ginooooo Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 and going to retire in Thailand this year. Both of us are retired and meet both requirements of monthly income and able to keep 800,000 baht in the bank (either/or). Question is do we have to pay any Thai tax to Thailand just for our monthly retirement money made during the year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) First question, is your wife a Thai citizen? If so, she wouldn't need any kind of visa, of course. If not, both can go into the retirement extension separately with both meeting the financial requirements (both need to be over 50); OR one (needs to be over age 50, the piggybackee doesn't need to be 50) can piggyback on the other with only one meeting the money bar. On the tax thing, I will defer though I can say most people on retirement extensions don't pay tax to Thailand except maybe the interest on their bank accounts which is deducted automatically. That's a different thing than the actual RULES, so I defer. Edited January 9, 2012 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginooooo Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Yes, Thai citiizen with Thai ID card but no Thai passport (expired)-just US passport as she is an American citizen now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) Yes, Thai citiizen with Thai ID card but no Thai passport (expired)-just US passport as she is an American citizen now. That's interesting. What's to stop her from getting a Thai passport as well? I assume with the Thai passport she's as Thai as Thai can be and wouldn't need a visa. I have no idea of dual citizenship issues. I reckon her Thai citizenship may have a tax angle as well? So ...Wait for the more expert on this who hopefully will be along shortly ... Edited January 9, 2012 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginooooo Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Pain in the butt in the US as we would have to make a special trip to LA embassy to do it and if need, then we will do it in Thailand. Also she needs to get the new Thai ID card in March when we visit to prepare for the move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Pain in the butt in the US as we would have to make a special trip to LA embassy to do it and if need, then we will do it in Thailand. Also she needs to get the new Thai ID card in March when we visit to prepare for the move. Again waiting for the alpha experts, but on the face of it, it sounds quite odd to me for a Thai citizen to apply at Thai immigration for permission to stay in her own country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayned Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 If she is a Thai citizen and has a Thai ID card, she can enter Thailand with an expired passport and apply for a new passport in Thailand. Dual citizenship is not a problem in the US. You leave and enter the US on your US passport and enter and leave Thailand on your Thai passport, showing both passports at the airline checkin counter to avoid any visa issues. When she arrives in Thailand, don't let them stamp her US passport with a visa exempt entry. Have her show her Thai passport and if there is a problem ask to speak to a supervisor. They can not refuse entry to a Thai citizen even if the passport is expired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginooooo Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Last year no problem using just US passport going or leaving and we stay only 30 days, no visa needed. Moving there will change things and I think I got a handle on it. Just need to know if we have to pay Thai taxes on retirement income coming from the states to our Bangkok bank account in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Last year no problem using just US passport going or leaving and we stay only 30 days, no visa needed. Moving there will change things and I think I got a handle on it. Just need to know if we have to pay Thai taxes on retirement income coming from the states to our Bangkok bank account in Thailand. Coming on vacation and moving here for full time retirement are different situations. Talking here about the question of your wife entering as a Thai or as an American. Probably more alpha experts to come. Just playing the warm up act on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginooooo Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 She never gave up her Thai citizenship. Still has the old Thai ID card and this trip on vacation will update to the new one. So she still is and will have dual citizenship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lite Beer Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 If your Wife is Thai she does not need any Visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 If she enters on US passport she needs to abide by normal visa/extensions rules of Thailand and will not be here as a Thai citizen. Yes she can easily extend her stay, even without reference to your retirement. But believe the the key may be is this retirement income if to her/both or only to you. She as a Thai would likely be subject to Thai income tax but you really should consult a lawyer with international knowledge. If it is your income she would not owe tax except as joint income to US on your tax return as spouse (assuming she does not decide to work again in Thailand and elects to file joint returns). If you were to die and she receives wife allowance believe she would then be allowed to avoid US tax but have to pay in Thailand. If both earning retirement income and married there may be issues with filling joint tax returns or other such matters that should be checked with those with specialist knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 As has been said, she can enter on her expired Thai passport and get a new Thai passport in Thailand, provided she is still on a household registration book. That is the requirement to get a new passport. If not, it would be best to get a new passport in the US or enter on the US passport. With her Thai ID-card it is easy for her to get an extension of stay, should she need one. If she enters on her Thai passport, there will be a problem leaving without a new Thai passport as immigration will let her enter, but will not let her leave on an expired Thai passport. Provided she is on a household registration, she can get a new Thai passport in Thailand within 5 days. Apply day 1 and get is send to the house in a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGant Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Question is do we have to pay any Thai tax to Thailand just for our monthly retirement money made during the year? No. Your annual tax bill will be just as if you hadn't moved to Thailand.... ... with a few twists. As Jingthing said, if you establish a fixed account with a Thai bank, the standard procedure is to withhold 15% of the annual interest paid towards Thai taxes. However, when you file your US tax return, you'll get this 15% withholding amount back in the form of a tax credit. Thailand gets to keep X amount of taxes, US loses X amount of taxes. You're out the same amount of bucks, regardless. Another quirk, never enforced -- because it would be too hard to do -- is the proviso that non-government pensions/annuites, paid into Thailand, the same year as credited to you, are subject to Thai taxes. But, who's to say the bucks you send to Thailand this year are those credited to your US account this year. I suppose if you had no bank accounts opened in the US, until this year, they might make a case. But, this is too big a stretch for reality. The only imaginable scenario is if you had a non-government pension direct deposited to Thailand. This could gather attention -- unlike government pensions direct deposited thru Bangok Bank --'cause the tax treaty with Thailand says government pensions are strictly 'hands off' for the Thai revenuers. But what if the Thais somehow did tax your non-government pension? More paperwork, but, again, a credit against your US taxes. Net result -- zip. And, since your wife is a dual US-Thai citizen, she'll have the privilege of continuing paying US taxes after you croak -- including on any survivor benefit pension paid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 And, since your wife is a dual US-Thai citizen, she'll have the privilege of continuing paying US taxes after you croak -- including on any survivor benefit pension paid. Don't believe so if not American Citizen, at least in the case of US Government spouse payments. After death a form is filed to exempt US tax payments and result is sending of checks directly to Thailand for foreign spouse, who then must pay Thai tax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve187 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 She never gave up her Thai citizenship. Still has the old Thai ID card and this trip on vacation will update to the new one. So she still is and will have dual citizenship. Why not get a new passport while here, not entering on a thai passport for a long period, will cause problems down the line. As mario2008 posted a simple process, but will save a headache later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digitalbanana Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 >income and able to keep 800,000 baht in the bank (either/or) If married why need for retirement when could use marriage extension of stay requiring only 400,000 THB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 >income and able to keep 800,000 baht in the bank (either/or) If married why need for retirement when could use marriage extension of stay requiring only 400,000 THB? Retirement is a lot easier than marriage, which requires more paperwork and checks etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 And in this case doubly so as it seems wife is not going to be in Thailand as a Thai but as a foreign national. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGant Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Don't believe so if not American Citizen, at least in the case of US Government spouse payments But she is an American citizen, according to the OP. Dual, yes.... but an American citizen for the purposes of taxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Correct - missed that she was dual citizen (coffee time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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