Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Visa status as well as Tax status. For those who are unaware, I have done a number of videos here recently where we were discussing a recently announced change in the rules regarding the mechanism whereby one can defer foreign earned or unearned income, what could be described as assessable income here in Thailand under Thai Tax Code. Basically we were discussing it and apparently what was once described as a loophole wherein one could defer bringing in money to Thailand and thereby mitigate tax liability in terms of timing, so deferred in terms of timing and then mitigate tax liability that way, apparently that is no longer going to be possible beginning January 1 of 2024. 

That said, I was reading a recent article in the Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Moral panic takes over the expats and Thai taxation furor. Quoting directly: "The new ruling has nothing whatever to do with your visa which is irrelevant to tax status anyway." Yeah I would say that is a fair statement, and I urge those who are watching this video, go check out that article in detail, a lot of good information in there. That's a fair enough statement on its face. Yeah, strictly speaking Thai Immigration status and Tax status do not directly necessarily have anything to do with one another. Now that said, this is incorrect in the context of somebody maintaining a Work Permit here in Thailand either via a Business Visa or perhaps an O Marriage Visa. If you are maintaining Business Visa, work authorized status here in Thailand your tax status absolutely has to do with being able to renew those type of visas, there's no doubt about that. But I think the thrust of that article that I cited was talking more about retirees than anyone else, and in that context yeah, for a retiree that is truly not earning any money, doesn't really have any particular income - is just sort of living on their savings - that type of person probably is not ever going to have to worry about tax status in Thailand because they probably in fact don't have tax liability in Thailand. Again, each case is different, it's all circumstantially dependent, so again different cases are going to have different analysis in terms of the actual tax liability. In terms of the vast majority of retirees, I suspect none of them are going to be particularly impacted by this recent announcement although there may be some and I have discussed that in other videos. 

Now that said, moving forward I think there is a very distinct possibility in light of this recent announcement with regard to taxation, especially assessed tax liability, I think moving forward it is not outside the realm of possibility to presume that tax status may play in in the longer term to Immigration status. I am seeing a trend more and more, and I am going to make a video on this specifically, I am seeing a trend more and more which is veering into a situation where Immigration and Tax status are very much linked and unfortunately and I am not looking forward to this day happening, I don't agree with it on a personal level, but I can see a future if things kind of keep going the way that they are going, I could see a situation in the future where Tax status and Immigration status, not just here in Thailand but in virtually any country, may become inextricably linked.