A Question about my Last Will and Testament

[Keith5588]

I have posted last year asking for help concerning making a Last Will and Testament. So far all I have done is have my Thai girlfriend open a new fixed interest bank account and I have deposited enough so that she has money in an emergency or to pay a hospital and funeral costs if the worst happens.

 

I feel that I have enough information including a Will template in .doc format (so I can easily change it). It is in English and duplicated in Thai.

It is just my Thai Will for my Thai assets.

I do not own a house, my details are very simple, I wish to leave all my assets in Thailand to my Thai girlfriend whom I will also name as Executor so I have decided it is not necessary to involve a Lawyer but to just do it myself..

I have just completed it and there are 4 pages. On page 4 myself and 2 witnesses will later sign.

 

Now I am a bit confused.

It is a very important document but in my mind I think it can be easily changed after the signing takes place. It doesn’t seem right!

 

What I mean is let’s say I wished to leave all my assets to a local charity. I and witnesses sign page 4.

What is to stop someone changing pages 1, 2 or 3?  All they would need is to create an appropriate word file, print it out and change pages 1,2 or 3?

 

Could this be overcome by me and witnesses signing every page and mentioning this on page 4?

I think that if every page should be signed and witnessed then all Will templates should prompt for this at the bottom of every page.

I have just deleted all the Thai language and changed to a smaller narrower font so that it all fits on one page but I am still puzzled how a larger Will can be secured against future change?

 

Thanks

Keith

[AtlasAus]

Hey Keith,

 

Very interesting question. 

 

In my case I had the witness initial the bottom of each page. 

 

I guess to err on the side of caution you could sign and witness every page. 

[uncleP]

You should also talk to your embassy as they have to release you to your family here.

[Gracas]

My Lawyer in Australia sent me these signing instructions, see below.

There are actually 4 pages, but page 1 is a cover page so is not really part of the Will in my case. Where it states page 3 this is the last page (less cover page).

 

SIGNING INSTRUCTIONS

You need two witnesses neither of whom can be a beneficiary or spouse of a beneficiary. The three of you must sign in the presence of each other and you must use the same pen, preferably a blue one.  

The first thing to do is to write in the date on page 3.

You sign immediately below the date.  

The witnesses sign after the last line of text on page 3 and must also print their full names , occupation and address.

Each of you must also sign at the foot of the other two pages.

[Keith5588]

Thank you all for your replies.

Maybe my confusion is because I am relying on only what I have read because the only Will I have done before is a cheap one I bought from a UK shop, did it myself and it was only one page.

 

AtlasAus – Glad that you confirmed witnesses initialled every page in your Will, it makes sense.

uncleP – If you write in your Will your wishes concerning disposal of your body why do you need any sort of permission of your embassy? Are you sure?

Gracas – My template also has the date on the first page near the top and the same as yours on the last page and to sign immediately below. Thank you for your other information. It is a good point about using the same pen as the witnesses, a good thing to do, I will make a note to do that.