CMBob

I have no doubt that you've helped others through the process.....good on you. However, where you get the notion that under Thai law that one's spouse is the "automatic beneficiary unless the Will states otherwise" is beyond me. I invite you to read the intestate law contained with the Thai Civil and Commercial Code. AsBigt3116 says, the wife or spouse is a statutory heir...but not the only one! For example only, under intestate succession: (1) If Decedent left a spouse and children, the spouse gets half and the children get half, (2) If Decedent left no kids but a spouse and parents, the spouse gets half and the parents get half, (3) If Decedent left no kids and no parents but full-blood siblings, the spouse gets half and the siblings get half, etc. Bottom-line, of course, is that anybody having assets within Thailand should have a Thai Will so you get to pick who gets your money and stuff. Also, technically it would be illegal for a surviving spouse to raid a bank account in his/her spouse's name.....although, if the surviving spouse is the sole beneficiary under a Will or under intestate succession laws, it happens and is considered "no harm, no foul" (nobody is likely ever to raise the issue other than a weird circumstance where some relative jumps out of the woodwork and asserts that the Will was a product of coercion or duress or where there is no Will and the intestate law says they get a share).

Hope that works for you. For me (Chiangmai), I had no option other than to do it by mail to Bangkok......as there are no appointments available at the CM US Consulate for adult passport renewals. Presuming the Bangkok Embassy will immediately give you back your old passport, won't it have a hole punched in it? And, if so, will a domestic airline care about that? I don't know.

Had no idea about requesting the old passport back quickly. Without that request working, OP will be without a passport for 3-4 weeks. Or at least that's how it worked for me (US passport) a year or so ago. As to flying only with a Thai driver's license, I don't know but there have been multiple postings by people saying they have done just that for domestic flights. Obviously, might be wise to have on hand a decent photocopy of your passport photo/info page as well as a photocopy of your current permission to stay.

The 300 baht price sounds like SCB as that's what they charge me for the standard letter and the one-year statement. I just obtained an appointment 90-days out for my next annual extension (snagged the appointment at 2 minutes after midnight for the 90th day out.....). Never have received a ticket number that low but likely would have been less than happy to get "001" and still be sitting there for hours until 11:30AM.

Sorry, I disagree. The daily tracking of Typhoon Yagi (and its remnants) has clearly reflected that almost all of Chiangmai province has not been within what they call the rather wide "cone of uncertainty" of Yagi.

The Consulate's warning could easily have been more specific. The flooding they are referring to is at the very north part of Chiangmai province in the Mai Ai district. It's the Mai Ai river that's flooded and it's a tributary of the Mekong River (i.e., none of that water is heading down to the Ping River or to the city we call Chiangmai).

Correct. Our fixed deposit accounts have no ATM cards/connections and, as far as I know, one cannot do anything with a fixed deposit account via a bank's website or via one's smartphone app other than order a statement. Just the nature of a fixed deposit account here in Thailand.

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Understand you're saying that nobody at RD requested a US tax clearance certificate from you when you filed a Thai tax return in February of this year (2024); however, given the alleged new rules about remitted income don't apply to income remitted prior to 1/1/24, I'm a bit puzzled as to why you bothered to file a Thai tax return (unless you have other income in Thailand or, perhaps, you were seeking return of withheld tax relating to bank funds).

I don't question that somebody at the RD may have told you that (or that's what you understood they were saying). however, let's use our brains to understand how this will work per what you say you were told (and I'll use 2024 tax year as an example and presume you're a US citizen). (1) The Thai tax return would be due to be filed by March 31, 2025. (2) The US tax return for an expat isn't due to be filed until June 15th, 2025 (although one has the right to file early, let's say by April 15th, 2025). (3) If you're real lucky, obtaining a tax clearance certificate (a/k/a Tax Compliance Report) from the IRS would take 6-12 months after you've filed and paid taxes involving your 2024 return. (4) It'll be just a wee bit difficult (read: impossible) to have an IRS tax clearance certificate available when you file your Thai tax return.

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Back between 2000 and at least 2010, there were simply thousands of them in the air every night of the Loy Krathong/Yi Peng celebrations. For several years when I came here on vacation, I would stay at the Duangtawan Hotel, usually on a high floor, and I was astounded at the hundreds (if not thousands) of the sky lantern remnants that were on the roofs of many of the buildings along Chang Klan in the morning. Then one year, I was standing on the corner of Thaphae Road by the Governor's residence and watched an elderly foreign couple light a lantern on the opposite corner. They were standing right below a transformer on a power pole and I was hoping they wouldn't release it right there. But they did, it immediately hit the transformer, the transformer exploded (a big noise and lots of sparks), and the lights as far as you could see down Thaphae Road went out. Scared the bejeebees out of the old couple who were showered with sparks and then sorta slinked away after seeing what they did (I was glad they weren't hurt). I then walked to Thaphae Gate in the dark....lol.

Health insurance is not required for either. I stay based on annual extensions based on retirement and maintain 800k+ baht in a bank account. Have to annually extend (1900 baht), buy a re-entry permit (1000 baht for 1, 3,800 baht for multiple-entry), and report address every period of time I'm here for 90 consecutive days. I don't consider the requirements oppressive at all....and primarily consider the 800k baht requirement as a safety measure (in case needed for a medical or other emergency). I don't know much about the new DTV visa but understand it's good for 5 years, you can only stay here a maximum of 180 days per entry (you can extend the 180-day period for another 180 days, once per year for an extension fee of unknown amount....maybe 1,900 baht?) and is multi-entry (which I presumes you don't have to pay for re-entry permits). Cost is 10,000 baht up front. For those who really aren't put out to keep 800k baht in a bank account here, an extension based on retirement (if you're at least 50 years old) seems to be fine. If one is under 50, I'd think the DTV might be the best way to stay here for most of (or all?) of every year.

Not sure where you read that the release of lanterns (khom loy) was banned in 2022 or other years but that's simply incorrect. I believe they say the sky lanterns are only supposed to be released at certain times for a night or two. And, at least in the past, the authorities said no lanterns were supposed to be released on the west side (flight path from the airport) although I still saw some being released there. Last year, there were a fair number of flights cancelled on one or two evenings during the Loy Krathong/Yi Peng festival (to avoid a plane ingesting a lantern, of course). But compared to long ago.....only based on my perception.....there are fewer lanterns in the sky during Loy Krathong during the last several years. While the sky lanterns certainly are part of the festival, there's a lot more to it than just the lanterns.

It's been 45 days here in CM as long as I can remember (started getting annual extensions here in CM in 2011). Prior to 2011, had a couple of annual extensions in Hua Hin and that office only allows one to apply for an annual extension within 30 days of the applicable expiration date.

Technically Mr. Chipper is correct....one can extend but really can't "renew." I avoided commenting about the OP's phraseology as I didn't want to be pedantic and thought I knew for certain that OP was referring to either the first or repeated extension of his Non-O visa. A lot of people argue that our Non-O's fully expire but I don't really see it that way.....as every annual extension we get is based on the last Non-O we obtained.

At CM Immigration, you can apply up to 45 days prior to the expiration date of your Non-O Visa or 45 days prior to the expiration date of your current annual extension thereof.

Hopefully the OP double checks the math. Given he entered August 10th, I believe the 90th day would be November 7th (22+30+31+7).

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What a goofy story. Check out a map of the location of these islands. One would think that there would be zero interest by Russian ships out of St. Petersburg to go into the Gulf of Bothnia. As for entry into the Baltic Sea, it would seem that keeping an eye out for Russian vessels would strategically be far better served in other locations [e.g., Helsinki (Finland), or Tallinn (Estonia) for 2 examples].

Rather puzzling. Why OP didn't enter on his Thai passport (which, of course, would allow him to stay as long as he wants with no reporting requirements) is beyond me. And now he's talking about a visa run? Just leave and re-enter with your Thai passport! (I presume OP has a Thai passport given he says he is a Thai citizen; if he doesn't, go get one)

I also have a fixed account for extension purposes. And the comment you make there is very logical; however, that's the problem as logic at times is on vacation for some immigration offices/officers. Anyway, for future years (well, until they change the requirements again...lol), you're now aware of the bank paperwork requirements here in CM.

Yes, I still do it myself (extension based on retirement). Given most (almost all?) of us are retired and it's only once a year, it's really not that big a deal; besides, typically I have an appointment. You mention that you were hassled for more info from your bank. For at least the last 2 years (maybe 3?), they've required (as you mentioned) the "usual" bank letter....but also have required info/statement showing you've maintained the proper amount in the bank for the prior 12 months. I use SCB for that and get both the usual letter and year-info within about 15 minutes the day before my appointment. For those using Bangkok Bank, I understand you have to order statements (or something) about 5-7 days beforehand and that would add a bit to the hassle. I also take with me a load of other documents just in case they ask for same. About 4-5 years ago, the same lady IO who did my extension the year before surprisingly demanded a copy of every page of my passport including stamps from other countries......and she seemed a bit annoyed when I reached into my folder and handed full copy to her (I think she wanted a break or something and expected me to go away).

Oh, come on, where'd ya come up with that notion? So an expat who goes twice a year to Vietnam and a couple of times to Laos is going to have to obtain and show 4 Revenue Department clearance documents on those side trips? And somebody who's either not been in Thailand 180 days or who hasn't remitted a dime into Thailand during that year is not going to get stamped out of (and leave) the country without RD clearance? Hardly.