new2here

I agree.. under this line of thought, i could easily see the government imposing export curbs on any outflow …

Just from the most cursory read… it sounds like the two major groups that this is proposed to impact is Thai citizens and Permanent Residents## (## I am assuming here, this means those that explicitly hold the much harder to obtain legitimate Permanent Resident status and not some form of “long stay” visa/extension of stay) If so, I can see why they might try this… Why? Citizens and PRs are essentially a “hostage” demographic.. they ARE going to come back … so unless they want or can, remain “home bound” indefinitely, they’ll be forced to pay up. Plus, given the so-called “middle class” seems to be expanding, international travel I would reasonably assume would be something this group would place higher up their list of wants … so by the government targeting this group - makes sense.. they’re big and getting bigger and they’re a hostage market — they’ve got no other workaround

that makes sense and kind of matches tk the overall feeling that i’m getting from the banks i deal with…. thanks

Naturally, I don’t think it was some kind of deliberate, planned and purposeful attempt to somehow render their offices inaccessible.. by doing so, one could also argue that by doing so they would then be prohibiting customer or money from coming IN … so… That accessibility issue aside, the BBL at Paragon used a portable USB-style webcam clipped to the top of the computer, to take my photo and it was clipped to a bank-owned laptop (the laptop had a BBL property control ID type sticker on it visible) So.. perhaps IF the branch has this, it would be possible for the bank staff to come downstairs to you, to get the process done.. Just thinking outside the box if you will.

I’ve got at least one basic passbook savings accounts at each of the big 5 (a few i have more accounts at BBL and KBank) and each account is at the same location - Siam Paragon Yesterday I stopped by each branch to ask/get it done.. Bangkok Bank- the easiest. They had one staff who essentially was the “verification photo” person. Before me were several Thais - and they were processed the same as me. I could see the screen as she processed it. SCB- Said, after calling their internal service center - that foreigners aren’t required. Branch manager said that she felt the answer was incorrect but that she didn’t see a way to get it done in their system at that moment. She suggested that I try again maybe late month. Krungthai - System not ready. Did say that yes, everyone will need to get it down eventually, but right now today, it’s not yet ready. The manager (who i’ve known personally for a few years) took my number and said that she’d monitor it matter and call me when I can come back. KBank - Said that foreigners aren’t required to. Like SCB, staff in-branch suspected this might change later on, but for now, not possible. Krungsri - Easy and done within 5 minutes .. said it’s required for everyone - citizenship not withstanding. Just my own experiences from yesterday.

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.

I agree. At the end of the day, the insured bears the ultimate responsibility to know what’s covered and any limitations or exceptions.. I do also think that insurers could make this process easier — but again in the end, the insured bears the liability. I do think this is a good news story.. insurance issues aside, it sounds like he’s finally back “home” where his social support is most likely strongest and he’ll probably have a better overall long term case management… so to that end, it’s a good news story.

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

To me, there will never be an officially set rate that will stomp out these crimes.. For those drivers it’s going to be X + (legal rate) .. so i don’t think chasing those off-meter drivers by upping the official rate will ever eliminate the problem. To me, those drivers who been arrested/fined previously should have their taxis seized via criminal forfeiture… yes, many don’t own the vehicle.. but by the state seizing the vehicle, now the driver has a second “penalty” issue to deal with the taxi cooperative… in addition to the criminal side … To me, that’s how you root out these issues— you take their stuff .. anything used in the commission of their crime should be subject to criminal seizure. Harsh, yes… but at this point, there really isn’t any credible argument in my mind that the crime is unknown to the drivers nor do i think you can argue that the fare haven’t been increased — due in large part to driver complaints…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I agree with the others in that until such time as we actually see prosecutions - people standing in court in front of a judge - then it’s all conjecture if you will. I do think that “Joke” is trying to root out the issue.. but… I also think it’s incredibly hard to investigate one/some of “your own” … and given that TH doesn’t really have a truly independent investigative arm that’s both equipped with the functional backing of law AND insulated from potential interference from the entity/people being investigated, it’s going to make any investigation hard and/or open the door to claims of bias or adulterated findings.

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.

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.

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)

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.

I did the same as you— when I decided that I would make TH my permanent home, I wanted to create and build my official credit profile (as maintained by the NCB) here. I asked my banker at BBL (I have BBLs Bualuang Banking) and she said that for a non-citizen worker (ie holds a non-B and work permit) the best way was via an unsecured** credit card, I did ask about unsecured personal loans, but was told a credit card was better as it was open ended and not fixed term like a personal loan. So, that’s what i’ve done.. I applied for, and was ultimately approved for unsecured cards from BBL, Kbank and Krungsri. Each one reports my monthly balances and payment history to the NCB. I also get a letter from each creditor annually which summarizes my activities for the year. Unlike the US, the NCB itself only acts as a data collection entity, they not create any “score” for borrowers- that’s up to each creditor and their unique risk analysis models in use for any selected lending situation. **(some banks may require you to deposit X funds into a deposit account which then becomes pledged against your card and can’t be withdrawn until the card is paid in full and account closed; these are still credit cards and are reported to the NCB as such)