bradiston

8 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Whatever you do, whichever method you try, it's going to cost you money in fees or i worse exchange rates but yes you may save some money although at the risk of later being accused of tax avoidance, is it really worth it? Staying for less than 180 days and moving somewhere else for half a year isn't without cost either. Sooner or later the last tax free refuges are going to be plugged because the major world players don't like tax free zones. As the saying goes 'taxes and death are the two unavoidable facts of life'.

Tax avoidance is perfectly legal. Tax evasion isn't. Ask Google, Amazon, Microsoft etc etc.

Transporting a roller, a Ferrari and 2 lions completely unnoticed? I suppose in containers. But unloading the lions? Did they have a tamer on hand? What do they feed them on? The picture suggests they're free to roam around. All in all, a totally bizarre story. And not far from where I live. I'm probably lucky to be alivaaaaggggghhh

Wise foreign currency accounts are opened in the country of that currency, Belgium in the case of their Euro account. So I'm not sure they'd be taxable here unless or until you transferred funds from them to a Thai bank account. I'm not sure I fully understand all the implications of this world wide tax law, so I'm going to spend less than 180 days a year here as an interim solution.

17 hours ago, BangkokBernie said:

As time goes on, I've noticed more about the negative aspects of many of the visitors I've come across in Thailand, either through personal interaction, through friends, or from things I've read in the media, a lot of it being posted here on AseanNow. Overall, it's pretty disconcerting to see so many different types.

I would say these undesirables are either involved with alcohol abuse and public drunkenness, fraud and violent crime, predatory sex tourism and exploitation, drug use and trafficking, or cultural disrespect.

All the alcohol abuse and public drunkenness is mostly prevalent in places like Pattaya and the tourist and nightlife centers of Bangkok, Phuket and Samui, and thankfully it is not all across the country. But we see many cases of excessive drinking leading to disruptive behavior (often directed towards locals), fights with locals and other foreigners, and destroying both public and private property.

Then, the involvement of some foreigners in criminal activities is another significant and growing concern. From petty theft to serious offenses such as financial and internet fraud and violent assault, these actions strain local law enforcement agencies and threaten the general public safety.

 

Sex tourism is also a big thing. I'm not referring to the many visitors that come to Thailand, follow the rules, and are well behaved patrons of the nightlife, but it's the one's participating in activities that involve human trafficking, underage women, and child exploitation that are the disease. This not only tarnishes the image of foreigners and labels them as sexual predators, but it also perpetuates a cycle of illegal and immoral activities that harm the most vulnerable segments of the local population.

It then makes you wonder, despite the country's strict drug laws, there are still, as we see in the news so often, many who will take the risk and engage in illicit drug use and trafficking. This not only puts them at significant legal risk, but creates a host of social issues and problems, which contributes to the already negative perception of foreigners in the country.

Lastly, the lack of respect for the local culture is also shocking. Love the local culture in the host country or not, one needs to show respect when they are a guest in that country, yet it’s so common to see visitors dressed inappropriately at religious sites, behaving loud and/or getting nude in public, and showing little regard for any local traditions. These behaviors not only harm the cultural venues, but shows a blatant disregard for the country.

I think the presence of these groups in Thailand is undeniable. I guess we can only hope one day that things change and these types are no longer welcomed into Thailand.

 

I never meet these people. I don't drink. Don't take drugs. Don't go to bars. Don't go to Bua Khao, or Soi 6. I choose my friends wisely. It's that simple.

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

So the tourism business is booming.... shame manufacturing is sliding.

Thailand has nothing else to offer except it's daughters.

Yes, the rub a dub hub.

But 150m? 😳🤯 Twice the Thai population!

It was a disaster for the generation who wanted to live and work in Europe and get out of the UK. Sitting in the pilot's seat of a 747 but not knowing how to fly pretty much sums up all the crap about "taking back control" of the UK borders. What absolute rubbish. It's as bad if not worse than before. So what was the point? Just xenophobic "wxgs begin at Calais" mentality. Perhaps if the UK hadn't left, the EU response to Putin wouldn't have been the limp wristed affair it's turned out to be. And import/exports? Any improvement there in the bureaucracy? Cuts in research grants? Basically, just stupid isolationism.

Couldn't deliver a cold burger and fries.