FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
1_Is Chiang Rai Living a company?
Chiang Rai Living is our collective term and logo for all activities of
CR Living & Farming Co.,Ltd.
2_What is the quickest way to get in touch with me for further questions?
Just send an email to info@lebeninthailand.org
with select desired date for a telephone call or a chat. We will then sit down with you at the desired date.
3_Who are Chiang Rai Living?
Here
you will find a description of our community and the motivation of our members.
4_Tax Issues
What
taxes do I have to pay if I live in
Thailand?
There are no taxes from Germany.
What has to be considered if a
registration
in
Germany
still exists?
Then everything depends on how long you stay in Thailand, > 183 days, then Thai tax law applies, < 183 days, then German tax law applies.
How can tax legislation be used (double taxation agreements)?
There is a double taxation treaty, so only 1 country is taxed (depending on the length of stay).
Is
property tax due for property, rent or lease?
There is a land tax, but it is very small, about 1,500 THB (approx. 40 €) per year for the houses & land of the Chiang Rai Living Community.
5_Pension Issues
Can the
pension be received in
Thailand?
Yes this is not a problem. Residing emigrants receive their pension directly to Thailand.
What are the
requirements
for pensioners in
Thailand?
If a long-stay visa (Type O-A) is necessary, then a place of residence can be registered, a bank account opened and then the pension can flow there. All Germans > 50 years can receive a visa for 1 year, which can be extended by 1 year in Thailand, upon proof of at least 60,000 THB per month in pension or another incoming payment or alternatively 800,000 THB on the account.
Is the pension tax
deductible?
There is a different calculation of the tax on pensions in Thailand - a pension consultation in Germany (free of charge) is recommended - here is a link to the German pension insurance.
6_Questions about a bank account in Thailand
What are the
requirements
to open a
bank account?
You must have registered for a place of residence in Thailand and have a long-term visa (e.g. non-immigrant type O-A).
Can
any bank
be selected?
There are 4 banks that are recommended and allow transfers < 50,000 THB (approx. €1,350) at a time or more than 2,000,000 THB (approx. €54,000) per year: Siam Commercial Bank, Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn Bank, Krung Thai Bank.
How do low cost transfers from
Germany
to
Thai
accounts work?
There are service providers such as WISE, for example, who offer a transfer via their account very cheaply at the best daily rate (usually guaranteed for 48 hours), the money can then be transferred via PayPal, Credit Card, Debit Card, Online Banking.
7_Questions about health insurance in Thailand
Is health insurance
required in
Thailand?
Yes, everyone with a long-term visa must provide proof of health insurance. Either the previous health insurance, which offers protection abroad, no matter how long you stay in Thailand, or a health insurance for Thailand tailored for Germans, Swiss, Austrians (e.g. Pacific Cross), which is in any case considerably cheaper (from 1,500 THB per month - approx. €40) and can easily be obtained up to the age of 75.
Which health insurances are
recommended for
Germans, Austrians, Swiss?
See above.
How much does health insurance
cost
in
Thailand?
The range, depending on the included services, ranges from 1,500 THB (approx. 40 €) to 20,000 THB (approx. 540 €).
8_Questions about ownership - rent - lease
How to
buy
property
in
Thailand?
There are multiple ways property can be acquired - CR Living & Farming Co., Ltd. offers long-term leases (for life, at least 50 years, inheritable, sublet) (House Lease Agreement & Land Lease Agreements) according to Thai law via notaries. The land and houses are registered as owned by CR Living & Farming Co., Ltd. registered and the shareholders are liable for the concluded rental and investment contracts.
How can
rental and
lease agreements be concluded?
See above.
How can claims from
rental and
lease agreements be
inherited?
A paragraph will be included in the House & Land Lease Agreements stating the start time and probable end date (50 years is assumed in the case of lifetime leases to persons > 50 years old) and what may happen during that time. If the contractual partner dies during the term, the house and property are automatically inherited (you can also enter which heirs are involved). The heir(s) will then be given a new lifetime contract, ensuring that the property never lapses.
Are there entries in the
land register?
Yes, CR Living & Farming Co.,Ltd. is entered as the owner in the land register and a notarial certification seals the long-term rental contract. Entries in the land register and all notarial certifications are included in the packages of the houses and plots of land.
9_Under what conditions can a German live permanently in Thailand?
There are many
opportunities
for
Germans to live in
Thailand and, if necessary, even to become active in business.
One variant that
Chiang Rai Living can help with is the pension visa, which
Germans from the age of 50 can stay in
Thailand
for 1 year (an annual extension is possible). We will be happy to explain the requirements for the so-called
non-immigrant long-stay visa type O-A.
10_Legal certainty
How is legal security ensured?
CR Living & Farming Co., Ltd. is a registered company in
Thailand that has to comply with the
Thai company law. Houses & land, investments are built, purchased, implemented and contractually agreed with the investors through
CR Living & Farming Co., Ltd. Thus,
CR Living & Farming Co., Ltd.
is liable and is always visible and reachable as a contact person.
Who provides support in legal matters?
Legal advisors
and
notaries
can be consulted at any time. There are a number of law firms that help
Germans
in
Thailand
to obtain justice or provide advice.
Overview legal advice and notaries
CR Living & Farming Co., Ltd.
will gladly provide you with an overview of lawyers and notaries in
Chiang Rai
who specialise in
Germans.
11_Driving licence(s) in Thailand
Obtaining a driving licence in Thailand
For just under 600 THB and the investment of a whole day at the
Department of Land Transportation, you can get a
Thai driving licence or have your existing one rewritten. All the necessary documents (passport with non-immigrant visa, German driving licence, proof of residence, medical certificate) are checked and some tests are carried out (eye test, reaction test, etc.). Then a training video on the traffic signs and the taking of a digital photo as well as a practical test (for scooter/motorbike).
What should be considered for scooter/moped rentals?
Get an overview of the technology in advance, test brakes and lights, inspect for damage in advance.
What should I bear in mind when renting a car?
If you do not have a
Thai driving licence, then a current international driving licence and a credit card with a sufficiently high limit for the deposit.
Can a vehicle be imported from Germany?
No,
under no circumstances
may used cars be imported. The penalty for this is 5 times the import value and the vehicle will be confiscated. New cars are subject to exorbitant taxation, so it is only worth buying regional vehicles in
Thailand.
How are vehicles insured and what does it cost?
In
Thailand, compulsory insurance must be taken out for every vehicle. However, this compulsory insurance only pays in the event of personal injury and only up to a maximum of 50,000 Baht. This minimum amount may very quickly turn out to be absolutely insufficient. It is quite possible that after an accident you will have to make do with a stay in police custody until the settlement of damages has been clarified. In your own interest, you should therefore take out a motor vehicle insurance policy in addition to the compulsory insurance policy, which at least covers the third-party damage in full. If you own a relatively new vehicle, it would even be advisable to take out comprehensive insurance. The annual premium for compulsory cover is 800 THB for vehicles up to 7 persons, while an insurance policy that covers almost everything is 7,500 to 8,500 THB per year.
12_Questions about mobile telephony & internet in Thailand
What should I bear in mind when roaming with EU mobile phone contracts?
In
Thailand, most of the included roaming services do not apply, there are usually several options here - e.g. with Telekom several data passes for
Thailand
(1 week, 1 month, with limited data volumes, SMS and telephony). There are also add-on options if you have a contract, e.g.
Travel Mobil Basic World
with Telekom, where you can get 1 hour of telephony, 100 SMS and 1 GB for €29.95 per month, or the
Travel Mobil World
tariff for €99.95, where everything is included just like at home.
How can mobile phone contracts (contract/prepaid) be concluded?
If you want a fixed number that does not expire, the Tourist SIM cards are not an option. In this case, a "normal" mobile phone contract in
Thailand is recommended, which can include a monthly volume and services can be added at any time (speed, data volume, etc.). The prerequisite for this is a permanent residency, which can be obtained without any problems with the registration through
Chiang Rai Living.
Sim-Card or e-Sim-Car?
If a traditional sim-card is desired, it is provided with every new contract. However, almost any number of eSim cards can be loaded onto the phone. There are many providers on the Internet for this purpose, which then also enable anonymous surfing. Such an
eSim
card can be obtained in advance via website/email/QR code on the phone for
Thailand and is usually activated for a period of 15 days or 30 days. Here, too, there are fixed numbers to which data packages can always be booked (by credit card).
Which internet connections are available, what is their performance, how much do they cost and what are the possible contracts?
In the
Chiang Rai Living I-III projects, internet lines are being laid (have been ordered) that will provide fast access without data limits for all houses in the
community. Costs are about 500 THB/month and house for a wired connection with own router (about 14 €/month). Otherwise, there is the possibility to set up a hotspot via the mobile phone contract (4G/5G - very good network coverage on the Chiang Rai Living I-III
property) and use it to access the internet with your notebook, TV or a "German" mobile phone. In almost every cafe, restaurant, bar, etc. in Thailand
there is a free WiFi connection to (mostly) unsecured networks.
13_Questions about moving to Thailand
How can I move my entire house or flat?
This is not a problem at all, there are specialised companies (e.g.
Pangaea Cargo) that can move your entire house or apartment in a 20 ft. Container, 40 ft. Container or as consolidated goods, take care of the customs formalities, transport the container by ship to
Bangkok and then by truck directly to the property in
Chiang Rai. At the moment, such a full service for a 20 ft. Container costs about 4,000 €. Everything that belongs to a house or flat can be taken along and does not have to be taxed. Vehicles (cars, motorbikes, scooters), food, alcohol and anything that exceeds a household quantity are excluded from transport.
What container sizes are available, how long does a transport to Chiang Rai take and what does it cost?
Standard container sizes are 20 and 40 ft. For smaller quantities, there are groupage containers where you can drop off m³-sized items. A door-to-door transport to Chiang Rai
currently takes about 42 days. A 20 ft. Container with this service currently costs about 4,000 €, a 40 ft. Container 6 -7,000 €, consolidated cargo about 800 € per m³.
How is the logistics apartment/house via intermediate storage to the transport of the container to the port organised?
At a suitable place where a container vehicle can park, the removal goods are loaded within 2 hours (self-loading or service) and then taken to the
port (Bremen/Hamburg) and all customs formalities are taken care of. Then the container is transported to
Bangkok and the collection from the port incl. customs clearance is taken over by the forwarding agency and the container is transported by truck directly to the property in
Chiang Rai. There, 3 hours are available for unloading. The entire removal goods can be additionally covered by a transport insurance. Taxes, fees and customs formalities are all taken care of by the forwarder and are of course included in the total price per container.
info@chiang-rai-living.org
@ChiangRaiLiving [Telegram]
tบริษัท ซีอาร์ ลิฟวิ่ง แอนด์ ฟาร์มมิ่ง จำกัด
CR Living & Farming Co., Ltd.
Moo 4, Mae O, Amphoe Phan, 57120 Chiang Rai, THAILAND
info@chiang-rai-living.org
@ChiangRaiLiving [Telegram]
tบริษัท ซีอาร์ ลิฟวิ่ง แอนด์ ฟาร์มมิ่ง จำกัด
CR Living & Farming Co., Ltd.
Moo 4, Mae O, Amphoe Phan, 57120 Chiang Rai, THAILAND