BillStrangeOgre

Hi, I hope I've put this question in the correct forum. I'm leaving Thailand in the early hours of Monday morning 22/04/24. Does anyone know if the VAT refund counter is open 24/7? Thanks Bill

Thanks!

Hi, anyone tell me when Lak Si opens again after Songkran? Thanks

I when to Siam Paragon and found Betrend on the 3rd floor. They had the Indafix fabric dye in the stationary dept. 85thb a sachet. Cheers

There's still an opportunity to avoid tax back home in the UK as well as here. An account can be opened in Thailand with a 'retirement visa' then deposit funds from UK in a local sterling account but make sure to spend less than 180 days in Thailand and no tax payable anywhere.

Unfortunately I can't order online with a foreign bank card. Any physical shops? Cheers

Hi, can anyone recommend somewhere to buy clothes dye in central Bangkok? Thanks in advance Bill

I've just had my tenant send a UK SIM card to me here in Thailand using Royal Mail. I sent her a £25 ASDA gift card, she was very happy to do it.

True and the tax man could probably make a good case for claiming I am a UK resident for tax purposes. My funds will be coming from profits (hopefully) trading crypto currencies this year on a foreign domiciled exchange. No way the taxman would have any idea about that unless I repatriate the funds to a UK bank account. The problem is opening a non UK linked bank account outside Thailand with all the KYC. I can do that here in Thailand relatively easily

That's useful to know. I can park funds in a sterling account here in Thailand and as long as I don't stay longer that 180 days I avoid tax here AND in the UK

Reading the Tax Guide... TAX RESIDENCY 21) If you stay in Thailand for more than a cumulative 179 days, between 1 January and 31 December each year, you will be and always were considered to be Tax Resident in Thailand during that year, almost entirely regardless of the type of visa you have (special tax exempt classes of visa excluded). It doesn’t matter that you may be Tax Resident in your home country or elsewhere or that you pay tax in those countries, Thailand will still regard you as Tax Resident. Tax Residency and Immigration status (and the visa you hold) are different things. Tax residency is based solely on the number of days you spend in Thailand. A day appears to be counted using the entry and exit stamps in your passport, unlike many other countries where it is determined by where you are at midnight. The number of days counter reverts to zero, on 1 January each year. So, theoretically if on a Type-O or a Type-OA for reason of retirement and I don't spend more than 180 days in the country, then funds I import into Thailand and placed in a sterling bank account here are not taxable?

Thanks for that And thanks to everyone who replied. Some great info here...cheers

Thanks. Seems like quite a complex procedure, with a lot for me to consider before I decide to go ahead. Not least that I will be dealing with immigration at CW, costs are increasing I've heard, then there's 90 day reporting which can be done online? Is the renewal process after 12 months fairly easy in comparison? Thanks again

I'm assuming immigration will accept a bank statement from the day before if you have an updated passbook (including original) with the certificate of balance 800,000thb and proof of 100thb paid in, same day as the application is submitted?

I've just noticed that there's a requirement for my passbook and deposit certificate from the bank to be dated the same day as the application. How does that work? Will the bank do all the necessary in the morning to allow me to submit the application at Chaeng Wattana in time, same day? Cheers

Thanks, didn't see this before above posting

Thanks for that. On the one year extension and with the re-entry permit in hand before I leave, how long can I stay out of Thailand before the extension is voided or is valid if I stay out until the extension is finished...just want to get some sort of timeline. Thanks again

Okay, didn't see this before posting above. Cheers

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I already have a Thai bank account. One area of concern is the requirement to have the 800,000thb in my account for a full 3 months prior to the extension being granted. How does that work if I can only stay 3 months when I enter? Another quick question...Once I have the 'retirement' visa, if I leave Thailand how long can I stay out before the thing is no longer valid? Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions which I'm sure have been asked a million times before. Bill

Hi, I'm a 67 year old Brit who's thinking of applying for an extension based on retirement. Firstly, I'm here on a 30 day permission to stay. I will extend for another 30 days in a few weeks then leave for Seoul, S.Korea for month in April. Is it best for me to return to Thailand on a visa (tourist?) and then begin the 'retirement' process? Is there somewhere I can get comprehensive information of what I have to do (paperwork, requirements etc) to become retired here in Thailand? Thanks Bill

If I'm taxed in Thailand on those profits does anyone know the rate? Thanks

If he was proving residency in the UK through his relative's address wouldn't he then be liable to UK tax on his profits?

I'm thinking of opening a sterling bank account with a local bank here in Thailand. I will be on a 'retirement' visa. I would use the account to deposit funds made on profits from investments outside Thailand. Can anyone give me any idea what my tax liability/rate in Thailand be? Thanks Bill

I've been using Halifax Clarity card for years and was always impressed with the no charges for foreign ATM withdrawals. Although I don't make ATM withdrawals in Thailand as no way around the local charges. The exchange rate was always good, even beats EX.com spot rate so shocked to hear this. I tend use my Monzo card to make payments when outside the UK and I'll use the Clarity card online. I use Wise to transfer funds between my UK account and my Thai bank account but I recently heard that Wise has been blocked for making card payments in Thailand but can't personally confirm this

The larger a market becomes (capitalisation) the more money it takes to move it one way or the other (volatility) And yes, as more money flows in that means increased demand and prices go up. But a percentage of that inflow will remain in the market. Not everyone sells when prices go down. Over time the market gets larger and therefore it takes ever larger volumes of selling or buying to move the market. Less volatility.