AverageAussie

Is AN posting multiple April Fools jokes now?

Yes, remember that one too. It has to be a world record. I often wonder how much cumulative weight is in the cables and how that compares to the poles. Those stresses will still be okay whilst the pole is vertical, but once there are lateral forces applied that's a recipe for disaster.

With so many poles around Thailand carrying literally dozen/s of lines, I'm surprised that this incidence of multiple poles being downed doesn't happen more often. Knock over just one or two and the combined weight of those pulls down others in a domino effect. powerlines.mp4

Today's Venn Diagram. No need to thank me.

LOL at the label on the first unit. English text:: Made in Vetnam Russian text: Made in China

@KhunLA - thanks for the first-hand feedback and advice on this thread. I don't have much experience with batteries (other than laptops, phones & a drone) - but might be looking at similar transport options in the next year or so. Comments like yours all go into the knowledge bank. I do have a question about the charging precautions that you mentioned. Risks with cheaper batteries are obvious, but what about the charger itself? Are these factory-supplied by Deco along with the bike, or is it something you need to shop around for separately? I can't remember where I saw it, but for mobile devices I've been advised to spend a bit more & use only those chargers that have built-in voltage sensing & over-charge protection. Do the Deco chargers (if they are available) have this feature? How long do you leave it on charge; overnight trickle & rapid recharge for a top-up?

You're right, but only about the definition of a condo. You are buying the "airspace" (as you call it) in a condo plus an interest in the common property of the building. That's distinct from the land that it sits on. But if you scrolled down just 3 sections to "Process of Buying a Condo in Thailand" on this non-government/ private law firm website, they provide an explanation of foreign quota and how it applies. Put simply, each building has a max 49% quota (based on floor area) that can be foreign owned. If not in that quota, then your options are company name or a 3rd party Thai national - as pointed out by @SAFETY FIRST .

Agreed. I think visitors globally have different expectations & requirements for accommodation - and Airbnb (as a platform) does fill a market niche. Otherwise they would never have succeeded as they have. Management in most of bigger & better condominium buildings are alert for the short-term tenancies and will crack down on infringers. In some cases I've heard that there is a hotel licence in place for the building (or parts of it). That's okay if standards are up to par and they're staying within the law & pay their fees, taxes etc. I'm not suggesting that there isn't a lot of illegal short-term stays, but that's an enforcement issue (as you have pointed out). Nothing to do with the platform. If you make Airbnb illegal it will be quickly replaced by marketing services elsewhere - probably a lot less secure & open to scams such as those already prevalent on social media. What could be done is more clarity & simplicity in licencing for the short-term market. For the long-term rentals (>30 days) I'd hate to see an extra layer of regulation imposed. It would be an administrative nightmare for agents and those owners already doing the right thing. The only exception might be the creation of a rental bond agency to hold & manage those funds and independently adjudicate in disputes.

Also a Reuters article published 28 March 2024 by The New Daily here. And a Twitter Post by Thai Enquirer.

Good for you and an amazing effort! I didn't share the link, only a screenshot. Of course there's nothing to stop you searching for the same DOPA link on their website and putting your own ฿2 in, but if you do - that would be more than the remaining apathetic 99.99% of the population would ever consider.

Just for a bit of clarity, under the current act there is nothing illegal about listing accommodation on Airbnb - provided: the building/ room has a hotel licence the term of the lease is at least 30 days if there is no licence. A lot of guests houses etc also list on that platform.

I received the following email from Airbnb today. It seems that the Thailand Ministry of Interior’s Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) is currently holding a virtual public consultation until 31 March 2024 to gather feedback on the effectiveness of the Hotel Act in Thailand. Hosts are encouraged to voice out their concerns and advocate for a fairer Hotel Act 31 March 2024.

I wouldn't read too much into it. VA's entire fleet is based on the 737 (post administration) and it would take a quantum leap at a time when they are still consolidating to swap over. They'd be on the short-list for one of the least likely carriers to switch manufacturers. Other airlines? Who knows? How quickly they can get delivery for a new order also matters.

I remember reading somewhere that even if Boeing suddenly ceased production or went out of business (unlikely), then Airbus is in no position to ramp up production to meet the shortfall anytime soon. Personally, I think that Boeing might be a prime target for takeover (hostile or otherwise) given the value of it's other businesses - especially military. Maybe the previous joint ventures with Embraer could be rejigged - if they can raise capital and/or finance and overcome their own issues. Maybe a syndicate? But one entity that is out of the running would be Comac. Congress would never allow it, especially as they are currently shooing off other Chinese entities such as Tiktok and some infamously opportunistic & nationalistic Presidential candidate is watching in the wings.

Thanks for sharing that. Looking at the overall sequence of events, it seems there might have been some real victimisation happening (by Boeing directed to their employee). If nothing else, here is an exemplary long-term staff member that suddenly took a nosedive in (internal) ratings. So something changed. I do however agree that this is a historical HR issue, not "directly" linked to Boeing's other current issues. If Boeing is going to get out of this mess of its own making and doesn't address their culture of fear first, then it will all be a waste of time & investor's money.

If you're planning well in advance, then I would arrange take the path of least resistance and arrange for the visa prior to departure in Australia. It saves you time (visa extension in TH), risk and probably a few $. Watch the dates though as the Visa has limited validity before you need to start the trip.

Perceptions matter and "brand trust" for airlines is critical. At least it's still in positive territory. Analysis by Anna Fleck, Statista March 18, 2024

@OneMoreFarang - I respect your decision. It was probably #1 and a bit of #3 of my points that warranted a "No". Do keep your ear to the ground and stay close to those 2 farang committee members. The bridge will always be there - at least whilst they're involved.

@Rampant Rabbit I can feel your frustration with those windows. Whilst the view is nice, cleaning is a definite minus when you have floor to ceiling windows without the balcony. Fortunately labour is relatively cheap in Thailand, so the abseilers wouldn't have broken the bank. I probably would have done the same - especially if I was intending to sell the unit. Perceptions matter & a couple of thousand Baht spent here might have added fifty thousand Baht of value. And even if the committee wasn't on board, I would have gone a step further and canvassed other owners if they wanted to come on board with a "joint" cleaning project - so shared some of the expense.

I'm not disagreeing with you. John was the litigant and Boeing the defendant in this case. He would have been warned about the stress & difficulties of being cross-examined in court. I've been in the chair myself. Every victim of crime and witness faces that dilemma: "Do I want to go through this?" But that doesn't make it any easier on the day. And some people deal with that stress better than others.

@OneMoreFarang This is a good question and I may possibly be asking myself the same in a year or two. I'm on one other (non-property-management) committee now and have been on others previously (both property related & outside that scope) so this is something that I would encourage you to join if: You have the time & patience. You feel that you have something to contribute. You're not about to join a fragment, polarised and/or dysfunctional group that focuses more on personalities than outcomes. As for #3 I wholly endorse @newnative's comments. Sound out some of the existing board members and get on board with the ones that you can find common ground. They might be feeling drowned out right now and would welcome a supporting voice. Just be careful not to get too aligned with any single faction. A lot of committees can become very political and rational people cease to be that when given a small amount of power. As for @ezzra, I do hope that at the very least the local police & committee members were immediately aware of the threat/s. 99.9% chance that nothing will happen, but if it does then they already have a hot lead. Also, if the mailbox area in the building doesn't already have 24/7 CCTV coverage I would make sure that happens. Even if I made that my final-ever motion on the committee.

TikTok has had an amazing rise to popularity in recent years - which (in part) explains why this is now such a significant issue and has the potential for a further diplomatic rift. Just for the record, I'm not part of the 40% and don't intend to be. Personally I think the Chinese are more clever than we give them credit for and have devised the perfect tool to (further) dumb down the masses in the US & elsewhere in the world (everywhere but China).

Nobody knows the real story - except for John and the person that pulled the trigger. That may or may not be the same person, but even if it was, then consider this: if you're suffering from PTSD after years in a hostile work environment what could be more traumatic than having to face a hostile defence lawyer fronting those same people in a court environment? I know that I wouldn't be sleeping that night.

More on the former Boeing employee and whistle-blower found dead - just prior to giving testimony. https://youtu.be/a32RLgqNfGs