Thai is the best nationality there is!" Former American pays through the nose to renounce US citizenship

[zydeco]

Just now, Odysseus123 said:

He seems to have become a sort of Thai propaganda show pony..

 

Didn't it take 213 years,7 months and 24 days to achieve this?

He has been the feature of at least two other stories that made their way on to TVF in the past. Seems to want publicity. Most people who do this keep a low profile unless they're an "accidental American" and a politician in another country, such as Boris Johnson.

[Andrew65]

1 minute ago, zydeco said:

He has been the feature of at least two other stories that made their way on to TVF in the past. Seems to want publicity. Most people who do this keep a low profile unless they're an "accidental American" and a politician in another country, such as Boris Johnson.

I think Boris has already renounced, due to the unreasonable demands of the IRS!????

(Theoretically, a British PM who could have also have been POTUS!?).

[uncleeagle]

So if this doofus has children in the future, they will now have lost the option to become US citizens, as opposed to being stuck in a village and working on a farm or a factory. And as his life wasn't being complicated by tax issues etc, he renounced for absolutely nothing. What an idiot..

[sead]

Understandable.  USA is based on some principles as Thailand. Have to pay extra for everything and the schools are <deleted> if you cant pay into a good school. If it were Sweden, Denmar, Norway or Finland where you are socially secure and everything is free with or without job then I'll hardly think he would done it

[rabas]

35 minutes ago, Chrysaora said:

You're incorrect, as it shows nothing of the sort.   Your conclusion is not logical.

A good friend lived and worked in Singapore 20 years, avoided filing taxes, and then got Singapore citizenship. Remember, he's got a US passport, they know exactly where he is. When he went to renounce his US citizenship shlt hit the fan. The IRS investigated and claimed massive back taxes. He then got an expensive legal firm to fight it for 2 years. In the end he lost wads of money to the IRS and the lawyers.

 

You don't fool with the long arm of the IRS.

Edited February 28, 2020 by rabas

[GarryP]

1 minute ago, rabas said:

A good friend lived and worked in Singapore 20 years, avoided filing taxes, and then got Singapore citizenship. Remember, he's got a US passport, they know exactly where he is. When he went to renounce his US citizenship shlt hit the fan. The IRS investigated and claimed massive back taxes. He then got an expensive legal firm to fight it for 2 years. In the end he lost wads of money to the IRS and the lawyers.

 

You don't fool with the long arm of the IRS.

That is what I do not get about the US. If you are living and working overseas and paying tax in the country where you work, why should you still have to worry about the IRS.

 

As a Brit, that has never been a concern for me. The UK IRS has never been chasing me for anything. I could go back tomorrow and start off fresh after having lived and worked in Thailand for 38 years.  

[potless]

Maybe he just wants to avail himself of the much coveted Thai social security system.

[rabas]

53 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

poor guy. he has made a huge mistake. 

At least he won't die from nCoV2019-90day.

[Just Weird]

21 minutes ago, uncleeagle said:

if this doofus has children in the future, they will now have lost the option to become US citizens, as opposed to being stuck in a village and working on a farm or a factory.

Why do you think that working on a farm or a factory is the only career option in Thailand?

[4MyEgo]

Something is not right here, I mean why on earth would this make news, apart from the fact that the guy is a selfish pric-.

 

A bloke who looks like he is in his mid 40's, wearing a yellow shirt (hint, hint) and we are told he is married to a Thai with two Thai kids, and was born in the USA, i.e. making him a US citizen by birth, he leaves the USA when he is 2 and now renounces his US citizenship after receiving his Thai citizenship, and pays through the nose for it, because he has lived in Thailand all of his life and has now just become a Thai citizen, now that is a huge brown nose in it'self.

 

It doesn't add up, I'm telling you, my wife is Thai, she has a Thai passport, was born here, so she is a Thai citizen, she lived with me in Australia for 9 years, she also has an Australian passport and is an Australian citizen, as are our two daughters who were born there and also have Thai passports which also makes them Thai citizens, they got their passports quite easily before we moved here, and I can't understand why it took this guy so long to get his Thai citizenship ?

 

If I was ever in the same situation, I wouldn't renounce my citizenship, simply because I couldn't justify spending B72,850 to renounce my US citizenship, it would be fruitless, I would rather put the money toward his kids, this tells me he is not the full quid and someone is behind this to perhaps appease the general public for some reason or other sticking it to farangs.

 

I have one word for this guy, "toss-r", but each to their own as they say ????????????

 

[Orton Rd]

How did his parents, who were probably in their 20's when they brought him here aged 2 get to stay in the country for decades as 'missionaries' and where are they now? As mentioned before I suspect they were children of God cult members which had branches all over the world and especially in countries like Thailand where thy could get away with their abuse of children. Why not give us just one reason why Thai nationality is the 'best'?

[holy cow cm]

1 hour ago, Sujo said:

They cant take it away as a person cannot be stateless.

 

The fact he has been allowed to renounce his US citizenship proves he has no debt to irs.

 

Good on him, he has no strings to the US and it means nothing to him. Not everyone wants to be a US citizen. 

 

Welk done i say, if thats what he wants then kudos for doing it.

Oh yes they can take it away from him at any time they duly desire for some action breaking the laws of the land or even a trumped national security issue. There are over 12 million world wide stateless people. When he became a citizen he agreed to certain things. Now being born here is a different thing, but he was not. And he was not the smartest for denouncing his US citizenship. Bad move.

[bbi1]

1 hour ago, MadMac said:

Pretty stupid I say. He could have kept both.

Why would anyone in their right mind wanna keep an American citizenship? One of the worst Western citizenships to have to be locked into that government & that system. If you have an option to get out of it then it's the right move.

[ChouDoufu]

makes sense if he's decided his future is in thailand.

 

now he can open bank accounts and pay bills at tesco and no longer worry about fatca regulations and providing certified passport copies.

 

don't know how that affects his kids.  if they were born when he was a citizen they may still be able to claim us citizenship.

[MadMac]

9 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Why would anyone in their right mind wanna keep an American citizenship? One of the worst Western citizenships to have to be locked into that government & that system. If you have an option to get out of it then it's the right move.

Why would anyone in their right mind renounce a 1st world citizenship for a 3rd world one?! Especially if there is no need for it and he could have kept both. Stupid I say.

Edited February 28, 2020 by MadMac

[Odysseus123]

7 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Why would anyone in their right mind wanna keep an American citizenship? One of the worst Western citizenships to have to be locked into that government & that system. If you have an option to get out of it then it's the right move.

So you say...it's a mad,mad,mad world.

 

I say that to my wife but she is insistent on achieving Aussie citizenhip-and now I can say with all honesty "But bbi1 says you are barking up the wrong rice paddy..Thailand is the citizenship to go for.."and I am sure that she will have a change of heart.

 

Thanks bbi1????

[DrTuner]

Lucky for him he won't be travelling. Getting visas for my wife is always a PITA.

[bbi1]

4 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Why would anyone in their right mind renounce a 1st world citizenship for a 3rd world one?! Especially if there is no need for it and he could have kept both. Stupid I say.

Locked in to paying tax on your worldwide income and having to file tax returns for the rest of your life even if you don't earn in the US, unable or difficult to open bank accounts all over the world and limited investments due to no countries wanting to deal with US people due to stupid FACTA. Those are just a few starting reasons.

[holy cow cm]

15 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Why would anyone in their right mind wanna keep an American citizenship? One of the worst Western citizenships to have to be locked into that government & that system. If you have an option to get out of it then it's the right move.

Yeah by your thinking it would be best to go get citizenship in North Korea. US is one of the best citizenships to have. You are off your rocker.

[talahtnut]

I would prefer Thai citizenship over US any day.

US has over been in over 100 wars since WW2.

Probably the most hated and distrusted nation

on Earth. An economy of a Ponzi scheme with

 a debt bubble of trillions. A justice system

of the middle  ages. Indeed the West has

had its day.

 

[uncleeagle]

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

That is what I do not get about the US. If you are living and working overseas and paying tax in the country where you work, why should you still have to worry about the IRS.

 

As a Brit, that has never been a concern for me. The UK IRS has never been chasing me for anything. I could go back tomorrow and start off fresh after having lived and worked in Thailand for 38 years.  

 

US citizens are taxed on their worldwide income with a credit for foreign paid tax, an exemption on the first $90000 or so of income and some expense allowance. So as Singapore tax is much lower than US tax he may have had 20 years of back taxes plus fines. 

[WhereIsMyRyeBread]

1 hour ago, MadMac said:

Pretty stupid I say. He could have kept both.

On applying for Thai citizenship if you're not born in Thailand, Thai authorities require applicants for Thai citizenship to make a statement of intent to relinquish their original nationality upon acquisition of the Thai citizenship, so that's what he did. If you're actually born in the Evil Empire but revoked your citizenship I doubt it would be particularly hard to get it back if one wanted.

[bbi1]

13 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

US is one of the best citizenships to have.

One of the best citizenships? lol

[GarryP]

2 minutes ago, uncleeagle said:

 

US citizens are taxed on their worldwide income with a credit for foreign paid tax, an exemption on the first $90000 or so of income and some expense allowance. So as Singapore tax is much lower than US tax he may have had 20 years of back taxes plus fines. 

Wow. That is crazy. Perhaps a reason to renounce his US citizenship. Luckily, in my case, UK is not like that. 

[holy cow cm]

1 minute ago, bbi1 said:

Locked in to paying tax on your worldwide income and having to file tax returns for the rest of your life even if you don't earn in the US, unable or difficult to open bank accounts all over the world and limited investments due to no countries wanting to deal with US people due to stupid FACTA. Those are just a few starting reasons.

OH BS. Expats are exempt from taxes up to the limit of $102k and long as you are physically in another country for 330 days or not be in the US for over 35 days.. But Social Security of 13% needs top be paid, but then again that is for retirement and Medicare. 

[GarryP]

3 minutes ago, WhereIsMyRyeBread said:

On applying for Thai citizenship if you're not born in Thailand, Thai authorities require applicants for Thai citizenship to make a statement of intent to relinquish their original nationality upon acquisition of the Thai citizenship, so that's what he did. If you're actually born in the Evil Empire but revoked your citizenship I doubt it would be particularly hard to get it back if one wanted.

It is a statement of intent. It is not followed up on. Perhaps one of the reasons it is not enforced is that quite a few important Thai people have also obtained foreign citizenship. Also, I do not think that the law actually requires renunciation. 

[holy cow cm]

3 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

One of the best citizenships? lol

And I Lol back to your lol with a bigger LOL. 

[bbi1]

9 minutes ago, talahtnut said:

I would prefer Thai citizenship over US any day.

US has over been in over 100 wars since WW2.

Probably the most hated and distrusted nation

on Earth.

 

On that note, I would not want to hold an American or Israeli passport if some crazed Arab-looking bearded man screaming certain things decided that he was going to take out people who hold certain passports.

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, holy cow cm said:

And I Lol back to your lol with a bigger LOL. 

Yes..but where are these posters "recruited" from?

 

Thais returning from the US or UK after a tertiary education and slotted into sundry government departments?

 

 

[BobbyL]

Pretty rash decision. Maybe for him it makes sense, however his children could have really benefited from dual citizenship and a US passport in their future.