Wandr

Citylife lists a Szechwan restaurant called Chilly Village in Chang Phuak - Wiang Bua Rd.

Google maps has no such place. Anyone know if this place has closed. If it still exists then some tips on finding it will help.

On 7/3/2021 at 12:45 PM, orientalist said:

LH Bank still has fixed deposit:

 

0.85% 3 months

0.95% 6 months

1.05%  12 months

1.10%   24 months

How is LH when it comes to documents for immigration? Bank statement for a year and stuff like that.

And what about the Big C Maehia branch...any comments on it?

A little late to the party, but since we are talking about non-alcoholic beverage, no one should have ended up with the DTs.

Several months ago I enquired at Makro and was shown two beers. I tried both. One was wishy washy, but the other, more expensive one, had a more robust flavor.

These were non-alcoholic - not 3 % or any percent.

Sorry, don't remember the brands.

And ... a final update.

The refund was issued to my bank (in U.S.) a few days back. This was overpaid tax, not stimulus. Three months between mailing and receipt.

I guess the moral of the story is to have faith - in the IRS as well as the postal systems of the two countries.

3 hours ago, andy said:

Thanks for this update.  Did you claim a missing stimulus payment on your 2020 return as a refund?  I read on another expat board that this is delaying processing somewhat as the IRS has to verify that you never received the payment.  Just wondering, as I mailed in my 2020 return to Austin this morning and claimed the $600 stimulus payment that I never got.

 

3 months seems fine I guess, considering it took the IRS 10 months to process my mailed 2019 return...

No, I just claimed the money I had overpaid. 

As far as I can tell,  I received all stimulus payments expeditiously. They were deposited directly into my account. 

An update for those who mailed their returns.

A bit more than two months after my estimate of when the IRS would have received my return,  there is finally sign of life. The "where's my refund " tool is finally saying the return is being processed.  There is no refund date as yet. 

This should mean that the return got to them,  which was my concern. 

So, after mailing,  wait about three months.  If there is still no sign of receipt then take whatever next step is planned. 

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Etaoin Shrdlu - is the "refund status" database showing that your return was received? And did you use normal registered mail?

I am not so much worried about the refund, I am afraid that my return may have been lost in the mail because there is no sign of it in the database. I did not use registered mail because I thought there would be no one to receive it.

If I still don't see it in the "refunds" database, say a month from now, then I will have no choice but to send a second return, registered this time. The IRS will just have to deal with it.

And for those who are so inclined - don't waste space telling me to file electronically. I have been doing it for almost 20 years, since its infancy, but there are reasons I cannot this year.

Anyone have experience of how long mailed in returns from Thailand are taking to register in the IRS system?

Mine was mailed two months back, and even allowing two weeks for mailing, it is past the six weeks that the IRS says it takes for refunds. But mine doesn't even show in their 'tax refund' database. I guess my only option now is to mail a second return, and register it this time?

You can always learn.

I have even more experience riding in various countries,  both big and small.

Yet I still picked up a few things when I took the advanced rider course in the US. I had a 1200 cc touring bike at the time. 

There is a rider course in Chiang Mai,  I don't know the details though.  There should be something in Bangkok too.

A search through Facebook may come up with something. 

I advise everyone to take such courses.  A good instructor will actually take you through some scenarios. 

Despite all the talk of quarantine in Chiang Mai,  there were no checks between Chonburi and Lamphun. We didn't go beyond so I don't know if there is anything closer to the city.

There was just one police checkpoint,  at Kamphaeng Phet, and they just waved us through. 

On 3/4/2021 at 3:59 PM, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

Jim, I agree. I think there is another advantage for having the spouse get an ITIN and file jointly and one that may affect some on this forum. I think that married filing separately while living with one's spouse changes the base for calculating whether Social Security benefits are taxed and at what rate. Do you know if this is correct?

You are correct. The Married Filing Separate status (MFS) is actually the worst filing status in terms of deductions and credits.

I had thought earlier that it would be the same as filing Single. More research shows that is not true.

The first hit is on social security income, as you mentioned. You get no breaks if you use this status. 85% of your social security income is ALWAYS subject to tax. If you are filing SIngle then there is no tax if total income is below a certain level ($25000 now I think). You pay tax on 50% of social security income beyond this limit. And then on 85% if your income is higher. You need to check the limits online.

If you don't have social security income, or your income is above the 85% limit, then this aspect doesn't matter. Otherwise you take a substantial hit. But even if you don't have any social security income, the MFS status denies certain other credits and deductions.

This is just to provide some more information to those with Thai wives.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

If I am reading the tax law correctly,  the US will not give her a TIN if I don't file jointly and don't claim any tax benefit because of her.

Taking it a step farther,  I  assume they don't want to mess with her - no income reporting required. 

For me, it will be the same as filing single. 

But claiming Single status when married doesn't appear to be the right thing to do.  I guess I will have to complete the return online and then print and mail it.  That will be the only inconvenience. 

That is doable. Having to get a TIN for her and then persuading her to sit through US taxes would have been a nightmare!

26 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Info for the ITIN application and instructions is here on the IRS website.

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-7

Useful...thanks. 

Looks like she isn't even eligible for a TIN because I am not filing jointly, and not claiming any tax benefit. 

But I will still have to mail in the return because the software won't let me without the TIN.

Thanks everyone...

No, not filing jointly and not claiming anyone as a dependent.  Any solution?

A long shot - marriage is not registered in US. Can I claim single status?

A rant about US tax laws would be appropriate here, but I think it's been done!

What do people normally do about Thai spouses when filing U.S. taxes?

Online software is asking for a TIN (tax identification number). Is it necessary to get one, or is there an easier go-around for this situation?

Thanks.

I am finding that Mach3s are about the same price as in the US. Usually I bring enough but got caught short this year because of travel restrictions. 

A visit to Tesco got me a pack with each cartridge coming in at 73 baht each. That's what I would pay at a place like Walmart if I buy bigger packs.  Smaller packs will be more. 

Never buy online.  Too many fakes around, especially the Chinese horde on Amazon. 

22 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Well, they but new lenses in my old frame and only charged for the lenses...which were cheaper that the quotes I got from the other opticians. 

 

My lenses were also quite complicated to make as I have an eye condition and they lenses had to be really thick...but they were able to make them much thinner at way more than half the price the other shops were. 

 

 

You really think they gave you a frame for "free", as you said earlier? You must be a very trusting person.

No, they charged you for the frame, including it in the price of the lens, because that is how they do business.

If you did not find a lens at a lower price you did not look enough. As everyone has noted, opticians in Thailand simply want to rip foreigners off and will quote the list price for higher cost lens. You have to look around, and educate yourself somewhat on types of lens etc.

If you like Owndays that is fine. I am just trying to set the record straight. The store has some good things going for it. I would be much happier with them if they did not practice deceptive pricing. Just price a lens correctly and not bring the frame into it. Then people can compare cost more easily, and use their own frames if they want.

17 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Found it. It's called Owndays. 

 

Owndays is okay if you stick with single vision house lenses and buy a frame from them. Anything other than that and they hit you. And if you bring your own frame they still charge you for a frame.

Their business model relies heavily on making you get frames from them, which are marked up to ridiculous levels.

For instance, they quote 3000 baht for their cheaper Transitions type lenses. You have to buy a frame from them on top of this, which is a minimum of 2000 baht, so the cost shoots up to 5000 baht or more. I had a new frame and went with it - but the price is no longer 3000 baht. If you bring your own frame the price of the lens jumps to 5000 baht. This is predatory pricing.

I found a shop that sold Essilor lenses for a little more than half this price.

When looking for reasonably priced lenses, don't forget Top Charoen. They will try to sell you expensive lenses, but their house brand is perfectly fine. Single vision lenses are 500 baht, and they are the same material for which Owndays (and others) charges 2000 baht or more. They also have a Transitions type house lens.

I have not previously considered online eyeglasses, partly because I bought glasses from Costco in the US. Costco prices are not prohibitive (other stores in the US can fleece you). But given that it may be another year before I can travel, I will give online a try.

The Vision Center mentioned above is the way to go.  I asked a well known eye specialist recently where I should go for a glasses prescription and he sent me there.

Just don't tell him you will order online  - he is very sensitive about it. Make up a story and pay him.

Glasses prices are beyond ridiculous in Thailand but I  get mine made in the US. Recently I had some single vision lens made here and was again quoted ridiculous prices. 

I have been thinking of online but I don't know how to get the PD right.  Every store I go to gives a different number. 

And I would never take the advice above to get tested at any store.  I have had mine tested just to check  and get incorrect numbers from them.  

Most store people here don't even know what lens materials are  - all they know is the word plastic.  Trusting them to get an accurate eye prescription would be really risky. 

3 hours ago, beau thai said:

try Aden Health store just south of Tesco lotus Kamthieng. Google has address. Maybe call first to avoid a wasted journey but the folks there have most things on that front

I just bought mine from Iherb. Took a while to arrive...

Appreciate the info. I will be gone a few days and will check after I return.  I will post if I find anything interesting. 

In the meantime can you tell if there was any Thailand tax  on the iHerb shipment.  And if so what percent?

1 hour ago, Andy from Kent said:

Maybe you overlooked this online retailer.   They offer the product in thailand.

 

https://www.ubuy.co.th/en/search/?q=lactaid

Thanks for the tip.

Unfortunately this business is a  ripoff artist.  They have inflated the price of the product by more than 50 percent,  and want to charge shipping on top. Why would anyone order from them?

Has anyone found a source for lactase enzyme in Thailand, preferably Chiang Mai? I will appreciate some directions if so. Does not have to be the original Lactaid brand.

If not in a store then what is the best online source. The two big online retailers are not proving very helpful. 

1 hour ago, Dante99 said:

Some inititive would be useful.  You can get that information easily with a search like Google.

Who asked you?

Go play with something as you have nothing to do  - maybe something round and soft? You can use Google to locate.

Some contact information will be useful. 

How long ago did you work with her, and did the 20000 baht include purchase contract.

Thanks.