Everyone Has To Pay Their Fair Share Of Revenue: Thai Opinion

[buddy]

In a country where corruption is part of the culture, how do they expect to get income taxes, law makers are the first to avoid it.

Exactly,

I have a business in Thailand and pay Taxes, it really vexes me but not in the way I hated paying taxes in Falangland sort of way.

For a Falang paying taxes in Thailand it is different, Why?

For the very reasons stated above by jpp2bkk and the fact that the principle of taxes being paid to benefit the whole of society just excludes Falangs.

I pay, but as a Falang I get didly squat back, zero, nadda, I mean absolutely nothing back, no medical care, no education, no old age pension, nothing it is just out and out state thievery.

I have paid millions of Baht in taxes over the years but I am still viewed by the Thai government as a nieve tourist in a pickpocket zone.

[oops]

Even if they at least change this pay tax on everything that comes in and everything that goes out.......as a minority legal small businessman I am struggling to make ends meet with all the rules that seem to be anti business....or anti middle class.

Having to have 4 people work for me when my company doesn't require but, 1 or 2, is part of the struggle. While, we contribute and are instermental in keeping the big business going through our need for supplies and various materials we cant always right off the expense because most Thai's are legal. While I know some or most of our Thai suppliers don't have business licenses we still have to use them for various reasons, in doing so we suffer becuase we can't write it off and we pay taxes on it.

I know that some of the cart venders/bars/restaurants, make a killing and obviously make more than I do, they are not licensed and don't pay tax. I know they have to pay curruption fee's but if they had to pay out like I do or be subject to the same rules, I don't think there would be as many cart operators / restaurants / bars, running around.

I doubt that I will last much longer, but it is clear to me now why curruption works here so well, because the officals make more if the laws are not created equal and not inforced. If this were to happen then they would be paid like a state worker and not like a tycoon.

One more thing....the double pricing is prevalant in my business in which I don't complain about but it is also working against me...in addition to this those thai's that are in a higher position then you or own company's don't want to pay you they tend to order your service then when it comes time to collect, they don't pay. The amount is very small so it doesn't allow you to go to an attorny and sue them and even if you did, you may invite more problems....

I have one THai that flow in the farrang arena and passes money back and forth with farrans but at my level pisses all over any farrang and says he doesn't need us, that we are useless...this person owes me a very large sum but I cannot collect.

They all seem to be connected together so when you explain it to someone that you think is on your side, they smile and say....Oh,,,,I know them....this doesn't sound like them...(My favorite is) you must missunderstand them.....( Yes, I understand they required my services but they don't want to pay).

I am paying my fair share and then some.....but this will stop when we have to close.....( 100% of nothing=nothing)

[oops]

"Everyone has to pay their fair share of revenue"

Does this include Thaksin and his family?

Ouch! If Mr T had played the game fair and square then the coup would not have been so widely accepted as it was at the time. He lost a lot of brownie points with the ordinary Thai over that particular dodge.

The sad thing is I saw more things change under his rien than any other.....and at the end of the day......we really don't know what was going on.....it's not like the government speak the truth on many issues......and I have never really understood why the farrangs weigh in on this knowing that we can't be sure about the issues surrounding Mr. T and the coup was not widely excepted, hence the red shirts... I think we are just now seeing some serious paybacks coming in the real near future. Mr T isn't stupid,he is very clever which is why he will be back shortly...he never gives up nor does he have the" mai pin rai" mantality. Bottom line it wasn't a general consensus.

[farang000999]

Wealthy Thais have it made.

[farang000999]

What do you do Oops?

Why dont you only do services if payment is recieved in advance?

[Time Traveller]

The whole issue stated in this article is just a smokescreen. This government has been spending and promising, promising and spending. Now they are desperate for money from somewhere.. Blame the entrepreneurs. Blame the businessman. Blame the people that actually produce something (other than intellectual ideology) and have lifted this country out of dirt poor poverty. Until this country establishes a welfare system similiar to western nations than taxing the wealthy is only about jealousy and the need to finance government spending. That is, there is no "social benefit"

[lovelaos]

In a country where corruption is part of the culture, how do they expect to get income taxes, law makers are the first to avoid it.

Exactly,

I have a business in Thailand and pay Taxes, it really vexes me but not in the way I hated paying taxes in Falangland sort of way.

For a Falang paying taxes in Thailand it is different, Why?

For the very reasons stated above by jpp2bkk and the fact that the principle of taxes being paid to benefit the whole of society just excludes Falangs.

I pay, but as a Falang I get didly squat back, zero, nadda, I mean absolutely nothing back, no medical care, no education, no old age pension, nothing it is just out and out state thievery.

I have paid millions of Baht in taxes over the years but I am still viewed by the Thai government as a nieve tourist in a pickpocket zone.

Didn't you know this when you started your business? What do you expect the Thai government to do? Oh Mr. Farang you don't have to pay taxes because you get nothing back in return..............

[TAWP]

The 'fair' tax is a flat tax.

I pay more in tax than most people get in income - but my money also goes to cover the livelihood of several people. Why should I get punished because I work hard for 2 people while the gf is home?

[JohnAllan]

Well, more equitable tax collection would make many currently non-tax payers, aware that it is their money being spent, think twice about having the government cough up for the kind of schemes that compete for finance today.

But accurate figures would be helpful: I have seen reference to 5 million, 7 million and now, 10 million, taxpayers?

[tlansford]

Everyone has to pay their fair share of revenue

good idea.

Start at the top... close the loop hole on stock market sales & capital gains.

[robblok]

They should only let people vote who pay tax. At least we get a different government.

[Ferangled]

In a country where corruption is part of the culture, how do they expect to get income taxes, law makers are the first to avoid it.

Exactly,

I have a business in Thailand and pay Taxes, it really vexes me but not in the way I hated paying taxes in Falangland sort of way.

For a Falang paying taxes in Thailand it is different, Why?

For the very reasons stated above by jpp2bkk and the fact that the principle of taxes being paid to benefit the whole of society just excludes Falangs.

I pay, but as a Falang I get didly squat back, zero, nadda, I mean absolutely nothing back, no medical care, no education, no old age pension, nothing it is just out and out state thievery.

I have paid millions of Baht in taxes over the years but I am still viewed by the Thai government as a nieve tourist in a pickpocket zone.

Didn't you know this when you started your business? What do you expect the Thai government to do? Oh Mr. Farang you don't have to pay taxes because you get nothing back in return..............

Sounds fair to me!!!

I think, as written in his post if you actually took the time to read it, that he suggests perhaps some benefit from the tax paid would be welcome...

In other words to be treated the same as virtually every other civilized country whereby you pay tax, you get benefits - in some countries these include for example, the right to vote, the right to own land, the right to state healthcare, state pension and state education.