Bubbha

I’ve used this bank branch before many times. The last time I did a counter advance was late December. Not sure why this is no longer working. A friend reports the same problem…

Sorry I wasn't clear. This was a cash advance at the bank counter. (Not an ATM) Money definitely cleared & available on the Schwab end.

Has anyone had recent problems using a Schwab debit card to access money from a Schwab account in the US? I was rejected at Bangkok Bank (error code) several times.

CEA is not a reliable indicator for the presence of bowel cancer. CEA is a more reliable indicator for tracking bower cancer once there's a confirmed diagnosis

I believe this is an ongoing requirement (not new for 2024). I use St. Brendan’s Isle (SBI) in Florida. I'm very happy with their service. https://www.sbimailservice.com/

I did this last week at Bangkok Bank - one of the larger branches in Bangkok. Schwab debit card (Visa) for 170K THB (about 5K USD).

I am closing in on 65 y/o and recently contacted the Manila SSA FBU via their web page contact form about how to go about applying for Medicare Part B. I have not yet started Social Security. Much to my surprise someone from the Manila FBU called me less than 48 later to tell me exactly what to do. After the phone call, she followed up with the same instructions via email. Given all the negative experiences many people have with the Manila FBU, I was quite surprised. I have not yet reached the date when I can apply for Part B – so there’s still plenty of opportunity for things to go wrong. But so far, so good…

My Blue PR book is full with a still valid endorsement/re-entry permit that expires on October 4 2023—about 5 months from now. I have an ailing family member back in my home country and would like to have the ability to travel as quickly as I can. If I do need to leave on short notice, it’s possible that I may need to be abroad for a while, so I would want new one year stamps prior to departing. I would like to avoid spending several days getting the White PR book if I need to travel at short notice. So I would like to request a White PR book now – but not a new endorsement/re-entry permit, given that I still have about 5 months left in the current Blue PR book. I’m not sure if this would be possible. Does the new White PR book automatically cancel the Blue PR book and the still valid stamps? Would I be able to get the White PR book and have this ready to go when I need it? I realize this may be best addressed to the ladies at the PR desk in CW, but I thought I would look for feedback here first.

I am also ready to apply for a new TM.17. The application form for this (TM.20) is attached. 24.คำร้องขอรับใบแทนใบสำคัญถิ่นที่อยู่-ตม.20.doc

PR is a permit to stay indefinitely. You need a non-quota immigrant visa and re-entry permit if you want to leave the country. Think of it this way -----> Once you obtained PR, you are no longer "on the clock" while in Thailand (you never need to leave). However, when you leave Thailand, the non-quota immigrant visa and re-entry permit start a 365 day timer and you need to return before that one year period or lose your PR. If you're not listed on a household registration, you're violating the terms of agreement for PR. The house registration is a direct link to the district police station that is charged with oversight of your residency in Thailand (Red Book). If you want to leave the country, and come back at least once per year, you need to sort out a sustainable long term solution for household registration.

Am looking for recommendations for travel insurance for Thai nationals for travel to countries within Asia. Thanks for any experience you can share.

Many thanks for your replies. Yellowtail - not sure what B & H is...?

Looking for experience ordering from Amazon in the US for merchandise that exceeds the Thai Customs duty free limit of 1,400 THB. Does the import fee that Amazon charges when making a purchase cover the Thai Customs fee once the merchandise arrives in Thailand? Or are you stuck needing to visit Thai Customs to negotiate the duty to get your merchandise? Thanks for any feedback.

Hello - Looking for experience and lessons learned about wire transfers from Schwab to Bangkok Bank in New York (domestic wire) in comparison to Bangkok Bank in Thailand (international wire). What are fees and rates? Does the domestic transfer take longer to credit to your account in Thailand? Also, how do wire transfers with Schwab compare to Wise? I understand Wise becomes less competitive with larger dollar transfer amounts.

That's what I have done. The all of my mail goes to this mailing address. It's not clear what, if anything, will get mailed to the residential address on file.

I use a CMRA in Florida and find that banks, investment companies, etc., accept this as a mailing address – but not as a residential address. Another factor to consider is exposure to state tax authorities when using the residential address of a friend of relative.

Hi - was the quarterly payment system established via the FBU office in Manila?

I am a few months away from eligibility for Medicare. I plan to apply for Part B through the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) at the US Embassy in Manila. I have not started taking Social Security benefits yet - so will need to set up payments for Part B. Anyone done this before (Part B w/o SS benefits start)? Thanks....

This is quick follow-up for people who might be following this thread. I found a lot of very useful information about mail forwarding services in various RV forums. As GinBoy2 indicates (above), South Dakota and Texas are good options if you want to become a resident in a tax free state. Florida is also a tax free state and will let you become a resident (e.g. driver’s license, voting) via a mail forwarding service. Given that I am already a (virtual/expatriate) resident of Florida via my family’s home address, I am going to try St. Brendan’s Isle mail forwarding service. https://www.sbimailservice.com/

Many thanks for all of the great replies and sharing of experience. physicaladdress.com looks interesting as they are very competitive on price, don’t outsource their business operations, and get really excellent reviews on TrustPilot. I think I will try physicaladdress.com.

I’m looking for a mail forwarding service from the US to Thailand. My family has been helping me with this task for many decades but this is no longer feasible. Currently, my family address is in Florida so I would like to establish a virtual Florida address that I can use to forward US mail to Bangkok. Thanks for any recommendations.

On the back of the pink card are term and conditions for the user (photo attached of the back side of my pink card). Under Number 3 it states that PRs are allowed to travel outside of the card issuing administrative area. Not all pink cards include this language on the back. A friend who completed PR at the same time as I, did not have Number 3 on the back of his card. (He subsequently went and changed that.) I use this card routinely for flights and hotels. I once was checking into a Thai Airways flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and the staff person asked for my letter of permission to travel. I told her I didn’t need one and referred her to the back of the card. Problem solved…

I did the same - with no problems. The App is called Mywallet. Very easy to use.

If you’re an expat here with no plans to return to the US, it’s good to study and understand end-of-life care in Thailand. I have been through this with several (now deceased) expat friends. In my opinion, and from my experience, palliative care is underdeveloped and inadequate compared to the US and many western countries. Also, there are a real lack of hospice care options. There are also many cultural issues (differences) to consider regarding treatment of terminally ill patients for pain management. If you plan to die here, it’s best to understand the Thai legal system’s framework for death and dying. This is what your Thai hospital and doctors will be required to follow. For myself and my own experience, these are some of the important issues to consider regarding end of life care here in Thailand when weighing the cost versus benefits of enrolling in and maintaining Medicare.

I used this QR code and a copy of my last paper Social Security card to apply for the Thailand Pass. My Thailand Pass application was approved. Make sure to generate the QR code at the time you submit the Thailand Pass application so the date on the QR code will be current.