MUSTYJACK

Quote

(I teach Chemistry up to university level) 

but on another forum you say you are an online English teacher.

So what is it? .....  Just asking for a friend.

12 hours ago, kwilco said:

How many more this year before people realise there is a serious problem.

It's no good for the "told-you-so" brigade bemoaning a lack of insurance.

Thailand has a responsibility for the safety of visitors and there needs to be a system in place to deal with people with no i=or insufficient insurance - this WILL happen again and again.

Hospitals need to know they will get paid and then either the victims, their families or a fund needs to be brought in to finance this. The first thing is to sae lives - not keep people in stasis until the money turns up.

The responsibility of dealing with uninsured tourists lies firmly with the uninsured themselves and with nobody else. 

Then the families of these people are spared both the financial pain of the hospital bills, and the embarrassment of handing round the begging bowl.

Brits especially seem to belong to a victim culture that believes that responsibility  lies not with themselves but with "the government", "the council" or "the pothole". If a motorcyclists eyesight is so poor that he cant see a pothole in the road, then he is either going too fast or he needs glasses and therefore should not be on a motorbike in the first place.

I dont know if this chap had insurance or not, but the fact that there is a gofundme page begging for handouts suggests he is uninsured. Actions as well as inactions have consequences.

Quote

 If you look on the page listing the supporting documents and look to the right of a document that has been submitted there should be an edit symbol, looks a bit like pencil  on paper. I haven't actually done it but if you click on the symbol I think you would get the option to change the document.

The edit symbol opens the document that has been loaded, but there is no way to actually edit it. The only way to edit the document is to edit it before uploading.

Quote

Difficulty is a perception based on ability and would agree may be a little problematic for those not familiar with online processing which is now becoming quite common

I am more than familiar with online processing, but lose patience when the system is poorly designed,  does not offer suitable options for the user to input the required information,  a comprehensive guide to its use or a contact facility to help those having difficulty with the system. 

I have 3 German friends who have given up with it. They wanted to spend 3 months in Thailand but were asked for so much information, forms, contracts, receipts etc. from the owners of the properties they were renting and it was proving impossible to input all the information into the visa application.  In the end they just cancelled their trip. They will be spending their Euros in Malaysia instead.

The Thai need for paperwork, be it hard copy or electronic, borders on the obsessive. 

I am planning to visit Thailand from the UK in January. My retirement visa expired during Covid and I shall be returning for a 3 month trip with my Thai wife.

I now need to apply for a Non Imm. visa using the rather hard to operate e visa online application system.

I need to upload various photos and documents, the system only seems to allow the uploading of one document per question, and for one question I need to upload 2 documents and the system will not allow this. ( I need to upload 2 pages of the Tabien Baan for my condo, in order to prove where we shall be staying. One page has my name on it, and the second page has the address )

There is also no way to delete a document once it has been uploaded, other than by deleting the whole application and starting again. I erroneously uploaded a document into the wrong section and need toremove it.

Anybody out there know of any way to deal with these issues?

Thanks for any help.

Not sure if this is the right section, if not maybe a mod can move it to the Legal Questions forum if there is one.

1. I am in the UK at present.

2. An elderly  British friend died in Thailand 3 weeks ago. He was old, very unwell, alone, and shunned help of any kind. He had withdrawn into himself due to stubbornness, booze and depression.

3. His estranged next of kin in the UK (son) was contacted by the Foreign Office via the UK Embassy in BKK. A lawyer was then contacted by the son and engaged  to collect the death cert. and organise the cremation. (fees 70,000baht)

4. A copy of his 12 year old will was discovered by a distant relative in the UK.  Apparently this will is valid in Thailand

5. I am named as the executor of the will. There is about B2 mill. in his accounts to be transferred after probate has been obtained to his relatives in the UK. 

6. As I am the executor, it is I and not the relatives, (nor the son who is not a beneficiary), are legally bound to gain probate and distribute the funds according to the instructions in the will, unless I legally renounce my responsibility to do this.  Neither his relatives nor his son want to take on those duties. If the will is not executed, the funds will remain frozen in the bank for a few years and then pass to the Thai state.

7. Can I do this ( gain probate and access the funds) from the UK? 

8. Or do I need to be in physically present Thailand to obtain probate from the court, and do I need to be in Thailand to take the probate cert. to the banks to release the funds?

9. I will be travelling to Thailand in 3 months,  can I do this myself without the need to engage the (expensive) services of a lawyer. I can speak and read  Thai to a level that would  enable me to deal with most of the documentation and procedures. Has ayone ever done this before?

Any advice would be most grateful. Thank You.

Quote

 ........... with the occasional visit of some local, tattooed scrubber........... - 

pot, kettle black and all that.          short memory or what rooster.

Quote

It seems you did the foreign marriage registry then. 

No, we didnt, as far as I know, register our marriage. 

The reason we certified our marriage certificate is because my wife has both a Thai passport and a UK passport, the Thai passport is in her maiden surname, and the UK passport in her married surname. 

At renewal time for her UK passport, they asked if she had a Thai passport  and wanted sight of it, they would not renew her UK passport unless either she renounced her Thai nationality or that the surnames on both passports were the same. (The question of having a Thai passport never came up on her previous UK passport renewal.) So, she could either change her married name back to her maiden name in the UK, or change her maiden name to her married name in Thailand and get a new ID card and then apply for a new Thai passport in that name, and only then could she renew her UK passport seeing as the surnames would now be  the same in both passports.

She chose to change her Thai surname, and we completed the procedure in 2018. Part of that process was providing a marriage certificate to prove her married surname, and that is why we already have a certified marriage certificate.

I think that the passport  policy has now changed as we know Thais in the UK who have renewed their UK passports despite having  a different surname on their Thai passport.

Changing a Thai surname cannot be done outside of Thailand and as we were in the UK at the time it necessitated a hastily arranged trip to Thailand.

We went to our MP in the UK to complain about this ridiculous and bureaucracy heavy requirement, but the reply from the jobsworths at the home office was that the policy  was due to "national security concerns", "money laundering" and "ID fraud" and of course "we are sorry, but no exceptions could be made, you will just have to travel to Thailand before your UK passport runs out and jump through all the hoops that we and the Thais make for you".

As you can probably gather I am no fan of bureaucracy and the intransigence of the faceless deskbound jobsworths that execute these rules and that is why I have asked for help here, in order to ensure as much as possible that the process is as painless as possible. 

I seem to remember that I either did a thread about the surname change procedure, or answered another poster with the same surname dilemma in 2018 or 2018. Yes, here it is.

https://aseannow.com/topic/985523-british-dual-nationals-asked-to-change-names-when-applying-for-a-new-british-passport/page/3/#comment-13299954

Thanks very much for the replies.  

 If the paperwork is not too onerous, and it doesn't seem to be, then I will register the UK marriage in Thailand and apply for an extension based on that, rather than "marry" again in Thailand which would probably entail an equivalent amount of paperwork anyway.

  Our marriage certificate was certified and apostilled at the Foreign and Commonwealth office UK, the apostille was then further certified as genuine by the Thai Embassy in London and the whole bloody shabang even further certified and stamped as kosher at the MFA at Chaeng Wattana. That was all done in 2018 when my wife changed her surname and I assume that those certifications from 2018 are still valid today.

Can I enter Thailand on a 30 day visa exempt tourist thingy at the airport, then extend for another 30 days and during that second 30 days change to a Non O at an immigration office, or are Non Os only given abroad, i.e. outside of Thailand. I am trying to avoid the insurance requirements necessary for those on O-A visas. (I don't mean the Covid insurance necessary to enter the country)

And what exactly is the Pink Card, and what benefits does it offer. I already have a yellow book in my name for the condo we jointly own. My wife has her own Blue book.

Once again, thanks for the help. It used to be so simple, these days its a real headache,

We were married in the UK, after which I obtained a Non O and a Retirement extension and we lived in Thailand.

I have never had an extension based on Marriage.

Been back in the UK for 2 years now thanks to Covid, and my Non O and Retirement extension has expired.

We want to return to Thailand and I will obtain a Non O from the Thai Embassy here and then after arrival apply for an extension based on Marriage.

I can fulfil all the money requirements etc. but am confused as to the paperwork and procedures requiredto obtain the Marriage extension.

Could someone kindly explain the procedure as we would like to be able to arrange all the paperwork correctly and to be able to do this as painlessly as possible without having documents refused because of some oversight on our part.

e.g.

1. UK marriage licence, will it need legalising and apostilling in the UK ,or will certification at the British Embassy in BKK and a  translation be sufficient? 

If it needs to be legalised in the UK, then will it need taking to the Thai embassy here in the UK  for further authentication or will the UK legalising be accepted at the MFA in Bangkok. 

2. Bank statements to verify income ... can they be print-outs from online banking or do they need to be bank supplied, and if so will they need authenticating before presenting them in Thailand.

We have had previous dealings with MFA Chaeng Wattana  when a surname change was done, and found them, and also the officials at Amphur, to be friendly, efficient and helpful ......  so long as the requested paperwork was correct in every respect.

Thanks in advance for any information and advice.

No mention of the heady days when a cheerful tuk tuk driver would load up his carriage with 5 or 6 passengers that had tumbled out of the Blue Fox on Soi Ngaam Duplee and for 15 baht take them all the way to Patpong.

The words I would use for "confession" are สารภาพ, ยอมรับ and รับผิด.

Does the phrase ตกบันไดพลอยโจน have an underlying subtlety, such as "confess by mistake",  "act in such a way that proves guilt", "make an error that proves my guilt", "when you are in a hole, stop digging"

I am uncertain as to how the phrase would be used.

Any pointers?

Could someone please give the equivalent  English phrase for  ตกบันไดพลอยโจน

Thank you.

Rooster is an apt name for the author of this  strutting self congratulating cocksure piece of fluff.

Just wondering though, where did you obtain your teaching qualification? Was it in the UK before you moved to Thailand? 

Thanks for that Dr. Jack.

On 9/17/2021 at 9:42 AM, DrJack54 said:

You apply for extension inside Thailand. No need to exit Thailand.

You mention that bank account etc in pace. You can enter visa exempt as you can apply for extension quickly.

Did you consider extension based on marriage to Thai.

 

Do you mean enter on a 30 day "visa" on arrival, then extend to a non imm., and then apply for an extension based on retirement? I didn't know you could change a 30 day "visa" on arrival to a non imm. 90.

22 hours ago, Nojohndoe said:

So  your problem/issue ATM scam  has not occurred here in Thailand?  Interesting !

I have never had an ATM problem, either in Thailand or in any other country, but I have had problems with Thai banks when there have been discrepancies in my bankbook concerning  funds transferred from abroad  being identified in the bankbook as funds emanating from within Thailand, despite paperwork from the Thai bank confirming the transfer, the date, the originating bank and the exchange rate  The length of time it took to correct the error was months ( we need to contact head office, we need to contact your bank in the UK, we need half a dozen photocopies of your passport and visa stamps, come back tomorrow, come back next week, manager busy right now, etc. etc. etc ad infinitum)

That is why I do not wish to risk any problem involving withdrawals or deposits, and make a point of using ATM machines actually inside the bank, where the risk of errors, scams and rip offs is reduced. 

And yes, replacing an ATM card is a 5 minute job at most banks, probably because there is scant regard for adhering to security procedures when issuing cards. 

PS.  And talking of security issues, when I need to make a purchase on a credit card I borrow my sister in laws credit card, and despite me being a male farang, I have never been questioned when using it, despite using my own signature which is nothing like the Thai signature on the card.

So many reasons to be vigilant when dealing with Thai banks. 

Quote

 Have you ever been to Thailand? 

Lived there for 18 years until the pandemic, and will return in a couple of months.

Quote

In what world  do you live where 7/11s are dangerous? 

I never said 7/11s are dangerous, but one must be aware of ones surroundings and the people in it,  especially late at night in cities and when using ATMs. It is the same in any country and is just common sense.

Quote

What do mean about low class people outside 7/11s? 

Well, it's not Harrods is it?

Quote

 I understand  you might be confused  or depressed 

I am neither confused nor depressed.

Quote

 you can always use this forum  to ask for help.

Your sage advice has been noted

4 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Some posts are not useful because ...... and innacuracies to such an extent they bare no resemblance to reality.lol

..... and talking of inaccuracies, your post above has 2.

"innacuracies" and "bare"

Anyway, Happy New Year Mr. Hammer. ????

19 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Well in 16 years I've never had a problem and no bank where I live has a ATM inside.

Congratulations!

Most people will never have a problem, but some most certainly do and  they will rapidly enter a seemingly endless vortex of Kafkaesque confusion as the bank manager, his staff and the police cough politely, shrug their shoulders, shake their heads, grin inanely, mutter "falang", look the other way and claim it's the victims fault and is most certainly not their responsibility.

Far better to whenever possible avoid the grubby machines outside the 7 11, overlooked as they are by the flotsam and jetsam of society that tends to loiter outside these stores, especially after dark, and use a machine inside a bank.

????

14 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Another tragedy where the British authorities fail to help their citizens in stark comparison  to other nations

"Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country."

Educated at the UK taxpayers expense, she left the UK  taking her knowledge and experience with her. 

As tragic as her situation is, it is not for the UK taxpayer to pay for her treatment whilst abroad nor pay for her repatriation. That is the responsibility of either her insurance company, the school she was employed by, or the owner of the apartment who failed to maintain it to a safe standard. This being Thailand of course, it is likely that her insurance company, the school and the landlord will do everything possible to avoid their responsibilities, both legal and moral, and abandon the poor woman to her fate. A "go fund me" page is usually the saviour of injured and under insured expats, lets hope she has generous supporters back home.

Rest assured though, that once back in the UK, she will be treated for free for her injuries and that the years of subsequent ongoing care that she will need will be of a much higher standard than in Thailand, where once the money has run out, (in her case 10 days) she will be on her own, providing of course that she did not cut all ties with the UK when she left and is still legally entitled to free treatment, care and medication by the NHS.

Looking at her fundraising page, the link is there in the original article, there have been some very generous donations by her friends, there are no local names though, if she was teaching at a private school surely some of her pupils parents would have been moved to put their hands in their pockets to help her out?