skorts

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

If cannot be ordered in Thailand as the  drug is not registered here. Altogether unavailable.

 

It is also not yet available in all Western countries.

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

16 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

an agent can't take your eye test nor sit for your photo. as you already have the car license, just take the papers down and have a bike permit added.

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. 

15 hours ago, The Theory said:

If your UK motorcycle license still valid (not expired) then you can get your Thai M license without riding test, but still you need to ask your area DLT office, since every office of any department has own recipes here. 

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. 

21 hours ago, Roxy01 said:

You will need to sit for eye and reflex tests 

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. 

On 7/30/2023 at 4:38 PM, Gottfrid said:

What´s the problem with making the tests? As you already have a UK license, that should be easy peasy

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. 

On 6/29/2023 at 11:44 AM, Jingthing said:

This is a hard question. You could develop a condition that would exclude you from decent coverage or coverage at all tomorrow. It sounds like right now you can have a clean application. If I were you I would do lots of research on the best agents and best companies and apply for the insurance. No guarantees but it would be a fair enough bet if your record is really as clean as you present it here.

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. 

6 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Hi, do you use this service for your UK Bank correspondence & if so, what proof of address did you use?

 

Thanks

 

 

MTV

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. 

2 hours ago, Carrbhoy said:

Thanks Skorts for the detailed reply. This is the position I want to be in.....I'll come back to you with any queries once I've had the opportunity to review the Taxcalc / UK Post box websites.

 

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. 

 

1 hour ago, amexpat said:

They said no.

 

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. 

On 5/6/2023 at 1:42 PM, worgeordie said:

He helped so many people , me included , Thanks Joe  RIP.

 

regards Worgeordie 

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

5 hours ago, Dcheech said:

Contact the local hospitals giving vaccinations in your area. For example there are 4 or 5 hospitals giving vaccinations in Chiang Mai, any given month. Last month, April, The Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital had pfizer bivalent. I assume a couple others likely did too. As far as I could tell they were not limiting it to any group. No publicity about this. I came in expecting to get a regular booster, and was offered pfizer bivalent.

BTW I'm posting this up assuming you actually want a booster, so many post things for other reasons these days.

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. 

10 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

It is available since March, France and Korea have donated vaccines.

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. 

1 hour ago, NE1 said:

Interesting , I will make a note , is your doctor in Thailand ?

 

Yes my doctor is in Thailand. 

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

As I surmised nearly a year ago that we would be seeing an annual booster shot for Covid just like we do for influenza, it appears I was correct.

I already obtain an annual Flu jab, which I did this past month.  Waiting on a true newly developed booster to be developed and shipped out before I obtain another Covid booster.

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. 

5 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

What is their url?

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. 

55 minutes ago, RandolphGB said:

Yes, I'll be using Wise. I found a guide on their website for sending to Bangkok Bank. There's a two million baht limit per transfer. 

 

https://wise.com/help/articles/2932335/guide-to-thb-transfers

 

 

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. 

30 minutes ago, Brick Top said:

I have lived here 23 years and purchased several foreign freehold condos.

I totally agree with Soi3eddie , your biggest concern is the land office.

It may be cheaper using Wise for smaller amounts  but your not going to be able to get the correct Torta Sam or Credit advice to satisfy the land office. 

They now require the exact amount your paying , the exact address , condo building name and  floor and unit number on the foreign exchange. Also clearly stated the reason is to purchase a Condominium .

I would strongly recommend sending it in one single payment directly from your overseas bank to a Thai bank account in your name or your lawyers name.

I have experienced many problems before regarding this issue.

Wise is great for smaller amounts but on a Condo purchase definitely not the way to go , I tried it 2 years ago with Wise and had no end of problems at the land office. In the end I had no choice but to return the funds back to the UK and resend using UK bank to Thai bank in one transaction with the exact amount matching the contract price.

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. 

2 hours ago, Henryford said:

Just transfer from your UK bank to your thai bank (in Sterling). There will be a single transfer fee maybe 30 Pounds. Then get your thai bank to convert to baht and issue with the form confirming the receipt from overseas.

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.