SupermaNZ

Yes - Tops Market Hua Hin has Australian-made Vegemite. It is very difficult to find genuine Marmite, however. Most Marmites appear to be cheap Chinese/Other knock-offs, that are runny/ a little strange tasting ..... 😀

For the Australians amongst you who may be concerned about specific areas in Australia that may be impacted by Cyclone Alfred, this resource is exceptionally useful. You can search for a location, and then (after deleting the 'current weather' bar at the base of the screen - play a forecast for factors such as wind, rain & thunderstorms etc ....). You can also use the 'Hurricane Tracker' to track the projected path of the cyclone. If you have family there - may they continue to be safe, and avoid significant property loss ..... https://www.windy.com/-Hurricane-tracker/hurricanes/alfred?gust,2025030900,-27.601,154.498,8

I'm unsure what the Danish rules are, but it may be possible (as for New Zealanders) for an application to be made (prior to permanently leaving your home country) for your Superannuation to be converted to the untaxed option. The untaxed payment is then brought in to Thailand, and the (lower) Thailand rate of tax then applies. Of course, this will be of no use to you if you have already retired/elected to continue to be taxed in your home country (if there is no retrospective option) - but for those that may be soon considering migrating to Thailand - this option may possibly be well worth investigating/considering.

Following a recurrence of 'frozen shoulder' (adhesive capsulitis), I looked for a local physiotherapist in Mueang Prachuap Khiri Khan. The Prachuap Physio Clinic provided excellent care, and had the equipment to do Extracorporeal Shockwave Treatment (ESWT), ultrasound, etc. My treatment (yours may differ) cost (a very reasonable) 399 Baht/ session. I am very happy with the service. Perhaps worth a visit before heading to Hua Hin (with its 3 hour return trip) ....?

Have you considered the possibility that you were not being served by a Thai person, but by a migrant from Myanmar? Myanmar service folk are extremely common on many of the islands (as well as in touristy locations on the mainland). Invariably, when we receive blunt/ unsmiling/ take-it-or-leave-it service, it is invariably from (lowly paid, granted) Myanmar staff. That's not to say that all Myanmar personnel involved in the service industry are that way - in fact many are not - some can be extremely helpful. However - it's my view that when confronted with unpleasant service, the first question that should go through one's mind is 'Is this person actually Thai?'. The answer to that will almost invariably be 'No', as Thai people pride themselves on their friendliness and politeness. Myanmar people - not so much ..... Added to that is the complication that some Myanmar people have very limited Thai. So - even if you speak to them in Thai - there is no guarantee that your message/instructions will have been both received and understood (quite apart from the challenge of getting your own Thai 'spot on') ..... Perhaps this is the reason that, in very high-end resorts, you will invariably find only Thai citizens facing guests. I have never seen a Myanmar person greet guests at a 5-Star resort. Perhaps others have, but not us. The owners of these resorts appear to be very much alert to the risk of 'brand dilution' and ensure that only Thai employees interact with guests. When you factor this in to a visit - sometimes we are willing to adjust our expectations with respect to the pleasantness of the service staff interactions. On other occasions - we've made a mental note to not re-visit. As to why some resorts/ cafes etc utilise Myanmar staff - we are ironically part of the cause. Increasing popularity of island/touristy areas raises employment. Raised employment = increased demand for housing. Increased demand for housing (for both staff and foreigners enamoured with the area) = increased rental/ purchase costs for property. Increased cost of rentals/property = many local Thais no longer being able to afford housing in the area. Reduction in the size of the available Thai employment pool = need to import cheap Myanmar labor (who often live many to a room) .... and so on it goes. So we can't complain too loudly, really, can we .....? We are part of the problem. 🤔

https://efiling.rd.go.th/rd-efiling-web/tax/dashboard. Use Google Chrome browser (or any other that offers automatic translation from Thai -> English/ whichever language you require).

Sorry to hear that you had a frustrating experience. In fairness to the staff at the Mueang Prachuap Khiri Khan Office - I filed my tax return there yesterday. As this is the first year that I have been required to file - I was interested to see how the experience went. The officer dealing with me was extremely helpful, and assisted me with setting up my e-filing account so that I can file future returns online instead of needing to visit an RD Thailand office. They entered all of my data for me, linked my Thai wife's Thai ID to my account (for verification of the taxation allowance granted with respect to her) - and completed the tax return there and then on the spot. They then printed a copy of everything that they had done for my records, free of charge. I couldn't have been happier with their service. I'm sure that it is as difficult for some Thai people dealing with foreigners as it is for us dealing with them, given the complexity of the Thai language, and the low level of English language skills sometimes encountered. While not advice of any kind - perhaps one approach that you could take is to adhere to the large warning signs posted throughout RD Thailand offices - reminding customers that RD Thailand staff are there solely to administratively assist, and that it is the (sole) responsibility of the individual filing their tax return to ensure the completeness/accuracy of their own tax return. If you are confident that a particular income stream is not assessable, then treat it as such but (as others have mentioned) - keep full records for future reference should there be any future audit. The RD Thailand e-filing site is available here: https://efiling.rd.go.th/rd-efiling-web/tax/dashboard. Tip: Use Google Chrome browser (or any other that offers automatic translation from Thai -> English/ whichever language you require). Further Tip: for those having difficulty with viewing their completed/filed tax return on the RD Thailand e-filing site, as we do not hold a Thai ID Number - simply enter '0' in the field where a Thai citizen would usually enter their Thai ID Number - and your completed documentation will be successfully retrieved and displayed. I hope this is of some help .....

Sad to hear that you feel this way. The modern approach to international taxation is via Tax Treaties which aim to ensure an equitable approach to taxation throughout the world, while expressly avoiding double taxation. The following is not tax advice - just my understanding of the situation. If you have paid tax in Canada - you will not be subject to further tax in Thailand. If you receive a superannuation payment which would normally be taxable in Canada (but was not taxed due to any application made by you prior to your departure from your country for it to be untaxed) - you are then (naturally) subject to taxation on that income in Thailand. As the tax rate in Thailand is (almost certainly) lower than that in most other developed countries - you are still on the positive side of the ledger, so to speak. It seems that the lack of clarity provided by Thai taxation authorities has led to unnecessary confusion and concern. Best of luck for your future plans .....

Interesting. While we all hope there will not be another COVID-19 lockdown during our lifetimes (knock wood) - I did contract COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic - and when secluded in a Thai government hospital for recovery - was grateful for the presence of my wife (she insisted on joining me in the hospital for the duration of my stay, God Bless her) - and she used her 7-Eleven App on an extra Thai-bought phone to order food etc that kept us a little bit more comfortable during the 2 week seclusion ...... So in circumstances like that - having a Thai bought phone/ 7-Eleven App is a definite plus. Hopefully - none of us will ever need it again..... 🙂

That's useful to know. However - I recently opened a Kasikorn Bank account in Prachuap Khiri Khan and went through the 3D facial recognition process, with the 'eyes open'/ 'eyes closed' thing .....

OK. That's interesting. We were advised differently - although we may have been given the wrong information by 7-Eleven. My wife is Thai - and she cannot link either (as her phone was (like mine) purchased overseas. Just out of interest - was your phone foreign-bought, or did you buy it in Thailand?

Many major stores accept TrueMoney (I love the efficiency of it). Lotus/ Makro/ HomePro/ GlobalHouse/ Watsons etc etc all take TrueMoney. The only potential issue with it is that, in order to take advantahge of the linked 7-Eleven sales that you can obtain by purchasing with your TrueMoney account - you need to have the 7-Eleven App on the same phone/linked. If you have a foreign-bought phone - you may not be able to install the (Thai) 7-Eleven App. Solution is to get a Thai-bought mobile.

I haven't noticed this issue - but perhaps (as I do in any event) use a phone provider such as AIS, and just add Prime (or any other streaming service) onto your package. The monthly (discounted) cost is applied to your usual monthly phone bill. They have Prime for a ridiculously low annual price at the moment (990 Baht from. memory - but don't quote me) .... 🙂

Online 90-Day reporting works really well, with this one (unexpected) exception (at least in my experience). This glitch in the system may have been repaired by now - but just in case .... If you travel anywhere within Thailand, and use your Passport during the check-in process, your 'address' appears to be automatically updated to that of the hotel in which you are staying. Hence - when you attempt to file a 90-Day report online again (following that stay) - your notification will be rejected (as the online 90-Day report system can only be used following an initial presentation to the Immigration Office in person). You must attend the Immigration Office in person and re-establish your residency address. I suspect that this is the reason why so many people report issues with the online 90-Day report system 'just not working'. On the other hand - if your Thai partner uses her ID to check into Thai hotel accommodations - your 90-Day reporting will continue to work seamlessly without an issue .....

Perhaps consider CT Mattress, Sleepyhead Chiropractic Accord, Slumberland Perfection, Sealy Posturepedic Active, Sealy Posturepedic Lucern (Robinsons has had the latter on special for around 20,900 baht in the past), and Dunlopillo Malton 6ft - the latter have been discounted from 55,414 to 21,190 Baht by HomePro in the past. I have included a few images of bed sales shopping trips for background .... Moral of the story - keep your eye peeled for these sales (New Years is a great sales period in Thailand, actually - so a great time to buy a bed/mattress etc) ..... This site (https://purple.com/blog/different-king-size-beds) has a helpful bed size/shape comparison. Hope this helps ....