Mike Lister

Rutnin, without a doubt....been there, done that! Dr Roy is highly recommended. FWIW I travel all the way from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, just to visit the Rutnin for the same reason.

Ophthalmologists only work in hospitals and deal mainly with diseases of the eye and the internals of the eye. Ophthalmologists are licensed MD's who have additional speciality training. Optometrist's are trained (4 years) to determine eye glass prescriptions but there is a shortage in Thailand, you will be lucky to find a licensed optometrist but you can try. Most sales people who work in eye glass shops are neither optometrists or ophthalmologists but instead understand how to use various pieces of technology to estimate prescription lens strengths. If you go to a hospital to see an Ophthalmologist and ask them to give you a new prescription, they may well refer you on to an optometrist!

When you put something in quotes, that means somebody said something hence you need to supply a link from a reliable source. Other posters objected to the absence of a link which we wasted 10 minutes trying to find. EDIT TO ADD: Bickering posts removed also, already 50% of posts in the thread removed....stop it!

I've hidden a quote that somebody made up, not a very creative or convincing quote I might add. If you post a quote then you must post a link to a reliable source, as per forum rules. If however you make up quotes and pretend they are authentic, you must go on a holiday!

I've removed three posts from the same poster that violate two forum rules, numbers 9 and 10. Because this is a potentially emotive subject for some and because some posters are new, warnings are avoided on this occasion only. The forum rules are linked blow, please read them and abide by them. https://aseannow.com/forum_rules/ I've now removed more posts but this time, from seasoned posters, for the same reasons as the above. I strongly suggest everyone start to pay attention to the rules because there will be no more gentle and polite warnings for anyone.

If you watch/listen to the video on the first page of the thread, you will hear that fines can be levied and the pension diverted to pay those fines, if the payee is found guilty of a related crime. If correct, and I've no reason to believe it is not, that means the pension is never suspended and no claw back is made, only that fines are paid. The effect is the same but one approach means the payments never stop.

I know of similar also. The coin will drop eventually, better or more competition will go a long way to improving product quality, preferably foreign competition.

Quality will win ultimately. Nobody wants to buy rubbish products, even if they are cheap, the winner ultimately will be the best quality product at the lowest price..

I don't understand why, if you can buy at 45 (or 36 per USD) the chances of a currency gain are quite substantial.

Traditional is typically defined as spouse, ascendants and descendants.

Thanks you for posting that. I think most of the points in your list were already understood although point number one is interesting, it looks like the RD may be preparing to do some digging. Point three, foreign tax can indeed by offset against any Thai tax, that has been confirmed elsewhere. And point six finally has some clarity, the long awaited gifts from. abroad statement.

18. Social media content is acceptable in most forums. However in factual areas such as but not limited to news, current affairs and health topics, social media cannot be used unless it is from a credible news media source or a government agency, and must include a link to the original source. In some circumstances a moderator may relax this rule and this will be determined on a case by case basis. If this rule is relaxed a moderator will post a public notice explaining the limit and scope of the relaxation. See notice above, reposted here: The rules state that we have some latitude in deciding what is suitable or not. Given that there are four separate external links on the first page, all discussing the same thing plus several moderators have looked at this, I think it's sufficiently reliable to leave in place.

The rules state that we have some latitude in deciding what is suitable or not. Given that there are four separate external links on the first page, all discussing the same thing plus several moderators have looked at this, I think it's sufficiently reliable to leave in place.

A few reasons. Bank savings rates are linked to the central bank rate which in Thailand currently is 2.5% Banks here are free to offer whatever rates they want and since there is outside competition from foreign retail banks, the public is at the mercy of a the families.

Sure, but inside 12 months the rates will be fairly similar. The one thing a retiree absolutely must avoid in retirement in Thailand is exchange rate angst which has seen huge numbers of people end their retirement here early.

The issue is not the bank or its location but the currency the funds are held in. GBP/THB has been volatile in the past and whilst it is currently healthy at around 45, it has gone as low as 37 in the past and forecasts are it will return to that level in due course.

Poster @JimGant is a retired American CPA and he is better placed to answer questions such as yours, I'm sure he'll be along shortly.

It's in the link in the OP, if you would bother to watch it:

I don't know I imagine the pension payment is not stopped at all, merely diverted to pay the fine. Dunno, guessing.

I also have heard that several times. But I have also heard that payments can be suspended, until fines are fully paid, in fact, one of the links posted earlier says the same thing..

Sales of Imodium in Thailand surge, WHO mystified.

I think it's clear that covid recovery is a factor in this deficit and that China exports have recovered more quickly than their imports.

Jim - from your link: "According to the Civil and Commercial Code of Thailand - the law that governs succession and estate administration - when a person passes away with or without a will and his/her heirs or an interested person wish to transfer, inherit or administer the estate of the decedent, that person must file a petition with the court requesting to be an estate administrator". Have you considered the possibility that your bank manager merely has a nervous twitch and was not in fact suggesting anything illegal and in reality, didn't know?

It's down to personal preference really, Thai banks are perfectly safe and deposits are insured but only up to THB 1 mill. FWIW I hold 90% of my funds in Thai banks and 10% in HSBC UK.

https://www.youtube.com/c/FabulousPattaya?app=desktop There is indeed a story on this at the link above.