Combat school ED visas rejected in Hanoi

[SS1]

On 7/26/2019 at 3:16 AM, LivinLOS said:

Except the rules about working illegally.. 

You are exactly the folks that all these crackdowns are trying to control, and your causing everyone who doesnt try to extend thier stay here by working without work permits all the added pressure from increasing controls and checks against working while in the kingdom. 

You are wrong. They are not looking for online freelancers, but for those who are actually working illegally in Thailand for local companies. Confirmed this personally with the president of the ministry of labour foreign employee division during a seminar earlier this year. They are aware that they don't have any solution for online freelancers (who don't have a choice either) so it remains a grey area and unenforced. 

How could he get a work permit in any case for the online work he is doing? There is no such thing yet as a "freelancer" or "self-employed work permit" in Thailand provided by the goverment. 

[SS1]

On 7/26/2019 at 7:26 AM, Trujillo said:

Iglu digital nomad visa?

 

Website looks nice, I assume an illegal digital nomad made it. However, as far as I am aware, this is totally bogus. 

 

I think the nut of the problem here is that you are enamored with some chick with a stepchild (meaning the child is from another couple). With all due respect, a man in his 20s ought not to be getting sucked into some sort of total commitment to a Thai woman and her former husband/lover's child. Something about this situation feel off a bit. 

 

I suggest you read the book, Private Dancer by Stephen Leather.

 

On another note, why combat school? Wouldn't enrolling in a Thai language study program be vastly more worthwhile? Or are you more interested in kicking some Thai's ass rather than chatting with him? 

Iglu is not a "digital nomad visa".. it is a reputable BOI-promoted organisation enabling highly skilled employees in the tech field to work remotely from Thailand to clients. They have been around since 2010 and employ over 250 people in Thailand, including several friends of mine. 

[LivinLOS]

22 minutes ago, SS1 said:

You are wrong. They are not looking for online freelancers, but for those who are actually working illegally in Thailand for local companies. Confirmed this personally with the president of the ministry of labour foreign employee division during a seminar earlier this year. They are aware that they don't have any solution for online freelancers (who don't have a choice either) so it remains a grey area and unenforced. 

How could he get a work permit in any case for the online work he is doing? There is no such thing yet as a "freelancer" or "self-employed work permit" in Thailand provided by the goverment. 

Of course theres a solution, simply adapt either the B visa or Smart Visa (or even elite) to fit online freelancing.. Or create a blanket exception to online non domestic work.. Given the many changes made recently even to work permits and not having done so, it clearly means that they do not want to offer a solution. Secondly there is of course a choice, use a BOI umbrella company cheaply and easily, form a Thai corporation if its a more serious business, or stop doing it, or leave.. Just insisting on breaking the law because they dont want to pay tax or costs is hardly a morally strong argument. 

Everyone says these high earning nomads, would register and pay taxes if only.. etc.. and yet when presented with the way to do so, really quite cheaply, suddenly its not so appealing. 

[SS1]

27 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

Of course theres a solution, simply adapt either the B visa or Smart Visa (or even elite) to fit online freelancing.. Or create a blanket exception to online non domestic work.. Given the many changes made recently even to work permits and not having done so, it clearly means that they do not want to offer a solution. Secondly there is of course a choice, use a BOI umbrella company cheaply and easily, form a Thai corporation if its a more serious business, or stop doing it, or leave.. Just insisting on breaking the law because they dont want to pay tax or costs is hardly a morally strong argument. 

Everyone says these high earning nomads, would register and pay taxes if only.. etc.. and yet when presented with the way to do so, really quite cheaply, suddenly its not so appealing. 

Sure, I agree that a solution would be easy. But I mean they don't currently offer any viable solution and doesn't look like they will in the near future. 

BOI umbrella company is a great option and a lot of the high earners are doing this. What I meant though, is that the government isn't offering any legitimate solutoins for DNs themselves. Setting up a Thai LTD only makes sense if one is actually doing business in Thailand. 

[LivinLOS]

32 minutes ago, SS1 said:

Sure, I agree that a solution would be easy. But I mean they don't currently offer any viable solution and doesn't look like they will in the near future. 

BOI umbrella company is a great option and a lot of the high earners are doing this. What I meant though, is that the government isn't offering any legitimate solutoins for DNs themselves. Setting up a Thai LTD only makes sense if one is actually doing business in Thailand. 

Clearly the OP and many digital nomads are not nomads at all.. they are simply online working residents.. Claiming they are just 'passing through' when it comes to the issues and costs of legally registering, and yet seeking visa options year after year are not compatible viewpoints. This again shows why its hard to enforce without catching up genuine short term tourists in the same net. 

It is frequently made out how high earning and society contributing they are, except when they need to have a 65k a month income.. again exposes the fabrications fairly easily. 

 

My main issue is simply because Thailand doesnt legalize them (even tho as said there are multiple options) does not make it ok to break the law.. Same as someone who might like to take drugs doesnt have the right to ignore those laws they feel are unfair or immoral. Thailand doesnt offer any 'viable solution' (except of course umbrella company cheaply or forming a company for those more like a business) so then Thailand isnt a viable solution of a destination if thats what someone wishes to do. 

[LivinLOS]

Just now, FredGallaher said:

The author is trying to get things done legally. I commend him for that. No needs for lectures here. Just advice if you have any.

That got done a long time ago.. He can marry his GF if hes truly committed and continue breaking labour law very easily.. 

[grifbel]

55 minutes ago, FredGallaher said:

BTW your grammar and spelling really suck.

 

1 hour ago, FredGallaher said:

No needs for lectures here.

Speaking of grammar and spelling..........????

[grifbel]

6 hours ago, daoyai said:

foreigners have no responsibility to pay for "social infrastructure"

Thank you for admitting to being an economic free rider, the original assertion.  Time for you to take a break from all the nomadding and combatting to hit the books.  You need some good old fashioned schooling if you want to joust with the big boys!

Edited July 29, 2019 by grifbel

[grifbel]

3 hours ago, Bill97 said:

Give us a break. There are countries that run on such taxes and have effectively no income taxes.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

More nonsense.  Most of the top OECD  do not finance their economies and social infra based on VAT.  There may be a few tax haven countries like Luxembourg or Monaco and some Middle East oil countries that could do it.  Go do some research and come back with you results.  You have some homework, so stop nomadding and get to work.

[Bill97]

The more you write the more misinformed you show yourself to be.

Most European countries have VAT rates of about 20% producing very substantial revenues for their governments. Trend is for more use of vat.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[jackdd]

3 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

and continue breaking labour law

Currently it looks like only you are thinking they are breaking the law. The Thai authorities don't think these people are breaking the law. You should stop spreading misinformation.

[Thaidream]

One thing I have noticed- they must not be making big money or there would be no need of  E Visas or other- they would have all bought the  Elite Visa for 500K so it appears many of them just can't afford it which shoots down the verbiage of working remote and being millionaires.  I don't wish them any ill will- but  all the baloney about the wave of the future; starting IT Companies etc, etc is well just that- baloney.

 

When you all figure out to start the  answer to Google; Facebook; twitter etc- do let me know so I can get in on the ground floor.

[LivinLOS]

2 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

One thing I have noticed- they must not be making big money or there would be no need of  E Visas or other- they would have all bought the  Elite Visa for 500K so it appears many of them just can't afford it which shoots down the verbiage of working remote and being millionaires.  I don't wish them any ill will- but  all the baloney about the wave of the future; starting IT Companies etc, etc is well just that- baloney.

When they do it legally with an umbrella company its min 2500 usd income and a 30% total withholding.. For everything, taxes, social, sales tax, lawyers, etc.. 

 

So 30% of 2500.. 750 bucks a month to be legal.. and thats too high a bar, impossible to consider etc.. 

[LivinLOS]

23 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Currently it looks like only you are thinking they are breaking the law. The Thai authorities don't think these people are breaking the law. You should stop spreading misinformation.

I keep listing all kinds of authorities with thier names and actual positions in the labour office, thats countered by 'not been caught yet'..

 

Unless you count the online teacher.. who also believed if he was paid outside of Thailand and didnt have Thai customers he was fine.. and lost his entire life based here as he got deported. 

[MartinBKK]

On 7/27/2019 at 2:31 AM, mstevens said:

7 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

I keep listing all kinds of authorities with thier names and actual positions in the labour office, thats countered by 'not been caught yet'..

 

Unless you count the online teacher.. who also believed if he was paid outside of Thailand and didnt have Thai customers he was fine.. and lost his entire life based here as he got deported. 

 

Which teacher was that? I have never seen a single report of an online teacher being deported and there are a huge number in Thailand. 

 

Edited July 29, 2019 by MartinBKK

[fhickson]

23 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

I believe that a Non O Marriage needs to show it came for a foreign source. Since it would come from the US its only a matter of doing it economically. Probably Swift transfer are best. 

thats what i always thought as they would not look at the originating bank account. whats stopping me from funneling the funds in a circle every month as a self created pension income?

 

questions? would even be possible to setup a shell business account and transfer funds in from there, not simple, but it probably beats tying up 800k baht in a thai bank.

[Bill97]

[quote post="14406003" timestamp="1564445011" name="fhickson" userid="307235"

whats stopping me from funneling the funds in a circle every month as a self created pension income?
 



Integrity for one but since you asked, you probably don’t have enough.



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[daoyai]

13 hours ago, grifbel said:

Thank you for admitting to being an economic free rider, the original assertion.  Time for you to take a break from all the nomadding and combatting to hit the books.  You need some good old fashioned schooling if you want to joust with the big boys!

I do not admit to being an "economic free rider"  ... nor am I a digital-nomad , hit the books? yea I like to read, I am on a retirement extension with 800k deposit. ... also not gay so I don't want to "joust with the big boys" ... but carry on trying to boost you self esteem in this way, quite amusing.

[LivinLOS]

3 hours ago, MartinBKK said:

Which teacher was that? I have never seen a single report of an online teacher being deported and there are a huge number in Thailand. 

Then your not really following the topics with much interest. Been posted over and over.. 

www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/aussie-teacher-details-horrific-conditions-inside-thai-detention/news-story/d432a704bf0db1def6d79489ae1b830c?

 

"he was teaching English to Chinese students online through an Australian company, and said he was told this was fine because no money was exchanged through Thailand"

[LivinLOS]

1 hour ago, fhickson said:

thats what i always thought as they would not look at the originating bank account. whats stopping me from funneling the funds in a circle every month as a self created pension income?

One aspect is the Fx fees and bank costs, combined with the (mild) difficulty of moving THB out of the country.. 

But yes I dont see how it is possible to control someone who recycles money out and is OK with paying those % costs and fees simply to do so. However the kind of person who is so close to the line they cant make the monthly amounts, will also be the kind of person who really cant afford to pay much more monthly in bank fees and Fx costs. 

[stament]

If you work in TH you should pay taxes. Get a work permit and pay taxes you will be legal and find then, no issues.

[stament]

On 7/26/2019 at 4:26 AM, stillhereandlovinit said:

If you do the adoption legally you would then be able to get a visa on that basis, but it took me 2.5 years, almost 250,000 thb and a forest worth of paper to do it and it was alot easier as I was married to my Daughters Mum.

Holy cow what was all the money spent on?

[stillhereandlovinit]

1 hour ago, stament said:

Holy cow what was all the money spent on?

Solicitors, Police reports from the UK, trips to bangkok to hand in yet more paper work etc etc, but worth every penny.

[Xavnel]

On 7/28/2019 at 1:07 PM, FredGallaher said:

If you have been out of the US for a period of time (not sure 1 to 1 1/2 years) you are no longer subject to US taxes if you income source was strictly foreign sources. If your money came via US investments that's another story. 

That statement is NOT TRUE.

 

As an American Citizen,  a person is STILL required to file taxes... No matter the length of stay outside of the USA. Not doing so... you are effectively breaking the United States Tax Law.

 

If you are outside of the USA for 330 days of the calander year, then you are not required to pay taxes on the 1st $110,000 that you make.  Anything above that figure, then you must pay taxes on. . . . But you must STILL file you Taxes regardless of how much you make.

 

In June,  my wife and I filed our 2018 Taxes, and because I only made $102,000... we did not have to pay in.

(I work in Saudi Arabia,  the company that I work for is Italian. We moved from the USA in November 2017.)

 

Edited July 30, 2019 by Xavnel
Additional information

[GroupA]

14 minutes ago, Xavnel said:

That statement is NOT TRUE.

 

As an American Citizen,  a person is STILL required to file taxes... No matter the length of stay outside of the USA. Not doing so... you are effectively breaking the United States Tax Law.

 

If you are outside of the USA for 330 days of the calander year, then you are not required to pay taxes on the 1st $110,000 that you make.  Anything above that figure, then you must pay taxes on. . . . But you must STILL file you Taxes regardless of how much you make.

 

In June,  my wife and I filed our 2018 Taxes, and because I only made $102,000... we did not have to pay in.

(I work in Saudi Arabia,  the company that I work for is Italian. We moved from the USA in November 2017.)

 

Thanks.

[Xavnel]

Here is an easy solution for Thailand and the Digital Nomads....

Scrap / do away with the Combat ED Visa completely as it appears to be only a farce..

Make a Visa for the DN's,  costing modestly 5,000 Baht, require a Bank Statement in line with ED Language and 6 Month METV Visas ($8,000 USD in Bank), 90 Day Reports,  then also charge a 10,000 Baht monthly fee (call it a tax) payable when doing 90-day Report.

Also...  as with ED Language Visa,   limited to only 3.

 

There....  I done fixed the Digital Nomad problem.... 

[Bill97]

That statement is NOT TRUE.
 
As an American Citizen,  a person is STILL required to file taxes... No matter the length of stay outside of the USA. Not doing so... you are effectively breaking the United States Tax Law.
 
If you are outside of the USA for 330 days of the calander year, then you are not required to pay taxes on the 1st $110,000 that you make.  Anything above that figure, then you must pay taxes on. . . . But you must STILL file you Taxes regardless of how much you make.
 
In June,  my wife and I filed our 2018 Taxes, and because I only made $102,000... we did not have to pay in.
(I work in Saudi Arabia,  the company that I work for is Italian. We moved from the USA in November 2017.)
 

Correct for Earned income. Other income, interest, dividends, rents,...is taxed and not useable in the $110k exemption.


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[fhickson]

22 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

One aspect is the Fx fees and bank costs, combined with the (mild) difficulty of moving THB out of the country.. 

But yes I dont see how it is possible to control someone who recycles money out and is OK with paying those % costs and fees simply to do so. However the kind of person who is so close to the line they cant make the monthly amounts, will also be the kind of person who really cant afford to pay much more monthly in bank fees and Fx costs. 

i can make the monthly retirement deposit from my personal account in my home country to a thai bank.

 

does that qualify, or do they care where the money comes from or who is transferring it in?

Edited July 30, 2019 by fhickson

[fhickson]

33 minutes ago, fhickson said:

i can make the monthly retirement deposit from my personal account in my home country to a thai bank.

 

does that qualify, or do they care where the money comes from or who is transferring it in?

if they dont care where the money comes from why lock up 800k baht in an untouchable account when you could just transfer money in monthly and spend as needed?

Edited July 30, 2019 by fhickson

[Scott]

Please stay on topic.   One post reported and removed.