jayboy

A timely warning https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/thailands-revolutionary-election/

I don't think you are wrong.There is so much history/evidence piled up on how the unelected elites (armed forces, tame justice system, upper bureaucracy Thai-Chinese business conglomerates, the palace,the entire Senate etc) will react in a situation like this - although their rejection by the Thai people is more overwhelming than ever.These groups have no real understanding of enlightened self interest but possess a whole basket of tricks to defeat democracy.The process will not be quick and there are many legal remedies available to them.So prepare to be disappointed. I believe the situation is very dangerous because there are millions of Thais, mainly young, who will not put up with the old devils.Many of these young disaffected Thais are in the armed forces.Think of the the implications of that.

Is it still a requirement that for travel to Singapore it's necessary to submit an online arrival form no more than 3 days before actual arrival?

The Krungsri (KMA) app on my Iphone permits facial recognition to log in.I don't suppose that is relevant in the context of the new requirement to pay a visit to a branch.Right? Does the restriction on transfers also apply to those undertaken on the bank website?

As far as I know there is no MOI interview involved.

To be fair the same description could be applied to their customers.

I may have not got this quite right but I seem to remember being advised by a senior Thai lawyer that it was better to apply for PR on the business rather than family basis since the criteria were exactly the same, and there was no need to involve the wife. So that is what I did.

I hope the complacency being shown in Thailand does not lead to needless suffering.Vulnerable people should receive the bivalent vaccine. See the report in yesterday's New York Times which has been authorized by the paper to reproduce. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/18/health/covid-booster-shots-seniors.html?unlocked_article_code=gBS69Ikru9pE-KO8jbd3FPa3QFzx-_SlVqKzld9kuyMTY6oGG7gRyf2DBuJaEUlSQzLQHyYS8RLJ9fBwaZuEHcAWIhb0-Du2IQheQSC1796Q9mYVsWsze3shOzImhj6ieaUOLYDr0P8Bg1uc5zzefX6UGkSkejGlYjhUqJPiAou1jDjF12Fjka0G2Hq0KzlHHUwk8cZlG6tQzbOkLzO8Ox9vOYrFLsnU1jPmlg3f2aGDCwSX-1oYR7uwClly4qIlL8o9OYFvmpoEbRlVmxKv-BQtGkCTHvOdleTkRm-Ckn7XkNHgsJ8jFyKTES__ZdcnMdd6iOEjfjnVOiea-ho8jb8NhK8&giftCopy=0_NoCopy&smid=url-share

Opened the Grab app on my phone for the first time for a long time.Can't see the moving black indicators for Grab cars which used to be the case.Or perhaps most Grab drivers don't work over Songkran.Has the app changed so as not to show Grab vehicles in the vicinity?

But tragically Waitrose sugar free tonic water is no longer available there - at least not for the last few months.

If you are a retiree with a foreign sourced pension and with no Thailand income, this is not necessarily the wrong answer for your bank. If your pension is being taxed in your country of origin (or arguably even if it's not) then simply tell your bank you have no TIN, no contact of any kind with the Thai tax authorities and no Thai taxable income.

It depends on the individual's circumstances and their available time/appetite for dealing with Thai bureaucrats/willingness to pay.I have friends with PR who have done everything themselves.I have friends with PR who have used legal firms.A common denominator is that most were lucky enough to have had Thai secretaries that dealt with assembling the paperwork.Obviously a presentable/diligent wife would be of equal value.Oddly enough though most of the PR people I know were good or very passable Thai speakers most downplayed the importance of facility in the language. All stressed the importance of tax paid - the more the better. On the other hand I have heard reports that the language requirements have toughened up in recent years Somebody mentioned Mazars as the firm they used.This is exactly the kind of firm I would use now (if I decided to use a firm as opposed to doing it myself) - solid, accountable if somewhat pricey. On no account would I use one of those firms - always with crappy websites - pitching to foreigners.In practice the donkey work is done by junior legal assistants. If you comply with PR criteria you will almost certainly succeed. Camerata's Guide is excellent but it needs a public spirited person to revamp it since it is rather unwieldy now.

Interesting thread. A common theme is the increasing cost of heath insurance premiums though in my experience over many years is that these have always easily exceeded the inflation rate.These increases apply to everybody not just the older customers.What I'm not sure of, and perhaps someone could advise, is whether - because obviously claims are more frequent in older people - there is an extra increase simply because the customer is old. My other query is whether in health insurance there is any element of non claim bonus - though I don't think there is.

Classic

This is not the practice followed by most long term residents.They usually keep their passports secure at home - usually in a safe - unless it needs to be shown for a particular purpose known in advance.They tend not to carry an original passport around in provincial Thailand on the off chance there is a problem.It is also tempting fate if one relies on the security measures of provincial hotels. Of course one should take a copy of one's passport or have it in digital form.If one has a Pink Card or a Thai Driving License, take those along as well.

I agree with your post but not this bit. Losing a passport is a massive inconvenience and I never take it with me anywhere in Thailand except for the rare occasions I know in advance it will be needed - eg immigration rituals.

Can you not get your pensions paid into accounts at UK or US banks.

Easy.Don't file a Thai tax return (unless there is a compelling requirement to do so) especially since in the vast majority of cases the tax to be reclaimed is chicken feed. Yes interests rates are rising but they are still low in Thailand. IF one files a return then one must state all income that is eligible.Obviously pension and investment income must be included. I file a UK tax return and declare all relevant income. But for the run of the mill expat pensioner one would be well advised to avoid submitting a tax return.IF one has Thai investment income that's a different matter and as to the UK angle one would need to take professional advice.

Don't buy any of this. Thailand Tax authorities will concentrate on the vast army of tax evading Thais and not a bunch of relatively low income foreign pensioners. Contrary to what you say it's not a simple matter at all to trace tax liability of foreign pensioners, and equally to the point, the effort involved and prospect of modest additional receipts make it not at all cost effective.

Increasing tax receipts is every Revenue Department's priority in every country.However there is little or no no evidence for the contention that resident foreign pensioners are a prime target.I have checked this with two accountancy firms in Bangkok.They advise there while there is no evidence resident foreign pensioners are a prime target, naturally resident foreigners with income or investments in generated in Thailand must be careful to pay tax in accordance with local regulations. There may be some pensioners caught up in the Thai income tax system, perhaps because they incautiously claimed back tax imposed on interest without fully considering the implications. Odd really because the amounts involved are so small - in most cases scarcely worth bothering about.

But how did you become involved in the tax system in the first place? In my experience I have never been aware of a foreign retiree -without any Thai investment income - volunteering to pay Thai tax on pension income.There could be a reason to do so, perhaps if a condition of pension income being paid free of tax by the UK provider being evidence it was being taxed in Thailand. Another possible reason is that UK banks are increasingly under pressure to clarify customers' tax status. It could also be that you simply wish to 'do the right thing' which is admirable.

You will presumably have good reasons but I'm struggling to understand why you are paying tax on your pensions in Thailand, particularly as the amounts involved are small.

Interesting.If you don't mind me asking, is your pension paid gross (free of tax) from the country of origin?