Por 161 and Por 162: Thailand's Foreign-Income Remittance Rules

Por 161 and Por 162: Thailand's Foreign-Income Remittance Rules

Since 1 January 2024, two Thai Revenue Department orders control whether you owe tax on money brought in from abroad. Por 161/2566 (15 September 2023) closed the old loophole that let you dodge tax by waiting a year to wire funds in. Por 162/2566 (20 November 2023) then drew a hard line at 31 December 2023, grandfathering anything earned before that date. Together they remain the live rule in mid-2026 — not a shelved reform.

Quick answer

• Por 161/2566 (Sept 2023): foreign income remitted in any year is now assessable, not only the year it was earned.
• Por 162/2566 (Nov 2023): income earned before 1 Jan 2024 keeps the old, gentler treatment — remit it later tax-free if you can prove it predates 2024.
• Effective date for both: 1 January 2024.
• Only bites Thai tax residents — physically present 180+ days in the calendar year — see the 180-day rule.
• Not repealed, no relief has replaced it — see was the tax repealed?
• Miss a filing and the surcharge is 1.5% of unpaid tax per month, plus a fine up to double the tax due if caught later.

What Por 161 changed

Before September 2023, foreign-sourced income was only taxable if remitted into Thailand in the same calendar year you earned it. Earn a bonus in 2022, park it offshore, wire it in during 2023, and it arrived tax-free. Por 161/2566 killed that gap. From 1 January 2024, a Thai tax resident who remits foreign-sourced income owes tax in the year of remittance, however long the money sat abroad first. Bring in 2024 earnings during 2029 and it is still assessable then.

What Por 162 protects

Por 162/2566 confirms the stricter rule applies only to income earned on or after 1 January 2024. Savings, investment gains and salary earned earlier are not caught by the new trigger. Keep a 31 December 2023 closing-balance statement per account plus records proving the funds predate 2024; the pre-2024 savings guide covers the paperwork in full.

Source: Mahanakorn Partners Group order summary; KPMG Thailand Tax News Flash Issue 146 · verified July 2026 · ฿33/USD.

Who this hits

Thai tax residents (present 180+ days a year — see the 180-day rule) who remit assessable foreign income: salary, dividends, rental income, and, per the applicable double tax agreement, some pensions. UK and Australian private-pension retirees are squarely in scope — see do retirees pay Thai tax on pensions?. Non-residents and anyone who never remits are unaffected.

Is a repeal coming?

A 2025 draft would have exempted income remitted within a year or two of earning it, but it was never enacted; Parliament dissolved in December 2025 and the 8 February 2026 election left the question open. No source dated after that election confirms the new stance — track it on the tax reform tracker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Por 162 make my pre-2024 savings tax-free forever?

Generally yes, if you can document the money predates 1 January 2024, typically with a 31 December 2023 statement. It is not automatic; keep the paperwork ready.

Was the Por 161/162 remittance tax repealed?

No. It is still the live rule in mid-2026. A relief draft and a separate worldwide-taxation proposal both stalled before the February 2026 election; neither has replaced it — see was the tax repealed?

What happens if I don't declare remitted foreign income?

Late filing costs a 1.5% monthly surcharge on unpaid tax. If officials later find undeclared income, the fine can reach double the tax due, and deliberate evasion carries criminal exposure up to ฿200,000 and up to a year in prison.

The bottom line

Por 161 and Por 162 are two halves of one rule: pay tax on foreign income remitted if earned in 2024 or later, and keep pre-2024 money exempt if you can prove its age. Nothing enacted since has changed that. If you are near the 180-day line or moving meaningful sums, check the tax reform tracker before you remit.