Work Permit / Tax / Minimum Salary

[DavieA]

Probably been answered many times before no doubt but as a fairly new comer I would like to know.....as far as I know for a farang to legally have a work permit he must be earning a minimum of 30,000 per month. He is also required to pay about 1500 tax per month. Is this true or not, even Thais don't seem to be able to answer this question for me.

If it is true, why are there so many jobs offered for much less and why has my employer (agency) told me not to worry about tax?

Can somebody PLEASE give me the legalities. I don't need to be shot in the foot by dogey dealings.

[Tywais]

Minimum salaries:

http://www.thaivisa.com/index.php?514&backPID=10&tt_news=526

I wouldn't trust someone telling me not to worry about taxes. To get your 1-year extension for obtaining a work permit immigration WILL require you to show your 91 forms and receipts of tax payed. I'm religious about keeping copies of all my tax records because I know the problems you can have with immigration without them. A work colleage nearly was refused his 1-year extension because he forgot to make a copy of his 91 forms. I convencenced the immigration official my friend was told by CMU that he didn't need them (that is actually true, but I knew better). After a few minutes the officer decided to go ahead and give him his 1-year but with a warning, next time he won't be so lucky.

Being an employee of a government university I am not required to meet the 60K minimum (American).

Edited August 20, 2005 by tywais

[Indo-Siam]

Getting a work permit effectively has no minimum salary requirement. It is Immigration that requires minimum salaries - in order to get a long-term entry permit extension.

But - without such an extension, the longest work permit validity you can get is until the end of your present 90 day entry permit - which is generally less than 80 days after your work permit is issued.

Personal income tax withholding kicks in at a salary of between 12,500 baht and 14,500 baht, in most cases - depending on number of dependents.

On a salary of 30,000 baht, total withholding - for both personal income tax, and social fund - is going to be 2,000 baht +/- 300 baht, for most situations.

For whatever salary is stated in the work permit application, in order to renew/revalidate that work permit, you must show monthly receipts for corresponding personal income tax withholding payments, since the last work permit was issued.

Prior to October of 2004, there was a provision that allowed automatic renewal of a work permit - almost regardless of meeting other requirments - if you could show that you had paid personal income tax of at least 18,000 baht during the previous year. This provision no longer exists.

Cheers!

Steve Sykes

Managing Director

Indo-Siam Group

Bangkok

[email protected]

www.thaistartup.com

[~G~]

For whatever salary is stated in the work permit application, in order to renew/revalidate that work permit, you must show monthly receipts for corresponding personal income tax withholding payments, since the last work permit was issued.

Good post by Steve. If someone if handling the work permit application for you, make sure you know what they write there as your salary - because, as explained here, you will have to pay tax on this amount.

Edited August 20, 2005 by ~G~

[davethailand]

My salary tax every month is 4750

[SBACM]

I pay 5500 a month in Taxes based on my required mininum salary of 60,000 baht

[PeaceBlondie]

Is the OP a teacher? Aren't teachers exempt from the salary requirement?

[phastmike]

Minimum salaries:

http://www.thaivisa.com/index.php?514&backPID=10&tt_news=526

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I love this Q/A:

Q: “Thank you for that – but this is all about money, isn’t it?. It seems that money is the only criteria being used to establish whether a foreigner is welcome in Thailand. In fact there are useful, honest members of society here on low budgets and wealthy foreigners who are not of good character.”

A: “Thailand has enough legislation in place to ensure that undesirable people can be made to leave.”

[~G~]

In fact there are useful, honest members of society here on low budgets and wealthy foreigners who are not of good character.”

They are not very useful to The Revenue Department, are they?

[DavieA]

Now I'm even more confused. You require a 60k salary?? WHere do you work? a lot of uni positions I have seen advertised are still at 30k. But besides the point. As a teacher what tax should I be paying? 91 tax receipts, what if I don't have them? Do different rules apply to different schools?

[lopburi3]

Now I'm even more confused.  You require a 60k salary??  WHere do you work? a lot of uni positions I have seen advertised are still at 30k.  But besides the point.  As a teacher what  tax should I be paying? 91 tax receipts, what if I don't have them?  Do different rules apply to different schools?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You asked if there was a minimum salary required for a work permit and Steve told you no. The figures for 60k and 30k are for various extension of stay from immigration criteria for various jobs and according to nationality.

You are required to pay the tax due on the income you report on the work permit. That will vary according to pay/dedications. To renew the work permit you must prove payment.

Edited August 23, 2005 by lopburi3

[Khutan]

Yes, The whole thing revolves around how much tax you pay. So as an example is you have a Non-O based on being married, and you get a job that pays say 63K a month - be careful, if you get a clever accountant and claim back everything possible, you may do yourself out of a WP Renewal.

So Check how much tax you have to pay before you claim back tax.