If I should die

[Familyaffairs]

13 hours ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

 

All you you need to do is leave her a sealed envelope with instructions.

 

You simply write a Will here appointing executors of your choice - one of your siblings. Assuming that the assets are uncomplicated (i.e. Just the bank account) the Will should cost no more than 3,000 Baht.

A will costs nothing in Thailand, just needs to be witnessed, and can optionally be filed with the Tessabaan, for a tiny fee.

[Farang99]

49 minutes ago, jeab1980 said:

Again write to them explain your wife is Thai and ask for a detailed EMAIL to be sent to you as to what she needs to do step by step. Translate email to thai and go tbrough it with her. As for fixed deposit account you mean here in Thailand?

Here in Thailand - but it is in my name as that is what immigration requires.

[Jip99]

6 minutes ago, Familyaffairs said:

A will costs nothing in Thailand, just needs to be witnessed, and can optionally be filed with the Tessabaan, for a tiny fee.

 

 

In English ?

 

 

[jeab1980]

3 minutes ago, Farang99 said:

Here in Thailand - but it is in my name as that is what immigration requires.

Then its a pretty simple procedure same as my account. We went into bank and asked then to explain exactly what is required and what needs to be done by my wife and when ie step by step have to say BKK bank were most helpfull.

[Jip99]

4 minutes ago, Farang99 said:

Here in Thailand - but it is in my name as that is what immigration requires.

 

 

The bank will require a Will and probate to deal with that........ usually.

[jeab1980]

8 minutes ago, Familyaffairs said:

A will costs nothing in Thailand, just needs to be witnessed, and can optionally be filed with the Tessabaan, for a tiny fee.

I wouldnt trust that information sorry. Drawn up correctly by a thai solicitor witnessed by two independent persons from our village cost 1500bht. Worth the effort 

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, jeab1980 said:

Then its a pretty simple procedure same as my account. We went into bank and asked then to explain exactly what is required and what needs to be done by my wife and when ie step by step have to say BKK bank were most helpfull.

He is talking about an account in his name only - you said your accounts were all jointly owned.  If you have what was said listed it might be helpful for readers as these threads seem to have a high interest (guess we are getting older).  

[bert bloggs]

My wife and i have a joint account in the Uk ,so i guess i am lucky ,she can just swift it over if she wants to ,

[NancyL]

Forget about the advice to simply give your Thai wife the ATM card and PIN and tell her to clean out all bank accounts, including joint bank accounts upon your death.  This is illegal and could get her in trouble.   There is no "right of survivorship" for joint bank accounts in Thailand.  All of your Thai bank accounts, including joint ones will be frozen upon your death until a properly probated will is presented to the bank.  In a few rare cases where the bank accounts were the only assets of the deceased and the wishes of the deceased were well known to the local bank officers, the bank has released funds to the beneficiary without the Final Will being probated, but there definitely was a Final Will.  Even then, documents had to go to the bank's home office in Bangkok for approval.

 

In Thailand, in the absence of a Will, children inherit at the same level as a spouse, so a court would need to determine if you have any children entitled to their share of your bank accounts.  This includes your adult children in your home country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[riceyummm]

I recently acted as successor trustee for my mother's estate in the US, I handed it over to her bank's trust department and I'm glad I did.

There was a lot more to it than I could have handled. For a flat rate fee of $7500 (based on the size of her estate) it was finished in about one year. She had small investments all over the place and it took longer than usual, a simpler estate should be much faster.

Tomorrow I have an appt with my own banks trust dept and I'm going to make them the first successor trustee, I don't want my kids to have to try figuring it out on their own.

[Krataiboy]

You should make a Thai Will and a UK Will to cover whatever assets you have in both locations. You can, should you so wish, appoint your wife as sole executor of your Thai Will. She may need a solicitor to help her obtain probate from the Thai court if she is unable or unwilling to follow this procedure alone).

 

You can nominate a relative, friend or the UK solicitor who drafts your will  as Executor (or joint Executors) of your UK Will. As it can take months to obtain probate, you might wish to consider opening a joint bank account in Thailand in both your and your wife's  names so she manage in the interim.

 

As I am considerably older than my Thai wife, I have already made a list of relevant people and organisations for my wife to contact when I die (solicitor, relatives, banks, government departments, etc), and arranged for a relative in the UK to help her source the documents she will need (boxed up and ready for her to open) when the time comes.

 

It is worth checking the UK Pension Office website regarding entitlements of foreign wives of UK citizens. I imagine yours will be at least entitled to a one off bereavement payment of around 2,000 pounds, and possibly other help.

 

Your wife may not be happy discussing your demise, but it is going to happen eventually and a little thought and effort on your part now will go a long way towards easing her burden when the time comes.

[jeab1980]

17 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

He is talking about an account in his name only - you said your accounts were all jointly owned.  If you have what was said listed it might be helpful for readers as these threads seem to have a high interest (guess we are getting older).  

I have joint accounts as well as my account which if i were to go down the extension route again i would need.

From what i remember and this is for my Thai wife only no beneficiary anywhere else. Done within Thailand.

A will.

A court order gained by my wife as the sole beneficiary of said will.

Copy of my passport

Death certificate

All associated bank documents ie pass book and visa cards.

For the joint account 

Death certificate

Will

passport copies. 

All associated bank documents as above.

 

However they did say closing my account could take months but taking my name of the joint account could be done in a day.

So as i dont go down the extension of stay route there is very little in my single account and nor is there libale to be. So wether it would be worth the cost and hassle of obtaining a court order i would very much doubt. 

Also as i know Thai explanation of matters seem to vary from day to day and what was said yesterday might not be what is said today. I fully inend to clear the vast majority of the monies we have in joint account into my wifes single account. Moving over via internet banking monies we will need on a monthly basis. None of us know when we might pop our clogs and having been there with my first wife. Knowing the crap you have to go through to close the simplist things in a deceased name i will be doing as much as possible to make sure my mrs now doesnt have to go the wringer. YES i know she might go before me but i can cope with the hassle a lot better than she could. We have mirror wills so all is in place. We have laughingly talked about a stach under the bed instead of banks.

Edited July 26, 2017 by jeab1980

[NancyL]

Thai wives aren't the only ones reluctant to discuss this subject.  I've assisted expat wives whose husbands were close to death and advised them to get into the local bank, open up an account solely in their name pronto and clean out the joint account NOW while the old boy is still alive.   Had their husbands begging them to do this and they still won't thinking it's "inviting death".

[LannaGuy]

15 hours ago, jeab1980 said:

Leave just enough in UK bank transfer the rest into a joint account here. Leave a binding will done profesionaly by a real solicitor not a do it yourself job. 

Contact your UK bank talk to them about what she will need to do get them to send a detailed email to you about all the steps she needs to take.  I have also done this with my pension provider. Then get them translated properly into Thai. And leave them with the will.

I can tell you it has been hell on earth getting my UK bank to transfer my pension into my FX account here. Still not achieved it.

 

 

 

 

[Rockee]

English speaking does not make a good lawyer or give anyone knowledge of UK laws.  Use the same due diligence here as you would at home.

English speaking makes it a lot easier to communicate unless you're fluent in Thai

Sent from my SM-G935F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[gamini]

I have often thought about this problem but now I've solved it. My wife is old and suffers slight dementia and could never understand the process for getting my considerable assets in the Uk. So this is what I have done.
 open an online  Internet account with your UK account. Give the login details details to a trusted relative or friend either in the UK or here. In the event of your demise they can login to your UK account and transfer the fund to a joint account here, which if you havent got one is easy to do.

 

[hocuspocus]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

Transfer all your money into your Thai bank account,  have another ATM card in an envelope with the pin number so when you cark it she will have money.

In the UK that would be illegal to draw money out of a dead person's bank account,not sure about in Thailand.

[Jip99]

47 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

You should make a Thai Will and a UK Will to cover whatever assets you have in both locations. You can, should you so wish, appoint your wife as sole executor of your Thai Will. She may need a solicitor to help her obtain probate from the Thai court if she is unable or unwilling to follow this procedure alone).

 

You can nominate a relative, friend or the UK solicitor who drafts your will  as Executor (or joint Executors) of your UK Will. As it can take months to obtain probate, you might wish to consider opening a joint bank account in Thailand in both your and your wife's  names so she manage in the interim.

 

As I am considerably older than my Thai wife, I have already made a list of relevant people and organisations for my wife to contact when I die (solicitor, relatives, banks, government departments, etc), and arranged for a relative in the UK to help her source the documents she will need (boxed up and ready for her to open) when the time comes.

 

It is worth checking the UK Pension Office website regarding entitlements of foreign wives of UK citizens. I imagine yours will be at least entitled to a one off bereavement payment of around 2,000 pounds, and possibly other help.

 

Your wife may not be happy discussing your demise, but it is going to happen eventually and a little thought and effort on your part now will go a long way towards easing her burden when the time comes.

 

 

Unfortunately, NOT where the bereavement benefits are concerned. Since April this year such benefits are not payable in Thailand. A Thai widow can claim if she is domiciled in the U.K.

[Jip99]

17 minutes ago, gamini said:

I have often thought about this problem but now I've solved it. My wife is old and suffers slight dementia and could never understand the process for getting my considerable assets in the Uk. So this is what I have done.
 open an online  Internet account with your UK account. Give the login details details to a trusted relative or friend either in the UK or here. In the event of your demise they can login to your UK account and transfer the fund to a joint account here, which if you havent got one is easy to do.

 

 

That is obviously illegal - but a practical solution nonetheless.

 

If no one is likely to challenge it then there will be no repercussions. Same can apply to Thai accounts - and no need to transfer to a joint account, the wife's sole account is better. 

 

It it would be foolish to just rely on the ATM + PIN number/online banking, just in case of error/mishap..... 3 wrong pins or log in errors could defeat this strategy.

[Rockee]

With my Australian online tranfers the bank sms me to my mobile phone a confirmation code. Which I must enter to confirm it's me.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[steven100]

24 minutes ago, hocuspocus said:

In the UK that would be illegal to draw money out of a dead person's bank account,not sure about in Thailand.

but set up a joint account before you go .... so she can access  ?

[steven100]

1 hour ago, NancyL said:

Forget about the advice to simply give your Thai wife the ATM card and PIN and tell her to clean out all bank accounts, including joint bank accounts upon your death.  This is illegal and could get her in trouble.   There is no "right of survivorship" for joint bank accounts in Thailand.  All of your Thai bank accounts, including joint ones will be frozen upon your death until a properly probated will is presented to the bank.  In a few rare cases where the bank accounts were the only assets of the deceased and the wishes of the deceased were well known to the local bank officers, the bank has released funds to the beneficiary without the Final Will being probated, but there definitely was a Final Will.  Even then, documents had to go to the bank's home office in Bangkok for approval.

 

In Thailand, in the absence of a Will, children inherit at the same level as a spouse, so a court would need to determine if you have any children entitled to their share of your bank accounts.  This includes your adult children in your home country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

with all due respects .....   so wait for the Bank to check all the docs, death cert' etc ...  and 6 months & 60,000 baht later .... 

no thanks,   what's the bank going to do if all the cash bar 100 baht is taken out the day he goes ?   nothing I wouldn't think ... 

A couple of days ... the wife has all the funds as planned ... whos any the wiser  ??

or take it all out just before he goes ... ?

It would be alot less hassle that way ...

Edited July 26, 2017 by steven100

[Krataiboy]

1 minute ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

Unfortunately, NOT where the bereavement benefits are concerned. Since April this year such benefits are not payable in Thailand. A Thai widow can claim if she is domiciled in the U.K.

Ouch! Missed that unpleasant bit of news. I am not looking forward to relaying it to my Thai missus, who has cared for me and the kids for 15 years. Now all we expats need to feet totally trashed is for Mother Theresa to implement the Osborne plan to remove our entitlement to personal tax allowance! My cup runneth under!

 

Thinks: If the UK actually does a Brexit (which, in my view, is looking increasingly less likely) will all those Brits living with foreign wives and families in EU  countries end up in the same leaky boat that we are in?

[LannaGuy]

39 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

Unfortunately, NOT where the bereavement benefits are concerned. Since April this year such benefits are not payable in Thailand. A Thai widow can claim if she is domiciled in the U.K.

I know of one widow that receives her UK Army pension no problems?  has she a problem coming?  I really hope not - very unfair!!! 

[jeab1980]

22 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Ouch! Missed that unpleasant bit of news. I am not looking forward to relaying it to my Thai missus, who has cared for me and the kids for 15 years. Now all we expats need to feet totally trashed is for Mother Theresa to implement the Osborne plan to remove our entitlement to personal tax allowance! My cup runneth under!

 

Thinks: If the UK actually does a Brexit (which, in my view, is looking increasingly less likely) will all those Brits living with foreign wives and families in EU  countries end up in the same leaky boat that we are in?

Brexit will and is going ahead EU benifits are diffrent from elsewhere i belive and i expect will be protected.

[Jip99]

9 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

I know of one widow that receives her UK Army pension no problems?  has she a problem coming?  I really hope not - very unfair!!! 

 

No problem.

 

Only bereavement benefits based on the late husband's NICs are affected. The government sneaked it in on the back of the Pensions Act.

 

[Mansell]

If you are just dealing with the money in the bank account you could do what I have done. Cutting out all the government stuff etc. I sent to a trusted friend, (wealthy or a  trusted relative) a signed undated blank check. In the event of my death the wife would email my friend informing them of my death. She would access my bank account to find the balance and inform the friend. He would write out the check to himself and deposit it in his account. After a few days he would transfer the monies into her Thai account with an international transfer. Cuts out all the governments and death duties etc. Eventually she can inform the appropriate authorities of my demise. Now this might not work for many of you on here....but it is my choice etc.

[Jip99]

7 minutes ago, Mansell said:

If you are just dealing with the money in the bank account you could do what I have done. Cutting out all the government stuff etc. I sent to a trusted friend, (wealthy or a  trusted relative) a signed undated blank check. In the event of my death the wife would email my friend informing them of my death. She would access my bank account to find the balance and inform the friend. He would write out the check to himself and deposit it in his account. After a few days he would transfer the monies into her Thai account with an international transfer. Cuts out all the governments and death duties etc. Eventually she can inform the appropriate authorities of my demise. Now this might not work for many of you on here....but it is my choice etc.

 

 

You do do understand that all mandates cease upon death, and that cheque would not be paid by the bank ?

[mikosan]

15 hours ago, kannot said:

depending who you bank with Id  tell them nothing unless you already have a UK address to use as  next thing if they think you are  living outside the Uk they will want to close the account, HSBC exempt from this.....or  used to be not sure now 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/money/uk-banking-options-narrowing-for-british-expats/

Interesting, thanks for that.  I have an HSBC account and had no difficulties with them when I moved to live overseas, although I did open it some years before I became an expat.  I also have credit cards from them and another company, MBNA, who also know I live overseas, with no problem.  They even post me renewal cards.  That said, I have another bank account and credit cards and had to leave them registered at a UK address, which is a pain.

[mikosan]

42 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

I know of one widow that receives her UK Army pension no problems?  has she a problem coming?  I really hope not - very unfair!!! 

And I know a widow that receives her late husband's Metropolitan police pension here, no problem.