Metapod

raises prices on all goods and services, they end up in the same place. it also makes small businesses less competitive and reduces the amount of jobs available, which means more unemployment and government support (which thailand doesn't have a lot of). it also doesn't address why they are in the bottom class to begin with. you can't raise minimum wage to bring people into a middle class, it just doesn't work. if you care about helping poor people, you should focus on educating them on basic finances and ways to build/learn skills to make themselves more valuable. artificially raising the floor of labor pricing just hurts the bottom and middle class

raising the minimum wage doesn't help, it actually hurts the lower class.

Yep. It was dead before then, but now it's super gentrified and backpacking in general is out of trend due to covid + higher cost of living + social media driving flashpacking/luxury over budget. You also don't need "hub" streets as much anymore with the pervasiveness of internet and phones. Now everyone has unlimited info on a country or city before they arrive. They can book a room online super easy on Agoda or with AirBnB. It's not like before where you would fly into a country/city and not know where to go or what to do and then just go to the "hub" area with the other travelers.

Plenty. You realize Makasan is right next to Asoke?

He said in the video that he hasn't had a job in over 15 years and it is preferable to be poor in asia than go back to the US and try to work and get a job. He has no intention of working. He is a gambling addicted loser.

the guy said he hasn't had a job in over 15 years. He is a <deleted> bum.

Thailand doesn't need more tax, it needs less government spending. just look at Elon and Vikek with the new Department of Government Efficiency. Spend less, tax less.

always got my deposit back but i don't think my current landlord will give it back as they have always been super difficult to deal with.

17% is still too high considering other options and lack of good tax planning in Thailand tax law. If 10% if enough for god at church, it should be enough for papi thaksin and his cronies. They get the other 7% from VAT

Exactly, we all will. That's why it's the magic number. If Thailand truly wants to expand their tax net, just do a flat 10% tax. Less is more.

10% That's the magic number. Flat 10% and watch everyone comply.

some hefty interest numbers there

I have 20 year Thai Elite visa. I will just spend less than 180 days a year in Thailand and simplify my life.

a DTA doesn't absolve you from filing a tax filing in the secondary location. You will have to file in both Australia and Thailand. Even if you owe nothing in Thailand, that in itself is a huge pain in the ass. The Thailand tax calendar starts Jan 1st, the Australian tax calendar starts July 1st. That creates complexity. Then factor in getting documents translated into Thai and then getting those documents certified. Then hiring tax accountants in two countries to handle both submissions. Then discussing DTA itself, you need to look at the DTA for each category. Some will give exclusive taxing rights to one jurisdiction, others are taxed in one first and then taxed in the other. For example, if you owe 30,000 in AU but 50,000 in Thailand, you would have to pay 50,000 in Thailand and then use a tax credit against the 30,000 in AU for your AU tax return after July. The short answer is this <deleted> gets complicated at the very best, and costing you more at the worst.

That's not how DTA works.