NancyL

The fine of 500 baht/day once notice is given is probably spelled out in the condo rules. The correct course of action would have been for the condo owner to lobby other condo owners to modify the rules. That's what happened in our building where it was evident that the problem was out-of-control owners of dogs, but not other animals. For a time, all animals were banned, but existing pets were "grandfathered". After owner input, the rules were changed so that pets that remain in the condo and are only taken out of the unit in an appropriate carrier are permitted. And rules are specific as to how many cats, specifically, an owner can have based on the size of the unit. It's enforced, too.

It's a common misconception that retirees are entitled to a one-time duty exceptions for importing their household items. It used to be that way a very long time ago and that info still shows up on the websites of some legal firms. I know people who have brought in equipment in their checked luggage for sound recording, medical instruments to donate, etc, saying it was for their hobbies without problems, but I don't know if this could be checked luggage on an aircraft. Couldn't something like this be sourced locally?

If Liz Chaney loses her House seat, she will be able to continue with the J6 investigations until her successor is sworn in, very early in January 2023.

Dr Thanawat is very good for heart rhythm problems and Dr. Apichart is good for blood pressure/cholesterol issues. Both at Bangkok Hospital-Chiang Mai. I see Dr. Apichart and he is very good at NOT pushing the hospital's meds. Instead he suggests that he writes a hospital prescription for a one week supply of a new med, so there is a hospital record that I take the med if I'm ever admitted and so I don't have to run to a pharmacy that same day to buy the med.

Also there's an Australian JP (Neil Kilah) in Chiang Mai, in addition to the Honorary Consul. Not exactly close to Si Sa Ket, however.

Wow, when did this change and does it apply for the U.S. Consulate Chiang Mai? I routinely carry two mobile phone and leave them at security without a problem. Once the Consulate security people had a problem with my handbag and kept running it thru the xray machine and manually checking for something until finally they found an errant USB drive. I thanked them profusely. I had "lost" that USB drive and it had driven me crazy not be able to find it. It had slipped into the lining of my handbag and been undetected despite several airline trips. Well, I guess the airlines don't care if you bring a USB drive onto a flight, but the Consulate doesn't want you bringing one into their office.

The construction of the tire store proceeded at record pace compared to condos and hotels that have recently been constructed in the same neighborhood. It's W-A-Y beyond the hole-in-the-ground stage. It's open and servicing customers.

I always thought it was the butterflied mini hot dogs that Thais thought made the dish "American", as if Americans ate hot dogs daily.

The new sidewalk is nice and the usual vendors are back in business. While the building certainly is eye-catching, at least it's neat and tidy.

The "home" branch does maintain paper files for each active account, so actual files were moved from Kad Suan Kaew to the Chang Puek branch. Several employees, besides Sombat, were relocated to Chang Puek, but they've been involved in organizing the paper files "upstairs". Sombat assured me that no employees lost their jobs, but not all were relocated to Chang Puek branch. In reality, most banking business for retail customers can be handled at any Bangkok Bank branch in the same region as their "home" branch, but when it comes to some services, they may be referred back to their "home" branch. I agree, the Chang Puek branch seems very calm and quiet without many familiar faces, either among the staff or customers (I always saw someone I knew among the customers when visiting the KSK branch), but the easy parking and elevator (lift) to the main floor should be an attraction for some.

I think you'll find that what they did was to open a new account in both your names. You can't simply "add" a name to an existing account. Check your old and new bankbooks to confirm if the account number is the same.

Malt, maybe you shouldn't be writing your own "Will" if you don't understand the differences between a Final Will and a Living Will, especially if there are people, like children from previous relationship who are likely to contest it. Trying to save money by not hiring a lawyer could be false economy.

No, the hospital wouldn't have done anything to hasten the patient's death if the funds ran out. Instead, they would have approached relatives, friends, anyone who had visited him, etc about paying the bill. Once a life-saving or life-prolonging procedure is started in Thailand it isn't stopped unless the patient is clearly without brain activity, and then only if relatives insist. It's very difficult to "pull the plug" in this Buddhist country and a hospital won't do it simply for lack of payment.

I'm seeing an ophthalmologist in Chiang Mai.

Been having runny nose and itchy eyes. Fexofenadrine 180 mg and OcuSoft, both recommended by the opthamologist helped but still had some eye inflammation. Need to have cataract surgery, but the doctor doesn't want to do it until my eye inflammation goes away. Went to Bangkok for a week and stayed in an older hotel that had old carpeting, mold in the bathroom, etc. Not the cleanest place, but still the eye inflammation and runny nose clearer up within two days. I guess the eye doctor is right. It's a cat allergy. Not getting rid of them and they can't "go outside" as the doctor suggested since we live in a condo. I guess I'll just stay in a hotel for a few days before my next eye appointment and see if my eyes are clear enough for the doctor to accept me for cataract surgery and I'll stay in a hotel before and after the procedure.

I doubt the Aussie Embassy has the facilities to perform cremations. At best, they provided a list of service providers to the family and the family made their own arrangements.

Never had a problem with receiving mail at our condo, one of the largest in Chiang Mai with good practices in the office. Had problems in another condo in Chiang Mai where the office practice was to lay all in the incoming mail out on a table and let the residents pick thru it, looking for their stuff, including packages. Argh! Always mail directly from a post office, and not one of those contract places, either. Never had a problem with something not arriving.

Have you seen some of the Thai women's swimwear, esp designed for plump older women? It's practically a burkini, without the headgear and with pants cutoff just above the knee. Personally, after I got over sticker shock at the price, I discovered I liked the Thai-style old-lady swimwear rather than western-style one-piece swimwear with high-cut legs and a top that exposed the back, too much cleavage and straps that chafed at the armpits. Thai old-lady swimwear is more comfortable and protective from the Thai sun. I don't see how any reasonable dermatologist could object to the costume pictured. It looks like a good outfit for surfing. Had I worn swimwear like this when young, I wouldn't be seeing a dermatologist every six months to have multiple pre-cancerous areas zapped with liquid nitrogen.

His right foot was caught in his toe clip and he took a fall, fairly well controlled. I've did this several times when I was much younger and rode bikes. Some have pointed out that he probably shouldn't have used toe clips for recreational riding, but there are good reasons for using them too. It's not like he lost control of a moving bike on a curve or something similar. Give the guy some slack here.

I've been involved in several similar situations in Chiang Mai where the branch bank that held the accounts knew the wishes of the deceased and the executor very well and probate was avoided. In one case, they wanted a "Thai person of high standing" to guarantee if case someone challenged their decision to distribute the funds to the executor. This was done. In the other cases, they were happy to have a long-term foreign resident who had accounts on deposit that exceeded the amount of the deceased estate serve as the guaranteer. The branch bank basically wants to cover itself in case someone comes in later to challenge the Final Will, like a spouse that was never divorced or a child. This all depends on the branch bank management being willing to do this and only works if there are no other assets besides the bank accounts. Probate, of course, gives the bank complete legal cover, but the method proposed above also works if the bank management is comfortable with the situation, esp if the beneficiaries need access to the money soon, like to convert a dependent spouse visa extension into a retirement visa or for a Thai widow to have money to survive. In these cases, the wait for probate is just cruel.

Check about any "unique" rules in your province. If the OP is doing this to avoid the health insurance requirement, we're told by immigration in Chiang Mai that they will still require proof of health insurance from an acceptable source, even with an O visa that has been "converted" from an O visa with the border bounce procedure. Hubby has a wonderful international health insurance plan that is unacceptable to Chiang Mai immigration for extending his 15 year old OA visa. Instead, he purchases the cheapest acceptable policy he can get, about 15,000 baht I believe, with no intention of ever using it as health insurance, simply as a "tax" to extend his permission to stay from year-to-year. At age 74, the inconvenience and cost of a border bounce to convert to an O visa helps to justify that 15,000 baht worthless Thai "health insurance".

Bangkok Hospital - Chiang Mai has hired some of the best doctors from Sripat/CMU hospital after they "age out" and are forced into retirement once they reach age sixty. It's a blessing to be able to access them via out-patient appointments in very comfortable conditions, with high level of English competency throughout the staff (down to the cleaners, even) with appointments that are serviced on-time. Way better than trying to navigate Sripat and waiting for hours for a brief time with the professor/doctor.

Covid vaccines are free for everyone at government hospitals, which explains why they wanted you to go to your local hospital. Not the case with other types of medical care.

Yes, there definitely is a crematorium on-site at McKean. They can put together a nice, inexpensive memorial service. Some of the residents like to attend the services for their friends and make plans for their future services. It may seem morbid, but when you reach the point that you know this is coming, it's comforting to know your wishes will be fulfilled. The staff at McKean has a very good relationship with the local authorities and can help the family sort the situation with documents, repatriation of remains, etc. And, as mentioned, there are full-time doctors on staff, not just nurses, and their palliative care is excellent. In fact, one of the assisted living centers, not mentioned, Vivo Bene, transfers their residents, with their own caregivers, to McKean at end-of-life because of the good end-of-care at McKean. And yes, because of Covid, call to make an appointment to visit.

You're being very unhelpful. I've looked into this myself, wasted an hour, and the answer is No, no one has business class seating to-from either Bangkok airport to Chiang Mai. There are several charter services available that can provide good service. It's just a matter of what you're willing to spend. I researched this a couple years ago when I needed to bring a cat to Bangkok for cancer treatment and made inquiries of private charter services. In the end, it was cheaper to hire a van with two vets -- a husband/wife -- one to drive and the other to keep the cat appropriately comfortable. Anyway, I'm still on the email list of some of the charter services if the OP would like to email me. Hope he isn't travelling with a cat.