@William ******

The real aim is to tax income being earned by residents of Thailand that has hitherto escaped any form of taxation.. in other words 'catch' people who have (up until now) been able to dodge paying any tax.. because they weren't deemed tax resident in either their home country or in Thailand.. i don't think the intention was to punish retirees who are living here on a retirement visa or perhaps a married visa.. but those people who reside here but work for an overseas company.. they could have significant earnings that aren't being taxed by anyone.. unfortunately the draft legislation was written such that any deposits to a foreigner's Thai bank account from overseas would be considered a form of income assessable for tax.. which does not recognise that these deposits may not come from income at all.. but from savings or investments held offshore.. and which represent a transfer of capital not income.. overlaying this concept is the right to claim exemption from tax in Thailand if there is a double taxation agreement with your home country.. if it can be shown that the income you received has already been taxed (or is deemed to have been taxed) at source.. then it will not be taxed again in Thailand.. and most western countries (such as the Uk, US, etc) have DTA's in place which govern this very situation.. so that should be someone's starting point to see how the new tax regime might affect them.. when all is said and done i don't think they want to drive foreigners out of Thailand.. which would be counter productive for the economy.. or to harm those citizens who are married to foreigners.. and reliant upon this income to support their family and often their extended family.. but they were somewhat naive in forming this new tax code.. the fact they have not published the final 'act' suggests it is already under review.. as does the delay in releasing the full scope of its application.. so I'm expecting some major modifications to ease the burden on none working 'tax residents'.. which will hopefully take foreigner retirees living here on more modest pensions out of the net.. it would also be unreasonable to proceed with the proposals (even as currently tabled) without giving us foreigners full disclosure of the implications.. meaning a clear understanding to enable people to make financial decisions in good time.. so imo we should see the introduction of it postponed by at least 12-months.. you surely cannot be taxed on 2024 'income' when they have failed to clarify exactly how this will operate.. and given you the opportunity to amend the way you manage your finances to minimise the effect of the proposed taxation.. so I'm betting it will be 2025 income assessed in 2026 and that it will be less onerous than it looks now.. fingers crossed huh!

@Dirk *************

My understanding is that the 'new' tax regime for foreigners is effective from 1 Jan 2024.. with the first tax returns becoming due in 2025 in respect of income received during 2024.. I'm talking about retirees here who dont have any earned income.. ie. they don't work and their income is related solely to pension payments.. if you are an expat who is working in Thailand then of course you will already be part of the Thai tax system.. and therefore you may already be filing tax returns.

Immigration laws require every foreigner to register their place of residence (known as a TM30) within 24-hours of arriving in Thailand.. it is actually the responsibility of the property owner to do it for you.. if you are staying in a hotel or other rented accommodation the hotelier / landlord should do it.. it's a simple process that can be done online at zero cost.. if you are staying at a private residence owned by your Thai wife (or a relative) they are still required to do this.. and failure to do so will result in a fine.. which can hexas much as 1600 baht.. however the reality is that if somebody enters Thailand as a tourist on a 30-day exempt stamp.. and leaves the country within that period without ever having any contact with immigration.. or any other authority such as the police or the municipality.. with the exception of the initial border entry.. then it is possible to come and go without having completed a TM30 and without paying a fine.. but there is always the risk of unforseen circumstances exposing the ommision and you getting fined.. given the ease and simplicity I'd say it's always best to do it.. especially if you intend to return to Thailand in the future.. or maybe want to apply for a longer term visa prior to your next visit.. although it is unlikely to prejudice such an application.. voluntary compliance will always stand you in good stead imo.. compared to potentially having a black mark on your immigration file.. the risk of any serious repercussion may well be minimal today.. but you can never rule out a change of stance in the future.. and if it suddenly becomes a more serious infringement you may live to regret it!

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@Barbara *****

I think you'll get a different response depending on the day of the week.. the officer you speak to.. and whether or not they got out of their bed on the right side.. lol 😂

Well when i went to CM immigration for same document.. they charged me 500 baht and told me I'd get it in the post 3-weeks later.. said it could not be expedited.. there was no such service she said.. and they even told me the exact date I'd get it.. and it arrived on the date stated by courier!

Does sound a little absurd.. I'm wondering if your partner went with you to open the new account or not.. since her absence could have led to some of these problems materialising.. in contrast to your experience Bangkok bank opened my account on the spot.. and my internet banking was activated before i left the branch.. and i walked out with my atm/debit card.. everything done and dusted in one visit.. so can only deduce your problems are due to the staff at this particular branch.. as mentioned elsewhere it's clearly not a widespread issue with BB.. I'd try another branch of BB myself.. which has to be easier than going to a new bank altogether.. given you are already an account holder.

The only way to resolve this is to go and assess the situation in person.. speak to the doctors directly and make your own evaluation of her condition.. and weigh that up viz the health risks attached to her flying.. which are greater with a long haul flight of course.. this also enables you to travel back to Thailand with her.. so you can supervise her care yourself.. it's also the best way of living with your conscience should her health deteriorate or if she doesn't survive the flight!

@Jeff ******

My comment was not personal.. i simply stated that people reading such sarcastic critique would inevitably determine the aggressor to be such a person.. it was a collective observation.. unlike your own attacks on several contributors which are indeed very personal.. you need to give your head a serious wobble before spouting off my friend!

@Jeff ******

More sarcasm.. more righteousness.. completely proves my point.. thank you 🙏