bradiston

6 minutes ago, Stocky said:

No you'll hear the sound of hoards of Malaysians complaining about standing in line for two hours.

 

With the Hari Raya Idul Fitri holiday coinciding with Songkran this year it's also a long holiday in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia too - so Hat Yai is full.

Of devout Moslems looking for a jump I guess?

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

You used the term bag in your former post.

 

 My car and scooter have my driving licenses in them. My ID is on my phone. Cash, keys and phone are all I carry. Plus a bit of coin change at the end of shopping.

 

Why would I need a biro when I can take a note on my phone? Why on earth would I be carrying a handkerchief, lube and condom? Are you a sex maniac? Seems odd to combine that with hypochondria.

 

At the shops I go to in Chiang Rai, I would say someone paying with their phone faster than me with cash, is as rare as a newly-landed Brit in Australia without sunburn.

 

 

There's a certain amount of tongue in cheek in there. But you're obviously a literalist. But, just out of curiosity, where do you keep the lube and condom? In the glove compartment?

52 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"When you need cash, how many times has your ATM been out of order?"

So infrequently it is inconsequential.

 

"And there's always a charge if out of province, 15 or 20 THB".

So what, B20 is also inconsequential.

 

"...who wants to sit in a bank waiting behind people with a clutch of blue books, chanotes, id cards, opening accounts, withdrawing or making deposits?"

No one, but who has to do that every time?

Well, they're just counter arguments to the extremely feeble anti phone brigade's arguments. When have I not been able to connect? Maybe 2 times a year. Charges? There aren't any. ATMs can and do charge. Going to a bank, is it open? Probably not. Is it a holiday, what time is it, is it a weekend, oh they're open in the mall, travelling there, parking, queuing etc etc. You enjoy? I don't. And banks very rarely employ guys as tellers. Why is that? Can't have a "You alright mate? How's it going then?" sort of chat while he's counting your dough.

This topic comes up maybe every 3 months or so. I'm pro phone. Got your pension rise yet? That's another regular.

19 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Not guilty, Your Honor. I only carry notes, the coins go into the piggy bank every day.

Men do not usually have handbags, they use their pockets.

Who said handbags? And not only men shop, if you hadn't noticed. So you, and everybody behind you, has to wait while the cashier works out, if it's not done for them, and counts out your dirty, greasy, infectious disease ridden change, which you then put in your pocket for your offspring. Ok. I don't have pockets. I have a bum bag. Got all my stuff in there. Pockets too easy to pick. Not waterproof. Holes. Stuff falls out. Handkerchief wrapped around your notes. Condom goes where? Back pocket I guess. Lube? Cards? ID? DL? Biro that leaks?

Ok, you could argue keeping everything in one bag is a big risk, but I've not lost one in 10 years, though I've had one picked. And a pocket or two. You learn to guard against it. Become mindful. Woke, even! 🤣🤣🤣

6 hours ago, bokningar said:

If you are close to war, you might want to make sure there is a analog way of paying.

But you still have to get the cash from the bank. What happens if your nearest ATMs are smashed up? The only analogue is if you enter a bank, if you can find one that's  open, fill in a withdrawal slip, wait in a probably endless queue, and wait at the counter. You got your passport? Some other ID then? They'll pay you in the highest denomination notes probably, so you'll need to ask for smaller ones which they won't have in any quantity. I know this because on my monthly visits to an ATM I get all my 1000 THB notes changed into 500s. Nobody ever has change. Haven't you noticed? Oh, no have! Cannot! Drive around looking for a 7. Buy some gum to break the 1000 THB note. Omg get me outta here. Pay by phone!

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I can't lose a wallet because I don't have one. I carry 2-3K baht in cash instead.

I also carry a debit card in a Faraday cage. For emergencies only. Much of the time it stays in the condo.

I simply have no trust in phones. To me, they are a useful tool for various functions, but certainly not to be entrusted with vital financial information.

Telstra and Optus are the two biggest telecoms in Australia. They have both been hacked. That's enough evidence for me.

I've seen multiple examples of payment terminals being down. I just sail through with cash, provided there is not some idiot faffing around with their phone in front of me.

Or somebody digging around in a bag looking for the missing 2 THB he/she needs to pay with.

3 minutes ago, ftpjtm said:

I use QR electronic payments for all transactions at the 700 rai Sattahip market. 100 baht remains 100 baht with QR payments too

I usually use cash in the market but most stalls in Rattanakorn have a QR code you can use if short of cash. And they don't need to handle dirty notes and coins. Great way to pass on infectious diseases.

54 minutes ago, JGV said:

What about the millions of older Thais who rely on going to branches to get their money - I don't think that they are going to switch to passwords and Internet banking as most don't have Internet

No passwords involved. Just thumb print. Or pin if you prefer. And internet Sims are available anywhere in Thailand. Can talk to your family anywhere, anytime. The big ISPs have coverage all over Thailand.

43 minutes ago, JimHuaHin said:

Electronic payments are fantastic, as long as ...

 

1 - Electricity is available 24/7, without a nanosecond of outage (too bad if there is a natural disaster, flood, earthquake, cyclone, etc.).

 

2 - All necessary components of the Internet function 24/7 - a month or so ago a major provider in Australia went down for a few hours, no Internet, no electronic payments for users, some business had to shut.   Walked into Tesco a few months ago - sign at the checkouts, cash only as system down.

 

3 - Of course, your mobile banking and "do everything" system, ie Android or iPhone, never ever stops working, right?, and finally,

 

4 - Of course the banks love electronic payments - they can charge new fees and make more profit.

When you need cash, how many times has your ATM been out of order? If there's an internet outage, they'll probably go down. And there's always a charge if out of province, 15 or 20 THB. And who wants to sit in a bank waiting behind people with a clutch of blue books, chanotes, id cards, opening accounts, withdrawing or making deposits? I take out 20k THB at a time. Usually lasts 6-8 weeks or so. But I only use it in markets, massage and a few other places.

1 hour ago, Zack61 said:

It’s now becoming more common that to pay using your phone incurs an extra fee. Someone is making money from this convenience and I think you’ll find it’s the banks. Don’t kid yourself, it’s just another way of the banks milking you to increase their profits. 
A few years ago very few businesses charged the surcharge in Australia but now almost all do. At least with cash if something costs a hundred bucks that’s all you pay. Not $101.60 using the phone. It adds up over a year and it all goes to the banks. No wonder they are pushing for it’s uptake 

I never pay a fee using prompt pay or scan. What are you talking about?

26 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Not best option 

I set up transfer in WISE. 

Aud to Thai baht. Wise does the exchange rate using mid market.

I then transfer aud from.my Oz bank to WISE

It lands not long afterwards

Well, you didn't say from where to where.

Correct me if I'm wrong, you transferred AUD from your Ozzie bank into your AUD account with Wise. You then transferred the equivalent of 1.9 million THB AUD into your THB account in a Thai bank, using Wise's exchange rate and their fees.

Wise doesn't handle THB. Only Thai banks do.

I hear the faint rustle of tumbleweed as it blows through the empty turnstiles. Oh dear, nobody showed. Exactly 0 tourists made the trip to Toyland for a non event of water chucking. Sorry TAT. This is not a world ranking event.

Did they take down the website? Track down it's owners? Who it's registered to? Where do they get 600 million THB from? Monthly circulation? Flow chart please. Money in/out. Names of twins. Sons of which local person of influence? Gangsters? Mafia? Chinese connections? Pathetic. Nab 3 fall guys and they seem to think it's job done. Released the next day. Carry on lads.

No mention of Tony and his daughter's love affair with the Cambodian gangsters running that poor country. Nor of any contact with the Chinese and Cambodian embassies. No comment? Disgusting!

22,387 individuals? Didn't they just release 10s of 1000s of petty drug users from prison? Half the point of the decriminalisation of weed. Now they've rounded up a refill it seems. 5 meth pills ok guv? Hey Cholnan, waddya say?

22 hours ago, BritScot said:

One thing I have realised over the past few years is how stupid people are. Accepting lockdowns and in the uk publicly telling people they were using Phyops against their own people a fact that still disgusts me (being ex army). Then watch people sleep walking into digital currency  with the power banks and governments already welding. I tokenly carry an oz silver coin in my pocket to remind myself its real value and not made up. Everyone should read about the Bradbury pound (it scared the hell out of the Bank of England because it had real value).

Phyops? Tokenly? Oz silver coin? String of garlic? Wooden stake? Holy water?

17 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

April 4,   I transferred 1.9 million Baht and it arrived same day using wise.

Was asked zero questions apart from tick that it was being transferred into Thai bank in my name.

Always have to tick that.

From where, to where? I didn't think you could transfer THB using Wise. Have to use Dee. You mean 1.9 m in exchange value? THB to THB is simple. Just use your bank(s).

17 hours ago, TheAppletons said:

 

 Customer Service.

What about the rest of his posts? Any idea what he's on about?

“Today, our lawn may not be green, but we have fertiliser and a lawn mower. If we all help out, our lawn will turn green. This is our home, we must overcome our bitter past,” said Srettha.

This lawn is dead. It is no more. It has passed on. It's gone to lawn heaven. What you see here is a fake lawn. Artificial lawn. No mowing required. And no fertiliser. And no rake off.

On 4/4/2024 at 8:13 PM, rexpotter said:

They have millions and millions of USD from customers tied up that people cannot get. Consider the folks who started it, they are from Lithuania, very close to Russia, and Slavic's themselves. A breakaway state. You can make your own assessment.

I don't understand your last 2 posts. Are they in reference to Wise? What is CS?

On 4/4/2024 at 6:44 PM, JGon said:

Today I used the Wise app to make a transfer $$$ from my home bank to Thailand and after setting it up the usual it did not give me the option to choose "Funds for long stay in Thailand" (or whatever that option used to say). I thought well I guess the new tax laws caught up with Wise. After changing my option to "general monthly expenses"  it asked for a bunch of personal information... My profession, my salary, why I was sending money to Thailand... this time it gave me the option for "Funds for long stay in Thailand" and how much money I plan to send via Wise to Thailand (annually). 

 

This definitely a Tax law thing...   and no is not a scam... this is 100% the Wise app (I received the money within seconds as usual). The only thing I care is that the funds are viewed as coming from abroad (For Immigration/Visa purposes). 

This happened to me. It's just Wise updating their KYC. A pain, but nothing to worry about. It's possible they have to do it every x years.

Bangchak's website has a lot of info. Current prices and historical. 91 was 32.98 on Jan 4th. Today, 38.48. So 5.5 THB rise. 16.5% rise.

https://www.bangchak.co.th/en/oilprice/historical

4 hours ago, bradiston said:

Stealing from the Russians? Only Putin and his gang do that. It's not just the US that has come up with the idea of making Russia pay for their wilful destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure, and the poisoning of millions of hectares of agricultural land. The EU is also in support of this, and I'm sure Japan and all the other Western allies are in full agreement. Western investments in Russia were seized by the Kremlin and have probably been written off a long time ago. Now, we have $300 billion of their overseas holdings. That's like a down payment. The rest can come later.

 

 

The best whoever it was commented on my post, can come up with is a sad emoji. How pathetic is that? Can't argue or won't argue? Illiterate maybe? Latest Kremlin briefing not arrived yet?