iainc2

Hi,

I'd like to move to Thailand for a few years - not permanently. I am currently employed by a UK company and I want to stay with that company. I work from home full-time - it's very flexible. My boss says that working from Thailand is not ideal but we could make it work.

Although my boss is OK with the idea, I anticipate that my company's HR and finance might not be delighted at having to deal with the extra hassle. I want to be well prepared before broaching the subject.

Can the finances work? Can I live abroad and continue to be paid by a UK company, keeping my pension, etc.? How easy is it to avoid double-taxation? How onerous would it be for my employer?

-Iain

iainc2

To partly answer my own question, I found this two-year-old post:

working for a UK company while living abroad | AccountingWEB

I'm still searching for more info. It would be useful to hear from other people in similar situations.

Sue

Hi,

Can't help with your query, but I wanted to let you know that I've moved your thread to our Thailand forum for you.

Oh and welcome to BE!

bakedbean

Yes but you may want to look at it from the Thailand side of things. What visa will you get? Have you heard about the recent crackdown by the Army re expats? Suggest you have a thorough read up.

iainc2

@bakedbean: I had not heard of the visa crackdown. I've read about it now - thanks. I'd be planning to get a Thai marriage visa. I've been married to a Thai for a while, living in the UK. My wife is still a Thai citizen. I think that we should be able to do a marriage visa properly, without need for loopholes like visa runs.

bakedbean

Oh you didn't say you were married to a Thai citizen. Yes I imagine that would be easier. Nonthaburi, Concierge on here, should be able to advise but I think he's on holiday at the moment so you may have a little wait for a reply.

hong_konger

Oh the little details that make a difference !
If you set this up right you could have an ideal situation.
Your wife would obviously sponsor you to stay in Thailand. That may or may not entitle you to work (I am not familiar with rules in Thailand)
Get your UK company to post you overseas in Thailand at no extra cost to them. Continue to have your salary paid into your UK bank account. If you are out of the UK for a complete tax year then you should be able to claim non-resident status and be UK tax free. Thailand wont know about your on-line work and UK salary so you shouldn't be subject to any tax there either.
Good luck !

nonthaburi

Applr for a Non-O visa based on marriage at the Thai Embassybefore you leave the UK. This will give you 90 days on arrival. As soon as you arrive open a Thai bank account and transfer 400,000 Baht into the bank account. When your 90 days are up you are then able to get a one year extension ( with reporting every 90 days to your local immigration office). Visit your local immigration department and they will tell you what documents you need. All documents must be Thai originals or certified translations. You can't really go down income per month route if your cash is going to be tied up in the UK.
If you don't have the 400,000 or don't want to have the money tied up in Thailand. You can extend the original 90 days for a further 60 days for 1900 Baht at you local immigration office. After that you must leave the country to apply for a new Non-O to give you another 90 days( which you can them extend for 60 days more and so on. Laos is the best place to do it as you apply in the morning and pick it up from the embassy the next afternoon. Cambodia, they make you wait and it costs more.
Alternatively, apply for a one year Non-O multiple entry in the UK, 90 days on arrival, to be extended for 60 days more at your local immigration office. Then a quick border hop to Cambodia ( 4 hours by bus from BKK) for another 90 days.
What you decide really depends on your situation. Some people loathe going anywhere and some people make a bit of a trip out of it and explore the region. Hope that helps.

britishbull

You can tell the Thais you are living off UK savings which will not be taxed, income might be but there is a tax treaty with UK. UK income will be taxed by UK Revenue even if you are non-resident so unless your company wants to pay you via an offshore company you can not avoid it. probably best just to carry on being UK resident as there are now few advantages to being non-resident unless you are working for a non UK company. Even though you are out of the UK for most of the year you can still claim the UK as being your economic home and remain resident (basically don't tell them unless they query it).

nonthaburi

Exactly, why would you tell the Thai authorities anything! bottom line is do you have a valid visa? That is all that matters.