We want to bring to your immediate attention a significant development reported in the Bangkok Post today regarding potential amendments to the Thai Revenue Department’s tax law. The article reports that Kulaya Tantitemit, the Revenue Department’s Director-General, indicated that taxes may be extended to worldwide income, not just remittances to Thailand. If implemented, this would represent a significant extension of last year’s changes concerning the taxation of foreign-sourced income remitted to Thailand.

You can read the article here.

Key Points:

• The proposed amendment aims to tax worldwide income, regardless of whether it is brought into Thailand.
• Our sources at the Revenue Department have confirmed high-level discussions on this issue, indicating that approval is likely.
• However, there is no indication of when any changes might occur.
• We stress that this is not an official Revenue Department policy change announcement.

This potential change could have significant implications for expatriates and others with foreign income. The current law requires individuals residing in Thailand for more than 180 days per year to pay taxes on income brought into the country. The proposed amendment would follow the principle of worldwide income, meaning taxation would be based on residency, regardless of where the income is sourced.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and keep you informed of any updates as they become available.