JimHuaHin

For me, there are two points here. Firstly, the powers that be in government (and the Bangkok-based bureaucrats) do not care about the plight of Thai people. Keep the masses poor and ignorant, easier for the local and national power elite to control them. Secondly, increasingly many Thais are realising that finishing high school or university does not deliver a "good" job. Many employers of "blue" collar workers would prefer to employ a cheaper foreign/migrant worker than a local. Completing a general university degree (unless in medical sciences) also does not deliver a "good" job. I cannot remember the number of young Thais I have talked to who finish university and end up working in a 711 shop, Lotus's store, Makro, sales assistant in a mall shop, etc. and know of others who after 4 years of university study work in "nail shops", bars, etc.

I hope this post does not violate any forum rules - if so, Moderator, please remove (apologies for my ignorance; so many fora so many rules, hard to remember them all). "As Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in her blistering dissenting opinion, the Supreme Court majority just made the president "a king above the law." She wrote, "[W]hen [the president] uses his official powers in any way, under the majority's reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution. Orders the Navy's Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune."" ("TRUMP v. UNITED STATES," U.S. Supreme Court, July 1, 2024 https://act.moveon.org/go/194359?t=18&akid=396381%2E4700055%2E8YM7PE"

Stopped buying at Thai duty-free shops last century - always cheaper to buy at duty-free shops in Australia.

The USA has lost the plot.

In response to the question - Yes, ASAP.

Excellent question. I have never tried. I await responses from the group.

I have been following the various threads on AN about these taxation "issues" since they were "announced" late last year. In addition, I have sought some "clarity" by reading up on Thai taxation law(s) (only in English), which I have found excessively frustrating, as many sources (both printed and on-line) are dated from decades ago, and at times contradictory. The Australian Taxation Office (the Australian brother/sister of the Thai Revenue Department (RD)), offers clear concise definitions and examples of "assessable", "taxable", "exempt" and "non-assessable, non-exempt" incomes on their web site; similar Thai RD definitions and examples may be found in the Thai literature. Although there is a generally agreement of the Australian and Thai definitions, what actually constitute/comprise these definitions do not align. Both countries have tax "allowances" and "deductions", but the nature of these allowances and deductions are very very different, both in type and magnitude (especially in the case of type of employment (professional vs non-professional vs skilled); non-employment income (shares, rental properties, etc.)). From earlier posts, it is clear that similar situations exist in most of the countries posters lived in prior to coming to Thailand. So when the Thai RD decides to tax your global income, then does Thai tax laws apply, and not your "homeland's" tax laws? I suspect the former, which means (unless you have only 1-2 sources of income, such as a government old age pension and/or bank interest) one will have to keep detailed monthly records of income and tax-related expenses. Of course, there is also the issue of "foreign tax credits". How does this work when the tax years do not align, eg Australia 1 July - 30 June, and Thailand 1 January - 31 December? And when does "income" become "savings"? The month after the income is received (as a poster suggested earlier), or in the following tax year? Does your country's DTA with Thailand offer clarity? In the case of Australia, I found numerous "ambiguities", on which I sought clarification from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). On some issues a degree of clarity was provided, on others an "interpretation" was offered. Will the Thai RD provide and same clarity and "interpretation"; and what about "Somchai" or "Lek" at your local RD office, do they know anything about your country's DTA agreement? I suppose we must wait until next year, or the next Thai government, or the 12th of never for answers.

A good reason to avoid most foreigners in Thailand.

Probably the majority of Thai families are suffering financial woes; police and military corruption and incompetence are still reported in the media; local people of "influence" still have power. Most Thai people want change and an improvement in their lives - the old guard cannot and have not delivered; thus most Thai people want change, and change for the better; they want to advance - only one political Party offers them hope. The Party which the Thai establishment power elite will seek to destroy this month. But the question is - how will the Royal Thai Army respond? NO, not the generals and other senior officers!!!, but the rank and file soldiers, the majority of whom seem to have supported the Move Forward Party, if one examines the last election data for the electorates containing Thai military bases.

You are welcome. With respect to your first question - I do not know, maybe it was the closest available ambulance. With respect to the second question - an itemised receipt was received after the hospital bill was paid; it did not include any reference to ambulance service, just ER services, medical tests and medications.

Many good questions. I shall attempt to answer most of them from my experience. Call hospital or ambulance? Is the medical emergency life-threatening or not? How close is your preferred hospital? Unless your preferred hospital is less than, say, 5-10 kms away, I would call 1669. I live about 13 kms from downtown Hua Hin. I have registered at the 4 closest hospitals - 2 government, 2 private. About 12 months ago I had a non life-threatening medical emergency, I called 1669. A Thai(?) women answered the phone after about 10 seconds. She spoke some English, but she put on another Thai(?) woman who spoke good English. She understood my condition, and took some basic personal details. I had to describe EXACTLY where I was, and clear precise details on how to get to my location. (Probably knowing my exact LA and LONG coordinates from Google Maps would have helped). (If you live in a condo or gated community, I would suggest that you have the phone number of the front desk or security, and inform them that an ambulance is coming; or get them to call the ambulance for you.) I got out of my wallet the hospital card of the hospital I wanted to go to. About 10 minutes later the ambulance arrived. The driver asked in English if I spoke Thai, I replied "no", he seemed upset. The paramedic then came and asked me the same question, I answered the same. I asked if she spoke English; she replied "very little" - but actually her English was good. After describing my medical condition, my vitals were taken. I gave the paramedic my hospital card and I was placed in the ambulance, arriving at the hospital about 20 minutes later. I am still alive, I think. Good luck, I hope this helps.

And it will snow in Bangkok today.

What a sorry state the USA's 2 main political parties are in!!! Cannot they find in young intelligent candidates? Climate change is not the main immediate threat to the planet, the US presidential election is!!!

China basically considers Thailand as a colony - a place where China can dump its cheap excess produce, send is excess workers (an estimated 400,000 in Thailand, according to Chinese sources), and exploit Thailand's natural resources. All with the help of the local Chinese-Thai businesses which have close links to the Chinese Communist Party. (Search for information on the first overseas business to invest in China after the 1949 Chinese Communist Revolution (hint - it was a Thai company), and which Thai company has factories in virtually every Chinese province?)

Army denies?