nigelforbes

A living will sets out the medical care and treatment you are prepared to accept and what must be refused, under what circumstances, they are now binding on doctors and hospitals in Thailand who otherwise would go to great lengths to keep you alive. You can designate in a Living Will, a person to make decisions for you regarding treatment, if you are incapacitated.

It still has to be witnessed, typically handwritten wills are done at the Amphur and kept there for safe custody.

The UK newspapers this morning are full of, "who will replace Truss", apparently Sunak is favorite once again, a PM and a Chancellor all in one, a two for one deal perhaps. ????

I agree with your assessment although another option might be that BOT raises interest rates slightly faster and slightly higher than planned previously, the rate increase doesn't have to be an all or nothing scenario. One of the risks of doing nothing is that the gap between THB and USD widens even further, beyond 40. The US is not having much success in reducing CPI which just came in hot, that means at least two more 0.75% rate increases, it may even mean three. If that materializes we could see an even weaker THB which will stress imports. particularly oil costs, which are already forecast to remain high. The Thai Oil Price Equalization fund just accepted another USD 1 bill. in government support. The fund is a smart idea to help keep inflation low but the country can't afford too much more debt without something coming under stress. And if exports continue to outstrip imports by a substantial margin, the current account will be back in surplus and the US will start to cry currency manipulation again, that's the last thing anyone needs.

Hunt with a C confirmed as new Chancellor.....I wonder who comes after him.

The cost to draft a will in Thailand for a foreigner is fairly standard around the country, about 6,000 baht, using a Thai lawyer. A power of attorney dies when you die, it would not be valid after your death. Yes, you can include anyone in your will, regardless of their nationality.

You couldn't make this up if you tried.

Currency pairs can be divided in major, minor, exotics and cross pairs. There are about seven major currency pairs, all involving USD that is paired with another currency; seven minor currency pairs involving other reserve currency pairs, and exotic currency pairs which pair USD against a minor currency such as THB. In addition, any currency that is not paired with USD directly is referred to as a cross pair, GBP/THB is an example of a cross pair albeit a minor cross pair because THB is relatively small in FOREX currency terms. Before the value of any cross pair can be calculated, say GBP/THB for example, the value of GBP and THB (or the other components of the cross) against USD must be calculated separately. The value of THB can be determined by the net value of all USD/THB and THB/USD trades over a given period and this is what the FOREX does so this part is simple because USD/THB is NOT a cross pair. Establishing the value of USD/GBP is slightly more complex because the value of USD itself is determined in part by the value of five base currencies, one of which is GBP, along with all the other usual factors that determine a currency value. Nevertheless, USD/GBP is not a cross pair and the FOREX can determine the net value of all trades to establish the value of GBP. Currencies that determine the value of the US Dollar Index include the euro, Japanese yen, British pound, Canadian dollar, Swedish krona and Swiss franc. You can see from this that any change in the relative value of GBP impacts not only the value of GBP cross pairs but also the value of USD itself.

It was humorous and intended to be so.

I'm with the Muslims on that point, it's nonsense.

I wrote the opening post to try and help posters understand how the global forex system works, not how to trade forex or to understand how the value of GBP/THB is derived. I invite anyone to run any part of my post that is not in quotes, through any plagarism checker, you wont find any part of it written elsewhere. The opening post is not about how to trade forex. The post is about how FOREX works, there is a big difference. You keep telling everyone that the value of GBP/THB comes from USD/THB and USD/GBP, what you fail to tell everyone is where the value of USD/THB and USD/GBP comes from in the first place! Where it comes from is through the aggregation of millions of buy and sell USD/THB, THB/USD, USD/GBP and GBP/USD transactions every second. They translate into PIP adjustments to the value of GBP and THB and other currencies in the FOREX tree, using the algorithms contained in FOREX. That's where GBP/THB comes from, not from any multiplier and certainly NOT from any Central Bank fix.

If this was just about beach, I would chose the beach at Sattahip Naval base, it's one of the most idyllic I've come across. Plus twenty minutes away is the full array of restaurants and entertainment etc. I always believed that going to a nice island beach doesn't mean having to stay there 24 hours a day, along with the limited facilities that exist there also.

I'm glad you said that, an oil massage to me is just a pat on the hand. It's the tamest of any Thai massages and difficult to understand how anyone gets hurt during the course of one, unless they tripped whilst getting onto the table perhaps? Dunno.

There is no inheritance tax in Thailand. Most countries in the West asses a will based on global assets, unless the person is non-dom.

I had my affirmation to marry translated into Thai by a well known Thai lawyer, the documentation was then passed to MOFA to certify. MOFA requested changes which had to be made and then reviewed before more changes were requested. This process went on for four iterations. MOFA is the country expert on translation from Thai to English, they set the standard. MOFA said the changes they requested were to confirm the translation. Good luck with giving a will to a friend and asking him to have a stab at it!

A number of posters recently have said they don't understand how the FOREX or foreign exchange works, maybe this will help: What is The FOREX? There are three FOREX markets, Spot, Forward and Future. This explanation deals only with the Spot Market which is the everyday foreign currency exchange mechanism used by most people. The FOREX is a series of algorithms that show the relative value of one currency against other currencies. When one currency strengthens or weakens, the FOREX provides the means to adjust the relative value of that currency, against all the others, and vice versa. The FOREX is operated by member banks, dealers and central banks and anyone else who is capable of becoming a FOREX member. The FOREX is immediate and real time, it is over the counter (OTC) so there is no delay or reference to a central body for approval. The FOREX system is regional. Global coordination is conducted by Thompson/Reuters but The 4pm London Fix ensures global uniformity. What is it NOT? It is not centrally operated. It is not owned or operated by a Central Bank (who are only member's of FOREX just like all other members) The Typical 24 Hour Cycle of one Currency Banks, Dealers Brokers and consumers trade currency 24 hours a day globally. The value of all currencies is expressed in currency pairs, most commonly against the value of Reserve Currencies such as USD, GBP, EUR etc. The value of the Thai Baht for example is often shown against USD in the format, THB/USD which shows how much of the second currency pair can be bought for one unit of the first pair. The process of buying and selling currency pairs often involves millions of transaction per second. The more that one currency is bought against a Reserve Currency, the stronger that currency becomes, the more it is sold, the more it weakens. The process of determining the value of a currency whilst millions of transactions are taking place every second, is the responsibility of FOREX. The FOREX continuously aggregates all the transactions in real time to see what the net effect is of all the plus and minus movements, on a currency value. The difference in total value of all those transactions results in a change in currency value that is either positive or negative. The FOREX displays the latest known value for a currency pair which is known as the Spot Value, this is the value before any buying or selling commissions or fees have been applied. The Spot Value can change every second. The FOREX adjusts the spot value in PIPS (Percentage in Point), in real time, the smallest possible movement of a currency according to the netting procedure which is ongoing. As one currency increases or reduces in value against a Reserve Currency, the FOREX adjusts the relative value of related currencies accordingly. The movements in currency values are almost identical to the movement in stock and shares on the stock markets. They are constantly changing based on demand and based on latest news of events that effect their movement and as their individual value changes, so the value of the indices change. If for example somebody wants to buy or sell a currency they must look to see what price is being offered, if they are unhappy with it they can make a counter offer. Eventually a strike price is agreed and the trade is agreed, obviously, the more money that is involved, the greater the opportunity to influence the value of the trade. The agreed price between dealers/banks/brokers is known as the strike price and is the absolute value of that pair, at that moment in time. Currency Dealers remain acutely aware of the factors that determine currency value and any bid to buy or sell a pair will be influenced by these factors, just in the same way that the value of stocks and shares are influenced by latest economic and political data. In this respect it is the Dealers Banks and Brokers who agree the value of a currency pair, at any point in time, if the Central Bank disagrees with their interpretation, it must intervene in markets to influence the value by buying and selling currency, just like any one else. Key factors that dealers/banks will consider that effect the value of exchange rates include: inflation levels, interest rates, current account value, conditions of trade (balance of trade and trading account value), economic performance and public debt (not consumer debt). Consumers who approach a currency exchange booth in the street will be given an exchange rate according to the value shown by their FOREX supplier, plus or minus any commissions. The FOREX supplier may be a bank who in turn is connected to a currency dealer so their may be several layers involved. Throughout the day the Central Bank monitors the exchange rate to ensure it is within the range they want. If it isn’t they can intervene and buy and sell currency just like anyone else, selling local currency against USD to make it weaker or buying it to make it stronger. Each day the Central Bank will look at the volume of currency transactions that have taken place during the previous 24 hours and also at the prevailing exchange rate. If they are happy with those things, nothing happens, if they are not, they can intervene in markets. This almost theoretical once a day look at the exchange rate is known as the daily fix. It is nothing more than a sign off that the bank agrees with the value of the currency, at that that point in time, in light of the recent activity. The 4pm London Fix The global check and balance in the FOREX is the London Fix. “The closing currency “fix” refers to benchmark foreign exchange rates that are set in London at 4 p.m. daily. Known as the WM/Reuters benchmark rates, they are determined on the basis of actual buy and sell transactions conducted by FOREX traders in the interbank market during a 60-second window (30 seconds either side of 4 p.m.).The benchmark rates for 21 major currencies are based on the median level of all trades that go through in this one-minute period”. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/forex/031714 Following the London Fix the relative values of key currencies can be adjusted, in theory by negligible amounts.

It's not a one for one relationship, an increase to 40 is by no means certain, it could just as easily fall to 37, depending what happens to THB.

You are indeed abnormal, every other expat in Pattaya has a wife or partner who was a nurse, a nun or an accountant/lawyer/doctor. ???? Well done for saying that by the way.

You're welcome, Susan.

When you transfer the funds to Thailand from overseas you will need to state the purpose of the transfer, if it's to purchase a condo, say so, if it's for living expenses, say so, I do not recommend you say it is for both condo purchase and living expenses, I suggest you make separate transfers. When you eventually sell your condo you will be issued a blue tax paid receipt by the Land Office, that will tell the banks how much you can transfer back overseas again without the need for further documentation. Funds you have bought into Thailand for the purpose of living expenses will be deemed to have been spent after a certain time, if you haven't spent them, say so and argue your case. In any event you will need a Foreign Exchange or Funds Transfer receipt from your bank, proving that the money was sent to Thailand from overseas, don't lose it. ????.

Go to the beach further South of the center, South of the Centara, there's no horses, no seafood to be had on the beach and many of the hotels are reasonably priced. IBIS is two hundred meters from the beach and that's under 1k per night. Holiday Inn is more upmarket and around 2,200, Centara is under 1,500 and it's on the beach. Mind you, Chiva Som is at the end of the road the IBIS is on and that's 195k per night, yes, 195,000 Baht, but they say it's quite nice.

Is that useable insurance here in Thailand or is it only States side?

I disagree, the beach at Hua Hin is spectacularly good, it goes forever and you can walk forever without encountering a hooker, a beach chair or a drunk.

And the global elite is waiting to swoop down and buy the country...yawn.

Tinted film is extremely unlikely to prevent heat transfer. We installed it on several windows in our home and it's not effective. Part of the problem is that unless the glass is insulated laterally from the steel, the heat will transfer from the steel roof to the glass and circumvent the film. That said, reflective film will reduce heat penetration by up to 80%, in theory but that doesn't take into consideration the bridging described above.