beautifulthailand99

4 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Again spineless reaction from typewriter warriors without any sense of realistic view of what is really going on! No historical sense of what have been done before, and why the west using Ukraine, as wenthe west have done for a long time with no what so ever self criticism. 

 

A few here should start educate themselves whats the real problem, and whats on stake here. 

 

As long russia manage to bond and creat new and deaper relations with other countries around the world, using cheap oil and gas, giving aid to african countries, create bilateral deals, there is no way they are getting hurt by the sanctions.

 

So the long term affect some hope for, is in best case only short term.

 

India, China, Brazil, south Africa still have trade and good relations with russia just to mention a few. 

These are the points that Professor Galbraith makes in that video, then you ally China is as a "partner without limits" as they call it then it's a perfect storm for the perceived limits of western power and influence. Kissinger no less before he died majored on that point

https://www.newsweek.com/kissinger-predicts-china-involvement-will-lead-ukraine-peace-talks-1798917

Paradise is here and now, or it is nowhere. Where is it ?

21 hours ago, bob smith said:

she is crying now as I type.

 

she really doesnt want me to leave.

 

bob.

If you are leaving your wife which sounds like you are, maybe that is the real issue, not the country. Good relationships are a partnership where the couple make decisions together, not impulsively by one party on a whim.

Become a monk for a month in some remote jungle temple that will give you tine to reflect on what you really want and what Thailand really is. I'm only half joking as well.

17 hours ago, AlexRich said:

Thailand is turning into a place that’s great for a few months, but it’s not so attractive anymore for long term stays. All of the beaucracy, the air pollution and the new tax rules headache just put me off. 
 

I’m happy to retain a property at home and spend the winter months and a chunk of the Summer in foreign countries, one of which is Thailand. I wouldn’t want to grow old in Thailand unless I was surrounded by trusted family members of my own blood. 

 

 

I used to dream of that prospect 20 years ago and even though I have condo with my wife in Jomtien and more than enough funds to live comfortably there for the rest of my life it would be my worst nightmare.

We.Must.Stop.TheCommies.

The proliferation of articles in the pro-Ukraine western press detailing the dire position of the Ukrainian front are an indication of a potential rout and collapse of the front. Macron's posturing about there may have to be boots on the ground is a reflection of that reality. But the truth is the western electorates don't want that, and anyway they are in a poor state militarily to make much difference even if they did never mind the terrible optics of body bags for a war few understand or even care about any more and besides they need any ammo they have for themselves. The Ukrainians have more than shown their bravery and valour, but there comes a time when to continue for no gain is senseless slaughter. Armistice now.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/08/russia-ukraine-forces-struggle-enemy-mariinka

“The Russians have more of everything. Tanks, artillery, human resources and planes,” Sasha admitted, speaking as he conducted a test flight with his bomb-carrying quadcopter. In the distance, next to a slag heap, black smoke billowed into a white sky. He added: “We have a lot less. And they prepared for this war for a long time. Unfortunately, we didn’t. We can only survive if the west steps up and gives us more weapons.”

If you want the old battalion,
I know where they are, I know where they are, I know where they are
If you want to find the old battalion, I know where they are,
They're hanging on the old barbed wire,
I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em, hanging on the old barbed wire.
I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em, hanging on the old barbed wire

Besides which there is a conscription crisis, the days of young men queuing up to defend their country have long since gone. Would you be signing up to fight at this point ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68255490

When Pavlo Zhilin and his patrol hit the streets of Cherkasy, men often swerve to avoid them.

Pavlo is a conscription officer looking for soldiers for Ukraine's army.

But almost two years into Russia's full-scale invasion, there's no flood of volunteers to the front line anymore.

Most of those who wanted to fight are either dead, injured or still stuck at the front waiting to be relieved by new recruits.

In the central town of Cherkasy, like elsewhere, finding them isn't easy now that the first burst of enthusiasm and energy has faded.

Ukraine is exhausted.

Adam Curtis's Traumazone is a peerless 7hr look at how the USSR collapsed and the chaos it unleashed, and ends with the rise of Putin.  A must-see for anyone who wants to know how we got here and the best 'documentary' I have ever seen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia_1985–1999:_TraumaZone

Trailer

All 7 hours

33 minutes ago, kwonitoy said:

The endless cold war stockpiles evidently, have a bottom.

They have a very limited to non existent manufacturing capability, jets, ships artillery pieces, tanks, etc.

The tanks that do get supplied are refurbishments from stockpiles like this one, they aren't capable of making new ones, or artillery barrels, or steel, etc.

 

 

I find r/Ukraine is full on propaganda, fair enough that's what it there for and it's explicit purpose.  I read and contribute to r/UkraineRussiaReport that has a lively mix of Pro-UA, Pro-Russia and neutral. So all posts are hotly debated, torn part and critiqued. It has been an amazing source and clearing house of commentary, information links and OSINT that you simply don't get elsewhere. But it's a not an echo chamber and if you come with straight out propaganda you will get ripped anew one. It's got 75k members. WillyOAM the Aussie ex-infantryman is great as well on YouTube.

Thus is beyond tragic in so many ways.

2 minutes ago, steven100 said:

can anyone here tell me what they think about my question

A link would help.

5 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

wow amazing. Well done UK for being the first one which will then be followed by Europe

From that Guardian article you qouted.

The strength of the proposal is that seized assets would be deemed to have been returned to Russia after the payment of reparations. The proposal’s weakness is that it assumes Ukraine will win a military victory and a defeated Moscow will be prepared to pay reparations for the damage it caused to Ukraine, something that now seems unimaginable.

13 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

What makes you think me or my family do not pay tax in the UK. Like I said, risk to everything, risk to sending Himars, one was confirmed destroyed, still 38 left. These sorts of risks are calculated. 

 

Would you like to get back on topic now.

From that link I provided from Carnegie. I call grandstanding - who will buy this debt ? Anybody here willing to invest in this bond ?

Alternatively, under a plan reportedly already circulating among G7 nations, the assets could be used as collateral for bonds. Ukraine’s allies would first demand that Russia repays the debt, and if it refuses to do so, the frozen assets would be confiscated, according to the Financial Times. Selling the bonds would raise funds and the flow of money could be regulated. It would also avoid many of the risks described above, as officially Russia’s assets would remain unappropriated until the bonds are repaid.

The difficulty is finding someone to buy those bonds. Central banks are unlikely to step in: that would effectively be akin to printing money and a return to the quantitative easing policies of the 2009 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. For their part, commercial banks are unlikely to buy the bonds without guarantees (in effect, debt securities) from Western governments. Thus, transferring Russia’s frozen assets to Kyiv this way would prove costly for the West and its taxpayers.

3 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

The danger of course in sequestrating foreign assets from the western banking system for whatever reason is it sends the message to worldwide autocrats that it could happen to them. 

 

Yawn, risk to every action. Well done UK

No cost for you, of course, in blood and treasure from your Thailand lair, but western taxpayers may think differently if they understand the costs and risks more fully. He may of course be grandstanding, fully expecting it to be lost in the thicket of implementation. Trump may use such threats in his shotgun diplomacy if he comes to power next year.

42 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Nice one David! 

 

Britain 'prepared to loan Ukraine all frozen Russian central bank assets in UK'
Britain is prepared to loan Ukraine all frozen Russian central bank assets in the UK on the basis that Russia will be forced to pay reparations to Ukraine at the end of the war, the UK foreign secretary David Cameron has said.

He said the assets would be used as surety for the payment of the reparations. The plan is more radical than proposals discussed in the European Union for Ukraine to be given only the windfall profits from the Russian central bank assets being held by the West. The annual windfall profits are estimated at $4bn.

More in the link here

The danger of course in sequestrating foreign assets from the western banking system for whatever reason is it sends the message to worldwide autocrats that it could happen to them. So China and a host of other countries will begin repatriating their assets to safer havens. If that happens, then there will be a retreat from the dollar and linked currencies and bond market crisis as countries will be forced to raise interest rates on bonds and increase the servicing costs of the debt they already hold. Any remaining western assets in Russia will of course be seized as well to add to the bounty that Russia already has from the fire sale of well known brands to local oligarch such as MacDonalds and Starbucks.

The China/Russia/Iran/NK/BRICS Global South alternative financial universe is already expanding at pace - sequestration will be a key signal for many players to move over there. Indeed, China has set up its own Bank to deal with it. The sun is setting on dollar western hegemony.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Development_Bank

https://carnegieendowment.org/politika/91556

Above all, they fear that doing so would deter sovereign wealth funds, central banks, corporations, and private investors from the Global South from investing in European assets. A potential outflow of investment in euros would have serious consequences: a rise in borrowing costs and inflation, as well as a fall in tax revenues.

Some might say that there is nothing to worry about: after all, losing an investment is a calculated risk in high-yield investing in emerging markets, especially when, as in Russia’s case, the threat of sanctions has existed for years. Yet this argument, which is based on a fundamental principle of capitalism—that there is no profit without risk—has a major flaw.

For many systemically important Western firms, writing off Russian assets would spell disaster. Take Euroclear, used by foreign investors to buy Russian stocks and bonds. If its clients’ assets were seized, it could face a slew of lawsuits and even bankruptcy.

Bailing out companies like Euroclear would ultimately cost European governments even more than direct aid to Ukraine. An exchange of frozen assets is therefore the most logical solution, but so far no one is willing to break the deadlock.

Oh dear, never mind.

4 hours ago, transam said:

None of your business...........99

 

.......😂

TVF Keyboard Warrior Brigade - Catering Corp (Retired)

First recorded destruction of a HIMARS battery reportedly by an Isklander-M missile. NOEL Reports is a trusted Ukrainian source.

Just imagine what could happen if Russian agents managed to penetrate the highest political levels in the U.S.! Unimaginable...and that would be wild !

So can the Thai tax authorities, contact the UK tax authorities to check the tax status of a UK citizen residing in Thailand ?

I had to look that up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Account_Tax_Compliance_Act

Crikey  !

Europe: The costs of implementation in Europe are shown (below) with available documentation to be greater than U.S. revenue estimates in only three of its countries. Implementation in UK, Germany, and Sweden alone will cost more than US$10 billion.

    United Kingdom: The United Kingdom government has estimated that the cost to British businesses will be £1.1 billion to £2 billion for the first five years (approximately two thirds of the estimate total additional global tax revenue expected), in order to locate approximately 177,185 U.S. citizens.[68][69] The cost there is then approximately £6,000 to £11,000 per resident US citizen or £17 to £31 per capita. HMRC estimates its own one-off IT and staff project costs at approximately £5m, with ongoing annual costs of £1.4m from 2016.[68]

Maybe this is the good cop bad cop routine - get us all het up about eye watering increases and then Sretta swoops in with a 3 months free deal. Plus it gives him some freebie to offer in bilaterals.