Selling off state assets is rarely a good idea. Look at UK's water authorities - nearly all in public ownership, then sold off and looted by the new owners; now with massive debts and one on verge of bankruptcy. But, of course, government cannot let them go bankrupt - if the taps dry up there would be riots.

On 9/3/2025 at 9:55 AM, FlorC said:

Shouldn't that be : the government is exploring options to fortify its financial looting ?

 

So there is barely a government , but this guy is taking advantage

to push for increased revenue.

 

 

will he still be involved within the next week or so?  Plus anything that this 4-month caretaker govt signs on to do has reportedly been told that anything passed must not be affected by nor be held responsible for enforcing it.  Seems to me this 4-month govt will just be planning on how to win next year's election.

Increasing VAT hits poor people harder. Privatising utilities is disastrous - look at the UK where private water companies have siphoned billions meant for infrastructure improvements into directors ' salaries and dividends. 

Tax the billionaires instead -  but I suspect that will never happen. 

As with any business or personal budget, the savings come from both ends.  Cut unnecessary costs and raise revenue.  An earlier comment suggested 0.25% VAT increase each year . . . that was an excellent suggestion.  Even just jumping from 7% to 8% would be a great solution.  The least wealthy in Thailand don't pay much VAT and shop in local village markets.  The VAT only affects the middle and upper class who are  unlikely to be impact by a 1% VAT increase.  
We talk about Expats . . . most of us have much more than 1% change in our exchange rates, much more.  The USD has dropped more than 10% since Trump . . . 
Raise the VAT!!

2 hours ago, Kat Hao said:

As with any business or personal budget, the savings come from both ends.  Cut unnecessary costs and raise revenue.  An earlier comment suggested 0.25% VAT increase each year . . . that was an excellent suggestion.  Even just jumping from 7% to 8% would be a great solution.  The least wealthy in Thailand don't pay much VAT and shop in local village markets.  The VAT only affects the middle and upper class who are  unlikely to be impact by a 1% VAT increase.  
We talk about Expats . . . most of us have much more than 1% change in our exchange rates, much more.  The USD has dropped more than 10% since Trump . . . 
Raise the VAT!!

well I am not even close to being any kind of financial wizard but I see almost daily, a new freebie being passed out by the government while at the same time the finance folks keep harping on the shortcoming in the revenue dept so that they end up with a large debt at the end of the fiscal year.  But of course, they are most likely just looking to please the possible voters so that they can stay in power and continue to garner funds for them and their families.  Same with many government officials controlling monies in other countries so that they too can win that next election.

On 9/3/2025 at 2:12 AM, ikke1959 said:

Start with lower tax on imported wines.. expats will drink more as it will become cheaper. Many time less is more than a lot a few times

 

They have already done that but that didnt seems to affect prices to the consumers. 

On 9/3/2025 at 2:12 AM, ikke1959 said:

Start with lower tax on imported wines.. expats will drink more as it will become cheaper. Many time less is more than a lot a few times

Do you really believe that more Thai wine would get drunk.

Remove the tax and the Thais would head to the foreign shelves, effectively wiping out domestic production and creating unemployment.

The only way to reduce the tax is massive investment to make domestic wine more competitive, and I can't see that happening any time soon.

On 9/2/2025 at 5:07 PM, redwood1 said:

Selling off the electric grid?......Thats frightening....

 

Could be interesting.

 

3 hours ago, sandyf said:

Do you really believe that more Thai wine would get drunk.

Remove the tax and the Thais would head to the foreign shelves, effectively wiping out domestic production and creating unemployment.

The only way to reduce the tax is massive investment to make domestic wine more competitive, and I can't see that happening any time soon.

First of all Thailand is not a rral wine country, they started only a few years ago compared to France, Spain,Chili, and Australia or South Afrika. Secondly Thai wine at the moment is often not from grapes, but other fruits, and at last, the import taxes or so high on good wines, that many foteigners don' t buy them. Simple example. I bought a Spanish wine in Thailand for 750 THB a bottle. We had the same wine in a restaurant in Spain for 15 euro, which is almost half of the price in Thailand and in a restaurant, while I here buy it in a shop. Probably in a shop in Spain it will be cheaper. But you don't like to drink imported wines it seems, or you would know the difference. And for most Thais foreign wines are too expensive

On 9/3/2025 at 10:02 AM, JimGant said:

..... rumors that all remitted monies will be considered assessable income, until proven otherwise. What foreign investor would wire a pile of investment money to Thailand, under these circumstances. 

A foreign investor outside thailand and non resident may think that way.

But its not the same for residents.

People who are married and live here as their home should start to think different.

Is it not best to now bring some of the money outside? before the tax rules become more all encompassing.

The 2024 tax change may have scared some people. But if the money is from before, then you can remit without tax liability.

This is my home, i personally have a good percentage of my wealth already here and i am glad i did it. 

So much for those who thought it stupid to invest money and advise not to buy property here before.

I own the property. Bringing in income to pay rents may become a bad idea if it gets taxed.

Done very well against the usd already, and if the USD cracks because of the impending US inflation then its not such a bad idea to consider bringing more money in from pre 2024.

14 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

First of all Thailand is not a rral wine country, they started only a few years ago compared to France, Spain,Chili, and Australia or South Afrika. Secondly Thai wine at the moment is often not from grapes, but other fruits, and at last, the import taxes or so high on good wines, that many foteigners don' t buy them. Simple example. I bought a Spanish wine in Thailand for 750 THB a bottle. We had the same wine in a restaurant in Spain for 15 euro, which is almost half of the price in Thailand and in a restaurant, while I here buy it in a shop. Probably in a shop in Spain it will be cheaper. But you don't like to drink imported wines it seems, or you would know the difference. And for most Thais foreign wines are too expensive

You shouldn't go around making uninformed assumptions, must be over 20 years since my first visit to Silverlake, used  to have horse drawn carriages to take you round the vineyard. Drunk more imported wine in Thailand than I care to remember, when I meet up with a friend we get a 3 litre box from Best supermarket and head over to the night market at Pattaya Park. Wine like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the price elsewhere is totally irrelevant.

Thai wine is a cottage industry and whether you like it or not the government has a right to try and protect that industry any way it sees fit. Foreigners need to learn to live with it.

"and if the USD cracks because of the impending US inflation then its not such a bad idea to consider bringing more money in from pre 2024."

 

Don't fool yourself.  If US inflation stays high the Fed will NOT be able to lower interest rates as Trump demands -- which is why the US Fed must remain independent.  Currency valuations are not simply based on how well you like a country, higher interest rates will draw more investment -- short the low interest rate bonds (Japan) and use that money to buy higher interest rate bonds (US) and hedge the currency volatility.  This "Carry Trade" is a hugely leveraged trillion dollar industry and if US rates end up rising, so will the US dollar.  

Not as simple as some might like 🙂

On 9/3/2025 at 6:44 AM, Zaphod Priest said:

If they were serious, they wouldn't be considering waiving tax on overseas income brought into the country for this and next tax year.

well, since they are no longer the government, we'll need to wait and see what comes next... that two year tax-free trial balloon might have alerady popped.

On 9/8/2025 at 9:39 AM, sandyf said:

Thai wine is a cottage industry and whether you like it or not the government has a right to try and protect that industry any way it sees fit.

Very true. Many countries do this (import levies etc., on foreign wine) to protect their own industry. Though in Thailand's case, I think the reality of the wine dutiy is just to get extra revenue. In any case, Trump is doing it now and the duty might well have been there before too to protect West Coast (e.g. California) wine. I don't like U.S. wine. I remember when Zinfandel was a hot up and comer. Everyone rolled their eyes with anticipation. I thought it tasted more like dirt than fermented grapes. Canada does the same protectonist racket and their wine is just as crappy - and even more expensive. A joke. Many restaurants there have nothing but Canadian wines on the menu - at stupid prices for what is almost always red plonk or battery acid whites.

4 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

Though in Thailand's case, I think the reality of the wine dutiy is just to get extra revenue.

An assumption that many would want to make, probably because an increase came about fairly recently in 2017, unlike the 200% tax on vehicles that has been around since the 70s.

The small wine industry is very new , think less than 25 years, and  it would have taken many years before the government would have considered it for some form of protection, if indeed that was the objective.

The reduction last year however I believe brought the rate down below what was introduced previously in 1998.

At the end of the day it doesn't bother me a great deal, quite ok with cheap plonk, never found expensive wine to taste much better.

8 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

well, since they are no longer the government, we'll need to wait and see what comes next... that two year tax-free trial balloon might have alerady popped.

That's important to me, and I daresay others who are still very much not retired and generating money offshore. The taxation uncertainty of Thailand holds back the country. Thailand no longer has to play by the OECD rules now the US has broken everything, and could position itself as low tax haven, akin to Singapore or HK, at least in terms of personal and corporate taxation. Of course, it would take a government that lasts longer than the lifespan of a mayfly...

11 hours ago, Kat Hao said:

which is why the US Fed must remain independent

If I count correctly,  HE only needs 1 more vote.

And, HE will appoint a new boss of the Fed next year, anyway.

On 9/3/2025 at 6:44 AM, hotchilli said:

Time to buy shares in candles

 

2 hours ago, falangUK said:

 

Ronnie Barker was a a genius

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Ronnie Barker was a a genius

Loved them both. I never met Ronnie Barker, but I used to bump into Ronnie Corbett at Harrods, what a personality.
 

On 9/3/2025 at 6:44 AM, Zaphod Priest said:

If they were serious, they would actually implement taxation of world wide income for individuals, rather than waffle about it without any implementation details.

 

If they were serious, they wouldn't be considering waiving tax on overseas income brought into the country for this and next tax year.

 

And if they were serious, they wouldn't be offsetting "Top-Up Tax" for massively wealthy international corporations.  (Reported in today's Bangkok Post https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/3097681/cabinet-approves-support-for-firms-hit-by-new-tax .)

So how much tax do you want to pay? Just volunteer, I am sure they'll take your money. Mia noï always dreams of a Porsche.

On 9/8/2025 at 9:39 AM, sandyf said:

You shouldn't go around making uninformed assumptions, must be over 20 years since my first visit to Silverlake, used  to have horse drawn carriages to take you round the vineyard. Drunk more imported wine in Thailand than I care to remember, when I meet up with a friend we get a 3 litre box from Best supermarket and head over to the night market at Pattaya Park. Wine like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the price elsewhere is totally irrelevant.

Thai wine is a cottage industry and whether you like it or not the government has a right to try and protect that industry any way it sees fit. Foreigners need to learn to live with it.

 

Wrong....... The governments number one concern should be to make sure cheap charlies like me can buy wine....Cheap Cheap Cheap....

Sounds like the easy, low hanging fruit scheme.  Invest in education, attract more foreign investment with, skilled, lower wage labor.  They would earn more than now and therefore contribute more tax dollars.

 

One's living here no the long list of other changes so won't waste your time or bore you again.

 

Maybe when making changes that could seriously impact or change expenses for a business through Government make them longer lasting.  Investing then learning next year things have changed, expenses will be up at least 10% or more for compliance.