Living In Thailand, But Working Outside Thailand

[inthake8]

A bit of background to start with.

My job requires me to travel around asia a lot and I usually travel at least once a month or more. I have been married to my Thai wife for four years and we have a young two year old daughter.

I will be moving to Thailand soon and was thinking of staying on one month visa's for a while and then eventually getting one year non-imigrant visa's untill I qualify for residency.

My questions are:

1. If I don't actually do any work in Thailand, but they see me coming in and out all the time, do you think I may end up becoming liable to pay tax in Thailand ? I will be doing emails, telephone calls, etc in thailand, but will be being paid in Hong Kong.

2. I heard Australia is a good place to get a one year visa. Has anyone else heard this ? As I am an Australian citizen.

Thanks.

[LaoPo]

I think you qualify easy for a 1-year Visa, married to your Thai spouse.

I don't think it's of their (Immigrations') business if you travel in and out.

About taxes? I don't know; does Thailand has a Tax-treaty with Hong Kong?

LaoPo

[Firefan]

If you are doing work at home+PC/phone with clients NOT based in Thailand the tax authorities are really not interested in you. That said; in THEORY, if here more than 180 days per year you are to pay tax on any income brought to Thailand and earned the SAME calender year.

I have yet to hear of someone actually doing that on foreign earned income - as the tax system is really not set up well for it (you need tax ID and they would expect a Thai company/Thai based business in order to "fit" with the current system).

You can get a non-o 1 year visa based on your wife/kid.

Applying for PR with no tax history here will be impossible I think. So that is something to consider.

AUS should be friendly I hear.

Cheers!

[kudroz]

If your stay in Thailand aggreagates to more than 185 days in a calendar year, you are deemed resident in Thailand for tax purposes. This means, you are liable to pay tax on your Thai source of income (remitted in Thailand or abroad) and your worldwide income brought into Thailand the same year that such income is earned.

Regardless of how many days you stay in Thailand, but if during your stay you manage a business operation (like operating a website while in Thailand that earns foreign income deposited abroad) then your are liable to pay tax on such income. If you are managing a juristic entity or a business operation while in Thailand, the "enterprise" will be liable to pay taxes in Thailand for the income believed to be connected to the management in Thailand.

(read here, "manage a business operation while being in Thailand")

But remember that you're in Thailand - the letter of the law is not always applied, but as long as you do not abuse the "spirit" of the law, you should be fine.