MrBrad

Thank you, Upnotover; that's excellent information.

My son is finishing his 3rd year at a university here in Thailand. In looking at his future, I’ve been wondering what sector of employment he should look toward, i.e., public, private, NGO, international corporation, self-employment, or what and where. His major is immaterial regarding this matter. Are IRAs (individual retirement accounts) or other savings plans as part of payroll deductions by employers a recognized practice in Thailand? Where might one find an employer who even matches the percent of contribution--at least up to a certain percentage? My thought is that if the employee were left to set up and contribute to his or her retirement account without the employer’s help and implementation, it wouldn’t get done. It would be too easy to skip deposits as well as to dip into and deplete the funds long before retirement. In particular, do you know if private or public/government universities offer and encourage retirement savings accounts for their employees? Thanks for your advice.

I just checked the cost for a buffet breakfast at Shangri-La, and it's 690 baht. I don't think of myself as a cheap Charlie, but just the same, 690 baht for breakfast seems a bit too dear.

Try this place near Jing-Jai Market and Talat Kahm Tieng. They have lots of packing and shipping supplies. https://maps.app.goo.gl/bN92uDan4ACKihZV7

Sourdough Saturdays at Biscotti on the south side of Mae Rim. https://www.facebook.com/biscottichiangmai https://maps.app.goo.gl/EdBNFComwuMdwmG99

The service is very slow. Mine took over a month. Remain patient and continue to check if it was received.

Make arrangements for automatic payment of your utility bills through your bank. You'll never have to think about being late again, and it's painless.

I've never heard the term "bed towels." Google search doesn't help. What are they?

Dr. Chanakarn - Orthopedics Clinic 346 Charoen Prathet Rd https://maps.app.goo.gl/92fTVhe3R7fHpZvP7

For those who favor sourdough bread, this place might be worth a visit one Saturday. https://maps.app.goo.gl/L1tc72bZnrzh7PUEA

It's been explained to me that according to Buddha's teachings, one should not take a life. So, in some circles, the slaughtering is done by a non-Buddhist. As for eating, well, one individual told me that since the animal is dead, it might as well be eaten (or something to that affect).

I was at Immigration near the airport last week. I overheard a man who had just gotten his extension. He'd expected to get another 30 days, but they gave him only 7 days for his 1900 baht. They explained that he's allowed 2 extensions, the first one is for 30 days, but the second one is for 7 days. The price is the same for both. Understandably, he was not very happy.

I've found that carefully and clearly printing in block letters the address of the recipient is the surest way to get a letter to the proper destination, and even that can fail, I suppose. One year my aunt sent me a birthday greeting card in October, but I didn't get it until December because someone or some machine in the US postal service thought that it was bound for Ireland, not Thailand. She had addressed the card in cursive script rather than printing out my address. Moral of the story is to take the extra time to clearly print the recipient's address in order to lessen any confusion.

On my Android I tried "EMS1669" as suggested. I got "Looking for EMS1669? This app isn't available for your device because it was made for an old ..." Is the app still valid and, if so, does anyone know another way to find it? Thanks.

Has anyone had experience with Form W-8 BEN? It's a certificate of foreign status of beneficial owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Individuals). I'm considering leaving some of my IRA investments to a Thai citizen upon my death. I've learned that the form above needs to be on file at the financial institution. The instructions for the form are quite daunting, however. Does anyone know how to sift through the legalese or where to find someone in Chiang Mai who can help? Thanks much.