JimGant

Unfortunately, my upper right hand corner has a word in Thai, which, yes when I did a Google translate, it said: Select Language. But clicking the select button gives me about 80 names, in Thai. So, another Google translate and: No English option, country or language, shown. What website did you use to get the "select language" in English? I think Bank Drafts were a better option for return envelopes. But, I guess this new way gives embassy employees less work.

No, via means testing, 'we are going to be more stingy on who SHOULDN'T receive it.'

Means testing makes complete sense -- it's the implementation that's problematic in Thailand. Oz does means testing with their Age Pension, apparently with acceptance by most. And the US will eventually have to do it with its Social Security and quit playing the game that it's a retirement program, not a welfare program.

Does "Thailandpostmart.com" have an English button to push? If so, I can't find it -- and if not, doubtful many of us could fill out the Thai version.

Thailand has no provision for naming a beneficiary for your bank account, akin to the Pay on Death (POD) policy available in the US, which allows the bank account to avoid probate. This subject surfaces frequently on this forum, as does: will a joint account be frozen upon death of a co-owner? Legally, no. But apparently it has happened several times, with a confused bank manager. Best advice: Have the surviving account owner transfer out the funds to his or her individual account -- should an errant bank manager get word of the death -- just to be on the safe side. For your individual account, that can't be joint for Immigration purposes -- have your companion named as a co-signatory. This will allow her or him to access your account with your passbook, which will have his name affixed to it in UV readable ink -- thus no confusion for Immigration to ponder. He can also get his own ATM card, if desired. Thus, upon your death, have him go to the bank and clean out most of the funds (he can't close the account). Or, if you have online banking, have him do an online transfer, as you've given him your password and set up the transfer procedure ahead of time (where setting up a third party account requires the One Time Password drill). Strictly speaking, the bank is supposed to freeze your individual account *IF* they get word of the owner's death (being a co-signature account doesn't change this). By why would they? -- no one is obligated to tell them. And if your companion is your sole beneficiary and Will executor -- who's going to raise a fuss -- legal or ethical -- about your companion/beneficiary/executor cleaning out your account? Yeah, the lawyer mafia will be upset your companion avoided probate -- and the 50,000 baht fee. But what normal person would be upset about that?

Yeah, if she were your wife, she's automatically your next of kin (NOK) -- and as such, is granted the authority to receive all the death related paperwork, and the authority to dictate disposal of the body. But a girlfriend....? Well, if you made her your Executor in your Will, then she's your "legal representative." And using the US example, the Embassy/Consulate will grant her the same authority as a NOK This is somewhat recent, as apparently the State Dept got tired of trying to locate a NOK, or at least one who wanted to help..... As an aside, for Yanks -- once you parlay the hospital certificate of death into the official "Civil Registry of Death Certificate" from the Tessabahn/Amphur -- you then need to have this translated into English by a certified translator. Then, the Embassy/Consulate will issue -- to the NOK/Legal Representative -- a "Consular Report of Death Abroad," the equivalent of a US death certificate. But, if this requires a trip to the Embassy/Consulate (don't know...) -- obviously a pain for those outside Bangkok or Chiang Mai. But, I checked with everyone in the States that require a death certificate to payout insurance, start survivor benefits, etc -- and they said the Thai death certificate, accompanied with a certified translation, is perfectly acceptable. So, maybe no trip to the Embassy/Consulate required.... Oh, one other possible hickup -- to release the body for burial, some hospitals require authorization from your Embassy/Consulate. Thus, as the NOK/Executor, you may be required to go in person with the deceased's passport and Will -- to get the necessary paperwork. Again, don't know if you could do this all online -- if not today, probably someday. Actually, I like the idea of a bureaucratic SNAFU, where I remain on ice for a year, until the police arrange for a pauper's funeral, using taxpayer funds. Would serve them right for all those annoyances at my annual Immigration extensions..

As reported here a few days ago, if he got his LTR at an Embassy/Consulate -- he'd never would of had to go to Bangkok/BoI/OSS with his new passport. Instead, the instructions for folks getting their LTR visa via sticker or eVisa is: When you get a new passport, just carry your old (cancelled) passport, as the LTR sticker and LTR eVisa have NOT been cancelled along with your old passport; but the cancelled passport does have historical information that may be asked for by Immigration (doubtful) -- and, of course, that old passport contains your still valid 10 year LTR visa sticker. Sadly, if they had thought things out before final implementation, they would not have put the phrase (I'll paraphrase): This visa remains valid only as long as the passport is valid. Without that phrase, those of us who got our LTR visa stamp at OSS could just carry our old cancelled passport, with a still valid LTR visa stamp -- and not have to visit OSS with our new passport (although you can, reportedly, do this with an agent). Anyway, as long as the BoI/OSS/Imm service remains as I and others experienced, a trip from Chiang Mai, with hotel, transportation, and meal hyper pampering -- would actually be a nice diversion from old age day-to-day syndrome.....

Interesting. I could go online right now and transfer maximum $50000 per day (ACH pull from my US bank) to Thailand. Why you're restricted to a lower maximum is curious. But, you're right -- SWIFT is cheaper over Wise, at about the $20000 level.

Nope. This morning, if I had done a $23000 ACH "pull" from my US bank, it would have taken "7 hours," according to Wise. $24000 would have taken until Tuesday of next week (a four day gap, but it is a weekend and Thai holiday....). $1000? Instantly. I have found, over the last year, that these projected transfer times are pretty accurate -- for US dollars from US. For these discussions, make sure you delineate the country your sending from -- a lot of difference between source country of your funds and time of delivery.

Here's a question I recently asked LTR BoI: Here's the prompt email response I received: So, I can hire an agent to go to OSS to do the stamp transfers when my old passport is replaced with a new one; but I can't hire an agent to get my new five year permission stamp, 'cause Immigration needs me there, in person, to take a picture.... But why, as they say, do I need to go to Imm/OSS to get my second five year visa permission? Certainly, if they need a picture, this could be done at my home Chiang Mai Imm office. And, certainly, CM Imm has one of those square admit/until stamps, whereas they might not have the LTR Visa stamp that Imm/OSS has -- necessitating going to Bangkok to get that LTR Visa stamp transferred to a new passport. So, when BoI re-authorizes my second five year stay, and issues a qualification endorsement -- flashing this endorsement to any Imm officer with a square permission of stay stamp should suffice. Heck, all the folks with LTR Evisas or stickers issued at Embassies never had to visit BoI/Imm OSS; they got their five year "until" stamp at the airport. And what if I'm out of Thailand when I have to get my new qualification endorsement from BoI? Can't I just, then, flash this endorsement at the airport, when I re-enter, and get my new five year stamp there, akin to what the Evisa and sticker folks did....? Anyway, this will all sort out in the several years we have to do it in.

My favorite is "Nam Plaa 129 Hour Anti-Perspirant." Good for fending off annoying neighbors, or unruly soi dogs.

Yeah, we keep getting an argument against taking a tax credit on your US tax return -- because Pub 514 says: So, take the US tax credit, as there's nothing 'reasonably certain' in this situation about a Thai tax refund. And from an ethical point of view -- no tax evasion here, just that the country where the income is earned, and in which it is paid, and in which you live -- gets to keep the taxes. Sorry, US, the tax credit trumps your ability to tax. Yes, there are some fine points against the credit that could be argued. But my limited years as a CPA saw some letter audits that were won with less evidence than I could provide here, namely, the many situations reported on this forum, like no work permit, thus no tax ID, thus no tax refund. Yes, this is cherry picking, since there are many reports on this and other forums stating that getting your Thai tax back is easy. But -- big BUT -- you're no obligated to provide the IRS with counter arguments against your case -- those arguments need be provided by them. But, again, this is not an ethical situation, as there's no tax evasion. It's just a matter of detail and interpretation. So, take the bloody tax credit and don't waste your time trying to get a Thai tax refund. The chance of an audit, for a three figure, or less credit, is zip -- the IRS still can't afford to audit the billionaires. But if you do get audited -- PM me for a pro bono assist.

Arrogant Yankee! What do you mean, refer to the passports themselves?! You're in Thailand, where we, not you, define the requirements for transferring immigration information between old and new passports. Are you telling us that, since you've stopped issuing linkage letters, that it is no longer a requirement? Man, you're messin' with the wrong country... Anyway, hope your citizens will put this action in their portfolio of gripes, along with no more income letters issued. In the meantime, no linkage letter, no immigration stamp transfer. Understood, Uncle Sam? Geez!!

As I'm sure you're aware, this link lists 10 items related to transferring your LTR stamp: https://ltr.boi.go.th/page/transferring.html Hopefully, the OSS Imm has gotten the word that the US Embassy no longer issues certificates related to transferring stamps from old to new passports. This seems to be a continuing problem at provincial Imm offices.

I would think so, although stranger stampings have occurred with the LTR's learning curve. For sure, you'll have five years permitted to stay, regardless of "until" date, since now you have a passport whose longevity exceeds five years. Since most of us reading this, with in-country LTR stamps, will have to go through this drill -- could you please report on (assuming you interfaced first with BoI LTR, not Imm): Did BoI LTR folks hold your hand in this process, mainly in the interface with Immigration? Any surprises on paperwork required? Could you just "walk in," or would an appointment, or at least a before hand phone call, be advised? Any photos required during this process by Imm (if not, maybe I could have an agent do all of this for me...). Thanx.

How'd you get that idea? Why wouldn't they transfer it -- we've already had a forum member report on the transfer drill at IMM OSS for LTR visas. And, sure, the permission of stay will only go to the 5 year demarcation for getting your last 5 year permission. My only point was the fact that, when his passport died, he had to transfer it, and in Bangkok (not his local provincial Imm office). This inconvenience is eliminated with a eVisa or sticker visa.

Visa remains valid until the passport is no longer valid. So, yeah, maybe "expire" is the wrong word, as the visa will be re-validated with a new, valid passport. But the boilerplate language on the stamp says visa remains valid for 10 years (paraphrasing) "if passport remains valid." Red stamp at the top reinforces this, with "permitted for validity of passport." Thus, your visa is no longer valid when the passport is no longer valid. Not the primary reason. With an LTR visa, Stay Permit is entirely dependent on validity of visa, not validity of passport. Again, using Misty's five year permitted stamp, which was issued in spite of her passport expiring well before that five year mark -- this five year permit was entirely due to her eVisa being valid for ten years, as it is not affected by passport expiration date. So, in the situation described above, his permission of stay died on 22 Oct 2024 -- due to the death of his visa, not the death of his passport -- although the death of his visa was due to the death of his passport. Sure looks like it died due to passport expiration -- but this was only a secondary cause. Anyway, bottom line is: If you want your LTR visa to be valid for an uninterrupted 10 years -- get an eVisa or sticker visa, not a stamp from IMM OSS.

Here's an observation that lends itself to getting an LTR eVisa, or an LTR Visa sticker, rather than an LTR stamp at BoI/IMM OSS, Bangkok: If you've got an LTR Visa sticker, it's good for 10 years, period, independent of the passport's expiration date. So too with an LTR eVisa. But if you've got an LTR stamp from Immigration at OSS, it expires with the passport -- and has to be renewed (transferred) at IMM OSS. Ugh. Since most of us have passports with a 10 year lifetime , this means that at some point during our visa's 10 year duration, we'll have to make a visit to Bangkok to obtain a transferred LTR stamp to our new passport. [There's a trip report earlier in this thread on this transfer process -- several hours and four pages of blank passport required.] Now, if I had a visa sticker, or an eVisa, this trip wouldn't be necessary. Here's a good example of the limitations of a stamp. I believe I got this example from this thread (but forgot to note its author): stamps from a forum member, with only two years allowed.pdf Note that his passport apparently expires 22 Oct 2024 -- and that the boilerplate language in the stamp says his visa is only good for the duration of the passport (this is further emphasized with the red stamp at the top). Thus, his visa expires on 22 Oct 2024. And since permissions of stay, in the LTR situation, must apparently coincide with active visas (vice active passports), so too expires his permission of stay on 22 Oct 2024. Wow! We saw with Misty, who has an eVisa, that she was stamped in for 5 years even tho' her passport expired in just a couple of years. Saw something similar with someone entering on an LTR visa sticker. What an advantage of never having to go to Bangkok when your passport expires, as is the case with a visa stamp. Why couldn't they just have left off the boilerplate language on the stamp tying visa validity to passport validity.....? This, at least, would have equated the three methods of obtaining an LTR visa. Oh well. My passport will expire 3 years into my second 5 year permission of stay. Instead of waiting until then to travel to Bangkok, maybe I'll renew my passport early, coinciding with the second 5 year LTR period renewal. If this second 5 year renewal also requires a trip to Bangkok (OSS/IMM), a single trip might just do the trick. Maybe by then agents can be involved, if IMM has no photo requirement.... Anyway, sticker or eVisa weren't an option for me, living full time in Thailand. However, for those thinking about an LTR visa, and who still have a foot in the home country, consider initiating the LTR process from the Thai Embassy/Consulate.

The prevailing gist of this thread -- never trust a Thai "lady," especially if she's your wife. Fortunately, I did marry a lady, and she's co-signer to my bank accounts, with her own ATM cards; can waltz into the bank with our co-signatory bank books and withdraw what she wants; and can go online, with my password, and transfer what she wants from my accounts to hers. This latter situation is what she's briefed to do when I croak, in order to avoid possible probate. Can't imagine not trusting her, as she's never given me cause to in our 44 years of marriage. This thread just reinforces my belief that so many marriages between farangs and Thais are mismatches, which is what it is if you can't trust your spouse. Sad.

Geez, nice for someone to give some aid and comfort to someone whose long, apparently happy, marriage had hit a speed bump due to the wife's business desperately running out of options. Hopefully, both extension and marriage preservation will be successful.

No they don't -- in fact, they don't charge for checked baggage, unless you actually have checked baggage. Unlike Nok, whose charge includes a checked 15 kg bag, whether or not you actually check one. And, this shows up with the difference in fares, with Nok charging about 400 bt more, on average, for flts between CNX and DMG. But, why argue nitnoy fares akin to bus fares -- flying domestic in Thailand, whatever airline's fare, is a waste of time, when you compare these fares to flying back to the West, especially in Business Class (mandatory for arthritic geezers). Airline competition keeps a friendly availability schedule, particularly between DMG and CNX. And competition keeps prices, well, competitive. So, seems meaningless to cry over Thai domestic airline fares.....

Why would someone who dislikes Thailand make 592 posts in a Thailand related forum.......? Sounds like your poverty has created a case of sour grapes.

Then that account will have to go through probate. Naming a co-signer has no drawbacks -- the bank isn't going to pull a fast one, for whatever reason, and make that account a joint account rather than a co-signatory account. That would be obvious, as the joint account passbook would have two names on it, prominently displayed. So, advise you make your Imm account also a co-signatory account....

....meaning, they would make your administrator a co-signer on those accounts you so designate --'cause there's no avenue in Thailand to make him or anyone a designated beneficiary. But granting co-signatory rights is akin to granting a limited Power of Attorney (POA). And the POA dies with the grantor's death. Now, there's nothing specific in the Civil Code, at least that I can find, about co-signatory legal aspects. So, there's a good chance your bank manager might be confused about the rights of a co-signer after the death of the account owner. But why chance it that the bank manager freezes the account when your administrator announces your death? Instead, have him show up with your passbook, bypass the manager, and have a clerk deal with the withdrawal. As long as the bank doesn't know of your death, they have no legal obligation to take any action, which would probably be to freeze your account. The co-signer option will become even more popular as facial recognition kicks in. Currently, my instructions to my wife are, upon my death, to go online, log into my account, and transfer all but a few baht to her account. But if Bangkok Bank goes to facial recognition for both mobile and online transfers -- well, my wife as co-signer will have to physically go to the bank with my passbook.