How Long Do A Person Need To Keep Documents?

[coalminer]

When I took the decision to live permanently in Thailand, now a decade ago, I filed every receipt in a map.

I was thinking about the laws in my home country which specifies a person need to be able to show the orginal of all legal documents for the last 10 years.

This has saved me big money a few times when a Governement Agency such as TOT, TT&t, the Electricit Department, and others started to claim that one or more bill's wasn't paid and wanted to get the sum immidiatly.

Even a few weeks ago, the school of my child stated that I had pay the fee for a normal student where my child was subcribed to "English Program" and wanted me to pat over 30,000 Baht.

When I showed the headmaster the correct bill, stamped and signed by the school and on top of that the Visa statement of the transfer of the required sum to the school, the only answer was a cool "we will look where something went wrong".

Of course, I never heard anything anymore of them about that claim.

To go back to the point, the receipts I stored in the last 10 years are growing into a real archive and the space they are taking is growing very big.

I would like to know if any lawyer in this forum can answer me about what the Thai laws specify about this and if it is possible that anyone after the legal period would come up and state that "I did not pay receipt x from 1991".

TIA

[GuestHouse]

I'm like you, I keep every bill receipt and like yourself it has more than once proven to be the right choice.

I reckon ten years ought to be a good cut-off date, but I never seem to get around to having a clear out.

[BigSnake]

Ten years, WOW!! hope you have a nice secure storage area, Five years have been my Max. for important documents guess I best rethink this one.

[Texpat]

I have every monthly pay statement I ever received, dating back to 1983. And every tax return.

Am I anal?

I usually keep reciepts for electronics and major purchases for three years or until the warranty expires.

Edited May 1, 2009 by Texpat

[Ta22]

i got some old magazione i buy when i was a kids and is still in my box , i had also alot of xmen and spiderman comic i buy some 15- 20 years ago ..

whahah as for daily billing . usually it end up in the trash can ..

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make sure you keep them in a save place .. fire can be a problem both to you and your house

[chiangmaibruce]

Here is the deal for companies, not sure about individuals

Accounting Act, B.E. 2543 (2000)

Section 14. The person having the duty to keep accounts must keep the accounts and the documents relevant thereto for a period of not less than five years from the date the accounts are closed, or until the delivery of the accounts and the documents under Section 17.

For the purpose of auditing accounts of any one category of business, the Director-General with the approval of the Minister, shall have the power to prescribe that the person having the duty to keep accounts keeps the accounts and the documents relevant thereto for more than five years but not exceeding seven years.

http://www.jarataccountingandlaw.com/index...975&Ntype=3

Edited May 1, 2009 by chiangmaibruce

[coalminer]

For the purpose of auditing accounts of any one category of business, the Director-General with the approval of the Minister, shall have the power to prescribe that the person having the duty to keep accounts keeps the accounts and the documents relevant thereto for more than five years but not exceeding seven years.

http://www.jarataccountingandlaw.com/index...975&Ntype=3

So, for a time between 5 and 7 years any accountant of a company shall be able to produce the relevant documents.

Would still like to see the same law extracts for individuals.

And if the law would provide an umbrella against people trying to get a double payment for their services.

Answerring the responses from some other members, yes, keeping the documents 10 years is a long time.

But imagine that you want to apply for a resident visa and they ask you for proof that you have been living in Thailand more than 10 years and you have thrown all official documents in the waste bin ...

[Newbee]

Why not to scan those that are older than 5 yrs. Keep the electronic copy and free up to 50% of your space.

[coalminer]

Why not to scan those that are older than 5 yrs. Keep the electronic copy and free up to 50% of your space.

Scanning documets in is something I do with everything before destroying them.

But is scanned document accepted by the Thai law.

Remember that the law which was posted by another poster (for corporations) requires the documents to be kept for 7 years.

Has anybody an idea of the law for individuals about this?