ChristianBlessing

I ride a Kymco 300i in the US. It's a fabulous scooter for reliability, comfort and economy. But were I in need of parts our service it would be a challenge to find either nearby. Thankfully I've not needed either. I suspect Yamaha or Susuki would be better options.

Given the limited time you spend in the US you might wish to consider signing up for only Parts A, B and D (outpatient prescription drug benefit). For parts B and D, unless your husband is enrolled in a qualified plan (eg employee provided group coverage), he will have a signup window which opens 3 months before and closes 3 months after his 65th birthday to sign up for both. If he is not currently covered signing up upon eligibility serves to avoid future penalties which, over time, can be substantial (10% for each 12 month period for which he ought to have been enrolled but was not). The penalty for not signing up for Part D when eligible is based on a complex formula, but it too can be substantial over time. Since Part D is with a private provider he can later change his plan during the annual "open enrollment" period. I suggest signing up for the cheapest possible plan with the highest deductable until such time as you're repatriated. If he later signs up with a Medigap/Advantage plan he can drop the Part D coverage as it will likely be covered.

You likely know that Medicare coverage does not extend to Thailand, and that would include Medigap/Medicare Advantage plans, so enrolling in either would be pointless and costly. But by signing up for A, B and D upon eligibility you needn't be concerned about being "in plan" while you're in the US, and if you move back you'll be able to enroll in a Medigap/Advantage during the normal open enrollment period. 

If you supply the same voltage in DC as you would AC it will work, because LED lights require a DC power supply, which is built in. That same power supply can typically convert AC to DC.

I suppose I would be apprehensive. Ideally a business would have both a Facebook presence to drive traffic to a web page. Interestingly, in the US, over 10% of small businesses have no website. That said, if the business is not doing online merchandising, it might consider a website less than useful.

21 hours ago, ukrules said:

Knowing someone with a tow truck would be useful in case it happens again.

And perhaps a hearse - you know, just in case.

Effective May 23, 2019, the Postal Service™ is revising the Individual Country Listing for Thailand in Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) to note that Thailand is prohibiting all lithium cells and batteries.

This revision is based on a formal request that Thailand Post made through the Universal Postal Union via International Bureau Circular 70, dated April 22, 2019.

Most countries allow shipping items with batteries enclosed. Thailand Post  appears to think otherwise.

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I am assuming you were not claiming Social Security before age 65. I think if you had been that with a U.S. address that you would have been automatically enrolled in A and B. 

Expats with a Social Security claim before 65 based on a foreign address will be enrolled in A but not B.

You're right. I did not begin drawing SS until age 70 and after my return to the US.

I suggest continuing to call Medicare or visit/correspond with Manila. I'm nearly certain you will not be automatically enrolled in part B. Two years ago I returned to the US from abroad at age 68 and visited a local Social Security office to ascertain my status as MySS only showed me enrolled in Part A. Despite having a US address I had not been enrolled. Thankfully I was able to demonstrate coverage for the previous 3 years and the 3 month window (from the date at which my private coverage ended) so as to avoid the penalty.

I did not apply for Part D until a year later, and believe me, it's painful being stuck with the ensuing penalty.

Good luck.

As a long-time rider of recumbents and recumbent trikes, I always choose to be clipped in. I keep the tension as loose as possible so as to quickly exit the pedal. Having your foot otherwise drop off the pedal is both a nuisance and potentially dangerous.

I have brought two folding bicycles into Thailand from abroad. They were both used but appeared new. I did not box or wrap them. Baggage handlers, knowing what they were dealing with, took excellent care, and customs seems to have cared less.

I subsequently flew several times with one of them, again unboxed and not wrapped, and it always arrived unscathed.

12 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

The COVID restrictions were aimed at controlling a disease which was progressively more harmful the older the patient.  

Your argument gets no argument from me. However, I didn't mention "COVID restrictions". My comment concerned Covid relief (rent subsidies, paycheck protection, child care relief, etc).

1 hour ago, StreetCowboy said:

When half your tenants have stopped paying rent, and the other half have shuttered up shop and gone out of business, your invested life savings seem less valuable.  Especially when the government runs up inflation on the printing presses churning out monopoly money, and you can see your fixed income and your savings dwindling in value.

On the bright side, there is a little bit of schadenfreude for those with no children, knowing that  other people's future generations will be saddled with the debt incurred during the pandemic to protect primarily the elderly.

Fair enough. My comment concerned retirees in the US, where the vast majority do not rely on rental income for retirement needs. I understand that not all countries provide a decent safety net or social security/pension plans. As for future debt, yes, we'll all be paying, but very little of the Covid relief funding was earmarked for protecting "primarily the elderly". 

5 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

Just saw an advert for an insurance company in the US,  that following Covid, 55%  of retried western couples need financial support from their still working kids. maybe that's a stat, if true, that isn't getting any kind of publicity.  

This sounds like something only an insurance company would dream up. From the Pew Trust: "People who have already retired, on the other hand, count not on employment income and workplace benefits but on Social Security and Medicare as well as their own savings and any pensions they may have, so they have been much less affected by the large layoffs associated with COVID-19.² The challenges they face are different: deciding how much to withdraw from their savings and when, making this group more reliant on the performance of the stock and bond markets."

It stands to reason that the employed and self-employed would be most impacted by the pandemic for all the obvious reasons. While inflation could certainly cause retirees to tighten the belt somewhat, those retired are most likely to be supporting their offspring rather than the other way around.

"Victimless"?

Unless the issue is with the frame, I would think that any bike shop could/can help. Can you be more specific about the work yours needs?

1 hour ago, BestB said:

But people who registered there have been vaccinated 

I would be surprised if you are correct. Here is what ICANN (whois) shows: 

No registry RDAP server was identified for this domain. Attempting lookup using WHOIS service

Failed to perform lookup using WHOIS service: TLD_NOT_FOUND

The link you provided is unregistered. Bangkok Hospital has already denied the site is theirs, and you did not receive any verification from them. In any event, draw your own conclusions.

It may also be useful to visit the bank with a Thai friend/account holder. I did so about 8 years ago, along with my passport with visa stamp and a "Certificate of Residency". My friend spoke with the branch manager after which I was able to apply.