Do expats needing to file a tax return in Thailand after staying over 180 days annually?

@Rok *******

Sadly so many people are being duped by online tax agents operating in Thailand. They should read the DTA relevant to their country

@Wylie ******

You said you went to the tax office and they said you don't need to file, and then went on to say they don't know what they're doing. Does it matter? If they say you don't need a tax ID, that's the end of the story. I've lived in Thailand for 15 years and every one of those years I've been deemed a "Thai Tax Resident" and yet every one of those years I haven't needed to file a return, because, very simply, I have zero assessable income. I have it in writing so the "consequences" are a big fat zero. How easy is that?

@Andy ***********

Again, where did I say, or even imply, that I did not consider that the end of the story for me? I left the office and didn't think twice about it besides making a comment about my experience.

As for my comment that they don't know what they're doing, I stand by it. When multiple offices are giving contradictory and conflicting information, it's clear that communication, understanding or interpretation of the law, and enforcement are not well-coordinated. I think that's a strong indication that they don't know what they're doing. If you have a different opinion that's great. I stand by mine.

As for you not having assessable income and not needing to file, that is irrelevant to any of the issues that you're trying to raise with my comments, and unrelated to any comment I made.

@Wylie ******

Except you're misguided by your belief that as you bring money into Thailand and live here for 180 days you are required to submit a tax return, which you're not necessarily required to do. Your tax office tells you no, but you still don't quite believe them

@Andy ***********

Again. Where did I say that one needs to file if one "brings money" into thailand? I said I told immigration "because I remit INCOME into thailand". And I never said whether or not that income was assessable. You just assumed it was not, along with assuming what I believe and do not believe.

You really do need to brush up on reading comprehension and just stop trying to find any little thing you can to pick apart about anything I said. You're not good at it.

@Wylie ******

Actually your narrative is not easy to follow. Money has to be brought into Thailand to be "remitted income" so it's difficult to understand what point you're trying to make

@Roberto ********

I literally say I "remit income into Thialand" in my very first comment. That makes it pretty clear that it is income and not savings, and that I brought that money into thailand. Seriously, how much more clearer can that possibly be?

@Wylie ******

Except all remittances into Thailand are deemed as income until shown otherwise. Your comments in this thread are somewhat vague, so I can see how others are misinterpreting what you are saying

@Roberto ********

and how exactly does one show otherwise? There was nothing vague about it. I said I remitted INCOME into thailand, not that I remitted money into thailand that is considered income until proven otherwise. One could simply trust that I know what is and isn't income instead of making the assumption that I don't. Especially when it doesn't change the point I was making in any way, since the tax department never even asked any details of how much money I brought in or where it came from. I could've brought in 20 million baht of income that needed to be taxed, but they didn't ask or care.

I didn't realize I needed to give the specific details of every single penny I brought into thailand. You want more details than the tax department did, which kind of proves the point of my original post.

First you say I didn't say something, and after clearly reminding you that I said EXACTLY what you said I didn't say, you then try and pick apart some other small nonsense detail. Rather than be an adult and say "oh, I completely missed that". Seriously, you two are a bunch of clowns that don't know when to stop when your behind.

@Wylie ******

It's little wonder the tax office showed you the door! You make absolutely zero sense! You want to see a clown. Go look in the mirror! 🤡🤡🤡. Oh and it's "you're" not "your" but you obviously escaped a proper education!! 😂😂

@Roberto ********

haha. Reading comprehension really isn't your guys strong suit is it. Next time I'll run it through chatGPT and have it rewrite my comment at a 2nd grade reading level for you.

You felt the need to chime in and say my original comment was hard to follow because I specifically didnt say something. Then when I pointed out that I did in fact say EXACTLY what you claimed I didn't, you needed to clarify. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Just like the other clown you assume nonsense, like they "showed me the door". It was a very simple and civil 2 minute conversation with a couple of back and forth questions. After which I said thank you and left. But that's me being shown the door in your world.🤣🤣🤣

Now all you have to fall back on is a simple missed "you're vs your". I'm sure glad to know there's people out there that are perfect and never ever miss a spelling or grammatical error like yourself.

Pathetic. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

@Wylie ******

And the civilised conversation led to you posting on Facebook that the tax office is "clueless"? With your long-winded ambiguous crap it's little wonder! 😂😂

@Roberto ********

Haha, this is where reading comprehension comes in handy. I said they are either clueless OR doing it on purpose to minimize their workload.

Tell me, since you're the tax expert, does someone automatically get out of filing or owing taxes simply because they don't have a work permit? Because that's exactly what they told me. They never asked how much money I brought into Thailand, the source of that money, or any other relevant questions. All they cared about was whether I had a work permit and whether I worked inside Thailand. Are you going claim that's correct just so you can keep arguing? Because it's not. So they either don't know their own tax laws OR are intentionally misleading people to avoid doing extra work. What exactly is it if it isn't one of those two things? My statement stands and is correct. Whose the village idiot now.🤣🤣🤣

Seriously, you don't know how to stop when YOU'RE behind. Why don't you go back and find some other spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors. At least you got that one right.🤣

@Wylie ******

When I went to the tax office I guess I went better prepared than you. I took my Certificate Of Tax Residency from Australia and my Australian Pension Statement. That was enough to be told that I don't need to submit a tax return in Thailand as my tax residency is Australia. They subsequently sent me a letter to this effect. Very simple and they knew what they were doing (and if they got it wrong, who am I to post on Facebook claiming they don't know what they're doing?). How easy is that? And you're saying it's ME who lacks comprehension skills? 😂😂

@Roberto ********

So you’re refusing to answer my question: does not having a work permit automatically mean someone doesn’t have to file taxes? You know I’m right, which is why you’re dodging it. And who said I wasn’t prepared with my documents? You keep assuming sh*t. I had far more than you did.

Again, reading comprehension is useful. I CLEARLY said they didn’t ask me a single question about anything. Nothing about tax residency, how much money I brought in, the source of that money, nothing. None of the questions that the office you went to asked you. As soon as I said I didn’t have a work permit, they didn’t care about anything else. The fact that the office you went to may have known what they were doing has absolutely no bearing on whether the office I went to did. The numerous reports of conflicting information being given by different offices only confirm what I said. Yet you're here acting like all offices within a government agency are 100% aligned with the actual rules as if its you're first time in Thailand.

Now you bring up your experience, which you hadn’t mentioned before, and act like that somehow proves I lack reading comprehension. 🤣🤣🤣

I accept their answer because it's the office I would be filing at. I didn't push anything, I wasn't "shown the door". That doesn’t mean it's the correct answer, nor does it mean I can’t comment on my experience — specifically, that not all offices are the same and that some either don’t know the rules or don’t want to deal with the additional workload.

Seriously, just stop dude. You’re embarrassing yourself. Every time I shoot down the criticism you're trying to make you come up with some new nonsense.

@Wylie ******

When I went to the tax office, I'd already read the tax code and the DTA, something which you obviously didn't do. Sometimes we have to take a little responsibility for our own destiny. As the tax office were familiarised with my situation, they were able to give me the correct answers, and were prepared to put this in writing. You went the complete wrong way about it and requested a tax ID before you'd even ascertained if you had assessable income. It's people like you who make money for the "Tax Advisors" out there touting for your business (because they don't get a single baht out of me!)

@Roberto ********

Haha. So you still refuse to answer the question? And once again, you assume I didn’t read the tax code or the DTA or come prepared, which I absolutely did. But it’s “obvious” to you that I didn’t, based on what exactly? That I was prepared enough to know they gave me the wrong answer?

Show me, on the Thai Revenue Department’s own document, where it says that someone doesn’t need a tax number or doesn’t need to file simply because they don’t have a work permit:



You won’t find it, because a work permit is absolutely not the deciding factor in whether someone needs a tax number or needs to file.

As for DTAs and avoiding double taxation, that’s claimed as a credit. Tell me, how does one claim a credit if they don't file? That’s clearly stated at the end of the document. But maybe you won't understand that based on your stellar display of comprehension.

You, like them, have no idea what my financial situation is, which I was fully prepared to show them. Even if I hadn’t been prepared, how does asking for a tax number first make them correct in claiming I don’t need one or don’t need to file? How would they know, when they didn’t ask a single question beyond whether or not I had a work permit? I could have brought in 20 million baht that’s tax-assessable, and they didn’t care. Either they didn’t know their own tax code, or they were intentionally avoiding the work. Which was my original point that you are absolutely refusing to acknowledge.

Why is it so hard for you to get that through your thick skull and accept that a government employee in Thailand might not be fully up to speed on their own tax regulations? Despite numerous reports of conflicting advice given by different offices.

JFC, you’re just grasping at anything you can, making ridiculous assumptions and arguments just to keep arguing. You’re an absolute clown. I can't wait to see what you'll come up with next. Or perhaps you finally decide to stop arguing a losing point.

@Wylie ******

You keep pushing the work permit line. Work permit has nothing to do with taxation. I never said that. I was amused that you went totally unprepared to the tax office to make enquiries and when they showed you the door, you went into meltdown

@Roberto ********

🤣🤣🤣🤣 Well, this has been mildly entertaining, but I’ve reached my daily limit for ignorance and nonsense. Have a lovely day.

@Wylie ******

You too. Try not to get too upset because you couldn't get your Tax ID.

@Wylie ******

I think you're struggling with comprehension! "Remit income" is actually bringing money into Thailand 😂

@Andy ***********

🤣🤣🤣 does that change the fact that I NEVER said anything remotely close to bringing money, or income into thailand automatically meant it was assessable and a person needed to file? You assumed my income wasn't assesable and then felt the need to twist my words into something I did not say just so you could correct it. After I shot you down on your other criticisms of my comments. You just keep searching for anything, even if you have to make it up.

@Wylie ******

Now you're ranting! Good luck with your remitted income which you didn't bring into Thailand! 👍👍