smo

52 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

 

On entry you write the re-entry permit number in the space on the arrival card for a visa number. Then check that the officer stamped you in using your re-entry permit.

 

 

Does this apply to  SINGLE re-entry permit as well ? I'm flying back to Thailand this Sat with just a single re-entry permit... How about the original Non-Immigrant "O" visa that was stamped "used" during the transition from tourist to retiree, why is its number not used for that "space on the arrival card for a visa number?"

I got on Obamacare (Medical revisited) based on my lack of income while on my home visit in Southern California. Been putting my newfound medical benefits to all sorts of use (from teeth to colon). Today I went to my CVS pharmacy to drop off my prescription erythromycin 500mg,anti-biotic given by my dentist to keep infection/inflammation at bay after she made 3 fillings on my front teeth.

The pharmacist told me that Medical won't pay for this, and this is a pricey drug.  I said to him, lemme ask my dentist to give me something generic. He said that this is already generic as it can be, but still in the high price bracket. In fact too high he doubted I would want to get it. Since I'm flying back to Thailand this weekend, his comment got me deadly curious. Okay, tell me how much does it cost? Answer: 456 dollars for 30 tablets (3 tablets a day for 10 days). I burst out laughing at this insanity. I can't wait to get back to Thailand and check out the prices of similar drug at my BKK corner drugstore. In the meantime I called my friend Diane in Hawaii, who used to be a SSI recipient (MediCaid beneficiary) to express my disbelief. Before you know it she and I got into a serious argument about Medicare (I'm still blue in the face and she is too, I'm sure ).

While she was using MediCaid she got similar prescription drug sticker shock. That aside, SSA told her that when she gets to the age of 65, she won't be able to apply for Medicare because she has not worked much her whole life. I disagreed and said that your work history has nothing to do with your Medicare eligibility. But before she ever gets to 65 (she's still not there yet), she inherited family money and as a result lost all her SSI/Mecicaid benefits and it's strictly out of pocket from now on. And then she disclosed that her brother who also inherited a big chunk is now a millionaire and still get Medicare, and according to Diane that is because his long work history. In fact his friends ("all millionaires") also get Medicare (she emphatically stressed "free as opposed to buying it") because of their work history as well.

Since I'm not 65 yet this is an area that I have not done much research. But I've been living in Little Saigon (ie Camp Pendleton revisited - for those who remember the VN war era) and most of the VNmese seniors are thriving (for lack of a better word) health-wise thanks to Medicare. But the buzz words around here are: "If you live in a big house you better move to a smaller one... Or if you have more than one house you better deed it onto your kids before Medicare sniffs you out..." In other words you can be too rich to receive Medicare.

So Diane's argument: If you are 65 up and rich and have work history - yes you can get Medicare. " But I (Diane) won't get Medicare ever because I don't have a work history, doesn't matter whether I'm rich or not." She said has researched this high and low.

My argument: Diane's wrong. Her brother and other millionaires must have a work-around something to get free Medicare and I doubt if they have honestly declared their assets (this got Diane foaming at the mouth). Also the point is moot now because she's no longer poor (enough) to get (free) Medicare.

So any TV members with their expertise on this subject please speak up and help us settle our argument (we're still friends and nobody slammed down their phone at the end of our decidedly genteel conversation ). Thank you much in advance.

Thank you all for your inputs. That's what I thought too: have to point out to the folks at the counter my  retirement stamp with the validity date on it, and while we are at it the re-entry permit as well. The main thing is to assure them that I will be let in into Thailand all proper. A seasoned staff may be able to see that for him/herself.

The last time I entered Thailand was 2014, coming from HCM City and flying into BKK with a return ticket (back to HCMC) and no visa. As an American tourist, no problem there. After switching from tourist to retiree status, been living in BKK ever since,  

Fast forward to Sep 2016, I flew back to the US for a home visit. However, I extended my stay and ditched the return ticket to BKK. Now I'm ready to go back to Thailand, have bought a new one-way ticket and will fly out of LAX this coming Sat. This time I have my retirement stamp  good till May 2017 and a valid re-entry permit on my passport.

I just want to check with  other TV members and make sure that all is kosher at boarding time (flying with China Eastern), ie they are not going to ask for a return /onward ticket, etc. Thank you for your input.
 

Thank you Khun gk10002000, as always, clear and informative advice. Much appreciated.

1 hour ago, gk10002000 said:

FYI, while I get my W-2s for payroll by the end of January, but Etrade doesn't put out the 1099s until around Feb 15.  And about 1/2 the time they have issued an updated 1099 later that sometimes had subtle but insignificant differences from the original.  Don't know what your bank or broker will do time-wise

Can I still do the tax return with TaxAct prior to receiving the 1099? I figure since I will be doing it on line all I need is the data (the amount of tax I have paid) which is already stated in my IRA withdrawal report.  

Finally I decide that I will do the 1040A with TaxAct (free), then get on the California Tax board and do the 540A (or 540NR?).

I called my bank friday and asked if they're ready to send out the 1099 re my tax witholdings from the IRA withdrawal and they said they were nowhere ready and would send it out at the end of Jan. So I guess I would have to do it based on the figures on my IRA withdrawal report if I want to do it now. I will try to do it on my last week here in the US and will keep you posted.

Again thank you all very much for your helpful and valuable advice. Much appreciated and I hope this would be of help to others also.

On ‎1‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 5:31 PM, gk10002000 said:

you can file online with several tax packages, some federal ones are free IF you make less than something like 40 or 50 K.  The IRS advertises those.  I do mail because  while I report Dividends, and interest, I don't itemize and don't really have anything complicated

Just a (disquieting) thought in the "look and you shall find" department: after my last tax return filing (for 2013) I've been off the IRS radar as my yearly earning since then has been only about my annual bank interest which even in my wildest dreams could not amount more than a few paltry dollars!

So do I miss out anything here, should I have filed an exemption of some sort for every tax season? I don't believe I'd have to do anything because my earnings (if you choose to call it that) are practically non-existent and way-way-way below the threshold required to file a tax return.

2 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

I believe by default most US institutions will withhold 10% unless you tell them otherwise.  I read that somewhere I think.  The OP may not have been aware of his options.   From the Etrade site: "Purpose of Form W-4P. Unless you elect otherwise, 10 percent federal income tax will be withheld from payments from individual retirement accounts (IRAs). You can use Form W-4P (or a substitute form, such as this form), to instruct us to withhold no tax from your IRA payments or to withhold more than 10 percent"

Yes, I was ignorant in this regard. Moreover, the bank person who took care of the paper work could have been a rookie as well, he made quite a few phone calls to central and it took him a long time. He simply said "it's mandatory [to do tax witholding]" and I believed him. Only recently I looked again at the paperwork and saw the blanks where you fill in the percentage supposedly of your own choosing (which meant I could have chosen 0% witholding?) Oh well :-(

On ‎1‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 10:07 PM, skatewash said:

 

Curious about this.  My understanding of Obamacare medical policies is that they do not cover you where you live outside the US.  Are you covered by your Obamacare policy in Thailand?  Also, most (maybe all) US expats I know claim the exemption to Obamacare (because they live at least 330 days outside of the US) and avoid any Obamacare tax penalties in that way.  Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you are talking about.  Maybe you're referring to some part of Medicare?

The emphasis was on "during my home visit" ie. while on US soil. The thought that Obamacare would cover me wherever I go never occurred to me. On the other hand, I was surprised to learn from your post that US expats had to file an Obamacare claim exemption so as not to be fined for not claiming. So maybe it was a good thing that I did come home to claim it!

Where applicable, Obamacare turned out to be alright: I got carte-blanche to most routine check ups and health care services (emergency care for a dog bite, that sort of thing), except for a few exemptions here and there (for example, it would not pay for your root canal if done on a back tooth). The jewel in the crown (pun maybe intended) was the colonoscopy I underwent the day after Xmas. The doctor office readily got me an appointment for a follow up visit when I told them doc already left when I woke up after the test.

The icing on the Obamacare cake was its off-shoot: an Obama-phone! A real (and necessarily cheapo) phone with a sim card that's good (supposedly) forever, unlimited calls and texts (again, domestically) - the only requirement is to make a least one phone call each month to keep your sim "alive." Needless to say I would not dream of taking this phone outside the US and expecting it to be working.

First of all thank you all for your well meaning advice, precisely what I was asking for in my posting. I really appreciated your taking the time to consider all angles.
 
Here is more background info:  the last year I filed tax return was 2013 when I was still earning a salary. After that I moved to Thailand and have been living off my personal savings ever since. This year was the start of my SSA retirement benefits and being a worrywart I came back to the US mainly to be here when the first SSA deposit supposed to take place ( at the beginning of last month - Dec 2016)  just in case something went wrong. 

All went smoothly. Also the first thing I did at the start of my home visit (September 2016) was to withdraw my IRA, in the process I paid 10% for federal tax and 1% for state. The whole IRA amount before tax came in under 6 grands, not much but useful. With that I figured that whatever income threshold there was I would not have made enough to cross it. So it looks like I will use the 1040A. Now I just need to know what 540 for state I would need to file - 540NR or is there a 540A equivalent of the 1040A federal as well? I still maintain a US address with my US bank. The same address I used when applied for Medical (Obamacare) during this home visit. The IRS has my previous/other US address, the one I used when I filed in 2013. 

Looking back I remember I did use TurboTax one time during my working years and it was free and painless. So I think I will follow your advice and use either TurboTax or TaxAct for this year's filing as well.

I'm on my last 2 weeks of my 3-month US home visit. During this visit I withdrew my IRA account and had to pay taxes. I'm going to do my tax return here before heading back to Thailand. AFAIK, I need the 1040EZ for federal and 540EZ for state (CA). My question is I'm not sure if I need the NR (for non-resident) or the EZ should do. The reason I go for the EZ version is because the IRA withdrawal was my only taxable earnings for 2016.

Any input from more experienced TV members in this area are much appreciated. 

PS - I guess I can still do tax return online and have the return deposited in my bank account? Or just go to the library/post office to get the forms and do it by mail? It's been some years since I last did this chore so I'm  not aware of any recent changes in the process. Thank you in advance.

FINAL update -

the first deposit showed up in my US saving account promptly on the 2nd of this month of December as indicated in SSA confirmation letter, the exact amount. FWIW, I've been chomping at the bit while being on US soil the last 3 months for various businesses, one of which was to be "on-site" in case the deposit did not arrive as planned. Hats off to SSA for its (renowned) efficacy!!

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Areesak-Chotivichit

"Dr. Arreesak above is also at Bangkok Hosp"

The reason I chose this doc was that he spoke good english and according to his hospital bio, had long + solid training in the US. The fact that he was quite senior bothered me a bit at first, but turned out to be an asset: meaning that he knew well his cadre of fellow doctors/surgeons and simply for his own reputation, would go after the best "helper."

The helper, in my case, turned out to be one of the couple of docs at Bum that I had not had consulted with. I can't remember the name, even though I could have remembered the face. I Just looked up his link, but Dr. Wicharn wasn't the one. Neither were the others in links posted by SheryL.

Wishing you the best of luck and please keep us posted.

Sorry I caught this thread only now, hopefully my reply could  still be of use to the OP:

Yes, I’m the man you were asking for.  In 2004 I had a lower-back (L4-L5)  microdiscectomy at Bumrungrad done by one of the doctors listed in one of the posts above. It’s been a positive experience for me, considering that I had no choice since my herniated disk had bursted. Still I waited too long, for the same reason everyone feared in going into a spinal surgery. 8 months of hell on earth, not being able to walk, living with constant physical pain and mental torment, for the most part because there was no one with this kind of knowledge/experience to give guidance. Except for one member of Thaivisa - though not our valuable SheryL here - who, solely through PMing during my darkest hours, patiently explained and nudged me towards seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. (To whom I am forever grateful.)

Long story short, yes, surgery is the last resort. I say it again, in my case it was the only viable outcome as I painfully and much belatedly found out, as the disk had bursted. The operation turned out to be quite routine (a quick one + a 3-night hospitalization) and if it is at the lower back, as mine was, the spinal cord does not go down that far (big caveat emptor here, might be total BS but this was what alleviated my fear going in) to be in the way of the knife. Last thing I knew was that the anesthetician (spelling?) telling me I will be out counting 1 to 5, and the next thing I woke up hearing the doctor telling me try to lift my affected leg. I did, and it was without pain. I was back among the living.

Regarding choosing the right doctor, I saw most of them. One of them, in hindsight I had to thank him for his leveling with me, “What are you looking for, you’ve seen most of the doctors here (in Bumrungrad) and you told me they all give you the same diagnosis so what do you expect from me?” By the time I was wheeled into the operating room this is my observation – again caveat emptor, it could be totally wrong. “My” doctor was there only to grace with his presence. The one who did the heavy lifting was probably the “house” specialist. Namely across the whole panel of specialists in the hospital, a few are singled out to be the “core” specialists. i.e. Dr. A is the one who does microdiskectomy, Dr. B is the one who does another specialty and so on. So no matter whom you choose, when it comes to this kind of operation, Dr. A is the man, whereas your doctor, the one that you have so carefully selected in to whose hands you put your life, will be there only to give you moral support and to introduce: “This is Dr. A, he will help me in your operation…”

End result has been good, except that by waiting 8 months, a great deal of my nerves had gone to sleep, permanently (i.e. died) But as a physical therapist told me post-op, they could have gone already at the onset, in day 1 or in month 1, or month 2, or finally in month 8. Nobody could tell. He propably said that for my sake, so I would stop kicking myself. I did and learned to live with a leg a bit dumber (and a bit number, and bit larger, because the muscles have to do extra work) than the other. But I'm back living life in full technicolor!

Final word, the operation – for the LOWER back - is nothing to fear (also doesn’t have to be at Bum or BNH – a mid size but competent and less commercial venue will do).

But consider it as the very last - the LASTEST - resort.

Wish you the best of luck  (and pluck).

On 10/9/2016 at 7:37 AM, khunpa said:

 

 

Last time I was in Central, I noticed a sexy girl shouting into a microphone, trying to sell clothes. No one was anywhere near her or the clothes she was selling. I wonder if they ever tried, just having the girl shut up and just look sexy... Guess not.

Comic gem, thank you khunpa. Just trying to imagine the scene got me rolling in the aisle. ...You made my day -or night rather.

(Actually they did try this tactic in Europe, just having the models lounging around in sexy underwear in the window display. That did attract some customers, especially the window shopping kind of course. The article did not do a follow up as whether that moved the merchandise or not.)

On 9/29/2016 at 7:56 AM, OMGImInPattaya said:

The almost total lack of any significant wildlife in Thailand, except packs of feral dogs and cats, is quite depressing. As for the birds and fish, the locals consumed or sold most of them for pets long ago. Even in urban areas of the United States, there are significant wildlife populations.

I was going to add another two cents onto this thread, until I ran into the above comment and found myself slack-jawed.

In the midst of steamy and congested Bangkok, every morning I wake up to the sounds of birds and roosters, walk out to my balcony and watch the white-striped squirrels chasing each other all the while shrieking and flying among the branches. The "feral" soi cats also get up there on the opposite shophouse rooftops  watching them squirrels too. In the empty "jungle" lot behind my building I can occasionally spot a giant lizard or two slithering under the bushes. Around the building I often find small lizards sometime blue some green clambering up and down the stairs. When the cleaning staff saw me staring at those in wonder they mentioned that once in a blue moon they would have to roost out a snake from the basement parking lot and we all know where that comes from.

If I want to see more wild or not so wild life I would cross the street and enter the Ram U campus, there I find ponds full of fish and turtles coming up to me bubbling their mouths asking for food. Little birds fly straight into the canteen perching on top of the wall mounted antiquated TV sets  eyeing for crumbs. In the evening around the tracks of the National Sports complex  half mile down the block, the big crows mobilise themselves deep among the eucalyptus groove bordering the boulevard and work up a deafening racket to compete with rush hour traffic noise . Across the tracks is a vast open grassy space that turns into a happy - petting - hour gathering for local folks who at the end of their work day would bring out their pets: dogs, rabbits, hamsters and quite a few turtles to get socialized among themselves both pets and owners. On and on. This is their everyday life, and now mine too.

The  comment quoted above makes me realize that even in a small social space such as thaivisa forum, folks do live in parallel univers. If I try to tie them all into a big knot, I would  say that If you haven't found what you came here looking for, blame it on your point of departure, not your destination.

14 pages into the thread and I have yet to hear "joie de vivre" mentioned. That "je ne sais quoi" that imbues deep in Thai genes and so sorely lacks in American genes. I'm now on my third week into my two month long visit back in the States and already feeling like a fish out of water

Broad strokes:  WalMart sports the architectural look of an industrial  bunker, McDonald's that of a jail. The latter is designed so that you would not want to linger. Heavy use of fencing material (fkid's playground has been moved indoor at the expense of seating space), the presence of an (again indoor) security guard and signs that say 30 minute to eat your meal, no loitering make no mistake about their policy. People in general have bodies the shape of someone spending too much time sitting behind the wheel: both men and women look crunched up, barrel thick torso, bellies spilled over short spindly legs.

The landscape, though supposedly in  clement weather, is a drab gray or green, with little washed out colors here and there All this in Anaheim, the birthplace of the magic kingdom of Disneyland. People running around with big letters carved on their forehead that say: "All work and no Joy!" And for your personal safety, please get in a car (and risk getting the aforementioned body shape) - learn to drive if you have to -  but  DO NOT WALK!

I am not touching on the issues about prices and food which have been discussed ad nauseam here. For the working man's bracket (lo-so in Thai): Let's just say you get big, huge portions but the food in general has little taste. Though if you look high and low, you might still stumble upon something spectacular (Flipping Pizza, a small chain coming out of Carlsbad). Starbucks carries sensational selection of teas - "Joy 2015" is one shining example. And Peets coffee would still brew a whole new batch of your desired coffee bean if they don't have it "on tab."

But the minus so outweigh the plus re life here in Southern California (I shudder just to think what it would feel like in the snowy Northeast!). that i find myself  gasping for air whenever I realize that I'm still on american soil (which means the nightmare has not ended...) 

6 hours ago, garyk said:

I agree and disagree! I am not wealthy, but do enjoy the country side in my country. I love the well laid out parks. I love the museums. I am from Central Texas, San Antonio, Austin. It is quite an amazing place if I do say so myself. I love my visits!

What I am trying to say is you don't have to be rich in America to enjoy yourself.

 

Allow me to complete the picture:" ...BUT, a big BUT, you cannot be poor to live there (in America) to begin with."

My total living expenses (room and board) in Thailand take half of my retirement check. In the US, to live in a decent urban area, the whole check would disappear into rent alone. I don't fancy living in the Appalachians (especially after seeing "Winter Bones" starring a very determined Jennifer Lawrence) or somewhere along a Texan desert highway.

I love my So Cal hometown, 10 minutes drive from sand and surf. I can spend the whole day on the beach with very little money. On the way home I can swing by Costco for a jumbo dog and a smoothie total under 5 bucks still. However at the end of the day I still need a roof over my head.

5 hours ago, OmegaRacer said:

Been in Thailand 10 years, but always looking forward for my annual 5-week holiday back home in the North Italian Alps. If I could afford to go twice a year, I definitely would. I have family and great friends there, the place is beautiful with lots of mountains and nature. Food is a mix of German and Italian and I love it. I have a big bike there (a 1981 Moto Guzzi G5) which is perfect for travelling with my wife. She loves to go there too.
If I could do my job there, I would be really hard pressed if I had to choose between Thailand and Italy. Both have their + and -.

Aahhh, the Tyrolean Alps! I'll trade the French Riviera for them anytime...

Sometimes in my dreams, I find myself asking: if money is no object, where would I choose to live, the East or the West? It's a tough call so tough that the adrenaline starts to flow and wake me up, and then I realize that's not gonna be an option. Problem solved!

Thanks (for bringing up) the memories....

I just spent some time doing enrollment on coveredca website. MediCAL that will be. Enrollment is pending awaiting proof of income, which is the confirmation letter from SSA which timely arrived last week. btw that will be my sole income for the future, not counting the few dollars that the bank pays for my saving account interest each year

Since I will be there in a week's time, I rather just show up in person at the local SSA office to complete the process. Medical does not cover vision, might as well I don't  have to rush (I will simply go to CostCo and buy new glasses). I hope that I would get something out of it during the 2 months of my home visit. While there I will also shop around for my coverage for Thailand in the long run....

Thank you all so much for your inputs, especially SheryL (as always) and also a big thank to Jingthing too. Will definitely give an update/report from the US.
In the meantime wish everybody a nice day, much appreciated.

Sounds like there are too many variables at play here....Major banks are safer but they come with strings attached (such as "life insurance")?

35 minutes ago, Ceruhe said:

but I, even as male, have been taught to be extra careful during evening hours simply because it's a dangerous time due to the poor visibility and sparse appearance from other memebers of society, there is less guarantee for your safety "by default".

 

 

 

Agree! (even though I haven't been taught that way. I simply follow my own instinct.) Let me break it down for those who don't see through this logic - which I term common sense:

a) being out at 11pm= NO (that for being a senior citizen with poor eyesight)

b  ) being out at 11pm + in a strange town/city/country= NO + NO

c) being out at 11pm + in a strange town/city/country + following a stranger (man/woman) anywhere= NO + NO + NO 

d) being out at 11pm + in a strange town/city/country + following a stranger (man/woman) + heading for the jungle = NO + NO + NO + NO

In short I have 4, count them, 4 safeguards that would have prevented me taking the path this young woman has taken. That she had none simple boggles the mind.

I'll receive my early (at age 62) retirement Soc Sec starting in December. Am going back next week to the States for a 2-month family visit. Just wondering what kind of free medical coverage I can apply stateside. Obama care started after I had left the us so I don't really have a handle on it. Basically I would need a general checkup of all sorts, from top; eye, teeth, etc, to bottom: my next colondoscopy is due (the last one was about a decade ago.)

Hopefully SheryL and others (us expats) with experience in this area can give some advice/pointers.
Thank you much in advance.

ps - I'm from California, which also has MediCAL, though I had never been qualified for it prior to the time I left the US 3 years ago.

That looks quite spartan to me, no towels twisted into the shape of sickening loveswans to distract guests from their daily meditations. And the colors are all primary: earth, wind and fire according to Buddhist precepts presenting one's carnal existence. Also no clock on the wall for the notion that time here - on earth - is ephemeral and one's soul will soon be prime for afterlife (or -lives, depending.) 
Passed.