- UK Citizen
- Statutory Residence Test (SRT) passed so that my Tax residency maintains to be in the UK. (Spend 16+ days in the UK in a given tax year where I was a UK tax resident the previous year) (Pass the Third automatic UK test by working during the 16 days in the UK)
- Continue to pay tax in UK, tax code remains unchanged to employer and use UK bank account to send money to Thailand to withdraw cash.
- Work from my apartment on a 60 day tourist visa + 30 day extension --> Fly back to UK to meet SRT criteria --> repeat 6 month tourist visa again.
- Able to rent apartment on tourist visa.
- Eventually apply for the LTR thai visa (which I meet the requirements for) once working / living like this is proven to work well.
Realistically, how feasible is this plan? Are immigration officers going to turn me away on my second 6 month tourist visa? Will I get people knocking at my door to pay tax in Thailand after the 183 day point?
How is everyone else managing this? or is everyone just hopping to a new country every 2 months?
Any other advice welcome, this is my final choice before I quit my tech job and go down the TEFL route…
>How much actual time have you spent in Thailand…?
I’ve visited several times for trips of varying lengths up to a month or so. Rented condo’s and basically lived as if I was living there the last trip, so I know what I’m in for. I don’t like beaches and would be working from my condo so there’s no issues there.
>Why would you give up a high paying job you can do anywhere for a low-paying one…?
I don’t want to give up my job, but I have enough savings that my only priority is to live in Asia now. I’m past the point of caring what I’m doing as long as I can get there. I’ll work my current role until I get caught / fired and then I’ll either find a new remote role and repeat or go down the teaching route for more security.
>No-one will care unless you explicitly tell HMRC you are out of the country.
So there’s zero risk of my tax code changing even if I spend the full year abroad? I thought these SRT tests are done automatically once you leave the country and some timer starts.
>Why would you do this…? Do you have a Thai bank account…?
I don’t, I thought getting one and transferring money to it on tourist / education visa would raise suspicion of where these funds are coming from and that I may working in the country.
>You have vastly over-thought this.
Not really dude, I don’t want to country hop every few months, I want to basically settle longish term in one city whilst paying tax in the UK and living normally in Thailand without getting caught and jeopardising me getting a work visa or visiting in the future.
Freelancing in IT is going to bring in more money. Teaching English is pretty much a fallback job.
There’s no automatic detection that a UK passport holder is out of the country. HMRC will only know you are out of the country if you tell them.
The longer you rely on tourist visas in one country, the more there’s a chance you will be detected by Immigration the next time. If you want to live long-term in Thailand you will need to get a long-term visa.
The alternative is accept the risk you may not get back in next time.
>Freelancing in IT is going to bring in more money.
Finding contract roles in the UK that permit you working from another country are non-existent… I and a few of my colleagues have been searching around for this for years. It’s too much of a logistical headache for business / payroll so they just won’t take you on. But yeah just doing it under the radar like I’m planning on doing now would still work.
Thanks for your reply man, I think the plan is tourist visa one more time --> education visa, not telling HMRC, keeping my head down and after 14 months I should have an idea of where, what I should do from there.
Again, you are over-thinking this. I generally do freelance work remotely. I’ve also done inside IR-35 contracts remotely.
You don’t have to go around telling people where you. (Though that upsets people on this sub)
Appreciate it, I see what you’re getting at.
My only final concern is if there is any serious legal impact if you get caught. I don’t really care about getting fired but serious fines or a criminal record might make me reconsider. I posted on a few legal advice subs and they were telling me things could get serious