I want to travel again in the new year and am wondering if I should ask for permission again or just tell them where I’m headed. Worried “asking” if I can do it will give them opportunity to refuse.
Don't ask. Don't tell. Just do.
The company very obviously doesn't know where you are. Why would you go around telling them...?
Finding contract roles in the UK that permit you working from another country are non-existent...
Again, you are over-thinking this. I generally do freelance work remotely. I've also done inside IR-35 contracts remotely.
You don't have to go around telling people where you. (Though that upsets people on this sub)
I'll work my current role until I get caught / fired and then I'll either find a new remote role and repeat or go down the teaching route for more security.
Freelancing in IT is going to bring in more money. Teaching English is pretty much a fallback job.
So there's zero risk of my tax code changing even if I spend the full year abroad? I thought these SRT tests are done automatically once you leave the country and some timer starts.
There's no automatic detection that a UK passport holder is out of the country. HMRC will only know you are out of the country if you tell them.
Not really dude, I don't want to country hop every few months, I want to basically settle longish term in one city whilst paying tax in the UK and living normally in Thailand without getting caught and jeopardising me getting a work visa or visiting in the future.
The longer you rely on tourist visas in one country, the more there's a chance you will be detected by Immigration the next time. If you want to live long-term in Thailand you will need to get a long-term visa.
The alternative is accept the risk you may not get back in next time.
How much actual time have you spent in Thailand...? Living and working there is vastly different from a two week beach holiday.
Any other advice welcome, this is my final choice before I quit my tech job and go down the TEFL route...
Why would you give up a high paying job you can do anywhere for a low-paying one...?
Statutory Residence Test (SRT) passed so that my Tax residency maintains to be in the UK. (Spend 16+ days in the UK in a given tax year where I was a UK tax resident the previous year) (Pass the Third automatic UK test by working during the 16 days in the UK)
No-one will care unless you explicitly tell HMRC you are out of the country.
use UK bank account to send money to Thailand to withdraw cash.
Why would you do this...? Do you have a Thai bank account...?
Realistically, how feasible is this plan? Are immigration officers going to turn me away on my second 6 month tourist visa? Will I get people knocking at my door to pay tax in Thailand after the 183 day point?
Why would Thai tax dept be knocking on your door...? Also you need to add more countries into the mix.
You have vastly over-thought this.
I would suggest you go and try out one month of working remotely. If you like and enjoy doing that then start visiting other countries.
The down side is you have zero legal protections against being fired for no reason and with no notice. If you are an employee over two years you have the right not to be fired without a reason and notice.
Also it would be really obvious you are up to something.
I totally agree with you, but to keep pretending like you're still living in UK you have to commit few crimes here and there. AFAIK all UK banks except for HSBC and international branches of high-street ones only work with residents and tend to ask you about residency from time to time.
No you don't. I've lived outside of the UK for long periods of time. I've never been asked to provide proof I'm living at a particular address by a bank.
Please stop over thinking this and posting information that is not practical.
Both options will arouse interest in the employer. Best not to bother.
Could there be any implications if I do it long term? Could HMRC find out that I'm living abroad? Could they use UK border data to check how often I am in the country? Would they even care if they did find out? After all I'm paying tax to their pocket so why wouldn't they be happy?
Unless you phone up HMRC or write to them they will assume you are living happily at your last address. HMRC won't do any pro-active checks. They don't have time.
There's very little cross-checking of border data for UK citizens unless you start going around attracting the UK police's attention.
Unless you pro-actively tell your host country where officially live then they won't know.
People need to stop worrying.
Traveling in europe is expensive and troughout the year we break about even(we know it's not ideal but we are fine with it for now) if we had to keep a homebase year round and pay taxes we wouldn't be able to afford living like this anymore.
You will need to have a declared residency and pay tax. Otherwise you will be committing tax fraud. (No-one can live nowhere)
Tldr; do we need to stop nomadding for now in order to have paperwork in order and get life sucked out off us or is there a way we can continue
You will need to have a registered address where you pay tax.
Traveling in europe is expensive and troughout the year we break about even(we know it's not ideal but we are fine with it for now) if we had to keep a homebase year round and pay taxes we wouldn't be able to afford living like this anymore.
You will need to have a declared residency and pay tax. Otherwise you will be committing tax fraud. (No-one can live nowhere)
Tldr; do we need to stop nomadding for now in order to have paperwork in order and get life sucked out off us or is there a way we can continue
You will need to have a registered address where you pay tax.
Your Social Visit pass is for social visiting the fine social people of Malaysia. If Immigration asks tell them you are there for a Social Visit and maybe some Tourism as well.
Telling them you are there for work won't go down well.