Etaoin Shrdlu

I opened an account with Chase just over four years ago when I was visiting the US. I do not have an address or phone number in the US and Chase was fine using my Thai address and phone number. I had to show them my passport and a bank statement with my Thai address. I think an SSA letter with my Thai address would have been ok in lieu of a bank statement. Chase sent a box of checks and a debit card by courier to me here in Bangkok. I had an unauthorized transaction on my account once and requested a new debit card. Chase sent the replacement by courier to me here. I use the Chase app on my phone with my Thai SIM card and log on to their website using my computer without VPN.

You won't receive a 7162 if the address you have on file with the SSA is a US address and your payments are sent to a US bank. If you use a Thai address, you'll get one every year under normal circumstances.

Contact one or more of the hospitals and ask for their recommendation based upon your age, medical history and family history of heritable diseases. But be aware that all private hospitals will discover a large lump in your wallet and will successfully remove it.

I once had a registered letter to Wilkes Barre returned as undeliverable even though I used the envelope that came with the 7162 form. It got as far as the USPS facility in New York and was then sent back to me. Back in July, I emailed the FBU in Manila with a scan of my completed 7162 attached and mentioned that I was going to send the original by post to Wilkes Barre. They replied that it was not necessary to send the original. You might try emailing them with a scan along with an explanation of your situation. Perhaps also send a copy by regular airmail to Wilkes Barre. [email protected]

Yes, if the seller is registered for VAT and charges VAT on the purchases, it is supposed to be included in the price displayed and charged for the item. I can't speak for all Lazada seller, but I've never been charged VAT separately for any of my Lazada purchases. If the merchant is registered for VAT, but assumes that purchasers prefer not to pay the VAT-included price, he or she may display a price net of VAT expecting that the purchaser prefers the off-the-books lower price. If a customer then requests a formal VAT invoice, the merchant would likely then increase the price to include the VAT. This usually only happens at smaller shops and less formal channels. I don't think this will happen on Lazada, but can't say for sure.

The branch may have closed, but the liabilities of Bank of Asia would have been assumed by ABN Amro and subsequently by UOB. I think that after ten years banks send funds from dormant accounts to the Bank of Thailand, but I understand that if a depositor can prove ownership there is no time limit on reclaiming funds from the bank. You may have a valid claim against UOB. Have you looked into getting your funds from them?

Bank of Asia was purchased by ABN Amro who in turn sold it on to UOB. I would certainly hope and expect that your deposit was simply carried over. I don't think Bank of Asia simply closed its doors.

I believe VAT is levied on all consumer purchases made in Thailand in the formal economy. There may be exceptions, but I can't think of any at the moment. The VAT amount is included in the purchase price, so is isn't like the US where you have to add a sales tax on top of the advertised price to see what your total cost will be. You will normally get a receipt that shows the VAT amount that was included in the purchase price. VAT is not levied on purchases made in the informal economy, and some VAT-registered shops may sell items off the books and not levy VAT. Sometimes a VAT receipt may be desired by the purchaser, in which case The merchant may be able to levy VAT and issue a VAT receipt upon request, but only if the merchant has registered for VAT.

Since the quote posted mentions stamp duty, I think the quote comes from Cigna's Thai company. Policies issued by insurers in Thailand are usually less broad in coverage than those issued by offshore insurers. I understand that Cigna's office in Singapore, and perhaps elsewhere, will insure expats living in Thailand. Coverage would probably be broader from those Cigna offices. You might wish to consider using a broker to help you find the best insurer and plan. A broker can also help if you have issues with claims.

This can be the case in places where third party liability coverage is compulsory and it is against public policy to have potentially uninsured vehicles on the road simply due to the operation of clauses such as the unlicensed driver exclusion. Thailand does not compel vehicle owners to insure for third party liability, so insurers would likely be able to deny third party liability claims, even if the principle of "follow the car" would otherwise apply. It seems that Thailand has no problem having vehicles on the road without proper TPL cover. It is possible that the OIC could step in and compel the insurer to honor a third party claim even in the case of an unlicensed driver, but I'm not sure how likely that would be.

Actually, the restriction on cross-border insurance transactions is not something unique to Thailand. Almost all countries have such regulations. In fact, the US has roughly similar regulations in each of the 50 states! I think the EU is a bit easier when it comes to insurance between member states, but I don't think it is completely free. Haven't kept up with EU regulations, however. So, yes, it is a bit protectionist, but no more so than almost all other countries. It is normal for regulators in the financial sector to protect the public from foreign entities over which they have no jurisdiction and control.

Yes, finding offshore medical insurance for a Thai national can be difficult. The reason is that only insurers licensed by the OIC can legally offer insurance to the Thai public. Technically, the "Thai public" is anyone physically in Thailand. The reality is that the OIC has not enforced this rule. The fact that almost the only persons seeking offshore health insurance are foreigners probably has something to do with it. It would probably be a different matter if offshore insurers actively sought to sell insurance to Thai nationals. Offshore insurers are aware of this regulation and will not wish to overtly go against.

Yes. His facility is well-equipped with machines he imported from the US. I was satisfied with the treatment I received and I know he has a well-established clientele. Full disclosure: I know Dr. Mark personally as well.

I think the business model is to set up a company in one jurisdiction, perhaps the US or UK where capital is safe, get it licensed as an insurer in a lightly-regulated jurisdiction, as many of the Caribbean countries are, and then set up a distribution hub in yet another jurisdiction, possibly lightly regulated or unregulated. UAE free zone distribution hub, Caribbean insurance license, no info on financials of the risk-bearing entity, reference to reinsurance. I'm not implying anything wrong or illegal, but I don't consider the Dubai Outsource Zone or the Turks and Caicos to be hubs of financial probity. Lack of financial information on the insurer concerns me as well. In looking for a non-Thai insurer, my preference would be to go with a major insurer that has acceptable S&P or AM Best ratings, is domiciled in a developed and well-regulated jurisdiction and has verifiable claims-paying history. But to each his own.

VUMI's website states that its head office is in Dubai Outsource City. Dubai Outsource City is a free zone within the UAE. Companies in free zones in the UAE do not come under the regulation of the UAE Insurance Authority, so it is not clear which insurance regulator, if any, would oversee that operation, which is probably their distribution arm and not the actual insurance company. After further search, I believe VUMI's insurance company is domiciled in the Turks and Caicos Islands. I haven't been able to find any financial information on the Turks and Caicos company and I have searched Standard and Poors and AM Best. This leads me to believe that it is a small company compared with the likes of AXA, Cigna. Turks and Caicos requires just $100,000 in capital to form an insurance company. Ole1291 has posted information above that indicates QBE reinsures VUMI. QBE carries a group rating of "A" from AM Best, which is good. But policyholders do not have direct access to reinsurers in the case of insolvency of the primary insurance company and reinsurance will not necessarily prevent an insurer from becoming insolvent.

Something was certainly misunderstood or mis-quoted or an error of the type you mention occurred. It probably was 57,000 arrivals as I don't think 5,700 in a day would tax immigration at Suvarnabhumi. It could have been 25 flights per hour, at least for a certain period or periods. If an average flight had 250 passengers, that would yield 6,250 per hour and that would probably have strained the immigration staff during such a surge. If an average flight had 250 passengers and the total arrivals were 57,000, then there would have to have been about 228 flights. That's probably not too far off.

Dr. Mark Leoni Holistic Health Systems Ltd. 322 Sukhumvit Soi 79 Phrakanong Neua, Wattana 10110 081 627 0312 http://thailandchiropractor.com/about-dr-mark/

Quite possibly something like that. At least for a portion of the day.

I have no problem logging in with either Opera or Safari.

Let's say the average flight brought 250 arrivals. It would take 228 flights to reach 57,000 arrivals. That's fewer than ten per hour, so it is certainly doable. Someone was mis-quoted or something was misunderstood when the article was written.

57,000 arrivals on 25 flights. That's 2,280 per flight. Must be using TAT's calculator.

He is a naturalized Thai. He relinquished his US citizenship in the 1990s. His father worked for the US government and was not wealthy. Whatever is actual wealth is, it is self-made. Forbes has him on its list of 50 wealthiest Thais and estimates his wealth at USD1.4 billion.

This from CarNewsChina.com on October 9, 2022: "The Haval H6 DHT-PHEV was built based on GWM’s L.E.M.O.N. platform." https://carnewschina.com/2022/10/09/haval-h6-dht-phev-officially-launched-in-thailand-price-starts-at-22400-usd/

I don't seem to be able to find this on Lazada. Do you have a link that goes directly to this item?