By Barry Kenyon

[Gaybutton]

Now it seems that Thailand has wised up and dropped the Chinese police idea. First intelligent move I've seen so far with this one.

What do you suppose the odds might be that someone will stand up and say "This was my idea." ?
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Thailand drops joint patrols with Chinese police after public backlash

Reuters

November 14, 2023

BANGKOK, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Thailand rolled back on Tuesday plans of joint patrols with Chinese police in popular tourist spots after public backlash.

Tourism officials on Sunday floated the idea of having Chinese and Thai police patrol much-visited areas to build confidence among tourists, including Chinese nationals.

The plan, however, sparked uproar online, drawing criticism that it compromised national sovereignty, and a rebuke from the country's police chief.

"There are many alternative ways to build confidence for tourists in Thailand ... but we will not have joint patrols," Tourism Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol told reporters on Tuesday.

"The Thai police force is already adequate and are working hard to restore confidence," Sudawan said.

Thai authorities have rushed to tighten security after last month's shooting spree at a luxury mall in Bangkok in which two people, including one Chinese national, were killed, fanned safety concerns.

Restoring confidence is critical for Thailand's tourism industry, especially among Chinese visitors.

They accounted for 11 million out of record 39.9 million foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand in 2019, but their return after the COVID-19 pandemic has been sluggish, prompting the government in September to waive visa requirements for Chinese nationals.

So far this year, Thailand has welcomed 23.2 million foreign arrivals.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-paci ... 023-11-14/

[Gaybutton]

Thailand’s proposal to tax foreign income next year could end up in court

By Barry Kenyon

November 16, 2023

A former chairman of Baker McKenzie, the influential legal services firm based in Bangkok, has suggested that the controversial Thai Revenue announcement could be contested in court. Kitipong Urapeepattanapong, as reported in Thai Examiner, said that the Revenue was reinterpreting an existing code which has been in operation for 38 years. It is neither a law nor an administrative or ministerial regulation and could well be challenged in court with a good chance of success. He argued that a new law or a royal decree was necessary in these circumstances.

The Revenue last September issued a decree that, starting in January 2024, tax must be paid on income brought in from abroad from another jurisdiction no matter when the cash was generated. This changed the 1985 regulation that arriving income was only taxable if transferred in the same year it was earned. Many expats, probably most, are worried that the Revenue will start taxing them on income already taxed in the home country, mainly pensions and social security payments. If they live in Thailand for more than 180 days in a year, they are regarded as residents liable for taxation.

Kitipong said that his standpoint was shared by other notables, including a former supreme court judge, although the Revenue would presumably argue that its recent statement is simply an enforcement decree which does not require parliamentary intervention. The whole issue joins many other doubts and ambiguities which continue to plague the whole subject. There is no doubt that the Revenue means to target principally Thais or foreigners who enjoy business profits abroad, are currency speculators or have funds in offshore accounts including Hong Kong. But the Revenue has remained silent for the past two months and claims to be collecting information from stakeholders.

Law firm commentators in Bangkok divide into two groups. Some believe that typical expats have nothing to fear if living here on cash already taxed in the home country. They often quote double-taxation treaties which Thailand has made with around 60 countries. Others, however, point out that double-taxation treaties are all different and don’t necessarily reassure on points of concern currently spotlighted in Thailand. Not to mention the potential paperwork which expats might have to fill in annually to convince the Revenue of their exempted status. Some are suggesting that large sums should be transmitted to Thailand before the end of 2023. Meanwhile the waiting game for clear information drags on and on. The real answer, of course, is for Thailand to follow the example of Singapore and Hong Kong where the only income tax levied is on cash specifically earned in their own specific territories.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... urt-445581

[Dodger]

I think it's reached the point that we can all start yawning.

[Gaybutton]

Thailand’s 6,000 marijuana shops can stay open if they behave themselves

By Barry Kenyon

November 18, 2023

The public health ministry has completed the first draft of a new cannabis act, but without automatically reclassifying the “controlled herb” as a narcotic. That’s according to health minister Cholnan Srikaew. However, any extract containing more than 0.2 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) will be so listed and potentially subject buyers and sellers to prosecution. The draft makes clear that the use of the weed for medical purposes will continue and expand, but not for recreational reasons which will become specifically off the agenda.

In the short term at least, most marijuana shops in the kingdom will remain open although they will need a detailed license to operate, and will be required to ban on-site smoking as well as the sale of cannabis buds. The new law will also list the places which cannot allow cannabis on their premises. Likely candidates for banning are cafes, retail outlets, pubs and clubs. Smoking cannabis at home or in a hotel room remains a grey area, though puffing in your own abode should technically be only for medical reasons and not to enjoy a high.

Everyone agrees that the current legal situation in Thailand, since decriminalization of the plant last year, is a free-for-all as various businesses entered the sector with little regulatory guidance or oversight. The 6,000 marijuana shops which have sprung up, mainly in tourist areas, do not invariably have proper licences, ban teenagers or restrict their sales to low-level THC products. Supporters of stricter rules say a new law will help avoid oversupply in a saturated market and end the misconception that smoking pot for fun is fine and dandy.

Critics are far from sure the new law will work. Owner of several cannabis shops in Pattaya and beyond Jo Jintana said, “There is likely to be an early crackdown on unlicensed outlets, but the distinction between health and pleasure is inevitably blurred. If a guy is found smoking pot, he may say he’s depressed or is in pain, but also enjoys a puff.” He added that vice crackdowns by police in the past have tended to be one-offs more designed to attract favorable publicity. “All prostitution has been illegal in Thailand since the 1960s, but you’d never know it would you?”

Although some cannabis retail outlets proclaim that they are dispensaries for resolving medical issues, some retain names which suggest recreational satisfaction. Examples include Cannabis High Depot, The Lovely Leaf, Grashaus Coffeeshop and Get Stoned. They may have to think it out again.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ves-445749

[Dodger]

First draft of the revised law is clear as mud as expected.

In Reality: Marijuana has always been available in Thailand and will continue to be available regardless of what anyone says.

TIT

[Gaybutton]

Thailand can try all the gimmicks they want, but none will be a major factor in attracting tourists. I don't know how many people do their planning the way I do mine. Maybe many. Maybe none. Once I decide where I want to travel, the first consideration is the total cost - everything from airfare to food. Second consideration is safety. I won't be planning a trip to Afghanistan any time soon. If it is affordable and reasonably safe, great. If it isn't, then I'll go elsewhere or just stay home. For me, things like visa exemptions aren't even in the equation.
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Visa exemptions in Thailand don’t result in a tourist boom

By Barry Kenyon

November 23, 2023

The prime minister’s hope that temporarily suspending visa requirements will automatically result in a quick-fix foreign tourist expansion has proved optimistic. Nationals of China, India, Russia, Taiwan and Kazakhstan all have had visa rules suspended with tourists allowed 30 days on arrival (Russians 90 days). However, the discretion has failed to move the needle on Chinese entries in particular, with flights still only 60 percent of the volume pre-Covid. Many Chinese currently prefer to vacation domestically in a stalled economy and with negative reports about Thailand appearing in Chinese media.

Also on the stocks is a half-promise (but not formally announced) that some European countries, such as the UK and Germany, might see an improvement on the 30 days visa exempt they currently receive to 90 days or three months. The idea is that they would stay longer to enjoy themselves if only the visa rules were softer. Actually, there are around 60 countries potentially able to benefit including the UK, the EU, the United States, Australia and some other traditional sources of tourism in the Middle East.

Again, the potential impact on tourist growth should not be exaggerated. European tourists, for example, currently stay an average of 18 days and most of them presumably have commitments at home which preclude a longer vacation. Moreover, longer-stay tourists do not currently have to leave Thailand after the first 30 days but can extend for a further month at local Thai immigration on payment of 1,900 baht (US$57). Even after that, they can take a day trip to the border, usually Cambodian, and repeat the procedure of 30 days plus a repeat 30 days. So a total of four months or around 120 days is available visa-free under current rules, admittedly with some inconvenience and expense. But the government seems wary of including all 60 countries in an extended visa free discretion.

Thailand’s competitors such as Vietnam, are dismantling visa regulations for some tourists as a direct response to Thailand’s moves. Moreover, there are some concerns of Thai police that the withdrawal of tourist visas, all technically pilot schemes, might be admitting less desirable types. They cite unsubstantiated rumors of Chinese beggars on the streets of Thai cities and a rise in the number of Indian tourists working illegally in restaurants. Yet what is abundantly clear is that changes in visa exemptions are just one determinant of how many tourists enter Thailand. Quick fixes often have a slow fuse.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... oom-446068

[Jun]

Thailand can try all the gimmicks they want, but none will be a major factor in attracting tourists. I don't know how many people do their planning the way I do mine. Maybe many. Maybe none. Once I decide where I want to travel, the first consideration is the total cost - everything from airfare to food. Second consideration is safety. I won't be planning a trip to Afghanistan any time soon. If it is affordable and reasonably safe, great.

For many people, your "Once I decide where I want to travel" decision is the critical part here.

There are probably numerous countries that are comparable with Thailand on cost and safety. The obvious ones would be Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, much of The Philippines, probably Indonesia and prior to the civil war, Myanmar.

However, I bet most of us have spent more time in Thailand than all of the other 7 countries on the list put together. The culture and boys probably have a lot to do with it. However, not everyone has such priorities.

The first things Thailand ought to do is remove all the unnecessary deterrents, including the small ones:
1 Ensure visas do not constrain trip lengths
2 Ensure immigration is quick and easy
3 Speed up baggage handling
4 Stop the banking cartel price gouging tourists with their ~200 baht ATM fees
etc

Items 2,3 & 4 don't worry me, but there are probably tourists who are less attached to Thailand & some may be discouraged by a few small problems, particularly if they like other countries & it's a finely balanced decision.

It wouldn't surprise me if some are put off by the pollution. That won't stop me going to Thailand, but it would discourage me from going back to Chiang Mai in January or February.

[Gaybutton]

Thai Revenue offers glimmer of clarification on tax changes

By Barry Kenyon

November 24, 2023

The Revenue Department this week has reassured Thais and expats living here that the new rules on taxation apply only from January 2024 and not earlier. There had been speculation that the Revenue might start probing cash transactions to Thailand in earlier years as, in theory, they have the power to do.

This is the first statement by the Revenue about the taxation changes since September 2023 when it announced its intention to tax income from overseas by tax residents – anyone who lives here for at least six months in a year – no matter when the cash was or will be transferred. The statement at least shows that the Revenue is aware of the complexity of the whole issue.

Expats in Thailand, mostly ignored until now by the tax authority unless legally working here, are concerned that they might be taxed in future on income already taxed in their country of nationality. Typically, state or private pensions, social security payments and some inheritances fall into this category. Many countries have double-taxation agreements with Thailand, although the precise relevance varies from treaty to treaty.

Most Thai legal experts say that the Revenue is primarily interested in Thais or expats with offshore banks accounts, a history of currency speculation or profit-making business enterprises overseas. However, the only way of distinguishing them from typically retired “tax residents” would be for all to register with the Revenue for a tax identification number. That procedure, if required in future, does not necessarily mean that tax would be due.

It is unlikely that the many ambiguities in this saga will be resolved by January 1 next year. This is not a law passed by Parliament but a reinterpretation of traditional Revenue policy which could even be challenged in court. Hence, Revenue clarifications (assuming there are any) are likely to be announced throughout 2024. Any tax due would be payable in 2025.

The best advice to worried expats, notably those retired or living here on family or Elite visas, is to wait for instructions from a government or Revenue authority. For many reasons, that wait may be a long one. It is even possible that, for the first year or two, registration with the Revenue might be “voluntary”, that is only those who believe they are eligible to pay tax should come forward. Overseas cash transactions can be monitored by Thai tax authorities in any case.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/thai-r ... ges-446133

[Gaybutton]

The best advice to worried expats, notably those retired or living here on family or Elite visas, is to wait for instructions from a government or Revenue authority. For many reasons, that wait may be a long one.

In other words - don't worry until you have something to worry about. So far all this talk about expats living in Thailand under the retirement visa ending up having their income taxed is a lot of, as the Brits might say, codswallop.

Too many people are getting all upset over an issue likely to be moot in the first place.

The government is not much help. As far as I can tell, so far nobody in any kind of authority has clarified any aspect of this at all. Since all we have is speculation, some of which is coming from people who probably know much more about it than most of us. But even so, it is speculation - and speculation is the main cause of all the brouhaha because in reality so far nobody knows a damned thing - and don't be surprised if that turns out to include the government officials. Maybe that's why there has been no clarification. They might not know anything more about it than we do. If that turns out to be the case, would anyone be surprised . . . ?

[Gaybutton]

I wish I had known about this before. I would gladly have signed off on the letter. Until now I have seen no mention of this anywhere.
I hope it helps and doesn't fall on deaf ears.
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Pattaya expats lobby Thai prime minister for better visa treatment

By Barry Kenyon

November 25, 2023

A group of expats based in Pattaya, mainly holding one year extensions of stay for retirement or marriage, have written to Premier Srettha Thavisin to campaign for more humane treatment. Leader John Foulds, a British retiree, said that the government seemed to be interested only in expanding short term tourists by abolishing visas for mass markets, such as China and India, and easing the life of wealthy expat professionals on large salaries. He quoted the recent announcement about 10 year executive or professional work permits in the Eastern Economic Corridor offering specially discounted tax rates on earnings and confirming avoidance of 90 days reporting.

Mr Foulds explained, “By contrast, there never seems to be any good news for the mainstay expats who have retired here on pensions or are supporting Thai wives and families over many years. Now it looks like we may be faced by demands to register with the Thai tax system because of changing revenue rules and face more hurdles in renewing their annual visas.” He suggested that expats on one year renewals should be exempt from revenue regulations, at any rate until the system was open and equitable. “The very idea that expats like me living on an already taxed pension need to produce a whole load of annual paperwork to justify why we should not be re-taxed is a very sour notion.”

Amongst other visa complaints raised by the group are recent changes to the 90 day reporting system which require (in Chonburi) a new form and accompanying passport copies every three months, an increasing amount of paperwork required from Thai banks about the account holder’s cash balance and periodic alarm raised about compulsory medical insurance. “It’s as if older retirees in my position are being deliberately squeezed or forced into expensive visa options such as the 10-year Long Term Residence or 5-20 years Elite,” added Mr. Foulds. He said many retirees he knew were already planning to leave Thailand or relocate to more friendly visa regimes in Vietnam or Cambodia.

Expat visas in Thailand are now a complex field of options, each with its own set of rules. More recent choices have been aimed at wealthier foreigners or those prepared to pay lavishly upfront for a specific number of years. As regards the traditional one year extensions of stay based on retirement and marriage, there are thought to be at least 300,000 mostly-male visa holders including a sizeable number financially supporting Thai wives and families. Although Thai immigration does not publish comprehensive data, there may be 200,000 more foreigners living here part time on tourist and non-immigrant visas which they use together with spells of time outside the country.

A spokesperson for the Tourist Authority of Thailand said that she was well aware that the recent Thai revenue announcement had caused alarm in some expat quarters, but feedback was still being fed into headquarters. A representative of the Thai immigration hotline pointed out that the regulations for retiree and marriage annual extensions had remained basically the same for the past 15 years, if subject to some minor local variations. Given Thailand’s former good reputation as a retirement haven and the high daily spending by many foreigners with annual retiree or family permits, Mr. Foulds’ group is advising the Thai premier not to ignore these contributions to the national coffers. A sizeable market is in danger of being lost.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ent-446213