# Working remotely from Thailand for UK Company



## dangb

Hi All,

I'm looking into working remotely (computer aided design) in Thailand for my employer based here in the UK. 

Any advice would be appreciated from anyone that does this and any pitfalls ie tax issues etc.

My salary would be paid as normal in the UK into my UK bank account so would be taxed at source as usual (paye)

There's various visa options so any pointers by anyone with a similar experience would be much appreciated....trying to realise a dream here hopefully it's not to far out of my reach.

I would want to come back to the UK for a week every 3 months.

Thanks in advance.

Dan


----------



## stednick

dangb said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I'm looking into working remotely (computer aided design) in Thailand for my employer based here in the UK.
> 
> Any advice would be appreciated from anyone that does this and any pitfalls ie tax issues etc.
> 
> My salary would be paid as normal in the UK into my UK bank account so would be taxed at source as usual (paye)
> 
> There's various visa options so any pointers by anyone with a similar experience would be much appreciated....trying to realise a dream here hopefully it's not to far out of my reach.
> 
> I would want to come back to the UK for a week every 3 months.
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Dan


Dan:

I refer you to the sticky thread above “STICKY: Thailand Jobs - websites and resources” it has links to English Language pages of the Thailand Taxation Department.
Basically, if you spend more than 180 days per year in Thailand, as you intend to do, you are subject to Thailand Personal Income Tax, which is up to 37% depending on income.
When I was working in Thailand I stayed legitimate, not willing to play any games or risk any consequences, and that was before the advent of the computerization of the world.
To my benefit, all taxes I paid to Thailand were credited to my USA tax bill so really, the net impact on my finances was minimal although the cost of tax filings, two countries, international, were considerable, but, these too were tax deductible.
I have said this before and it bears repeating, taxation is a complicated issue involving personal money and serious liabilities with penalties when mistakes are made. I would only trust the word of a licensed professional (tax and or legal) when it comes to decision making on taxation issues.

Be safe, consult with a tax attorney to detail your options. Realize, if a mistake is made, it is you who will suffer the consequences.

Good Luck.

On another note, what type of long-stay visa do you expect to use to remain in Thailand long term? I guess the question is; What are the various options you speak of?


----------



## dangb

Thanks for the info stednick. 

There's a bit more to it than I thought....

I guess I was looking to do it not so legitimately as I'd be sat in a rented apartment bashing out the work and emailing it back to UK going unnoticed and maybe using a tourist visa + visa run, return home for a week then repeat process. I guess it would flag me up at immigration after the second/ third trip. Hmm mm lots of research to do


----------



## Mweiga

The one loophole that a number of people over fifty years of age in your situation use is living in Thailand on the one year non-immigrant "retirement visa" and working with their computer at home. 

As long as you meet the financial requirements of this visa (discussed endlessly in this forum), do not employ anybody and do your work alone , at home and in the cyber world nobody is going to disturb you. You are still in a grey area however as far as legality goes - but many exist here doing exactly this. You also need to be over fifty - below this age and Stednick's comments definitely apply.


----------



## Newforestcat

I agree with Tom (Stednick)... I think you will have to get professional advice re dealing with HMRC, because your going back to the UK every three months is going to be your tie to the UK and will likely determine your UK tax residency status. 

I don't know what exactly your long-term plan is. Either way, you need to think about your tax residency...are you going to pay tax in Thailand or the UK alone or are you going to deal with double taxation agreement like what Tom did? Obviously, the answer relies wholely on your life style and your ties with the two countries. Also, if you think of going back permanently to the UK one day, you may wish to arrange a few things for that. I mean your NI contributions, pensions, bank accounts, etc. 

I believe that if you wish to cut all tax ties to the UK, it is possibly the best policy to stay away from the UK almost completely during the first tax year and obviously become a tax payer in Thailand and get the Thai authority to issue a tax certificate for you, etc. Again, if you want to pay tax in the UK, you need a similar paperwork from HMRC. The UK non-residency rules have changed recently, too. I won't attemp to advise you as I am not trained on international tax! I only know a tiny bit about it from work and experience. 

I guess you just want to spend part year here and in the UK. That is where the complications may lie. I don't envy you, although I share the same goal but not necessarily for Thailand. 

Realistically though, you possibly will stay under the radar in Thailand re working and tax as per your current plan, so you could keep paying your UK tax, if it gives you less complications. However, I don't know about the future, as tax laws always change in both countries! 

Good luck!


----------



## asianscouser

dangb said:


> Thanks for the info stednick. There's a bit more to it than I thought.... I guess I was looking to do it not so legitimately as I'd be sat in a rented apartment bashing out the work and emailing it back to UK going unnoticed and maybe using a tourist visa + visa run, return home for a week then repeat process. I guess it would flag me up at immigration after the second/ third trip. Hmm mm lots of research to do[/QUOTE
> 
> 
> You would not have to return to the UK once your visa expires. I am assuming your here on a 6 month ( extend to 9 months) visa ?
> 
> Once your 9 months are up, you can go to Cambodia or Laos (which ever is closer for you)
> 
> You would have to be at the Thai Embassy before noon and go back the next day to collect your new visa.
> 
> There are visa run Companies that offer this service, i think you pay around 9,000 Thb that includes the hotel stay whilst your visa application is being processed.
> 
> <Snip>
> 
> Let me know how you get on!
> 
> Regards
> 
> Ken. UK expat.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum


----------



## r0b78

Mweiga said:


> The one loophole that a number of people over fifty years of age in your situation use is living in Thailand on the one year non-immigrant "retirement visa" and working with their computer at home. As long as you meet the financial requirements of this visa (discussed endlessly in this forum), do not employ anybody and do your work alone , at home and in the cyber world nobody is going to disturb you. You are still in a grey area however as far as legality goes - but many exist here doing exactly this. You also need to be over fifty - below this age and Stednick's comments definitely apply.


 The other "short way", if you are below fifty, it is to marry with a Thai woman  or pay an Elite Visa.


----------

