kokesaat

Thank god for tech. Our daughter reports that the closing will be done via Zoom, so no POA necessary. I suppose it's similar to my recent experience obtaining an ID.me account.....after applying, I had a zoom call to verify my US drivers license and passport photos/info. FWIW.......the embassy had only early morning appointments available......that meant we'd have to fly up night before. Today my wife and I digitally signed the contract for the house......again, something we could not have done from Thailand not so many years ago.

Thanks for the insight.. ACS has very limited appointments, especially if within the next few weeks. I'm hoping Texas won't require witnesses.

Thanks for the reply

We are planning for our daughter to do a real estate transaction for us and need to figure out the mechanics of obtaining a power of attorney that would allow her to act on our behalf. - Do I have to obtain the POA here, probably through the US Embassy (American Citizen Services)? - Is there a way to do the POA electronically/digitally signed? - If I need to do the POA through the embassy, can I walk into ACS or do I need an appointment?

I did a Thai search for wedding registration ค่าจดทะเบียนสมรส The going price seems to be 200 Baht......on multiple websites This is one example https://th.theasianparent.com/registration-for-legal-marriage-in-thailand

Back in COVID repatriation days, my wife was told by the Thai Consulate, DC, that she could not repatriate on an expired Thai passport. Instead, she needed a Certificate of Identity. I realize those rules probably no longer apply, but just wanted to pass that info on.

Food for Thought: Not all countries are as generous as the US with things like COLA increases for all citizens, even those living outside the US. I came here in 1996......those COLA increases add up.....likewise, if you don't get them, you're at a severe disadvantage after a few years of price increases.

If you're not concerned about the corners of your home being exactly (or modestly close) to 90 degrees, and since the door is painted...... I'd have the door filled in with a good quality filler and repainted to your desired color. No matter if you have good wood or cheap, you have to be on the alert for termites. We've been in our house in the jungle for 24 years......all wood doors inside, no problem. One outside door had to be replaced because of wood rot. An outdoor bathroom and our tool shed have cheap wood doors, painted with chaindrite when installed, then touched up with a good dose of 50-50 diesel/recycled lawnmower oil. At one time, there were some termites trying to get inside the door frame....I could see the trails/powder. I sprayed the 50-50 mix over the period of a few days and the problem went away.

Ice-cream vendors will be at most every funeral in our village.......lottery sellers as well. If your Thai isn't very good, use the google translate app. It's simple to use and keeps a log of your translations (if you choose). The vendor can either read the translation or listen to the translation......as you choose.

Unblurred photos of the crime scene were being shared on LINE by 3:20PM, same day. The truth is, Thais are keen to take photos of crime/accident scenes, sometimes while holding a youngster in their arms. I suspect some of the earliest photos were taken by survivors who were checking in with family members.....and took the opportunity to photo the crime scene. A few years ago a crazed man hopped off the back of a motorcycle in downtown Udon, next to the jail, and slashed/killed several teenage high school students. Same result, LINE photos were being shared....probably before police had a chance to respond.

I know this man has lots of experience shipping animals domestically......061-279-3132. LINE movehome

Yeah, masks.....that's what the thread is about

Government Gazette website Issue requirements under Section 9 of the Royal Decree public administration in Emergency Situations BE 2005 No. 46 https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/1011747 The degree is dated......23 June!! From Thursday June 23, the wearing of face masks outdoors and in public places is no longer mandatory and people are free to choose whether to wear one, according to an announcement published in the Royal Gazette yesterday.

Can't see why it would be a problem. I flew with my Sonic Care toothbrush, rechargeable hearing aids, lap top, and 3 mobile phones in my carry on bags when I returned in March 2021.

Twice a year or so I get hearing aid batteries from the Veterans Administration.....80 to a box. Last year I sent one of my rechargeable hearing aids to the VA for repair. Once it was repaired, the VA didn't want to sent it back......afraid it wouldn't pass the postal test. I had them send it to my daughter in Texas and she sent it back via regular mail. No problem. Three years ago I sent my Samsung sports watch back to the US for replacement under warranty. I had them send my replacement to my daughter, and she in turn to me. No problem.

If you're concerned about slipping, I'd opt for anti-slip tiles vs. rely on the grout to stop a slip off a slippery tile (small or large). I agree with the comments about how much more difficult it can be to clean grout vs. the tile itself. More porous grout is going to be more difficult to clean, me thinks. I found the particular kind of tile I installed in our outdoor kitchen.....cotto 16x16 duragres mendes brown, only rated as 'anti-slip'. I can support the anti-slip rating even when wet with soapy water.....whereas I'd be slippin-and-slidin on regular tiles. If you're concerned about how easy non-slip tiles are to clean, then limit their use to the bathroom/shower. For the rest of the house, use non-slip shoes, like the boat shoes I mentioned earlier.

I bought a Toyota space cab REVO new in 2018, now with 50k KM. After 80 fillups, my average mileage is 16.48kpl/38.77mpg driving conservatively. There have been a few fillups where I haven't driven conservatively and the difference in mileage is very noticeable. By conservatively I mean generally not above 90kph, slow off a changing light, coast into a red light unless I have cars behind me. If I go conservatively for a full tank, I can easily get 40+mpg. Always with air on.

We tiled our outdoor kitchen (with large overhang) with anti-slip tiles from Homepro over a year ago. I wish that sort of tile was available when we built our home 25 years ago. If you don't have anti-slip tiles in your home and are afraid of slipping (especially due to age), I recommend investing a few hundred baht in some beach shoes like these on lazada https://www.lazada.co.th/products/shoeyes-water-shoes-mens-womens-sports-quick-dry-barefoot-diving-swim-surf-aqua-walking-beach-yoga-aqua-socks-i3501396836-s13640350442.html?clickTrackInfo=query%3Awater%2Bshoes%2Bmen%3Bnid%3A3501396836%3Bsrc%3ALazadaMainSrp%3Brn%3Ac8ab9ba6722f7336ec84f62f30415a20%3Bregion%3Ath%3Bsku%3A3501396836_TH%3Bprice%3A295.00%3Bclient%3Adesktop%3Bsupplier_id%3A100201212209%3Basc_category_id%3A8354%3Bitem_id%3A3501396836%3Bsku_id%3A13640350442%3Bshop_id%3A3036250&freeshipping=0&fs_ab=2&search=1&spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.91 They're easy to put on, grip the smoothest of surfaces, and give a bit of cushion when walking on hard floors.

Just had a woman die near our home.....3 days of mourning at the home with monks each day (you pay a small amount for each monk each time), food and drink, and temple fees. You can probably do a lot cheaper than 50k, but 50k would not be extravagant.

Anything is possible (see 2016 election!). But the social security naysayers are about as accurate as those who predict dramatic changes in the US/Baht exchange rate. That said, a plan B should be an absolute requirement for anyone choosing to live as an expat.......anywhere!

Cost of living increase for SSA expected to be about 8.5% My wife and I were talking about the cumulative effect of year-on-year COL increases. A $1000 payment back in the year 2001, for example, would be approximately $1500 with the expected 8.5% increase. A small increase each year adds up!

Having lived here through the sinking of Thaitanic in 1997, a couple of coups, the yellow/red shirt revolution including the takeover of the main airport, and the death of RamaIX, it's pretty hard to worry that anything could affect our life here. That said, we've always had a plan B and could walk away with just a suitcase each if it came to that. Concerns about living in Thailand were greatly allayed after the 2016-2020 presidency in the US. Life here suddenly became a bowl of cherries!

Google docs is free. Same same Word/Excel, but your documents are in the cloud for you anywhere you are.

I've been in Thailand for 25 years, and I do believe every governor has promised to fix the flooding and traffic problems in Bangkok. None has, none will.