Tax Advantages
Investment in Thailand
For almost 5 centuries Thailand has enjoyed a special attraction for foreign investors; records from the Ayuthaya period describe the visit of a Portuguese trade mission back in 1511.
More recently it has become fashionable for foreign investors to highlight the relative shortcomings in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) incentives offered, mainly under the auspices of the Board of Investment (BoI) as well as by tax-incentive schemes such as the Regional Operating Headquarters (ROH) programme. While there’s undoubtedly some justification in these criticisms of Thailand’s attempts to attract FDI when compared to the more aggressive policies of some other countries in the region, this focus has tended to result in the neglect of another vital area - that of foreign businessmen and business owners ensuring that they plan their overall global tax liabilities as efficiently as possible.
Out of Sight But Not Mind
Moving to Thailand and working here or setting up business can make it easy to forget about the tax authorities back in your country of origin. However in many cases, they won’t have forgotten about you!
American nationals, among others, are subject to taxes on global income and gains, Brits usually remain liable to Inheritance Tax (IHT) liability on their worldwide assets, and many other jurisdictions still charge tax on certain assets for their nationals irrespective of where they might be resident.
