will ask my Thai wife to call her friend the Bank Manager. And then it will be relevant and your "not entirely sure" will be irrelevant.

I don't think what you are "not entirely sure" about is the case. My understanding, from (1) talking to expats who obtained bank accounts when on type-O, (2) from posts on this forum, (3) from the notification sign at the local Bangkok Bank branch (where I have a few bank accounts), and (4) from one of my Thai wife's friends (where this friend is the manager at a Phuket based Krungsri bank branch) , is foreigners on a non-immigrant 90-day type-O visa, can open a bank account. It is considered a 'long stay' even thou it is only 90-days. The bank logic is typically foreigner on this visa, plan to stay in Thailand longer than just the 90-days. Typically advising the bank of any one of these reasons will also further help (but may not be needed) : * the foreigner advises they need this bank account to transfer money into Thailand so to obtain the 1-year extension on the Visa so to stay in Thailand longer * the foreigner can point to a condominium they own in Thailand, or are about to buy (with funds passing through the bank) * the foreigner notes they plan to transfer a substantial amount of money into Thailand into this bank account * the foreigner has a Thai spouse * the foreigner agrees to buy some bank investment/insurance scheme from the Bank Manager (where likely Bank branch manager obtains some commission). I would be curious to hear of anyone who has not been able to open a Thai bank account on a Type-O. I have not heard of anyone noting this (on a type-O visa) that I can recollect. Possibly in the future, the Banks may ask to see one's passport on a regular basis (once every year or two) to ensure one is still on a long-stay visa, but this sentence is 100% speculation by me. It may never be the case, or it may have been the case for some now by some banks .

If no Thai bank account then I recommend you follow DrJack54's recommendation. Why ? If you arrive Thailand visa exempt, you will need to open a bank account to obtain a non-immigrant type-O visa. But you will find it almost impossible to open a bank account if you enter Thailand visa exempt. Which means you nominally then can not obtain a type-O visa inside Thailand (with no Thai bank account). One work around in such a case is to find an agent and pay them $$ in order to help you open a bank account. But recent new articles have noted Bangkok Bank pushing back on those who opened accounts when Visa exempt, and freezing their accounts (until long term visa can be shown). To avoid all the hassle, if you obtain the 90-day Type-O visa when outside of Thailand (while in your home country), then when you arrive in Thailand, you can immediately open a bank account on the Type-O (as Thai banks accept that visa), and start moving money into Thailand so to be ready for applying for a 1-year extension on your Thai Type-O visa (which you nominally should do after being in Thailand for about 60-days when on a 90-day Type-O visa). I recommend you do NOT come to Thailand on a one year-Type-OA visa (this is DIFFERENT from the Type-O). For the Type-OA 1-year extensions on the permission to stay in Thailand, it has health insurance requirements with a 'Thai twist' to them. The Type-O does not have that 'twist'. The 'twist' I refer to is the health insurance for a Type-OA pretty much MUST be from the Thai branch of a health insurance company. Even if your original out of country health insurance (to get a type-OA) was from outside of Thailand, that can NOT be used when applying for the 1-year extensions of the permission to stay in Thailand. Typically when going for the extension of a permission to stay in Thaliand (on a Type-OA visa), health insurance from a branch of a health insurance outside of Thailand is not accepted. But the Type-O does NOT have health insurance requirements. Which all gets back to why DrJack54's suggestion should be considered - get a Type-O outside of Thailand first, is the optimal way to do this if you can. .

With respect, given your story, I believe it depends on the actual Immigration Officer you happen to be dealing with in Phuket immigration on any particular extension. I live in Phuket. A couple who live in a Villa just to the north of where I live in Phuket, adopted your strategy for years. Then 2 years ago , it was refused. They were forced to go back to their bank branch in Phuket, get a yearly statement and an appropriate letter from the Bank. Not long after that another Phuket expat friend reported the same problem, despite doing such differently for years. so the policy does not appear to be even consistent within the Phuket office. As the saying goes "your mileage may vary". YMMV.

I agree with Presnock, ask BoI. They have staff who speak excellent English. I recommend you phone BoI. My experience is their email reply record is dismal at best, while their phone response is very good. My speculation is if you have no tax returns as income proof, you will have to have very good other records (confirmation) as to your income proof. I believe BoI like to use income tax returns as income proof as it provides them more confidence someone is not 'scamming' them as to an income that does not exist. In my case, when I applied in January-2023, I provided Boi my year 2020 and year 2021 tax assessment from Canada (which lists my global income). BoI then asked for my year 2022 tax Canadian tax assessment (where I had not even yet submitted my Canadian 2022 tax return). It was weeks later before I could obtain the income information/tax slips to file my 2022 Canadian tax return, and weeks more before I could get a Canadian government tax assessment for year 2022 (which lists global income) and then provide that to BoI. That slowed down my LTR application process. Further, BoI, knowing I was a pensioner (with pensions from Europe and from Canadian Old Age security) asked for my Canadian pension tax slip copy !! I had to contact them and advise them, I did not get a Canadian pension (yet) as I had deferred the receipt of that pension to age-70. So BoI were very thorough in what they asked. I did in the end obtain the LTR-WP. Which I believe, simply points to the usefulness of your contacting BoI, ( by phone ) explain to them your financial situation, and find out early from them, exactly what documents they want in your specific case.

One thought I had here, is Thailand has a military draft system. So if his son obtains dual nationality, where one of the son's citizenships is Thai, he will be subject to the Thai military draft at a certain age. 18 ??? This is true even if he no longer lives in Thailand, ... for regardless where he lives in the world, he as a Thai citizen will be subject to Thai draft. Now depending on some circumstance, he may be exempt the Thai draft, but such depends on some specifics that may or may not be not relevant to his son's case (when he comes of draft age). Don't get me wrong. I volunteered !! for the Canadian military at age-18 and spent 13+ years in the military. I have good things to say about the Canadian military and I learned a massive amount from that experience, and i have lot to be grateful for that experience. But I volunteered for that. A military draft (where one has not volunteered) is a different kettle of fish. So I would recommend the OP think twice before obtaining Thai citizenship for his son (to avoid 90-day reports), even if his son qualifies.

That is a good point that Wise account holders in Thailand should take note of. According to https://wise.com/help/articles/2932335/guide-to-thb-transfers Supported recipient banks in Thailand are: * Bangkok Bank Public Company * Kasikorn Bank * Krung Thai Bank * Siam Commercial Bank * CIMB Thai Bank * Bank Of Ayudhya (Krungsri bank) * Kiatnakin Phatra Bank Perhaps more important (to some) is starting on 6 May 2025, the following banks will no longer be supported due to payment system upgrades in Thailand: * TMBThanachart Bank (011) * Citibank (017) * Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (018) * Standard Chartered Bank (020) * United Overseas Bank (024) * The Government Savings Bank (030) * HSBC (031) * Deutsche Bank (032) * The Government Housing Bank (033) * Bank For Agriculture And Agricultural Cooperatives (034) * Mizuho Corporate Bank (039) * BNP Paribas (045) * Bank Of China (052) * Thanachart Bank (065) * Islamic Bank Of Thailand (066) * TISCO Bank (067) * ICBC (070) * The Thai Credit Retail Bank (071) * Land And Houses Retail Bank (073) * Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (Thai) PCL (SMTB) (080) The list of not supported banks by Wise is quite large, albeit in general most (not all) of these are not the major Thai banks

Note this link: https://wise.com/help/articles/2556723/how-to-pay-by-card where it states: " We currently can’t accept payments from: US-issued cards, if the address on your Wise account is outside the US, and if you're paying with a Visa card " .... so in my reading that, I wonder if that is applicable to you?

Wise does not accept all US-issued debit nor credit cards, and it has made recent changes to how card transactions are processed in the US. This may have impacted your attempts to use such a card. You may wish to search the web on Wise support for those institutions, or simply contact Wise. It could be your US financial institutions are not supported any more.

You have already proven your lack of knowledge given your refusal to agree that a global taxation system is not an OECD requirement. So what?? That adds nothing to the points I have made about your refusal to agree that a global taxation system is not an OECD requirement. Ahh ... crying shame? Are you crying? How silly. Next it will be a religious statement or an insult from you. I expect no less. Why not simply agree a global taxation system is not an OECD requirement, or admit your knowledge of OECD requirements in this regard is severely lacking. I remind you once again there is a big difference between 'favouring' a certain system, as opposed to 'requiring' a certain system. So simply agree, that a global taxation system is not an OECD requirement.

So - in addition to religion, you now believe insults will support your lost argument? Only you will believe yourself here. Clearly you know nothing about OECD. You should simply stay out of the discussion.

Also, one should compare the gross national income (GNI) per capital (year 2023 - Atlas method) when comparing numbers of people who file tax returns in a country: Thailand - GNI per capita - ~$7,000 USD where filing required above $3,360 USD (฿120,000). Canada - GNI per capita - ~$52,000 USD where filing required above $11,151 USD (C$15,705). Australia - GNI per capita - $63,000 USD where filing required above $12,194 USD (A$18,200). From that it should be clear that the average Thai is MUCH MUCH closer to the threshold limit to file a tax return, compared to that of a Canadian or an Australian. Also , Thailand has a much larger spread between the poor and the wealthy than Australia and Canada, which skewers the data for Thailand for GNI per capita.

There is a difference between a preferred method and a required method. Your refusal to agree there is no requirement simply illustrates you are wrong.

Further to my post ... some more statistics on the tax filing threshold: Thailand: Filing required above $3,360 USD (฿120,000). Lowest threshold, but deductions often mean no tax is owed until ~$4,200 USD. Reflects a developing economy with a low tax base. Canada: Filing required above $11,151 USD (C$15,705). Moderate threshold, with credits ensuring low earners often owe no tax. Filing is widespread due to benefits and refund systems. Australia: Filing required above $12,194 USD (A$18,200). Highest threshold, with a generous tax-free amount for residents, encouraging filing for offsets even if no tax is owed.

Good. So you agree then. Global taxation is NOT an OECD requirement. So? ... also, the numbers of people submitting tax returns, depends on the taxation year, and it changes. Your post without a taxation year reference is poorly submitted.

One thing wrong is your figures appear out of date and don't refer to the taxation year .. (not that it will change the conclusion - but it would be good to have more accurate numbers). More accurately: Canada: ~28.1 million taxpayers (2021), ~73.6% of population. High filing rate due to comprehensive tax system and mandatory reporting. Thailand: ~10.5 million taxpayers (2023, est.), ~14.7% of population. Lower filing rate due to higher tax-free threshold and narrower tax base. Australia: ~16.9 million taxpayers (2022-23), ~63.5% of population. Moderate filing rate, with a system similar to Canada’s but a slightly lower participation rate due to population and income distribution.

Do you ever read the links you post? or do you just post them in the hope that no one else will - and as a result believe you? There is NO NEED to "HOPE and pray" based on those links. Is this your religious tendencies coming through again? I think it is. For anyone reading - to be clear - there is NO OECD requirement for a country to have a global taxation system as opposed to a remitted taxation system. That is NOT to say Thailand will not some day go for a global taxation, but saying a Global taxation is an OECD requirement is simply WRONG. Let me type that again - WRONG. Now a global system may make it easier to implement some of the information sharing aspects that OECD want, but a remitted taxation system can also be tuned to do such as well. Ergo - for anyone else on this thread (and not for you Cyclist - I won't waste my time here with you), if you read of a Thailand official stating 'Global taxation is an OECD requirement', that is political BS to cover up aspects of the implementation of the current Thai taxation, where there ARE OECD countries (which I pointed out previous) that have a mixed system, with major parts being like a remitted taxation system, and some monetary aspects added to meet OECD requirements (but NOT to implement a global system). Having typed that, I do believe there are those in the Thailand government who would like to see a global system. But again, it is NOT an OECD requirement - despite the paranoia some on this thread are spouting.

Say what? How silly. Do you need religion to support your untenable arguments? Yes and please note; To re-iterate, the OECD sets guidelines for tax cooperation, compliance, and transfer pricing rules, but it does not mandate a particular taxation system (global vs. remittance). Instead, it focuses on preventing tax avoidance, encouraging transparency, and ensuring that multinational companies pay their fair share of taxes, especially under its Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative. That says NOTHING about a system whether it be 'remitted' or 'global' taxation. Lets stick with facts and not your tangents and illogical religious rants that I quoted above. OK? I put such in bold as clearly you missed that. Who are you arguing with? Did you read my post above ... or are you just ranting for showmanship and a sense of paranoia. May I politely point out to you where I typed (below a quote from myself): Clearly you either did NOT read that from my post, or you chose to ignore it because it detracted from the podium you are wobbling on. May I suggest coming down from your paranoid podium? Let me re-iterate another quote from myself Thus far you have totally failed to show ANY OECD REQUIREMENT for a remitted taxation system to be abandoned. And do you know why you failed? You failed because there is none. OECD does not mandate either a global , territorial nor remitted tax system. Rather OECD sets guidelines for tax cooperation, compliance, and transfer pricing rules, but it does not mandate a particular taxation system (global vs. remittance). Instead, it focuses on preventing tax avoidance, encouraging transparency, and ensuring that multinational companies pay their fair share of taxes. Perhaps you should just leave this discussion, as you simply do not understand OECD's goals and requirements. Stick with your religious circle (noting your quote above at the start of this post).

Yes i did. Did you read it? It says NOTHING about a remitted taxation system being an OECD requirement. You know what requirement means? Right? Rather it is consistent with what I posted.

"In favour" is by no means a hard fast requirement. In case you missed it, i will re-post what I previously posted on this topic. OECD do not, and can not, dictate the taxation system of any country. There is no explicit OECD membership requirement mandating that a country must adopt a global taxation system (taxing worldwide income of residents, regardless of where it is earned or remitted) over a remitted taxation system (taxing only income brought into the country). The OECD does not prescribe a specific tax system as a condition for membership. Instead, OECD membership involves meeting a broad set of criteria related to economic, governance, and policy standards, including commitments to transparency, good governance, and cooperation in international tax matters. To re-iterate, the OECD sets guidelines for tax cooperation, compliance, and transfer pricing rules, but it does not mandate a particular taxation system (global vs. remittance). Instead, it focuses on preventing tax avoidance, encouraging transparency, and ensuring that multinational companies pay their fair share of taxes, especially under its Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative. While OECD countries tend to follow the global taxation system, this is not an explicit requirement for membership. A country can remain an OECD member while implementing a remittance-based or territorial tax system, as long as it adheres to broader OECD principles regarding transparency and anti-tax avoidance measures. In Thailand’s case, the current system taxes foreign-sourced income of residents only when remitted to Thailand, and yes, proposed changes to tax worldwide income (even if not remitted) are being discussed under the excuse to align with global tax practices and OECD standards. These proposals are partly motivated by Thailand’s ambition to join the OECD, suggesting that while not a formal requirement, adopting a global taxation system may be seen as aligning with OECD principles of tax fairness and transparency. However, Thailand’s existing remittance-based system is not inherently incompatible with OECD membership, as evidenced by other non-OECD countries with similar systems (e.g.,possibly Malaysia ??? .. < unsure > ... I think Malaysia has been a key partner state of OECD OECD since 2007 ?? (ie not a full OECD member) and I believe Malaysia still has a remitted system, although I believe it has introduced some global taxation aspects (but not all) ... and perhaps like Thailand they are talking about full global taxation?? ... I may not be up to date here ) ... When I surfed on this, I read that some countries with a 'purported' territorial (or global) taxation system, in fact have closer to a mix of the two ( ie mix of global and remitted). These OECD countries being Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia (as already mentioned), Guatemala, Thailand (as already discussed in this thread), and to a much lessor extent Mexico. But the point is, my understanding is that there is neither an OECD policy NOR regulation against a remitted taxation system , and further some who are OECD members do not have a 'full' global taxation system, but have a mix of global and remitted.

What Thai Bank? My understanding is recently Wise will no longer transfer to some Thai banks.