Tougher immigration rules sees large number of Nordic expats leave Thailand

[Sheryl]

If you retire in Thailand there's zero tax on an overseas pension. Thats the kind of love I like.

Zero Thai tax. Many of us are taxed on pension income in our home countries even though we live abroad.

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[MRToMRT]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Zero Thai tax. Many of us are taxed on pension income in our home countries even though we live abroad.

State pension right? I have a private one and don't pay as my registered address is Thailand (Tax domicile).

[mike787]

Dahhhh! Absolutely less numbers,  Thai immigration has and is building a Trump like WALL process of immigration....think about it...look!!! 

[ThomasThBKK]

State pension right? I have a private one and don't pay as my registered address is Thailand (Tax domicile).

That's just not true.

Thailand is no different to Europe in that respect at all. If you don't pay taxes at sources and/or there's no double tax threaty then you have to pay taxes in thailand.

Offshore income is just tax free if you move it into the country not in the same calender year as paid out.

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[DrTuner]

On 7/5/2019 at 8:41 AM, overherebc said:

At 65+ the guy should not have got himself into the situation of not being able to enjoy his pensioned years. If he has decided to go that route it's not the fault of his embassy/government/new Imm' rules.

Correct. That's why I avoided government pension schemes and made my own pile of cash to last my lifetime (and a couple more). The pensions are just ponzi plans requiring each generation to be bigger on an already overcrowded planet. Will collapse in a generation or two.

[DrTuner]

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Zero Thai tax. Many of us are taxed on pension income in our home countries even though we live abroad.

Common but might not be universal. For reference: https://www.rd.go.th/publish/766.0.html

 

Click on the pdf symbol of your country to get the actual treaty text.

 

[Sheryl]

State pension right? I have a private one and don't pay as my registered address is Thailand (Tax domicile).

Different countries have different laws.

USA taxes based on citizenship not residence (for federal tax). I pay US taxes on all my passive income, Social Security etc. Government and private pensions are treated the same (though few Americans have either). Other countries may differ.

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[MRToMRT]

57 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

That's just not true.

Thailand is no different to Europe in that respect at all. If you don't pay taxes at sources and/or there's no double tax threaty then you have to pay taxes in thailand.

Offshore income is just tax free if you move it into the country not in the same calender year as paid out.


 

Yes you are correct. 

[MRToMRT]

3 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

Yes you are correct. 

1)  Private Pension

2) Pay into account outside Thailand, pref Offshore but not nec', on the basis you not reside in the originating country

3) Deposit 800,000 baht cash into the account (780 actually but be safe)

4) Transfer 65,000 per month to a Thai account

 

 

and result ..... meet ext' of stay based on retirement qualification in Thailand .... and legally have a tax free pension..... there are many variations on this .... but I am not your tax advisor, you need to go and see a tax advisor for that.

 

 

 

[ThomasThBKK]

Sure as long as you have a buffer for a year, i don't get a pension but it's basically what i do too.Pay out dividends in december or through the year, move it in in january or through the year.

 

Doesn't work for most people with state pension tho as they either want you to pay tax at source or in the country you reside afaik. So for these people Thailand is not much different tax wise than Europe. 

NHR might work out for some tho, in specific situations, if 10 years are enough to move your money into portugal: https://nomadcapitalist.com/2016/06/10/zero-income-tax-non-habitual-residence-portugal/ 

[tideout]

On 7/1/2019 at 11:52 AM, madmen said:

Yep Thats the hard core truth but not a single person will admit it instead jumping on the blame game train with the rest of the losers. I pity long term Vietnam expats for the influx of Thailand's rejects..Im pretty sure the whole of soi Buakhao will end up in Saigon lol...lucky lucky Vietnam

The process is well underway already. There are a few sections of the backpacker district that look like mini slices of BKK -  minus the charm and some other things.

The counter-measure to this may also be in motion as there's a substantial tightening of visas, laws regarding driving and some banking changes.

[tideout]

On 7/1/2019 at 4:57 PM, BritManToo said:

Just keep extending whatever VISA you have, sometimes 3 months, sometimes 6 months, sometimes 1 year.

It isn't a problem, no more effort than 90 day reports, and the costs end up the same at around $300/year.

This option, the fake business visa stuff etc., is coming to an end here. In general, the government is looking to tighten the controls on all of this and increasingly have the technology to do so. If you're coming here to avoid the Chinese and and hang out on questionable visa reasons I'd come up with an other plan for the mid term future. There are obvious signs that things are changing.

[emptypockets]

On ‎7‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 8:41 AM, overherebc said:

I still don't get this idea of  I/my friend who is 75/80 years old can no longer afford to support his family here and put his children through school and help the extended family. In most cases that works out that they married at 60/65 and started a family without thinking down the line. 15 to 18 years later when they're 75/80 they complain the costs are too much. Ok I suppose I know which brain was doing the thinking.

The Thais don't do it, or, if they do it's a two way street and the help goes both ways, family to family. When an expat gets involved and has/takes over the 2 youngsters the 'girl' has it's seen as a lifetime of him doing nothing else but put his hand in his pocket.

At 65+ the guy should not have got himself into the situation of not being able to enjoy his pensioned years. If he has decided to go that route it's not the fault of his embassy/government/new Imm' rules.

Mate I agree with you 1000% percent. What is it with these guys???

[myjawe]

16 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Zero Thai tax. Many of us are taxed on pension income in our home countries even though we live abroad.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

oh sad ! I have never been taxed anywhere in the world ????

 

 

[emptypockets]

Never been taxed anytime anywhere?

[Sheryl]

21 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

1)  Private Pension

2) Pay into account outside Thailand, pref Offshore but not nec', on the basis you not reside in the originating country

3) Deposit 800,000 baht cash into the account (780 actually but be safe)

4) Transfer 65,000 per month to a Thai account

 

 

and result ..... meet ext' of stay based on retirement qualification in Thailand .... and legally have a tax free pension..... there are many variations on this .... but I am not your tax advisor, you need to go and see a tax advisor for that.

 

 

 

I don't know what country you're from but what you describe would nto work for US.

Doesn't matter where the pension comes in, it is still taxable in the US.

 

[ThomasThBKK]

29 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

I don't know what country you're from but what you describe would nto work for US.

Doesn't matter where the pension comes in, it is still taxable in the US.

 

USA and Eritrea are the only countries in the world that tax their expats on all income even if they are no tax resident anymore: https://internationalman.com/articles/this-appalling-practice-is-only-used-in-two-nations-and-the-us-is-one-of-th/

 

 

Everywhere else as long as you no longer are a tax resident of any kind in that country you can get away from taxation depending on the type of income (Real estate income is often taxed where the real estate is etc). 

 

Won't work for most state pensions as they are taxed at source but private pensions, dividends, stock income, salaries...

 

 

[JemJem]

I think that the numbers in the statistics are a bit inconsequential.

 

Anyway, I think that there will always be a significant number of people from Nordic countries who spend at least 2-3 months every year in Thailand.

[baboon]

On 7/5/2019 at 10:47 PM, wilailuk said:

You nailed it, thanks..

 

Would think grown men had more sense of responsibility etc. - but apparently not here, way too much complaining and whining on self created stupid life situations.

 

 

 

 

'I have lived my life on an entirely selfish basis' is an obvious response to such pontifications.

Welcome to cruel 2019 where a (wo)man using their good fortune in life to help others less advantaged is jeered at and called names.

 

One can only hope that at the final hour, some die in their expensive hospital beds alone and bereft of anyone who cares or mourns their passing.

[wilailuk]

2 hours ago, baboon said:

'I have lived my life on an entirely selfish basis' is an obvious response to such pontifications.

Welcome to cruel 2019 where a (wo)man using their good fortune in life to help others less advantaged is jeered at and called names.

 

One can only hope that at the final hour, some die in their expensive hospital beds alone and bereft of anyone who cares or mourns their passing.

Well, how you came to that conclusion is beyond me..

 

I´ve seen my fair share of very, very good people from many countries here, but too many of them are simply not mature enough to be here, or they are just stupid, reckless, whoremongers, drunks or, or, or.. to be living in a 3rd W. country like Thailand, where money rules, connections rules, class rules, mafia rules and so on it goes... and when they get in trouble - mainly by their own stupidity - we get a new post here on this fine website.

 

I like to live in a country where political correctness is non-existent, and when I see something, or read something stupid, I call it that, STUPID!

 

Have a nice day.. 

 

 

 

 

[bigginhill]

On 7/1/2019 at 8:44 AM, Plus Esse Quam Simultatur said:

My guess is that especially the Danish expats who had stayed here for several years got caught with their pants down when the Danish Embassy without any notice in the middle of November last year stopped issue income letters with immediate effect. Many had for years been depended of the income letter and therefor didn't had the required 400.000 or 800.000 in an Thai bank. If you dont follow e.g. ThaiVisa you have no idea of the changes made until the day you contact the Embassy or Immigration. Then there is only a few ways to solve it and that's out of the country, transfer money to here or starting using an agent. That might be the reason so many Danes the first 5 months seems to leave. And btw Denmark is not that bad to return too.

If I remember correctly the Danish Embassy behaved atrociously, it gave no warning, just stopped from one day to the next, whilst the other 3 embassies carried on for a couple of months, plus the letters were valid 6months. The Danes were really treated badly.

 

If the 40 extensions were business extensions does that mean at 40 x 4 (at least) thai employees are jobless? 

Immigration should think hard.

[bigginhill]

On 7/1/2019 at 9:42 PM, ScandAsia said:

When ThaiVisa copied my article they did.not copy the original article. They copied the article from another blog who had copied and altered my article. This is clear from the headline, which blames the decline on something that I don't think is related - but shows the bias from the first copier. The comments here are commenting on a distorted version instead of the original article. That is indeed poor journalism - as some of the comments here have pointed out.

It,s an interesting article, are the details of every country available? 

Presumably it,s a government source/publication

Thanks

[OJAS]

7 hours ago, bigginhill said:

If I remember correctly the Danish Embassy behaved atrociously, it gave no warning, just stopped from one day to the next, whilst the other 3 embassies carried on for a couple of months, plus the letters were valid 6months. The Danes were really treated badly.

Indeed they were. The Embassy even pulled applications which were in the pipeline - and, as will be evident from their news item linked below, the only palliative which they were able (or prepared) to offer their nationals who found themselves in the lurch as a result of their abrupt decision was the IMHO pathetic suggestion that they should start all over again from scratch with fresh visas! A relatively easy-peasy process in the case of diplomats working at the Embassy, maybe, but definitely not so for Joe Public, of course.

 

http://thailand.um.dk/en/News/newsdisplaypage/?newsID=5FD2318C-7DE7-4241-9A60-990E671E1D3F

 

[snowballthecat]

On 7/4/2019 at 1:56 PM, DrTuner said:

Interesting, Bulgaria has a "buy a passport" program too, not the most expensive either: http://www.bulgarian-citizenship.com/bulgarian-citizenship-investment/ . 

 

One more option for those who need an EU passport for wife or step kids in order to execute the get the hell out of dodge maneuver successfully and have got the funds. I think growing the local mustache is optional for Thai women.

 

One of these days I'll do a more exhaustive comparison of the former eastern bloc countries and their buy-a-citizenship schemes. 

 

Thanks for the link, DrTuner!

 

Actually I have a Thai friend married to a Croatian guy living in Croatia....should ask them how they managed with documents....

 

Are you considering Croatia for a summer spell? Not bad!

 

Very interested to see your comparison of the former eastern block. One of my dear friends wants an EU passport....

 

[mngmn]

On 7/8/2019 at 1:36 AM, wilailuk said:

Well, how you came to that conclusion is beyond me..

 

I´ve seen my fair share of very, very good people from many countries here, but too many of them are simply not mature enough to be here, or they are just stupid, reckless, whoremongers, drunks or, or, or.. to be living in a 3rd W. country like Thailand, where money rules, connections rules, class rules, mafia rules and so on it goes... and when they get in trouble - mainly by their own stupidity - we get a new post here on this fine website.

 

I like to live in a country where political correctness is non-existent, and when I see something, or read something stupid, I call it that, STUPID!

 

Have a nice day.. 

 

 

 

 

There is a lot of political correctness in Thailand. This forum restricts acceptable  topics as do all internet forums in the Kingdom. The defamation laws also prevent many from speaking their minds. Far more freedom of speech here in Australia.