I can't even open a bank account in Thailand but yet I'm expected to pay Thai tax?

[Rolo89]

On the DTV and was planning on paying Thai tax, but since tightening the rules on banking it's impossible to get a bank account until you have a work permit.

 

My DTV allows working for my foreign company remotely in Thailand, but how can they expect me to pay Thai tax if I'm not even allowed to open a bank account?

[bkk6060]

How do you live?  Cash, atm, credit card, Wise, other money transfer.

Pay on those.

[Sheryl]

Not true that you need a work permit to open bank acccount. People with retirement and marriage  visas/extensions can open them and I woukd expect (but not 100% sure) DTV the same.  

 

If one bank refused you, try another.

 

You arr only taxed on assessable income remitted into Thailand. 

[KhunHeineken]

How many banks / branches did you try?  As another member said, try a few others

 

If all else fails, use an "agent" to open an account.  Yes, I know you don't want to pay an agent, but at least the job gets done. 

[Rolo89]

54 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

How do you live?  Cash, atm, credit card, Wise, other money transfer.

Pay on those.

Foreign cards, but it would be nice to pay by QR code

[Rolo89]

1 minute ago, KhunHeineken said:

How many banks / branches did you try?  As another member said, try a few others

 

If all else fails, use an "agent" to open an account.  Yes, I know you don't want to pay an agent, but at least the job gets done. 

Tried a dozen branches now (in expat areas), they all say no and try each other. 

 

Spoke to an agent a few weeks ago and they said it was possible but would have to travel to Pattaya. Then the next day said their bank (Bangkok bank) in Pattaya was no longer accepting foreigners and they would be back in contact when they were. Heard nothing since. So think even agents can't help at the moment. It used to be possible if you bought an expensive product from the bank, but apparently not anymore.

 

 

[Rolo89]

52 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

People with retirement and marriage  visas/extensions can open them and I woukd expect (but not 100% sure) DTV the same.  

I think marriage and retirement visa makes it easier, DTV is basically a tourist visa. They've been burnt with too many dodgy people and are worried about fines. 

[KhunHeineken]

3 minutes ago, Rolo89 said:

Tried a dozen branches now (in expat areas), they all say no and try each other. 

 

Spoke to an agent a few weeks ago and they said it was possible but would have to travel to Pattaya. Then the next day said their bank (Bangkok bank) in Pattaya was no longer accepting foreigners and they would be back in contact when they were. Heard nothing since. So think even agents can't help at the moment. It used to be possible if you bought an expensive product from the bank, but apparently not anymore.

 

 

Same advice.  Try a few different agents. 

[Tropicalevo]

Listen to Sheryl.

 

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

You are only taxed on assessable income remitted into Thailand. 

 

 

[NativeBob]

If you've been rejected from more than a dozen branches than it is a conspiracy against you or something about you. What is your citizenship? 

I used to know one bloke who couldn't buy simple pain killer at any drug store. Maximum they gave him paracet. Very nice and well educated man, but there was something that repelled thais

[anrcaccount]

I doubt even 1% of people in your situation have actually paid tax in Thailand. Despite all the chatter on here (most of which has ended now) , the status quo of many years remains:  Thai TRD is only interested in taxing those who work for a Thai employer or run a business in Thailand.

 

A very minimal amount of  'technically assessable' remitted foreign income is actually taxed. That's the reality.

 

If you want a bank account, an agent can open you one, for a fee. Just pay it and get it done, don't waste your time traipsing around branches.

 

[riclag]

49 minutes ago, Rolo89 said:

Tried a dozen branches now (in expat areas), they all say no and try each other. 

 

Spoke to an agent a few weeks ago and they said it was possible but would have to travel to Pattaya. Then the next day said their bank (Bangkok bank) in Pattaya was no longer accepting foreigners and they would be back in contact when they were. Heard nothing since. So think even agents can't help at the moment. It used to be possible if you bought an expensive product from the bank, but apparently not anymore.

 

 

Are you more concerned with filling a Thai tax return or being able to open a bank account?

 

Google Ai says the DTV is technically 

a tourist visa.Banks usually require a non tourist visa .

 

[motdaeng]

4 minutes ago, anrcaccount said:

  Thai TRD is only interested in taxing those who work for a Thai employer or run a business in Thailand.

 

says you or the tax law? 

[FritsSikkink]

2 minutes ago, motdaeng said:

 

says you or the tax law? 

He

[anrcaccount]

30 minutes ago, motdaeng said:

 

says you or the tax law? 

 

Says me, but I would also term this the reality, vs the law, which like many others in Thailand, ain't enforced.

 

It hasn't been enforced for the many years Thais and foreigners have been remitting billions of baht in technically assessable 'same year earned foreign income', and there is no sign this has changed, now that 'post 2023 year earned foreign income' is technically assessable.

 

 

[steven100]

me thinks' your not telling the full story ....  you can open a bank account with a retirement visa. 

are you coming from a country that is high risk ....  that's what it sounds like.  

[connda]

Try SCB, Bangkok Bank, or Kbank.  I do understand that some of the other banks may refuse you as a customer.  Is it stupid?  Yeah, but TIT.  And as far as filing taxes. If I still worked, I'd still be filing taxes.  I don't work anymore, and none of my overseas income is assessable as per my home country's DTA with Thailand.  I don't worry about it.  if I was every forced to file, the Revenue Office would simply owe me money.  But not enough to make it worth my while to file. If the banks ever start paying significant interest on account balance, I may rethink that.

[connda]

1 hour ago, KhunHeineken said:

f all else fails, use an "agent" to open an account.  Yes, I know you don't want to pay an agent, but at least the job gets done. 

[connda]

1 hour ago, Rolo89 said:

Foreign cards, but it would be nice to pay by QR code

Cash works very well here.

[KhunHeineken]

1 hour ago, NativeBob said:

Very nice and well educated man, but there was something that repelled thais

Perhaps because his eyes were round. 

[DonniePeverley]

How are you importing your cash into Thailand? That's what you use to pay your tax. 

 

IMO this isn't about tax anyways, but rather just a rant that another foreigner complaining he can't open a bank account in a developing nation.

 

Ironically Thai's cannot open bank accoutns in the UK either without a full residency which takes years. 

[NativeBob]

3 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Perhaps because his eyes were round. 

6.2" tall, nice manners, about early 50s. Nice polite thai language. 

I have no idea what was wrong with him. 

He gravitates misfortune.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Rolo89 said:

how can they expect me to pay Thai tax if I'm not even allowed to open a bank account?

How much tax have you been told to pay?   Where do the funds that you remitted to Thailand go?

[Liverpool Lou]

7 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

IMO this isn't about tax anyways, but rather just a rant that another foreigner complaining he can't open a bank account in a developing nation.

Exactly.  He has had no Thai Revenue Department income tax demand and isn't remitting funds to Thailand.

[DonniePeverley]

4 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How much tax have you been told to pay?   Where do the funds that you remitted to Thailand go?

 

He won't answer that queston, because the whole message is just an elaborate way of saying 'i can't open a bank account'. 

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, anrcaccount said:

If you want a bank account, an agent can open you one, for a fee. Just pay it and get it done

Which agent can do this currently?  

[Liverpool Lou]

43 minutes ago, steven100 said:

me thinks' your not telling the full story ....  you can open a bank account with a retirement visa. 

He has a retirement visa?  Where is that information posted?

[FruitPudding]

If you don't have a bank account, you wouldn't be paying tax as you cannot send money to yourself here from abroad.

 

Surely, you aren't going to pay tax on the cash you bring in with you through the airport. Lol.

 

 

[Lorry]

11 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Not true that you need a work permit to open bank acccount. People with retirement and marriage  visas/extensions can open them and I woukd expect (but not 100% sure) DTV the same.  

 

If one bank refused you, try another.

 

You arr only taxed on assessable income remitted into Thailand. 

"Need WP" is the first line of defense against a foreigner at many branches. 

People with retirement or marriage visa can get a bank account if they shop around a bit.

It's more difficult for people with a DTV, probably because no bank staff has the slightest ideas what "DTV" means. So they revert to the default "need WP"

[Rolo89]

15 hours ago, steven100 said:

me thinks' your not telling the full story ....  you can open a bank account with a retirement visa. 

are you coming from a country that is high risk ....  that's what it sounds like.  

I told the full story. I'm not a retirement visa but a DT visa.