jayboy

6 hours ago, Sandboxer said:

Just realize that the moment you have a pink card, you also have a Thai tax ID # (the 13 digit # on top of the card).

 

 

No you don't.It may be the same number but you will still need to apply for a TIN.

4 hours ago, shdmn said:

It would be better to file even if you don't think you have to rather than having to deal with what may happen if you don't.

There are penalties for non filing, some of which are severe but all depend on evasion of tax and the assumption tax is actually due.If no tax is due I'm not sure anything will happen if one doesn't file.Of course one needs to be sure of one's ground and have records to prove it if needs be..

3 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

don't have a point, was only responding to JG's comment.

Didn't seem to address it.But never mind - not important.

4 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

 

You'll be hard o0ressed to get a TIN without first having a long stay visa and secondly, demonstrating a need. Many have tried, many have failed because they don't meet that criteria.

You will be better informed than me so I will defer.

4 hours ago, chiang mai said:

Er, I've had a Thai TIN and have been filing a That tax return for over ten years.

And your point is?

I think JackGast was saying that getting a TIN is relatively simple and that one doesn't need to be a tax resident to do so.My understanding is that possession of a TIN does not compel one to submit tax return even as a tax resident if one has no assessable income.I freely admit I may be wrong about the latter part,

19 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

 Are you suggesting that only the lower classes should be labelled as sexpats ?

Most of them are.Once again - at the risk of repeating myself - I'm not making any moral judgements.Aristocrats often have  very entertaining and energetic sex lives.

My observation is essentially one of aesthetics.There can few more horrible groups to behold than British Pattaya sexpats with their beer, football, ugliness (bodies, faces and voices). and most comically of all  their "gentlemens clubs"

1 hour ago, Bday Prang said:

Nothing to do with class,

Beg to differ.Look at them.Listen to them.

56 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

The term "sexpat" was almost certainly coined by a man hating bull dyke of a western feminist.  It applies to anybody travelling abroad for the purpose of having sex with a foreign woman

The "distinguishing features" you mention were not part of the original description.   those adjectives have been added by other sexpats ( like @NowNow)    in a pathetic attempt to set themselves up on their  moralising soapbox . and distance themselves from others who actually have more in common with him than he cares to admit 

Missed the point.There is no question of moralizing as my post made very clear.The attributes simply identify the sexpat type as a stroll in Pattaya,Upper Sukhumvit and their other haunts will quickly confirm.Essentially it's a question of class.

12 hours ago, 123Stodg said:

How many judgmental posts have I read here on AN where one poster accuses another of being a sexpat, a monger, trying to get a leg over, etc. 

 

Really? All these people judging others from their glass houses. So petty. Who cares what other people do and what they come to Thailand for? You do you and forget the rest. 

 

When I first came here everyone was either a drunk, a shagger, a spook, a teacher, a backpacker, a property agent, a fugitive, an arms dealer, a movie producer or all of the above wrapped into one. Nobody cared what anyone else did. If you called someone in Bangkok a sexpat back in the eighties then they probably would have been flattered. It wasn't even a word!

 

Then the place started to gentrify around Y2K, the morality police showed up in the form of Westerners that saw it fitting to start calling other foreigners names and attaching labels. Back then nobody even pretended to be in Thailand for the temples, the markets, the elephants, the culture, etc. Couldn't be arsed, nor did anyone have anything to hide. 

 

So now you got lots of desperados on AN that are tarring others with a dirty brush when they in fact might be doing even worse things themselves. Or maybe they are hoping to, but can't because they made the mistake of getting married too quickly. A sack of armchair critics who get a kick out of trolling others to see if they can trigger someone by calling them a sex tourist whenever anyone admits to enjoying the night life in Thailand. 

 

Give it all up already FFS. Don't be one of those minging geezers who can's stop himself from judging others for what they choose to do with their own bodies in the hub of nightlife.

 

You completely miss the point.There never was any problem with expatriates taking full advantage of the sexual delights that Thailand had to offer.We remember the 1960's and 1970's with pleasure.

The term "sexpat" arose in the 1990's to describe a particular type of  foreigner.Distinguishing features (not always present in same person) : ill-educated, obese, culturally deficient, tattooed , fat, ugly provincial accent, football loving, beer swilling, Pattaya obsessed.

Sound familiar?

2 hours ago, Phulublub said:

If one travels regularly, one could easily (and legally) bring in a large quantity of cash each trip and exchange here (using a local Thai friend if necessary) to leave absolutely no paper trail of remitted funds on which you might be taxed.  The remittance is legal, the exchange mechanism dubious, the non reporting (if assessable income) illegal...  individuals will, as ever, choose their own path.

 

I wouldn't dream of using a mechanism as you have described to avoid paying Thai income tax. Not only would it be a criminal offense (I think), but it would also be clear tax evasion, and would open one up to blackmail in some circumstances.However my particular point here, as previously suggested, is that there is a spectrum of risk from the unacceptable to the mildest/non existent.Of course the main concern is what is correct procedure by Thai tax law but I don't think we should arbitrarily dismiss discussion of ways to mitigate tax.

The foreign credit card example is significant because it is not even clear whether it's use breaches any tax regulation.The hypothetical situation is that a foreigner who is a Thai tax resident pays for overseas airfares on an international web site with a foreign credit card and then settles the subsequent bill with offshore funds.

58 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

So for those people who think that TRD is not capable of managing expat tax collection, you may want to revisit that thought, in the context of the bigger Revenue picture. From memory, PIT is around 350 bill baht whilst total tax revenue collection is 2.45 trillion Baht baht, after all refunds!

This is a non sequitur and not particularly accurate about the facts.Thailand has a poor record on tax collection as this World Bank report makes clear.

https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099052523201010405/pdf/P17715700c42070140a5b009c8453acd7a6.pdf

As to the specific case of TRD's capability to trace use of foreign credit cards paid off with offshore funds (whether assessable or non assessable), this is so remote a contingency as to be discounted completely.The legal requirement is a different matter and I shall certainly be declaring this kind of expenditure oin my tax return.

40 minutes ago, CM Dad said:

He studies at Chiang Mai University - read my post - and he finds the program rigorous.

Thanks

2 hours ago, CM Dad said:

My son is 100% Thai.  His biological Thai father was killed in an accident shortly after he was born and I legally adopted him after I married his mother soon after that (I had known both his mother and father for many years by that time)..  I have have raised him since he was born.  I sent him to bilingual schools, not international schools, to be educated and he is fluent in both That and English.  He is currently studying in an International program at Chiang Mai University.  All of his classes are taught 100% in English.  While there are some foreign students in his program, most of the students are Thai.  They all pay the same tuition - there is no special price for Thai citizens.  The price is considerably higher than the regular tuition for Thai-language programs at the university, but is the same for all students.  There is no special "Thai" price.

Many thanks for this useful info.If I may ask a follow up question, how is your son finding his Chula international programme (ie academic rigour, quality of lecturers, workload etc) ?

As most will know, universities like Chulalongkorn, Mahidol and Thammasat have international courses conducted in English.I presume these degree courses are primarily geared to foreign students.However I'm also aware that there are quite a few Thai students - usually educated at one of Bangkok's international schools - who also join these degree courses because their English is more fluent than their Thai.Sometimes these students are luuk krung but there are also some who are fully Thai.All are fully fledged Thai citizens.Normally these courses are a higher cost than the Thai equivalent - but the websites simply refer to costs for Thai students and international students.

So my question is if a Thai student is accepted for the English language conducted international course, does he or she pay the Thai price or the international price? If anyone can answer this I should be very grateful.

5 hours ago, chiang mai said:

You're right, not the best choice of words on my part. Well known, significant, farang friendly, prominent, well regarded take your pick. But it doesn't change the fact that it's a well regarded law firm, so if we're going to pay attention to what the other say, we need to pay attention to this one also. 

 

https://www.legal500.com/firms/34053-siam-legal-international/c-thailand/about

I'm afraid I don't agree.Just look at the amateurish CVs of the lawyers/foreign partners on the web site.I have no doubt they could assist in relatively low level immigration matters and are definitely farang friendly.Essentially they represent a segment of the legal market - among many - for a certain type of foreigner.Personally I would not dream of employing a firm like this especially on tax matters where they have no expertise.

57 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

major Thai law firm

It's not.

On 10/2/2024 at 2:02 PM, PJPom said:

I think the one aspect people are overlooking is the source of the fire, the LNG tanks. If fitted correctly they are only as dangerous as a tank of petrol but if they are installed by unskilled persons their potential for leaking in an accident is probable. I worked with LPG fitted cars and regular tank testing was mandatory, I wonder how long since the tanks were tested.

All the above is just my speculation however I will never have a car fitted with gas here, I like living.

Thank you.Your speculation seems to be absolutely on the money though I believe the canisters were compressed natural gas (CNG).The News Report and the subsequent comments unfortunately give no insight into the causes of this tragedy.

The BBC corespondent in Bangkok, Jonathan Head, made some important points in his Twitter feed which can be summarized as follows:

The bus was essentially a bomb on wheels waiting to explode.All long distance buses in Thailand should be regarded as dangerously unsafe unless proven otherwise by credible inspections.In this case 11 gas canisters were distributed around the lower deck and not restricted to 3 canisters in the rear per the regulations.This explains the rapid and intensive fire.

Jonathan Head expresses the view that in many countries the Transport Minister would feel compelled to offer his resignation after this appalling tragedy in which incompetence and probably corruption resulted in the death of so many young lives.

So far Minister Suriya has not submitted his resignation

52 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Off-topic, but briefly to clarify..

"..registration, insurance, maintenance and petrol into account?"

 

registration? insurance? Don't know about those things! I just drive to the shops.beach etc 🙂

 

For my medical insurance, I am somewhat healthy for my age, no statins etc, no high blood pressure etc, so my premium is low and has never risen since I have never claimed.  $500 deductible on a claim and only my prostate bph/utis excluded (prostate cancer is fully covered).

 

As for frugal living, I don't consider that I live a frugal life.  My rented home was built just a few months ago, so all modern and well-built. I have hearty home-cooked meals every day, swim in the mountain river outside my door every day, go to the beach a few times a week, enjoy my ham radio hobby, teach as a volunteer at the local Burmese school blah blah blah.  My stress levels are zilch, nada, non-existent 🙂

 

Well congratulations - you seem to have found a niche which suits you well.

I don't know what kind of benevolent insurance company you have.I also have not made a significant claim for more than twenty year and have a £ 1800 deductible.But there is no "no claims bonus" element for not making claims (ie different from motor insurance) and the premium price increases every year more than the inflation rate.The state of my health - which is good - is irrelevant as far as the calculation annual premium is concerned.I believe there is an element of advancing years being factored in to the premium.

4 hours ago, simon43 said:

detached studio little house next to a mountain stream - 9,000 baht/month

Credible.There are some amazing rental bargains out there

4 hours ago, simon43 said:

car (old but reliable), 1,000 baht/month petrol

Really after taking registration, insurance, maintenance and petrol into account?

4 hours ago, simon43 said:

$1m medical insurance - 5,700 baht/month

Are there  conditions justifying that low price  - deductibles. excluded treatments etc? For context most of my friends in their 60's here pay about Bt 20,000 pm.

4 hours ago, simon43 said:

Food/drink - 5,000 baht/month

Obviously that can be done at a pinch but wouldn't suit most people

I'm not knocking frugal living; in fact I rather admire it.But isn't the lifestyle a bit stressful/

31 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Nice detached studio house, garden, own car, private medical insurance, healthy food etc.  It is costing me about 20,000 baht per month

On the face of it unbelievable.Perhaps you would break it down.