new2here

as noted earlier, IF the implementation is at the Point Of Sale, then it’s most likely going to be included in ALL tickets.. that’s the most straightforward implementation given how air tickets are actually sold and the “behind the scenes” processing (ex: ARC) that takes place.

Yes, it could be set that tickets SOLD in X or Y region might be exempt (ex: some counties have fares that are only for sale within their own borders or for sale to only citizens) but with VPNs it’s hard to effectively do a good job at true geofencing… So, my gut is that it will apply to all non-citizens as programmatically a citizenship is usually part of the initial booking process.  

As far as how to handle non-citizens who might otherwise be exempt goes…. I could see a process whereby IF the law is that certain types of non-citizens are exempt from the fee, Immigration would give the selected non-citizen a QR code or somehow authorized a refund. Then the pax submits said approved refund electronically.

Here’s my take… Like most all countries, Thailand does have a fairly established set of objective standards for admissibility under one of the multiple entry methods provided for by law.. So, to that end, Immigration officers can’t independently “create” their own individual law…

that said, they DO have the legally established right to verify all of the facts, documents etc that a person presents for entry under their chosen method.. 

So, I see nothing overtly wrong with an officer stopping and questioning - to their satisfaction - any non-citizen passenger to verify their status against the entry method the passenger has stated earlier.

This doesn’t mean they can or should be impolite, unprofessional etc… but speaking to their legal right to temporarily detain and question, for purposes of determining admissibility, to me, seems well within their jurisdiction.

Its always an uncomfortable experience and not one that i’d hope on others, but i cede that it is a tool that immigration can and should use *with discretion and tact* to ensure compliance. 

The reality is that “arguing” with the press at large is a no-win situation.. so, while emotionally one may want to, it’s almost always a loosing battle for the government as the “playing field” is largely controlled by the media.. 

Plus arguing only adds more ammunition for the media to use against you… you’re only playing into their strength. 

You put your narrative out there and largely sidestep all other issues that detract from it.

I think the media plays a very critical role in the dynamic between issues such as government narrative, public criticism and transparency.  But if i were sitting on the government side, I’d try like hell to get the PM to stop “taking the bait” 

7 hours ago, JoePai said:

Simple, keep the price at 6 Baht but put less in the packet

If I recall the Ministries list does specify the pack size/weight, so using shrinkflation isn’t probably going to work here… but i cede it’s a good idea.

What Id wonder is why not subtly reduce output?  they can’t artificially “stockpile” ...  so they can’t manufacture it THEN withhold it from sale to artificially create a supply/demand gap…  but if they are either loose money making it at this level (which i don’t think is going to be true) OR that their costs at these levels make producing the noodles essentially a lost-leader so-to-speak, then I might think about gradually cutting production of those noodles and divert their limited manufacturing capacity to items that aren’t price capped.

the only other way i might see is substituting lower price ingredients.. but i’ll bet that will require a whole lot of work internally (ie sourcing, production etc) and probably also trigger the need for a review of their food permit as well…

On paper, thailand really is very much like most other major countries in terms of the law: what is and is not legal.  

As example, Thailand’s law relates to the operation of motor vehicles is actually quite similar to that of the US and most parts of Europe… 

So, to that end, Thailand is quite similar to most other places… it’s not that much of an outlier…..

but… as noted earlier, it’s the processes of enforcement and administration of these laws that kind of dilutes their impact… and takes them off the rails… 

In my view, any laws without real and consistent enforcement are essentially only societal “suggestions” … and laws that are not administered openly, equally and transparently are only subjective punishments to be applied when/where the punisher, in their unquestioned opinion, feels just and against only those the punisher disapproves of, also in their own unquestioned opinion.

Lastly, as a cumulative product of years of this reality, there’s a collective public mindset of acceptance which essentially feeds an apathetic viewpoint — the perfect environment for those who operate the system, to continue to do so with little to no accountability or pushback from the public at large.

7 hours ago, John Drake said:

The videos are so gruesome I don't see how they can cover it up. The man engulfed in flames crumpling to the parking lot in the background. The young girl with several fires sprouting around her back, neck, and face. The young man walking by calmly apparently unaware that his back has been burnt badly. It was like watching survivors from the Hindenburg. 

that’s the part of this that, rightly or wrongly, is a big deal.

this is a “high-vis” event … kind of like the young lady killed in the crosswalk…  you just can’t have all those videos online and on social media and not have the authorities make arrests… they effectively have to.. they’re in a corner in that respect..

… as such, it’s going to be hard for anyone to effectively make it just “go away” ….  a few people will have to pay the price…. people will have to be arrested.. people will have to go to prison… 

the tragedy in that respect is that i’ll reasonably bet that the true perpetrators, the people who benefited from this venue, won’t be the ones who are paying the price… 

but that’s not unique to Thailand… but i’ll bet that this is how the tragedy will ultimately end.

I suspect these kinds of moves serve two concurrent purposes …

1) it’s a societally acceptable way to “punish” someone…

2) it also avoids the loss-of-face that comes with making such a move to a public officer and in relation to a very public incident. 

Kind of like kids who get a score of 50/100… most will see the “50” and know that s/he failed …. but the use of 50/100 also avoids the labeling/shaming/embarrassment and paperwork that comes with having to deal with a true failing mark.

At the level of the person in question, anyone who is involuntary transferred will be known as “…that guy”… but avoids a formal label of being demoted etc…

To me, i think the answer is just that, that’s not Makros’ business model .. they go for mass volume, lower SKU count inventory and with little to no personalization… and given how they’re structured, that makes sense 

The more small-lot retail shops are better equipped and staffed to sell smaller lots, offer a wider range of SKUs and to allow for a greater degree of personalization. 

Its just a different market and operating model.

i agree that just from what’s written, I myself don’t see any malice or intent.. to be fair, yes, it does appear he was overcharged… but i don’t think that was their intent and once discovered, was rightly corrected..  I do think some form of an apology would have been nice- but in the end, it got fixed… and that’s the key.

Ive had this go both ways for me.  As example, in my favor, I like the small sausage roll at Tops .. commonly they are B29/ea. however, they do go on sale “buy-1, get-1” 

In the past some Tops locations will pre-bag 2 into one bag and apply one bar code.. In the past, when i buy say 2 or 4 bags, (that would be 4 or 8 individual buns), the register only changes for 1 or 2 - it’s counting the bar codes and not the individual buns inside.. Honest mistake.

I bring it to the cashiers attention and either they’ll fix it and i pay the shortage or, more often, they waive it and thank me for letting them know so they can go back and add a second bar code to the 2-bun packs so it scans/prices correctly.

Same on reverse, I’ve had Foodland apply the wrong bar code on my fresh beef purchase and it rings up way more.. I call her attention to it, they take it back and check, reprice it and we’re done.

I don’t know that around-the-clock delivery is really what the market wants..  IF that is really their plan.

What I’d think might be more — consumer friendly - is extending delivery times to later evening hours, when people are home (from home/school) and can receive parcels.  I’d also push more weekend deliveries - again, when people might

 be home.  I also think that leveraging tech as far as improved scanning/tracking abilities combined with the end users ability to do things like customize their chosen delivery time or alternate address..

Id also go for “date/time” guaranteed… that way businesses can offer their customers a guaranteed delivery date versus a range of “between 1-3 days” and couple that with either expanded evening or weekend delivery windows- that to me would seem to be what the B2C market might want, and pay for.

The Thai Post already had a big advantage on that they already have a massive nationwide network built-out .. be that brick-mortal post offices or their regional processing centers.. so the basic infrastructure I suspect is already largely in place… i just think they’ve got to do more with what they’ve got and leverage the tech that’s already in use.

Airline work - especially those jobs that are “operational” in nature, have long been somewhat “boom-bust” kinds of occupations in that the jobs, salaries and job security tends to be quite high during periods of high demand and robust growth, but can instantly turn south in a big way, and result in massive layoffs etc.

True, this is not something exclusive to the airline universe, but it’s always been there and it’s quite pronounced in the airline industry … and I think during this last C19 downturn, those who were laid off/furloughed/etc just decided that they’d take the opportunity to change careers and move in a different path.

So.. now when they get that recall notice or call from their HR that their job will be reinstated- some are choosing to move on in a wholly different direction.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same with other industries like hospitality front-line staff and the like..

to me,  remembering that almost all aspects of the whole C19 issue carrie’s with it a large political aspect, I don’t think the government can really “afford” to go back and mandate masks again.

To me, doing so, plays right into the oppositions narrative that the government isn’t in control, can’t control it or otherwise — true or not… it plays right into that narrative.

So, i think that for the government to effectively backtrack so soon, is both a loss-of-face but also hands the governments opponents a solid talking point.

What I do think the government can do, is to exert so-called soft-power and play to the nationalistic aspect… just from my view only, the mask wearing rate remains quite high even though it’s not mandatory outside any longer.. so i don’t think it’s too much of a stretch for the government to play the “keep thailand safe” type of card as opposed to formally backtracking to a hard mandate.   

Pretty much all the major banks have been reassessing their real estate portfolio and footprints

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40014873

I suspect that post-C19 and with the advancement of various “e-“ forms of payments, deposits and such, this will only continue.

While my BBL accounts are all at their 333 Silom office, I do know the branch managers of a few other offices in the general area and have heard that the head office is always looking at branches long-term viability.. not just accounts opened or assets under control, but net foot traffic, type of traffic, quantity and type of transactions being conducted in-branch etc. 

If you’ve got the time and the motivation, you can also stop by the Office of Consumer Protection.. They are (in my first hand experience) VERY helpful and fair..: they go by the facts, the evidence and any applicable law etc…   IF you’ve got a legitimate claim against a business, thai owned or not, they will pursue it and they also do have the “teeth” to get resolution as the direct governmental agency and as i recall fall under the Prime Ministers Office. 

You would best be served to have thai speaker go with you, but it’s not necessary.  If you go that route, prepare all your documentation, proof, emails etc as you’ll have to give them copies as poof of your case.

On 6/11/2022 at 7:35 PM, NE1 said:

I'd be interested to know what it looks like.

if you open the KTB app, then press the ( + ) button..: you’ll see a list of other KTB services open up, it’s there -  GLO.

add it from that menu then tap save.

It will appear on your home screen when you launch the app.

another issue is bilateral tax treaties.. thailand has a whole host of them, and as such if you’re a national of one of these countries, then special taxation rules MAY also apply to you with respect to your Thai income situation as well as any income generated externally. 

As for the withholding… yes, a non-citizen is subject to it in most cases… all you need to do is ask the bank for a tax statement at the branch (my experience with BBL is that any BBL branch can issue them regardless of the accounts domicile branch so long as you have proper ID and the physical bank book) after January, which shows the total interest paid and the withholding on the account and signed by the bank officer. 

then it’s only a matter of adding that into your PD90/91 on the correct line… easy peasy in my opinion.

Do know that most, if not all, LABOUR offices will require you to show proof of the prior years tax filing/payment compliance before they’ll renew a WP for a subsequent period.   This if true even IF your Thai subjected income/expenses/deductions left you in a “no tax due” or even a “refund due” situation… they’ll still want to see proof that you filed (and paid if required) as per law. 

I would agree that at some point the “west” might start to show signs of war fatigue or war support fatigue…. I think part of this is going to be their everyday citizens seeing prices driven by the economic fall out - ie prices rising, in part but not totality, due to the war, and many will start to demand the focus shift inwards - ie their own daily cost of living..

I also think that in the end, the media cycle time is hyper short.. todays worldwide headline event will shift fairly quickly to the latest news somewhere else in the world… i just think that’s how it is with our ability to broadcast from nearly anywhere in the world and do so in near real-time. 

I’ve also got to believe that when the war in the Ukraine is over - whatever form that may take - I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there’s a “bill” so to speak, shown to Ukraine, and that they’ll tacitly be expected to pay back to those countries who backed them by direct financial support, material support or the like. 

5 hours ago, Thailand said:

Mull away the Thai Pass etc and then you are almost there but probably too late to save much of this year.

I don’t know about that.. I think that if everything is removed — and it’s well advertised, I do think thailand has a good shot at a decent high season…. 

but… they’ll have to hurry as many holiday makers will start to either begin their holiday planning or might be even be looking to finalize it by late summer or even as late as early fall… so… there’s some time— but not a whole lot… In addition,  while air fares to Europe and North America are at very high levels, fares to Asia, relatively speaking aren’t as rich — just yet…. so people might find that the air fare part of the total equation makes Asia a better choice… but they’ll have to compete against places like Bali, KL etc ,, who’ve all be “ open” to varying degrees, well before thailand and may have already been chosen as the spot for this years year-end trip. 

16 hours ago, mikejphuket said:

I am a permanent resident, have lovely pink ID card, but no social security coverage. I'm wondering if I have to make the Thailand Pass to arrive from overseas? If so what about insurance? Thank You.

As a PR is not a citizen or national, as i read the current TP mandates, yes, you would still need to get a TP and have the insurance or one of the accepted alternatives (ie proof of Thai SSO cover)   I am not aware of any exemption or the like that applies to this category of individuals. 

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

A friends daughter resumed school Monday of this week, promptly told it will be a 6-day week, Mon-Sat... not a happy bunny after months of playing with friends everyday.

ouch!  is that due to some kind of unique scheduling reason or is that just how it’s going to be for the term/immediate near future?

Nice.  While the book doesn’t seem to do a lot here, domestically, i do think that it can’t hurt when you go outside of the Kingdom and in those cases where perhaps the e-version isn’t readily accessible (ie website down) or something like that.  In my head it’s never bad to have back-up means to prove something. 

Thanks for the report.