moogradod

Many of the posts here pertain to specific situations of either US, UK or Australian citizens. Because this is an English speaking forum and because these states have somewhat peculiar rules (example: every US citizen must pay tax in the US regardless of his home-adress etc.). And therefore the specific DTA come as well into play. But there are other states and retirees from other countries. Example (fictous): A citizen of Sweden has lived his whole life in South Korea and is now retired. He is entitled to a state pension (not government pension) from Korea directly payable to a bank account in Thailand. The money is transferred directly every month from a Financial Department of Korea into the account. The Swedish citizen has a passport still valid some years and has never lived in Sweden. He will have his next and first contact with his embassy in Thailand when he applies for a next passport. So, if there were DTA between Sweden, Korea and Thailand in place they would not have any significance for him since he is neither tax resident in Sweden althought he has a Swedish passport nor Korea because he does not live there anymore. But he has been more than 180 days in Thailand and did and does receive the Korean Pension remitted directly. What would be the best approach to get the maximum out of it or to prevent even possible harm ? I am not sure if the CRS would more confuse than clarify. The Thai RD would maybe inform Korea where he is neither registered nor tax resident. Or Sweden where he is neither registered nor tax resident either. Korea would probably inform Thailand. Both know of course the name and the bank- and acccount number as well as the living adress (not the RD, but the immigration) . The Swedish guy has no tax number by the way.

Looks impressive, but my (limited) experience shows that Supermarkets and Vietnam in general do not really fit yet. The selection over there is terrible. Most shelfs are filled with the same product. This gives the impression of a large variety offered. But I would have difficulties to get the food I wanted would I be forced to cook myself. Reminds me of old pictures I have seen from East-Germany before the fall of the curtain. I wish them good luck with their new concept. Urgently needed.

I had a prostate biopsy two times. The first time it was done by my urologist who did as well all yearly tests. It came out negative. But the trend of my PSA made him still suspicious so he called his friend, who was the vice-president of the Urology of the Hospital of the University of Zurich. He made a second deep biopsy under anestesia. I did not feel a thing, they gave me Propofol and all that stuff. The result was devastating. 45% of the prostate was cancerous and above that the samples did show highest agressivity (measured in Gleason-Score - I had 8). I had to undergo immediate surgery which was done using a da Vinci robot. The doctor postponed several other appointments for other patients - mine had become first priority. In the 7.5 hour surgery, they took as well samples from my Lymph Nodes and none had been affected. So with this catastrophic diagnosis I am still alive 12 years after the total protastectomy and show so far no sign of what is called "biochemical relapse" (PSA rises again indicating that somewhere something is growing where it should not). I would say nearly a real miracle so far. But to concentrate on the topic of the OP: Biopsy may have its risks but I recommend rather doing it if the slightest doubt arises.

Impossible. Must be a misinterpretation (or "misunderstanding" as they seem to call such mishaps), especially the part "whether it was remitted to Thailand". I rather believe that the earth is flat or the Orange One is an alien. What has Thailand to do with what I earned some years ago somewhere in this world when I was at the time neither resident nor tax resident here ? What is the next thing they "require"? Could be anything it seems. Ridiculous. I guess this could be safely disregarded.

It is actually @TroubleandGrumpy who said this, but lets assume that you really did not pay tax for lets say a few years, 4, 5. Do you then think it is better before December 31, 2023 to approach the RD to declare that instead of occasionally get caught in 8 years if this seriously worries you ? It could well be that many are in this situation. I have even heard the story (nothing but rumour of course) of someone who wanted to declare this pension but was sent home by RD. They said at the time it was too complicated for them to verify when what was paid when and did not even provide him with a tax ID. But this may be just a story (which I can hardly really believe I must admit).

What size of tank ? I hope you are talking about LPG gas. I am as well interested in the lowest price. Needed for my Wok Cooking Station.

Monaco maybe ? Or the Caymen Islands ? Depends on your financial reserves if tax is overly important. You may as well negotiate a tax deal with one of the Swiss Cantons (corresponds to the Thai Provinces, but they have own tax regimes). This is why so many real rich people live in the Canton of Zug where all the big Commodity Traders gather. The Cantons have very different views on this topic. And if you can affort to have a nice villa on the Cote d' Azur you might as well have a house on the Caymans or in Geneva

As soon as a will is involved, the inheritance situation changes anyway. Do yourself a favour and spare worries and money for tranquilizers for the moment. Probably you will need them later. I had to look into details of inheritance and tax before we moved here. You have little chance to filter out the truth by yourself. So I engaged a NUMBER of the most renown internationally operating consulting firms - and I BELIEVE that I got it right in the end - of course based on the existing rules at the time. From what I read here about any planned new future rules there must be more than a bug in it - some things are misinterpreted for sure. Cannot be otherwise. There are as well contradictions. But I want to leave it like that, my stash of medicine has nearly run out, too.

If the gift is from savings (which must always be based on income at some point in time anyway and which is always to somebody else then yourself - in the best case the wife) and which has been taxed abroad prior to sending regardless of the year it was sent, then the receiver is (was always) liable to income taxes. The important point here is, that there is this tax exemption until 20 Mio/year. These are tax free - at least some years ago this was the case. And of this I am sure. Now if you do (did) exactly that nobody in the world can introduce a rule which acts backbards. This would be like if you got a speeding fine some weeks ago, pay the fine and then get another higher bill based on the same event applying a rule that was introduced after the event happened. From a defined point in time in the future this may of course happen.

Exactly. But she did not do it deliberately nor was it the reason for divorce. The insurance paid the most of it as well. What was annoying was the dust of smoke that settled on any visible object all around the house - of course she did not close the door. And the kitchen clock had an interesting shape afterwards. Just like in the pictures of Salvador Dali. I am marrried a second time since 17 years with my Thai wife - happily. She cooks many times in the garden on charcoal - they seem to be obsessed by that - our family upcountry only does it that way.

Maybe not edible, but a quick and appropriate way to extinguish oil fires. Good idea - I will do the same.

AN members, angry neighbors - one never knows. And especially - burglars. Not easy if not impossible to penetrate even with more sophisticated means. Use a Sledgehammer if you like.

Of course ! But the testers are trained gourmets, not Billy around the corner. And anyway, taste is largely subjective. You know the favourite drink of a former world champion in cocktail mixing which I happen to know quite well ? Its Gin Tonic.

You are completely right. I fact I did not say anything else ???? And of course I do not know any - never been there. But I did not know that they dont have a presence there.

Even in Australia they have for sure very good restaurants. Just no Michelin Star worthy ones. Which is not necessary but it helps. I like as well the receipe collection from Rick Stein (UK) . Have several books from him and his receipe of the Vietnamese Orange Duck is a standard in our home kitchen. It depends very much who rates the dishes and the setiing. I have never eaten bad in a Michelin Star restaurant, however there are publications like the "TasteAtlas" which will open completely new views on the food of the world with entries in the highest places you have never heard of and placements as well of Thai dishes with ratings which are astounding. Unfortunately they do not name the restaurants in which those dishes were tested. Pun intended.

Yes, thank you. The house will anyway be stuffed with all kind of alarm systems, sirens, cameras, contact alarms, even bullet proof glass. One of the systems may easily extended to include smoke (gas) alarm.

Thanks. Will have a look. I know these steel cabinets. Unfortunately it would look like we live in a factory after installation. A carpenter woud be fine and indeed they have even here woodworkers who may work precisely. But they would need to fit some steel cramps inside as well. I will ask around. It is not impossible, just a bit difficult. I always have high expectations, but I will start at Thai Watsadu.

I understand one idea behind it, but this solution has one big disadvantage: The accessability. Fire = quick reaction needed. Now if you have a fire in the kitchen - where it will most probably happen (My Ex-Wife nearly burned down the whole house with overheated oil on the oven while chatting in the livingroom) you need quick access to the extinguisher. Maybe you would not like to leave the house for that first.

I would like to buy a fire extinguisher for our house similar to the attached picture (Class A, B, C). Must be in a wooden box max width 62cm. Area around Pattaya if possible. Any experience from somebody where I may get it ? Thanks

Two kinds of love: 1. Romantic Love (like sung about in ordinary music): It will come and go. 2. Real Love (notice there is a difference): Purely wishing well for the partner: stays forever

We not even use it to brush the teeth. My wife buys quite some big canisters (Singha) to prepare soups etc. But this is then cooked in the process. For everything else: Only mineral water. Not even the filtered variety. Tastes awful. There are about 5 sources in Thailand as far as know, like Mont Fleur, Purra etc.

Always the same argument which pops up from time to time: If you dont like it, leave. But this does not change a bit of the topic we want to discuss together, neither adds it to the discussion meaningfully. If you dont want to get shot step aside. Of course ! But this does not make the shooting a bit more desirable. And this is the point here - nothing else. It is a fact that many craftsmen here do not know words like "straight", *equal length" etc. And they think this is perfectly OK. That is the mystery that makes it worthwile to contemplate about. Or would you not like it, too, that you just had to give a precise order and you could leave and come back and the task is accomplished perfectly ?

How about that one ? This is an original picture of my wifes first house. We then continually upgraded (as well in another place) to a 3 bed 3 bath pool villa in which we soon fully move in from a high rise condo directly at the sea. But below is in the "countryside".

We were very enthusiastic when we prepared to relocate. In fact it was mainly because of my wife and my bad health (not such a big span until the end, me and my doctors thought) and I wanted to save my wife the hassles. Switzerland is actually a wonderful place to live with some specialities. But my wife has as well a big family here. They had to come together. However for me the enhuiasm faded more and more. Then came COVID. No fun. More and more I noticed the huge problems this country poses to somebody to retire in. Today I would never recommend to anybody to relocate here. We more or less had to because of special circumstances and my wife is happy. That is all I wanted. I would not be too much sorry if I passed out forever today, but we take it as it comes. Mission accompished then. For me (only my part): Switzerland: 10, Thailand 4. I have to add we are marrried happily since 17 years. Holidays OK. We cannot turn back the situation now and have to live with what comes and for my wife is the best.. Everywhere and everything has its dis- and advantages. Who likes cold winters ? Not me. And the food - I miss some things tremendously - especially for the price. You can alway quickly drive over to Germany to shop over there (that's that place where you get for example good bread - never seen again)

Well done. I appreciated your picture which shows a tasty meal for an acceptable price. Ignore the sad/confused emoji mafia. Since some time one or two posters distibute these emojis seemingly random because their comments nearly always make no sense. It became so obvious that I actually contacted the support, but they said they could not find evidence that it is done by a single person.