Dah fahrang

Yep!

Yes. Dead serious.

Despite me telling her not to send anything to me by post any more, my sister in the UK, in a lapse of memory or a fit of sentiment, sent us a small postal package for Christmas. It contained some small items of little commercial value, plus a Christmas card. The cost of the postage from UK was extortionate - about £8 - likely more than the value of the items within! The UK post office will not accept a parcel for overseas posting without an attached 'customs declaration' stating content and value. Thailand Postman arrives at our gate. Beeps his motorcycle horn, and waves a Thai Customs demand for 70 Baht before he would release the parcel. I asked to see the sender of the package, then refused to pay the 70 Baht. He looked bemused, shook his head, filled in something on the form and put the package back in his sack. About 2 weeks later, I received a message from my sister - with photos showing the package had surprisingly been returned to her, intact, unopened, un-scavenged. Thailand Post, or Thai Customs would have to pay for the cost of the return, plus the cost of administrative faffing about. The cost would have been far in excess of the 70 Baht, which they could have waived. Morons. (I suppose the sender could have under-declared the value, or simply stated "Christmas Gift - no Commercial Value).

Quiet Preparation. I accept my mortality, but don't (yet) feel ready to kick-the-bucket. Talk openly and freely with my family about death. No taboo. Married to a wonderful Thai for 43 years, daughter, grandkids, small bungalow in Ratchaburi, two 'daft' dogs, big garden. Life-time's savings in joint names in Guernsey and Isle of Man, where UK taxman can't get them; just bringing enough into Thailand (two tranches - one for me, one for missus) so the Thai taxman can't grab either. Living a quiet, happy life, a few aches and pains, a serious and pricey piece of surgery last year, yet no reason to give it all up. BUT Day-to day Thai (and all foreign) bank accounts in joint names with either / or signature. I die, account operation goes automatically to missus (and vice versa). Immigration 800k account in just my name - kept untouched - missus has the online details and can subtly drain the cash when I've gone, or, she can use my Thai Will to get Thai probate and draw the funds the 'proper' way. Up to her. Thai and foreign wills written, signed, witnessed, notarised, put away safely where the family can get at them quickly. Thai Living Will signed, witnessed translated, notarised - making it clear what medical interventions I refuse if I'm terminally ill. And, just today, I signed a contract for a Prepaid Funeral Plan for a Direct Cremation with a Funeral Director in Bangkok. No ceremony, no attendees, body collected, cremated, funeral director does all the running around officialdom (Embassy, Official Translation of Thai Death Certificate, notarised at Foreign Affairs etc) and ashes returned to my next of kin, to later have a 'Celebration of Life' gathering whenever they want; THB47,000 all-in! I'm a lifelong agnostic, so do not want the hypocrisy of men-in-orange chanting over my body, with duplicitous neighbours (some of whom I despise, and they, me) faux-grieving over me. So, with the peace of mind I have with everything in place for my family after my demise, I carry on taking life each day as it comes, with its many surprises and simple pleasures.

This may be because there is a mis-match between the registered name of your bank account with the registered name for the SIM card in your mobile phone. It could be as simple as a single character in your name. I had this issue a couple of weeks back, setting up mobile banking with K Plus. The mobile number in the phone used for KPlus was registered in my wife's name. I had to go to my mobile phone provider (True) to change the registered name, and get a 'certification' from them which I took to Kasikorn. Easy enough. All done and dusted. Mobile banking running a treat. My online banking, ATM/Debit card use was unaffected during this switch.

Rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.

As an oldie who will be impacted by this nonsense from Krungsri, it would be really helpful to hear if anyone (over 70) has just recently successfully registered for the Krungsri app and received confirmation? Also, has anyone found that access to their Krungsri Online internet banking has been stopped (by Krungsri) after successful registration for the app? Thanks!

Ratchaburi: No. They were happy to accept a QR scan which opened a link to "my place" on Google Maps. (Two years running)

Yes, I have had a phone call, followed by a home visit for an extension based on retirement. Ratchaburi. It was 18 months ago, following my (successful and no issues) extension for the year 2024-25. The call was from one of the visiting officers mobile number. Two very courteous and friendly officers; a look at my passport, wife's ID card, tabien baan, some paperwork done by the visiting officers, a few jokes, admiration for our well-kept garden and our dogs, a cup of coffee, visit to the loo, some (inevitable) photos of me with the officers, and they were on their way. Best part was having a pick-up with Police plastered all over it parked at our front gate. Got the neighbours in a tizzy! April 2025, on doing my most recent extension for the year 2025-26, we (wife and I) asked the officer handling my application if I can expect another home visit following this extension. Answer: "I can't say. The boss decides which applicants get a home visit".

Absolutely. That's why I did it!

Thanks for this. Having decided to 'try the system' it was important to me to openly establish that a deduction was being made. I'm no accountant, so my method of doing this might be wrong. But at least the 'dam has been breached'.

Thanks for this. Good to know a mistake was made in my calculation method. Still, its better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.

Apologies for omission. The pensions concerned and aggregated are: UK Teachers Pension (deemed private pension scheme by HMRC) a Prudential Annuity (private scheme) and a small UK State Pension. HMRC add all these sources of income and then deduct UK tax accordingly. It is the UK Tax assessment for 2024/25 which I printed out to present to the TRD as evidence, and, until told otherwise, claimed as Tax Credit which I unilaterally deducted from my total remittances. I did not remit the total amount of pension income in 2024; only enough to keep me below the threshold for Thai Tax. In the absence of any clear ruling by TRD on this, and the lack of appropriate space on Form 90 to declare foreign tax paid, plus the fact that I am obliged by law to file for Thai Tax by the end of March, I unilaterally claimed a tax credit by deduction. Should 'TRD Eagles' decide to come to my door to make an example of me, so be it.

That is how I treated it. As a tax credit against Thai tax, until I am told by the RD otherwise. I declared the full total of two inward remittances on my spreadsheet, then deducted the Baht equivalent of UK PAYE tax deducted on my UK pensions (42.30 exchange rate). I (my wife) explained this to the RD clerk, and gave her to keep, the (English language) title page of the Thai/UK DTA signed in 1881.She had no idea of any DTA, but accepted my reduced figure.