Thai tax on foreign income: what the 2024 remittance change means for Brits in Bangkok
Bring foreign income into Thailand while you're resident and it can now be taxed, whichever year you transfer it. Money you earned before 2024 is safe, if you can prove it.
The short version
- Thailand taxes residents (180 days or more in a calendar year) on Thai income and on foreign income brought into Thailand [5][6].
- Since 1 January 2024, foreign income earned while you're resident is taxable whenever you remit it, not just in the same year. Income earned before 2024 is outside the rule [6][7].
- A draft rule exempting income remitted in the year it's earned or the following year was still not law when we checked in late 2026 [6][7]. Don't plan around it yet.
- The 1981 UK–Thailand convention has no private pensions article, so UK private pensions and the State Pension can be taxed in both countries, with credit relief. UK government pensions are taxed only in the UK [1].
- LTR visa holders in some categories get an exemption for foreign income [8].
What changed in 2024
Section 41 of Thailand's Revenue Code taxes residents on foreign-source income brought into Thailand. For decades the Revenue Department read that as "brought in during the same tax year it was earned". Retirees learnt the trick: leave 2022's pension in the UK and transfer it in January 2023, tax-free.
Departmental Instruction Por. 161/2566, issued in 2023, ended that from 1 January 2024. Foreign income you earn while Thai resident is now assessable in the year you bring it in, whenever that is. A companion instruction, Por. 162/2566, confirmed that income earned before 1 January 2024 stays outside the new reading, whenever it's remitted [6][7].
So two conditions must both be met for a remittance to be taxed: you were Thai resident in the year the income arose, and the money has come into Thailand [6]. The Revenue Department doesn't tax money simply because it sits in your Barclays account.
| What you bring in | Taxable in Thailand? |
|---|---|
| UK pension paid in 2026 while you lived in Bangkok all year | Yes, in the year you bring it in |
| Savings built from income earned before 1 January 2024 | No, if you can show the dates |
| Income earned in a year you spent fewer than 180 days in Thailand | Generally no |
| The original capital of savings or the sale price of an asset you already owned | The capital itself isn't income, but any gain or interest in it may be |
| Your Bangkok salary | Yes, always, as Thai income |
Sources: Revenue Department rules as summarised by Thai lawyers in 2026 [6][7].
The draft exemption: not law yet
In 2025 the Revenue Department drafted a relaxation: foreign income remitted in the year it's earned or the following year would be exempt. It needs Cabinet approval, Council of State review and publication in the Royal Gazette. When we checked, in October 2026, it hadn't been published and had no legal effect [6][7]. We'll update this guide if it becomes law. Until then, the rules above apply to every transfer you make.
How it works with UK income
UK private and workplace pensions
The 1981 convention has no article on private pensions or annuities, and no catch-all "other income" article either [1]. That means both countries keep their own rules. The UK can tax your UK workplace or personal pension as UK-source income, and Thailand can tax it when you bring it in. Thailand then gives a credit for the UK tax, capped at the Thai tax on the same income (Article 23(3)) [1].
In practice: if HMRC is taxing your pension at 20% under PAYE and your Thai rate on the same income is lower, the credit can wipe out the Thai bill but you won't get a refund of the difference. If Thai tax is higher, you pay the top-up in Thailand. The Revenue Department publishes an online calculator for the credit [9]. Tax-free lump sums are a grey area under Thai rules, so take advice before you draw one and bring it in.
UK government pensions
Civil service, armed forces, police, teachers' and NHS pensions paid by the UK state fall under Article 19(2): taxable only in the UK, unless you're a Thai national living in Thailand [1]. For most British pensioners, that means Thailand shouldn't tax them, though you may need to show the Revenue Department why.
The UK State Pension
The State Pension is social security, not a government service pension, so Article 19 doesn't cover it. Non-residents usually don't pay UK tax on it, and where both countries can tax, GOV.UK points you to the treaty to avoid paying twice [2][4]. Thailand can tax it when you remit it. Remember it's frozen in Thailand, too; see the frozen UK State Pension in Thailand.
Rent, interest and dividends
UK rent can be taxed in the UK under Article 7, and in Thailand if you bring it in, with credit relief. Keep paying UK tax through the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme and Self Assessment [2]. The treaty caps UK tax on interest at 25% in most cases (Article 12) and sets limits for dividends (Article 11) [1].
The remittance catch for UK relief
Article 6 limits relief in one country to the part of the income actually remitted to the other, where that other taxes on a remittance basis [1]. If you leave part of your UK income in the UK, HMRC may not give treaty relief on that part. A tax adviser who knows both countries can check your situation; the FCDO also suggests getting professional advice on Thai tax [3].
LTR holders: a different deal
The Long-Term Resident visa lists "tax exemption for overseas income" among its benefits [8]. Lawyers report that the exemption, under a Royal Decree, covers the Wealthy Global Citizen, Wealthy Pensioner and Work-from-Thailand Professional categories [7]. The Wealthy Pensioner route needs passive income, such as pensions, of at least USD 80,000 (about £59,400) a year, or USD 40,000 (about £29,700) plus a USD 250,000 investment in Thailand [8]. Few people living on a UK pension qualify, but if you do, it's worth comparing with a Non-O visa. See the DTV and the LTR visa.
What to do now
- Draw a line at 31 December 2023. Keep statements showing your balances on that date, and avoid mixing that money with newer income. A separate "pre-2024" account makes it much easier to show the Revenue Department what's what [6].
- Count your days. Thai residence is per calendar year. A year with fewer than 180 days in Thailand changes the picture for income earned that year.
- Get a Thai tax ID if you're resident and bringing in taxable income, and file the annual return by the end of March after the tax year [5].
- Keep UK tax evidence. P60s, pension statements and HMRC calculations support your foreign tax credit.
- Think before you transfer. Bring in what you need, from the right account. Our guide to banking in Thailand covers the practical side.
- Don't touch your pension structure on a whim. Transfers of UK pensions overseas need regulated financial advice; see UK pensions abroad and the transfer warnings.
The rule change caught out a lot of people who'd never filed a Thai return, and it's a regular topic in our community group for Brits in Thailand. For the bigger picture, including leaving the UK tax system, see Thai taxes for Brits.
Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = USD 1.3476). Tax is general information, not advice.
Sources
- GOV.UK (HMRC): 1981 UK–Thailand Double Taxation Convention
- GOV.UK: Tax on your UK income if you live abroad (updated 30 September 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Thailand (updated 11 December 2025)
- GOV.UK: State Pension if you retire abroad, paying tax
- Revenue Department of Thailand: Personal income tax (English)
- Thai Law Online: Thailand foreign income tax 2026, what actually applies (checked October 2026)
- Brer Rabbit Legal: Thailand foreign income remittance tax in 2026 (updated July 2026)
- Thailand Board of Investment: Long-Term Resident visa
- Revenue Department of Thailand: Foreign tax credit calculator for personal income tax (updated 2 February 2026)