[Marriage Equality Bill Will Go to Parliament on Dec 21]

16 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

Why not give gays the right to be just as miserable as the rest of us?

 

Then we would have to be called "sads", (with apologies to Private Eye).

 

 

15 hours ago, mfd101 said:

That would be logical, but TIT ... might require a further 10-year wait.

 

I'm torn between enjoying and dreading our arrival at the relevant office here in Prasat Surin and seeing the look of consternation on the faces of the clerks. "Thai only!"

 

That's exactly the detail that those of us in (UK) Civil Partnerships (or same sex marriages) want to know, but I suspect it will only apply to Thais with Thais or foreigners with Thais.

[Another Disappointing Encounter with the Thai Medical Establishment]

2 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

It took me a while to realise it but the hospitals were actually charging me for taking my blood pressure, every time I visited. I finally stopped letting them do it and my bill dropped by 125 baht each time. At first they looked at me strange, now they just accept itt. I mean, sure I need to know my blood pressure but since I take it at home every day, I don't need three times daily updates!

 

On my last 2 visits to the hospital, (BNH Bangkok), I declined their request to check my BP, as I check it every morning, and when I go to the hospital I photograph the monitor, where it is normal, (as in 120/83 with pulse of 63). In the hospital it is nearly 200/120 because of my white coat syndrome. Secondary attempts to check it makes it worse. Whether it's in the nursing fee or not, I don't care, as long as I don't have to go through this procedure, (even at the hygienist for teeth cleaning, or the physio)...it's a national obsession.

[Another Disappointing Encounter with the Thai Medical Establishment]

28 minutes ago, BangkokHank said:

A shopping mall near my home in a Bangkok suburb is currently undergoing a complete renovation. While walking around the mall a couple of weeks ago observing the work in progress, I spotted what I thought was a brilliant addition to the mall: A very large, modern looking health clinic. This is such a practical idea, because there are many health-related things that do not require the use of a hospital, such as blood tests, etc.

 

Yesterday I went back to the mall to check if the clinic was open, and it was. So I asked them what it would cost to have a fasting insulin test. The man working at the reception responded with, "We only recently opened, so we don't have our foreigner prices yet." Ha. Not a good start. I countered with, "So you have different prices for foreigners and Thais." He said yes. So I asked, "And the prices for foreigners is lower, right?" I was actually not so surprised when he answered that no, actually foreigners have to pay a little more. When I asked him why, he just mumbled something about "hospital policy". 

 

The actual prices were as follows: Price of the test (for foreigners): 420 baht. Plus a 250 baht hospital fee. Price for Thais: 350 baht (plus the hospital fee). Conclusion: The main benefit for me of having this conveniently located clinic just minutes away from my home is that now I don't have to go as far as I used to to get overcharged for medical care. I wonder why they feel the need to charge foreigners more for things? And I just hope that the other shops in the mall, like the supermarket, don't get any ideas from them.

 

What is it with this "hospital fee"? I too pay a "service fee" at my hospital, (plus the doctor - 500, 800, 1000, 1200, depending on the phase of the moon), also plus a nurses fee to take my blood pressure, which by the time I'm more than completely effed off, is verging on the stroke level.

 

Of course, as new Thai taxpayers, all of these foreigner fees will disappear...

[Pita Warns Govt Of Censure Debate Early Next Year]

6 minutes ago, candide said:

Not really, as MF has only 151 seats/500. 

 

It is possible the coalition will have fractured by then, as the Digital Wallet scheme scam is highly contentious, Thaksin may be PM, the economy has gone into a deep dive, and the constitution re-write has raised some unpalatable issues (for some) etc.

[No cool season this year?]

9 hours ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Thailand has only 2 seasons... HOT and HOTTER

 

Or in Scotland: "June & Winter".

[Tax Session for American citizens from the Embassy and American Chamber of Commerce]

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Understand the issue you're raising... I'm just repeating what they opined during the session. Wherein they also said the onus will be on expats to self declare and file a Thai tax return if they have a tax liability here.

 

There was also some discussion about an international financial info sharing network called the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), which they likened to an international version of FATCA.  And basically said, the Thai Rev. Department could obtain bank account info on people here from their banks in their home countries.

 

But saying they could, of course, is a different matter from the notion that the Thai Rev Department would actually go out and try to start tracking down foreign bank account and transaction details on many tens of thousands of expat foreigners residing in Thailand, and not just on their bank accounts, but then also delving a layer deeper in linking those bank accounts to specific bank card numbers and transactions.

 

 

 

...and then presumably translating it. Whatever "narrative" (the technical term used by a bank when it annotates a transaction on a statement) would not be clear to RD. Hell, when I try and check the "narrative" list in the back of my bank passbook savings, even that is not comprehensive, and even the bank's own staff do not know what some of their "narratives" mean. If banks here employ people of that level/standard and they have the equivalent in RD, this will never amount to a hill of beans, (aka "HOB" in a bank narrative...)

[Living the Life of Riley.]

38 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

phuket. transitioning the farm down there right now. 

 

Is that a lady farm?

[Bangkok and suburbs suffering excessive levels of PM2.5 pollution]

AQI 173 in Bangkok @10.30

[Bangkok and suburbs suffering excessive levels of PM2.5 pollution]

Yesterday @ 175 AQI and today @ 153 AQI

[Suvarnabhumi Airport opens automated channels to foreign travellers]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

For those on Non-Immigrant Visa's it would be easy to register their biometrics with these machines and register them with these Auto-gates - they could even combine it with an ID card (as many other countries do) to remove the ambiguity of having to carry your passport or not.

 

Do you think this is feasible? I expect the Non-Imm visa holders, (the soon to be newest tax group in Thailand), will not have this benefit. But if the queues are reduced by a large number of foreign tourists, then it may help the process, the nightmare of which I experienced in my first in a long time non Priority Pass/Lane when exiting Bangkok in September, (when I took economy). Coming back was of course dire. Shall revert to Business Class when I travel next. 

[Thai Government Unveils Comprehensive Measures to Tackle Forest Fires and Air Pollution]

Bangkok today @11.30 AQI 153

 

[Thai Government Unveils Comprehensive Measures to Tackle Forest Fires and Air Pollution]

Bangkok today @ 11.38...AQI 159. AQI 173 earlier.

 

[Taxation of Ex-Pats pensions etc.]

4 hours ago, Guavaman said:

3.	Personal Income Tax Return for taxpayer with only income from employment under Section 40 (1) of the Revenue Code Only (Tax Year 2022)

 

As someone pointed out above, line 5 should be 210,000 rather than 21000; the form does not do any calculations for you.

 Thank you.

[Taxation of Ex-Pats pensions etc.]

4 hours ago, Guavaman said:

Fellow expat tax residents in Thailand,

One source of confusion in our communications regarding Thai income tax issues is the lack of consistent use of technical terms in English. The Revenue Department webpage https://www.rd.go.th/english/38306.html states the following:

 

Advisory Notice

Please note that the English version is for translation purposes only. For official use, please refer to the Thai language.

 

The absence of “official” translations of Thai language tax-related documents results in variations in terms used by sources of information accessible online, including articles in English language newspapers. On the other hand, use of terms on web-based articles by international law and tax consultant firms are usually quite consistent, with minor variations.

 

The diverse collection of participants in this forum from different countries and including non-native English speakers naturally gives rise to many different idiosyncratic uses of important legal and taxation terms, resulting in confusion. If we could all get clear on the use terms these terms in English, it would facilitate clarity in our continued discussions going forward.

 

For example, Exemptions, Deductions of Expenses, and Allowances are not synonyms – they are not inter-changeable; rather, each term has a specific meaning and a different root word in Thai.

 

These are the terms used in the PND 91 tax filing form in English from the downloadable forms on the RD webpage:  https://www.rd.go.th/english/63902.html Personal Income Tax Return for taxpayer with only income from employment under Section 40 (1) of the Revenue Code Only (Tax Year 2022).

 

 

 

 

It is hoped that this example may help to visualize the structure of the tax filing form for those who report “only income from employment” category using the PND 91 form.

 

Taxpayers who report other categories of income must use the other form PND 90 “for taxpayer with income not only from employment” to include income from other categories as well, such as interest, dividends, rental income, etc.

 

If one accepts payment of 15% withholding tax on interest on Thai bank accounts, one can use the PND 91 form; otherwise, one must use the PND 90 form to claim refund of the 15% withholding tax on interest.

 

Exemptions, deductions of expenses, allowances: not same = different.

Good luck in your Thai tax adventures

Thank you! From your link

https://www.rd.go.th/english/63902.html Personal Income Tax Return for taxpayer with only income from employment under Section 40 (1) of the Revenue Code Only (Tax Year 2022).

 

which PDF file is the return you have chosen as your sample page, as there only appears to be a PIT for joint filing (no 10 in the RD list)?

 

[Renewal Of 5 Year Driver's License]

20 hours ago, Polar Bear said:

We use Fatboy's On Nut when we need an agent for driving licence stuff, but for a standard renewal, they can't do much because you still have to physically go to the center for the tests and so on. If you want the number, DM me. It's a bit hard to track down the right phone numbers since they split the company up. 

Thanks. Let me have a look at what I need, and I'll contact you as required.

[Endless Songkran? Soft in the head committee]

27 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It's not happening and, clearly, never would.

 

If only this volte face were duplicated as quickly on the new RD interpretations.

[Renewal Of 5 Year Driver's License]

On 11/27/2023 at 3:04 PM, liddelljohn said:

My License  for car and bike is due for renewal in March 24   but I wont be in Thailand then ,, spoke with  Transport office in Pattaya and they said no problem , it can be done  up to 6 months after  expiry date ????  is this true ????

 

Does anyone know how far in advance one can do a 5 year licence renewal? Mine expires on 31 March 2024, but my Visa extension on 30 April 2024, (and I believe you need 1 month of your visa extension validity to apply for a DL renewal.)

 

Also, as I'm getting older and bored with the incongruities of Thai bureaucracy, I would prefer to have a gofer, (agent). Can anyone recommend one in Bangkok? 

[Renewal Of 5 Year Driver's License]

On 3/13/2013 at 5:41 PM, patsfangr said:

and the original of the Residence Certificate that you have to get from Immigration prior to going for the renewal.

 

Remind me: getting a residence certificate from Immigration. What do Immigration require to give that? (I seem to recall a visit to the Embassy, but it was nearly 5 years ago.)

[Endless Songkran? Soft in the head committee]

3 minutes ago, findlay13 said:

Well ,not opening Shopping Malls  until 10 am , closing Service stations at midnight  and not selling alcohol between 2pm and 5 pm [I'm not sure of the times] were all Shinawatra ideas and look how well they worked. So why not a month long Songkran ?

Alcohol sale hours in Thailand are 11:00 – 14:00 and 17:00 – 24:00... so that minors can't buy alcohol after they come out of school, as clearly minors don't carry ID cards in Thailand.

[Hong Kong and Thailand join FPS with PromptPay, unlocking cross-border QR payment linkage]

13 minutes ago, Caldera said:

 

You scan a Hong Kong QR code with your Thai banking app. Easy. 

 

And you can scan a Thai QR code with your FPS (on HSBC Hong Kong app)?

[Endless Songkran? Soft in the head committee]

Quote

Other provinces will be asked to hold water fight at different times of the month so the whole month of April will be have celebration somewhere.

 

What kind of living hell are they proposing? Is this to drive away tourists?

[Endless Songkran? Soft in the head committee]

 

 

 

 

[So Royal, So typically British !]

1 hour ago, Chris Daley said:

Not as British as these Korean and Thai people.  I guess they secured a bunker somewhere or recused some hostages.

 

 

Advocates for COP26 Climate Summit in 2021.

[China offers visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia]

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

I cannot understand why westerners would want to go on a holiday in China.  An over crowded communist country with little English speaking that seems to hate westerners.   Got to be many other places more attractive then there.

 

Perhaps that was only your experience when you went.

[Thai government to tax all income from abroad for tax residents starting 2024]

1 hour ago, Dogmatix said:

 

The problem is that there has been no effort made by the RD or the government to think this through to see if it is even net beneficial to Thailand, let alone draft the hundreds of pages of regulations needed to cover the complex situations that will arise or even explain how to claim a tax credit when there is no space for this on the form.  So it is not surprising that a great deal of angst, uncertainty and speculation has arisen.  Probably many people will decide not to move to Thailand, leave Thailand and/or not invest in Thai property due to the uncertainties created, even though it might not turn out to be disadvantageous to them. That is a result of utter incompetence and idleness of the RD and government. 

 

Well I certainly know of one, and a rich one at that, who was planning on moving here next year, buying a condo upwards of THB60M. Not happening now, until there is clarification either way, so the implications, (and cost) can be assessed. I imagine it is a thought being held by many, especially the rich SE Asians and Chinese who would make up the majority of the overseas funds to buy Thai property.