khaepmu

On 12/25/2022 at 1:30 PM, JimGant said:

The Thai banking system has shown misunderstandings about joint accounts, from several directions. The most ominous, in my opinion, is that upon death of one owner, the other owner (in an "or" type account) is not allowed access to the account -- and it is frozen. This is contrary to Thai law, which treats joint accounts like the West. But, individual bank managers often march to their own drum (ah, that feeling of superiority).

 

Thus, as I don't want my joint account frozen upon my death -- and have it tied up in probate for 6 months and high fees -- wife has been instructed to go online and transfer all but a few thousand baht into her individual account. This instruction precedes the instruction about arranging my barbecue.

Are you able to go online with your Bangkok Bank joint account and make transactions. Our bank said we can't go online and make transactions with our joint account. I advised my wife to transfer funds to one of her individual accounts without informing the bank about my exit. I suspect I would pretty much do the same in the event of my wife's death. Next month I am going to ask the bank manager what our options are and if it is possible to avoid the courts despite having a will. 

I have a joint account with my Thai wife. We made it very clear to them that we wanted to be able to withdraw money without the other's permission. No problem. I was in another province and tried to withdraw some money but the bank would not let me without my wife's signature. I politely protested and they then called the branch I have my account with and I was then allowed to make the transaction. Not sure what happens when one of us dies. I hear different stories like the above. One might need a will to continue to use the account or one might be able to just present a death certificate to the bank. The bank we have the account with won't let us use the online services because it is a joint account. I told my wife to just keep using the account or transfer large amounts of funds to her individual account if she didn't want to bother with the will (we have a will). In the event of my wife's death I will probably withdraw most of the money without using the  will or death certificate. How would they know if I or my wife had passed away i wonder. Since we are legally married and have marriage certificates one would think that we could just continue using the account or closing it and opening an individual account.

Why do the banks/financial institutions assume you are living overseas just because you make some transactions or emails from Thailand. I call my mutual fund/brokerage company from Thailand and during the conversations I always point out that I am vacationing in Thailand and SE Asia and staying at my Thai wife's house for a few months. (I have been using  my brother's American mailing address since the company informed me that I must have a US mailing address.) I also send emails from Thailand, not often, but they have yet to give me a warning. More recently, when I call from Thailand I use SKYPE. Don't know if they can tell if the call is made from Thailand using SKYPE. I transfer money to Thailand from my American bank using TransferWise. Once I make a transfer request using Wise I don't know if the bank knows where the money is going. 

On another note, I have a Transfer on Death for my Thai wife with my American brokerage/mutual fund company. I called then recently to ask and clarify what steps my wife would have to take to have my money sent to her bank in Thailand in the event of my death. They explained in detail (death certificate translated to English etc.) Even though she has reasonable English language skills,  I asked them what my wife could do if she wasn't sure or had questions about the procedures and he told me they would arrange a Thai translator to assist my wife. They didn't seemed be  concerned or wonder why I would be in Thailand if I passed away  when

I am meant to b living in the USA.

21 hours ago, Ginkas said:

I sometimes get this problem.

If the download is not finding peers after a reasonable time (5 minutes), and there are a reasonable number of them, I shut down uTorrent (file - exit), wait a couple of minutes and then restart it. After starting it quickly finds peers and starts the download(s).

This may work for you.

This seems to have worked. Thanks.

When I download a torrent, my utorrent no longer finds peers. Had this problem once before but don't quite remember how I was able to fix it. 

 Presently on utorrent 3.6 (build  46590) [3- bit].

6 hours ago, John Drake said:

You can use google authenticator on your Thai phone. You don't need an American phone number.

You are absolutely right. I used my google authenticator on my Thai phone. Got into my account online. No problem. What was I thinking. Thanks for your tip. I just assumed My Thai phone wouldn't work.

I am not hopeful but the US brokerage/mutual fund company where I have a lot of my US savings just let me know that when I want to go online to my account to make a transaction or money transfer they no longer send the verification code that I need to access my account to my email address.  This was very easy and useful. Now I must get the google authenticator thing, which I did, but of course to use it you need a US phone number, which I don't have.. I am wondering if there is some way of getting a US phone number which I could use to get the verification code. I really don't see how this is possible at this point. I called the brokerage company, using my skype account, and they confirmed that I can no longer access my account without a US phone. I told them that I am retired and presently out of country on a long vacation which I had been planning for a long time and that I hope to return to the States in June to my home address. Like many expats living abroad, I use my brother's address. They just said I can use my US phone that I have on record with them. When I asked how I could us my US land phone she just repeated use your phone on record. I don't think she realized that that would not be possible if I was  not in sitting in my living room at my home address. She assured me I could call, and call collect, to make any transactions.. But going online without a verification code sent to a US phone number, I take it that a mobile phone would have to be used, is a no go. 

While having to call is not the end of the world, online transactions are just so must more convenient and I like to be able to look at my statement. Actually, I only go online to my account about once a month. Another problem is doing income taxes. I do TurboTax and they import 

all of my brokerage tax forms and it makes it so much easier to complete my tax forms. But I don't think I'll be able to import my tax forms. You need to provide them with your password and I need a new one and in  order to create a new password I would probably have to go online to create it. 

These companies seem to be putting up more and more obstacles to prevent expats from doing business with them. 

Do the two witnesses just sign the will. Doesn't a lawyer have to sign and stamp the will to authenticate it. Will a Thai bank accept such a document without a lawyer's official seal? I recently went to a Bangkok Bank in Pattaya and asked what my Thai wife would need to get my assets in the event of my death. She said and official will, or another legal document, which I didn't understand, from a legitimate law office. My Thai wife says not so.  I can make a will leaving her all my assets and sign it along with witnesses. No need for a lawyer to get involved. I don't know how she knows this and I can't help but think you would need some kind of legal verification of signatures.

I just received a second social security form7162. They said they hadn't received the first form which I had sent registered mail. This is the second time this has happened to me. I have found that the Thai postal system is reliable. I am not sure how to send this second form. Maybe just standard air mail. They said if they don't received the form within 45 days, they might stop my benefir payouts.

Might need a cataract operation and I have seen a few eye clinics advertising their services in Buriram Would like to hear about any experiences you might have had and any recommendations you might have regarding cataracts or eye problems in general. 

I have been using my brother's US mailing address for my US bank and Brokerage account for many years, despite living permanently in Thailand. All my tax forms for the IRS  are sent to my brother's address.   My brother told me that he has never received anything form NY State regarding state taxes that I might owe. Not sure if this is unusual. 

I have used TurboTax for the last eight or so years and have always used my Thai mailing address and have never filed any state income tax forms despite using a US address for a bank account and a brokerage account I have (my brother's US address). I always skip the state tax part of the TurboTax form. I think you need a credit card with an American billing address if you use a credit card.

I couldn't file my first FBAR attempt as I previously posted. Validation errors kept coming up. I kept going over the document and I did find a few mistakes which I corrected but 'validation errors' continued to pop up preventing me from completing the form. So I deleted the form and started all over again and then had no problems the second time around. I recently did my taxes on TurboTax and had a problem with my Thai phone number. It would not accept it. You would think they would ne able to deal with a non-USA phone number. 

This is really good to know. Thanks for posting.

Lo and behold. I deleted the entire form, (you can't save the online it unless it has been completed and sent), and di another one from scratch. No problem. I just filed it online, save a copy went to my email account and go confirmation. Thanks for your suggestions!

I have gone over my report at least five times. It is identical to the one I did last year. I checked the account numbers, addresses. No red flags like they sometimes use to show you that you have failed to provide necessary information.

I chose the "file  online' which I always use. Never had this problem before. What amazes me is they give you no additional information. Let me know what the errors are and I'll fix the.

I chose the "file  online' which I always use. Never had this problem before. What amazes me is they give you no additional information. Let me know what the errors are and I'll fix the.

I went online and completed my FBAR report, exactly as I have been doing for the last 5/6 years. After completing this years report, for the tax year 2021, I clicked to sign and a little box popped up and said "there are validation errors" and I cannot sign it. But it doesn't say what the validation errors are so I can correct them. I have gone over and over the report and I cannot detect any errors. Has any one had this problem? If there are validation errors why not tell me what they are so I can correct them. I don't want this thing hanging over my head.

So SDFCH seems to be a valid bank. I had never heard of them. Apparently, no problem having a Thai address. I wonder if I can have my social security check directly deposited with them in the event that my American bank, (I use my brother's address for this bank as he lives permanently in the USA) decides I can no longer keep an account with them. 

Where was the Ivermectin when it was needed!

Taking a trip to Rayong and wondering if the restaurants are now open and serving booze if you want a beer with your meal. How about the bars on the strip. Are they open? What are the Covid restrictions for night life and restaurants? Open but no booze like Pattaya?

Some real paranoia about what happens to ones assets in the event of a Thai Wife's death. I do trust my wife. And I seriously doubt her 2 sisters who live in other parts of the country are going to pay up for a lawyer to get our old house or some money in our bank account. Even if they could , I seriously doubt her sisters would try to dislodge me from the house. And should my wife die, I would make a new will and make her sisters beneficiaries. Over the years I have known a number of expats whose wives have died and not one had a problem with relatives greedily making  claims ono their assets. I am not saying it doesn't happen. 

Being so mistrustful of Thai relatives,  I wonder how  some of you people can sleep at night. We both have a copy of the will along with the lawyer. Not many assets. A couple bank accounts and an old house which I probably wouldn't live in should my wife die. I would prefer a small apartment over house ownership in Thailand any day. But that's just me. 

This reminds me of expats telling me to never lend money to a Thai, you will never get it back. I have lent money to my wife's relatives and a few friends when they were quite desperate. We always got the money back. Of course, I don't encourage money lending. And I have, on 2 occasions, lent money to 2 different expats and, lo and behold, where are they and where is the money.

46 minutes ago, Leaver said:

 

Perhaps you should broaden your imagination.  

I know what you mean and I know I sound a little bit naïve. But the fact that I am  her husband and both her parents are dead. I may very well be wrong but I can't see any of her relatives being able to walk into our bank  and demand all or some of my assets from the joint account if my wife died.  I don't think anyone cold get into our joint account if my wife dies accept for me. Actually, I opened the joint account with my wife more than 20 years ago. At the time I had just assumed that in the event of my or her death the money would automatically belong to one of us. A lot of people said I must really trust my wife what with opening a joint account. It has never been an issue with me. No question of trust. Only later did i hear that just because you have a joint account it doesn't necessarily mean the money will go to you if the wife dies. But I did some google searches and got contradictory information. But if you have a joint account and still need a will and have to go through probate procedures then there is no point in having the joint account. As far as I can see. 

But anyway, I do have a will but don't like the way it was put together. 

My Thai wife and I have 2 joint accounts, one Thai bank account and one Thai mutual fund account. I have heard and have been told that in the event of my death or my wife's death, a will would not be necessary for either one of us to have immediate and continuous access to the funds in the accounts.

Does anyone have any first hand knowledge or experience with joint accounts?

I cannot imagine a relative of my wife  having a valid claim to any of the assets in the accounts in the event of my wife's death.  (we are legally married 

and have a proper marriage certificate). But what do I know. 

I also have one Thai bank account in my name. In the event of my death, who could make a valid claim to the money in that account besides my wife? None of my relatives overseas would be interested.  Years ago I sent an email to that bank asking if my wife would need a will to get the money in the account. They answered back that she could use my ATM card to withdraw  funds until the account was empty. But if my ATM card expired before all the funds were withdrawn, she obviously could not get a new one. (I wish I had saved that email from the bank).

A few years ago we  made a will for our bank accounts and her house. In the event of my death, she get everything and vice versa. No other beneficiaries. The will is only in Thai, and the lawyer used Thai numbers (which I cannot read)for the bank accounts and mutual fund account. He failed to put the name of the mutual fund company in the will, only the account number. I never liked this lawyer very much. My wife and are are now thinking about getting another will with a more reputable lawyer that we have met and get the will made in both languages. My wife, like many Thais, is not real  familiar with wills and when I said we should get a better will done her reaction was one of almost of complete indifference. "Don't worry, no one is going to take anything from you if i die". 

A few days ago my wife had me watch a YouTube clip of a Thai lawyer who claims that my wife could make her own will in handwritten Thai and English leaving everything to me, sign it, and it would be valid in a probate court. I watched the video.  My Thai isn't great but I was able to follow much of what he said. I was skeptical. I said think you would need at least a few witnesses to sign the will but she said no. Actually, she wants to go this route rather then go to a new lawyer to revise our present will. 

My wife also bought five rai of land for not very much money,  the land that you don't have a deed for. To enable you to keep the land you have to grow stuff on it. She has a transfer paper signed by the person who sold it to her. She wants to put this in the will. I told her I don't think I can own or sell that kind of property even if she includes it in a new will.  Actually, I am not all that bothered about it but surprisingly the land has gone up in value and people have asked her about selling it. 

To conclude, we are trying to decide how to go about making a new will. I have downloaded a form would that we can use. It looks quite good. It is in both English and Thai, fill it out with our 2 bank accounts , our mutual fund account and her house registration. It would be interesting to know if she can really write her will without having to go through a lawyer in which case if I die first, she could take the will to the probate court, make an appointment and make the proper asset transfers. Sounds too easy.

Talking about wills and probate. What a wonderful topic.