JimGant

I'm sure someone with mild to medium memory loss could get by just fine with cash, having the cashier do the math, and providing the change. Doubtful such a person could maneuver a QR routine. Anyway, if everyone goes cashless, one more hurdle for the old folks.

We've had this discussion quite often -- and, yeah, a smartphone (are there any dumbphones now available?) is needed for phone calls. And the occasional message from my dentist about tomorrow's appointment. But for all my other digital needs, I still prefer my 32" monitor and Desktop, and the comfort of my home office, to handle my banking chores, Lazada shopping, whatever. The smartphone screen is just too small to see with my declining vision -- and my fingers are too fat to type on that miniature Qwerty keyboard. And as far as going cashless -- checking out with my cashback US credit card works just fine, in most situations (fumbling around for my phone, and QR app, just seems ludicrous -- but, yeah, that's probably just an age related bias). Anyway, online banking seems to be going away, at least in Thailand (still quite available in the first world, however - thankfully, as much of my banking involves my US bank). So, if Bangkok Bank cancels its online banking, and I'm forced to go to mobile banking -- I guess a large screen tablet will have to do. And, hopefully my credit card -- or (gasp) cash -- will continue to suffice when checking out, so I won't have to embarrass myself fumbling around for a QR app on a miniature screen. Just another old guy's rant. Sigh.

At the five year juncture, we with LTR visas have to go to BoI at One Bangkok mall in Bangkok to get another five year LTR visa stamp in our passport. For those of us not living in Bangkok, this can be a many mile journey, requiring overnight accommodations. Being in my 80's, I don't really like traveling -- but I know I can't get an agent for this five year renewal requirement. So, assuming I'm healthy enough -- in a couple of years, off to BoI in Bangkok. Why not put this on my bucket list? I've always wanted to stay at the Oriental Hotel -- and I see it's only 3-5 Kms from One Bangkok -- so no cross town traffic to fight for the five year renewal, which would be the case if I stayed at the long-across-town Four Seasons. Only eye popper is -- $950 per night. But, so what? There's no way I'll outlive my investments, so why not treat myself, and wife, to a good time. Anyway, just putting some thoughts out there for us out-of-towners. Another option is the new Ritz Carlton -- located at One Bangkok -- thus no traffic at all to consider. Five stars, with nice reviews. Might as well make this five year renewal as pleasurable as possible. But, for me, since I've already mentioned this to the wife -- I'm already locked into the Oriental. C'est la vie.

Trump's realpolitik works for me......

This is weird. Did the majority of the 30 law firms you perused really say the non citizen wife needed to be a US resident to get the $15M estate tax exemption? This, of course, would mean that all non citizen beneficiaries of your estate -- not just your wife -- would need to be residents -- or be limited to the $60M exemption. Not sure how you arrive at the correct answer.... I looked thru the Internal Revenue Code and instructions for Form 706 (Estate Tax Return) -- and struck out. Misty?

Why move it? It's already in the US specific area....

Here's where Misty nails it. Who cares that having a non US, non domiciled wife means restrictions on the "marriage deduction," and which brings in workarounds like a QDOT applicable to the marriage deduction. You don't NEED the marriage deduction -- isn't the standard deduction of $15m (2026) enough for you? This is just pure and simple -- every US citizen's estate, consisting of US assets, can be left to anyone in the world you would like (well, maybe not a North Korean). And the standard deduction, beginning in 2026, is 15Million. Meaning, no one I've ever known needs the marriage deduction -- I I'm sure this includes you. So, advise you hire a new tax lawyer. Actually, this gets simpler, the more you digest the Google researches.

Yes, I'm sure you are. My apologies, and I stand corrected. That $60k exemption is not for US assets being left to a non resident alien; it's for US situs assets in the estate of a non resident alien (being left to anyone in the world, as nationality of beneficiary not applicable). Best get a new tax attorney. Your estate has a $15m exemption, whether you leave it to your wife, or to anyone else. Yumthai, my apologies for all the head scratching I caused.....

But it does matter to whom the estate has been left to. Whether you leave it to your non resident foreign spouse, or your favorite non resident foreign bar girl(s) -- your estate has only a $60k estate tax exemption on those monies sent abroad. So, if your Will leaves half of your $500k estate to your non resident foreign wife -- and the remainder to your non resident favorite bar girl(s) -- your estate is on the tax hook against $440k of non exempt estate assets. No advantage of beneficiary being a spouse, if she's also a non resident, non US domiciled alien. Also, no $60k exemption per each beneficiary -- $60k total for the wife and all the others you may name in your Will (if non resident aliens). Of course, if you send only $60k abroad, and you leave the rest of your estate to your US domiciled children -- that remaining $440k is well covered in what remains of your $15m estate tax exemption.

Not if you don't want it to. Just make sure it says up front that this Will "covers only my Thai assets."

Essentially, they're not. In the US and in Thailand -- assets in an either/or joint account pass to the surviving tenant with no need for a Will or probate. This is well defined and understood for US accounts. Thai joint bank accounts, however, have been reported to have been frozen, in a few cases, by a confused bank manager. As suggested, check with your bank manager to confirm he/she is onboard with the 'no probate' scenario. Make sure the wife hears the verdict, then maybe she'll feel more comfortable about both your US accounts and Thai accounts. By the way, Thailand has no "pay on death" options that allow assets to escape probate.

Thailand's "earned income" definition doesn't match that of the US. In fact, the Thai-US DTA pretty much has only what the US deems "unearned income" as taxable by Thailand, if remitted. This includes private pensions, IRA and 401k distributions, and other "1099R" "unearned" distributions. In fact, Thailand only looks at US "earned Income" when you try and get an LTR visa -- whereby W-2 earned income is not allowed towards the $80k annual income.

Dogs are so much better than people.

Is the parking adequate for a car? Inadequate parking can make the finest restaurant not worth it (unless there's valet parking, which is non existent in Chiang Mai, at least in my experience).

I just don't understand the fuss about the edit..... Did they cut dialogue that was just repetitive in its support for the riot? If so, that's what editing is all about -- eliminating unnecessary repetition. And they certainly didn't cut any dialogue or facts that indicated that he DIDN'T support the riot -- because there wasn't any such dialogue or facts. This sore loser just sat for hours, watching the riot unfold on TV -- waiting for Pence to embrace this lunacy. So, someone please indicate how the edited version's facts and conclusions somehow didn't reflect those obtained from the full-blown dialogue....

She's been acting for the last several years, pretending she's a princess.

Bingo!

I used part of my Required Minimum Distribution from my Traditional IRA to reach the $80k threshhold. This was in line 4A of 1040, plus I included the related 1099 and an explanation sheet. What I spent this IRA distro on was irrelevant -- a new car, a Roth, whatever. They don't care. And in the future, Roth disributions, which also show up in line 4A, can be used toward the $80k, as the passive income they're interested in doesn't have to be taxable.

I'd say so, looking at the wife's group graduation photo from PanAm stew school in 1970. And for years afterwards, they had required weight checks twice a year. Then, the union decided somehow that the company had no right to dictate standards. And thus we entered the era of fat stews, who besides being unattractive, would be of little help should evacuation be needed. The wife flew for 32 years -- and never required the union to keep in shape. Speaking of unions -- when United flew to BKK pre 2015, they had a group of locally hired Thai stews -- that flew intra Asia -- and were non union. These were inherited when they bought PanAm. And the wife was asked to help train these gals at the Miami stew school, when PanAm introduced the program. Afterwards, she was lambasted by the union as some kind of scab. Anyway, this reopening of UAL to BKK won't see a contingent of non union young Thai gals on the BKK-HKG-BKK flights. Shame.

Stupid comment. Obviously any leader who dictates standards that, in juxtaposition, he can't also meet -- is no sort of a leader. Yes, he didn't dictate tattoo standards -- but the reason he didn't is obvious -- at least to some of us.

The bronze stars didn't have the "V" for valor, thus -- while they sound impressive -- were awarded as an end of tour medal, which is very common when you leave a job from a combat theater, but not for anything of merit related to combat -- and you didn't excessively screw up. The Joint Commendation Medal is the poor cousin to the Joint Meritorious Service Medal. I got a JMSM for just being competent in my joint job. The JCM is given -- when you rotate out -- for just not calling in sick too many days. Hegseth also got the National Defense Ribbon for raising his right hand. Pretty impressive dude, no?

Ah, I guess Blacks and Sikhs can no longer receive exemptions -- which brings us closer to a military that resembles the Founding Fathers. But, how do I get rid of those pesky women, who don't shave? Ah yes, require muscles that replicate a male. [Not that they need such muscles to drive a jet, ship, or tank -- all of which have power steering. Restrict such requirements to grunt infantry jobs, which is a fair compromise.] If only we could get some candid feedback about Hegseth's speech at Quantico, from the folks in the audience. Maybe after they retire....

For the Air Force, here's the policy on arm and leg tattoos: Hegseth has tattoos all the way from the shoulder to the wrist, on his right arm (and probably many other places). This means Hegseth, if ordered to show up in formation, wearing the summer open collared, short sleeved blue uniform shirt -- would be disallowed (just as if he showed up with a beard). If you have an arm tattoo in the Marine Corps, then your only uniform option is a long sleeved shirt -- and that tattoo's extension at the wrist, must be covered up by the shirt. Thus, Marines with arm tattoos would be banned from formations in short sleeved shirts. I wonder what the formations that showed up for Hegseth in Korea looked like.......? Probably utilities -- not rolled up. There are places for everything in the military. Well trimmed beards are one, at least for the seagoing navy -- and others with legitimate waivers. Tattoos? Yeah, Popeye the Sailorman and boatswain mates should be given some slack; senior officers and leaders -- maybe subtle tattoos like Sec'y of State Schultz had on his butt (a Princeton Tiger) are just fine. But a senior officer and sec'y of defense, with a body showing way too much blue ink injections -- nope, this just shows a deficit in reasoning skills. Anyway, Hegseth is a deeply flawed 'yes man' -- a far cry from Jim Mattis, who had the experience and smarts to be sec'y of defense -- but whose smarts didn't agree with Trump's empty head. So, I guess we're stuck with the tattooed buffoon -- unless he really has a brain fart that even Trump can't tolerate. Stay tuned.

Yeah, tell that to the folks residing in iron lungs, because they didn't get vaccinated against polio.

Bingo! Weaponization not required, when the hard facts are staring you in the face. And yes, Trump's right -- there was an attempt to steal the 2020 election -- except it was by him, not the Dems. What's sad is that Trump is so narcissistic that he really believes he could only lose, if the election were rigged. What's even sadder is his huge cult that buys into this crap.