When A Foreigner Dies

[Lelipad]

When a foreigner living in Thailand by many years on the basis of a non immigrant O Visa dies here, there is the obligation from someone as his surviving Thai lady, or local police, or village’s head, or so, to inform his Embassy?

[spectrum]

Perhaps you could ask at the relevant Embassy ?

[Jimjim]

It usually gets done but I don't know if there is any legal or expected obligation.

[Jet Gorgon]

If you carried ID and it's still with your dead body, the police/hospital will try to contact someone at your home in Thailand. If you are outside of BKK, I dunno if they call the Embassy. IM experience, it was a friend or spouse who called. If there is no ID and nobody knows you're missing, your body will stay in the morgue under "no name farang". Heard of one body there for a couple of years.

[Pakboong]

depends largely on what kind of pension you are having sent directly to your bank.

[tijnebijn]

What I heard about this is that when a foreigner dies,the place where you stay,the owner,by thai law,has to within 24 hour notice tell the imm police.If they will tell the embassey or whatseever I do not know,but this will be comon practice.I think it is up to your wife and you is you are staying longtime in Thailand to do whatever you wish(burn or buried).Why care you are dead anyway that time.

[Martin]

"Why care you are dead anyway that time."

I cannot go along with that.

It seems to me only considerate to make it as least troublesome as possible for those who are bereaved, or even just inconvenienced, by our passing.

So a checklist of "The things that must be done when I die" is worth the time that it takes to draw up.

In fact, as a farangs, I think that I should leave two checklists ready. One for the things to be done in Thailand by my bereaved spouse and one for my executor (who, in my case, is my nephew).

This whole subject may have been discussed before on this forum. If so, I would be grateful if someone would post a link. (I have a vague memory of a discussion, some years ago, of how a Death Certificate is issued here.)

[chownah]

If you die and have no ID on you then how do they know that you are a foreigner?

Chownah

[ollyrosee]

always carry a copy of your PP to ensure you can be IDd . you might be out on your bike miles from home ,get knocked off and remain unknown . Recall the small number of farangs who have vanished over the years& never seen again.

[Crossy]

Obviously I can only refer to the British embassy, but this page :- http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/Files/KFi...0Overseas,0.pdf

Says:-

There is no obligation to register a death at the British Consulate, but by doing so you can obtain a UK death certificate, and a permanent copy of it will always be available in English in the UK.

If you die and have no ID on you then how do they know that you are a foreigner?

Hmmm, 95 kg, pink, round eyes, I don't think the locals would have any problem determining that I'm not Thai, even on a monday

Edited February 9, 2007 by Crossy

[sutnyod]

Non-Immigrant O? Well well, I guess it's not that easy. Certainly there is the form Bi2U to be filled out and the visa must be changed from Non-Immigrant to Safely Departed 4Ev. Although there is something printed on the form that it has to be delivered in person, Suan Plu staff is known to be lenient if somebody else shows up instead. The counter is next to the one for application to temporarily leave the Kingdom and is called 'notification for permanently leaving the Kingdom'. Have not been able to figure out the fees yet...

[Tazzy]

This may be heading a bit off topic but I found this an interesting read from a Cambodian publication.

It tells of a funeral of a westerner in Sihanoukville

http://www.bayonpearnik.com/html/Issue124/index.htm (go to page 10 & 11)

[maccaroni man]

Obviously I can only refer to the British embassy, but this page :- http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/Files/KFi...0Overseas,0.pdf

Says:-

you can obtain a UK death certificate, and a permanent copy of it will always be available in English in the UK.

at a pretty high price

[tijnebijn]

"Why care you are dead anyway that time."

I cannot go along with that.

It seems to me only considerate to make it as least troublesome as possible for those who are bereaved, or even just inconvenienced, by our passing.

So a checklist of "The things that must be done when I die" is worth the time that it takes to draw up.

In fact, as a farangs, I think that I should leave two checklists ready. One for the things to be done in Thailand by my bereaved spouse and one for my executor (who, in my case, is my nephew).

This whole subject may have been discussed before on this forum. If so, I would be grateful if someone would post a link. (I have a vague memory of a discussion, some years ago, of how a Death Certificate is issued here.)

Well everybody has got their own ideas about that.For me I just cannot understand why people have to sort things out that much,even after they past.So when my times comes just let me in peace.

But I take in consideration that I am still young and when I get older maybe my vieuw will change,which I doubt.The buddhist way seems perfect for me and death not even exist for me ,it is just part of it.

It is ofcourse my believe that's why I wrote it like that,I perfectly respect other people's vieuws and desires about this subject.Everybody got a free will.

[ColPyat]

If there is no ID and nobody knows you're missing, your body will stay in the morgue under "no name farang". Heard of one body there for a couple of years.

That is not correct.

Usually, if after one week the corpse is not identified, it will be transported to the graveyards of unclaimed corpses operated by the Thai Chinese foundations. Documentation will be kept in case the corpse will be identified by relatives, and claimed, at a later stage.

Every few years in the graveyard cleansening festivals the unclaimed corpses will be dug out, the bones cleaned and given a collective funeral. I have attended those festivals many times, and regularly there are unidentified farang corpses as well.

[November Rain]

"Why care you are dead anyway that time."

I cannot go along with that.

It seems to me only considerate to make it as least troublesome as possible for those who are bereaved, or even just inconvenienced, by our passing.

So a checklist of "The things that must be done when I die" is worth the time that it takes to draw up.

In fact, as a farangs, I think that I should leave two checklists ready. One for the things to be done in Thailand by my bereaved spouse and one for my executor (who, in my case, is my nephew).

This whole subject may have been discussed before on this forum. If so, I would be grateful if someone would post a link. (I have a vague memory of a discussion, some years ago, of how a Death Certificate is issued here.)

Well everybody has got their own ideas about that.For me I just cannot understand why people have to sort things out that much,even after they past.So when my times comes just let me in peace.

But I take in consideration that I am still young and when I get older maybe my vieuw will change,which I doubt.The buddhist way seems perfect for me and death not even exist for me ,it is just part of it.

It is ofcourse my believe that's why I wrote it like that,I perfectly respect other people's vieuws and desires about this subject.Everybody got a free will.

Sorry, tijnebjin,

I disagree. In the last 4 years I have had to sort out the aftermath of my father's (expat) death in BKK and my (Thai) boyfriend's in HH. Bereaved people are already distraught & not taking things in properly. If you can help by leaving some instructions of what should be done, who should be contacted or what you want, it helps your loved ones immeasurably. Trust me, I know

[tijnebijn]

"Why care you are dead anyway that time."

I cannot go along with that.

It seems to me only considerate to make it as least troublesome as possible for those who are bereaved, or even just inconvenienced, by our passing.

So a checklist of "The things that must be done when I die" is worth the time that it takes to draw up.

In fact, as a farangs, I think that I should leave two checklists ready. One for the things to be done in Thailand by my bereaved spouse and one for my executor (who, in my case, is my nephew).

This whole subject may have been discussed before on this forum. If so, I would be grateful if someone would post a link. (I have a vague memory of a discussion, some years ago, of how a Death Certificate is issued here.)

Well everybody has got their own ideas about that.For me I just cannot understand why people have to sort things out that much,even after they past.So when my times comes just let me in peace.

But I take in consideration that I am still young and when I get older maybe my vieuw will change,which I doubt.The buddhist way seems perfect for me and death not even exist for me ,it is just part of it.

It is ofcourse my believe that's why I wrote it like that,I perfectly respect other people's vieuws and desires about this subject.Everybody got a free will.

Sorry, tijnebjin,

I disagree. In the last 4 years I have had to sort out the aftermath of my father's (expat) death in BKK and my (Thai) boyfriend's in HH. Bereaved people are already distraught & not taking things in properly. If you can help by leaving some instructions of what should be done, who should be contacted or what you want, it helps your loved ones immeasurably. Trust me, I know

Oh no ,do not understand me wrong.It is fine to let loved ones know some instructions about how they want to work things out.First of all I am very sorry for your loved ones.And I also do have to many experiences with people who have allready left( my father and my young son).But if you are bereaved and distraught,I think it is a matter of how you can handle your emotions.Do not understand me wrong,things are hard,but to make it hard won't make it easier.

And I did not write things down in a proper manner,but what I meant is that my message to my lovedones is not to greef,cause for me dead is just an illusion.That's why I wrote it down like why worry too much about things like this??But maybe this is just getting to a total different subject.But this is just the way I think about dying,nothing more.

[Martin]

"Bereaved people are already distraught & not taking things in properly."

Very true, 'November Rain'. And if the death is unexpected, there is shock as well. And there is a third emotion---fear of not coping.

A checklist is invaluable at such a time. Just having it is calming, as it goes a long way towards relief of that fear. And getting on with what it says to do helps the shock to wear off.

(Pilots know these things, full well. See Ernest Gann's "Fate Is The Hunter" for a very deep, but readable, discussion of it.)

If the checklist has been prepared by the deceased, then it also goes some way to putting the distraught grief into perspective. If the deceased was prepared for their death, then surely we who are left can deal with it.

When my late wife knew she was getting close to going, she started me on making a list, by telling me how she wanted things like her jewelry disposed of, so it did good not harm. (In our family, we are very aware of the harmful effects of mishandling the inheritance issue---in fact, my father used to wish it could be banned!). Then, when she slipped into coma and I knew it was only a few days at most till the end, I was able to carry on with what she had started me on.

A couple of paperbacks from the Public Library were most helpful, and I commend them to all who may be executors. They were "What to do when someone dies", and "Wills and Probate".

Those books helped me make a full checklist and, though it did nothing to help with the grief in the long term, it got me through the practicalities of the first few weeks.

Maybe we should write the "Farangs In LoS" versions of those books, and checklists, and get George to pin them here.

[paulsmithson]

I,ve told my wife to tell no one and keep drawing the pension

[ozzydom]

I,ve told my wife to tell no one and keep drawing the pension

Used to tell my wife the same thing, but actuallyI asked the question while getting my will witnessed at Oz Embassy, The answer was that Thai Police are to be notified of my demise, who in turn are to notify the Oz Embassy who may ask for an autopsy, they in tiurn notify Social Security.

The fate of your remains as per your wishes or your wife in case of no will or your family in case of neither of the above.

[farang power]

If you die and have no ID on you then how do they know that you are a foreigner?

Chownah

maybe looking your red sunburned skin.

[Bruce1]

I think its a good idea to leave some instructions with your will, particularly if your affairs are spread across more than one country. As a previous poster said, its traumatic enough for your nearest and dearest without them having to figure out what to do, especially as that can lead to big fights. Better to spell out your intentions and make the experience of your passing as painless as possible for those you care about. Its just considerate.

[pop3]

Interesting. one thing I have always heard is if a farang dies there is a mandatory autopsy. not too keen on this myself as what stops them selling parts when there is such a demand for them and high prices being offerd ?

[GuestHouse]

I regularly post on TV on the subject of Wills and why they are so very important, particularly if you have children.

In respect of informing your embassy, one thing to consider is that a certified and officially translated death certificate is a Must Have in order for your dependents to receive payments from insurance, pension plans and to gain access to accounts or take control of property back home.

My suggestion to people married to Thais who also have wealth and or property outside of Thailand is, appoint an executor to your will who understand the system back home and who is actually in your home country to be able to do all the leg work. This could of course be your solictor (if you don't mind throwing money away) or it could be a close friend or relative.

I've acted as executor for a dear friend, it was all at once, hard work, a thankless task and extremely personally rewarding to see his daughter's interests taken care of.

You need to give good clear instructions to your executor (This is in addition to your Will) so that s/he can make the enevitable judgment calls that arise when your Will is out of step with your circumstances at the time of your death.

I understand that making a Will is difficult for some people, but another way to look at a Will is it is the last and only chance you have to take care of those you love after you are dead.

I often remark on this, but if the friend for who I acted as executor had not made carefully thought out Will, I am absolutely certain that his wife, and particularly his daughter, would have been robbed of the savings, property and investments that he had put by to care for his wife and child.

Really, don't leave these things to chance.