Mail Forwarding?

[Doug]

This is a question about living in Thailand permanently. When moving to Thailand, what is the best way to handle your mail.

Is there any problems in transfering everything to a Thai postal address?

Do credit card companies object to one having a Thai address?

Does your home government allow a Thai address or must you have a home country address?

Is it wise to subscribe to some mail forwarding service thereby keeping a home country address? This seems expensive.

Is there any problems in transfering everything to a Thai postal address?
While I have never had problems, I do know having lived in a couple of SE Asian countries that the Post office isn't necessarily very efficient


Do credit card companies object to one having a Thai address?
Their concern will be about you paying them what you owe them. Telling them you've moved abroad may trigger a panic response (or it may not). You will have to consider how you will be transferring money around and paying things off yourself. I for example spent two hours on the phone this morning trying to work out with Citibank US why I'm having problems moving money from a Citibank account in one country to a Citibank account in another (which you can do all online). Their answer, after all that time? "Don't know; keep trying"


Does your home government allow a Thai address or must you have a home country address?
I've never heard of this one, but I tend to work on the principle that governments are only entitled to be told something voluntarily that they can verify independently anyway. Why would you bother volunteering any information whatsoever to your home government?


Is it wise to subscribe to some mail forwarding service thereby keeping a home country address? This seems expensive
Then why do it? However saying that something "seems expensive" and doing nothing may end up being a false economy

Doug: I've lived overseas in Japan and Thailand for the past ten years, and had no problem having all my bills (including for my checking and VISA accounts) sent overseas. Mail delivery has actually been quite good. Only occasionally does a statement seem to get lost in the mail.

A big black star goes to American Express who for the two years I gave them, could NOT manage to enter my Thai address properly in to their billing system (they previously had had no problem with Japan). I had to rely on their online system to check my statements and make payments, until they changed my account number, and the new card of course never arrived, and they would/could do NOTHING over the phone (long distance to the USA with long waits on hold) or e-mail, except to tell me I was accruing past-due charges on an account I could not use because I never got the card and could not even access the account online since I didn't know the new account number. I was flabbergasted that American Express was so clueless! After two years of that nonsense, I cancelled my AMEX gold account.

A possible fly in the ointment if (a) you are a US citizen and (b) you have stocks or mutual funds. Unless you file a certain form with your brokerage, you pay a rather significant "fee" (tax?) on all transactons if your US-based investment account has an overseas address.

The U.S. "government" does not require that you maintain a U.S. mailing address. The IRS, for example, is fine with an overseas address, as long as you keep those annual tax return filings coming. As an aside, I find that the US Embassies in both Tokyo and Bangkok bend over backwards to help American citizens. I was embarrassed in Tokyo after standing in line in the Immigration room where the officers were yelling at and being outright rude to the foreigners and they waved me to the front of the line and were polite, gentle and helpful to me, all in clear view of the intimiadated foreigners. (All I needed was extra pages in my passport.)

You can still continue to vote in the US, too. The last place you lived will be where you can file an absentee ballot. I can still elect judges and the mayor in Las Vegas. :-)

Another thing I just remembered: With a US-issued VISA card with an overseas address, I am blocked out of using many (most?) internet web purchases. I can pay for my gaydar and gay.com accounts, but have yet to find a porn site that is able to authorize any transactions.

[2lz2p]

Doug,

You didn't mention your home country, that may have an impact on some of your questions - through conversation with expats from other than USA, I seem to recall some said that they couldn't receive certain gov't benfits (pension? etc) if they did not reside (or spend a certain amount of time in their home country.

For myself, I maintain a USA address - friends there scan mail and email it to me (except for certain credit card/bank statements that I can access online). I still maintain a US bank account for direct deposit of my pension and social security and handle transactions through internet banking.

As to credit card accounts, this probably depends on the terms of the issuing bank (I seem to recall that some have prohibitions or restrictions for foriegn based customers) - my big gripe is that most will charge a 3% conversion fee if used outside USA - I have one issued by my US credit union that does not charge the conversion fee, which is the one I use sparingly here.

My experience with mail service here has been good, however anything important is sent to me by registered mail (never had a problem in receiving either regular or registered mail).

[ikarus]

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I for example spent two hours on the phone this morning trying to work out with Citibank US why I'm having problems moving money from a Citibank account in one country to a Citibank account in another (which you can do all online). Their answer, after all that time? "Don't know; keep trying"
Does your home government allow a Thai address or must you have a home country address?
I am curious did you try to transfer funds from US or in US. Yes, Citibank has global transfer system (so does HSBC for example). It does not mean that it is available for all customers in all countries.
Almost for sure you will not be able to transfer funds from US using this system. If you want to transfer money to US (to a specific Citibank branch) you should discuss it with the bank (Citibank I presume)
of the country from which you try to transfer.