jfchandler

Finally, different people here have talked about using Skype and/or Vonage to keep a U.S. based phone number in Thailand, which can be useful for financial transactions and other reasons.

I'm familiar with both of those services and their costs. I instead have chosen to use a different service called Magic Jack, that I think is certainly far more cost effective, and for me is a better value and more convenient. When I mentioned it previously in this thread, someone replied, why should I care about that when I already use Skype.

My answser to that is, because you can save a hel_l of a lot of money, compared to the monthly rates Skype charges for providing a fixed U.S. phone number that can be dialed to (and not just using their service to make outbound calls over the Internet).

Rather that restate all the details about this, let me post a link to a prior TV post I did on the subject that includes all the details about Magic Jack... All I can add is that three months have passed since the time of my original post, and I continue to use it with great results. Good call quality, reliable. Just pick up my standard household phone and call anywhere in the U.S. for free, talking as long as I want...

Prior TV post on Magic Jack

I'd challenge anybody to show me how Skype or Vonage are a better deal for the price or when comparing equal levels of service. PS... As I stated in the original post, I have no financial or otherwise connection with the company/product. Just a satisfied customer.

On the issue of renewing/obtaining credit and debit cards (and keeping or not keeping a U.S. mailing address), it's very clear that various of us have had different experiences with that... I suspect practices vary among different institutions.

There are certainly enough people reporting BAD experiences about this to make it clear that at least SOME U.S. financial institutions balk at issuing/renewing credit/debit cards to addresses outside the U.S. On the other hand, I don't doubt those who've said they've had no problems with THEIR banks doing so.

For me, keeping a U.S. mailing address just makes it simpler in that I don't have to worry about which might have a problem, and which won't. I simply know I have a U.S. address and I'll always use that for purposes of my banking financial transactions. Finished... done!!!

As I read comments from everyone, it made me wonder whether there might be some different approaches to this among banks/credit unions vs. brokerage accounts.

For example, my brokerage folks didn't care that I was moving to Thailand and would have been fine if I wanted to list a Thailand address, even though I chose to keep a U.S. address of record. On the other hand, I've had some of my own banks indicate they won't issue new or renewal credit/debit cards to addresses outside the U.S. Perhaps the brokerage houses are more easy going about this???

OK…Now…this is the THIRD time I’ve written this post….and I’m getting very CRANKY… (#1 lost to a power outage, #2 lost to a browser crash…) So now I’m typing in Word where I can save my writing and not LOSE it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First, I want to say THANKS to Jing for starting this thread, which has provided me and others I think with a lot of information, and a lot of issues to consider. We may have different experiences and interpretations, but that is to be expected. Out of it all, hopefully, some learning and insight occurs.

Today, I went to see my new American CPA in BKK (originally from CA) about filing my CA and federal tax returns for 2007. Because this is my first tax return year in Thailand, I wanted to make sure I started out in the right direction. On my own, I started out with a few questions. But after reading in this thread for the past few days, I had a TON of questions to add on…

So, I wanted to pass along the advice I got today. If you have different ideas or understanding about these matters, feel free to reply accordingly. I’m not the expert here, but I am sharing the advice I received.

For the record, here is my personal circumstance, as I related to the CPA… So he’s answering me in this context. I worked CA for about three fourths of 2007 in a salary state government job, the salary ended when I moved here last September. During 2007, I had no property ownership or business ownership/interest in California, nor do I expect to have for the future. I have a car and voter registration in CA. But all of my financial addresses of record are in a no-income-tax state other than CA.

So, here were my questions and his answers:

What about my obligation to file CA state income tax returns? Because I had salary income inside California during 2007, I need to file CA income taxes for 2007. But if my situation stays the same as cited above in future years (Thailand resident), I don’t need to file ANY CA income tax returns for future years, 540 NR or otherwise.

What about my CA state pension, when I begin to draw it in future years? Provided I continue to be a non-CA resident, it would not be subject to CA state income tax, but would be subject to federal income tax. He indicated there was a past time when CA tried/did tax such situations, but that subsequently was clarified by federal law that the state cannot tax non-residents, and you don’t because a resident for tax purposes just because you are drawing a pension from inside the state.

What about being required to report foreign (Thailand) bank/brokerage accounts to the IRS? Only if the combined balance of any/all of those accounts was $10,000 or more at ANY time during the pertinent tax year. If not, don’t need to report them.

Is there any meaningful difference for tax purposes between reporting to the IRS a U.S. mailing address vs. a Thailand mailing address? His answer was NO, that either way was possible. Though I pointed out in discussion, if someone is receiving a rebate or refund check, that would be mailed to the address you have used. And, it’s a whole lot easier to have such checks deposited in the U.S. (if someone there can do it for you) vs. trying to do it here in Thailand. The other approach, of course, is to have those checks direct deposited to your U.S. bank by the IRS, regardless of which address you use. Can I deduct my moving expenses from the U.S. to Thailand as an employment related expense? Only if I ended up being employed here for at least 18 months out of the two-year period after my arrival.

Can I deduct my travel and stay expenses here on prior trips during the tax year associated with seeking employment in Thailand? Yes.

The only financial consequence for me of having an overseas residence/address for some accounts and pensions is that they have to (by law) automatically withhold 10% of whatever pension payment or account funds withdrawl they are sending to me for Federal tax purposes. When I file my income tax returns, I receive this money back if I am owed a tax refund.

It is most certainly true...the Feds require this so as to try to minimize tax fraud from overseas residents. However, as it is money that may be owed at the end of the tax year anyway,and if one's intention is to maintain a clean tax record with the Federal authorities, it's really not a problem. As I said, when you compute your taxes, if you are due a refund, you will receive it back and if you owed taxes, it's applied to your balance owed. Exactly the same as when one is working and an employer withholds estimated taxes.

However, if it makes a difference in one's financial situation not receiving the full amount immediately (though you will eventually owe it anyway), the way to avoid it is to maintain a Stateside mailing/forwarding address.

John, thanks for all your comments and advice here...

On the withholding issue, in a situation where I had a choice, I'd operate on the premise that it's better for me to keep and invest my money throughout the year, and then pay the taxes I owe year end, rather than give Uncle Sam the free use of my money throughout the year, and be denied its earning potential.

I will be going back to the US in June. Do you get the travel insurance in the US or a policy khere in Thailand?

I bought my travel policy last time through my own Thai insurance broker here, and I think it was thru the same company that I have my regular Thai medical insurance with. I suppose I could have bought the same policy in the U.S... but I figured it was likely to be more expensive there...since everything medical is more expensive there.

I think it's also important to consider what kind of insurance, if any, you have here....

My Thailand medical policy excludes coverage in the U.S., except for emergency care. No outpatient or regular inpatient coverage in the U.S. So for me, when I go back home, it makes sense to get traveler's insurance to cover me, just in case.

The traveler policies are really cheap and based on how many days you'll be abroad. I don't remember exactly, but the last time I did it for two weeks, I think it was like $40...

But on the broader issue of general medical insurance, there also are other kinds of Thailand medical policies. You can get a policy that includes coverage in the U.S., but you'll pay a fortune extra for it, in my experience. Then there also are less expensive policies than my own, because they exclude not just the U.S. but even most other countries outside Thailand, including most of Europe and Japan.

So it's important to consider which countries your Thailand policy does or doesn't cover, and how those relate to the places you plan to be traveling.

You can get a quick idea about traveler's insurance policies by doing a Google search on the Internet, and/or by checking with whatever insurance agent you may have a relationship with.

The only financial consequence for me of having an overseas residence/address for some accounts and pensions is that they have to (by law) automatically withhold 10% of whatever pension payment or account funds withdrawl they are sending to me for Federal tax purposes. When I file my income tax returns, I receive this money back if I am owed a tax refund.

I was not aware of that, not being quite yet of the pension age... But... assuming that's true, that would seem to be another argument in favor of an expat, depending on their circumstances, at least maintaining a mailing address presence in the U.S. -- and not switching everything over to an overseas address.

More broadly, while it may well be true that many (or in your view most) institutions have no problem with their customers switching to overseas addresses, I would think none of us want to be the one who ends up losing a credit card renewal or having a problem opening a new account for lack of a U.S. address. As long as I'm alive, I'm going to keep one... How much and where I use it, will depend on the circumstances of my business/financial relationships.

To say it's fine to just switch everything overseas and not think there may be some negative consequences at some point, I think, oversimplifies the situation and doesn't take into account the wide variety of practices that exist among different companies, large and small.

Jing, sorry, I don't understand the idea you're talking about...

I have a brokerage account with mutual funds based in the U.S. I am an American citizen. When I opened the account, I was living in the U.S. Now that I'm living abroad, and probably staying in Thailand more than the 330 or whatever days per year, as far as I know, that doesn't change the status of my brokerage accounts, or my ability to buy or sell anything in them.

Do you have some different understanding about that, or, you have some kind of specialized investment of which I'm not aware????

OK...I'll be heading that way...

or... as Homer Simpson would say... "MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM"

I try to stay on my good behavior on most days...in order to afford myself and my waistline an occasional splurge.....

I still keep my US health insurance, with a huge deductible, just in case something really major happens and for peace of mind.

Can't see the reason for doing that, honestly... depending on where you live in Thailand. At least in BKK, I actually think I'd feel better about getting major care here, if I needed it, compared to back home in the U.S. And I keep a health insurance policy based in Thailand that has very good coverage and would allow me access to whatever facility I choose.

When I go back to the U.S., I get health travel insurance for the couple weeks I'm there, just in case.

Have a mail forwarding service that sends all my mostly bank mail every month via Fed Ex or DHL.

Most banks and brokerage houses have electronic statements these days. I have 4 bank accounts in the US and a couple of brokerage accounts, and I have to received a statement in the mail in years. Now I get an email notification so that I can go to their website and view my statements online.

Ya correct.... I have a lot of relationships where e-mail/online statements are available, and take advantage of those whenever they are.. Believe me...I'd rather NOT have ANY paper mail, basically.

However, there are a surprising number of institutions, including some very large ones and a lot of the smaller ones as well, that have yet to make that feature available, and so I'm stuck with paper statements.

One example of that is Countrywide Bank, where you can do almost everything online including open new accounts -- but not receive an electronic statement in lieu of paper, at least not yet.

In those cases, I always ask... WHEN... And mostly the answer I get back is... soon... we're working on it.

I had chicken pox in my late 20s.... miserable experience....

Had itchy sores all over my body that got pussy and raised....

Off work for two weeks or so, as I recall.

Some of the ones I'd itched ended up having scars that I had for years, in a couple of places.

Never had shingles, and not interested to try it.

I believe the original post was a question about whether people maintain a VIRTUAL residences...not about what the qualifications are for one's official residence....

But... as to the issues about banks and related....I know three things...

1. I have a lot of banking and similar relationships, where addresses are maintained and updated via those institution's web sites... I had to update my address in the U.S.A. when I moved here. But in going thru that process, there were few if any of those institutions that offered an online option for selecting a foreign address for mailing purposes. It was only...choose the state in the USA... I think I recall seeing something on the BofA web site that offered a phone number to call, if you want to change to a foreign address. I never called it.

2. And, I never went down that road, because I had already read here, in numerous TV posts, former U.S. residents complaining that they either had been denied issuance of credit or debit cards, or denied renewal of the same when their existing ones expired, because they were showing a foreign (non-USA address) address. I like the relationships I have. And even it was some, but not all, of my financial institutions taking that approach, it would make it worthwhile for me to keep a virtual USA address.

3. Then there is the issue about online retailers typically requiring the address of record on the card used for purchase to match the product delivery address. And since many/most U.S. retailers won't directly ship abroad, keeping a U.S. address on your credit/debit cards makes sense for anyone who's planning to use them to order anything from the U.S. online, either for forwarding onward to Thailand or for pickup during trips back to the States.

Like others, keep a virtual mailing address and phone number in the U.S., principally for financial institutions purposes.

I'm using something called MagicJack, a plug-in USB device, that gives me a dialable U.S. area code number here on my PC, and it includes unlimited free calls from overseas back to any # in U.S. or Canada.

Have a mail forwarding service that sends all my mostly bank mail every month via Fed Ex or DHL.

Also keep a CA driver's license and use it to annually get a new international driving permit from AAA, in case I need to use it here occasionally.

Re-registered to vote when I relocated... Looking forward to voting in the Nov. general election.

Here's the post I mentioned earlier...in which another explains how to use the BKK Bank Be1st debit card for online purchases...

I haven't tried this myself as of yet, but there have been several TV posts that talk about using the same method...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=176960

And... I used a Thai company with both offices in Los Angeles and Bangkok, and got good service and price from them in shipping my household belongs here to BKK... delivery to my door in about 5 weeks.

Rama International... based in Sun Valley CA.

Not seen any Dell presence on the third floor of FortuneTown IT any time lately....

Btw, on Bangkok banks Be1st VISA (debit) Card there are 3 numbers on the back. Still doesn't work.

As mentioned above...mine is different...

Have Be1st Debit card issued at branch in BKK... It has my name printed on the front side of the card, but no 3 digit code, or any other digits..on the reverse.

Never heard of this place before....but they have a fairly extensive menu of food and drinks...

Menu shows hamburger and chips for 140 baht, and cheeseburger and chips for 160b

From the photo posted, it looked like a pretty good offering....

http://www.thecrossbarbangkok.com/menu.htm

About Thai bank debit cards....I haven't tried to use mine for online purchases... Instead I use U.S. credit or debit cards with no international currency fee or transaction charges...

However....

--When I opened my savings account with SCB, they issued me a SCB Debit Card with a Master Card logo on the front. On the back, it also has the 3 digit security code... I'm assuming that means I could use it online...

--When I opened my savings account with BKK Bank, they issued me a Be1st Card that has a Visa logo on the front. On the back, there is no security code...

However, in a recent post here, I believe I recall someone reporting that for online purchases, they had used the first three digits of the small 4 digit number code that appears just underneath the first 4 digits of the card number itself.

I've never heard of that or tried to use it in that way...

Both cards say.. "Electronic Use Only..." Not sure what that means....

My understanding is airlines asking to see credit cards used for ticket purchases is a pretty standard thing on international travel...

I've flown repeatedly on Thai Air and EVA between the USA and Thailand, and can't recall ever NOT being asked to see the purchase credit card at check in... both here and in the USA.

I've opened bank accounts with both SCB and BKKB in Bangkok with just a multi entry long-term visa and my passport. They wanted a "permanent" address for the account record, but no kind of formal documentation...

One SCB branch refused without a work permit, which I did not have. Another SCB branch opened the account just fine, after I talked to their call centre and the centre advised no work permit required...

BKK Bank was the easiest of all. Their branch on Sukhumvit never asked about a work permit at all, or residence certificate... Just wanted to see passport and visa.

Just a caution note...

I have on my Windows XP desktop now a Logitech Pro 4000 (purchased in the U.S.), which has worked great for me the past couple years... Very good quality.

However, recently, I upgraded a different machine, a laptop, from XP to Vista...and discovered that, thus far, Logitech does not seem to have posted Vista drivers for either the Pro 4000 or the QuickCam model I already had for my laptop.

So, as best as I can tell, I can't use either Logitech web cam on my now Vista laptop... When I was searching around the Logitech web site for Vista drivers, I found a model compatibility chart that seemed to show a lot of their web cams do not currently have Vista support.

I was a bit surprised by that, considering how big a player they are in the web cams arena... Maybe it's their way of telling you it's time to buy a new web cam from them...

SOURCE: Pattaya Daily News: May 16th 2008

WEB LOVE-LINK BRIT RIPPED OFF BY PATTAYA CON GIRLS

Mr. Stephenson maintains he lost money in 15 currencies...

So...he was planning on opening his own bank branch in Pattaya?????

Costco in the US, at least in my area, has juicy rotisserie chickens (huge birds) for $5.99. I like the flavor of my wife's gai yang better though.

That's because she seasons it with LUBBBBB!!!!

It's something about a lady in a uniform....what can I say!!!!!!

Same thing about hospital nurses... Every time I go to the hospital..makes me crazy!!!!

Bumrungrad nurses tend to wear the gold/greenish color...which I don't much care for...

But the regular nurses at BNH wear bright whites...which... with tan skin and dark hair...makes for a very nice combination... Same with the white blouse univ. uniforms, now that I think about it!

I must confess though... don't have that same feeling when I encounter the immigration officer ladies at Suvarabhumi....or the lady BIB that I've met... So...it must be the WHITES!!!!!

Remember...the ladies always say the same thing about the U.S. Navy guys in dress whites!!!!