Time out of Thailand om Retirement/Marriage visa

[Kevin1908]

Is there any limit on the time spent out of Thailand if you are on a Retirement or Marriage Visa? I know you need an exit visa but what happens to the 90 day registration if you are out of the country, does it just re-start when you return. How long a period are you allowed out of the country without invalidating the visa?

[retarius]

AS far as I know, you can spend any amount of time out of the country but you have to extend your visa each year on or before its anniversary and if you don't your visa is cancelled. Note that if you are not in Thailand for 180 days or more, you cannot claim residency, which may be an issue for taxes in your home state or country. You 90 day report clock restarts every time you enter Thailand, so you don't need to worry about that.

[BritTim]

On an extension of stay, the only things you need to consider are:

1. Having a schedule that ensures you are in Thailand around the time when the yearly extension is due; and
2. Obtaining a re-entry permit when you take a trip outside Thailand.

When outside Thailand, there is no requirement to submit the 90-day reports. Those are only necessary after 90 consecutive days in Thailand.

 

Subject to the requirement to be in Thailand for the annual extensions, you can spend as little or as much time as you like in Thailand.

[Kevin1908]

1 hour ago, retarius said:

AS far as I know, you can spend any amount of time out of the country but you have to extend your visa each year on or before its anniversary and if you don't your visa is cancelled. Note that if you are not in Thailand for 180 days or more, you cannot claim residency, which may be an issue for taxes in your home state or country. You 90 day report clock restarts every time you enter Thailand, so you don't need to worry about that.

Well I may not re-register for tax in the UK anyway. Checking it out with my Financial Advisor half my savings are in a private pension and half in ISAs. Only the private pension would take a tax hit of about £1300 per year. For that I keep access to the NHS and annual increments in the state pension and avoid the very onerous rules for remaining UK tax exempt. I gather if I own a house in the UK and spend more that one night in it in any year then you can't claim tax exemption. Which for the first three years can't be more than 16 days in the UK anyway.

[retarius]

3 minutes ago, Kevin1908 said:

Well I may not re-register for tax in the UK anyway. Checking it out with my Financial Advisor half my savings are in a private pension and half in ISAs. Only the private pension would take a tax hit of about £1300 per year. For that I keep access to the NHS and annual increments in the state pension and avoid the very onerous rules for remaining UK tax exempt. I gather if I own a house in the UK and spend more that one night in it in any year then you can't claim tax exemption. Which for the first three years can't be more than 16 days in the UK anyway.

If you wish to 'reside' (a legal definition of residence) in Thailand ie spend more that 180 days a year here you are not entitled to NHS treatment under the law as I understand it. I kept my NHS doctor for years though and no one noticed. I don't have a UK pension so I don't know about taxes and/or increases in pensions. Here in Thailand many people simply don't inform the government and have a relative receive the pension and send it to him. One chap got caught claiming the winter fuel allowance and had to pay his increases back over the years and all his heating allowances. So it's good to cheat if you don't get caught.

You might want to get legal advice about the differences between 'domicile' and 'residence'. Most people are confused on this.