JTXR

"Our parent who art in heaven....."?

Recently TI has processed 90-day report applications in just a day or two. My latest has been "pending" for more than 4 days. Is this par for the course now, or should I start to be worried? (Calling them seems to mean talking to a very pleasant and friendly young lady who never has any useful information....)

Non Chinese need to participate in the corruption on an individual basis. Chinese (practicing their domination of nearby countries as client vassals) can organize it all on a mass scale.

It was a Pacific Cross agent who told me outpatient coverage was not required under the new rules. She quoted me some prices, and policies that included outpatient coverage were significantly more costly than policies with just inpatient coverage. I'm reluctant to buy just the inpatient because it would be a real pain to arrive at CW and be told the policy didn't comply. But paying a lot more for coverage not required is also a pain. Hope someone who has done an extension after 1 September 2022 can share their experience.

Every single year many, many different publications publish a list of the top 10, or top 20 or top 50 places to visit that year. Places rotate through the lists. Thailand figures in a lot of them, just by existing. Hell is probably the only place that's never made it on any of the lists.

Because Thai insurance companies can raise your premium astronomically after a claim (and/or exclude from future coverage anything even somewhat related to a condition for which you make a claim), I consider the required health insurance just part of the price of staying in Thailand. I want a high deductible because I'm never going to make a claim for anything less than truly major.

Excellent. So it just says 3 million baht (USD 100,000), no mention of inpatient or outpatient. Thanks again.

Yes, the linked document with police order dated 2019 says 400K/40K. I thought that changed to 3 million (USD 100,000), even for extensions, as of September 2022, which is what the pinned topic says. That's what my insurance company is telling me too. But they say no outpatient coverage is required, so I just wanted to confirm it. Maybe they can send me a copy of a later police order.....

Thanks, Joe.

The old health insurance requirement for NonImm-OA visa and subsequent extensions of permission to stay was 400K inpatient and 40K outpatient coverage. My understanding is that the new requirement is for 3 million baht. When I called the insurance company I have my current policy with, they told me the new requirement is only for 3 million baht inpatient coverage, there was no outpatient requirement. That would make a big difference in premiums for me, at my age. Can someone here confirm this? (A link to some official TI statement to this effect would be great too.) Thanks.

No, see, it's the 21st Century. Americans speak American and Brits speak Old American.

No, see, there are 16 towns or cities in the U.S. called Paris, but only one in France. And there are 8 in the U.S. called London, but only one in England. Only makes sense to specify.

I just use the IRS's own site, to fill the forms and also file them. I use my address in Thailand on the forms. I've used it the past 4 years with no problem. https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms#/fd You should note (from the site): ****** If you choose Free File Fillable Forms as your Free File option, you should be comfortable doing your own taxes. Limitations with Free File Fillable Forms include: It won't give you guidance about which forms to use or help with your tax situation It only performs basic calculations and doesn't provide extensive error checking It will only file your federal return for the current tax year No state tax return option is available You can't make changes once your return is accepted ******** If you find a mistake in your return after you file it, it's true you can't make changes, but you can use the same site to file an amended return for the same year.

Actually, the hiccup in my case is something called the Windfall Elimination Provision, which as I said I don't really understand well and, as you said, is one of those convoluted parts of SS. If my benefits are supposed to be reduced this year because of that provision but aren't automatically reduced by SSA, I'm worried they'll come back to me 5 or 10 years down the line wanting repayment plus interest. Just wondered if I need to take it up with the Manila office, which hasn't been responsive in the past, or if I can try to take it up with SSA in the States.

Oh sorry. I now see you don't read very well. I believe I said not that the essays were no different but that Thundberg's introducing and rounding off was no different. Since every one of your posts in reply seems to involve either a misreading of what I write or a nonsensical demand, I'll just let you go on with your hero worship.

I do not in fact know that it is compulsory. I do still know, however, that asking someone to prove a negative is nonsensical. By all means, go ahead believing Thundberg is a hero. No one is stopping you. Lord knows the world is full of people believing Beyonce is a hero too. Go for it.

How should I know what an essay on each subject involves if, as you say, I haven't read the book? How would that be possible? I've made no judgments about the book, only about folks treating Thundberg as some sort of prophetic hero. Any spent time listening to, or reading about Thundberg on the subject of climate change -- just like any time listening to or reading about Rhianna on the subject of climate change -- is time one is not spending actually learning something useful about global warming. ????

Read my post again. I'm not a climate scientist and did not say I was. My specialization is different. But with a PhD in that specialization I know how to read scientific literature. That said, you understand you are asking for a link to prove a negative, right? A link to show what Thundberg doesn't understand. All I said, earlier, is that if you actually listen to Thundberg, behind the posturing and generalities, she doesn't say anything at all that indicates she actually understands the science.

I'm at the age I need to start minimum distributions from IRAs, etc. When I first started getting SS, someone there told me that (for reasons I never really understood at the time) my SS payment would be reduced once I started getting these distributions. At that time I lived in the States. Now, living in Thailand, I guess I have to deal with Manila. Last year when I tried to call them, I only got put on endless hold. Is it possible to deal with them by phone. If I write, do they respond fairly quickly? Or can I try to deal with the SSA office in my home state (where I still maintain a US address as "home of record."). Thanks for any input.

Cool. Thanks.

Ha ha. Greta Thundberg "enticed" 100 experts to write...... etc. ?? She "enticed" them? Thundberg "introducing" and "rounding off" each chapter is essentially no different from Kim Kardashian introducing and rounding off each chapter. Very nice that 100 experts contributed to the book. No doubt they've written much else too. Great. If they're experts, they're worth reading. But if they are the experts, where are their names in the blurb? After all, they are the ones worth reading and listening to. This thing "created" by Greta Thundberg is just more self-promotion. "Icon" my tush.

This site I think used to have forums for discussion of home country issues: UK, USA, Australian, etc. Is this no longer the case since rebranding as ASEAN NOW? I've just searched but can't find them. Where would now be the appropriate place to post about US-specific issues (e.g. SSA)? Thanks.

Now that's funny. ???? My wife would not have been able to resist commenting the same.....

True, raising public awareness is necessary, and there are many, many people doing it better than Thundberg in ways that count. When you actually listen to Thundberg, it's surprisingly clear she really doesn't understand much about the science behind global warming or even the actual probabilities of the consequences. She basically only knows "the house is on fire" and adults stole her childhood. I understand the science, being a scientist and having read most of most IPCC reports, and yes, it would be very good indeed if emissions were reduced and global warming slowed, then reversed. But nothing of what I know about the subject did I learn from Thundberg. Again, I have nothing against her personally and would never want to "shut her down." I just feel no need to pay attention to her. More power to her for becoming famous. God knows that's what is really important in today's celebrity worshiping culture. But on the other hand I've got no particular respect for self-promoting creatures of the media who are famous for being famous in whatever sphere.

Thanks for that about the bank draft. I think for adult renewals of 10-year passports, you have to do it by mail now. Funny, on the new checklist, it asks for your return address but doesn't say anything about a self-addressed return envelope, only to NOT send a prepaid return envelope. Oh well, I'll just do what they say.....