Bank Asking About Money...

[JohanBKK]

Hello,

I received a call from the bank asking me where the money is coming from and why... they read "commission" on the wire and they were asking what is that...

Is that normal ?

I'm working on internet for foreign companies and i receive payments on my thai bank account.

What i should do ?

[norrona]

Hello,

I received a call from the bank asking me where the money is coming from and why... they read "commission" on the wire and they were asking what is that...

Is that normal ?

I'm working on internet for foreign companies and i receive payments on my thai bank account.

What i should do ?

if you don't have a work permit then start worrying

[JohanBKK]

I don't have any work permit as i don't really work here but on internet for foreign companies.

I just transfer some money every month.

I need a work permit to live in thailand ? I'm not working in thailand but in france and USA.

[keestha]

No doubt other posters will point out that also for online work which has nothing to do with Thailand, but which is done in Thailand, technically you do need a work permit. There have been many threads about this subject.

Probably many people would like to know which bank you are dealing with.

[IMA_FARANG]

Hello,

I received a call from the bank asking me where the money is coming from and why... they read "commission" on the wire and they were asking what is that...

Is that normal ?

I'm working on internet for foreign companies and i receive payments on my thai bank account.

What i should do ?

If you are working FROM THAILAND then you are doing work IN THAILAND. It doesn't matter if you are on the internet from Thailand then as far as the tax office is concerned you are working in Thailand and have to pay tax on it.

And you need a work permit.

If you are EMPLOYED DIRECTLY as an employee of an Amrican/British/European/ETC company, and they are willing to give you a letter saying they pay your salary as an EMPLOYEE of that company, you MIGHT be able to get off as having your income accepted as foriegn income. But I'm not sure the Thais will accept that or not.

Otherwise, I would open an account in your home country to have your money sent too. Then I would make an arrangement with that bank to trasfer the money to your account in Thailand...which would be considered as income earned outside of Thailand. And the bank wouldn't see it as "commission".

Good luck.

Edited May 13, 2009 by IMA_FARANG

[JohanBKK]

Ok i will do something like that, anyway for now... i will have problems or not ? How to solve this issue ?

[stumonster]

tell them it is from work when you were back in your home country - or present from your grandma - they just need a box to tick

[patklang]

Be careful as you could get into trouble if the police choses to ask for tea money.

[JohanBKK]

If they ask for tea money i just need to pay them and thats all ?

What is the worst scenario can happen ?

[flying]

If I were you I would just say it is my share of the sale of my old things/joint property back home.

Tell them someone is selling your old possessions back home.

Of course this cannot continue forever so I would change that incoming wire too.

Either have it sent to a bank at home then transfered or something along those lines.

Edited May 13, 2009 by flying

[JohanBKK]

I will stop sending money to my thai account for now.

I just want to know if i can get in troubles and what kind of troubles ? Can they send me back to my country, can they ask me for a lot of taxs, can they send me in prison... ?

I first came to thailand for holiday and get married with a thai woman and living here now, we have a baby... My job was the same in my country, working online but never make any money before 2/3 years.

I'm waiting for my visa marriage, they asked for money 400.000 B in the bank. I do not have a work permit.

[MJP]

I will stop sending money to my thai account for now.

I just want to know if i can get in troubles and what kind of troubles ? Can they send me back to my country, can they ask me for a lot of taxs, can they send me in prison... ?

I first came to thailand for holiday and get married with a thai woman and living here now, we have a baby... My job was the same in my country, working online but never make any money before 2/3 years.

I'm waiting for my visa marriage, they asked for money 400.000 B in the bank. I do not have a work permit.

Dodgy but could you have it sent to your wife's account? Yikes I know!

[kudroz]

Working "over the internet" while being physically present in Thailand means that your income is of Thai source. This is taxable in Thailand no matter where the funds are deposited.

You should declare your income to the Revenue Department, you don't have to have a Work Permit to pay taxes in Thailand. You can have a Tax ID even though you do not have a Work Permit. Because this is the law, and in your case a paper trail, it would be wise to declare your Thai source income to the Revenue Department.

The most probable scenario is that nothing is going to happen, unless your bank notifies the Labour department. But this is so unlikely as the funds were remitted from overseas and I can't imagine a bank doing that.

You should get legal and start paying those taxes and get yourself a business here in Thailand. Why play games with the authorities, it isn't worth the stress and uncertainty.

[Jimjim]

Kudroz seems to work for the Revenue Department, as that is always response on this issue.

Receive your payments in your U.S. or French bank, and you will not have this problem. Problem solved.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Jimjim

[lazygourmet]

Hello,

I received a call from the bank asking me where the money is coming from and why... they read "commission" on the wire and they were asking what is that...

Is that normal ?

I'm working on internet for foreign companies and i receive payments on my thai bank account.

What i should do ?

Same happened to me yesterday.

Usually, I cash my client's western union money transfer without problem.

But this time, although it was not my branch, the cashier made me fill an extra form mentioning the reason and use (wrote tourism expenses) of this amount; did also a copy of the visa page, while they just need the picture page.

Bizarre...

[MJP]

Hello,

I received a call from the bank asking me where the money is coming from and why... they read "commission" on the wire and they were asking what is that...

Is that normal ?

I'm working on internet for foreign companies and i receive payments on my thai bank account.

What i should do ?

Same happened to me yesterday.

Usually, I cash my client's western union money transfer without problem.

But this time, although it was not my branch, the cashier made me fill an extra form mentioning the reason and use (wrote tourism expenses) of this amount; did also a copy of the visa page, while they just need the picture page.

Bizarre...

I wonder what's gone on?

This is a bit worrying.

[cmsally]

I would think that banks are pretty desperate at the moment, so I would tell them if money coming in is a problem you will change banks.

But maybe that is just me, I don't take kindly to people asking questions which are none of their business.

Most likely it is some kind of useless survey so just make something up as in tourism expenses or need to buy a new sofa.

If you are worried there is a trail then send to overseas personal account before transferring. There is certainly nothing they can do about transfers self to self.

Just out of interest which bank are you dealing with and someone might have a friend who works there and can ask off record.

[Jungian]

The USA tends to ask questions as well (providing it is not payroll related) but generally if the deposit is $10,000 or more, request you fill out a tax form for the money and if you do not comply they contact the IRS

[loong]

Tell them it's something like a pension from where you used to work.

Ie an insurance agent receiving commission on premiums.

Good luck

[imaneggspurt]

Tell them it is for propertys you rent out through an agent in your country, baffle them with bullshit,.

[lopburi3]

Actually in the US it was about 3 or 4k in South Florida in the 90's (because of the drug trafficking) - rather than the normal 10k. I expect a lot closer look is being taken at financial matters these days of tight liquidity, and Thailand will not be an exception. The US reporting requirements for foreign accounts (TD F90) is much more comprehensive this year.

[flying]

I expect a lot closer look is being taken at financial matters these days of tight liquidity, and Thailand will not be an exception.

I think your right

I had mentioned before that back in Feb09 while exiting the US for Thailand

We were questioned pretty aggressively as to whether we were taking more than 10k cash along.

My wife got ahead of me in line & stumbled a bit with the question. Man the guy started acting as if he was going to arrest her.

I had never on any other trip seen that or that many officers asking at final boarding.

Pretty pathetic in a way.

[Time Traveller]

How could he get a wp when the company he works for isn't even thai? There is no need for a work permit in the case he is doing nothing more than logging onto internet for a foreign company that has no business in thailand

Edited May 14, 2009 by Time Traveller

[OriginalPoster]

How could he get a wp when the company he works for isn't even thai? There is no need for a work permit in the case he is doing nothing more than logging onto internet for a foreign company that has no business in thailand

Is that the way that it is according to Thai law, or is that the way that it should be?

[loong]

According to Thai law, wiping your own butt could be considered working.

People who stay in Thailand and give advice on these forums would be considered working.

There have been other threads where this has been discussed. The unofficial line seems to be that as long as you are not earning money in Thailand, they are not interested. Some members have actually enquired whether they need a work permit or not to work online and been told no.

Technically you need a work permit to work online, but as long as you don't upset anybody, it's not likely to be a problem.

[katabeachbum]

Hi Johan

I dont see any sign of you working in Thailand, you are only surfing internett like many farang here.

Have all your payments done to your account outside LOS, and transfer from this account to your Thai account now and then, but NOT on the same date every month. When the bank calls, never use the word WORK. Just say transfer from homecountry.

All these questions from the banks is just a result of the t-shirt shit in BKK. They try to avoid terror-finance. Good luck

[MJP]

Hi Johan

I dont see any sign of you working in Thailand, you are only surfing internett like many farang here.

Have all your payments done to your account outside LOS, and transfer from this account to your Thai account now and then, but NOT on the same date every month. When the bank calls, never use the word WORK. Just say transfer from homecountry.

All these questions from the banks is just a result of the t-shirt shit in BKK. They try to avoid terror-finance. Good luck

Relief . . .

[phaethon]

It may be that they simply don't understand the word commission as your payee is using it. Remeber that commission is something that is charged, often on foreign exchange transactions, and they may think it is a bill and not a payment or that it is an unexpected charge. Go to the branch and ask and in future get your 'employer' to use a different descriptor. If they are querying your working in LOS without WP (and I doubt if they are, unless your home country tax folk are making enquiries), just tell them its residual income from work done abroad (royalties for example)

[kudroz]

Kudroz seems to work for the Revenue Department, as that is always response on this issue.

Receive your payments in your U.S. or French bank, and you will not have this problem. Problem solved.

I know what I say is not popular because I don't preach tax evasion like most people here, but no, I don't work for the Revenue Department.

[Tokay]

Use a proxy or VPN when working online and in theory you're not working in Thailand.