Yumthai

Westerners should definitely stop thinking and acting like westerners while in Thailand (as in many other non-western minded countries).

They can try but achieving it is another matter. There will always be tax heavens or tax loopholes around the globe, the most wealthy being the first ones who benefit from it.

I think everybody is prepared and ready for the usual nothingburger.

On the lower end someone could spend 179 days a year in Thailand and split the remaining days between Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia not triggering any tax residence. No million is necessary to achieve that.

Better up-to-date Thai banks interest rates info here: https://www.bot.or.th/en/statistics/interest-rate.html

https://thailand.deposits.org/deposits/ The initial question was about Savings account, which yield about 0.5%. https://thailand.deposits.org/savings-accounts/

Easy workaround: do not remit money in your name to any local financial institution.

Plenty of countries where Tax Law is laxly enforced for some reasons, corruption being the main one.

"When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do" This wise quote is still topical for centuries.

Many countries will become cashless in the future, some of them maybe in my lifetime. You point is? My point was TRD could enforce tax not only on foreigners but locals too since years and no action has been seen.

The most wealthy people are able to legally structure themselves to pay zero to little tax anywhere they want to live. In Thailand, they can apply for LTR visa to be 100% tax exempted on their remitted offshore income.

From TRD current point of view there is no future savings to be made post 31/12/2023, maybe you mean future tax exempted income?

What I know is the ones who live hand to mouth certainly do not reach the threshold to pay tax. The issue is with the remaining large part whose income qualify them to pay tax but do not. Those ones certainly use bank accounts, as Thailand becoming cashless, in order to fully enjoy their money. Their income is therefore as traceable as foreigners' remittances.

Yes and they put the cash in their bank account(s).

And there is even much more money to be milked from the locals, how is TRD going to force them to comply and pay? I'm wondering because every single day I need to let pass motorbikes riding on the sidewalk although there's a big sign with cameras drawings stating "2,000 THB fine for driving vehicles on the pavement".

Their interpretation of the rules, this is nowhere written in the Thai Gift Law. Anyway any legal advice will have no ground opposed to the incoherent opinion of the official behind the desk, if that day happens.

Maybe because first they have no clue and secondly they still have to make some business.

Au contraire, if you can't find any report it's because there is no audit/enforcement.

What about getting a DTV from a neighboring country after being several years on Non-O marriage extensions, will it raise issues?

What you remit does not belong to you, it's been gifted beforehand.

You're comparing western tax authorities to TRD... seriously?

Risking a stay in Thai jail is not what I call "little to lose", but it's obvious Thais evaluate individual tax enforcement risk to be very unlikely.

Thais certainly can't get kicked out but potentially fined then jailed, yet they seem not to worry much.

You're mixing things up. Corporate Tax is not related to Personal Income Tax, and managed by two distinct TRD services. While corporate audits especially for VAT declared visible businesses with significant turnover are not uncommon nor new, there is no individual audit along with fines, except hearsay, to be reported (hence the vast majority of tax residents not paying tax).

I share the same opinion with the millions of Thai people who do not file nor pay tax: they believe in actions rather than words and comply only when directly confronted and asked by the authority because they know rules are inconsistent, barely enforced, and beyond all at the discretion of the empowered official they will have to deal with. Thanks for your concern but I've been here long enough to know that the sky is never falling in Thailand. But once again, to each their own.