• 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…

  • Greenawayer@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    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.

    Freelancing in IT is going to bring in more money. Teaching English is pretty much a fallback job.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    • Ok-Media-1597@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      >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.

      • Greenawayer@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Finding contract roles in the UK that permit you working from another country are non-existent…

        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)

        • Ok-Media-1597@alien.topOPBEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          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