wordchild

Taiwan was part of China “from time antiquity “, ! this is ,factually, just complete rubbish. sadly this historical misinformation, is being fed to mainland Chinese, to stir up nationalist fervor and distract from some of the mess created by Xi and his current regime. There are many things to admire about the rise of China over the last 70 years, especially the reduction of poverty for so many millions. Deng was unquestionably one of the great World Leaders of the modern era. The so called “Great Leader” Xi is not fit to lick the soles of his shoes.

The link you posted is for a US based Financial Adviser, does not seem to be related, in any way, to the firm mentioned in the OP.

yes, more or less, that is it. Its not that the non-Thai investment income is "treated" in any particular way because of the specifics of where it is from. It is just , simply , that it does not count as THAI income. So , as far as Thai Tax is concerned, it is not assessable for (THAI) Income Tax. As long as it is NOT brought into the country, in the same year as it was earned, It falls outside their definition of Income. It may seem strange but it has similarities with the UK's tax treatment of UK resident non-doms. Lines of separation between what is defined as Income and Capital need to be drawn somewhere. It is just that Thailand (unlike the UK) extends this "applicable Income" definition (and therefore benefit) to all Thai residents, including its own citizens.

Thai Tax Law does not make a distinction between Capital Gain and Income from Investments, it all counts as Income and can be subject to Thai Tax. The exemption from Thai tax (other than the withholding tax, if applicable) is a concession that applies only to investments made on the SET (ie Thai stocks) and certain other kinds of investments. eg it does not apply to investments made on overseas stock markets. The OP does not say where he intends to hold his investments , in Thailand or another country. This is very relevant regarding his tax treatment. If one intends to invest outside Thailand then the best thing to do is to maintain an investment account outside the country and then only bring in the income (and any gains) after Jan 1st each year. This should avoid any issues with Thai Tax. A number of the major Thai brokers are also prepared to set up Overseas Investment Accounts for Thais and foreigners based in Thailand; these accounts are structured so that the investments are held by custodians outside Thailand and investors in these accounts are recommended to only repatriate funds in the following tax year, ie so no tax is applicable. The issue with these accounts is that they are (usually) more expensive to operate than an equivalent brokerage account set up with ,say, a Singapore or HK broker.

A problem with pools on high condo roofs is they can get really cold especially evening/night times. I used to swim ,after work , in the high-rise condo we lived in at the time. I was doing 50 plus lengths but still used to emerge shivering. we now live in a low rise and the pool is garden level ,embedded in the ground , ie it’s not a suspended box of water with circulating air around its base and sides. it stays pleasantly warm even in the evenings.

check the spread ie the difference between the buying and selling rates for the currency you are interested in; that is effectively the margin that the money changer is taking from the trade. That will give you a better idea than just looking at the rates on a particular day. Most of the big money changers in Thailand offer pretty competitive rates on the major currencies, as measured by the spread, but some offer consistently tighter rates than others and certainly better than the standard bank booths. In general much better to do your exchange (especially if its a large amount) with a changer who is offering both to buy and sell currencies ie rather than just swap foreign currency for TB. I dont know about in Pattaya but in Bangkok Vasu is normally pretty competitive.

Interesting post by the OP. Dr Copper (given its relative strength in recent months) is saying that the world's economies will get through this period just fine. Excepting , maybe, a few way overvalued US tech stocks. The copper price is something i check daily, along with Iron Ore, Brent, US Govt 10yr yield plus the major USD Currency pairs. Taken together these give a reasonable snapshot of the health of the Global Economy, IMO. I am not sure we will see a copper "super cycle" from here but , given the importance of this metal, in so many areas, it seems likely that the price will remain well supported.

Yes, it is definitely the case that multinationals operating in Thailand tend to bring in staff from elsewhere within the group (as they tend to do everywhere else) and i should have made that clear in my post. Recruiting from outside does happen , and i can think of a couple of examples, but it is rare. Funnily enough i do know someone who was recruited to a very senior position with Nestle Thailand from outside the group. However , in this case, he was well known to Nestle as he worked for a key supplier and was likely seen as someone with a specialist skill set. Maybe , as i suggested above, consider the NGO sector, or focus on Aussie mid-size companies (where your wife may have some connection) that have aspirations to grow in ASEAN.

The point i wanted to make to the OP is that the idea that EVERY company operating in Thailand is completely dominated by Thais is simply not true. The vast majority of the major INTERNATIONAL companies that operate in Thailand (a few of which i mentioned above) are not dominated by Thai execs. In most cases (that i can think of) many of the key positions are held by non-Thais. Obviously International businesses that operate here are required to adhere to Thai Law eg as regards to the level of Thai shareholding (covering the company owned Thai assets) , however these companies are able to structure themselves in ways that stay within the law but protect their own interests and retain effective control. The Thai Government is extremely keen to attract international companies to Thailand, especially those that intend to use Thailand as their regional HQ, and they are very well aware that a certain flexibility is required if they are to do this.

The company i was thinking of was Siam City Cement (SCCC), where both the CEO and CFO are non-Thai. The company has a range of shareholders (Thai institutions and other individuals) with the majority being Thai, as required by law. However the significant (and effectively largest) shareholder is Jardine Cycle and Carriage the Singapore conglomerate which is in turn controlled by the Jardine Matheson Group.

If a company was listed on the local SET then i could understand that a Thai CFO might be useful eg for ease of communication with auditors ,market participants, regulators etc. However it is certainly not a requirement , as far as i am aware. In fact i can think of at least one SET listed co where both the CEO and the CFO are non-Thai. The company I work for here (not SET listed) our CFO is Singaporean and, out of a local board of 8, we only have 2 Thais.

What about searching for a position with one of the international FMCG companies that have a significant presence in Thailand eg Nestle, Pernod,Diageo, Unilever, Haleon, etc etc. Probably zero chance that your wife (or any external hire) could get a very senior position with one of these. However , if her profile fits, she might get a shot at a good mid-level role. A finance role within an NGO or even the UN (which is huge here) might also be worth considering. Forget about local Thai companies, especially family controlled ones, for all the reasons mentioned above.

as others have said above, just get the app on your phone; personally i find the app is more flexible than ibanking (on pc). I am backwards and forwards between Thailand and Europe on a regular basis - and i have never (so far!) had any issues using the BBL app either in or outside Thailand.

Asia Tigers?

maybe a Chiropractor can help? Google Dr Mark Leoni a US Chiro who has worked in Bangkok for many years. I have seen him in the past (not for the same condition) , he is a nice guy and seriously good at what he does. Based in On Nut area.

So their target market is farangs who are so desperate for cash that they are prepared to borrow at a 16% rate. And, these "desperate" farangs also need to have full, unencumbered, ownership of a condo in Bangkok or Pattaya, with a value somewhat greater than the amount they need to borrow. For someone in that situation it would surely make much greater sense to simply sell their property and realize the cash they need that way.

Never heard of them but had a quick look at their site. 1.25% per month for minimum term of 12 months ie annual equivalent rate of around 16%! Needs to be fully secured against your Thai property. (This is complicated under Thai law, for a non banking institution, and my guess is that the borrower would likely have to transfer ownership to them in some form -- maybe an enforceable purchase contract for the loan amount-- just my guess) In any event highly risky- for the borrower. Only for the seriously desperate!

Really depends on the situation for that particular condo. eg in Phuket many condos are (or used to be!) at or close to the max for the foreign ownership ratio, so , yes, a condo sold by a foreign owner in such a situation may attract a premium. For most/all condos in BKK the foreign ratio is nowhere near the maximum (49%) and if anything (from my experience ) foreign ownership has declined in recent years. So there is (usually) no premium for sales from the foreign allocation. In my own condo, which is/was popular with foreign renters and owners , the ratio has fallen from c29% to c22% over the last several years

should be the same; everything needs to be done via the land office to ensure legal transfer of title and to ensure all the relevant taxes are paid. Why would it be any different just because the seller is none Thai? I am sure the seller has given consideration to how he/she is going to get paid. Would be cautious about agreeing anything outside the normal procedure with the seller; what would be the benefit for you?

Funnily enough one of the 5/6 shops that i pass regularly and mentioned in the OP (suk area) seems to have just closed in the last few days; just a few empty shelves now. I wonder what the deal was with the lease- maybe his girlfriend can reopen it as a massage/coffee shop!

Yes , i think this is correct; fortunately President Xi is somewhat more astute than much of the Western Media portrays him.

Yes, its not like some of these places are small. i can think of a couple that have serious prime frontage (3/4 shophouses). Some significant cash staked here.

First of all, my apologies if there have been many other threads on this subject, i am not a regular on this forum , but i should have checked. ( The mods are welcome to delete if they feel its appropriate) How do i know about foreign involvement? mainly because i see it; there are 4 or 5 shops that i pass regularly , on my way to and from the BTS (or on school run) and also a couple around my office. In at least 3 of these shops i noticed foreigners involved as the shops were being set up. 1 of them actually has a farang guy on the counter most days when i pass, - doubt that will last long! I ask am i missing something, because possibly i am; I never understood the preponderance of tailor shops along Suk until a Thai Indian Doctor explained the reason to me a few years ago.

There must be more than 30 Cannabis shops , all opened in the last few months, within 1km of where i live in Bangkok. 2 (just opened) on the small soi where we live! My kids like to play "spot the new weed shop" whenever we drive somewhere locally (2 points if a new shop -1 if it was spotted before). It is obvious that some serious money has been spent on many of these places, plus lease and other commitments, yet i hardly ever see anyone in any of them. It seems to me that a great deal of cash is going to get burned here (along with the other substances). Especially as online sales really get going. Am i missing something? Many of these places seem to have foreign involvement one way or another, and i assume that the investors are not completely insane. Can anyone (who knows) explain the business rationale here?

that is exactly how i work, and have done for many years. Computer works well for certain tasks, but , personally, i find a notebook, (to do lists; project/personnel updates etc) works for me. Usually my first job in the morning- review the previous few days of notes and carry on from there. i find it a useful check/reminder and helps my self discipline. I have one sitting beside the screen as i type this right now, and its even got a Pen (yes one of those!) sitting on top of it, poised and ready to write something. We all have our own ways of working , i guess.