TigerandDog

15 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

What is the expiration date on the e-money card?

My e-Money card expired this month BUT the e-Money refund scheme was cancelled effective 31 Dec 2023 by the Revenue Department.

16 hours ago, Crossy said:

Which Revenue Office do you use?

 

They are likely like immigration with their own local interpretation of the roolz.

 

We shall see, I've certainly over-paid this last tax year, Bangkok area. 

I use CM Revenue Office.

The bank manager stated that the e_Money refund scheme was cancelled by the Revenue Department effective 31 Dec 2023. She even went as far as to telephone the Revenue Dept and one of the Revenue Dept employees came to the branch (turns out it was the same person who we dealt with when lodging my tax return) and he brought with him a copy of the NEW Revenue Department tax refund policy, issued by the RD in Bangkok, which my wife read and confirmed that the e-Money option was no longer an option to receive your tax refund, for anybody - Thai or foreigner - and that there were now only 2 options available either PromptPay (which is not available to foreigners) and a Krungthai bank account to which future tax refunds will be electonically transferred to.

22 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

It kind of boggles the mind, to consider the armed forces doing something to actually benefit the people. Such generosity. I always considered the golf course at Don Muang to be bizarre, and a likely hazard for planes, and the public. It should be closed.

have you actually been on the Kantarat Golf Course? I doubt it. The runways are far enough away from the golf course for even the worst golf shots to get anywhere near any planes regardless of whether they are landing, taking off or taxiing.

Generally your posts make sense, but your final sentence in this one is just dumb, and not based facts, or the experience of having actually ever played golf there.

5 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

For a fee isn't it?

Like the military gun ranges that are "open to the public" as if they were private enterprises, albeit not under control of the government but directly under control of the military as if the military command was a separate sovereign entity.

You obviously have no concept of the difference between private, semi-private and public golf courses.

Of course you have to pay. There isn't a golf course in the world that allows you to play for free.

Let me see you walk into any of the private courses, off the street, and be allowed to play. You can't unless you are a member, and you have to pay hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions of baht for the membership.

Similarly with a semi-private course. The ONLY way you get to play those courses is by either being invited by a member OR on Sports Day, if they hold one.

All the military courses (Army, Navy & Air Force) are available to Joe public to just turn up, pay the green fee, and play.

All 3 mentioned courses are extremely popular, and these decisions will not go down well with those that currently play them, especially the military personnel.

Firstly all 3 mentioned golf courses are already open to the public.

Secondly, for those who love their golf but find all the surrounding private and semi-private courses too expensive, it's these courses that allow the not so wealthy with a love of the game to play at a price they can afford.

All 3 courses should be left alone. This is just the PM looking to force people, including military personnel, out of the game, and keep it only for the hisos.

1 hour ago, ChrisY1 said:

They were also traveling in the wrong direction....against the traffic.

no they weren't. Have you actually seen the video of them? A Thai mate of mine videoed them as he drove past them and posted the video on Facebook.

2 hours ago, keithkarmann said:

You only have to visit Macro down the coffee Isles, many many 3 in 1 coffee sachets but 2 in 1 coffee sachets without sugar are almost impossible to find. 

even the 2 in 1's are unhealthy as the coffee creamer in them is also unhealthy.

2 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Not meant as a criticism or nit picking just confirming the difference which other posters might find informative. 

if that's teh case you shouldn't have posted your comment attached to mine, as it reads like a criticism.

2 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

No, chemotherapy is not the same as radiation therapy. Chemotherapy targets cancer cells throughout the body usually by using cytotoxic medications given intravenously. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams (like x-rays or proton therapy) to target and kill cancer cells at a specific tumor site

did you actually read what I said my drs (a GP, urologist and radiation specialist) told me, or like so many on here selectively nit pick so you can post a criticism and make yourself look like you know better than the drs who treated me.

1 hour ago, DPKANKAN said:

Noisiest golf course in the world ffs!! anyway. 555555

Surprisingly it's not that noisy. I've played there a few times and the aircraft noise from take offs and landings was nowhere near as loud as I had anticipated. In fact it was at quite an acceptable level.

On 2/10/2024 at 7:08 PM, Sheryl said:

Chemo is not a form of radiation.

 

You are thinking if the difference between brachytherapy and wide beam radiation.

 

Chemotherapy is not used for primary prostate cancer but is sometimes used for metastastic disease.

I won't disagree with you, however the GP, urologist and radiation specialist that treated me in Sydney ALL referred to chemo as radiation treatment AND it was explained to me as being an alternative prostate cancer treatment if I did not want to have the radical prostatectomy. At that point brachytherapy was not an option as my PSA level was too high. However they also stressed that if I had the chemo and the cancer later returned I would NOT be able to have any other form of radiation treatment because with prostate cancer the body and immune system can only tolerate one form of radiation treatment, hence my choice of surgery, which in the end turned out to be the correct choice as my cancer did spread in the time between diagnosis and treatment, which meant that brachytherapy, not chemo, became the treatment of choice.

15 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Are you suggesting that Radiation therapy and Kemo (Chemo) are the same thing?

Brachytherapy and Chemo are BOTH forms of radiation therapy BUT they are very different treatments.

Brachytherapy is a one off treatment whereby radioactive pellets, each around the size of a grain of rice, are implanted into the prostate ( see the link I included in my original comment ) whereas chemo requires multiple visits to the hospital for treatment.

When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012 my PSA level was too high (although still within range) for brachytherapy so I had a radical prostatectomy. Unfortunately by the time my scheduled surgery arrived in mid 2013, the cancer had spread and I was given a 5 year use by date. I was referred to a specialist with regards to having chemo but the specialist was of the opinion that, in my case, chemo would not be of any benefit to me so he recommended that I have the brachytherapy with the explanation that this would not remove the cancer but it would slow the spread down and give me around 10-15 years for my use by date. Only the one visit to hospital for the treatment, under general anesthetic. When I had my 2 regular PSA tests in early & mid 2015 the readings had reduced to zero, much to the surprise of the specialist, and I've been cancer free ever since.

I'm not saying that brachytherapy is a superior treatment to chemo, but it is worth considering if PSA levels are low enough.

I just had teh same situation in December. Went to teh local DLT office and was advised not to worry about it until my license was due for renewal, 5 1/2 years from now.

21 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

What is going to happen to the bar owner? Slap on the wrist or jail time?

did you actually read the article? 2 women have already been arrested and charged with human trafficking.

17 hours ago, Bluetongue said:

I have no doubt that the accountant is an expert and probably most of what he says would be correct for most Australian taxpayers. However here is a cohort of over 60 government and military pension receivers whose pension is mostly taxable (due to some long ago Treasurer deeming unfunded superannuation benefits as having come from an untaxed source.) Some years ago it was 400000 people, it would be less now due to attrition. The point being that such people have to lodge with the payer, usually Comsuper, a declaration which asks if you are or are not a resident of Australia. If you are not you lose access to the tax free threshold and will be taxed 32% on the portion considered to be from an untaxed source (most of it). This money is deducted prior to payment. Thailand has no right to tax this money under the DTA . The only way to get a refund of some or all of this money would be to lodge a tax return in Australia, as was quoted in this example where an accountant lodged amended returns, which the poster referred to as representations. However I don't believe the example covers this income.

 

I don't know whether I'm in the knee jerk or coin drop phase but at this stage I have no intention of going to the ATO with such a question

There is 1 question you need to ask yourself:

#1. are you a tax resident of Australia OR Thailand. Based on your comment it appears that you are a tax resident of Thailand.  Therefore under section 4 of the DTA ComsuperAustralia CANNOT legally tax you. With regards to Comsuper, have you ever made aware that as a tax resident of Thailand under the terms of the Oz/Thai DTA they cannot legally deduct the 32% tax from your pension and that Thailand is the ONLY state where you are liable to pay income tax, and that they need to be making representations to the ATO on your behalf to recover the tax that has been improperly deducted.

My guess is that Comsuper are either not aware of the DTA and it's provisions or that when you have advised them that you are a non tax resident of Australia you have not made them aware that you are a tax resident under Thai tax law and that the terms of the DTA prevent them from deducting any tax from your pension. 

I'd be contacting Comsuper and asking them why they aren't complying with the Thai/Oz DTA. It would be interesting to hear their response to that enquiry.

5 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I prefer pork with the fat completely grilled out of it.

 

Having said that, there is nothing wrong with fat per se. Inuits live on a diet very high in fat.

 

The problem starts when too much sugar and carbohydrate is in a diet, because the body is metabolizing those compounds instead of fat, which then accumulates.

 

During the Depression in Australia, some rural families actually became fat deficient, because they were living mainly on rabbit meat, which is the leanest meat of all.

mainly on rabbit meat, which is the leanest meat of all.

Absolutely NOT correct:

Fat content per 100g as below:

                                                                 Rabbit:                                   Kangaroo Fillet                                   Kangaroo Steak

Total Fat                                                 3g                                         1g                                                   1.4g

Saturated Fat                                0.9g                                      0.4g                                                0.6g

Trans Fat                                       0.7g                                     <0.1g                                                 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat                    0.6g                                       0.4g                                                0.2g

Monounsaturated Fat                  0.8g                                       0.2g                                                0.5g

The above chart clearly shows that kangaroo meat is significantly leaner than rabbit meat. However, Rabbit meat does contain more grams per 100 grams of healthier fats (Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated fat) than kangaroo meat, but BOTH have their healthy fates at almost 50% of total fat.     

If I had to choose between the 2, it would depend on whether I was wanting lean meat or a high % of healthy fats.    Either way I used to eat lots of rabbit meat when growing up, butwild rabbits got to the point where it was unsafe to eat them due to myxamatosis. I've also eaten plenty of roo meat and from a taste perspective only, I preferred roo meat. Eating rabbit meat was akin to eating fish, too many small bones to be wary of.    

Depending on your PSA level, brachytherapy might be an alternative treatment to consider, and it could most likely be considerably less expensive than radiation therapy (Kemo) as it would be a once only treatment. It's still a form a radiation treatment. See link to May Clinic hereunder:

Prostate brachytherapy - Mayo Clinic

Cheryl would be most likely able to give you further advice on this option, as I believe she has a medical background based on a lot of her posts.

3 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

The captain has the final say, it is his/her responsibility!

not true in Australia. If Airservices tell a pilot he has to divert, he MUST divert to the airport that Airservices directs him/her to as that airport has been advised by Airservices that flight XXX is being diverted to the alternate airport. The ONLY way the pilot would be able to override such a directive is if there was an emergency on board or if there was insufficient fuel to reach the alternate airport.

It would NOT have been the pilot's decision to divert to Sydney, that decision would have been made by Airservices (Australian Air Traffic Control) and the pilot would have had no choice but to adhere to that decision. What needs to be ascertained is whether or not the pilot made an announcement about the diversion and why. If an announcement was made then the passenger was obviously not paying attention.

Additionally what could the passenger actually be sued for? Surely not defamation, but TIT.

16 hours ago, JoePai said:

Has this got anything to do with :

 

Indian Man Found Dead Floating in Sea Near Pattaya Walking Street

Really. Such a ridiculous question. You obviously have zero knowledge about whale sharks. They ONLY eat/feed on plankton, so NOTHING to do with dead Indian man.

18 hours ago, setbkk said:

Go to bank. Ask for "letter for immigration". Easy.

not so easy. When TMB and Thanachart bank merged all the TMB staff at our local branch were replaced with ttb staff, and the staff turnover is never ending. Every year since the merger I encounter the same issue. The staff, including the branch manager, have NFI what the bank guarantee letter is and have to telephone ttb head office for information. A process that should take 5 minutes takes almost 1 1/2 hours. These people have no clue about templates. Fortunately I've kept a copy of last years letter, so hopefully will not have to go through this bank incompetence again this year.

I had a lengthy telephone conversation last week with a tax accountant in Australia who specialises in the Australian tax treaties.

There was some good news for some and also bad news for some.

#1.  The first thing he pointed out was that expat Australians permanently living in Thailand (viz. more than 180 days in Thailand, therefore making them tax residents of Thailand not Australia) who have been filing annual non-resident tax returns in Australia and being slugged 32% tax are being taxed illegally by the ATO under the terms of  the Tax Treaty and are eligible to claim a full refund of all the tax paid for those tax returns. He also advised that they should have an Australian tax accountant submit a $0.00 tax return and declare it as a FINAL tax return so they no longer need to submit any future tax returns in Australia, until such time as they become an Australian tax resident again. He cited as an example the case of a client that had been submitting non resident returns in Oz for many years. He made representations on behalf of the client and was able to have $900k refunded to the client by the ATO.

#2. Under the tax treaty if we are deemed to be a tax resident of Thailand, then the ATO cannot legally tax you.

#3. As a tax resident of Thailand, especially now with Thailand banks bringing their systems into the 21st century and exchanging data with all the countries that are part of the global reporting system, we will be required under Thai tax law to not only submit a tax return in Thailand declaring the funds we transfer into Thailand but also all income, if any, earned elsewhere in the world.

#4. Despite this not being a great piece of news, the up side of it is that the tax rates here in Thailand are significantly lower than those in Australia.

Based on the information I was given I did a quick gestimate of what tax, if any, I might have to pay here in Thailand. So after estimating my annual pension payments received and interest paid to my bank account, and deducting the tax that is automatically deducted from the interest and claiming the over 65 increase in the tax free threshold and teh personal deduction of 60k THB I estimate that I will only have to pay 7k THB in tax (approx AUD $300.00). So all in all not so bad compared to around AUD $9k if I was lodging non resident tax returns in Oz.

22 hours ago, Hokeus said:

I did not intend to suggest that the clause on the back of the pink card will limit a pink card holder's movements within Thailand of someone who has a passport and who isn't a migrant worker.
 

However, I was told directly by DLT that if you want to use a pink card for address verification (as opposed to obtaining a letter of residence address verification from the Thai immigration department) that the pink card will be accepted as such but that the DL issued would only permit driving of a vehicle in the province in which the DL was issued. I'm only repeating what I was told directly by the DLT back in 2020. If this is really not the law then that would be good news. 

I have to agree with regards to what DLT told you, but that advice was only partially correct. If you use your Pink ID card when applying for/renewing your DL then the ID card # is displayed on your license and that's when the restriction of only being able to drive in the province of issue comes into effect. However, if you use your yellow book as proof of address then you provide your passport as ID then your passport # is displayed on your license. Then there is no restriction as to where you can drive in Thailand.

My local DLT initially refused to accept my yellow book as proof of address, but when I showed them an email from the Province's DLT main office clearly stating that the yellow book was acceptable, the DLT officer still refused. This particular DLT officer has a bad reputation for making it difficult for farangs to renew their licenses, so I insisted on speaking with the most senior person at the local DLT office. The witch from hell did not like that request and refused to comply with the request. So my wife and I went to the general enquiry counter and made the request there. I was immediately ushered into the senior officer's office and my Thai wife explained the situation, including that the individual referred to had such a bad reputation. Manager telephoned the witch and ordered her to come to her office immediately. Questioned her as to why she was not following the proper procedure and reminder her that this was not the first time that she had been the subject of such complaints. The manager signed off on the paperwork and ordered the witch to process my license renewal immediately.