mahjongguy

I've been accused of being morbid because I take these matters so seriously, but for me it's a considerable source of pride. When I'm gone it may be remembered that I was lacking in social skills but no one will say I was thoughtless. I promised my partner long ago that I would take care of him into the future and I've done everything I can to make that happen.

Very generous, Michael. Thanks.

Try it from Cooloo. http://cooloo.org/

Are you using True Online? 'Cause that won't work.

"Rediculous justification 'tourists don't pay taxes in Thailand'" Yes, that would be ridiculous, because very few Thais pay taxes in Thailand either. Still, I haven't actually heard that justification from a vendor of products or services. It's not about affordability either, which I think is the issue which ruffles many farang. It's about willingness to pay, which is different from affordability. For these entertainment venues, the walk-up price is 600 baht. That is not "double the real price". It's "the price", actually a benchmark or top tier for multi-tiered pricing. The majority of customers (e.g. bus tours) get their tickets through agents who get a commission (i.e. they pay the venue a discounted price). Thais and ex-pats get a big discount on the walk-up price because it is understood that they often bring along full-price visitors and are often repeat customers. All in all, I would guess that the venues average about 450 baht per customer. In Dodger's case, he was cheated by the cashier, which is a different thing altogether.

IIRC, the cigar bar is in a separate building across the soi.

"death as a planned event rather than an unforseen accident" In Thailand the odds of an accidental death are favorable, so it'd be a good idea to have a plan even on sunny healthy day. So many ex-pats I know don't even have a Will, much less an instruction letter to their Embassy regarding their remains.

Sorry, I see that DHL and FedEx may not accept cremains. So, a friend acting on your behalf would need to take the parcel himself, as baggage, or handle making air freight arrangements with an airline and with Customs. Some destination countries require that the recipient be a funeral home. The funeral services companies in Bangkok are not cheap but I can see why many would hire them even when there are only cremains to be delivered.

I was 100% serious. The local wat will handle the cremation and my partner will do whatever he wants with the ashes. If I had a family crypt back in my home country, it would be simple enough for him to hand off the parcel to DHL or FedEx. For those who want to be cremated, put in an urn, and have that urn delivered to their home country, and want the whole thing handled in a more formal manner, there are service companies in Bangkok which will take care of it. They have air freight arrangements in place at both ends. Contact info can be provided by your embassy. These are the same people who handle embalming and repatriation of bodies for burial.

"...what to do with the cremains?" I've suggested to my partner that he add them to the compost. The rosebushes will like them. But it's his choice, his business, not mine. I'll be done with giving instructions and advice to others.

"Some are not aware of the fairly decent interest you can earn in a Thai bank. [snip] Nothing too exciting but it isn't bad when compared to the horrible rates paid by US banks." For sure, and for that reason I've been keeping a bit more cash over here than I really need quick access to. And I agree that if you are not American or if you are not in a 15% or higher tax bracket that it would indeed be beneficial to put in a claim for the withheld interest. Thanks for the detailed report on the simplicity of doing so.

My apologies for saying "checking" when I meant to say "savings". FH - I refer you to this article: http://www.taxrates.cc/html/0909-thailand-withholding.html It indicates that withholding on savings accounts will kick in when the interest exceeds 20,000 baht. I had forgotten that, but I also suspect that few ex-pats would keep such a large amount (~ 2.5 mil baht) in an account paying such poor interest. Bob - You said "getting the withheld interest back is worth a hell of a lot more than what the foreign tax credit saved me.". I'm trying to think that through. Let's say I'm in a 15% tax bracket. If I earn 10,000 baht in Thai interest then I report that to the IRS along with the fact that Thailand kept 1,500 which I did not recover. Won't that save me the equivalent of 1,500 baht on my US taxes? After all, it is a tax credit, not a mere income deduction.

- Thai banks do not withhold tax on checking accounts, only on fixed accounts. - For Americans, all Thai bank interest is taxable but any amount withheld by TH can be claimed as Foreign Tax paid. So, an American doesn't need to bother reclaiming the withheld amount.

Yeah it's true that US currency is all green, but because of that the value appears in all four corners plus another larger spot. Thai currency only has western numerals in the upper right corner. My main problem is that I'm far-sighted but don't wear bifocals.

Do you keep the Thai banknotes sorted in your wallet? Not to be obsessive-compulsive but to keep from handing someone a 500 when you meant only 100. A friend who was visiting last week accidentally gave a cabbie 640 baht instead of 240, so I suggested that on his next trip he do the following: instead of the natural order of 20-50-100-500-1000, he keep the bills sorted as 20-100-1000-500-50. This gives the best color separation. If you're color blind, forget it and just stay sharp.

"Now I know of a bank that requires a work permit . . . Is that their only type of savings account?" No, not at all, they offer ordinary savings accounts as well. You were correct to advise that it's smart to open a Thai account and if a bank says "no" just move on to another bank or another branch. I only mention these hybrid accounts because I would really like to get the high interest rate w/ no withholding and so it frustrates me.

"I know of no bank that requires a work permit." The Government Savings Bank (GSB) requires a work permit to open their most popular form of account, which is a savings account that pays very attractive interest and yet has no withholding. Other banks are now offering these hybrid fixed/savings accounts and they too might require a work permit. My guess is that the government, since they are not withholding 15% on these accounts, requires a work permit to increase the likelihood that the foreign owner will be filing a Thai tax return.

I recommend a mint sauce. Otherwise, given their hygeine, they can be a bit gamy.

Geez, a Big Mac is $4.37 now? I am really out of touch. I agree that the best way to compare currencies is to explore their purchasing power but using a single western-centric product isn't going to provide the most meaningful results. Probably there is data out there somewhere that, while less amusing, compares the prices of milk, bottled water, whole fresh chicken, an hour of unskilled labor, a ton of cement, and other items that are domestically produced. The order of the chart might not end up so terribly different but I'd bet that the USD/THB rate would be closer to 25 than to 20. Still, it's not a comforting thought.

I hope you enjoy the Four Seasons. A few years back I got a big global recession discount and took my Thai friend to stay at the New Otani Tokyo. His first visit, my 6th, and we were very pleased. Fresh air! Real sidewalks! Crosswalks at every corner and cars that actually stop! Etc. Neither of us would want to live there full-time but it's a great break from the third world.

Yes, it's definitely a minefield if a person thinks they're covered because they didn't read the fine print about having a valid license. "Class 1" is the local term for full coverage: injury to self or others, damage/loss for your vehicle, damage/loss for other vehicles and property.

Michael is entirely right. Being 100% compliant is irrelevant. On our last trip up to Surin we came upon a checkpoint. My Thai friend was driving. The cops checked the registration, the insurance, his license, my passport. In the end they fined him 200 baht for driving in the daytime with his headlights on. Seriously. In my experience, checkpoint cops don't care about the fine details of International Driving Licenses. If it looks okay at a glance they'll just pick the next infraction on their list, often the "driving in the fast lane" joke. The real importance of having a valid IDL and a matching valid foreign license and obeying the 90 day limit is that otherwise you won't have any insurance coverage. That could cost you a whole lot more than tea money.

The only thing I find unusual about this episode is that the cop asked for 2,000 baht. Generally it would be 400 baht, and I'm quite sure he would have accepted an offer for that amount. I dunno how long those Aussies had been in Thailand but even though you come & go from Thailand the cops could make a fair case that your IDL is not valid. They may only be used for 90 days.

"the rules/laws here in Thailand only allow its validity for a maximum of 90 days from your date of entry into Thailand." Yup, and after 90 days you effectively are driving without a license so your insurance coverage is null & void. As for passports, the best translation of Thai law is that your passport must be readily available. In practice that means if you can call someone who can get it from your home and bring it to the station, then all is fine. With that in mind, I only carry a copy of the important bits around town but take the passport with me whenever I go elsewhere. That's worked fine for 9 years so far.

Hint: avoid asking "yes or no" questions. The odds are high that you will get "yes" when the correct response should be "maybe" or "no". Trivia: if you test a large enough group, the average IQ will be close to 100, because that is the basis for the scale. Opinion: the clerks you deal with are less at fault than their bosses. Mid- and upper-management have poor skills, so the customer-facing staff don't get good training.