CMBob

Editing to correct as thought you were going from US to Thailand.  As a US citizen, you don't need anything to get into the US; however, check with the airlines you are using as they might want something and also check with transit requirements in any countries you transit through on the way back.

1 hour ago, EricTh said:

Free of charge? I remembered doing this more than one year ago, and I had to pay some money..... Not sure about this though.

Yes, free.  I've done it twice and there's no charge.

"I think that I could have skipped the info desk check, by going straight to counter number 3, but there was no queue at all, so no time lost."

Apparently, when transferring stamps to a new passport here at CM Immigration, one only needs to go straight to counter #3.  When I transferred stamps to a new passport this past December, I waited 45 minutes to get through the information desk with my paperwork and, once they saw what I was doing, simply told me that I should have gone directly to counter #3.  No big deal, only took another 30 minutes to get it done.

4 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

...So from my original application package arriving at the U.S. Embassy in BKK on Aug. 16 until today's passport delivery, the entire process took 18 calendar days in my case....

Not too bad, far better than I hear about from our UK friends.  As I noted earlier, my application packet went by DHL from here in Chiangmai to the US Embassy on a Monday morning and I got the new passport, old passport, and letter delivered the following Thursday (11 days later).  Incredible service in my book.  I didn't opt to get the passport card so didn't have to include the extra 100 baht bank draft.

ช่างทำกุญแจ (chang-tam-goonjae)......yep, that's locksmith.  Literally, it means artisan/maker who makes locks (กุญแจ also means keys).

2 hours ago, OneZero said:

.....My second task would be to obtain the latest modern technology hearing aid myself (online, local store, etc TBD), with an emphasis on getting one that is user friendly so that I can personally adjust it myself....

As noted by FG, all the top-end hearing aids come with an app you can download to your smart phone and you can adjust several things from there.  My aids are Phonak and I occasionally use the app (which connects to your hearing aids via bluetooth) to raise the volume in one ear.  I rarely adjust other things (like level of background noise, setting the equalizer for different frequencies, etc.) but play with those parameters on occasion.

Hearing aids today are so much better than 10+ years ago but, in my view, their biggest handicap is that they increase all noise (speech and background noise) levels. Give we're in Thailand where it seems nobody cares about noise levels, that can be a problem depending on where you are (e.g., you'll eventually get the drift of what restaurants to avoid due to horrible accoustics). 

But, for me, the absolute best things about the new bluetooth aids are (1) actually clearly hearing on the phone even in noisy environments and (2) using the tv bluetooth gadget (my neighbors appreciate that as the sound level in the room is near zero whereas I clearly hear all dialogue in my aids).  You can also use the bluetooth feature to stream sound to and from your computer, tablet or whatever item has bluetooth capability.

While I agree that transferring the shares to your partner might cause bigger and more expensive problems in the future (both the understanding as you note and the expense/hassle of probate in England afterwards), you also raise the issue of trust (trust that your relationship doesn't break up and/or trust your partner won't be less than wise about the money).

Presuming you have no significant tax issues by selling the stock, you could sell the stocks now and then simply transfer the funds to your own account here (presuming you have a Thai Will that transfers your assets to your partner....a Will you can change should the need arise).  Transferring either the stock or funds to your partner now also risks what happens should the unlikely situation happen where your partner passes first (i.e., does your partner have a Will leaving assets to you and do you want to bother with a possible probate back to you later?). 

50 minutes ago, Thalueng said:

Have you're friends all returned within the last 2 months since TM6 (arrival card) has been abolished? I'm sure you and you're friends have reported with TM30 90 days after arriving from abroad, and not when the old TM30 expired, I would assume that's because you reported your address with TM6 before. Upon entry 90 days reporting was always reset.

One returned from Vietnam and one returned from Indonesia since the middle of July and they didn't report.  Perhaps the new requirement is, as you have suggested, due to waiver of the use of the TM6 card.  

The booster program at Airport Centran mall was conducted by Nakornping Hospital but is no longer being done at the Airport Centran mall.  I understand you can still get a booster at Nakornping Hospital and a couple of other places as noted in other posts.

Yes, only date it where it is obvious a date is to be inserted.  Would note that they usually require you to neatly print your phone number below your signature on the TM7.

As for color of photo background....this won't help maybe.....the "blue" ones I have and which have been accepted in the past are of a medium blue color (not as dark or light as the colors you mention).  But CM Immigration didn't have a problem with the one with white background that I attached to my TM7 in December, 2021.

As for your scheduled appointment time at 1:30PM, I'd maybe get there shortly after 1; however, it's unlikely they'll call you before your scheduled time.

Finally, would note that there are two "penalty" forms* that they usually require with the TM7 for annual extensions and you can find those forms there (when I last went, they were in some open cabinet thing under the awning thing outside before and to the left of the main entry door).  If you haven't prepped those, give yourself another 5 minutes to do that.

[*I call them "penalty" forms but one is titled "Acknowledgment of Terms and Conditions for Permit of Temporary Stay in the Kingdom of Thailand" and the other is titled "The Acknowledgment of Penalties for a Visa Overstay"......you can find both forms, #26 and #27] here:   https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/downloads_en/

1 hour ago, JimGant said:

Ok, I know you sign the forms at the bottom in blue ink. But I forget -- do you also date them? And if so, will month and year suffice?

What about the the TM7 -- is it still one piece of paper, using both sides?

And the picture -- do they still want a blue background, or will white/off white suffice?

Thanx.

1.  Date.  Sure, you fill in the date where indicated (use the day you apply).  Would guess the IM would fill in the precise date if you left it blank.

2. TM7.  Yes, one piece of paper (both sides).

3.  Photos.  I've actually used both.....white and light blue background.....without a problem here in CM.  

The OP says: "Frankly one days income for me here in Austalia is equivalent to the entire value."  Given that, there is no reason whatsoever to get involved or do anything as the probate costs will exceed that figure (unless you make more than a couple thousand dollars in a day).

As to the OP saying he wants "so and so" to get this or that, it's not up to him.  The deceased had a Will and, as long as it's valid, the Will will dictate who gets what.  And the suggestion by another poster that Wills are often held by courts to be invalid due to duress or mental incapacity is baloney (yes, it does happen on rare occasion when there is reasonable evidence to support such a claim); however, even if the Will was held to be invalid, the assets will go to the persons designated by Thai intestacy laws and not to any others.

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I did this with SCB when we moved to the US so the daughter could grow up in the US going to school over there.  What I did with SCB was installed the SCBeasy.com website on my computer, and would log in from there.  Of course I needed an OTP since I only had the app on my cell phone....

Am presuming you mean you just bookmarked the SCB website and logged in from there.  I've never needed an OTP to do that and, come to think of it, don't need one to get into the mobile (android) app either. 

Presuming you can, change the bank alert deal to email.  That's how I get alerts from SCB and Bangkok Bank.

As long as you do some activity every year (transfers or even wire over an amount), I don't see why there would be any issue

keeping the account "active."

Contrary to some, I use the baht busses all the time around here without any problem. Rather easy to get anywhere between the river and CMU.  Tuk tuks are okay if you must.  And, as stated, it's rather easy to obtain a Grab right to your doorstep just about any time and prices (my view) are reasonable.

Whether we will see the return of the air-conditioned busses is unknown (maybe never but likely not until tourist numbers return to prior levels).

As UJ said, may depend on the office.  I got a new passport in December, transferred the stamps in January, and did the 90-day online report due in February (and 2 since then) without a problem here in Chiang Mai.

51 minutes ago, hakancnx said:

I got my new O-Visa in Chiang Mai yesterday. I asked about the 90-day report, and the officer said it's due 90 days from the date the visa was stamped. (25 July)

Not the date I arrived. (4 July)

Exactly what happened to me when I converted to a Non-O from visa exempt last year in Chiang Mai (I didn't think to ask about it, they just put in my passport a new 90-day Receipt of Notification with a new reporting date on it); however, it seems that at least some other provinces don't handle it that way so probably wise to ask about it in other provinces when converting to a Non-O.   

1 hour ago, Berkshire said:

Nicklaus was offered Greg Norman's job, to be the face of the LIV tour.  Not to play.

I know he wasn't made an offer to play and didn't say that.  From the news: "LIV Golf officials have said Nicklaus was not offered the same role that Norman now has, but rather an “ambassador’’ type arrangement that he turned down."  

It would be refreshing if the LIV guys at least publicly were honest as to why they joined the LIV tour......simply because they got paid a boatload of money to do so (more money that any one of them could possibly make for the rest of their golf lives).  One wonders why the LIV guys aren't simply admitting that.

Then, of course, is the consideration of the source of the money and why the Saudi's would essentially throw away 2-3 billion dollars (real money!) to get it started.  Their offer to Jack Nicklaus ("north of 100 million dollars" according to Nicklaus) is especially puzzling/concerning to me.  Why would they offer that incredible sum to somebody who doesn't even play professional golf anymore?  Simply an attempt to buy prestige? 

Finally, while I admittedly have never been a big fan of Greg Norman, one at least wonders if he jumped into this simply for his claimed "love of the game of golf."  Come on, Greg, how much money are the Saudi's paying you to do this?