Make Thailand a "hub" for digital nomads, suggests influential Thai politician

[bkk_bwana]

19 hours ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

Well then, it is lucky you are in a democratic country where the government listens to the wishes of it's people...

Does that relate to my question asking if digital nomads would pay tax?

Edited October 19, 2020 by bkk_bwana

[bkkcanuck8]

5 minutes ago, bkk_bwana said:

Does that relate to my question asking if digital nomads would pay tax?

Would digital nomads pay tax... that depends on Thailand, but I expect it to be based on existing tax policy.  A person is resident if they live more than 180 days out of the year here, and Thailand taxes based on world-wide income... as such legally a nomad visa where you are resident here 180 days or more out of the year - you would be liable for taxes here.  With pensions etc. they are typically not taxed because technically it is not considered 'income earned' in the current year -- i.e. it is deferred income (in your home country you pay taxes that were deferred from the time that the income was earned - but the income is technically not earned after).   That said -- currently tracking income across borders is difficult at best - you could get paid into offshore accounts so visibility would not exist on anything you did not bring into the country - and the money that you brought in is not necessarily income you earned in the current year.  There is of course a risk of an audit if you are on a nomad visa.   If people are over 50 though, it would make no sense to use the digital nomad visa.  There are also typically international agreements with regards to double taxation, when I had not severed my residency while working in the US... I would get paid by a US corporation, taxes would be deducted in the country of employment.  I would then be liable to pay Canadian taxes as well, but the amount of foreign tax was deductible which means that the country of residence but not of work receives what is left over (if tax rates are higher).  As the visa does not exist we can only guess at what the implementation is.  Understand though that if people are taxed locally, then they should also be treated equally with regards to health care, pensions or any government programs.

[balo]

Finally a sensible man, of course it will never happen, just like legal gambling in Thailand never will happen.  Casinos ?  Try Cambodia. 

[bkk_bwana]

14 hours ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

Would digital nomads pay tax... that depends on Thailand, but I expect it to be based on existing tax policy.  A person is resident if they live more than 180 days out of the year here, and Thailand taxes based on world-wide income..

Thailand taxes on income derived from business or employment carried out in Thailand, not world-wide income. If you earn abroad and it is remitted into Thailand then you liable to be taxed on this too.