Digital nomads to be allowed to work in Thailand without needing a work permit

[treetops]

1 hour ago, Disparate Dan said:

Mate, this is Thailand. Prostitution is 'illegal'. Until last week at least, getting a ride on Grab was 'illegal'. So what?

 

Anyone that spouts off about them being legal is talking through their rectum, as I'm sure you'll agree.  This at least should put paid to the regular lectures about DNs being legal as opposed to just ignored as they currently are.  I for one will welcome any reduction in the drivel posted here by some.

[holy cow cm]

1 hour ago, EricTh said:

These digital nomads are already working illegally in Thailand so this new rule just make them legal but they must pay digital nomad visa fees instead.

You forget the 2 pieces of paper that state earnings and then Masters. Still Persona Non Grata for the major major majority unless they get a Masters online for advanced basket weaving. And even then this might be disqualified as that is reserved for Thai. 

[SymS]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

For companies which apply for the scheme, they will need to be listed on the stock exchange of their respective country or have been trading for at least 3 years and have a total income of 50 million US dollars over the past 3 years.

I'm not sure they understand who "digital nomads" are... Most of them are self-employed, and not working for publicly listed companies with 50m+ USD in income...

[nomad73]

hahaha, what a joke... i knew it was going to be a useless visa that nobody will apply for

 

i just keep my EXPENSIVE "MAFIA" ELITE VISA

i am here 18 years and i work online already 18 years when i got married they even asked me what i do for work i said i am a freelancer (nobody cares)... i just keep on doing what i am doing, instead of all the useless hassle that immigration provides, with these useless rules $80,000 a year, always so pathetic, i never met a nomad that earns that.... insane and the school degree ????? really? it is all a joke setup by some brainless person that has no idea about nomads and just make something so he can keep his over paid job again for a year... 17% i never saw that in Thailand... all about money, like always and in the end THEY GET NOTHING... i just keep myself the 17% and my income the way it is, i do not want this nonsense visa with insane requirements, also i do not like Thailand know what work i do, can only work against me... since you can not trust them at all.

 

proof that i work online lol because i can not even show you my income Thailand iam a DIGITAL NOMAD self employed i do not get a salary slip... oh my god.. and if i get $80,000 year what is 225000 baht a month... i think i will have a swimming pool by now around my house

 

have a good one Thailand with your pathetic visa, can throw it straight into the garbage or better clean your ass with it hahahahahaha No need for this USELESS visa... they should do some research regarding it before announcing this and make a fool of themself... i am fine with my visa, no tax and no immigration hassle oh my god, brainless figures at work

Edited June 7, 2021 by nomad73

[SymS]

4 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

"Proposals". Therefore not even worth talking about yet.

Yes, just floating proposals actually hurt them. I've been delaying transferring money into Thailand to buy some real-estate waiting for a least one of those proposals to become materials. But the price has now changed, so I'm not that interested anymore. They'd better just shut up, and only make an announcement once something concrete comes up.

[nomad73]

1 minute ago, SymS said:

Yes, just floating proposals actually hurt them. I've been delaying transferring money into Thailand to buy some real-estate waiting for a least one of those proposals to become materials. But the price has now changed, so I'm not that interested anymore. They'd better just shut up, and only make an announcement once something concrete comes up.

before that happens there is a new covid in the world ????

[robertson468]

This appeared quite interesting until I got to the "conditions" for the Visa and spilt my coffee laughting.  As said before, good on ideas, but greed to make money out of them will ensure there will be an exceptionally low uptake on this scheme.

[nomad73]

Just now, robertson468 said:

This appeared quite interesting until I got to the "conditions" for the Visa and spilt my coffee laughting.  As said before, good on ideas, but greed to make money out of them will ensure there will be an exceptionally low uptake on this scheme.

i was not expecting anything better from the people that made this up... lol this was expected.... they did so much stupid things like this already a million times, seems they do not learn from their mistakes... a donkey does not hit himself 3 (?) times on the same stone... government does it daily lol

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, DLock said:

 

"...more of an asset"?

 

I didn't realize that this was competition over who was the biggest asset to Thailand. 

 

Your choices and flow on "penalties" should not be a basis to penalize people with a different vision on life.

You avoided my question.

 

Why should someone who is working online in Thailand, does not employ any Thais and does not have a legal entity here not pay taxes yet another person who has set up businesses here, employs Thais and done everything legally for decades have to pay 35% of personal income tax and tax on business earnings as well as jump through hoops to renew visas, work permits etc?

 

Nothing about "having a different vision" it is simply unfair to allow one group of people carte blanche while demanding everything of others. 

 

It will no doubt be kyboshed at the proposal level anyway, but I am curious as to how you can justify this over and above the facile "they are young they should be able to do what they want" argument already put forward. 

[pacovl46]

80K a year - riiiiiiiiiiight! Ridiculous! 

[DLock]

3 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

You avoided my question.

 

Why should someone who is working online in Thailand, does not employ any Thais and does not have a legal entity here not pay taxes yet another person who has set up businesses here, employs Thais and done everything legally for decades have to pay 35% of personal income tax and tax on business earnings as well as jump through hoops to renew visas, work permits etc?

 

Nothing about "having a different vision" it is simply unfair to allow one group of people carte blanche while demanding everything of others. 

 

It will no doubt be kyboshed at the proposal level anyway, but I am curious as to how you can justify this over and above the facile "they are young they should be able to do what they want" argument already put forward. 

 

Easy, because they can get away with it, and there is no way the Thai authorities can determine what they are doing. No need for any visa for Digital Nomads, because it's unenforceable.

 

Fair? Life isn't fair. Get over it.

[IamNoone88]

welcome non-contributing digital bums and a stab in the eye for the established business owners who have to jump through hoops on compliance, paying taxes, VAT, social security and work permits etc. 

[nomad73]

3 hours ago, treetops said:

At least the news they are trying to legalise it by some means determines it's currently illegal.  If nothing else it'll put an end to all the debates where the wannabees insist they're doing nothing wrong.

Legal or not, if a nomad does not get a REAL option what do they expect, that we stop working.. I always follow the rules of Thailand, but regarding my income.. naah I am fine the way it is and I am sure it will cause problems anyway and they will use it against you... hope they call it the impossible nomad visa  hahaha

Edited June 7, 2021 by nomad73

[racket]

Many DN would disqualify due to the fact that a vast majority have their own small businesses not near a listed company on a stock exchange with a market cap of $50 million. Next, someone making $40,000 a year is already heavily taxed so adding another 17% is robbery.  Obviously, this is not targeting Digital nomads, and the program is dead on arrival. Besides, nomads aren’t settlers or long term stayers. Hence the name “nomad”, most I know stay for a few months and travel to other countries nearby after they’ve been exhausted with all the immigration mess already in place. 

Edited June 7, 2021 by racket

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 minute ago, DLock said:

 

Easy, because they can get away with it, and there is no way the Thai authorities can determine what they are doing. No need for any visa for Digital Nomads, because it's unenforceable.

 

Fair? Life isn't fair. Get over it.

It's easily enforceable, just stop them staying on tourist visas, education visas and the rest of the schemes they use to cling on here. 

 

It would be far better to allow digital nomads a working visa based on the tax revenue they produce. 

 

Digital workers pay taxes on earnings and receive an annual visa with work rights, submitting a tax return annually for proof for renewal.

 

These birdbrain visa schemes with very narrow criteria show that there's no intelligence or vision in regards to foreign workers, legal or otherwise.  

[FritsSikkink]

5 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

  So none of them would qualify even though they make more than the needed income stream.

The needed income stream is 80K if you don't have a degree.

[Misterwhisper]

Okaaaaay... I need to digest that one first. Let's take a look at where I am currently standing, a working foreigner with all the necessary paperwork:

 

- My income is presently taxed at 25%, applied on my total income and REGARDLESS whether it was generated within Thailand or abroad;

- Every freakin' year I must extend my visa, submitting an ever-growing stack of documents together with my application;

- Also every freakin' year I must extend my work permit, in which the type of work and even the exact place of work is meticulously prescribed. If I work anywhere else or do something else than what is noted in that document, I am committing a crime.

- Every 90 days I have to report my whereabouts like I were a convict out on parole;

- I may not own a single square inch of sacred Thai soil in my own name (and no, I don't like condos).

 

Now... a "digital nomad" doesn't need a visa, doesn't need a work permit, can purchase a certain amount of land, and pays just 17% tax on income generated WITHIN THAILAND.

 

You know what? Once that fabulous scheme is put into effect, I'll just declare myself a "digital nomad".

 

I meet all the preconditions described in the article, save 8% in income tax (or actually much, much more because I hardly earn any income IN Thailand at all; a few thousand baht a year at most). I won't need to bother collating reams of documents to extend my WP and visa (AND in the process save about 10,000 baht in renewal fees). I can come and go as I please and - most importantly - can finally buy a little land plot in my OWN name.

 

It's win - win - win - win - win all the way through as far as I am concerned. Can't wait for this scheme to kick off!  

  

 

[nomad73]

9 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

welcome non-contributing digital bums and a stab in the eye for the established business owners who have to jump through hoops on compliance, paying taxes, VAT, social security and work permits etc. 

Each kind of business has is cons and pros, not every business is the same so digital nomads lucky regarding taxes etc but businesses they have pros too what digital nomads not have

Edited June 7, 2021 by nomad73

[ronaldo0]

One less thing for the illegal Chinese that run online gambling sites to get charged for I guess !! ????

[nomad73]

[judokrab]

5 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Most digital nomads I know are either high-school or college dropouts who are self taught coders and system builders. They started out making their own computers, designing games and web pages.  So none of them would qualify even though they make more than the needed income stream.

Read the article again. A degree is not required. 

[judokrab]

3 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

Quite interesting logic. So...

 

WITHOUT a master's degree one has to earn at least THB80,000.

But WITH a master's degree one only is required to earn THB40,000.

What if one has TWO master degrees? Is that going to half the income requirement again, to only THB20,000 per month?

 

 

It’s Dollars. Not Baht. 

[James105]

 

32 minutes ago, nomad73 said:

hahaha, what a joke... i knew it was going to be a useless visa that nobody will apply for

 

i just keep my EXPENSIVE "MAFIA" ELITE VISA

i am here 18 years and i work online already 18 years when i got married they even asked me what i do for work i said i am a freelancer (nobody cares)... i just keep on doing what i am doing, instead of all the useless hassle that immigration provides, with these useless rules $80,000 a year, always so pathetic, i never met a nomad that earns that.... insane and the school degree ????? really? it is all a joke setup by some brainless person that has no idea about nomads and just make something so he can keep his over paid job again for a year... 17% i never saw that in Thailand... all about money, like always and in the end THEY GET NOTHING... i just keep myself the 17% and my income the way it is, i do not want this nonsense visa with insane requirements, also i do not like Thailand know what work i do, can only work against me... since you can not trust them at all.

 

proof that i work online lol because i can not even show you my income Thailand iam a DIGITAL NOMAD self employed i do not get a salary slip... oh my god.. and if i get $80,000 year what is 225000 baht a month... i think i will have a swimming pool by now around my house

 

have a good one Thailand with your pathetic visa, can throw it straight into the garbage or better clean your ass with it hahahahahaha No need for this USELESS visa... they should do some research regarding it before announcing this and make a fool of themself... i am fine with my visa, no tax and no immigration hassle oh my god, brainless figures at work

 

Ok so it's not for you.  They were not thinking of you.    But it is for me.    Anyone who pays taxes and/or has a Ltd company will find it very easy to prove their income as they will have company accounts and/or tax returns.   

[Jimbo2014]

5 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Most digital nomads I know are either high-school or college dropouts who are self taught coders and system builders. They started out making their own computers, designing games and web pages.  So none of them would qualify even though they make more than the needed income stream.

 

A short trip down Kao San road on their first day here should sort out the Masters. ????

[RandolphGB]

They need $80k a year and would pay 17 per cent in income tax, which is a minimum of $13,600. That's a very expensive annual visa. Easier and cheaper for them to get the elite visa and work on the quiet -- or do what most of them do and extend tourist visas. 

[nomad73]

7 minutes ago, James105 said:

 

 

Ok so it's not for you.  They were not thinking of you.    But it is for me.    Anyone who pays taxes and/or has a Ltd company will find it very easy to prove their income as they will have company accounts and/or tax returns.   

I think you missing the point here you have other options you think a backpacker like this visa? You probably go back to your home country.. me for example I live here 18 years and I never go back, they suppose to make a visa for that kind of people 

Edited June 7, 2021 by nomad73

[biggles45]

I am sure that I can recall the immigration boss some years ago stating that digital nomads didnt not require a WP.! 

[James105]

1 minute ago, nomad73 said:

I think you missing the point here you have other options you think a backpacker like this visa? 

 

What is your point?  I admit the income requirements will exclude many who would like to have this, but they are not that high.    I can only speak for my own industry but any software developers will have zero problem making the $40K requirement, and a lot will have no problem with the $80K if they do not have a degree.    I am sure if they wanted backpackers to apply then they might have given it a different name and different requirements, such as "backpacker visa" for example, with a minimum income of $1000 per year.   

[redwood1]

Add this visa to the long and growing list of other useless visas, like the OX visa and the Smart visa and a few others I forget the names of....

[Dutyfirst]

4 hours ago, James105 said:

 

Well I am one of those 53 so I would much prefer this than renewing the pricy elite visa that gives me the same rights as any other tourist, so a longer visa that gives me some property rights is quite appealing.    Like anything with visas here though, I have little doubt that the end result of this will be something as complicated and convoluted as the smart visa by the time it comes out the other side - if it even gets there.   

I would assume that you would have to pay income tax in Thailand based on the 80k USD minimum per year. If you calculate that you would probably find that the elite visa is quite a lot better value