@Philip *****

Are who still in business.. do you mean Expatfone.. as mentioned, I'm a current subscriber.. meaning i use the service myself.. and I'm not aware of any issues 🤔

@Nick ***********

I guess you could get a friend or relative living in the Uk to activate a new Uk sim card for you using their phone.. then mail it to you in Thailand.. but if you already have an active Uk sim then a virtual mobile phone is a good solution 👍

If you have a Uk mobile number that you want to keep 'live' after moving to Thailand.. and want to avoid periodic top-ups on a PAYG sim.. or contract fees for a tariff you cannot use abroad.. then consider moving your number to expatfone.. which gives you a virtual Uk mobile that is accessible via an app.. so it can be used on any handset or tablet etc.. and you get free calls to Uk landlines and mobiles (from Thailand) without ever having to disclose you are out of country.. very useful if you need to call your Uk bank or they need to call you.. and you can send and receive sms messages as well.. so solves your bank verification sms concerns.. there is a monthly fee (works out at about £2 weekly) but it's much cheaper than any alternative i could find.. and if you return to the Uk to live.. you also have the option of porting your number out to another service provider.. so you don't lose your number.. for me it was a no-brainer really!

@Nick ***********

The problem is connecting a new Uk sim to the network to establish it as a 'live' number.. i think you would need to do this when you are still in the Uk.. ie. before travelling overseas.. i could be wrong but i believe trying to connect via a local network here using roaming is unlikely to work for new sim registrations.

@Roberto ********

And with ten zillion atm transactions daily they will surely have the resource to handle such a reporting structure.. having worked in the banking industry for a good portion of my career i can tell you such a system is frought with problems.. and by the time somebody actually gets close to a working (meaning reliable) model.. income tax as we know it will have been abolished.. and will have been replaced by a single 'purchase tax' applicable to new items only.. which will be a flat rate of around 15% in most countries.. and tax returns will become a thing of the past.. so in that sense this discussion becomes irrelevant!

@Roberto ********

From what I've seen.. the Thai tax code does not grant exemptions based upon the 'type' of income.. meaning whether it's earned or unearned income.. and ordinarily your home country cannot stipulate that 'pensions' cannot be taxed in an overseas territory.. ie. if you are deemed tax resident in that territory.. that is surely for Thailand to decide.. there may well be a special agreement with the USA regarding social Security payments but that does not necessarily mean it will apply in all other territories.. and as far as ATM withdrawals are concerned.. can you please explain to me how the Thai tax authorities will be able to monitor withdrawals from overseas bank accounts made through an ATM.. if your ATM card is linked to a Thai bank account that's different of course.. so i'm guessing they are relying upon people self-declaring such withdrawals.. and how many people are going to do that!

@Roberto ********

Double taxation agreements generally give you a 'tax credit' in the secondary tax regime.. meaning if your income is received and taxed under an overseas tax code.. such as your country of origin.. then any tax you have already paid on that income in said country (which you can evidence) will be offset against the tax that would ordinarily have been payable in your country of residence.. as far as expats living in Thailand is concerned.. it would mean that provided the notional tax assessment under the Thai tax code is less than the tax you have already paid in your home country.. then there would be no further tax to pay on that income.. however if for example your home country had a zero tax rate on income.. then the full amount of this income would be subject to taxation in Thailand.. but the caveat to this is that it is only deemed to be 'income' when you bring it into Thailand.. meaning if you transfer it into your Thai Bank account.. at which point it becomes visible to the Thai authorities.. and my understanding is that all overseas transfers could potentially be treated as income in the current tax year.. despite the fact you could be moving savings you've accumulated offshore.. and said savings comes from income which has been taxed in your home country (or elsewhere) in prior years.. so unless the Thai tax code gets modified before y/e 2024 tax returns have to be submitted.. or until it does.. then imo the safest option for expats married to Thai's.. would be to transfer monies from overseas directly into your spouses Thai Bank account.. which doesn't necessarily make it tax-free.. but it does mean that you don't have to report it as income.. and unless he/she is compelled to file a tax return and self-declare it then it would not come under the expat microscope.. or as has been mentioned elsewhere.. you simply leave the funds overseas and withdraw cash using ATM's as and when needed.. which is clearly a more costly practice (rates/fees) but for people with high income and/or coming from a country with a more lenient tax regime than Thailand.. it could be cheaper than paying the tax on it here.. i think the position will become clearer as the tax year unfolds and the reality of implementing it successfully begins to dawn on the Thai authorities.. so we may ultimately get some respite from it!

If your marriage is solemnised outside of Thailand.. you will need to get your marriage certificate authenticated in the country where it is issued before travelling.. which in your case appears to be the USA.. or you can get it done at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok if you are already in Thailand.. however you will also need a translated version (into Thai) of your marriage certificate which also requires authentication by the Thai Embassy (if done overseas) or the the BOI (if done in country).. who will want to see copies of the original certificate, as well as the foreigners passport and Thai spouse's NIC.. and when you have everything duly stamped and certified you can finally register the marriage at your local Amphur here in Thailand.. we were oblivious to this until commencing a non-o married visa application in Thailand and immediately hit a road block.. we used an agent to expedite everything and they got the relevant documents translated and certified etc.. costing around 5k baht and taking around 3-4 weeks.. only then could we register the marriage and begin to accumulate all the other 'stuff' we needed to progress with the married visa.. and make sure you get at least 3-4 copies of both the English / Thai versions of your MC with the official stamps on them (meaning not just photocopies) because you will find some govt authorities in Thailand (such as your Amphur / Municipality) will want to keep an original.. which could otherwise deprive you of your only original copy of said documents.. and although it's wise to have photocopies as backup and for filing when needed.. they are often rejected without sight of the original alongside it.. as we found out for ourselves!

@Pete *********

Consider maintaining the existing balance in your Thai Bank account for your visa extensions.. then minimise any new transfers into Thailand during the current tax year.. at least until we get further clarification or a rule revision.. for expats married to Thai's.. remember they have the option of transferring overseas funds into their spouse's bank account to avoid scrutiny.. just more food for thought!