July 30, 2019 (ATN) - Reuters attempted to portray Thailand's king as being "exempt" from property taxes. In its article, "Thai king exempted from tax on some land properties," it implies some special privilege has been extended to the King.
The article provides a list of property types exempt from taxes, and only 7 paragraphs down does it ambiguously admit that property used for commercial purposes will be taxed.
No where does Reuters point out that no one in Thailand pays property taxes!
A 30 second Google search on Thai property tax laws reveals a number of Thai-based law firms explaining this. No one at Reuters checked to see what Thai tax laws even were before insinuating the King had some sort of special exemption from them?
This entry - one of the first to come up - at Thailand Law Online titled, "Thai Property Taxes building and land tax," makes it very clear (emphasis added):
Misinformation doesn't get more blatant than this. And because Thailand has no sort of media presence to confront these lies - Reuters is free to spread them, no matter how transparent or absurd.
The article provides a list of property types exempt from taxes, and only 7 paragraphs down does it ambiguously admit that property used for commercial purposes will be taxed.
No where does Reuters point out that no one in Thailand pays property taxes!
A 30 second Google search on Thai property tax laws reveals a number of Thai-based law firms explaining this. No one at Reuters checked to see what Thai tax laws even were before insinuating the King had some sort of special exemption from them?
This entry - one of the first to come up - at Thailand Law Online titled, "Thai Property Taxes building and land tax," makes it very clear (emphasis added):
There are no general property taxes (capital tax on property imposed by the government) in Thailand...The only exception is if property is used in a commercial capacity:
...but real properties put to commercial use (residential houses not 'owner occupied' and commercial buildings) must under the Building and Land Tax Act pay a 'rental' tax...So Reuters basically took a new law where the King placed himself under the same laws as everyone else, and spun it as him somehow granting himself a special exemption. Reuters used the term "exempt" in reference to tax laws that don't even exist - proof of Reuters' intention to deliberately mislead readers.
Misinformation doesn't get more blatant than this. And because Thailand has no sort of media presence to confront these lies - Reuters is free to spread them, no matter how transparent or absurd.
