Bank account upon death

[unclekleef]

I am currently here on a work Permit, I was on a retirement visa before and may have to go back to that in the near future. I have 800,000 in an account which has to be in my name only; my question, my wife is Singaporean, if I have an account separate to our joint one, how does she get the money on my death? Can I draw up a simple will leaving her EVERYTHING including bank accounts.

[Dante99]

make a will, handwritten listing the bank accounts by bank name and number and with two witnesses and you will be fine

[northernjohn]

I have all my accounts joint with the wife so there is no worry on that part for me. You might want to talk to the bank and see if there is not a way they can work it for her to automatically get the money from the 800,000 deposit.

[scorecard]

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northernjohn, on 07 Jul 2014 - 10:53, said:northernjohn, on 07 Jul 2014 - 10:53, said:

I have all my accounts joint with the wife so there is no worry on that part for me. You might want to talk to the bank and see if there is not a way they can work it for her to automatically get the money from the 800,000 deposit. alt=wai.gif width=20 height=20>

You definitely should talk to the actual bank MANAGER (definitely NOT one of the staff) and get his/her name and address. phone no. etc. Even better make a list of the bullet points the bank manager gave you and get him to sign it with a witness. Also ask for a bank official documents which covers this subject.

Why?

The Bank of Thailand has specific regulations of this matter and most Thai banks also have their own policies on this subject but they don't align and the Bank of Thailand doesn't seem to force the issue.

I've been through this before, call the HO of the bank and ask what the rules are / what set up is best for you to ensure the funds pass quickly into the name of the person you nominate and you'll get both confusing and unreliable comment and you'll mostly get the 'it should be OK' comment.

I've heard of one local bank manager saying 'no worries I'll personally make sure the funds get to your wife, just leave it to me,no need for any documents'.

In this case the foreigner concerned called the bank HO in Bkk and was told 'yes that's Ok, local bank managers can do things like that'.

He called the bank again, spoke to another senior person in the Bkk HO of the same bank and was told that it was both illegal and totally against bank policy, and was asked to supply the branch name and the managers name for follow up by the bank HO.

Just one downside of this 'arrangement' is - what happens if the bank manager dies first, disappears, or gets transferred to another branch?

In my own case, everything is set up in joint accounts, only one person needs to sign.

Before we did this we asked several banks whether funds could still be withdraw if one person dies. We got several conflicting / opposite replies both from the local managers and by talking with the bank head offices.

One bank manager said 'NO' cannot withdraw, all accounts must be immediately frozen on the death of one party'.

Another bank manager said ' the account is set up to need one signature only so the other party just goes ahead, signs and withdraws'.

This answer was put to another bank manager who said 'well yes that's quite OK but it would be better to NOT tell the bank that one party has died, and fairly quickly, perhaps in a number of smaller but fast withdrawals to empty the account and into a new account, perhaps in a different bank.

Edited July 7, 2014 by scorecard

[hml367]

I would caution the OP to remember that any forum may guide you in the direction to go to get correct information, but do not rely completely on the information from a forum only.

This is an exchange I had with Bangkok Bank - my question is beneath the answer:

Bank Mail

Message from Customer Service

Date 08 Apr 2014 13:18:55

Subject RE: Send a Message - Other

Dear XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX,

Regarding you inquiry,normally the saving account no form as your request and please contact the homebranch for consult directly.


Best regards,
Bualuang ibanking
*****************************************************
Original Message :

Sawasdee krahp.
Does Bangkok Bank have a form I can execute which will designate a Thai citizen as beneficiary if I die?

Thank you

[bdenner]

All I can say is if you do not have a properly notarized will your beneficiary may be in for a hard time.

A British friend died leaving a smallish amount in a KasikornBank account and even with his Father's (next of kin) intervention and personal appearance, at the branch, could not get the funds for the TGF (common law wife). The bank did provide a list of requirements that had to be fulfilled but it required legal advice and loads of documents and translations. At the end of the day it was just too hard and the bank had a windfall.

Just to add, having a joint account for the 800K visa extension will need to have 1.6M at the 3 month lead time to the extension. That's the reason I didn't go that path.

Edited July 7, 2014 by bdenner

[Briggsy]

Give your wife ATM Pin and internet banking password.

TIT

[hml367]

All I can say is if you do not have a properly notarized will your beneficiary may be in for a hard time.

A British friend died leaving a smallish amount in a KasikornBank account and even with his Father's (next of kin) intervention and personal appearance, at the branch, could not get the funds for the TGF (common law wife). The bank did provide a list of requirements that had to be fulfilled but it required legal advice and loads of documents and translations. At the end of the day it was just too hard and the bank had a windfall.

OP, this is good advice according to at least 2 and probably more questions in the ThaiVisa Ask A Lawyer forum. You can get further guidance and suggestions on what to do in that forum. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/forum/192-ask-the-lawyer/

[bdenner]

Give your wife ATM Pin and internet banking password.

TIT

Yes, that works for me and TW has instructions on what to do as well as my will.

Internet banking password -- er well then she will need my mobile to enter the OTP. -- That may be stretching things a bit.

[northernjohn]

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northernjohn, on 07 Jul 2014 - 10:53, said:northernjohn, on 07 Jul 2014 - 10:53, said:

I have all my accounts joint with the wife so there is no worry on that part for me. You might want to talk to the bank and see if there is not a way they can work it for her to automatically get the money from the 800,000 deposit. alt=wai.gif width=20 height=20>

You definitely should talk to the actual bank MANAGER (definitely NOT one of the staff) and get his/her name and address. phone no. etc. Even better make a list of the bullet points the bank manager gave you and get him to sign it with a witness. Also ask for a bank official documents which covers this subject.

Why?

The Bank of Thailand has specific regulations of this matter and most Thai banks also have their own policies on this subject but they don't align and the Bank of Thailand doesn't seem to force the issue.

I've been through this before, call the HO of the bank and ask what the rules are / what set up is best for you to ensure the funds pass quickly into the name of the person you nominate and you'll get both confusing and unreliable comment and you'll mostly get the 'it should be OK' comment.

I've heard of one local bank manager saying 'no worries I'll personally make sure the funds get to your wife, just leave it to me,no need for any documents'.

In this case the foreigner concerned called the bank HO in Bkk and was told 'yes that's Ok, local bank managers can do things like that'.

He called the bank again, spoke to another senior person in the Bkk HO of the same bank and was told that it was both illegal and totally against bank policy, and was asked to supply the branch name and the managers name for follow up by the bank HO.

Just one downside of this 'arrangement' is - what happens if the bank manager dies first, disappears, or gets transferred to another branch?

In my own case, everything is set up in joint accounts, only one person needs to sign.

Before we did this we asked several banks whether funds could still be withdraw if one person dies. We got several conflicting / opposite replies both from the local managers and by talking with the bank head offices.

One bank manager said 'NO' cannot withdraw, all accounts must be immediately frozen on the death of one party'.

Another bank manager said ' the account is set up to need one signature only so the other party just goes ahead, signs and withdraws'.

This answer was put to another bank manager who said 'well yes that's quite OK but it would be better to NOT tell the bank that one party has died, and fairly quickly, perhaps in a number of smaller but fast withdrawals to empty the account and into a new account, perhaps in a different bank.

My accounts are all joint. The one's bearing interest are unavailable on my bank card so I had the wife sign on also either one of us can access them.

I find this very important as in the case of my death she has instant cash to take care of the expenses and live on for a while until the money from over seas gets here.

[Oscar2]

listen to the people who advise a Will under Thai law.

[Kerryd]

When my dad died in 2010, he had a proper Will (in Thai and English). I was told that I had to wait 45 days before having to go to court to have the Will read (and challenged if there were any others who thought they should have a piece of the estate).

Once it was done and I was "officially" recognized as the official executor (and only heir), I was able to go to his bank and close his accounts. That's when I found out his former "girlfriend" had been busy cleaning out his savings account (at 20k/day, including the 10 days it took to empty the remainder of the account, after he was dead) ! (It wasn't a joint account, but the staff at the branch she went to all the time were either used to her taking the 20k/day, or were getting a piece of the action, as it was pretty obvious they weren't trying to contact dear old (dead) dad to see if the withdrawals were approved).

Not to mention that (as I've found out) - if you don't have a Will, basically the government will end up with all of your assets. Your family members/beneficiaries would have to fight (in court) tooth and nail to prove they should get your stuff (and you can imagine, that won't be a cheap affair).

The biggest problem I'd have (if I ever do croak one day) is, who is going to tell my lawyer ? I'll have to have a big notice sitting somewhere with "In the event I've died - call {XXX Legal Company}" and then have to look at that sign every day for the next 40-60(+) years (or more) ! Depressing. Plus I wouldn't want to give incentive to the next soon-to-be-ex to assist me on my way to my next incarnation or anything !

[wolfmanjack]

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northernjohn, on 07 Jul 2014 - 10:53, said:northernjohn, on 07 Jul 2014 - 10:53, said:

I have all my accounts joint with the wife so there is no worry on that part for me. You might want to talk to the bank and see if there is not a way they can work it for her to automatically get the money from the 800,000 deposit. alt=wai.gif width=20 height=20>

You definitely should talk to the actual bank MANAGER (definitely NOT one of the staff) and get his/her name and address. phone no. etc. Even better make a list of the bullet points the bank manager gave you and get him to sign it with a witness. Also ask for a bank official documents which covers this subject.

Why?

The Bank of Thailand has specific regulations of this matter and most Thai banks also have their own policies on this subject but they don't align and the Bank of Thailand doesn't seem to force the issue.

I've been through this before, call the HO of the bank and ask what the rules are / what set up is best for you to ensure the funds pass quickly into the name of the person you nominate and you'll get both confusing and unreliable comment and you'll mostly get the 'it should be OK' comment.

I've heard of one local bank manager saying 'no worries I'll personally make sure the funds get to your wife, just leave it to me,no need for any documents'.

In this case the foreigner concerned called the bank HO in Bkk and was told 'yes that's Ok, local bank managers can do things like that'.

He called the bank again, spoke to another senior person in the Bkk HO of the same bank and was told that it was both illegal and totally against bank policy, and was asked to supply the branch name and the managers name for follow up by the bank HO.

Just one downside of this 'arrangement' is - what happens if the bank manager dies first, disappears, or gets transferred to another branch?

In my own case, everything is set up in joint accounts, only one person needs to sign.

Before we did this we asked several banks whether funds could still be withdraw if one person dies. We got several conflicting / opposite replies both from the local managers and by talking with the bank head offices.

One bank manager said 'NO' cannot withdraw, all accounts must be immediately frozen on the death of one party'.

Another bank manager said ' the account is set up to need one signature only so the other party just goes ahead, signs and withdraws'.

This answer was put to another bank manager who said 'well yes that's quite OK but it would be better to NOT tell the bank that one party has died, and fairly quickly, perhaps in a number of smaller but fast withdrawals to empty the account and into a new account, perhaps in a different bank.

My accounts are all joint. The one's bearing interest are unavailable on my bank card so I had the wife sign on also either one of us can access them.

I find this very important as in the case of my death she has instant cash to take care of the expenses and live on for a while until the money from over seas gets here.

I used to have joint accounts with my thai wife until she decided to take 3.5 million baht to, in her words, protect it for me

[inzman]

northernjohn, on 07 Jul 2014 - 10:53, said:northernjohn, on 07 Jul 2014 - 10:53, said:

I have all my accounts joint with the wife so there is no worry on that part for me. You might want to talk to the bank and see if there is not a way they can work it for her to automatically get the money from the 800,000 deposit. alt=wai.gif width=20 height=20>

You definitely should talk to the actual bank MANAGER (definitely NOT one of the staff) and get his/her name and address. phone no. etc. Even better make a list of the bullet points the bank manager gave you and get him to sign it with a witness. Also ask for a bank official documents which covers this subject.

Yeah, my last Thai wife wanted to hold all my gold for safe keeping. 2 weeks later we were divorced. Coincidence?

Why?

The Bank of Thailand has specific regulations of this matter and most Thai banks also have their own policies on this subject but they don't align and the Bank of Thailand doesn't seem to force the issue.

I've been through this before, call the HO of the bank and ask what the rules are / what set up is best for you to ensure the funds pass quickly into the name of the person you nominate and you'll get both confusing and unreliable comment and you'll mostly get the 'it should be OK' comment.

I've heard of one local bank manager saying 'no worries I'll personally make sure the funds get to your wife, just leave it to me,no need for any documents'.

In this case the foreigner concerned called the bank HO in Bkk and was told 'yes that's Ok, local bank managers can do things like that'.

He called the bank again, spoke to another senior person in the Bkk HO of the same bank and was told that it was both illegal and totally against bank policy, and was asked to supply the branch name and the managers name for follow up by the bank HO.

Just one downside of this 'arrangement' is - what happens if the bank manager dies first, disappears, or gets transferred to another branch?

In my own case, everything is set up in joint accounts, only one person needs to sign.

Before we did this we asked several banks whether funds could still be withdraw if one person dies. We got several conflicting / opposite replies both from the local managers and by talking with the bank head offices.

One bank manager said 'NO' cannot withdraw, all accounts must be immediately frozen on the death of one party'.

Another bank manager said ' the account is set up to need one signature only so the other party just goes ahead, signs and withdraws'.

This answer was put to another bank manager who said 'well yes that's quite OK but it would be better to NOT tell the bank that one party has died, and fairly quickly, perhaps in a number of smaller but fast withdrawals to empty the account and into a new account, perhaps in a different bank.

My accounts are all joint. The one's bearing interest are unavailable on my bank card so I had the wife sign on also either one of us can access them.

I find this very important as in the case of my death she has instant cash to take care of the expenses and live on for a while until the money from over seas gets here.

I used to have joint accounts with my thai wife until she decided to take 3.5 million baht to, in her words, protect it for me

[prakhonchai nick]

I have experience with Kasikorn Bank and have no reason to suspect any other bank will be different.

For 800,000baht, a will is necessary if leaving to a Thai wife.and Thai probate will be needed. A lawyer will be needed for this. If no will, the money will be divided in accordance with Thai intestacy rules, and the wife will likely not get all of the money. If the husband had family in his home country (parents, children etc they are entitled to a share)

A simple will is sufficient. IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE NOTARISED AS SUGGESTED! It should not cost more than around 2,500baht with a Thai translation.

A girlfriend, mia noi, or a "wife" where the marriage has not been registered, will not receive any money unless she is named in the will.

[petertucker48]

ATM pin with Last Will and Testament ????? (so long as the will is kept at the bank !!!!!)

[prakhonchai nick]

Many farangs keerp their visa money in a long tem savings account whereby they earn slightly more interest.

These usually cannot be operated online, and no ATM card and PIN are issued!

May be best to sacrifice some interest for ease of access after death!

[uptheos]

Lots of good advice for Thai wives.......anyone notice that the OP's wife is from Singapore?

[cardinalblue]

Better have a will esp if a foreigner is recipient. One problem lies is who has control of those ATM catds once the person dies?

The deceased needs to take steps ahead to ensure the bank or other unsavcry ones don't know about his death until legal representation begins....The trustee needs to be avauilab;e and aware of events ASAP..

Rolling the dice in LOS for a positive outcome....

CB

[unclekleef]

Lots of good advice for Thai wives.......anyone notice that the OP's wife is from Singapore?

Yes exactly why I stressed a Singaporean. I have no worries about being ripped off by her. The only reason I have the lone account under my name only is as I may be going back on a retirement visa, I will need the 800,000 in the bank for 3 months, this is already in place. I tend to think that if I make a will, either handwritten or notarized, giving numbers of the accounts held (including joint) it should be okay, but I am not 100% sure.

[khunPer]

Make a will in Thailand; preferably a so-called Civil Documented will at the amphur (need 2 witnesses). A will can be a simple document written in either Thai or your native language or both. There is no inheritance tax. A Thai will shall only cover assets in Thailand, if you have foreign assets that shall be covered with a national will in that country. (Source: Thai Law for Foreigners, page 77-78.)

Eventually also let your wife have the code for the ATM (or Internet banking).

[northernjohn]

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northernjohn, on 07 Jul 2014 - 10:53, said:northernjohn, on 07 Jul 2014 - 10:53, said:

I have all my accounts joint with the wife so there is no worry on that part for me. You might want to talk to the bank and see if there is not a way they can work it for her to automatically get the money from the 800,000 deposit. alt=wai.gif width=20 height=20>

You definitely should talk to the actual bank MANAGER (definitely NOT one of the staff) and get his/her name and address. phone no. etc. Even better make a list of the bullet points the bank manager gave you and get him to sign it with a witness. Also ask for a bank official documents which covers this subject.

Why?

The Bank of Thailand has specific regulations of this matter and most Thai banks also have their own policies on this subject but they don't align and the Bank of Thailand doesn't seem to force the issue.

I've been through this before, call the HO of the bank and ask what the rules are / what set up is best for you to ensure the funds pass quickly into the name of the person you nominate and you'll get both confusing and unreliable comment and you'll mostly get the 'it should be OK' comment.

I've heard of one local bank manager saying 'no worries I'll personally make sure the funds get to your wife, just leave it to me,no need for any documents'.

In this case the foreigner concerned called the bank HO in Bkk and was told 'yes that's Ok, local bank managers can do things like that'.

He called the bank again, spoke to another senior person in the Bkk HO of the same bank and was told that it was both illegal and totally against bank policy, and was asked to supply the branch name and the managers name for follow up by the bank HO.

Just one downside of this 'arrangement' is - what happens if the bank manager dies first, disappears, or gets transferred to another branch?

In my own case, everything is set up in joint accounts, only one person needs to sign.

Before we did this we asked several banks whether funds could still be withdraw if one person dies. We got several conflicting / opposite replies both from the local managers and by talking with the bank head offices.

One bank manager said 'NO' cannot withdraw, all accounts must be immediately frozen on the death of one party'.

Another bank manager said ' the account is set up to need one signature only so the other party just goes ahead, signs and withdraws'.

This answer was put to another bank manager who said 'well yes that's quite OK but it would be better to NOT tell the bank that one party has died, and fairly quickly, perhaps in a number of smaller but fast withdrawals to empty the account and into a new account, perhaps in a different bank.

My accounts are all joint. The one's bearing interest are unavailable on my bank card so I had the wife sign on also either one of us can access them.

I find this very important as in the case of my death she has instant cash to take care of the expenses and live on for a while until the money from over seas gets here.

I used to have joint accounts with my thai wife until she decided to take 3.5 million baht to, in her words, protect it for me

I was wondering how long it would take for that kind of post would come up. How is she doing with it. Is it invested wisely.

Maybe you are like I was out of control with my spending. I have a friend with a great deal of money who had to get some body to help him manage it.

[wolfmanjack]

My accounts are all joint. The one's bearing interest are unavailable on my bank card so I had the wife sign on also either one of us can access them.

I find this very important as in the case of my death she has instant cash to take care of the expenses and live on for a while until the money from over seas gets here.

I used to have joint accounts with my thai wife until she decided to take 3.5 million baht to, in her words, protect it for me

I was wondering how long it would take for that kind of post would come up. How is she doing with it. Is it invested wisely.

Maybe you are like I was out of control with my spending. I have a friend with a great deal of money who had to get some body to help him manage it.

Yeah since i spend 20,000 baht a month for food and utilities she said i spend money too easy. I do not go to the bar and am not spending money on anything except the family but she still figured she could take care of it better than I can.

She complained that i was wasting money when i spent 12,000 baht on a new oven so i can bake pies and cookies for the family but she spent 13,000 baht on a nose job for herself. Just the type of person I want handling my money.

She ended up using most of the money to buy a townhouse that isn't worth what she paid for it and a piece of land that will be worth more someday because they will build a new road past it someday. She has been trying to sell both for the last year with no luck.

Bottom line is just because you think you can trust your spouse today does not mean that you will be able to trust them in the future.

[northernjohn]

I should make myself more clear I have no relatives here in Thailand and nothing worth fighting long distance over. I am leaving every thing to my wife so it doesn't really bother me that she has access to my bank accounts. She has never even looked at them. This I know because I look at them every month when I add to them.

If like one poster said she had to go the legal way she would be unable to take care of the expenses of my funeral. She insists on it. I keep telling her just throw the body in the river. One other fact she is 57 with the old fashioned Thai loyalties. That means she helps her family. No problem. I admit it took me three years to convince her that I was not going to buy a house. I realize that was not a greed based item it was a fear born out of the need to feel secure. Not an unusually one in Thailand. I realize not all agree with me but it is my truth.

As for the OP being wed to a Singapore lady no problem here in Thailand if she qualifies for the retirement. If not do the will thing which I am sure you both being foreigners probably have a will in another country.

I have some money invested in another country and my wife is the beneficiary. I have done the paper work to allow my son to handle the transaction.

One other thing. I have a letter with all my accounts on it along with pass words. If I pass he will take care of those for me. I in return will do the same for him.

[Card]

I have just asked an Australian bank the same thing and even with a joint account, they would want 'proof of death' to allow all the funds to go to one of the account holders. Proof of death I assume is a death cert. Doubt a pic of a dead body with name pinned to chest would do, but it might do in Thailand!

[uptheos]

I should make myself more clear I have no relatives here in Thailand and nothing worth fighting long distance over. I am leaving every thing to my wife so it doesn't really bother me that she has access to my bank accounts. She has never even looked at them. This I know because I look at them every month when I add to them.

If like one poster said she had to go the legal way she would be unable to take care of the expenses of my funeral. She insists on it. I keep telling her just throw the body in the river. One other fact she is 57 with the old fashioned Thai loyalties. That means she helps her family. No problem. I admit it took me three years to convince her that I was not going to buy a house. I realize that was not a greed based item it was a fear born out of the need to feel secure. Not an unusually one in Thailand. I realize not all agree with me but it is my truth.

As for the OP being wed to a Singapore lady no problem here in Thailand if she qualifies for the retirement. If not do the will thing which I am sure you both being foreigners probably have a will in another country.

I have some money invested in another country and my wife is the beneficiary. I have done the paper work to allow my son to handle the transaction.

One other thing. I have a letter with all my accounts on it along with pass words. If I pass he will take care of those for me. I in return will do the same for him.

What I'd like to know is, can you leave your money (in a Thai will) to a foreign national not living in Thailand?

[true blue]

this subject comes up quite often,with the same answers,making a will seems the logical answer but that does not seem 100per cent,suppose keeping cash at home in the safe maybe,???i still will propaly just give her my username and password,and they can draw as much as they want over the i banking.system.

[northernjohn]

I should make myself more clear I have no relatives here in Thailand and nothing worth fighting long distance over. I am leaving every thing to my wife so it doesn't really bother me that she has access to my bank accounts. She has never even looked at them. This I know because I look at them every month when I add to them.

If like one poster said she had to go the legal way she would be unable to take care of the expenses of my funeral. She insists on it. I keep telling her just throw the body in the river. One other fact she is 57 with the old fashioned Thai loyalties. That means she helps her family. No problem. I admit it took me three years to convince her that I was not going to buy a house. I realize that was not a greed based item it was a fear born out of the need to feel secure. Not an unusually one in Thailand. I realize not all agree with me but it is my truth.

As for the OP being wed to a Singapore lady no problem here in Thailand if she qualifies for the retirement. If not do the will thing which I am sure you both being foreigners probably have a will in another country.

I have some money invested in another country and my wife is the beneficiary. I have done the paper work to allow my son to handle the transaction.

One other thing. I have a letter with all my accounts on it along with pass words. If I pass he will take care of those for me. I in return will do the same for him.

What I'd like to know is, can you leave your money (in a Thai will) to a foreign national not living in Thailand?

If they are both living here in Thailand I don't see why not. If the assets are out of the country put them in there also. If you are in doubt write up a will in the country where they are held at.

Looking for a retirement visa sounds like they are going to make Thailand home. Don't have any idea if she is under 50 of the visa she would need unless she is not moving here then have a will in that country also.

[noendtoit]

Make a will in Thailand; preferably a so-called Civil Documented will at the amphur (need 2 witnesses). A will can be a simple document written in either Thai or your native language or both. There is no inheritance tax. A Thai will shall only cover assets in Thailand, if you have foreign assets that shall be covered with a national will in that country. (Source: Thai Law for Foreigners, page 77-78.)

Eventually also let your wife have the code for the ATM (or Internet banking).

Source: Thai Law for Foreigners, page 77-78

Do you have a link for this?

[Boyblue]

The Law states that you have to have a Will in any country you have an immoveable asset, such as a business or property.

As for bank accounts it will really depend on the bank manager at the branch. But if you have a will in Thailand your "Executor" can access any property or funds, I have a Thai Will, written in English and translated into Thai naming someone I trust as the Executor, witnessed by two people at the same time. a foreigner does not need it witnessing by the Amphur, this is for Thais.

I also have a Will in England where I still have assets. the only time you can use a UK will in another country is by using the "Apostile" system, which means you gain probate on your UK Will, then send the document to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to have the Apostile stamp put on the Deed of Probate. this can then be used within any country that is a part of the "Apostile" system. the Apostile will cost your £30 per copy.

the simplest method, is to get a Will drawn up in Thailand. I used Expat Wills, a UK Will writer who also works here in Thailand, who then sent certificates to my next of kin and Executor telling them of the whereabouts of my Will and what to do when the time came....

why would anyone live in Thailand, have assets that they don't want to go totally to their wife, but not have a Will or Power of Attorney, this would cause untold problems for the family on death or if they lost mental capacity due to illness or accident.