scorecard

It's a common practice in many areas of government / government agencies. I was a confirmed member of a Ph.D. dissertation committe at 2 Thai unis for several years. There's no salary, members get paid a meeting allonce for every meeting/student dissertation presentation. Sometimes the standard allowance is for 1 maybe 2 hrs & any further time is paid at an additional pro-rata amount. And sometimes it's a fixed amount regardless of the total time taken.

A long-term Nth. American expat died a month back in a hospital in Pattaya. Police called, police given a copy of the will by a close Thai friend, (no assets whatever to be distributed), police them infomed the embassy and gave them the will, hospital sent an original copy of the death certificate to the embassy. No surviving family in Nth America, all this explained in the will of the deceased. Embassy contacted a temple in Pattaya which has cremation services. Temple needed 4 items: 1. Original copy of death certificate issued by the hospital 2. Original copy of an instruction from the embassy to go ahead and conduct the cremation. 3. Original copy of a statement from the embassy stating who the ashes should be given to. In this case a Thai friend of the deased who ultimately spread the ashes on the sea. 4. Pre-payment for the cemation, about 50,000Baht, paid by donations from friends. All done.

Yes they cremate the body twice, to be doubly sure the person is totally dead! That means of course double charges for coffins, firewood and for fire starters.

But the only opposition theta would trust him would be less than credibel, less than trustworthy. It's been mentioned before that politicians who are credible, honest etc., keep very clear os this convicted criminal. Also It's been reported before that when he was serving time in Australia (4 or 5 years in jail) he tried several times to bribe a judge and various officials from the penetentiary system.

Don't forget 'brakes failed'.

If you have decased it possibly means that automatically others (by law) cannot touch your assets, funds in banks etc.

If it really is your only asset and your wish is to legally leave it to wife then you can make a legal will at your local amphur office at a very small fee. But ensure the staff at the local amphur office don't try to convince you that it's Thai law that some of your money must be left to your wife's mother (your M-I-Law), or similar. That's not true. You have total control of what you say in your will. But I DON'T suggest you take the amphur route (in regard to writing a will) if your assets are more complex and your desire is to bequeath different amounts of money, property, vehicles etc., to several people. Staff at Amphur offices don't have the knowledge necessary to do this. Back to leaving the 800,000Baht to your wife. You could go to the amphur office with your wishes already written in Thai and in English, similar to: 'Upon my death I leave all of my cash and all other assets to my wife.' Tell the amphu staff your statement is not negotiatble, and insist your will must be as per your already written instruction, nothing added/nothing changed. Also keep in mind that you can change your will a million times. Totally up to you. If you do rewrite your will and have it properly signed and witnessed etc., all previous wills you have written are immediately null and void (totally cancelled). Good luck.

Son had the same experience at one of the big Thai banks on 3 issues: Son already had several savings acounts and wanted one more for a specific purpose. Bank officer stated: - Compulsory to start an insurance befoe you can open new accounts. - Compulsory to have an ATM card - Regulation supposedly issued by the Bank of Thailand. (Bank staff get a commission for every new ATM card they generate.) - Customer must sign savings account application form with no details whatever on the form (name, address, Thai ID card etc., etc. ). Bank girl continued, it's a bank rule I cannot enter these details now, I must do it after the bank closes for the day. Son walked out, went to the big Krung Thai branch nearby, new account opened in 5 minutes, forms all totally completed, no push to take insurance or take an ATM card. Son walked out of Krung Thai impressed and now even more angry with his original bank/bank staff. He called the national call centre, the call centre lady asked 'where are you now?' Son responded 'standing on the footpath outside your bank'. Call centre lady listened then politely asked son to please hold the line. A bank snr. quickly came on the line and apologized. Bank snr asked my son to please not hang up, to walk into the bank and insist on speaking to the manager. Son held the line open, walked in and the local manager was waiting inside the door, obviously in panic. Son gave him his phone. Local manager now in even more panic. Local mngr went to the desk on the errant bank officer, told her to instantly get up and wait for him in his nearby glass walled office. Mngr sat down and very quickly completed the transaction for the customer already sitting there. Mngr then said to my son 'I will personally open the new a/c for you immediately'. Son responded 'Never mind, I alredy have a new a/c at Krung Thai and I will go back there tomorrow to transfer all my funds to Krung Thai'. Local bank mngr now in total panic. Son took his phone from the local manager and pressed the button for the speakerphone facility, son and everybody within earshot now able to hear the bank HO snr.. berating the local manager. Son did transfer all his funds to Krung Thai. Girl from local original branch dismissed, she had apparently been reported a number of times. Snr HO guy called my son (my son is well known and well respected in the community) with extended apology. He disclosed that the local manager had also been dismissed. Why? HO was concerned that on several occasions the local manager could not be contacted. The incident with my son had sparked further checking of the local mngr. In fact mid afternoon on the day the 'new account' incident happened the local mngr could not be contacted. Further serious investigation revealed that he was playing golf.

I spent a couple of years back in Oz, I had an apartment in a large*, modern, very well managed War Veterans Village. (400 houses, many apartments, 4 hospice buildings.) In the height of Covid- 19 infections every resident and staff person was totally serious about masks, distancing, getting their innoculations etc. Residents went outside only as really needed for food shopping on one of the free village buses, all with masks and the buses cleaned and disinfected every hour. Throughout this whole period the village didn't have even 1 infection. But one morning I went to the wonderful family restaurant for lunch. Line up (with mask and keeping a distance) and select what you want and sit down (less than 5 minutes), wonderful staff bring your selection to your table. During this time visitors were not allowed into the village buidings except for medical etc., staff. Suddenly there were loud voices. 4 middle aged ladies had arrived and tricked the admin. folks to let them into the building*, and were in the line to order food, all without masks. One of the switched on residents asked 'why are you not wearing masks? (*The outside ladies were aware that our village restuarant had very good/nutritious food, was very clean, and the food prices highly subsidized.) One 'visitor' spoke up quickly and loudly. 'We are guests here so you can't tell us what to do and none of us believe that Covid- 19 exists'. The village restaurant staff instantly refused to serve them and called security. Security came quickly. One of the security staff was a young man born in Australia, very dark skin, his parents also born in Australia, their parents from Kenya. The 4 outside women all instantly yelled at the young security man saying he was dirty and full of disease. Also yelling about 'you should learn English before you come here'. The reality was that English was his first language. The young security man was well respected/loved by all the residents of the village, all the residents in the village restaurant at that time all stood up to protect him and to insist that the 4 ignorant outside women be removed and handed over to the police. The outside police arrived quickly to a barrage of nasty abuse from the 4 outside karens. They were taken away by the police. Restaurant manager, keen to get things calmed down quickly announced: - 'We will immediately make new rules about admitting people who don't have a member card'. - 'Everybody please sit down, the staff will come and take your order and bring your selection to your table. Today lunch is no charge' (a total of about 30 people).

What shocks me is how ignorant many of these 'karens' are, their lack of balanced values, balanced respect and ethics, both male and female. I'm so glad I grew up in a country where things were/still are much more balanced and so glad my parents calmly identified incidents, words, discussions which were disrespectful/lacking in logic and we calmly discussed it, they taught me to respect all regardless of their heredity, colour, religion, level of education, level of income etc., and they taught me to share.

Not me. Seems like there's a Karen on every corner and in every shop.

How does it work?

Very interesting comments. Especially the fact there's 2 subjects: - Land ownership. - Permission to be in the country. Is there any indication that the current discussion re land ownership in Thailand automatically gives a long-term visa?

I did.

Maybe, but this nasty loud character is a convicted criminal and he had enought influence to convince/force the PM to assign him to senior positions. He's had no hesitation to attack and to intimidate numerous politicians and gov't officials. Jail for life would be the best place for him.

No, he frightens many Thais.

Thanks.

Thanks. so AUD45 per fortnight increase. Do you now, has this been specifically stated or is it a guess??? Friends in OZ have mentioned several times recently there's a lot of serious/angry discussion about pensioners / families (pensioners and non-pensioners) who are really struggling to put 3 meals on the table, pay rent, electricity, put petrol in the car etc. We wait and see.

F.N rate ?

Has it appeared in the Royal Gazzette?

yawn...

Have you flown Jetstar on this route before? I guess (repeat guess) i'd not be expecting S'pore Airlines etc., service but who knowns. Five star not always my choice. I did AirAsia X Chiang Mai to KL to Sydney just before Covid 19 started, the service and meals were quite good. Included a 2.5 hr stopover in the AirAsia lounge in KL, good selection of free items, and the paid food / drinks were excellent and very low cost. Also excellent wheelchair service all through the trip. One way was about AUD400-, not too bad. For the fare you got I'd be happy even if meals were extra charges, still a bargain. Or even pack a pile of sandwiches etc.

Can I please double check that: - Jetstar - later this yr - Bkk - Melb & return - incl., choose own seat (for class) all up AU$300- My preferred destination would be Sydney, but last I checked Jetstar don't fly to Sydney. But very likely adding cost of a well chosen* domestic flight Melb-Syd & rtn would mean very cheap total fare. (* Well chosen meaning avoid any overnight accommodation cost in Melb.)

"... there was no smell or annoyance to others." What about impairing judgement, as it relates to driving vehicles?

Thanks for that. Seems to me these are all important/critical points for the OP to understand and to consider how he/she needs to proceed.