On 1/8/2025 at 10:05 AM, wwest5829 said:

Thanks. Really just wanted to elicit an answer. American, retired, read the Tax Treaty. While I am a year round resident, IMHO will not apply to me. I will await notification from the Embassy of the USA in Bangkok that this will need my attention. Only US Social Security and state government retirement sources of monthly income. My Thai based USA Income Tax preparer advises, “jai yen, yen”.

You're barking up the wrong tree looking to the embassy.

Your social security income is excluded from Thai tax.

I don't happen to know the situation with state government pensions so confirm this but think also excluded.

So if both are excluded and that's all the income that you remit, you will have no need to ever get a Thai Tax ID or ever to file.

50 minutes ago, treetops said:

 

Do you really think the US Embassy are going to get involved to any extent?

I attended a meet & greet with the US Ambassador last August and he said that embassy officials are definitely engaged in discussions with Thai Revenue on the matter.

 

But he said that was all he could say at the time.

On 1/9/2025 at 9:02 AM, jerrymahoney said:

I attended a meet & greet with the US Ambassador last August and he said that embassy officials are definitely engaged in discussions with Thai Revenue on the matter.

 

But he said that was all he could say at the time.

Did he also say he might not have a job after the election? 

On 1/6/2025 at 7:27 PM, Jack1988 said:

No problem for me. You can pay tax if you like

You don't pay VAT?

8 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Did he also say he might not have a job after the election? 

No. He held ambassador positions in both the GW Bush and first Trump administrations.

On 1/9/2025 at 3:48 PM, Jingthing said:

You're barking up the wrong tree looking to the embassy.

Your social security income is excluded from Thai tax.

I don't happen to know the situation with state government pensions so confirm this but think also excluded.

So if both are excluded and that's all the income that you remit, you will have no need to ever get a Thai Tax ID or ever to file.

That is my current thinking on the subject. Plan B would be to move. My Thai Wife? When do we pack. She is game for seeing different countries.

11 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

No. He held ambassador positions in both the GW Bush and first Trump administrations.

He must put on a great party at the US Embassy for visiting politicians. 

I don't know -- his two previous full-ambassadorships were in Africa.

1 hour ago, jerrymahoney said:

I don't know -- his two previous full-ambassadorships were in Africa.

So he went from being called "bwana" to being called "farang."  Quite a step down.   

Other than this post to Thailand, most of the Ambassador's 40-year foreign service career has been either physically located in or serving in State Department roles dealing with what President-Elect Trump has referred to as '<deleted>hole countries'.

1 hour ago, jerrymahoney said:

Other than this post to Thailand, most of the Ambassador's 40-year foreign service career has been either physically located in or serving in State Department roles dealing with what President-Elect Trump has referred to as '<deleted>hole countries'.

Whilst I am sure many aspire to cities like Paris and Rome, many end up in cities like Kabul and Baghdad. 

 

The Beijing posting will be interesting for whoever is the unlucky one. 

If I’m a freelancer in Thailand, offering services like web development, and receiving payments into my Thai bank account. If I stay in Thailand for less than 179 days in a calendar year, do I need to pay taxes?

11 hours ago, driveout said:

If I’m a freelancer in Thailand, offering services like web development, and receiving payments into my Thai bank account. If I stay in Thailand for less than 179 days in a calendar year, do I need to pay taxes?

 

My understanding is (for your case) only if your income comes from Thailand. If it comes from Thailand you need to file a Thai tax return and report that income.

35 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

 

My understanding is (for your case) only if your income comes from Thailand. If it comes from Thailand you need to file a Thai tax return and report that income.

Thanks for your answer. Is it true also that banks in thailand now will report to the tax department when you get money/founds in to the bank, like its a automatic system an Ai thing and sends everything to them, specially if you have a foreigner account?

7 minutes ago, driveout said:

Thanks for your answer. Is it true also that banks in thailand now will report to the tax department when you get money/founds in to the bank, like its a automatic system an Ai thing and sends everything to them, specially if you have a foreigner account?

 

I don't know the precise reporting mechanism nor threshold levels.

 

But I do believe above certain financial levels, global monetary transactions are recorded and per different existing agreements can be and are in cases reported to various governments.