new2here

4 minutes ago, flexomike said:

didn't know that, but it shouldn't make any difference they are all electronic transfers which should show up when they arrive. If not I guess it would be the 8th, but I can't see that happening, been doing it for seven years, and never gotten it latter than the 4th

 

I suspect that there’s a difference between the day/time it’s received by the banks systems and when it settles and posts — that’s i’ll bet where the slow down comes from .. 

While not SSA, I do get a monthly wire from my US employer and often the bank (in this case Kbank) receives it pretty much instantly- at any hour of the day or into the night; but it won’t post and be visible to me nor settle, until the next business day. 

To be honest, I’m somewhat surprised that we haven’t seen more hotels and other type venues add on some kind of “fuel” surcharge or the like…

Granted, this latest “spike” is somewhat new— so maybe there hasn’t been enough time for ideals out of the private sector to percolate up, but I’d also guess that this is a problem that the current government will want to stamp out asap - and most of the rival parties will want to keep in the spotlight as long as early May. 

So .. my hunch is that we may see action - if only due to political clout value alone…

To me, there IS a way to effectively root out this issue — but it’s unpalatable— do it like Bhutan.

Require all citizens of X country (in THIS example only it would be Chinese) to effectively “buy” $X of non-convertible, registered (ie with a stated name on them) coupons directly from the Thai government (ie the TAT or similar entity) … at this point the government has a guaranteed income of $X per day, per person in their coffers.

Once in country, the coupons would then be exchanged for their hotel or similar purchases…

The hotel would then turn around and redeem these coupons from the TAT.. and this is when the government would have the chance to verify that the redeeming entity is a legitimate entity or a shell company or whatever…

.. and since they’d be non-convertible and registered, the government would have a near guarantee “income” per head, per day without the risk of someone trying to sell them to someone else … or try to exchange them back into RMB/THB etc 

2 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

The article tells you in part, the increase is based on the previous four months prices which are reviewed every four months. What it doesn't tell you is that subsidized electricity prices costs the government money and that money has to be paid back at some point so that prices can once again be subsidized in the future. The oil stabilization fund is the same, the fund that supports petrol prices. 

Totally agreed.  It appears to be essentially a “reverse” looking tool. So, while they may expect futures moves down, at the present, the preceding period was still up - therefore the rise in the FT.

I also agree that the fund really appears to somewhat like a “line of credit” that can be tapped when times are tough - thus larger subsidies- and is financed in part by that LOC … but that some point in the future, that will need to be paid back.. 

On the surface, that seems like a wise move and having a fund like this seems to allow them to essentially smooth out the pains of temporarily high highs while talking advantage of any low lows to “bank” some savings. 

If you ask me “could it ever?”. I’d have to say yes.. but.. i also think that the days of this question even being a realistic, large-scale question is still yeeeaaars away…

One thing that, when i look back what I’d call my best teachers, one strong commonality is … connection… I had a connection between the teacher and me.. I knew what they wanted and expected of me.. and they knew what I could do with the right training, motivation and supportz

So, for me, I think that for an AI-based teaching entity to become reality, that’s one big part of the overall puzzle that will have to be addressed.

Where i could see AI coming into eduction sooner is in more ancillary or support positions… that’s where I might see it first deployed. 

I kind of agree.. Yes, there are some areas in Thailand social welfare, eduction and support systems that aren’t as good or effective as they could/should be… that to me is a very fair statement and perhaps i’d also agree might be a *contributing* factor here to some degree… 

.. but… even IF that’s true, to me that doesn’t then translate somehow into a pass for the alleged here either.. I think it’s very fair to hold her accountable to the fullest extent of the law. 

… but as to the base argument of the article that essentially says unless improvements are made, there’ll be more of these cases — i think that’s probably a more accurate than not, statement. 

6 hours ago, worgeordie said:

What about the owners ,no charges against them ....

regards Worgeordie

I agree.. One thing I’m personally a big supporter of is “forfeiture” laws.. IF there’s a finding by the court that X asset was used in the commission of said crime, then I’d support the court ordering the forfeiture of that asset to the state.

This is one way you can really hurt those who are at the top of the pyramid, but because they’re not commonly physically involved, also seem to evade any real consequences… If you start taking their assets - and that’s BIG value assets - I suspect you’ll see behavioral change.

Same for repeat drunk drivers and those who continually violate laws regarding motorcycle operation.. I’ll bet if you start seizing cars and bikes (that means permanent seizure and not temporary possession) from those repeat offenders, you’ll see some change. 

46 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Some points spring to mind - as an aide memoire for TG's present big banana, Mr. Piyasvasti Amranand: 
a) try to imagine, how many more billions, trillions or even zillions could have been made if all those indefinitely parked aircraft in i.e. Bangkok Suvannaphoum airport would be flying rather than just stand around to the disgrace of Thai aviation 
b) before you want to shop for new equipment, work out something for the present large fleet sitting idle - see above point. Either way some crooks in the past shopped till they dropped for aircraft without a plan nor an idea of necessity. Possibly those suggesting new equipment now are equally brain damaged or focussing too much on "personal" interests". 
c) it is proved beyond reasonable doubt, that TG (like many other dinosaurs, i.e. State Railways of Thailand) have been managed by thieves and, if not thieves then they must be ignorant and blind.

Maybe you want to outsource that to professionals, irrespective of nationality, gender and/or age. Japanese and Middle Eastern companies of same/bigger proportions put the best candidate into the driver's seat with great success; something which cannot be said by i.e. TG. 

Good points 

For point 1, i think that’s a bit more complex… Thai has got to have the operating infrastructure (ie staff etc) to be able to add capacity from the beginning…  and given a large percentage of operational staff have some degree of licensing requirements (ie pilots license, cabin crew certification, maintenance licensing etc) so it’s going to take time to find these people - and get them

properly licensed and trained.

but I think before that question is even considered, I think TG has got to be able to see demand *for where they fly* and think that’s what’s holding them back.. Until a few weeks ago, pretty much most all China travel was off limits .. and even HKG had some level of depressed demand due to lingering C19 entry rules..  So i think TG has to rework their network given the new reality of where to fly, who is flying and what the market looks like today.

For point 2… I agree.. but i also think now is the time for TG to rework their fleet. Many of those stored aircraft will never fly again due to operating economics and network realities .. so given where the market is for TG today, I think it’s a good time to bring their fleet up to current standard - that will help drive down costs (CASM) even a .25% (25bp) reduction in CASM can mean billions of bahts, up operational reliability and i think perhaps most visually, improve the passenger-facing hard product. 

Point C.. Yes.. while I get it.. as a matter of national pride, you’d want a “hometown” CEO and leadership team.. but I think given TGs past history of leadership planning and execution missteps, it’s time to perhaps open up to a truly global candidate search and be willing to accept that what CEO talent TG needs right now maybe from a foreign source. 

16 hours ago, London Lowf said:

Maybe they can now afford to fix the seats, seatbelts, screens, give the cabin crew a raise so that they can manage a trademark smile and give the planes a respray - taxiing around Swampy in the daytime and looking at the fleet, they are all different shades of purple depending on how long they've been exposed to UV light.

 

For eight years I've been "faithful" to Thai but next trip I'm trying Emirates.

If I read correctly, nearly half of the “new” fleet will be leased A350s and the other half will be return-to-service a few of their A333s and a few 777s that are currently stored…

So, i suspect the vast majority of what you see currently at Suvarnabhumi in storage status, will (most likely) never return to service with TG - therefore I’ll also doubt you’ll see them undergo a repainting or other return-to-service work. 

I highly doubt you’ll see their A388s fly for TG again… and some of the older 772s and 773s I suspect will go to other carriers, undergo CF (converted freighter) modification or be parted out. 

32 minutes ago, userabcd said:

That is a bit extreme.

yes.. IMHO.. the relationship really is how tough your enforcement is has a direct proportional impact on the level of compliance 

It all depends on how “badly” does the government want a fix. 

Again, if they really wanted to root out this problem (recognizing that they’ll never get to truly zero) would be to implement consistent and tough penalties... 

For me, IMHO, two of the greatest “powers” government really has when it comes to implementing penalties to be a deterrent are: seizure of any assets used during the commission of said action and/or remaking the offender to jail.

To me, once you start showing that violators will loose their “stuff” - be that their cars, motorcycles etc AND will loose their freedom for X period of time - NOW i think you’ll see a deterrent effect.

I like the two-prong approach of asset seizures and/or imprisonment as it really acts as a deterrent to both the normal man; who really can’t afford to loose their stuff due yo law violation… as well as the rich— who can’t buy their way out of a period of imprisonment.

Heavy handed? you bet… but again, IF you REALY want to root out a problem, then you’ve got to have a situation whereby people KNOW that the risks just don’t outweigh the possible consequences for non-compliance.

yes, in Bangkok, the job is hard… agreed.. and yes, the income can be variable.. but that’s what the job is.. and if they want it different, then there’s a process and channels for them to effect change - self-help via willful non-compliance isn’t the way and should be met with full force. 

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

 

Which is something all money lending institutions should do?

absolutely agree.  To me, to be as accurate a barometer as possible, you’d WANT as much verifiable related data as you could get..  So, you bet, smaller bills like post-paid mobile, utilities etc., to me should all be a part of the total picture.

Yes, i think that some should carry a larger “weight” in terms of the scoring model, but i do think it should include other forms of debt management - not just the classic credit card and such.

As someone who grew up in the US, I was born and raised on the American version and played it at the college level in a Division I institution as well..  but i’ve also spent probably 80% of my post-university life working/living overseas where the European version of football is played and is wildly popular. 

My take is that while both the US and Euro versions are both good games, I think as far as continuous action goes, the Euro version is better — that is unlike the US version where each “down” is rather short followed by a period of time to line up for the next down, the Euro game tends to be much more active for a sustained period of time.. that to me, makes the Euro version a bit better from the spectators viewpoint,

I do prefer the US version as far as the players go, because comparatively, the US version has bit more specialty (ie punter, KO, etc) and strategy to it (ie “do you punt or go-for-it on 4th down” etc)

So, to me, they’re so different that i can’t really say one is better, each one, to me, has its own unique strengths from a spectator viewpoint.

6 hours ago, jcmj said:

Have a look at Lazada or Shopee and you’ll find many options for envelopes and some with custom design them for you. I’m sure you can have a “Thai stamp” printed on them if that is so important. I don’t think the post office has stamps like America where you can choose. May be wrong but good luck. 

Thai post *does* have pre-printed, pre-denominated stamps… they’re readily available at POs.. In fact, Thailand actually has a fairly active and diverse philatelic community and the Thai Post prints a fairly wide range of stamps as well as many commemoratives as well.

True, the validated postage is becoming more common as it’s tied to the scale and address (EDI) notably when EMS service is used. 

8 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

I got the Bivalent vaccine while I was back in the US back in September 2022.  You might have to take a trip to the US if you want this vaccine.  While I was in line at the CVS Pharmacy I spoke to a couple from Singapore who come to the US on vacation and decided to get the Bivalent Vaccine as well.  

Same here.. i got mine (for free*) in the US during my late fall return trip… I had and still have doubts that the “updated” version will ve available here in TH and IF it is, that the supply will be much lower than earlier versions and/or will require some “payment” to get it.

(free means no immediate out-of-pocket payment required at time of vaccination, but i acknowledge that in the broadest sense, it’s not free as it’s government supplied ie taxpayer funded)

On 1/10/2023 at 2:56 PM, nigelforbes said:

I was with my Thai bank for over 10 years and kept several million on deposit with them. One day a girl in the branch asked me if I wanted a credit card, to which I replied yes, but not if it means keepings funds tied up to guarantee it. Oh no she said, this one is unsecured plus you get lots of benefits. Sure enough, a short time later the card arrived and has a 300k credit limit. Cool, I thought. Later I noticed my account had been debited 4,500 baht for one years subscription to the card, hmmm! Later I started to reap the many benefits of the card such as collecting points that expire every month, three days before the statement arrives, hmmm! But I have to admit it is useful for making and paying for local bookings and flights, otherwise, it's a waste of 4.5k every year. Convenience factor only. Plus I get my credit score statement every so often, apparently I'm a 10, not that I can do anything with that but hey, it';s good to be a 10.

 

 

I agree that in totality, US cards offer far more “perks” than any Thai card does.. but.. I tend to associate that with the reality that credit cards here don’t have the “reach” as in the US or other western countries…. plus there are far far fewer issuers here in Thailand.. and that means far fewer cards to choose from.  In addition, the Bank of Thailand does regulate some aspects of the credit card space (ie maximum credit limits for example are subject to BoT regs) which also ends up shutting many lower wage workers from the credit card marketplace. 

For me, while i primarily wanted credit cards to start and develop my local credit file, i also find that there can be some decent promos (many are for dining out i’ve found) offered when paying via your locally issued credit card… but again, in totality, US cards far far surpass anything i’ve seen here (aside from an ultra-high card) as a regular offering in terms of perks” offered.

It’s clearly an unfortunate situation.

I agree that nearly all forms of insurance really do come down to “fine” print.. rightly or wrongly, unless it’s an expressly covered event, then it’s not.. that’s just how insurance works … and how it’s priced I might add.. Obviously, the more perils a policy covers and the higher the likely hood of a payout becomes, will naturally have a sizable impact on premiums…. so the more comprehensive the policy, the more likely a claim, the higher the premium and perhaps the tighter the underwriting criteria also becomes. 

unfortunately many policies aren’t written for the layman to easily read and understand-  but to me, that’s somewhat a result of the litigation risk an insurer may be exposed to if they were to only release a “layman’s” policy wording and not one that is fully vetted by their legal counsel.

I also agree that the proposed (but as far as I am aware, not yet actually implemented) B300 tourist tax*, is not designed, as far as I’ve read and seen details, to be a wholesale replacement for individuals buying their own coverage-  but rather acts as a safety net - for catastrophic cases, has not been actually implemented, thus no relief from that end either.

I have empathy for him and his family.. they’ve got a long physical recovery ahead, plus their financial obligations as well.

Clearly “crude” prices globally have fallen off their covid peak levels… however, carriers tend to watch and use the Platts fuel index as that’s specific to their commodity- Jet-A/A1

https://www.iata.org/en/publications/economics/fuel-monitor/

So, on that front, there’s a case to be made for downward pressure on fares..

But…

I think the other major element that’s still keeping upward pressure on fares is “supply” … with load factors in some markets in the upper 80s plus, carriers see demand and their inability to add capacity is somewhat like leaving money on the table so to speak.  I suspect that carriers do want to add capacity, but most are also acutely aware they adding capacity can drive down fares IF load factors don’t remain high to support the incremental costs.

but adding capacity for some is also problematic as planes they put into storage can take weeks to re-certify for revenue service … and their crew and staff.. many who were furloughed or laid off, now have to be recalled… and like in many other fields, some of these previously employed airline staff, have found new jobs and careers, and don’t want to go back ..:

so they have to hire “off-the-street” and for many positions, there’s a lengthy licensing and training period required before they are ready 

In totality, I DO think that the cut of the excise tax will help, but that’s just one piece of the pricing equation and in the longer term, not really going to have a MAJOR impact on bottom line ticket prices. 

3 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Unfortunately NO !!!!!

Agreed.  Until such time as the general public has a sizable shift in their collective thinking and actions - it will remain this way.

I do think policing - be that better, more consistent and frequent enforcement would help, but i’ve long argued that you can’t really “police” your way out of problems like this.. it takes a collective shift in how people think and act for that to really happen and have a sustained change.

….. for now, as many of these events are (IMHO) seen, internalized or explained away as either “fate” or accidents (as opposed to what i call many to be crashes due to one or more controllable factors) there’s no real NEED to change the mindset… and so it goes on body after body 

3 hours ago, mjakob007 said:

Interesting hypothesis - Not

 

Most of the travelers we get in Thailand have not been able to travel for 2-3 years and hence going all the way.

This may not be sustainable due to loss of jobs in the west from recession, high airfares, travellers burning their savings during the past 2-3 years.  

I agree.. I highly doubt that one of the leading drivers to travelers choosing to come to TH is, on large part, due to the much higher home heating and energy costs…

I suspect that right now, we’re still seeing that “pent up travel demand” that’s finally been released… i suspect that’s more the driver that energy costs back home would be.