Equatorial

I have used https://ipostal1.com/ . They have locations just about everywhere in the US, not just Houston.

Appears legit, but there is a caveat... look under FAQs, question regarding Form 1583. It requires that you provide a physical US-based address. That is a requirement that all legitimate remailers and virtual mailbox providers have to comply with.

Which one?

I will defer to the more knowledgeable members, but personally, I would get a retirement-based Non O, and that gives you 90 days. I don't think the immigration at the airport ever denies entry to Non O holders.

My wife got two security guards (if you can call them that) who hang out at the luggage area to help us. They pulled all 14 boxes off the conveyor belt and loaded them on three carts, and all four of us went through the "nothing to declare" gate. The officer asked what was in the boxes, my wife said we're moving back to Thailand. They picked two boxes at random and put them through their scanner, and waved us off. That was it. No money changed hands (except 200 Baht that my wife gave to each of our helpers afterwards, for help with the boxes). No idea if this is standard, or we just got lucky.

You can print a WISE statement with all transactions within a date range.

It is my understanding that if she is not a co-owner of those assets with the right of survivorship, upon your death it would be illegal for her to log in and make transaction. It's the job of the Executor to properly process those assets. I believe giving her login credentials to any financial assets that she does not co-own would not only be useless, but carries unnecessary risk of her making transactions without understanding their impact and consequences.

Additionally, KL is a fun place to visit. Every time I go I stay for a week and enjoy the change of pace.

I'll mention two issues with walking outside. Some parts of Thailand are heavily polluted during certain seasons. During those times it is best to avoid any outdoors exercise, including walking. Also, hot and humid weather can be an issue for some people. Even if not a health hazard, it's a matter of convenience, and trying to find a way to exercise without overheating is legitimate. Gyms are good for short time visitors; for expats it may make more sense, financially and otherwise, to purchase a treadmill and an air purifier, and to walk in the comfort of their home.

Concur. I would suggest that if you're facing a difficulty opening a bank account, you try all different banks, and all of their different branches in your area. The rules are liquid and you never know, you may get lucky.

@RSD1 - I am curious - have you been able to attain the music of Thai language? 99% of farang speaking Thai, even the ones speaking well (relatively speaking), speak in kind of a flat voice. Thais almost sing their language. Whenever I record myself and then listen to myself speaking Thai, I am horrified at how bad it sounds.

I'm pretty sure DrJack54 is referring to the opportunity of making 8% interest with the money that is tied up sitting in a Thai bank account. From a financial point of view, it is better to pay an agent or to use the income method, instead of tying up money and letting it sit idly in a Thai bank.

What a great idea! The only potential drawback is the possible expiration date limiting validity of a cashier's check. Here is Grok's answer:

I agree. There may be illegal ways to get around the rules, but they involve risk. Not just the risk of losing they money, but the risk of going to jail. I've been trying to solve a similar problem (wife rather than GF) and based on the feedback I got here and elsewhere, here are my conclusions. 1/ Avoid anything illegal - it involves the risk of losing the money, and going to jail. 2/ Avoid will and probate and anything that have to do with Thai legal system; it takes forever, it is expensive, and the results are not guaranteed. Besides, there is a risk of the GF's family getting involved and succeeding in getting some or all of the money in question. 3/ Joint accounts are out (because of the immigration requirements for EOS), and in you case, being a GF, she can't be a joint signatory (at least that is my understanding). 4/ The only bullet-proof way to make sure she gets the money in case of your death, and she gets all of it without any delays, it to keep the money in a bank account in her name. However, for this to work, two things have to be true: - She has to be 100% trustworthy. With 1 mil in her name, she can take the money and disappear, and you have no recourse whatsoever. - Assuming that the funds in question are the money that you are currently using to satisfy the financial requirements for the retirement-based Extension of Stay, you would have to switch to the income method and show foreign-sourced THB 65,000 per month deposited in a Thai bank account. At this point, I am strongly leaning towards the option #4 myself.

It's even worse - one day you are guaranteed to die. The jury is still out whether the immediate cause of death was the serving of Pad Kra Pao consumed a few years earlier, or excessive alcohol consumption.