PaullyW

It's an old gag, but I'm an old fart.

What's the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion ?

About ten years.

Not entirely without some basis in reality - the system jailed Wesley Snipes for three years for tax evasion (scheduled for release in July this year) while Michael Jackson and OJ got away with much more serious crimes (karma eventually got OJ). Granted, old Wes' should have had a better defence than 'I'm an alien, your honor !', but what's the point of having millions in unpaid taxes if it doesnt buy you a $1500-an-hour lawyers ? Faced with something like that in Thailand (!), I would just pay the 'fine' and cut my losses - I couldn't do a week in a Thai jail, much less 3 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Snipes#Tax_conviction

Interesting examples you've chosen. Surely, there are better ones to use as examples, but perhaps not in keeping with your tendency to show your color preference.

Pretty sad to move half way around the world, brining with you your silly biases which don't hold any value here in Asia.

Lame

There's the "where do I find that secret ATM which charges me no money to use it and gives me a magical exchange rate 100% higher than what the banks are offering" brigade?

Minimal welfare system=minimal need for taxes.

Actually, it's more like ..

minimal infrastructure development = minimal need for taxes

minimal police force funding = minimal need for taxes

minimal public education standards = minimal need for taxes

Cheers

^^ Essentially, what Thailand fails to understand is that development has most importantly in the mind and not in the wallet. We await their revolution of the mind and revolution of respectable values as they become richer economically.

And, yes, would be fantastic to have some walkable pavements as well.

Probably mentioned before.....but this is not restricted to Thailand.

I have lost count of the number of times that I have purchased something....for example 420 Baht, I give the person a 500 hundred and a 20 baht note.....and they still have to use a calculator to work out the change.

You can change the currency to suit....young people are not encouraged to use their brains, they have machines that do it for them.

Even if they happen to press the wrong button on the calculator.... they still accept the final result displayed by their wonderful machine.

Cheers.

Hmmm, again, at the upper end, it's simply not true. At the upper end, kids today are by far the smartest generation on record. Research it. We are in the "information age" and young people have benefited from what previous gens simply didn't have available to them. By contrast, 30 years ago and earlier, kids, even at the upper end, were very much more narrowly educated, with narrow and rigid views.

Also, young people in the last couple gens have been tasked with doing orders of magnitude more work than your older gens were ever made to do. We simply didn't/don't have time to "show how smart we are" by doing mental maths. We are busy revolutionizing the world at as rapid a pace as has ever been recorded in human history.

The "I spend good money to feed soi dogs nearly everyday, but I refuse on principle to donate money or time to downtrodden, homeless Thais or temples in Thailand" brigade.

It's an observation.

The largest gene pool in the world is the one started by Genghis Kahn. Now, is he Chinese? Do you know all

Chinese people? Do you know all Thai people?

The Japanese were proud of their many accomplishments and resented racial slurs they met with in some Western nations. Their attempt to establish a statement of racial equality in the Covenant of the League of Nations was vetoed by the United States (because of opposition in California) and Great Britain (Australian resistance) so they started WW II in Asia.

Your personal observations that Thai Chinese are smarter than Thai people is racist. It is in poor taste and totally unsupported by any evidence except the comments of the uneducated and misinformed.

Take it easy. I'm not saying non- ethnic Chinese Thais are incapable. That would be ridiculous, but I'm sure you would not deny that ethnic Chinese Thais are very obviously more successful and educated as a percentage of their numbers in Thailand. I am only calling attention to a reality. Look around us. Everywhere you look in Thailand, the highest achieving Thais are Thai-Chinese, and my point now is that it's not a mistake. It is cultural. And, there's nothing wrong with saying as much, in my opinion. Just as many of us Westerners typically state that on average we are richer, have better standards of living, etc. Or that Nigerians down on Soi 3 are often drug dealers.

Don't be so sensitive. I know that any group of people can achieve, but not all groups achieve equally at a given time. Who knows what the future holds for ethnic Thais.

The Thais have enough problems with racism. I don't feel we help the issue by agreeing with them especially the Thai/Chinese ones.

I can't think of a group that does not or has not had issues with racism at one point or another. Incidentally, the Chinese in Thailand for hundreds of years until fairly recently fought racism (including institutional racism) from the ethnic Thais. (Same in Malaysia, btw). They somehow fought through it all and now control nearly everything in this country including the culture.

" Battling Corruption ", this is a joke right ? The new buzz words " integrity pact " are simply designed to make the public think something is being done which is just as likely as me becoming the next pope.

There is no way a serious war on corruption can ever be waged because of the people involved and it goes all the way to the top

indeed -- ALL the way.

The "elite forum members with thousands of posts really gave it to me as a newbie, so I'll request the forum admins to change my account handle and will assume a completely different forum persona" brigade.

The "never under any circumstances stand up for yourself against the Thais because they will surely gang up on you in their thousands and kill you" brigade.

It's an observation.

The largest gene pool in the world is the one started by Genghis Kahn. Now, is he Chinese? Do you know all

Chinese people? Do you know all Thai people?

The Japanese were proud of their many accomplishments and resented racial slurs they met with in some Western nations. Their attempt to establish a statement of racial equality in the Covenant of the League of Nations was vetoed by the United States (because of opposition in California) and Great Britain (Australian resistance) so they started WW II in Asia.

Your personal observations that Thai Chinese are smarter than Thai people is racist. It is in poor taste and totally unsupported by any evidence except the comments of the uneducated and misinformed.

Take it easy. I'm not saying non- ethnic Chinese Thais are incapable. That would be ridiculous, but I'm sure you would not deny that ethnic Chinese Thais are very obviously more successful and educated as a percentage of their numbers in Thailand. I am only calling attention to a reality. Look around us. Everywhere you look in Thailand, the highest achieving Thais are Thai-Chinese, and my point now is that it's not a mistake. It is cultural. And, there's nothing wrong with saying as much, in my opinion. Just as many of us Westerners typically state that on average we are richer, have better standards of living, etc. Or that Nigerians down on Soi 3 are often drug dealers.

Don't be so sensitive. I know that any group of people can achieve, but not all groups achieve equally at a given time. Who knows what the future holds for ethnic Thais.

It's an observation.

Thai massage attendant -

"This is the 10th that I've done today already. Can you give me a good tip?"

(as opposed to "you are my first customer today" and "i normally don't do this")

an other "why Thais cant be as smart as as " Thread

as if the store clerks in the west are mathematical geniuses.

Thais are not as stupid as they you think, and the Op is not as smart as he thinks.

Well, yes, but I think it's helpful for us to continue to make the distinction between Thais and the Thai-Chinese who brought from China with them their great culture of work ethic and respect for education. Many of them are indeed smart. Dragged down by much of Thai culture, yes, but still intelligent despite it.

"Hi-tech" is more than a bunch of teenagers and young adults running around with their touch phones and lab tops communicating with each other where they are going and what they are doing. In order for Bangkok or the rest of Thailand to become "hi-tech" the education system needs to teach the students how to use various computer programs, get their minds to be creative and to think outside of the box for the 21st Century. If you want to look at "hi-tech" cities, look at Singapore or Seoul.

Or, for other examples, Tokyo, San Francisco, even Shanghai to an extent.

Of course, they will need to teach students to question things which wholly goes against the grain of Thai (and most East Asian) cultural expectation. The way the Japanese overcame this was to setup special schools whereby students go for the express purpose of being creative and questioning ideas. Thailand should be able to do it, but it just requires some time and fundamental changes. And, surely they will have to out compete the Chinese and perhaps Indians in the next decade or so. Making hard drives for export is not the same as being a hi-tech hub, K. Minister.

For reference, this is the frame at 2:30. Where is the dee? D-cup bra? I don't think so.

2.30.png

More likely a B which is typical. It's even quite rare to find Cs...

Love these Thai Chinese girls. Pysched about my trip to Shanghai in a couple weeks!

I know it's not cool to be Thai, and that's why I try to look anything but -- Korean, Japanese, Eurasian, etc.

<snip>

How to deal with it ............. not care much about them either.

Bingo. That's what some've done.

There are exceptions, of course. But, generally, as they do to you, use them in a way that benefits you. Some use them for cheap sex, pretty good, inexpensive food and exploit their poor education and various lacking abilities for financial gain so they can live a pretty easy, unchallenged life here.

Thai, irrespective of education

"are there any things you DON'T like about Thailand?"

(rather than the ubiquitous "don't you like [insert most anything here] about Thailand?")

She hit him first. His reaction justified, imo.

One way to cause an eventual improvement in Thailand is to somehow encourage the country into war with another. Doesn't so much matter which country. Help to ensure that there is some level of devastation to Thailand. It has worked for most other countries all over the world.

The "there culture is not as good as my culture is, I'm more educated then they are, and, if you don't agree with me, than your in denial" brigade.

Where's my Chang?