beautifulthailand99

My sister-in-law's house in Yala has a river running at the front and is the worst she has known it. Extreme weather is becoming much more frequent due to climate change and I'm not sure the world is ready for it's profound impact.

Very well said they are on their way to becoming a pariah state with their continuing vicious bombing campaign. From what I can see from uncensored social media Hamas appear to be executing an effective guerrilla war in Gaza and inflicting heavy IDF casualties whilst being well-fed and well-armed in their staggering tunnel network a situation they have long planned for. They have ample supplies of food and medicine to last for many, many months, are on a suicide mission and regard all civilian deaths as martyrs that advance their cause. So, they are relatively unaffected by bombing and use the massive death toll to weaponise global support elsewhere. Israel by continuing in this manner will not liberate the hostages nor help build alliances with important friends worldwide. They are shooting themselves in the foot.

They have limited functionality and fairly brutal guard rails. Was trying to use the SCB App for the missus to transfer money to a set-up account but gave up in the end. And when you finally go into the branch to get help I have to get mildly angry at trying to get them to STOP SELLING FRICKING INSURANCE WHICH WE DON'T NEED !

There's hardly anybody here anymore anyway take away the trolls and the site would collapse and they are trying to sell it - cut them some slack.

Agreed, follow the guns and the money and anybody in the elite such as Thannkorn gets the 'you wouldn't want to lose your families fortune' pressure and the threat of Thaksinisation to shut up and stand down. He famously said he would die for freedom before getting the message to back down. People forget how bloody things have been and could become. But of course, they don't want to do that unless they really really had to. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6_October_1976_massacre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Drum_killings

But coloured socks don't forget the coloured socks....

It's an army dictatorship hiding behind a gerrymandered fake democracy that would inflict a huge cost in blood if their power and wealth were ever seriously threatened even going Burma lite if that was needed. The best way out for Thais who want progressive politics and change is to leave the country.

Here's the actual land taken 12 years ago when her husband had erected a sort of makeshift dwelling on it which has now been demolished to deter squatters.

Oh yes have seen thousands of those over the years unbridled stupid optimism. Build it and they will come. Except they never did.

I think you have hit the nail on the head here- a 1/3 rai would be 150 -200k which sounds about right. Factor in the cost of an agent say 50k signage and clearance and she would be lucky to see 100k if and when it sold. That will come as a shock to her when that reality dawns as it has some sort of mythical get out of jail free status or tell me about the rabbits Geroge...

This tamboon 'making merit' is the biggest scam out that by donating to temples and monks the person can help to wipe out any transgressions that may have been done. It's rather like medieval Catholic indulgences to buy your way into heaven. I don't think the Buddha ever intended this to happen indeed the exact opposite. Funny that nearly all religions bar none are obsessed with getting money and fleecing their followers.

Yup that tax thing is going to become more annoying as they take more of it. But unlike the Thais, you won't get a vote. But they don't really either !

No 3 months ImO as my wife is Thai and 3 months is as much as I can stand. I have no beef with those who play the system to stay here though. In Pattaya, I have heard a well-known bank works with some of the agents to provide 'statements' to facilitate the process. In the final analysis, most of the folks staying here by that route will be renting a condo, spending money in the shops and bars and modestly helping the economy while probably minding their own business. It's not as if there is a welfare state here to sponge off after all. If you are going to find windmills to tilt at there are much worthier targets than this 'workaround'.

With all due respect, I think you may be in the wrong country. There are many to choose from if that rocks your probably capsizing boat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index

These local banking apps are trash compared to what I use in app-only banks in the UK such a Revolut, Tandem and Metro and I miss the SCB Easy web version which they discontinued this year to concentrate on the app.

I'm sure all these poor souls will be heartened by the fact that Lindsay Graham said it's the best investment the US has ever made. But then following on from the debacles in Afghanistan and Iraq that's a pretty low bar.

To be fair to Thailand on this occasion the new London Elizabeth Line suffered a prolonged power cut a few weeks ago leaving passengers trapped for hours on a darkened train.

Great advice and insight too. Many thanks.

Cheers, great advice. Thanks for that.

That would make a guttering salesman a protected job for ThaI nationals only and as there are no gutters ergo there is no demand for them. Another unneccesary falang overhead like overpasses and roundabouts and health and safety. Besides which the spirit house sorts out all sorts of iussues on a daily basis.

Ouch - my wife adds that the locals might not have liked their area being industrialised and her local community reputation may have been more important than mere money. Indeed a local hero.

The studio condo I'm in (15th floor Jomtien side) I'm in View Talay 2A started at 1.9 mill from the owner (Thai company name) in 2017 - he sold to us (or strictly speaking to my wife for Thai chanote) in 2019 just before Covid for 1.2. We got a walk away price.

Plus they will know you want it. It takes a long time for sober realism to set in. The true price is the walk-away price.

And then we are back to the farang price money stand-off where the price of face (which is more real than the land) comes into play. Some great anecdotes on this thread thanks for sharing.

Sad that he managed to draft dodge in Ukraine only to be got at a Phuket traffic light.