Today's experience trying to obtain my tax refund

[TigerandDog]

This year the Revenue Department has decided to no longer mail out refund cheques. Instead they send a letter that gives 3 options on how to obtain your refund.

#1. PromptPay

#2. Krungthai bank account

#3.Krungthai e-Money

 

Revenue will not use #1 for foreigners even if they have a Thai bank account with PromptPay.

 

So today went to my local Krungthai Bank branch with my e-Money card from prior tax refund years only to be told that this is no longer an option and that the ONLY means of obtaining my tax refund is to open a bank account with them.

 

Wasn't happy with that response, and not that keen to open an account there as the staff are poorly trained. When I asked about what documentation they required for the account to be opened (knowing full well the bs response to expect) I was told passport, C of R from Immigration and some document from the District Office. My wife asked what about yellow tabian baan, pink ID card. Staff said no, even though the letter from the Revenue Department had my pink ID card # on it, not my passport #.

 

My wife spoke with the branch manager who advised the staff member that she was incorrect and that the yellow book and pink ID card would be fine, but I still needed the document from the District Office which is essentially a local equivalent of a certificate of residence from Immigration.

 

The purpose of this post is to give expats that lodge tax returns here in Thailand and who have relied on receiving their tax refunds via the e-Money card that if they don't already have a bank account with Krungthai they will need to open one as that will be the ONLY way as a foreigner that you'll be able to receive your tax refund going forward. Also you will need to have the bank cancel your existing e-Money card and receive in cash any balance that remains on the card.

[Crossy]

Which Revenue Office do you use?

 

They are likely like immigration with their own local interpretation of the roolz.

 

We shall see, I've certainly over-paid this last tax year, Bangkok area. 

[FritsSikkink]

What is the expiration date on the e-money card?

[connda]

I just take my wife down there, let her do all the talking, and bada-bing bada-boom - refund.
I just give it to her hence the incentive to cut through the red tape.

[DrJoy]

41 minutes ago, Crossy said:

local interpretation of the roolz

You farang, you no refund

[lungbing]

That's exactly what I was told a few years ago at the Khon Kaen office.  That's after the first thing the officer said to my wife (in Thai of course)  "Can you read and write".  She was upset and I was fuming when she told me afterwards, she has a BA and a hard-won  MA.  But she wouldn't let me go back in to speak to him.

[FritsSikkink]

15 hours ago, DrJoy said:

You farang, you no refund

Nonsense, have had refunds for years.

[FritsSikkink]

13 hours ago, lungbing said:

she wouldn't let me go back in to speak to him.

You don't have say in this?

Learn Thai then you would have understood it at the moment he said it, and you could do these things by your own.

[TigerandDog]

16 hours ago, Crossy said:

Which Revenue Office do you use?

 

They are likely like immigration with their own local interpretation of the roolz.

 

We shall see, I've certainly over-paid this last tax year, Bangkok area. 

I use CM Revenue Office.

 

The bank manager stated that the e_Money refund scheme was cancelled by the Revenue Department effective 31 Dec 2023. She even went as far as to telephone the Revenue Dept and one of the Revenue Dept employees came to the branch (turns out it was the same person who we dealt with when lodging my tax return) and he brought with him a copy of the NEW Revenue Department tax refund policy, issued by the RD in Bangkok, which my wife read and confirmed that the e-Money option was no longer an option to receive your tax refund, for anybody - Thai or foreigner - and that there were now only 2 options available either PromptPay (which is not available to foreigners) and a Krungthai bank account to which future tax refunds will be electonically transferred to.

[TigerandDog]

15 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

What is the expiration date on the e-money card?

My e-Money card expired this month BUT the e-Money refund scheme was cancelled effective 31 Dec 2023 by the Revenue Department.

[Crossy]

1 hour ago, TigerandDog said:

PromptPay (which is not available to foreigners)

 

I have PromptPay (I used it 20 minutes ago to pay the vet) are they saying that foreigners can't get their refunds even if they have PromptPay?

 

I really don't want to open an account with yet another bank

[DrJoy]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

Nonsense, have had refunds for years.

Joking

[DrJoy]

13 minutes ago, Crossy said:

I really don't want to open an account with yet another bank

The promptpay issue is with Rev. Dept not Thai Banks

[Pouatchee]

16 hours ago, DrJoy said:

You farang, you no refund

 

while i was teaching i never had an issue with getting a refund. i am not a thai loving bleeding heart, but i give credit where it is due. i was always payed promptly the full amount.

[Crossy]

7 minutes ago, DrJoy said:

The promptpay issue is with Rev. Dept not Thai Banks

 

Yeah, so it seems. Rather silly.

 

So, my only choice now is to open an account with Krungthai Bank to get my few k Baht refund  

 

Such is life in sunny Thailand.

[Neeranam]

21 hours ago, lungbing said:

That's exactly what I was told a few years ago at the Khon Kaen office.  That's after the first thing the officer said to my wife (in Thai of course)  "Can you read and write".  She was upset and I was fuming when she told me afterwards, she has a BA and a hard-won  MA.  But she wouldn't let me go back in to speak to him.

Was that the women who looks after foreigners? SHe's married to a Kiwi.

[lungbing]

It was a man, and years ago.  Their attitude may have changed now but my wife hates to interact with their officials as they always look down on mia farang.

[triplez]

I am hoping more people can add their personal experience here. 
I am also due a tax refund (waiting for the confirmation) and don't have a Krungthai account. 
Does the account have to be in my name? or could I give them my wife's Krungthai account details? 

[Thailand J]

I have filed for tax return last month at Jomtein revenue office, was not told I need a new bank account. I assume I will get my refund as before my mail, but now that I am aware of this I will go back to ask.

[TigerandDog]

On 2/16/2024 at 10:11 AM, Crossy said:

 

I have PromptPay (I used it 20 minutes ago to pay the vet) are they saying that foreigners can't get their refunds even if they have PromptPay?

 

I really don't want to open an account with yet another bank

that's correct. I also have PromptPay, but Revenue Dept does not allow foreigners to receive their tax refunds that way because we don't have a Thai ID card. The pink ID is not accepted for tax refunds via PromptPay as there is no memory chip in it for it to be scanned.

[TigerandDog]

3 hours ago, Thailand J said:

I have filed for tax return last month at Jomtein revenue office, was not told I need a new bank account. I assume I will get my refund as before my mail, but now that I am aware of this I will go back to ask.

The Revenue Office won't tell you that. Doing so would require a modicom of common sense. I've received my refunds by cheque for the past 4 years. I have PromptPay but as foreigners do not have a Thai ID card (not a pink ID card) we are unable to utilise that option. Therefore the only option left is to open an account with Krungthai Bank and when you receive the letter from Revenue Dept you take it to the Krungthai bank branch where you opened the account and they will credit your account with the amount of the tax refund stated in the Revenue Dept letter.

[TigerandDog]

On 2/17/2024 at 7:47 AM, triplez said:

I am hoping more people can add their personal experience here. 
I am also due a tax refund (waiting for the confirmation) and don't have a Krungthai account. 
Does the account have to be in my name? or could I give them my wife's Krungthai account details? 

based on what I was told by my local branch, the account must be in the name that's on the tax refund letter. I will be going to open my account with them tomorrow, so if there is any difference I will post on here.

[TigerandDog]

On 2/18/2024 at 6:12 PM, TigerandDog said:

based on what I was told by my local branch, the account must be in the name that's on the tax refund letter. I will be going to open my account with them tomorrow, so if there is any difference I will post on here.

opened my Krungthai account today and the account was credited with the tax refund. My wife asked if the refund could be credited to her krungthai account and was told no, the account name must be the same as the name on the tax refund letter from the Revenue Department.

[triplez]

19 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

opened my Krungthai account today and the account was credited with the tax refund. My wife asked if the refund could be credited to her krungthai account and was told no, the account name must be the same as the name on the tax refund letter from the Revenue Department.

thank you for the info. 
I am waiting for my tax refund to get approved and then probably have to do the same thing (opening a Krungthai account)

[tandor]

On 2/15/2024 at 5:18 PM, connda said:

I just take my wife down there, let her do all the talking, and bada-bing bada-boom - refund.
I just give it to her hence the incentive to cut through the red tape.

what if your partner is a Zog  oran Ug

[yardrunner]

Am in Khonkaen, have had my tax refund by cheque already without any problem

[jesimps]

On 2/15/2024 at 4:20 PM, TigerandDog said:

This year the Revenue Department has decided to no longer mail out refund cheques. Instead they send a letter that gives 3 options on how to obtain your refund.

#1. PromptPay

#2. Krungthai bank account

#3.Krungthai e-Money

 

Revenue will not use #1 for foreigners even if they have a Thai bank account with PromptPay.

 

So today went to my local Krungthai Bank branch with my e-Money card from prior tax refund years only to be told that this is no longer an option and that the ONLY means of obtaining my tax refund is to open a bank account with them.

 

Wasn't happy with that response, and not that keen to open an account there as the staff are poorly trained. When I asked about what documentation they required for the account to be opened (knowing full well the bs response to expect) I was told passport, C of R from Immigration and some document from the District Office. My wife asked what about yellow tabian baan, pink ID card. Staff said no, even though the letter from the Revenue Department had my pink ID card # on it, not my passport #.

 

My wife spoke with the branch manager who advised the staff member that she was incorrect and that the yellow book and pink ID card would be fine, but I still needed the document from the District Office which is essentially a local equivalent of a certificate of residence from Immigration.

 

The purpose of this post is to give expats that lodge tax returns here in Thailand and who have relied on receiving their tax refunds via the e-Money card that if they don't already have a bank account with Krungthai they will need to open one as that will be the ONLY way as a foreigner that you'll be able to receive your tax refund going forward. Also you will need to have the bank cancel your existing e-Money card and receive in cash any balance that remains on the card.

Good luck if you're thinking of getting a letter of residence from Jomtien Immigration to open a bank account. Last time I tried they told me that they only issued them for driving licences. In the end I had to buy accident insurance from the bank before they'd issue me an account.

[BenStark]

4 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Good luck if you're thinking of getting a letter of residence from Jomtien Immigration to open a bank account. Last time I tried they told me that they only issued them for driving licences.

 

 

I can't read Thai, but I doubt the purpose of the letter of residence is written on it.

 

I recall that I have used a letter of residence, which I got for selling a second hand car, to apply for my yellow tabien baan.

[BenStark]

On 2/15/2024 at 4:20 PM, TigerandDog said:

This year the Revenue Department has decided to no longer mail out refund cheques. Instead they send a letter that gives 3 options on how to obtain your refund.

#1. PromptPay

#2. Krungthai bank account

#3.Krungthai e-Money

 

Revenue will not use #1 for foreigners even if they have a Thai bank account with PromptPay.

 

I have KTB account for 3 years already.

 

Last year I asked the revenue department if they could do the refund into my KTB account instead of a cheque.

 

Answer was, sorry can not do for foreigner, so I waited for my cheque which only can be deposited in a KTB account  🙂

[tomazbodner]

On 2/15/2024 at 4:20 PM, TigerandDog said:

This year the Revenue Department has decided to no longer mail out refund cheques. Instead they send a letter that gives 3 options on how to obtain your refund.

#1. PromptPay

#2. Krungthai bank account

#3.Krungthai e-Money

 

Revenue will not use #1 for foreigners even if they have a Thai bank account with PromptPay.

 

True.

 

On 2/15/2024 at 4:20 PM, TigerandDog said:

So today went to my local Krungthai Bank branch with my e-Money card from prior tax refund years only to be told that this is no longer an option and that the ONLY means of obtaining my tax refund is to open a bank account with them.

 

False.

 

I've filed online (as usual) and within a week received the standard envelope with letter and a cheque. Took it to my bank (which is not Krung Thai) and did a cheque deposit. As it was a Sunday I was told that it would be deposited after 11 am on Monday, which it was. That's this last weekend.

 

Same as every other year except that couple of years when they asked us to use KrungThai e-Money ATM card. After that it was switched back to mailing cheques.