20 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

They are all lying/cheating scum.

Same as the guys setting up nominee property companies.

There is no 'rule of law' in Thailand

The police are all on the take.

The PM and all the ruling class see us as 'dirty foreigners' to be scammed and extorted at will.

Dick the Butcher had it right when he said , “The first thing we do is, let’s kill all the lawyers.” ,

even in the UK you cannot trust them , two times I have been involved with lawyers ,one did

not represent me well in court , another one stole my proccendings from the sale of a house

and warehouse ,as well as several other of his clients , he got 9 year ,I lost my money...

regards Worgeordie

4 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Dick the Butcher had it right when he said , “The first thing we do is, let’s kill all the lawyers.” ,

even in the UK you cannot trust them , two times I have been involved with lawyers ,one did

not represent me well in court , another one stole my proccendings from the sale of a house

and warehouse ,as well as several other of his clients , he got 9 year ,I lost my money...

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regards Worgeordie

Off topic,

My criminal lawyer in the UK was amazing, his advice was always lie in court and to the police.

Tell them, "You weren't there, you didn't do it!"

I said, "but what if they catch me out in a lie?"

His answer, "just tell them I told you to say that, you'll be held blameless, I'll get shouted out in court, but the judge and I will still be sitting drinking and laughing together in the same pub at lunchtime"

Edited August 23Aug 23 by BritManToo

4 minutes ago, Ricohoc said:

Attorneys attract those individuals everywhere in every country. The people balancing on a fine line need attorneys.

And then there are other people -- like myself -- who just want information and make their own decisions after consulting with trusted legitimate legal advisors. There's nothing foolproof about any of it; but it requires critical thinking skills and a better than average level of discernment.

Critical thinking also means knowing when a lawyer is explaining actual law and when he is speculating about how it might be enforced. Being better than average at discernment does not make any of us immune to getting that wrong.

Most people use lawyers for ordinary things anyway, contracts, wills, visa issues, setting up a company, securing the family. Needing legal advice does not mean you are balancing on the edge of the law.

3 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Critical thinking also means knowing when a lawyer is explaining actual law and when he is speculating about how it might be enforced. Being better than average at discernment does not make any of us immune to getting that wrong.

Most people use lawyers for ordinary things anyway, contracts, wills, visa issues, setting up a company, securing the family. Needing legal advice does not mean you are balancing on the edge of the law.

All true.

That's why I said that none of it is foolproof.

People do the best they can -- or less than that and complain about it.

I try to stay on top of all of it and see where things go, but I don't run around with my hair on fire or paint occupations as completely corrupt (you didn't do that).

Sometimes, nothing happens. Sometimes, even with great preparation, bad things happen anyway. I've been lucky and good.

40 minutes ago, Hummin said:

He is always walking a fine line between what the law actually says and speculation about how it might be interpreted or enforced. Useful for those already on the grey side, yes, but not always as clear cut as he makes it sound. And naturally he attracts plenty of people who are themselves balancing on a fine line in Thailand.

His target audience is the Expat. He's not giving legal advice, as that would require a knowledge of the particular facts of a particular case. He's just talking about issues that catch his interest, and I think it's worth watching for a minute or two. If it's something I don't care about, I don't bother to watch.

30 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Critical thinking also means knowing when a lawyer is explaining actual law and when he is speculating about how it might be enforced. Being better than average at discernment does not make any of us immune to getting that wrong.

Most people use lawyers for ordinary things anyway, contracts, wills, visa issues, setting up a company, securing the family. Needing legal advice does not mean you are balancing on the edge of the law.

I don't really care that much about laws.

But I do worry about having my money taken.

Easier in Thailand to just offer a bribe, or leave the country without paying if you get caught and possibly fined.

The usual BS from a tax lawyer trying to drum up business.

I last needed a tax accountant in Australia about 6 years ago. I needed a Thai lawyer to execute a Thai will.

I don't pay tax in Australia. I don't pay tax in Thailand.

If the authorities are coming for me, they sure are taking their time about it.

The attorney is right about the central issue: everything they sold us on about how digitalizing banking, immigration, health care, shopping, and travel would make it all much more convenient, all that turned out to be a lie.

I'm 100% in favor of denying entry to someone who's been treated for the clap more than 30 times in Thailand.

Otherwise (not having any desire to watch the video), I can see where access to hospital records would make sense for a DTV based on medical tourism.

4 hours ago, save the frogs said:

yeah, but he's not a backpacker. he's a lawyer.

you'd think he doesn't need to make videos just for clickbait.

He's a lawyer, what would you expect? As a source of information I would look for unbiased media elsewhere.

1 hour ago, impulse said:

I'm 100% in favor of denying entry to someone who's been treated for the clap more than 30 times in Thailand.

Taking your idiotic argument at face value, all that would accomplish is that even more people would self-medicate or delay treatment until they're back home. The net result would be that they would spread whatever infections they have to more unsuspecting people in the meantime. Brilliant.

Off topic post removed.

4 hours ago, save the frogs said:

I don't think foreigners have been filing taxes for many years?

I paid tax when I had a job here and therefore an income. I have a TIN So "foreigners" do or have paid tax when required to do so.

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

The usual BS from a tax lawyer trying to drum up business.

I last needed a tax accountant in Australia about 6 years ago. I needed a Thai lawyer to execute a Thai will.

I don't pay tax in Australia. I don't pay tax in Thailand.

If the authorities are coming for me, they sure are taking their time about it.

I believe you don't pay tax in Aus. because you have either registered as or are considered a non-resident. I believe this is the case for most countries with one glaring exception the citizens of which probably make up the majority of posters on threads about Thai taxes.

6 hours ago, Ricohoc said:

The attorney didn't make it up. He's reporting on a news story with the source.

If there weren't so many hoops being created for law-abiding foreigners to jump through

What hoops are being created? Been here for 25years and nothing really has changed much except tourism and expat numbers have exploded.

Edited August 23Aug 23 by atpeace

4 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

I believe you don't pay tax in Aus. because you have either registered as or are considered a non-resident. I believe this is the case for most countries with one glaring exception the citizens of which probably make up the majority of posters on threads about Thai taxes.

This is where it gets confusing for me.

Because you need to file as a non-resident back home, which means taxes on any investments are withheld by financial institutions.

And the financial institutions do ask for the Thai TIN if they get wind that you are a non-resident.

So do you only people who are working here need to file taxes?

Or do you need to file taxes since non-residents are no longer to pay back home?

And who will check exactly?

Thailand does not seem to be going after retirees for taxes.

Will govts back home start checking with the TIN?

One tax expert I contact was more than eager to charge me exorbitant rates.

Another much cheaper rate tax person was dissuading me from even filing because I am not employed here.

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Most of the 'Tax advice' I see given to foreigners looks shady to me.

Thank heavens I have never had enough money in the past 25 years to be liable for tax..... zero stress :)

6 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Fear mongering sells. This latest deal with buying homes in a Company name is going to bring out the wolves trying to fleece the foreigners.

It's not fear mongering.

It's news.

I read it first on Bangkok Insider.

5 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

This is where it gets confusing for me.

Because you need to file as a non-resident back home, which means taxes on any investments are withheld by financial institutions.

And the financial institutions do ask for the Thai TIN if they get wind that you are a non-resident.

So do you only people who are working here need to file taxes?

Or do you need to file taxes since non-residents are no longer to pay back home?

And who will check exactly?

Thailand does not seem to be going after retirees for taxes.

Will govts back home start checking with the TIN?

One tax expert I contact was more than eager to charge me exorbitant rates.

Another much cheaper rate tax person was dissuading me from even filing because I am not employed here.

I am still required to file in the US whether I'm a resident or not, but not state taxes.

My banks and investment houses do not withhold anything. It is up to me to file every year with the IRS and declare. Additionally, none of them ask or care about whether or not I pay taxes in any other country; but I am required to file an FBAR every year on any funds over $10,000 US in any foreign banks.

I have contacted and consulted with two separate Thai tax attorneys in BKK. Based on my Social Security and the fact that I have about 500,000 baht in deductions aside from that, both attorneys told me that I do not owe taxes as a result of those two situations. They further advised that I do not have to file under the current tax law in Thailand because I do not owe anything. Neither one charged me an exorbitant rate, and both provided me with their private numbers and emails for further consultation if necessary.

There is also the issue that there have been mixed signals from local tax offices. Some say if you don't owe, you don't file. Some even go so far as to refuse to issue a TIN if you don't owe.

TIT. What happens for you or me or anyone else today, may not happen for any of us tomorrow -- or maybe for only one of us.

Edited August 23Aug 23 by Ricohoc

Reading about this database linkage which I take as a real thing, an area of concern popped into my head.

I'm sure there are others as well.

Suppose you're on a type of extension that requires a bank account balance never to go under either 400K or 800K.

But you choose to go under because you plan to leave Thialand.

(It happens.)

With immigration tied to banking, this then COULD be used to flag you as being in violation of status and I assume subject to quite bad consequences.

You might say -- they won't do that?

HOW DO YOU KNOW?

6 hours ago, Ricohoc said:

The attorney didn't make it up. He's reporting on a news story with the source.

If there weren't so many hoops being created for law-abiding foreigners to jump through, I would disregard it; but everything seems to be leaning in the direction of what was reported in that news article. Will it be a heavy lift for the government? Yes. It wouldn't be rolled out immediately; but the government can do whatever it wants to do.

It is not really a news source. It is a newsletter of who exactly? If you go to the website there is not any information, just an invitation to subscribe to a newsletter asking for your email.

12 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It's not fear mongering.

It's news.

I read it first on Bangkok Insider.

And who exactly is Bangkok Insider? Just a newsletter subscription of who exactly?

Just now, msbkk said:

And who exactly is Bangkok Insider? Just a newsletter subscription of who exactly?

I think it's up to you to research it and decide whether or not you want to take it seriously; and "news" does come in "newsletters".

Have a good one.

12 minutes ago, Ricohoc said:

There is also the issue that there have been mixed signals from local tax offices. Some say if you don't owe, you don't file. Some even go so far as to refuse to issue a TIN if you don't owe.

I wasn't asked anything at the tax office here. They just issued the TIN.

My bank back home needs the TIN to provide to the revenue folks back home. So not sure what that means or what they are actually doing with that TIN.

This is HELL. The only thing worse than worrying about taxes in one country is worrying about taxes in 2 countries.

43 minutes ago, msbkk said:

It is not really a news source. It is a newsletter of who exactly? If you go to the website there is not any information, just an invitation to subscribe to a newsletter asking for your email.

Yes

I get their NEWSletter.

Haven't read it for very long but they sound quite sober and credible.

Also, what do you imagine would be their motivation to create a fiction about news about shared databases?

I'd love to hear that one.

21 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yes

I get their NEWSletter.

Haven't read it for very long but they sound quite sober and credible.

Also, what do you imagine would be their motivation to create a fiction about news about shared databases?

I'd love to hear that one.

I did not mean that they create fiction, not at all. I was not familiar with them and therefore asked if anyone knows more. The website itself does not say anything about who is behind it. Neither does the Facebook page.

Edited August 23Aug 23 by msbkk

3 hours ago, save the frogs said:

I wasn't asked anything at the tax office here. They just issued the TIN.

My bank back home needs the TIN to provide to the revenue folks back home. So not sure what that means or what they are actually doing with that TIN.

This is HELL. The only thing worse than worrying about taxes in one country is worrying about taxes in 2 countries.

How does your bank back home have any idea about Thailand?

3 hours ago, save the frogs said:

I wasn't asked anything at the tax office here. They just issued the TIN.

My bank back home needs the TIN to provide to the revenue folks back home. So not sure what that means or what they are actually doing with that TIN.

This is HELL. The only thing worse than worrying about taxes in one country is worrying about taxes in 2 countries.

The UK still thinks I live there, and tax my income at source.

Why would a UK bank request anything from Thai tax offices?

You guys just make problems for yourselves.

Edited August 23Aug 23 by BritManToo

36 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

How does your bank back home have any idea about Thailand?

For Americans, Thai banks share all details about accounts of Americans in Thailand.

Of course the US is only one of the three countries internationally that taxes based on citizenship rather than residence.

So Americans abroad have always had to consider two countries.

8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

For Americans, Thai banks share all details about accounts of Americans in Thailand.

Of course the US is only one of the three countries internationally that taxes based on citizenship rather than residence.

So Americans abroad have always had to consider two countries.

Does your US bank ask you for your TIN? Mine don't. I pay federal US taxes on all my money and I don't work in Thailand.