Do foreigners need to pay tax in Thailand?

[topt]

2 minutes ago, rough diamond said:

Why cannot people who post with legitimate questions not get accurate answers?

Instead all we are responses with totally misleading conjecture?

We all have our own imaginations and do not need the tax man ghost forced upon us.

its been going on for 18 months now since the initial announcement.

None of what is written (well most) is new and has all been regurgitated and discussed multiple times already in several main tax threads. Many of the original posters have simply switched off which is why you now have a particularly relatively new member posting information that he seems to believe is new - like the RD explanation booklet.....

 

The simplistic reason for a potential lack of accurate answers is that TIT and lack of clarity can allow all sorts of things to take place........Also what is accurate for one is not necessarily true for another hence the repeated suggestion to seek professional individual advice if you are that concerned.

 

 

[kbb]

Like many others, I'm not sure what the heck to do. 

Some will sit and wait it out, as paying a fine for late filing may be worth it as a cost to learning. 

 

I intend to look for tax help, but we live 10 hours north of Bangkok - In the middle of nowhere. 

 

May be a simple answer here - But haven't seen this addressed. 

 

I have my own Bank Account, opened years ago, It has very little activity. 

 

We have multiple accounts in my wife's name. 

 

In the USA, we file joint state and federal tax returns. 

 

Several times a year, we transfer money from the USA for living expenses, improvements to the house and such.

Nothing complicated, such as thai businesses. Just basic savings accounts and CD investments. 

 

My name is not on any of these accounts. 

 

Here's the stupid question - 

 

__________________________________________________

Do I file taxes on only my account? 

Or - Do I include my wife's accounts as well?

__________________________________________________

 

(I'm fine paying taxes, but ... Getting it close to right seems impossible)

 

 

[JJ-Thailand]

5 minutes ago, kbb said:

Several times a year, we transfer money from the USA for living expenses, improvements to the house and such.

Nothing complicated, such as thai businesses. Just basic savings accounts and CD investments. 

 

My name is not on any of these accounts. 

 

Here's the stupid question - 

 

__________________________________________________

Do I file taxes on only my account? 

Or - Do I include my wife's accounts as well?

The first thing to determine is where the money sent over come from and the second is if the money is an assessable income or not, if the money come from social security, pension, interests, dividends etc. This will determine if you need to file but also if you need to pay any tax according to the double tax agreement and after Thai allowances and deductions.

 

If you have already paid tax in the US on the money sent over, you will most likely not have to pay any tax in Thailand, but you may still have file. Go over to the local revenue branch and explain to them, with a bit of luck they might tell you that you don't even have to file or that you have to file but not pay any tax.

 

 

 

[JohnnyBD]

For those suggesting that Thai tax residents, in the future, may need to show a tax clearance certificate before traveling aboard, you do realize it would also apply to Thai citizens as well. This is not only a foreigner issue. I don't believe this will ever happen because it would gridlock the airports and border crossings. IMO it would be more likely that the tax issue would be addressed at IM when one went to renew their visa or extension. As of today, we have not had any firsthand reports of IM requiring a tax clearance certificate.

[oldcpu]

3 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Keep telling yourself that long enough, and you will believe it.

 

Show me an official immigration statement that as of today that every foreigner expat tax resident must show proof of filing an income tax return to obtain an extension. Official proof - across all Immigration offices.

 

You can't.

 

You can't because it is not true. 

 

This is nothing more than your speculation that YOU ARE TELLING YOURSELF LONG ENOUGH THAT NOW YOU BELIEVE IT.

 

As the saying goes, you tell on yourself by what you say to others.

[JJ-Thailand]

19 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

may need to show a tax clearance certificate before traveling aboard

It happened to me in Panama. Every foreigner staying in Panama for a period longer than 60 days needed a tax clearance certificate to be allowed to leave the country, took me a full day to arrange. Will Thailand introduce something similar for foreign tax residents? Hopefully not. There are other more efficient ways to make sure tax residents file their tax return and pay any tax owed. 

[JohnnyBD]

12 minutes ago, JJ-Thailand said:

It happened to me in Panama. Every foreigner staying in Panama for a period longer than 60 days needed a tax clearance certificate to be allowed to leave the country, took me a full day to arrange. Will Thailand introduce something similar for foreign tax residents? Hopefully not. There are other more efficient ways to make sure tax residents file their tax return and pay any tax owed. 

Were you working? A tourist? On what type of visa? What nationality? I believe Americans can stay up to 180 days visa free with no tax clearance.

Also, why cut my sentence to make it look like I suggested a tax clearance is needed when I clearly stated none is required in Thailand.

[JJ-Thailand]

1 minute ago, JohnnyBD said:

Were you working? A tourist? On what type of visa? What nationalality? Americans can stay up to 180 days visa free with no tax clearance required. 

 

No visa needed. They just charged a fee of USD 20 at arrival, that's all.

[koolkarl]

15 hours ago, oldcpu said:

 

The Canadian requirement to report global income is not a CRS requirement.  Canada required such LONG BEFORE Canada joined CRS.

 

That statement is just a misinformed assumption.  Sorry.

Never said it was a requirement.  CRS agreement gives a member country knowledge of one's assets in other CRS  member countries.

[5davidhen1]

Yesterday at Jomtien immigration, I applied to renew my retirement extension of stay.

The IO asked for documentation relating to the OWNER (I rent) of my condo. Although, sensibly, I didn't argue with the officer, he was incorrect to ask me for this as: I was extending using "minimum of THB 800,000 in the bank method." 

I had previously obtained from immigration a list of required documents for extension. The list clearly mentions the OWNER'S documentation requirement --- but ONLY if using the "THB 65,000pm method."

I was NOT asked for ANY documents relating to tax. 

[topt]

4 hours ago, koolkarl said:

CRS agreement gives a member country knowledge of one's assets in other CRS  member countries.

It certainly does not give a list of "assets" as you called it. If that was just a slip of the pen then fine but otherwise suggest you go and read up on what is actually transferred.

[oldcpu]

4 hours ago, koolkarl said:

Never said it was a requirement.  CRS agreement gives a member country knowledge of one's assets in other CRS  member countries.

That's OK if true, but it's not accurate what you typed.

 

I gave nothing to hide re my income sources, and I follow the law while carefully and legally managing my tax exposure. 

 

Thailand taxes local income and taxes remitted to Thailand income. At present it does not tax global income if not remitted to Thailand.

[oldcpu]

2 hours ago, 5davidhen1 said:

 

I was NOT asked for ANY documents relating to tax. 

 

Thanks.  As you have experienced,  it is not a requirement to show tax documents when going for an extension. 

 

There is a lot of speculation on this topic which imho is not warranted.

[TheAppletons]

1 hour ago, oldcpu said:

There is a lot of speculation on this topic which imho is not warranted.

 

 

lot

/lät/

https://ssl.gstatic.com/dictionary/static/promos/20181204/pronunciation.svg

pronoun

 

one anonymous internet user

"there is a lot of speculation on this topic"

 

adverb

 

isolated posts on a small corner of the internet

"he speculated a lot on this topic"

 

 

[5davidhen1]

2 minutes ago, TheAppletons said:

 

 

lot

/lät/

https://ssl.gstatic.com/dictionary/static/promos/20181204/pronunciation.svg

pronoun

 

one anonymous internet user

"there is a lot of speculation on this topic"

 

adverb

 

isolated posts on a small corner of the internet

"he speculated a lot on this topic"

 

 

Oooh, aren't we the perfect pedant? lol.

[TheAppletons]

1 hour ago, 5davidhen1 said:

Oooh, aren't we the perfect pedant? lol.

 

  Oops, too subtle for you.  Missed the point of the post completely, lol.

 

  People who post a lot on the tax threads will understand the reference.

[KhunHeineken]

17 hours ago, oldcpu said:

 

Show me an official immigration statement that as of today that every foreigner expat tax resident must show proof of filing an income tax return to obtain an extension. Official proof - across all Immigration offices.

 

You can't.

 

You can't because it is not true. 

 

This is nothing more than your speculation that YOU ARE TELLING YOURSELF LONG ENOUGH THAT NOW YOU BELIEVE IT.

 

As the saying goes, you tell on yourself by what you say to others.

I have never said it is in place NOW, have I? 

 

It's not in place now, but can YOU guarantee it will not be policy in the future, no, I didn't think so. 

 

Do you think it prudent members consider that it may be policy in the future????

[Yumthai]

1 hour ago, KhunHeineken said:

Do you think it prudent members consider that it may be policy in the future????

Do you consider yourself prudent?... and get your passport stamped illegally.

[JJ-Thailand]

5 hours ago, oldcpu said:

There is a lot of speculation on this topic which imho is not warranted.

 

All speculation regarding the tax is due to the lack of information from the Thai authorities. 

 

[oldcpu]

8 hours ago, TheAppletons said:

 

 

lot

/lät/

https://ssl.gstatic.com/dictionary/static/promos/20181204/pronunciation.svg

pronoun

 

one anonymous internet user

"there is a lot of speculation on this topic"

 

adverb

 

isolated posts on a small corner of the internet

"he speculated a lot on this topic"

 

 

 

"A lot of speculation" means there is a great deal of guessing or theorizing about something without sufficient evidence or knowledge. 

 

A very short research on that would have provided you with that answer.

 

[TheAppletons]

8 hours ago, oldcpu said:

 

"A lot of speculation" means there is a great deal of guessing or theorizing about something without sufficient evidence or knowledge. 

 

A very short research on that would have provided you with that answer.

 

 

  The post was intended as a dig at one particular AN poster....which is why under the pronoun section I changed the official definition to read "one anonymous internet user" and under the adverb section it reads "isolated posts on a small corner of the internet."

 

In other words, the "lot of speculation" can be attributed to one particular individual with whom you have much interaction on the topic.  Of all people, I thought you would get the joke.  Guess not.

[oldcpu]

2 hours ago, TheAppletons said:

 

  The post was intended as a dig at one particular AN poster... .... Of all people, I thought you would get the joke.  Guess not.

I didn't get the joke, however after your explanation it does read to be a good post. 

[henryford1958]

On 3/7/2025 at 12:02 AM, JJ-Thailand said:

They mean that any assessable income earned from this date and sent over to Thailand should be declared in your Thai tax return.
Pension, dividends, capital gains, interest etc. You can claim tax credit if you have already paid tax at source, the double tax agreement between Thailand and your country will state which of the two countries has the right to tax each of your specific assessable income.

All tax agreements with Thailand can be downloaded here: https://www.rd.go.th/english/766.html

More, whatever was in your bank account on Dec. 31 2023 according to your bank statement can be sent over to Thailand anytime in the future without declaring it in your tax return. Make sure to save all proof in case they knock on your door in the future.

 

How do you claim this credit. There seems to be no line on the tax return that refers to tax already paid.

[oldcpu]

39 minutes ago, henryford1958 said:

 

How do you claim this credit. There seems to be no line on the tax return that refers to tax already paid.

 

Indeed. .. and many of us have pointed out that Royal Decree 18 notes some DTAs can make some foreign income Thai tax exempt, implying not to be included in a Thai tax calculation ( obviously dependent on specific DTA wording) and hence since such DTA excluded income is exempt from the Thai tax calculation and hence since not to be included in a Thai tax return,  it may even mean ( on absence of other assessable income) that no Thai tax return is required.

The specific wording of the DTA with Thailand is very relevant and needs to be understood.

Obviously this is my understanding.  Others on this forum have very different views.

[JJ-Thailand]

6 hours ago, henryford1958 said:

 

How do you claim this credit. There seems to be no line on the tax return that refers to tax already paid.

Correct, there is no line for tax credit.

I called TRD main office, and they said that the forms have not been updated yet but should be ready next year.

They also said that if you file online, in Thai, it might work. In other words, they are not ready.