Shannoblic

Thank you PiB

Thank you all for your replies.

I have decided to advise my friend just to do a series of transfers using WISE and to make sure he puts the right reason for the transfer to get an FTT entry in his bankbook.

One little aside - can anyone update a bankbook at a bank?  We have talked before about him sending me his bankbook and me updating it but again, I have never done this.  I update my own bankbook in the branch and have never been asked for ID or anything.  

Thank you Tonray,

He does already have the individual account in Pattaya.  He merely wants to use the Bangkok Bank in London to deposit money for transfer.

I have been asked a question by a friend in the UK to which I do not have the answer.  It could be very simple - but there again it may not.

My friend asked me if he could deposit pound sterling cash in the UK at the London branch of Bangkok Bank for payment into his account at Bangkok Bank in Pattaya.  He has come into some money and would like to send several thousand pounds to Thailand to give him the 800,000 ThB required for retirement extension prior to coming to Thailand.

His two questions were - 1] can he do this 2] would the payment in his Pattaya account show as a 'foreign transfer'.

I do not have the knowledge or experience to answer his questions.  Could anyone advise please?

Farag99,

Like Tanoshi I prepared an 'Emergency Pack' which has the following sections:

1. Will - this is a UK style will [which after posting a thread here I am preparing a Thai style one].  This also includes my wishes for body disposal.

2. My personal details - DoB, place of birth, NI Number, marital status, Thai address, UK address

3. Life support statement - a written [and witnessed statement saying I do not want to be put on life support if recovery is doubtful]

4. Copies of marriage certificate [married to a Thai]

5. Private pension scheme letter [certificate] entitling my wife to continue to receive my private pension [at the reduced rate of the scheme for a dependent adult].  This was easily obtained by phone calls and emails. 

6. Contact list - a list of contacts both in the UK and Thailand, including family members, UK solicitor, UK bank accounts etc. [wife has Thai bank accounts details already]

7. Suggested procedures for contacting the contacts and what to say

8. Copies of current Thai documents - extension of stay etc.

9. Copies of important documents - passport etc.

10. Instructions [advice] to my daughters as how to handle matters and authority to act as Executors, including bank account closures etc..

I should also add that I do not have any assets in the UK - my pensions are paid into my UK account and then transferred here via WISE, so apart from a very little money in the UK accounts there is nothing to sort out.  Also, my Thai assets [house, car etc.] are already in the wife's name so no issues there.

Hope this helps - and may I add, that like Tanoshi, I feel better having something in place so my wife is not left 'high & dry'.  It's not perfect but it does make me feel better.

Thank you UJ.  

These 'senior moments' are getting to be a pain!

Good morning all.

Quick question - I have to go to the bank today to get my passbook updated.  I have a monthly income to Bangkok Bank [via Transferwise] and it is marked FTT so that's OK.

I have read in previous posts that you can ask the bank for a type of receipt monthly for a foreign transfer into the account but cannot for the life of me remember what it is called.  I put it down to having a 'senior moment', but could someone please remind me what it is I should ask for.

Many thanks.

Thank you UJ.

A quick aside to UJ & Tanoshi - if my wife did die am I obliged to tell Immigration immediately or do I wait until me marriage extension is due to expire?  I am very keen [as previous posts will show] to make sure I am as fully prepared for all circumstances as I can be.

Thanks guys.

As Ubon & Tanoshi have said, every office [and Immigration Officer] can have different views.

Personally, I keep 400k in one bank [Kasikorn] in a savings account and have monthly payments into another account [Bangkok Bank] for living expenses.  I have never been asked for proof of living expenses, only the 400k in the savings account, but I do take the precaution of having the monthly living expenses transfers [via TransferWise now Wise]  marked as FTT so if necessary I can prove income from abroad monthly.  

Thank you both.  Sets my mind at rest.

Good morning All,

Simple question - can my wife do my 90 day reporting next week at my local [very friendly] Immigration Office and what does she have to take with her?

No drama - just hurt my leg and have to rest it for a week or so.

Thanks

Thank you all for your comments, links and advice.

I will be thinking things over and talking with family both here and in England before making any decisions but your comments have helped me in thinking this through.

Thanks once again.

Thank you UbonJoe.  

Hi All,

I would like to ask for some opinions please.  Nothing is yet definite but your opinions will help me to make decisions.

Situation: - I would like to return to England for a visit in the very near future.  There have been 2 sudden deaths in the family within the last month and the family structure could do with some support.

My circumstances: - married to a Thai [long time], use the 400k in the bank method for annual extensions and have no problems.  Live in our own [well -  the wife's] house.  I am 70 years of age.

What I would like opinions on please is how long members think the whole process would take if I was to remain in England for 3 weeks.  By the 'whole process' I mean starting from scratch here in Thailand booking a flight etc. to stepping back onto Thai soil having gone through the proper steps in England for a return.

I fully accept that all I can ask for are opinions but I would be grateful to get them.

Thank you.

As promised, here is an update from my hospital visit yesterday for my monthly check-up and tablet supply.

I asked my doctor if [as the hospital I attend is a private hospital] I could get a Covid jab as I had read that the government had said private hospital could get the vaccine for paying ex-pats.  The answer was 'no'.  Only large private hospitals will be allowed to get the vaccine and his hospital is considered too small.  

He will, however, help me to register at a larger private hospital when he has checked some details.  I am 70 years old and have been his patient for several years and have a very good relationship with him.

If there are any other updates I will post them.

I will

Thank you faraday.

I was wondering, rather than the physics, what was the legal aspect.

I fully understand [and support] mask wearing in all public places.

Could someone please explain how you can still wear a mask while eating and drinking?  In my area it is still permissible to sit at something like a concrete table at a shop in the market and have a cool beer, and perhaps eat something from one of the stalls.  Impossible to keep the mask on while doing so. 

I wear a mask when going to the market and at all times when walking round the market but cannot while having a snack or a beer [I even wear a mask when driving the motorbike!].

Dear All,

I raised a question in the Thai Visas, Residency and Work Payments forum about this and there are 127 replies - many of them useful.  I would recommend you read some.

My original post was only about the 400k in the bank I use for my marriage extension.  Everything else is already owned by my wife - house, car, bike, some land etc. so they are not open to dispute.  Also she is registered with my private pension and has a certificate from them with her entitlement.

It was only the 400k I wanted to make sure she got and from the replies I received in that forum I now have solutions.  I do have a will [in English] which leaves all assets in Thailand to my wife [we have been legally married for nearly 15 years] and any assets in the UK to my daughters - but there are none really - just my old bike and a spare set of golf clubs!.

From all the replies I had to my post [some conflicting] I have come to the conclusion that as all the Thai assets are in the wife's name and she is registered with my pension company things are actually quite simple.  The 400k I am sorting out but at the end of the day, compared to the other assets and pension entitlement it is not a show-stopper.    

Dear All - thank you so much for all your valuable comments and input.

I have tried to filter the points I needed to know from your suggestions and comments and now have a clearer view of what I have to do.

Just to clarify - my post was only about the 400k I leave in Kasikorn for my annual marriage extension.  Pensions and other incomes go to a different account at Bangkok bank which my wife has run for nearly 15 years!  Indeed, apart from renewals I haven't even seen the ATM card for that account for years.  The wife does all the budgeting, purchasing etc. as I am b****y useless at it!

All assets in Thailand - house - car - bike - some land - etc. are already in the wife's name and I foresee no problems there.  It was just getting the 400k to her, but with my pension transfer arrangements and a little money in the Bangkok bank it is not essential to do it very quickly but I want her to get it not the government.

I have no assets in England really, just a bank account where pensions are paid before transfer so there is really not a lot to worry about there.  I am lucky that my daughters in England get on very well with my wife and will support and help her if required.    

Once again - a very big THANK YOU to you all for taking the time to advise me.

Bangkok Barry - the pension I mentioned is a company pension and is transferable to an eligible adult when I die.  The scheme [at the moment] gives my wife 50% of the monthly pension [tax free as it will be paid in Thailand].  

Perhaps I should also mention that my [as is the case with most UK pension schemes] has a percentage scale - in other words if my wife was 18 years old she would only get say 10% of the pension whereas as my wife is in her 50's she gets the full 50%.

My pension scheme has a registration system for a 'dependent adult' and I registered my wife using that.  They sent her a certificate of entitlement and all she has to do is submit it via one of the will executors along with a coipy of a death certificate and the pension becomes payable immediately.

Hope this answers you question.