By Barry Kenyon

[Gaybutton]

For those holding the type O retirement visa (not the O-A) there are no changes to the current rules.
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Thailand’s new visa rules from June 1 break fresh ground

By Barry Kenyon

May 29, 2024

Nationals from 93 countries – including Brits, EU citizens, Americans, Australians – will now receive a no-charge, 60 days visa-exempt stamp on entering as opposed to the current 30 days. Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke did not go into detail, but they presumably can then re-enter Thailand by air, land (border runs) or sea to receive a further two months visa-free. The new rules will also apply to Indians and Chinese as well as dozens of other countries including Morocco and Albania.

The new 60 day visa free policy has several consequences. It will no longer be necessary for anyone from the 93 countries to seek a month’s extension after the first 30 days from local immigration offices which will thus lose the 1,900 baht (around US$50) fee currently imposed. The absence of these nationals from immigration offices will certainly reduce the queues, although there is still the requirement to report their Thai address within a day or two of arrival either in person or via their hotel registration.

There are also implications for Thai Revenue’s policy “clarification” to tax the overseas income of tax residents – namely anyone staying in the country more than 180 days in a calendar year. Using a combination of the new 60 days rule, plus a couple of border runs, it would easily be possible for individuals to clock up more than six month residence without having any visa at all. Thus the idea that Thai Revenue can identify potential tax residents by the type of visa they have is faulty. Enforcement of the new Revenue regulations is still unclear to say the least.

In other moves, the number of non-immigrant visas will be reduced by creating a new DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) which will now cover remote workers, sportsmen, musicians and medical tourists amongst others. The DTV will allow a stay of up to 180 days plus an extension on payment of a further fee for a period of five years. The government spokesman did not provide all the details, but there is provision for families to join the visa holder. The cost of the visa appears to be 10,000 baht per 180 days with a 500,000 baht bond lodged in a local bank.

In a separate development from September 1, the minimum medical insurance rule for “0/A” visa retirees – those who initially obtained that visa from a Thai embassy – will return to 400,000 baht inpatient and 40,000 baht outpatient cover to replace the current 3 million baht plus or US$100,000. There is no indication that a cash substitute for insurance will be permitted, nor any sign yet that the current insurance exemption for retirees extending an “0” visa will end. Overall, the new visa policy according to the Cabinet is to raise sorely-needed revenue from tourists and expats by making life easier for the end users. The aim is to welcome 80 million overseas visitors by 2027, more than double the current total.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... und-461766

[gerefan]

Why haven’t they published this earlier?

I’m in the process is applying for a 60 day visa that I want to use next month.

I’ve been through the horror of trying to fathom out the application form and have had to submit additional information.

AND I have paid £30. Will it be refunded…will it fcuk.

Any normal country would publish their new rules in advance so that applicants know where they stand….not less than3 days ahead.

TiT

[Gaybutton]

AND I have paid £30. Will it be refunded…will it fcuk.

That, of course, must be a rhetorical question. You paid before the new rules go into effect. Your £30 - Gone with the Wind . . .

Refund? Surely you jest. You'll be lucky if you don't have to pay a second time.

[Gaybutton]

Latest Thailand visa news: what we are waiting to hear

By Barry Kenyon

May 31, 2024

The extension of visa-free travel to 93 countries, including all those which are major players in tourism to Thailand, means that the overwhelming majority of foreign holidaymakers can obtain 60 days just by turning up. Nationals of those countries still needing a prior visa – for example Haiti, Pakistan, the Central African Republic, El Salvador, North Korea – send few vacationers in any case.

The mammoth question for the 93 countries is now extensions and repeat performances. In other words, can these tourists extend their 60 days for another month at local immigration and can they do a border hop to start all over again? Nobody can confirm either possibility and a phone call to 1178, the immigration hotline, brought no clarification. That’s not surprising as the new visa rules for visitors were introduced by the foreign affairs ministry, whilst internal extensions are the responsibility of the immigration bureau, a totally separate and fiercely independent government bureaucracy.

The new Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), so far, is incomplete. We know is a multiple entry visa, valid for 5 years and aimed largely at remote workers and digital nomads, for a maximum stay of 180 days with an extension of another 180 days. The cost is 10,000 baht (around US$270) per half-year with a security bond of 500,000 baht available. Some social media contributors have stated this visa can be used only twice in five years, 180+180 days as it were, whilst others have declared you can live in Thailand for the entire five years as an alternative to the Elite visa or the annual extension of stay based on retirement. Neither extreme makes any sense.

There is very little news in the new policy for existing expats, apart from a temporary reduction in medical insurance required by some (not all) holders of retirement visas and their subsequent extensions of stay. However, there is an intriguing reference in the ministry of foreign affairs’ news release that the number of non-immigrant visas available will be drastically cut. The detail, once again, is guesswork but could include visas and extensions for retirees, foreigners married to Thais, work permit holders and international students being updated. Will the well-known difference between the 800,000 baht requirement for retiree visas and the 400,000 baht for married foreigners survive?

Not mentioned in the DTV news release, is the awesome elephant in the room. That’s the requirement, already stated by the Thai Revenue authorities, for all foreign tax residents to register by early next year for possible personal income tax on overseas income. A tax resident spends more than six months in Thailand in the calendar year. If the Thai government is serious about encouraging expat numbers in Thailand, it should issue an unambiguous statement that foreign income or pensions already taxed will in the home country will not be subject to further inquiry in Thailand. The sense of relief would be audible from the Myanmar border to the southern islands beyond Phuket. But don’t hold your breath.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ear-461887

[Gaybutton]

If the Thai government is serious about encouraging expat numbers in Thailand, it should issue an unambiguous statement that foreign income or pensions already taxed will in the home country will not be subject to further inquiry in Thailand. The sense of relief would be audible from the Myanmar border to the southern islands beyond Phuket. But don’t hold your breath.

I also won't be holding my breath. My question is WHY? Why do we continually hear from all the "experts", who have no way of knowing any more about it than we do, but nothing from the Thai government?

Is it that the powers-that-be have yet to make up their own minds? Are there serious issue disputes? If the government already knows what they are going to do, what purpose is served by keeping the information from us?

My own conclusion is they have not yet decided.

[Jun]

Or do they want it so ambiguous that expats will use agencies to handle their tax affairs & grease the wheels, just like some do with imigration ?

[Gaybutton]

I have always believed, and continue to believe, that there are many more gays than surveys and statistics tell us. Just how many more - I have no idea, but significantly more.

I also believe there are many more "straights" who have had, and maybe occasionally continue to have, gay experiences - and I don't mean gay-for-pay.

I also think there are still a great many people in the closet and are afraid to come out.
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Yet another survey on Thailand’s gay population launched

By Barry Kenyon

June 3, 2024

Some gay activists are not so sure about a new national headcount of sexual minorities in Thailand to help design a better living and welfare policy for them. Chadlerm Jandee said, “Sexuality is a very wide spectrum and LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbians, Gays, Transgenders, Queers, Intersex, Asexuals and others.” He added that many people who have gay experiences don’t necessarily identify as homosexual.

Thai premier Srettha Thavisin said the forthcoming marriage act for same sex partners is not the end of the story. “We then want to pursue gender recognition (the right of people to choose their identity on official documents) and sex worker laws,” he explained. The new survey of the National Statistical Office and others will be based on provincial households and online surveys of Thais aged 15 and above.

There have already been many attempts in Thailand to pinpoint gay numbers. Ipsos, the market research organization, this year estimated 9 percent of 71 million Thais, but others have suggested anywhere from 3 percent to over 20 percent. It is generally agreed that younger Thais, in particular the GenZ generation presently aged up to 27 years, are more likely to identify with a sexual minority than older citizens.

Research into gay numbers worldwide has a long history. American Alfred Kinsey in the 1940s toyed with a 10 percent ceiling and was the first to recognize the spectrum of sexuality on the scale of 0-6. In Nazi Germany, SS leader Heinrich Himmler set up a committee to combat homosexuality and ordered the expansion of Dachau concentration camp after being told gays were 2 percent of the adult population.

Porranee Phuprasert, assistant manager of ThaiHealth, said the new survey will collect data on health, mental condition, living conditions and relationships in an attempt to combat stereotypes and discrimination. He said gays still face hostility in the workplace and from gay bashers. Meanwhile, the prime minister is keen to boost revenue by maximizing international tourist arrivals during the 2024 Global Gay Pride Calendar.

Ann “Waaddao” Chumaporn, an organizer of gay pride events, said more gay people were prepared to come out these days. “20 years ago, there were no mobile phones, no Facebook, no widespread internet, no nothing. There were only posters that I had put up in gay bars,” Ann concluded. “If there are more Thais now identifying as gay or belonging to a sexual minority, that’s no surprise.”

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... hed-462231

[Gaybutton]

Does Thailand really want humble expats any more?

By Barry Kenyon

June 6, 2024

The answer is a resounding yes, but on Thailand’s terms. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has championed the “new generation” of longstay visas such as the Long Term Residence, the revamped Elite, the as-yet cloudy Destination Thailand Visa and – for those working legally – income tax concessions and specialist visas such as the four-year Smart.

Together with the improvements for short stay tourists (well over 90 percent of all new arrivals will shortly get 60 days visa-exempt on entry) the reforms are imaginative if sometimes confusing to the general reader. Updated information about them comes variously from the Cabinet or the Tourist Association of Thailand or the Board of Investment or the Immigration Bureau. There is no single source for updates or corrections.

But many expats are outside of these initiatives as they cannot afford the fees. For example, the Long Term Residence requires retiree foreigners to have an income of US$80,000 a year, or even heavier financial investment, and the five year Elite registration is now US$25,000. As a result most expats, retirees and/or married to Thais for the most part, live here on annually renewable extensions of stay based on an original non-immigrant visa.

The annually-renewables are worried about the Thai Revenue’s recent reinterpretation. Section 41 of the tax code, long ignored but now required, means that Thai tax residents (anyone spending more than 180 days in a year here) must obtain a tax identification number and fill in a tax form not later than March 2025 to cover their overseas income transmitted to Thailand in the calendar year 2024. If that income was pre-taxed in the first country which had a double taxation treaty with Thailand, and can be proved by documentation, it is unlikely the cash will be taxed again in Thailand.

But the Revenue has not categorically confirmed that commonly-repeated assumption. Not to mention that the detail varies in the 61 countries which have concluded tax agreements with Thailand. What will happen to the annually-renewables if they stick their heads in the sand and hope for the best nobody knows. Maybe nothing, at first, as there are much bigger fish to fry out there. Thailand tends to be a country of strict laws and poor enforcement strategies. It has been suggested that some visa renewals could be linked to registration with the Revenue, but there is no sign of that happening any time soon.

It’s worth recording that Thailand is one of around 140 countries which have agreed to share with each other international banking transactions of individuals under the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development which opposes tax havens and money laundering. If you flee to Cambodia or the Philippines as a wannabe tax exile remember they are OECD members too. The notion that your banking is a private and confidential affair which is none of anybody else’s business is rapidly becoming an anachronism.

The Revenue in recent days has separately publicized its intent to spread the tax net even further from 2025 by suggesting that tax residents in Thailand should be taxed on income they earn globally, whether transmitted to Thailand or not. This would apparently require a change in the law and is best left alone until further clarified. But, again, most annually renewables don’t own villas in Spain or any other country, salting away the rents in offshore accounts. The best defence remains to prove in documentary style your income wherever it is.

Prime Minister Srettha said this week, “Revenue collection is very important and the finance ministry is also considering additional measures to stimulate the economy.” He is eyeing the big fish who have used loopholes in the Thai tax system for decades to avoid paying the Revenue. Annually-renewables are rarely, if ever, big fish in this context. But the problem is that they swim the same river.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ore-462482

[Gaybutton]

How about a similar clear announcement about whether retirement visa expats are going to have to pay income tax - and Barry agrees: "expats – especially those living on pre-taxed pensions and policies – would now appreciate frankness about the Thai Revenue policy on taxing overseas income, both remitted and worldwide."
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The long-threatened Thai tourist tax finally bites the dust

By Barry Kenyon

June 10, 2024

Srettha Thavisin, the Thai prime minister, has finally announced that the proposed tax on tourist arrivals has been cancelled. The suggested imposition, 300 baht at airports (around US$9) and 150 baht by land or sea, had initially been suggested as the country emerged from the covid pandemic. It had been opposed by the travel industry on the grounds of ambiguity and confusion.

The idea from the National Tourism Policy Committee was originally promoted as a way of funding the medical costs of foreign tourists involved in accidents or who sadly passed from the mortal coil. However, it quickly became apparent that only 10 percent of the fund would be devoted to insurance and would be highly discretionary.

The proposed fund was then marketed as an essential part of repairing and restoring tourist sites such as some temples and archaeological sites. Examples put forward were to install public lavatories at tourist attractions or to restore religious images to their former glory. It was argued that the huge increase in tourist numbers post-covid would require a subsidy from the visitors themselves to keep popular sites from decay.

The issue of how to collect the entry tax was never resolved. It did not apply to Thai citizens, diplomats, work permit holders and babies under two years. Holders of the Elite visa and one-year extensions of stay, based on retirement or marriage, grumbled that they were not “tourists” in any case. Airlines opposed the tax being included in tickets as they could not tell (without detailed inquiry) who should pay it and who should not.

The next suggestion was to install special booths at airports and land borders, an idea quickly discarded because the inevitable long queues could easily ruin Thailand’s positive marketing initiatives. Pre-entry use of credit cards and QR codes was put forward, but was again abandoned as an easy solution. For example, some cards refused to accept transactions for small sums whilst processing can be a time-consuming process.

The issues arising from tourist insurance were addressed in February 2024 by the establishment of the Thailand Traveller Safety Website. This permits cash refunds of between one million and 300,000 baht for untimely deaths and injuries arising from accidents. However, the scheme applies only to those with a “tourist” visa and expires in August 2024. Pre-registration before a calamity is essential for claimants.

Mr Srettha, in his cancellation address, explained that the abandoned scheme wasn’t really worth the effort. He placed his confidence in the growing number of overseas visitors which means more revenue to the national cash pot. But expats – especially those living on pre-taxed pensions and policies – would now appreciate frankness about the Thai Revenue policy on taxing overseas income, both remitted and worldwide. It’s another hot potato.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ust-462864

[Jun]

Mr Srettha, in his cancellation address, explained that the abandoned scheme wasn’t really worth the effort

Some common sense. I'm not sure why it took so long. If you're going to tax arrivals by air, tax them all, so it's easy to collect.

Meanwhile, I am reading elsewhere that citizens of a couple of large countries already are entitled to 60 days without a visa & more will follow soon.
Therefore reducing visa fees, which are more or less equivalent to another form of tax, since processing costs ought to be a small proportion of the fee.

That's probably offset by the increased contribution to the Thai economy from longer stays.