jayceenik

Tuesday I went to renew my two five-year driving licenses (car and motocy) at the Banglamung office.

I was there early. Got Queue nr 104 at 0820 and was out with my two licenses by 10 AM.

Painless like told above by the few BM who have been there recently.

One thing not mentioned yet on this thread is that you should dress smart casual.

No shorts or tank tops.

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ok, I am ready to be shot down in flames for this question. I live and work in HK, my wife lived here for 16 years with me but now lives at our house in

Pattaya and I visit whenever work allows. We have a car and I have an International Driving Permit, can I get a Thai Driving Licence? Preferably for the longest period possible.

I got my very first Thai Car Driving License valid one year on the basis of my Belgian International Driving License.

That was many years ago but I don't think they have changed the rules.

Once, walking the old Pattaya Beach Promenade, I witnessed an umbrella lady boss telling tourists they could not lay down on the sand near her concession though they were on the officially free beach access by the old dolphin place. I couldn't help but take the side of the tourists and reproach the lady but to no avail.

The chairs are, indeed, cheap to rent but Pattaya is a "Beach Resort" for C.sake and after paying good money to come and vacation here the least you'd expect is to be able to go lay down free on the beach (where there are no chairs, of course).

Check out the Ibis Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 4. It's located about 1/2 Km down the soi on the left hand side. For the money, B199, it's well worth it. Starts 12:00 - 3.

Yes, I second that.

When in BKK I always try to eat at the Ibis.

I've checked a half dozen others. All very good but the Ibis is the one I like best.

Pleasant dining room, polite staff, and ...good food,

For a couple times now CW Imm has asked me to trot down to my bank in the basement and deposit/withdraw 100b to show that the account is active on the very day I'm applying for the 1-year extension - even though I had withdrawn money the day before and then had the bank letter done.

Using a proxy will let you read the DM in LOS but you're enable to post the articles on Facebook or forward them to a friend in TH or elsewhere.

I love the DM.

There are ways to read it in LOS.

Preparing to renew my two 5-year car and motocy DL I went to Jomtien on 25AUG for the obligatory two Residence Certificates.

500 baht - no receipt.

It was AM and applicants kept coming in though only short wait.

Business is good there !! LOL

Three weeks ago I wrote a Last Will in Singapore to bequeath my bank account there to my Pattaya TGF at my death.

Domicile notion was of importance to me as a Last Will drafted in SIN by a non Singaporean must also be legal according to the "Domicile" of the person making the Will.

I am a Belgian citizen expat living in LOS and am thus "domiciled" in LOS as far as the Belgian govt is concerned and not subject to Belgium's Inheritance Law.

Here is what the Belgian Law says about "Domicile" :

Domicile

Under Belgian law, domicile is the place where a person has their principal residence. It is the place where the centre of their family and economic interests lies, and where they are normally to be found. Belgium defines domicile in terms of residence at a specific address; Anglosaxon countries see a person’s domicile as their homeland. Belgium does not have a notion of domicile of origin

if you can find the relevant desk - which is easier said than done at BKK (Suvarnabhumi) in my experience at any rate!

Right.

Three months ago I was at Suva and made a quick search for that desk. Didn't find it.

Then I went to the airport info desk, which is easy to find, and asked. No problem.

Some years back I bought a shorts at what was then Carrefour.

Lasted only a couple months.

Then I bought a shorts at a night street stall at Nana Sukhumvit. About same price.

I cannot wear it down.

I had been looking recently for shaving brushes in all sorts of big and small stores in Pattaya and BKK. Unsuccessfully. And nothing useful in the forums.

Finally, a month ago, I found shaving brushes at the MBK Tokyu dpt store - 180 Baht.

Thanks, only brushes?

Well, that's all I needed but they seem to have an assortment of shaving and men's stuff paraphernalia not found else where.

I had been looking recently for shaving brushes in all sorts of big and small stores in Pattaya and BKK. Unsuccessfully. And nothing useful in the forums.

Finally, a month ago, I found shaving brushes at the MBK Tokyu dpt store - 180 Baht.

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I've been drinking tap water In my studios in BKK and Pattaya ever since I came to live in LOS many years ago.

But the water goes through a ceramic candle filter I have installed.

Tap water is safe but it's pumped high into gravity holding tanks on top of the buildings and that's where pollution may occur.

 

I flew out to SIN through Swampy in late May.
I had a Re-entry visa from ChaengWattana but I wanted to check the desk where they issue those Re-entry visas.
The Re-entry visa desk is indeed where BM Crossy above says it is and a big sign proclaims it to be open 24/7 so there should be no problems there. But, like BM 10years warns above, schedule plenty time in case of congestion.

I usually get a Re-entry visa at CW when I do my yearly extension but it's a couple extra hours wait to get it, a 1000b fee, and (more important) a passport page wasted if I don't use it - I didn't use three of four in the past four years !

I think I'll skip the CW Re-entry visa at next extension and use the airport solution if need be to fly out again.

Originally my Will was Holograph, no witnesses, deposited with a Notary in Belgium and duly registered at the Belgian Central Will Registry. This Will named a sole Belgian beneficiary and listed only bank accounts in Belgium, Bangkok and Singapore. I'm a footloose sort of guy...

After some Google and Forum searching about Wills recently it occurred to me that the Belgian Notary would have a hard expensive time dealing with Thai and Singapore banks and jurisdictions.

I also wanted a beneficiary change and name my Pattaya TGF as sole inheritor for all accounts.

So I retained Singapore and Thai lawyers to draft the Wills. Cost 16000b and 10000b respectively. I had to fly to SIN to sign.

It did indeed struck me as strange that even though my TGF is sole beneficiary I still had to name an executor in both Wills. But such is the language of the Law and it was absolutely no problem since I could name my very own TGF beneficiary as executor too !!. So, for both Wills she has one copy for herself as beneficiary and one, identical, as executor of the estate - both duly signed.

As for the Belgian Will I wrote, again, a Holographic Will with no executor named. The Notary she'll have to send the Will to in order to get the Euros will be, in fact, the executor. Can be any Notary in Belgium (mine mentioned as preferred).

I had a Last Will drafted a month ago by Siam Legal in Pattaya.

It was done and signed both in English and in Thai.

Beneficiary is my TGF. (She is quite happy about this - LOL).

Paid 10,000 baht.

I am very satisfied with the service.

The main asset are my two BKK bank accounts (where I maintain at least the stay permit extension min 800k).

They wanted that I list everything of value in my two rented studios (BKK and Pattaya).

I said NYET - just put "Everything in the studios" instead (I also have cash !!).

But I had to let them detail my modest motocy ownership book. Not important and useless if I buy a new one.

Before going to Siam Legal I had downloaded and filled out a Last Will in Thai and English from the Internet. Paid $25 by CC.

Quite well made but I finally decided that a Last Will done and signed by an established Law Office would be more easily accepted.

http://en.nationalhealth.or.th/node/197

“A person shall have the right to make a living will in writing to refuse the public health service which is provided merely to prolong his/her terminal stage of life or to make a living will to refuse the service as to cease the severe suffering from illness. The living will under paragraph one shall be carried out in accordance with the rules and procedure prescribed in the Ministerial Regulation. An act done by public health personnel in compliance with the living will under paragraph one shall not be held an offence and shall not be liable to any responsibility whatsoever.”

I've lived in LOS for many years and, in all probability, I'll die here.

I want no Terri Schiavo end-of-life if something bad happens to me what with the Thai doctors sucking all the money from my bank account and then dumping me outside when there is no more so I've made a Living Will and made my TGF the one who'll decide to unplug me if I'm unconscious.

I've made it clear to her that the longer I'm kept in what should be a terminal condition the more costly the medical care and the less money left on my Last Will for her.

This is not exactly Euthanasia but it's the best I could come up with here.

You can download the Thai Govt approved and thus LOS hospitals recognized Living Will (2 forms)here :

http://en.nationalhealth.or.th/node/215

http://en.nationalhealth.or.th/node/214

Both in English and Thai.

I appreciate the BMs' concerns about a senior farang drawing a Last Will favoring a young TGF.

I quite understand it can be "risky" at times ... LOL

Well, be concerned even more as I've made a Thai govt-approved Living Will in which she is named as representing my wishes if I were to find myself in a Terri Schiavo state.

This I terribly fear (motocy accident, maybe) so I've made clear to her that if this happens she must have me unplugged asap as that will mean less $$$ for hospital care and more left for her in my bank account ...

I have just written three Last Wills (bank accounts in BE, TH, SIN) in favor of my Pattaya TGF and I've been inquiring about getting Thai Death Certificates for me which she will need to claim the inheritances.

Like SidJames says they will be issued automatically by the doctor who'll examine the defunct - either in the hospital or at home.

I queried my Belgian Embassy and they told me that three copies of this Thai Death Certificate must be taken by my TGF to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs at ChaengWattana to be officially stamped as it concerns the death of a foreigner.

My Embassy will then claim two of these stamped certificates for their use and will translate in French and notarize, for free (!!), a third copy that can then be sent by my TGF to my Notary in Belgium along with my Holographic Testament.

For Singapore a translated in English and notarized copy will be needed.

If I tally right my TGF will thus need to get a total of five Thai Death Certificates (three for BE, one for TH, one for SIN) - And all stamped by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Ibis Hotel down on the left on Soi 4 (Nana Plaza) - 200 bahts nett - pleasant dining room.

Opens at noon.

Excellent choice Thai and Western plus some Japanese.

I eat there when in BKK.