Death with no close living relatives. Nominate partner to be contacted in the event of my death?

[Foxx]

My situation:  have no close living relatives, have lived with my partner of many years.

 

In the event that I die, I understand that the Embassy will contact a relative in the UK before my body can be released for disposal.  Given that I don't even know the names of any of my distant relatives, let alone how to contact them, can I nominate my Thai partner to be contacted instead? If so, how? I really don't like the idea of my body lying unclaimed in a hospital for weeks or months.

[KhunLA]

May want to simply contact the UK embassy and ask them.   Would something as simple as a POA concerning control of your remains be enough for your partner to make and authorized decisions.  

 

I tend to ask the people who will make the decision, what the want.

[fittobethaied]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

May want to simply contact the UK embassy and ask them.   Would something as simple as a POA concerning control of your remains be enough for your partner to make and authorized decisions.  

 

I tend to ask the people who will make the decision, what the want.

A POA is no longer valid upon the death of the Grantor. A Last Will and Testament is required. 

Edited February 8, 2023 by fittobethaied

[Muhendis]

On the last page of your passport you should have written the name and address of the person to be contacted. That should be enough.

[CMBob]

19 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

On the last page of your passport you should have written the name and address of the person to be contacted. That should be enough.

No, it won't as that won't stop any usual embassy process for location/notification of next of kin.  What OP needs is a Thai Will that names his partner as the executor and handler of funeral arrangements (and, presuming that's the OP's wishes, to get his Thai and/or other assets).  I can't speak for the UK embassy but the US embassy/consulate has advised me that presentation of such a Thai Will (which may be required to be translated into English) will stop the next-of-kin process (which essentially is a process to locate any relatives and possible heirs) and will result in the embassy/consulate issuing the letter allowing the release of the body to the person named in the Will.

Edited February 8, 2023 by CMBob

[Freddy42OZ]

28 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

On the last page of your passport you should have written the name and address of the person to be contacted. That should be enough.

Assuming he has his passport on him when his body is found. 

He seems to think his partner won't notice he's missing until he/she gets a message from the UK government informing them the OP is dead  (?!?) 

People really do have strange relationships and lives.... 

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Muhendis said:

On the last page of your passport you should have written the name and address of the person to be contacted. That should be enough.

I've checked this with the Australian embassy in Bkk and with my Thai Lawyer.

 

I asked both the same questions, basically: are there any laws (Australia or Thailand) re who must be contacted abroad or in Thailnd when I pass away?

 

Answer, both OZ embassy and Thai lawyer:

 

- There is no law indicating that a relative (even distant) must be contacted anywhere when I die.

- Re who must be contacted is totally up to the person involved (deceased).

- The will owner can put into the will an instruction that:

 - - - Nobody, anywhere be contacted / advised the will owner has deceased. But there should also be some additional documentation quickly assessable, which states 'contact nobody/anywhere). to ensure the police/embassy staff know every quickly the details of the deceased's wishes on this subject. 

 - - - Some embassies offer walk-in facilities / online facilities for their citizens to lodge these instructions so that the embassy has quick access to the case by case instructions of each deceased.

 

- Anybody can nominate anybody as their Next of Kin - NOK (does NOT have to be a relative in any country), should of course be some record that the person nominated has agreed to be showing as the legal NOK (best done in specific and separate clauses in the Will of the person involved).

 

- Nobody should consider that the person recorded as the NOK is automatically the main or part beneficiary of the will.  Beneficiaries and NOK are quite separate subjects.

 

- But of course the will owner can and should write into the will:

 - - - The name of the NOK

- - -  And the name/names of the beneficiaries of the will. 

[Muhendis]

9 hours ago, Foxx said:

can I nominate my Thai partner to be contacted instead? If so, how?

I agree entirely about the necessity to write a will. but the will is, in my opinion, second tier. First tier is to contact the deceased's next of kin and/or nominated person and the relevant embassy. Information for both of these should be found in the passport. 

Hopefully the person died with his passport on or near them.

If the embassy is contacted first then they would use the information on the last page of the passport to contact the OP's nominated partner. 

The wording in the passport is:-

"The holder should insert below particulars of two relatives or friends who may be contacted in the event of accident."

Edited February 8, 2023 by Muhendis

[geisha]

Contact your embassy and give the name of your next of kin , which, as described above by scorecard . You can name your partner, it doesn’t have to be someone in your home country. 
Give his/ her address if he/ she does not live with you. 
Then also make a last will and testament, and mention it his and the details of next of kin.  I suppose if you have no relatives you would want this person to inherit your possessions ? If not ,´you must state in your will who you want as your beneficiary. 
just curious, why do you worry about dying unidentified ? Always keep your passport copy on you and a name of condo , and your partners phone number for example. 

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, Muhendis said:

I agree entirely about the necessity to write a will. but the will is, in my opinion, second tier. First tier is to contact the deceased's next of kin and/or nominated person and the relevant embassy. Information for both of these should be found in the passport. 

Hopefully the person died with his passport on or near them.

If the embassy is contacted first then they would use the information on the last page of the passport to contact the OP's nominated partner. 

The wording in the passport is:-

"The holder should insert below particulars of two relatives or friends who may be contacted in the event of accident."

OK, but has the passport owner bothered to fill in the items / info. on the passport back page...

and, how up to date is the info?

and, would this page and whatever has been written on this page have any standing in a court?

in my passsport this page is headed 'Personal Info and Emergency Contact', but there is no signature block / signature requirement.

Seems to me all recorded clealry in a properly signed and witnessed will is the way to go. Making sure that there's no confusion between Next of Kin and details of who the assets are bequeathed to. 

[Muhendis]

4 hours ago, scorecard said:

OK, but has the passport owner bothered to fill in the items / info. on the passport back page...

and, how up to date is the info?

and, would this page and whatever has been written on this page have any standing in a court?

in my passsport this page is headed 'Personal Info and Emergency Contact', but there is no signature block / signature requirement.

Seems to me all recorded clealry in a properly signed and witnessed will is the way to go. Making sure that there's no confusion between Next of Kin and details of who the assets are bequeathed to. 

The last page is simply contact information and has no need for any legal status. 

The existence of this information is deemed to be a request from the passport owner for the listed person to be contacted in case of (undefined) emergency.

It has to be presumed that the contact name and address was entered by the owner of the passport. If that page is not filled in then the embassy will need to contact the appropriate agency to locate next of kin.

The main task for the embassy is to contact various government agencies like tax and national insurance etc. who need to know if a customer is no longer entitled to anything or to claim off the estate even.

This has absolutely nothing to do with what happens to the passport owners posesions after they are dead.

[Tedkhon]

For people in the UK there is a card similar to a donors card that states who you want as next of kin. (You decide the person it does not have to be a relative)

 

The card is produced by advicenow.org.uk and is information for NHS staff if you are injured and in hospital.

 

The persons details on the card should be the same as those you write in the last page of the GB passport

 

Most people strolling around the UK do not carry their passport so the card is designed for them, For a GB expat in Thailand having the card on them and the passport at a safe place should cover most situations.

 

I cant find the exact link for the card but it can be found by following this NHS link https://www.royalfree.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/advice-and-support/next-of-kin/ and going to the bottom of the page.

 

The royalfree and the advicenow information is worth reading as it discusses next of kin law for UK people.

 

 

 

But the question still to be answered by The British Embassy is

 

In the event of your death in Thailand will the British Embassy recognise your choice of next of kin or not?

 

Maybe there will be an answer on the way.

[blackcab]

Here is the pdf linked to in the above post:

 

next_of_kin002.pdf

[Foxx]

It would appear that it's been more than six months since the British Consular Team has been able to find the time to answer any questions on this forum - and they are the only people who can give a definitive answer to my original question.  I'm disappointed, but hardly surprised.  They must all be very busy doing something or other.

This page should provide the answer, but it makes no sense.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-do-after-a-british-person-dies-in-thailand#get-a-consular-letter

I guess I just wasted my time even asking.

[Tedkhon]

It wasnt a waste of time to post your question.

 

This question seems to have been asked in various ways over the past but never received a credible answer from the British Embassy.

 

What the replies to your question have shown is that the US and Australian Embassies have managed to explain this issue to its passport holders.

 

So if they can do it there is no reason why the British Embassy cannot give a sensible explanation.

 

Maybe a little more time will get an official reply (call it living in hope).

 

[Foxx]

Another month passes, and still not a peep from the Embassy.

Does this forum have any purpose if the Embassy is unwilling or incapable of contributing?

[Eff1n2ret]

On 3/18/2023 at 2:11 PM, Foxx said:

Does this forum have any purpose if the Embassy is unwilling or incapable of contributing?

I think the answer to that is 'No'.

[blackcab]

Off topic posts have been removed.

[OJAS]

Advice to the OP: contact the Embassy direct using their online enquiry form:-

 

https://www.contact-embassy.service.gov.uk/?country=Thailand&post=British Embassy Bangkok

 

[Negita43]

On 2/14/2023 at 5:53 AM, Foxx said:

This page should provide the answer, but it makes no sense.

Well it makes some sense.

 

last Year (I think) I downloaded this from the Embassy but at the moment I can't locate it on their site

 

คำแนะนำเบื้องต้นเมื่อบุคคลสัญชาติอังกฤษเสียชีวิตในประเทศไทย - GOV(1) What to do in Thai

 

It was in English and Thai if you want a copy PM me.

I