Is Thailand A Charitable Place?.......

[harrry]

This is at odds with other developed countries, where a charity can be legally registered and operational for the benefit of a cause that lies outside the borders of that country.

I don't understand "other developed countries" in this context, are you referring to Thailand?

It would be much better to register a charity in the country where you're soliciting donations in order to qualify for tax-deductable status there, and then simply establish a foreign office in Thailand.

Maybe it would be better if this appied in other countries so we would not have so many NGOs committing effective genocide here.

[simple1]

This is at odds with other developed countries, where a charity can be legally registered and operational for the benefit of a cause that lies outside the borders of that country.

I don't understand "other developed countries" in this context, are you referring to Thailand?

It would be much better to register a charity in the country where you're soliciting donations in order to qualify for tax-deductable status there, and then simply establish a foreign office in Thailand.

Maybe it would be better if this appied in other countries so we would not have so many NGOs committing effective genocide here.

Sorry don't understand your comment re NGO's, care to explain? Thanks...

[theblether]

AFAIK, (after investigating the establishment of a charity in Thailand for the benefit of poor Burmese in Myanmar), it is only possible to register a charity in Thailand if the benefit of that charity is also within Thailand.

So for example, one can establish a Thai charity that benefits poor Burmese living in Mae Sot, but not poor Burmese living over the border in Myanmar.

This is at odds with other developed countries, where a charity can be legally registered and operational for the benefit of a cause that lies outside the borders of that country.

Do you know is there an official mechanism for receiving charitable donations from overseas. ie If I had a UK charity number and I wanted to fund an Thai orphanage, do I need to register the payments with the Thai authorities?

[harrry]

AFAIK, (after investigating the establishment of a charity in Thailand for the benefit of poor Burmese in Myanmar), it is only possible to register a charity in Thailand if the benefit of that charity is also within Thailand.

So for example, one can establish a Thai charity that benefits poor Burmese living in Mae Sot, but not poor Burmese living over the border in Myanmar.

This is at odds with other developed countries, where a charity can be legally registered and operational for the benefit of a cause that lies outside the borders of that country.

Do you know is there an official mechanism for receiving charitable donations from overseas. ie If I had a UK charity number and I wanted to fund an Thai orphanage, do I need to register the payments with the Thai authorities?

I think the person is referring to regulations that a registered charity here cannot solicit money to be used abroad and also obtain a tax deduction.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Maybe it would be better if this appied in other countries so we would not have so many NGOs committing effective genocide here.

.

I completely agree that most western-run NGOs deliver very poor value for the total money spent (except to their staff of course), and that some seem to cause harm as well as good, but I would also like to read more details wrt that genocide comment. . .

[harrry]

Maybe it would be better if this appied in other countries so we would not have so many NGOs committing effective genocide here.

.

I completely agree that most western-run NGOs deliver very poor value for the total money spent (except to their staff of course), and that some seem to cause harm as well as good, but I would also like to read more details wrt that genocide comment. . .

http://www.akha.org/

will give you a start

[samsiam]

AFAIK, (after investigating the establishment of a charity in Thailand for the benefit of poor Burmese in Myanmar), it is only possible to register a charity in Thailand if the benefit of that charity is also within Thailand.

So for example, one can establish a Thai charity that benefits poor Burmese living in Mae Sot, but not poor Burmese living over the border in Myanmar.

This is at odds with other developed countries, where a charity can be legally registered and operational for the benefit of a cause that lies outside the borders of that country.

Do you know is there an official mechanism for receiving charitable donations from overseas. ie If I had a UK charity number and I wanted to fund an Thai orphanage, do I need to register the payments with the Thai authorities?

Do you have a UK number ??...or can get one ??

PM me if delicate.

[theblether]

AFAIK, (after investigating the establishment of a charity in Thailand for the benefit of poor Burmese in Myanmar), it is only possible to register a charity in Thailand if the benefit of that charity is also within Thailand.

So for example, one can establish a Thai charity that benefits poor Burmese living in Mae Sot, but not poor Burmese living over the border in Myanmar.

This is at odds with other developed countries, where a charity can be legally registered and operational for the benefit of a cause that lies outside the borders of that country.

Do you know is there an official mechanism for receiving charitable donations from overseas. ie If I had a UK charity number and I wanted to fund an Thai orphanage, do I need to register the payments with the Thai authorities?

Do you have a UK number ??...or can get one ??

PM me if delicate.

You crack me up Sam

Yes, it's obvious to everybody that theblether is a delicate soul.

[siam cbr]

I often wake up early when I'm in Thailand and make a point of going down to the local market so I can make donations to the monks on their daily rounds. I often sit back for a while and watch many many Thai people doing the same thing. To me it's a humbling start to the day, to see people who don't have much give a little bit for others.

I hope the OP realizes that he is giving because it is a nice thing to do.

The Thais are 'giving' in order to buy a better future for themselves.

I personally find the whole 'merit' belief system, and those who buy into it (pun intended) as disgusting.

Edited June 26, 2012 by siam cbr

[simon43]

I originally tried to receive small donations from overseas without any 'formal' charity registration. Even though I was using 100%+ (meaning I paid also from my own funds), of those funds for my charitable cause in Myanmar - the nice guys at Paypal froze my account....

Since I no longer live in the UK, and since the recipients of my work were in Myanmar, not Thailand, I wondered how I could formalise my work. I found that I can register a UK Community Interest Company (CIC), where by no company directors need to live in the UK AND the recipients of the funds can be outside the UK.

[Naam]

Is Thailand A Charitable Place?

what a question?! a country which lets me live within its borders and does not force me to pay income tax is in my [not so] humble view a charitable² place

[theblether]

Is Thailand A Charitable Place?

what a question?! a country which lets me live within its borders and does not force me to pay income tax is in my [not so] humble view a charitable² place

So you're contention is, Thailand as a whole states, " Well, we let Naam live here, don't you think we've contributed enough??".

To be fair, I would tend to agree.

[samsiam]

Do you have a UK number ??...or can get one ??

PM me if delicate.

You crack me up Sam

Yes, it's obvious to everybody that theblether is a delicate soul.

I feel misunderstood.

How hard/easy is it to get a registered charity number in the UK ??

I originally tried to receive small donations from overseas without any 'formal' charity registration. Even though I was using 100%+ (meaning I paid also from my own funds), of those funds for my charitable cause in Myanmar - the nice guys at Paypal froze my account....

Since I no longer live in the UK, and since the recipients of my work were in Myanmar, not Thailand, I wondered how I could formalise my work. I found that I can register a UK Community Interest Company (CIC), where by no company directors need to live in the UK AND the recipients of the funds can be outside the UK.

Interesting....any restrictions on this ??

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I originally tried to receive small donations from overseas without any 'formal' charity registration. Even though I was using 100%+ (meaning I paid also from my own funds), of those funds for my charitable cause in Myanmar - the nice guys at Paypal froze my account....

Since I no longer live in the UK, and since the recipients of my work were in Myanmar, not Thailand, I wondered how I could formalise my work. I found that I can register a UK Community Interest Company (CIC), where by no company directors need to live in the UK AND the recipients of the funds can be outside the UK.

I'm afraid Paypal is a universe unto itself, totally arbitrary behaviour freezing accounts, nothing to do with any laws in many cases.

Having the charity registered in a developed country is definitely better than having it's "home" base be Thailand.

Registering a satellite/subsidiary/foreign office here should only be necessary in certain circumstances and is a bit more expensive/challenging than with an ordinary for-profit company.

[theblether]

Do you have a UK number ??...or can get one ??

PM me if delicate.

You crack me up Sam

Yes, it's obvious to everybody that theblether is a delicate soul.

I feel misunderstood.

How hard/easy is it to get a registered charity number in the UK ??

I originally tried to receive small donations from overseas without any 'formal' charity registration. Even though I was using 100%+ (meaning I paid also from my own funds), of those funds for my charitable cause in Myanmar - the nice guys at Paypal froze my account....

Since I no longer live in the UK, and since the recipients of my work were in Myanmar, not Thailand, I wondered how I could formalise my work. I found that I can register a UK Community Interest Company (CIC), where by no company directors need to live in the UK AND the recipients of the funds can be outside the UK.

Interesting....any restrictions on this ??

It's not overly difficult, I have friends that have done it, you need to comply with slightly tighter regulations such as persons of good character etc I believe.

It's not an impossible task, and the next time I see one of said friends, I'll ask them.

[samsiam]

It's not overly difficult, I have friends that have done it, you need to comply with slightly tighter regulations such as persons of good character etc I believe.

It's not an impossible task, and the next time I see one of said friends, I'll ask them.

Ta.

[chickenslegs]

A brothel I know of just gave 900,000 baht to an HIV charity. Yes I know this to be a fact.

It must be gratifying to know that your 'contributions' have gone to a good cause.

[kerryk]

A brothel I know of just gave 900,000 baht to an HIV charity. Yes I know this to be a fact.

It must be gratifying to know that your 'contributions' have gone to a good cause.

Warm fuzzy feeling.

[samsiam]

Why not just leave your donation on the doorsteps of the orphanage kerry....side step the middle men..

[JurgenG]

There are some curious differences in charitable giving between the UK and Thailand.

I believe I am right in saying that UK citizens are right at the top of the league of people donating to overseas causes, whereas Thai charitable giving that I have witnessed is Thai centric.

There is also a difference in how charitable giving is made, the UK has a culture of anonymous giving - here in Thailand it is not unusual to see advertisements in the Thai press that Khn XXX has given YYY amount to charity. I find that a very curious difference.

A third difference is that the charity sector in the UK is huge by comparison to that in Thailand, were the UK has large numbers of privately established charities Thailand has very few - The largest in Thailand being the temples - and where we like to rant about the Church, an examination of what the temples do with the donations they receive, or indeed the practices some of the temples follow to solicit donations would make interesting reading.

Though perhaps too close to the wind for some to allow to take place.

Thank you GH. For a while I was afraid that people will actually say something nice about this country.

Thank you for bringing us back in in the right path of ThaiVisa Thai bashing tradition !

[kerryk]

Why not just leave your donation on the doorsteps of the orphanage kerry....side step the middle men..

I am culturally very, "with it." I am supporting a very old Thai tradition. And of course sustaining an industry in Thailand that is larger than rice production. If I stopped major regions of Thailand might fall into recession.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I often wake up early when I'm in Thailand and make a point of going down to the local market so I can make donations to the monks on their daily rounds. I often sit back for a while and watch many many Thai people doing the same thing. To me it's a humbling start to the day, to see people who don't have much give a little bit for others.

I hope the OP realizes that he is giving because it is a nice thing to do.

The Thais are 'giving' in order to buy a better future for themselves.

I personally find the whole 'merit' belief system, and those who buy into it (pun intended) as disgusting.

No one does anything without a reason. Those that do good works because it makes them feel good are to be commended. Altruism is inherently selfish, and enlightened self-interest inherently altruistic.

If one's actions have a good result all 'round, never mind the motives.

http://www.akha.org/

will give you a start

Definitely not an objective source. As I said I agree with the overall problem, but "genocide" has a specific meaning that IMO, as with "trafficking" and so one is best not overused.

[simple1]

I often wake up early when I'm in Thailand and make a point of going down to the local market so I can make donations to the monks on their daily rounds. I often sit back for a while and watch many many Thai people doing the same thing. To me it's a humbling start to the day, to see people who don't have much give a little bit for others.

I hope the OP realizes that he is giving because it is a nice thing to do.

The Thais are 'giving' in order to buy a better future for themselves.

I personally find the whole 'merit' belief system, and those who buy into it (pun intended) as disgusting.

No one does anything without a reason. Those that do good works because it makes them feel good are to be commended. Altruism is inherently selfish, and enlightened self-interest inherently altruistic.

If one's actions have a good result all 'round, never mind the motives.

http://www.akha.org/

will give you a start

Definitely not an objective source. As I said I agree with the overall problem, but "genocide" has a specific meaning that IMO, as with "trafficking" and so one is best not overused.

+1