Writing a Will - Thai and English bank account numbers

[Speedo1968]

 

When writing a Will does one give specific Bank Account numbers, for accounts both here in Thailand and in UK ?
Should I write a separate Will for bank accounts in Thailand and England as the benefactors are different ?

Regarding personal property in Thailand is it better to list these in a separate Will to that of bank accounts ( i.e. two separate Wills ) ?
In Thailand can a benefactor also be the executor of the Will ?


 

[Tom H]

You need to consult a lawer because the next question is the tax and your residences after 5 years etc.

 

I thought it could be done with two last wills. I made one at the end due to different laws and conflicts.

[Speedo1968]

3 minutes ago, Tom H said:

You need to consult a lawer because the next question is the tax and your residences after 5 years etc.

 

I thought it could be done with two last wills. I made one at the end due to different laws and conflicts.

OP - Thanks for your comments.

I rent I do not own property in Thailand or UK

[grain]

Do it through a Thai lawyer. Like many expats I have assets here in Thailand I willed to my Thai partner, and I have assets in Australia that are willed to kids I have back there. I made separate wills. The will I made in Thailand with Isarn Lawyers states that it only covers my assets in Thailand. Best do it through a local law firm and have it done correctly. I don't own property here but have a sizeable bank balance, and when I croak I want tirak to get that dosh, not have it disappear into the bank through some redtape BS.

Edited May 1, 2022 by grain

[Farmerslife]

I am going through this process currently.

I have left everything to people here in Thailand but, in your case, with beneficiaries in the UK and Thailand it is advisable to have a separate will for the distribution of your UK assets. A simple handwritten will would suffice. Do you have someone you could entrust to act as executor for you in the UK?

 

I only have bank accounts in Thailand and the UK to worry about. I have listed the details in full for those accounts in my Thai will.

 

 Gifts of personal items can be listed in your will, there is no need for a separate will to cover these. 

 

 An executor can be a beneficiary.  

Edited May 1, 2022 by Farmerslife
Grammar error

[Aforek]

1 hour ago, grain said:

... but have a sizeable bank balance, and when I croak I want tirak to get that dosh, not have it disappear into the bank through some redtape BS.

I have a saving and a fixed deposit account  ; can my wife have them if i write a will for when I am dead ? normallyl, only me have access to my fixed deposit ( not atm card for it ) 

thanks 

[Lacessit]

I have a Thai will and an Australian will. The Thai will leaves all assets in Thailand to my GF here, my Australian will leaves all my assets in Australia to my son.

 

Specifying individual bank account numbers would be necessary if there are multiple legatees in each country. For single legatees, no.

[Lacessit]

5 minutes ago, Aforek said:

I have a saving and a fixed deposit account  ; can my wife have them if i write a will for when I am dead ? normallyl, only me have access to my fixed deposit ( not atm card for it ) 

thanks 

If you want her to get them, you have to execute a will in her favor. If you don't, it will disappear into government bureaucracy, and it may take years for her to get the money back. If at all.

[Speedo1968]

1 hour ago, grain said:

Do it through a Thai lawyer. Like many expats I have assets here in Thailand I willed to my Thai partner, and I have assets in Australia that are willed to kids I have back there. I made separate wills. The will I made in Thailand with Isarn Lawyers states that it only covers my assets in Thailand. Best do it through a local law firm and have it done correctly. I don't own property here but have a sizeable bank balance, and when I croak I want tirak to get that dosh, not have it disappear into the bank through some redtape BS.

OP - like you I made 2 separate Wills some years ago, things have changed and would like to make 2 new wills.   

 

21 minutes ago, Farmerslife said:

I am going through this process currently.

I have left everything to people here in Thailand but, in your case, with beneficiaries in the UK and Thailand it is advisable to have a separate will for the distribution of your UK assets. A simple handwritten will would suffice. Do you have someone you could entrust to act as executor for you in the UK?

 

I only have bank accounts in Thailand and the UK to worry about. I have listed the details in full for those accounts in my Thai will.

 

 Gifts of personal items can be listed in your will, there is no need for a separate will to cover these. 

 

 An executor can be a beneficiary.  

OP - Thanks for your comments.
My intention is to write a Will for my children in the UK which relates to my bank accounts there.

A second Will relates to bank accounts and personal items here in Thailand.
Both cases the people involved will be as executors and beneficiaries.

[Aforek]

29 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

If you want her to get them, you have to execute a will in her favor. If you don't, it will disappear into government bureaucracy, and it may take years for her to get the money back. If at all.

ok, thanks ... is there on this forum a special thread about making a will ? the forum is so vast, I have seen one day a special post  about it, but very difficult to find it 

thanks 

[scubascuba3]

For UK you can do a will online but a solicitor would be better as it's a physical office.

 

For both Thai and UK it's better to keep investments, cash accounts listed otherwise a crystal ball is required when you die, plus leave a copy where you live and one with office\executor otherwise again crystal ball required.

 

Some people also include video wills so no debate about beneficiaries

[Aforek]

A friend of mine told me that he did it and went with his wife to the amphoe, where somebody made it official 

which expression to employ to say that we  want our wife can access to the bank accounts ( saving and fixed ) ? 

thanks 

[Speedo1968]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

For UK you can do a will online but a solicitor would be better as it's a physical office.

 

For both Thai and UK it's better to keep investments, cash accounts listed otherwise a crystal ball is required when you die, plus leave a copy where you live and one with office\executor otherwise again crystal ball required.

 

Some people also include video wills so no debate about beneficiaries

OP - thanks for the valid warning

[Lacessit]

5 hours ago, Aforek said:

ok, thanks ... is there on this forum a special thread about making a will ? the forum is so vast, I have seen one day a special post  about it, but very difficult to find it 

thanks 

When I type "Thai will" into the search function, I get 49 pages on topics that have nothing to do with the subject, this thread is listed.

I guess unless a thread is active, it goes off into cyberspace somewhere.

You need a Thai lawyer to draw up the will. Have it translated into English independently to ensure it is what you want.

As some posters have suggested, you may want to list bank accounts. In my case, I don't think it is necessary because my Thai GF knows where the passbooks are, and would be first to get to them.

[EVENKEEL]

Can't you just leave your people in Thailand your pin to ATM? 

[Aforek]

42 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Can't you just leave your people in Thailand your pin to ATM? 

of course, but what about for a fixed deposit ( 800000 bahts, not bad ) , there is not ATM for it 

55 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

 

You need a Thai lawyer to draw up the will. Have it translated into English independently to ensure it is what you want.

 

I can't do it myself, in my language and have it translated in Thai, and go to my amphoe ( as I said above, i know someone who did like this ) ? He also gave the reference of his bank account in his home country, his bank told him it was possible 

[Speedo1968]

OP - When writing the Will do you need to provide / state ID card details of any named executor ?

[grain]

On 5/1/2022 at 9:00 PM, Aforek said:

of course, but what about for a fixed deposit ( 800000 bahts, not bad ) , there is not ATM for it 

I can't do it myself, in my language and have it translated in Thai, and go to my amphoe ( as I said above, i know someone who did like this ) ? He also gave the reference of his bank account in his home country, his bank told him it was possible 

In the past many farang did this. However, when I made my wills about 3 years ago there were many reports from various expats that the amphurs were not accepting wills for farang any longer, so I didn't try that method. My Thai tirak made a will herself about 2 years ago and that is lodged with the local amphur. So you could try the amphur method, like many things in Thailand maybe some ampurs accept foreign wills and others do not. I did mine with Isarn Lawyers, from memory it cost me about 5000 Bt.

[grain]

On 5/1/2022 at 1:29 PM, Aforek said:

I have a saving and a fixed deposit account  ; can my wife have them if i write a will for when I am dead ? normallyl, only me have access to my fixed deposit ( not atm card for it ) 

thanks 

The Thai lawyer told us that in the event of my death, following the instructions of my Thai will, the law firm would be able to arrange for the banks to release my accounts to my Thai partner after submitting a death certificate. They will also be able to have my car transferred to my tirak's name, but that's a minor thing. All the rest of my stuff my tirak will just get anyway as there's nobody related to me here to squabble over my belongings...cameras, laptops, phones and whatnot. 

[topt]

On 5/1/2022 at 10:57 AM, Speedo1968 said:

When writing a Will does one give specific Bank Account numbers, for accounts both here in Thailand and in UK ?

It's an interesting question and has provoked some some debate in previous threads. My issue is what happens if you change the account or add new ones - are you going to rewrite the will each time? 

As another poster mentioned however you need to have some mechanism set up such that your executor/beneficiaries know what accounts you have. 

On 5/1/2022 at 10:57 AM, Speedo1968 said:

Should I write a separate Will for bank accounts in Thailand and England as the benefactors are different ?

As others have already said - definitely yes for a number of reasons.

For a simple will for the UK there are some free online templates you could use to make life easier. Just make sure you have 2 non beneficiaries as witnesses. I used one of the LawDepot ones.

 

For Thailand there is even a template (not free) offered on AseanNow which may be adequate for a straightforward will. 

 

This thread may be useful for some people if they have not seen it. The will is just the start point.......

https://aseannow.com/topic/1001829-what-to-do-when-an-ex-pat-dies-in-thailand/

 

[Aforek]

2 hours ago, grain said:

In the past many farang did this. However, when I made my wills about 3 years ago there were many reports from various expats that the amphurs were not accepting wills for farang any longer, so I didn't try that method. My Thai tirak made a will herself about 2 years ago and that is lodged with the local amphur. So you could try the amphur method, like many things in Thailand maybe some ampurs accept foreign wills and others do not. I did mine with Isarn Lawyers, from memory it cost me about 5000 Bt.

My wife will ask the amphoe if they accept 

otherwise, 5000 bahts, it's not expensive ( I have seen one lawyer on Internet who asks 14000 bahts ) 

you have an e-mail for this lawyer in Issan ( I shall also in my familly in law if they know someone ) ?

I stiil hesitate between lawyer and myself, but 5000 bahts, not expensive !

[Lite Beer]

https://isaanlawyers.com/