When a British property millionaire announced he had bought a £1.3 million villa in Phuket, Thailand, and would pay zero tax on his global income as a result, Twitter’s Community Notes flagged it as misinformation. The law says otherwise.
When Samuel Leeds posted on X that he and his wife, Amanda, had signed contracts on a freehold condominium in Phuket and that the purchase would qualify them for a Wealthy Global Citizen visa, allowing them to pay zero tax on their worldwide income, the response was swift.
Community Notes, X’s crowd-sourced fact-checking feature, added a correction stating that since 2024, Thailand taxes foreign income when it is brought into the country, regardless of when it was earned. Several commenters piled in. One suggested he had “paid a million quid for a visa.” Another said he was lying. Another called it a “dodgy corporate ownership loophole.”
Leeds responded within hours with a direct rebuttal, citing Royal Decree No. 743 and confirming the position had been verified with his Thai tax lawyer.
The post has now been viewed over 1.5 million times, and Leeds was correct while the Community Notes were not.
What the law actually says
Thailand introduced significant changes to its foreign income tax rules on 1 January 2024, which is the source of the confusion. Under those changes, standard Thai tax residents are now required to pay tax on overseas income brought into the country, regardless of when it was earned.
However, those rules do not apply to holders of Thailand’s long-term resident visa in the Wealthy Global Citizen category.
Under Royal Decree No. 743, LTR visa holders in the Wealthy Global Citizen, Wealthy Pensioner, and Work-from-Thailand Professional categories are explicitly exempt from Thai income tax on foreign income brought into Thailand. The 2024 rule change that Community Notes cited applies to standard residents only.
Siam Legal, one of Thailand’s most respected international law firms, states on its website: “Wealthy Global Citizens are exempt from Thai personal income tax on income earned abroad and brought into Thailand. This is a crucial benefit for global investors managing international portfolios.”
Siam Legal further confirms: “Holders of the LTR visa are exempt from Thai income tax on foreign-sourced income, provided it is remitted to Thailand under specified conditions. This exemption allows retirees, investors, and remote professionals to legally achieve tax efficiency.”
On the property ownership question, commenters also claimed foreigners cannot own freehold property in Thailand. This, too, is only partially correct. Foreigners cannot own freehold land. They can, however, own freehold condominium units under the Thai Condominium Act, provided foreign ownership does not exceed 49% of a development. Leeds purchased a freehold condominium unit, not land, which is entirely legal and commonplace for international buyers in Thailand.
Leeds addressed both points publicly…
“The 2024 tax rule applies to standard residents, not LTR Wealthy Global Citizen visa holders, who are exempt from personal income tax on foreign income under Royal Decree No. 743, verified with our Thai tax lawyer. And we never claimed to own freehold land. We own a freehold condominium unit, which foreigners can absolutely own under the Thai Condominium Act up to 49% of a development. Easy mistakes to make if you’re working off general rules rather than the actual legal structure.”
The visa almost nobody knows about
The Wealthy Global Citizen LTR visa is one of four categories within Thailand’s Long Term Resident program, introduced in 2022 and updated in 2025. It is designed to attract high-net-worth individuals to Thailand by offering a package of benefits that goes significantly beyond standard residency arrangements.
Fewer than 8,000 people in the world currently hold it. Most people, even those actively seeking tax-efficient residency structures, have never heard of it.
Qualifying requirements for the Wealthy Global Citizen category include assets exceeding $1 million and a minimum investment in Thailand, which the property purchase satisfies. The visa is renewable for 10 years, includes multiple re-entry permits, fast-track airport immigration, and extends to spouses and dependents. Since a January 2025 reform, the extension to family members carries no restrictions on numbers.
“Most people assume the only countries with zero income tax are Dubai, Monaco and the Cayman Islands,” Leeds said. “There are so many other options, not just great for business, but also for raising a family. Thailand is one of the best-kept secrets in global tax planning.”
Why does he talk about it at all
Most people who hold this visa say nothing publicly. The wealthy tend to keep their financial structures quiet, partly to avoid scrutiny and partly because they see no benefit in sharing. Leeds takes a different view.
“I came from nothing, I grew up in a rough part of the West Midlands. I got stabbed at 14. I left school at 16 with no qualifications. I built everything from scratch. I could have got to the top and kept all of this to myself. But that’s not who I am. I don’t want to climb the ladder and then kick it away. I want to show people what is possible, in real time, so they can climb the ladder too.”
He is aware that transparency comes with a cost.
“When you share what you’re doing, people will attack it. The Community Notes, the comments, the scepticism. I understand why. Most wealthy people hide away precisely because they don’t want the scrutiny. But if hiding means keeping useful information away from people who could benefit from it, I’m not willing to do that. Only 8,000 people in the world have this visa. I’m just one of them who is talking about it.”
Why it went viral and what it reveals
The post generated 1.5 million views and sparked a debate that played out across hundreds of comments, a mix of scepticism, outright hostility, genuine curiosity, and a notable number of people saying they had no idea the structure was even possible.
That last group is the point.
“This is exactly why I share what I’m doing, not to show off. But because most people have no idea these options exist. They think tax efficiency is only for billionaires with offshore structures that nobody can understand. The Wealthy Global Citizen visa is legal, documented, verified by qualified lawyers, and available to anyone who meets the qualifying criteria. The fact that it generated so much controversy just shows how little financial education most people have received.”
The controversy also illustrates a broader issue. Community Notes applied a real rule, the 2024 Thai tax change, to a situation it explicitly does not cover. The carve-out for LTR Wealthy Global Citizen holders under Royal Decree No. 743 is well documented in Thai law and confirmed by multiple specialist law firms. Crowd-sourced fact-checking, without specialist knowledge of the specific visa category, produced a misleading correction on a post that was factually accurate.
Leeds has not removed the post.
The details of the purchase
The property is a four-bedroom duplex condominium at the Sedara development near Bang Tao Beach and Surin Beach, Phuket, purchased for 56 million Thai Baht, approximately £1.3 million. It is freehold, fully furnished, and located within walking distance of two beaches. Leeds expects the property to generate over £100,000 per year in net rental income if let out on the short-stay market when the family is not in residence.
Amanda Leeds signed as a 50% owner. It is the couple’s first property in Southeast Asia, adding Thailand to a portfolio that already spans the UK, Dubai, Africa and the United States.
“Amanda is already planning the furniture,” Leeds said. For information on the LTR Wealthy Global Citizen visa and its tax benefits, Siam Legal International at siam-legal.com is among the leading specialist law firms in Thailand.
Samuel Leeds is the founder of the Samuel Leeds Academy and Samuel Leeds Finance. Free Online property training is available at www.samuelleeds.com.
The story Samuel Leeds posted about buying a villa in Thailand. The internet said he was wrong. He wasn’t as seen on Thaiger News.
