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Hi Sheryl, I am due to get Zostavax in CM on Wednesday. Is is not worth getting?

I was hoping to just get the motorbike licence without taking any tests. Last time I was there for hours for my 5 year car licence renewal just to do the eye test and reflex test. But that was impacted by covid so hopefully it will be quicker if required this time.

I agree. I will go armed with all of my documents and see what they say. I think eye and reflex tests may be required.

I thought so too but as I only did them less than 2 years ago when renewing my 5 year car licence hoping they might waive them.

No problem taking the tests just don’t want to spend hours waiting around if I don’t need to. As you say the tests should be easy prays compared to U.K. bike test.

I am on my second 5 year Thai car driving licence issued by the Pranburi Transport Office and now want to get a motorbike licence. I have a full U.K. motorbike licence shown on my current U.K. drivers licence. Having not been to the U.K. for 4.5 years I cannot get an International Drivers licence. Can I go the the Pranburi Transport Office with my U.K. passport, Thai car driving licence, U.K. driving licence, doctors certificate and Immigration proof of residence and get a motorbike licence without having to take any tests? if anyone knows of an agent who can assist me please let me know. I have always done the licences on my own but think an agent might make this process smoother. Thanks for any help.

I totally agree. I have had a personal medical plan with my international insurer for 8 years after switching on a moratorium from a group/employer plan with them. I considered switching to another insurer recently to lower my premiums (using a broker) but all of the insurers wanted to exclude things that are covered by my current insurer. Biggest lesson I learnt is to find an insurer whilst you are in still in good health and stick with them. If you are in good health you can always look to increase the annual excess which keeps the premium down but still provides cover if something major happens. This can provide significant savings on premiums over the years if you are in good health. As you can select the excess each year it means if something came along during the year which you know needs expensive surgery/treatment but isn’t urgent you could wait until the plan renewal and select a lower excess the following plan year. And at the next plan renewal switch back to a lower excess if all is looking OK.

My U.K. banks allowed me to update my correspondence address on-line. Either by entering the postcode and selecting from a drop down list or entering the address manually. I updated my address across a dozen or so companies and apart from one all were done on-line. There is no proof of address required. Every organisation sent a letter confirming change of address to the new and old address I guess for security reasons to ensure the change of address is genuine.

Happy to help Carrbhoy. I have BTL property in the U.K. too so after 5 years as U.K. Non-resident living in Thailand and five HRMC annual self-assessment submissions as a U.K. Non-resident I am pretty familiar with the process. Likewise, with using U.K. Post Box. Please PM with any questions once you have had the opportunity to review things.

Carrbhoy I was in a similar situation to you becoming a U.K. Non-resident 5 tax years ago. Others have already answered how you are taxed on your U.K/any Thai income. As topt says you cannot use HMRC’s on-line system to file your annual tax return on-line as a UK Non-resident. HMRC list a number of software providers that can help. I have been using TaxCalc for the last 5 years: www.taxcalc.com It is brilliant and makes filing your return so easy. After setting up your details the first year it pre-populates so much of the required information in subsequent years. You can include details of your BTL property using the software. You can also offset the cost of the annual software licence as an expense against your rental property income. You may already be aware but there are different Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rules for UK Non-residents after being U.K. Non-resident for 5 complete tax years. I do my tax return filing myself using TaxCalc software but take advice when needed from the Fry Group who are expat tax specialists: www.thefrygroup.co.uk My contact who I met before becoming U.K. Non-resident is based in the U.K.: Dale Butcher Head of Tax Compliance [email protected] After 4 years of Royal Mail postal re-direction from my U.K. address, and not being able to renew again, I set up an on-line mailing account which gives me a U.K. residential street (not PO Box) address: www.ukpostbox.com I use this as it makes my life easier and I can manage all of my U.K. post on-line. As I am registered with HMRC as U.K. non-resident I have no intention of trying to claim I live in the U.K. when my state pension becomes payable and will advise DWP accordingly - I believe HMRC and DWP’s systems are now linked so the DWP may already know in any case I am U.K. Non-resident. Appreciate that means my state pension will be frozen once payment starts but regardless of how unfair that is I am playing by the rules.

RAM told me they don’t do covid vaccines, same with Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai. You can get the Moderna bivalent vaccine for free (for foreigners with work permit, students or long stay) at The Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital but best check with them before going as their Pfizer bivalent expired on 30th April 2023. person to contact is: [email protected] Vaccination centre is right next to Customer Relations desk on right hand side as you enter main building. Just go to the Customer Relations desk. Open 08:30 a.m. to mid-day on working days. Need to take passport and (any) vaccination certificate. In and out in 30 mins. Fantastic service. Just need to say you want the Moderna bivalent vaccine as they have Pfizer 1st generation (non-bivalent) and LAAB too.

Me and my friends too, very kind, helpful and he won’t be forgotten. . RIP Joe.

I switched on a Moratorium basis from a group policy to an individual policy with the same International insurer several years ago. This is the actual wording in my individual policy exclusions: “No benefit is payable for any investigations and treatment related to XYZ any underlying cause and conditions arising therefrom or associated therewith”. I guess this wording could be used for any medical condition and as Sheryl says the exclusions are far reaching as this wording demonstrates. I have recently tried to switch insurers with the help of a broker but decided to stay put as things covered under my current insurance would be excluded under a new policy. The thing I have learnt is to find a good insurance policy/company while you are still relatively young and healthy as switching as you get older and with pre -existing conditions becomes increasingly difficult.

Firstly, you are correct to assume I actually want a booster and am not one of the many who post things for other reasons these days. Thank you for your very helpful feedback. I contacted The Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital this morning. Seems I have just missed the boat as the Pfizer Bivalent vaccines they had expired on 30 April 2023. They also advised that those Public Hospitals in Chiang Mai that received the Pfizer Bivalent vaccines got them from the same centre and all have the 30 April 2023 expiry date. For those who might be interested, the vaccines currently available from The Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital are: - Moderna Bivalent - Pfizer (generation 1st) - LAAB They are open on official days (08.30-12.00). Just need to take your passport and previous vaccination certification (if any). I will keep an eye out for when the Pfizer Bivalent vaccine returns.

That is interesting. Please provide details of where it is available and who it is available to. I have been dealing with one of the biggest private hospital groups in Thailand and it is not yet available to them for general distribution. They told me first priority, which is understandable, will be the front line health workers. They also told me there is no information when it will be available to the general public.

Yes my doctor is in Thailand.

I agree and am having my annual flu jab in Thailand in a few weeks time. My doctor told me not have another covid booster jab unless it is the new Pfizer BA.1 bivalent Covid-19 vaccine but they didn’t think it is readily available in Thailand yet. When I enquired at a local hospital they told me they knew nothing about this new vaccine and they were only offering the old Pfizer vaccine albeit “free”. So I will wait for the new vaccine too.

I bet it isn’t the new multi-strain vaccine too. My doctor told me there is no point having a booster unless it is the new multi strain vaccine. The “old” vaccines are readily available for free but when I enquired about the new multi strain vaccine I was told they know nothing about it.

Sorry no idea as I order from them via Lazada.

Be careful on quantities if you order from overseas and keep it to a maximum of 3 months supply. This is my experience of importing contact lenses from the U.K. Back in 2020 my wife and I ordered 12 months supply each from the U.K. and had copies of our prescriptions enclosed to show they were for us. Shipped by FedEx but held at customs in Bangkok. They insisted we go to get a letter signed by a hospital doctor before they would release them. So we had to go to the hospital in the middle of the covid pandemic and get our eyes tested. Crazy! Customs eventually released our lenses and we had to collect them from our local post office and pay import tax - I think it was 40%. We have subsequently used a supplier in Singapore and they said they keep orders down to 3 months to avoid any customs issues. That certainly worked for us on several deliveries. But now our lenses are available in Thailand we always use Moon Optic. I wear 1 Day Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism and order them from Moon Optic on Lazada. My wife orders Maxim soft 1 Day Multifocals (called Clarity in the U.K.). Very reliable and responsive supplier. You may need to order a month in advance if you need lenses for astigmatism as they might have to get them in stock given the huge number of variations in prescriptions for astigmatism. They now keep a running supply for me so when I order they arrive in a few days.

As Brick Top strongly recommends from his personal experience better sending it in one single payment directly from your overseas bank to a Thai bank account in your name or your lawyers name and avoid using Wise for the transfer. Same advice given to me by my Thai lawyer when I bought my condo and transferred funds from the U.K.

Completely agree Brick Top. My Thai lawyer handling my condo purchase told me to do exactly what you have said for the reasons you mention and NOT to use Wise. Sorry you had to return the funds back to the U.K. and start again.

I agree. This is what I did when purchasing a condo. The money has to be remitted in foreign currency, in this case £U.K. and converted to Thai baht within Thailand. As soi3eddir states the Land Department want to see that the money for purchase has come from overseas and purpose of transfer must be stated clearly such as "...for purchase of condominium in Thailand". Using Wise would mean the funds are converted by Wise before arrival in Thailand which could potentially cause a problem with the Land Department.

I wear 1 Day Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism and order them from Moon Optic on Lazada. My wife orders Maxim soft 1 Day Multifocals (called Clarity in the U.K.). 1 Day Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism฿1,445 per box of 30 lenses plus ฿38 delivery. Very reliable and responsive supplier. You may need to order a month in advance as they might have to get them in stock given the huge number of variations in prescriptions for astigmatism. They now keep a running supply for me so when I order they arrive in a few days. Be careful if you order from the U.K. and keep it to a maximum of 3 months supply. Back in 2020 my wife and I ordered 12 months supply each from the U.K. and had copies of our prescriptions enclosed to show they were for us. Shipped by FedEx but held at customs in Bangkok. They insisted we go to get a letter signed by a hospital doctor before they would release them. So we had to go to the hospital in the middle of the pandemic and get our eyes tested. Crazy! Customs eventually released our lenses and we had to collect them from our local post office and pay import tax - I think it was 40%. We have subsequently used a supplier in Singapore and they said they keep orders down to 3 months to avoid any customs issues. That certainly worked for us on several deliveries. But now our lenses are available in Thailand we always use Moon Optic.

KanikkaP i would be interested in that Fire TV Stick too. Please PM with details if your contact in the U.K. is OK with that. Thanks.