14 minutes ago, MoneyPenny said:

If you have a Thai pink ID card, the 13-digit number on it can become your Thai TIN. However, this is not automatic. You need to visit the tax office and have them add your Thai ID card number to the tax system as your TIN. Simply having a pink ID card does not mean the number can automatically be used for tax purposes.

Pink ID number must be activated as TIN for use with online filing.

Unclear if activation is required for paper returns.

1 hour ago, NoDisplayName said:

Are you tax resident in Thailand? Doesn't matter if you file taxes, you are or you are not.

If you aren't filing taxes (yet), you don't need a TIN.

You will apply when you need to file, unless you have a pink ID, which is your TIN.

Notice the text of the option:

"Have applied for, or will apply for, a TIN and will provide it once received.

Honest and legal, you will apply for a TIN when needed for filing, and will provide it once received.

If you don't feel comfortable with that, you can apply for a TIN at the tax office giving the reason as file for refund of interest tax withholding, and you've satisfied the requirement.

Thanks for that response.

I did go get the TIN this afternoon. There's no lineup there, so it's very quick actually.

Feel safer with the TIN.

Whether I actually need to file, I will just speak to an accountant to double-check.

But appreciate your input!

2 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Thanks for that response.

I did go get the TIN this afternoon. There's no lineup there, so it's very quick actually.

Feel safer with the TIN.

Whether I actually need to file, I will just speak to an accountant to double-check.

But appreciate your input!

Can I ask what documentation was required and was a Pink card/yellow book involved?

PS; Which office/city?

1 minute ago, scottiejohn said:

Can I ask what documentation was required and was a Pink card/yellow book involved?

PS; Which office/city?

TM30 & Passport is all I brought.

Jomtien

5 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

Pink ID number must be activated as TIN for use with online filing.

Unclear if activation is required for paper returns.

If you have an existing 13 digit Thai TIN when you receive your pink ID card then you will have to complete some forms at the Thai tax office if you want to switch to using the 13 digit number on the pink ID card as your TIN. It isn’t automatic. Changes need to be made to your existing TIN in the Thai tax system.

Even if you don’t have an existing Thai TIN when you receive the pink card, I’m pretty sure one still needs to fill out a form at the tax office first for your new Thai ID number to be recognized as a TIN by the tax system.

This request for a TIN is because the banks are required by international treaty obligations to report your details on an annual basis to your country of tax residence. It's just designed to counter tax evasion. As of this year, this also applies to crypto platforms.

It's a routine question. Often the very next question is "Are you an American citizen or hold a green card?"; because the American government reporting system is particularly onerous, banks and financial institutions generally refuse to bank with Americans.

In the case of Thailand, if your money is offshore then there is no tax to pay (to Thailand).

All financial institutions I've used have asked for my TIN for years. For the first time this year, some are requiring photo proof of a document with the TIN on it.

11 minutes ago, Gaccha said:

In the case of Thailand, if your money is offshore then there is no tax to pay (to Thailand).

All financial institutions I've used have asked for my TIN for years. For the first time this year, some are requiring photo proof of a document with the TIN on it.

Does not having to PAY taxes in Thailand mean you don't need to FILE at all?

As far as I have gathered, I still need to file in Thailand, even though I am only transferring what I need for monthly expenses here.

If my bank is asking for the TIN, I am guessing they will pass that information on to the revenue agency folks back home and they will check if I filed taxes here and flag me down?

6 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Does not having to PAY taxes in Thailand mean you don't need to FILE at all?

You are legally required to report even if you have nothing to pay if your assessable income in a year exceeds 120,000 baht through employment or 60,000 by anything else (such as remittances of a passive income).

8 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

If my bank is asking for the TIN, I am guessing they will pass that information on to the revenue agency folks back home and they will check if I filed taxes here and flag me down

The financial institution will report it to the tax authorities of the location of the financial institution (i.e. not necessarily your "home country" (if by that you mean country of citizenship)). This will then be sent to the country of the TIN.

If you have no TIN, there is a very high chance that the last country of tax residency will chase you for taxes. Some are more aggressive than others. If you are unable to prove a new place of tax residency they will likely try and "test" your residency status. Whether this test succeeds or not depends on the exact test of each country.

European countries are particularly notorious for an aggressive policy of chasing past residents. Some of their tax tests are rather vague so you can be easily caught by them (e.g. tests of family ties). Thailand by contrast has a very clear test for tax residency based on the number of days in the country.

The good old days of the 1990s of being a "tax ghost" are long gone. It is still possible to not be a tax resident anywhere by moving every 90 days or so but many banks and financial institutions will refuse to provide you with an account.

18 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Thanks for that response.

I did go get the TIN this afternoon. There's no lineup there, so it's very quick actually.

Feel safer with the TIN.

Whether I actually need to file, I will just speak to an accountant to double-check.

But appreciate your input!

Sensible mover...👍

You can file your tax return online in E-filing — it quite easy — the link is here:

https://efiling.rd.go.th/rd-cms/tax

On 8/13/2026 at 9:04 AM, save the frogs said:

I have declared my income taxes back home as a Non-Resident.

So I need to fill out an online form with one of my banks.

It's asking if I am a tax resident of another country.

Should I click Yes or No?

I clicked Yes, and it's asking me which country and for a TIN.

I clicked "I don't have a TIN" and I got this popup:

Would you like to borrow my TIN and mix the numbers up a bit. I doubt they will request confirmation from the Thai tax dept.

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

Edited August 15Aug 15 by VocalNeal

15 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Sensible mover...👍

You can file your tax return online in E-filing — it quite easy — the link is here:

https://efiling.rd.go.th/rd-cms/tax

You file yourself without an accountant?

Maybe you just saved me even more money.

I'll check it out. Thank you very much.

12 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Would you like to borrow my TIN and mix the numbers up a bit. I doubt they will request confirmation from the Thai tax dept.

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

Maybe that TIN is more of a "formality" and they don't check?

Maybe if they have a reason to be suspicious, they might check.

I don't want to mess with the tax folks.

I made a mistake once and they FINED me in the 10s of thousands.

And they kept tacking on late interest penalties even as I was contesting the fine.

It's like dealing with loan sharks once you have problems with the Tax Man.

2 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

You file yourself without an accountant?

Maybe you just saved me even more money.

I'll check it out. Thank you very much.

Sure, it's fairly easy with a little preparation. I've made a guide in my native Danish language, using browser translate to English — or whatever you native language is — might be inspiration. The link is here:

https://samesame-butdifferent.dk/doc/flytte-og-bo/PND90.php

On 8/13/2026 at 9:06 AM, save the frogs said:

So should I click NO (ie I am not a tax resident of another country)?

Or do I need to get a TIN from Thailand and declare taxes here?

And how would I do that? Hire an accountant?

I don't really want to provide any false information to my country's tax folks and have any problems.

Any help is appreciated if you've had a similar issue.

I am confused. Are they asking for the TIN of the country you are paying taxes in? If so, how do you pay taxes there without a TIN?

19 hours ago, MoneyPenny said:

If you have a Thai pink ID card, the 13-digit number on it can become your Thai TIN. However, this is not automatic. You need to visit the tax office and have them add your Thai ID card number to the tax system as your TIN. Simply having a pink ID card does not mean the number can automatically be used for tax purposes.

If you want to fill your tax file you have to register first. Is it not common sense? Do we have really to start on toddler's level?

1 minute ago, bunnydrops said:

I am confused. Are they asking for the TIN of the country you are paying taxes in? If so, how do you pay taxes there without a TIN?

Back home, you have a Social Insurance Number that identifies you.

The TIN is for filing in Thailand. And the Tax Folks back home can use this to coordinate with the tax folks in Thailand. I guess they may only check if they have reason to believe there is something suspicious about your declarations. Not exactly sure.

15 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

I am confused. Are they asking for the TIN of the country you are paying taxes in? If so, how do you pay taxes there without a TIN?

It's possible that many people are not even structuring their taxes properly as they don't understand the laws.

My understanding was: as soon as you start being a non-resident back home, then you need to start declaring your taxes back home as a non-resident, and the banks will start withholding the taxes on your dividends, so you don't pay back home ... but that means you will need to pay in Thailand !!

Maybe there are different ways to structure it, but this blog post seems to confirm this.

I appreciate all the advice on here, but realistically I will need to take the advice of an accountant.

It's a bit complex.

https://thai888.com/?p=340#case-study-1-retiree-tax-obligations-XVISpgTHCK

Case Study 1: Retiree Tax Obligations

John, a retiree from the United States, has been living in Thailand for the past five years. He receives a pension from his home country and also earns some income from investments. Currently, John is considered a tax resident and is required to report and pay taxes on his worldwide income. If a flat tax rate is introduced in 2025, John’s tax calculation process would be simplified, but he may end up paying more in taxes if the flat rate is higher than his current effective tax rate.

Edited August 15Aug 15 by save the frogs

The easiest thing to do is go down to your local tax office sometime in February or early March. Bring all your receipts for income you earned in Thailand during the previous year, along with documentation of any money you transferred into Thailand from overseas.

One of the clerks at the tax office will prepare the tax return for you at no cost. All you have to do is sign the form once they’ve completed it. Pay them around ฿35, and they’ll give you a printed photocopy of the completed tax filing.

Once you’re in the system, they’ll generally mail you a blank tax form the following year. From then on, you can use your previous year’s filing as a guide and simply fill in the new numbers. Or you can take your documents down to the tax office again the following year, and they will prepare it for you at no cost, just like the previous year.

I wouldn’t bother with the online system unless getting down to the tax office is a big inconvenience for you. The online system is all in Thai, and I find it much faster to just fill out the forms by hand and take them down to the tax office. There really isn’t much to it. It takes me about 15 minutes to complete the form myself, and the district tax office is only a five-minute walk from where I live, so it’s no hassle at all.

I then attach copies of the receipts/documentation for my income and any money transferred into Thailand during that tax year, take everything to the tax office, and hand it in. They enter the information into the system, and you can pay for another photocopy of the completed filing if you want one.

For a single person, generally, you won’t owe any tax if your taxable income is no more than around ฿210,000. If you’re above retirement age, you may qualify for additional exemptions, and being married may provide additional exemptions as well, so your tax-free amount could be much higher.

Information about the various tax deductions and exemptions is readily available online in English from various sources. Personally, I don’t see much need for an accountant unless you have a complicated financial or income situation. For a straightforward situation, the process is pretty simple and can be handled yourself.

15 minutes ago, MoneyPenny said:

I then attach copies of the receipts/documentation for my income and any money transferred into Thailand during that tax year,

So the local Thai tax authorities do NOT need to see:

1 - Any investment dividend income from back home

2 - Or anything related to what I filed back home

Just a bank statement showing how much money I transferred into Thailand?

And any income generated in Thailand if I was employed here?

If that's the case, then no accountant is needed. An accountant may not even know what they are doing and make me pay more than I need to or over-complicate things.

I guess you've been doing this for years and never had any issues?

Edited August 15Aug 15 by save the frogs

4 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

So the local Thai tax authorities do NOT need to see:

1 - Any investment dividend income from back home

2 - Or anything related to what I filed back home

Just a bank statement showing how much money I transferred into Thailand?

And any income generated in Thailand if I was employed here?

If that's the case, then no accountant is needed.

I guess you've been doing this for years and never had any issues?

All correct. I’ve done it myself for the last two tax years, without an accountant, ever since it became a requirement in 2024.

In my case, the only income I have to declare is the money I’ve transferred into Thailand during that tax year. I normally use Wise to transfer money into my local Thai bank account. For every transfer made through the Wise app, you can download a PDF receipt containing all the transfer details. I simply download those PDFs, take them to a photocopy shop to have them printed, and attach the copies to my tax filing.

That’s all I do. I don’t report any of my overseas income because, as I understand the rules, it isn’t required. Thailand doesn’t tax you on your worldwide income. As a tax resident in Thailand, you’re only responsible for paying tax on the money you transfer into Thailand, not on money you earn outside the country and keep outside the country.

16 minutes ago, MoneyPenny said:

All correct. I’ve done it myself for the last two tax years, without an accountant, ever since it became a requirement in 2024.

In my case, the only income I have to declare is the money I’ve transferred into Thailand during that tax year. I normally use Wise to transfer money into my local Thai bank account. For every transfer made through the Wise app, you can download a PDF receipt containing all the transfer details. I simply download those PDFs, take them to a photocopy shop to have them printed, and attach the copies to my tax filing.

That’s all I do. I don’t report any of my overseas income because, as I understand the rules, it isn’t required. Thailand doesn’t tax you on your worldwide income. As a tax resident in Thailand, you’re only responsible for paying tax on the money you transfer into Thailand, not on money you earn outside the country and keep outside the country.

I do appreciate your input.

I wanted to query ChatGPT just to get another perspective.

ChatGPT is not always correct, but it appears to be getting its info from the Thai tax website it seems.

It may be slightly more nuanced than what you are suggesting, if ChatGPT is correct. Thailand does appear to tax foreign-sourced income in the form of dividends, but with this quirky exception.

But how would they even verify if the money you are brining into Thailand is from dividends or past savings?

Edited August 15Aug 15 by save the frogs

21 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

I do appreciate your input.

I wanted to query ChatGPT just to get another perspective.

ChatGPT is not always correct, but it appears to be getting its info from the Thai tax website it seems.

It may be slightly more nuanced than what you are suggesting, if ChatGPT is correct. Thailand does appear to tax foreign-sourced income in the form of dividends, but with this quirky exception.

But how would they even verify if the money you are brining into Thailand is from dividends or past savings?

That information from ChatGPT is correct. In 2023, I brought in a larger lump sum, partly in anticipation of the tax law changes. Since then, I’ve only brought in an additional amount each year that stays below my taxable threshold.

Technically, you can bring in money from savings abroad that you earned prior to 2024 as you noted, but I don’t try to do that. To me, it seems risky. If you bring money into Thailand and don’t report it as income, and they detect it in the future and question you, you then have to provide proof and evidence. What if they don’t accept your explanation and decide to tax you on it anyway, along with interest and penalties? I don’t want to put myself in that situation.

Maybe there are other people who do this and will never have any problems, but I’d rather not take the risk. I don’t need to bring that much money into Thailand every year anyway.

There is also a double-taxation treaty between Thailand and various other countries. That means that if you’ve earned money overseas, paid tax on it there, and then bring it into Thailand, you should not be taxed on it again in Thailand, or at least you should receive a tax credit for the tax already paid overseas on that money when you file your Thai income tax return.

At the moment, the ฿210,000 exemption per year is enough for me because I already have savings in Thailand. If I need to bring in more money in the future, I may consider bringing in money that has already been taxed overseas, and hopefully there won’t be any additional tax due on that money in Thailand. But I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

On 8/13/2026 at 4:34 AM, save the frogs said:

Ok, so I need to go see an accountant here and they will give me a TIN?

Go to the TRD and tell them you need a Thai TIN in order to open a bank account in Singapore, Spain etc. I got mine in less than 20 minutes.

2 minutes ago, JackGats said:

Go to the TRD and tell them you need a Thai TIN in order to open a bank account in Singapore, Spain etc. I got mine in less than 20 minutes.

I did go to the tax office and got my TIN.

Not sure what your reference to singapore and spain means exactly.

They didn't ask any questions, just handed it over.

5 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

I did go to the tax office and got my TIN.

Not sure what your reference to singapore and spain means exactly.

They didn't ask any questions, just handed it over.

I meant you could volunteer a reason for your needing a Thai TIN. Opening an account in a foreign country was such a plausible reason.

If they handed it out without even asking why you wanted one, so much the better.

As others have said, it is not difficult to get a TIN in Thailand. Just show them that you received interest from your bank or dividends from local stock investments and evidence that you live in Thailand (electricity bill, condo title or so). This TIN can be used to fulfill the requirements of foreign banks for their customer file. These banks do not automatically give any information back to the Revenue Department here. Even if you do not declare other income here in Thailand you will still be issued a local TIN.

21 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

I did go to the tax office and got my TIN.

Not sure what your reference to singapore and spain means exactly.

They didn't ask any questions, just handed it over.

I understand why he raised the point. Each district tax office in Thailand seems to operate a bit differently. I’ve read reports online from other foreigners who went to their local district tax office to request a tax ID number. In some cases, the tax officials questioned why they needed one and ultimately decided that they would not need to file a Thai tax return in the future, so they were unwilling to issue a TIN. Having a good reason for needing one might therefore help if they start asking a lot of questions.

But things have changed recently. Many Thai banks are now asking foreigners to reverify and fill out a form declaring their tax residency and provide their TIN, basically the same thing you encountered online. I just went through this process with one of my local banks, even though I had already given them that information when I opened the account. But now the banks want more information about the matter. As a result, many foreigners residing in Thailand now need a Thai TIN simply to maintain a Thai bank account, even if they won’t owe any annual income tax to the Thai government.

Perhaps the tax offices have become aware of these new banking requirements, and maybe that’s why they didn’t ask you any questions about why you were requesting a TIN. If it were still 2024 or 2025, the process of obtaining a Thai TIN when you had no income in Thailand was still more difficult.

If over 65 yrs, don't forget to tick the box on the tax form.

In Thailand, for elderly taxpayers aged 65 or over, there is an additional personal tax allowance of 190,000 baht. This is on top of the standard personal allowance of 60,000 baht that applies to all taxpayers.

So, an old person's total personal allowance would be 250,000 baht (60,000 baht standard + 190,000 baht additional for age 65+).

besides the old people's additional allowance, there are several other tax deductions available in Thailand for individuals in 2026. Some of the key deductions include:

1. Standard Personal Allowance:60,000 baht for all taxpayers.

2. Employment Expenses Deduction:A standard deduction of 50% of employment income, capped at 100,000 baht.

3. Child Allowance:30,000 baht per child, plus an additional 2,000 baht for education expenses per child studying in an educational institution in Thailand.

4. Rental Income Deduction:Deductions of 30% for rental income from houses, buildings, and vehicles; 20% for agricultural land; and 15% for other types of land.

5. Dependent Parents Allowance:For dependent parents over 60 years old with income not exceeding 30,000 baht per year.

6. Other Specific Allowances:There are also deductions for life insurance premiums, retirement mutual funds, provident funds, charitable donations, and mortgage interest, among others.

Are there any non US citizens who are even remotely worried about this?

8 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

So, an old person's total personal allowance would be 250,000 baht (60,000 baht standard + 190,000 baht additional for age 65+).

So I give the wife 150,000 and get 250,000 allowance. That is good enough for my marriage visa if it ever comes to that. I always tell my overseas bank the transfer is for "Visa Requirement"

I abide by "The first rule of the military" or "Sargeant's advice". Never volunteer.

3 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Are there any non US citizens who are even remotely worried about this?

So I give the wife 150,000 and get 250,000 allowance. That is good enough for my marriage visa if it ever comes to that. I always tell my overseas bank the transfer is for "Visa Requirement"

I abide by "The first rule of the military" or "Sargeant's advice". Never volunteer.

Err, some of us have been in the Thai tax system for decades, and there will be people who do not know there is an over 65 Yr allowance.