fittobethaied

And to think that I used to make over twice as much as Thailand’s top full time earners (highest level per month), and the lowest Thai workers still look down on me as if I was some lowlife tuk tuk driver. Truly amazing how screwed up their thinking is and how they think so highly of themselves compared to the rest of the world when they actually don't have a clue what goes on in the Western world and how they stack up by comparison. 

9 hours ago, fittobethaied said:

I once heard a producer of the local soaps, as he was being interviewed, make the statement that they are only depicting events which take place in ordinary daily life. That is an absolute lie from the pit of hell! They are actually shaping the culture with their demonic betrayal of perverted life events, and society begins to act them out and accept them as normal because they saw it on TV and in the movies. Thai TV is a horrible example for the public at large. 

I forgot to mention that these soaps and movies, by design, are welcome propaganda tools for the hiso elites since it allows them to continue to abuse women, family members and employees and keeps the lower class sheeple in their place. The sheeple just accept that kind of behavior as normal. They see it on TV and in the movies, so they think that's the way it's supposed to be. 

I once heard a producer of the local soaps, as he was being interviewed, make the statement that they are only depicting events which take place in ordinary daily life. That is an absolute lie from the pit of hell! They are actually shaping the culture with their demonic betrayal of perverted life events, and society begins to act them out and accept them as normal because they saw it on TV and in the movies. Thai TV is a horrible example for the public at large. 

Monte, why not put your money in a Bangkok Bank Foreign Currency Deposit Account? I have had one for three years and feel completely safe and happy with it. I can transfer my USD (or your currency) from the US Directly into the account by SWIFT, and the minimum/maximum charge is only 200-500 Baht at Bangkok Bank once it arrives. I have mine in a 12 month Fixed Deposit Savings Account that is recognized by Immigration when I go for my annual extension of stay, and I am drawing 6/10th of 1% interest. They withhold 15% of the interest to pay to the Thai Revenue Department, but each year I get a statement from the bank that I can take to the Revenue Department and get a full refund of the withholding on any gross interest amount paid for the year of under 20,000 Baht. You can do 3, 6, 9 or 12 months, but for less than 12 the interest is less. If you ever want to transfer it back out there is absolutely no problem so long as you keep your Credit Advice document that they issue you by email when your money comes into Thailand. I even have one set up for my Thai wife.  

A few years ago I turned on the gas and the regulator exploded like a hand grenade and threw shrapnel all over the porch. Fortunately, the explosion blew downward out of the bottom of the regulator; otherwise, I would surely be either dead or seriously maimed. Now, I regularly change the regulator and encase it in a portion of a plastic water bottle in order to contain the shrapnel in case it ever happens again. I also hold an aluminum pan over the regulator when I turn on the gas and turn my head away just as an added measure. 

22 hours ago, Shot said:

"Generally, inheritances are not subject to equitable distribution because, by law, inheritances are not considered marital property. Instead, inheritances are treated as separate property belonging to the person who received the inheritance, and therefore may not be divided between the parties in a divorce."

 

https://family.findlaw.com/divorce/inheritance-and-divorce.html#:~:text=Generally%2C inheritances are not subject,the parties in a divorce.

The key here is not to comingle the funds. Your inheritance should be kept in a separate account in your name only. I'm speaking from experience after a divorce in Tennessee. I got screwed!

15 minutes ago, Susco said:

This is how car leasing works in Thailand.

 

Interest is calculated on the full amount for the full term.

 

With personal loan, as in the CIMB calculation, and mortgages interest is calculated different.

Susco, are we on the same page? This will be car "financing" through the dealership and not "leasing". Is your method also the same for regular car financing?

9 hours ago, Susco said:

In the US you will pay the quoted interest on the outstanding balance.

 

In Thailand you pay 2.69% on the total amount multiplied by the years the finance runs.

 

in your calculation the total cost of the car seems to be 949.100 Baht and not 974.000 as you claim.

 

20% deposit = 189.820 deducted from 949.100 leaves 759.280 Baht

 

they finance 759.300 Baht

 

2.69% interest on 759.300 = 20425,17 Baht x 7 years = 142.976,19 Baht

 

759.300 + 142.976,19 Baht = 902.276,19 Baht divided by 84 months = 10.741,38 Baht

 

The CIMB calculation is a personal loan, different animal from a car lease, and interests get calculated differently

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Susco! The 949,100 was just a sample calculation that my son sent me on a photo off his phone. I don't have access to the calculator app so that I could figure the monthly payment on the 974,000 which is the true cost of the truck including VAT that he wants to buy. Your calculations seem to add up to the monthly figure that is quoted on that photo of the calculator, so it makes sense now. It appeared to me that an extra 7% VAT was being added into the monthly payment when in fact the additional charge was actually accounted for in the way they compute interest on the entire beginning balance per year instead of on the outstanding balance like we do in the US. So, just to confirm....are you POSITIVE that this is the way the finance works here? I acknowledge that what you have said definitely bears out in the figures. 

1 minute ago, Chungju said:

So does it mean that the monthly payment of 10,742thb includes 7% VAT?  In other words the actual payment is 10,742/1.07=10040thb? If yes, then the real annual interest would be 3.02% by using the same calculator. If the VAT is calculated only for the interest as someone suggested, then the annual interest would be higher than this, something between 3-5%.

Yes, I know it's very confusing. In the US we have Truth in Lending laws and every single penny has to be explained to the purchaser or loan applicant, but over here they withhold information from a customer and never fully disclose details...just dance around any objections and the customer just caves in and agrees because they are raised to not make too much trouble for people. It's really pretty despicable and extremely frustrating. 

7 minutes ago, Chungju said:

Out if interest was calculating the real annual interest for this case and it turned out to be 5.03%.
 

I used this calculator: https://www.calculator.net/interest-rate-calculator.html

 

 

Thanks Chungju, but I don't think you can see it like that. The interest rate is definitely 2.69% just like we would calculate interest back in the US, but through the algorithm in the Thai calculator they have filtered in an additional 7% for the Value Added Tax (VAT) on each monthly payment. Interest goes to the bank and the 7% goes to the government.  

7 minutes ago, LukKrueng said:

I'm not sure - but I think the 2nd vat charge is on the interest amount only and have to be calculated separately from the vat on the price of the car as the vat on the price of the car is paid in full by the dealer as soon as you get the car, and the vat on the interest will be paid monthly throughout the term of the loan

Thanks LukKrueng! That certainly sounds plausible, but the figures don't bear that out. Financing a balance of 759,300 in this example shows a spread of 815 Baht in a monthly payment including 7% VAT and the same balance without VAT on another calculator.    

My stepson is negotiating to buy an Isuzu truck and has been quoted a price of 974,000 Baht which includes the 7% VAT tax. They ask for 20% down and balance over 84 months at 2.69% interest with financing arranged through the dealership. They enter those figures into an auto loan calculator app to determine the monthly installment, and inside the calculator is a toggle switch to turn on to calculate another 7% VAT tax into the monthly installment. In other words, they are trying to charge him the VAT twice. I keep telling him this is not correct and the VAT should be taken off the sales price before calculating the monthly installment with the VAT added to the monthly payment. Or, the entire amount, car price plus VAT, should be entered into the calculator and turn off the VAT toggle switch when computing the monthly installment. My stepson's answer is always the same...."dealer says this is the way they always do it". I tell him to walk and go somewhere else, but he's dead set on getting this truck regardless and may fall for their trick to double charge him the VAT. He's now been to three banks to ask about the double charge on the VAT tax, and no one can give him a straight answer as to why he will be charged twice for VAT. 

Does anyone else have any experience with this, and if so, is my stepson being taken advantage of? I have already read all the comments on a previous related topic here from years ago, but no one could give answer. Perhaps someone can come up with an answer now. 
 

On 10/15/2020 at 2:11 PM, bkk6060 said:

I bet it is your mattress.

I had similar issues and got a firmer mattress wake up now no aches or pains feeling like a 20 year old.

It's just the opposite with me! My bed was too hard and sleeping in my normal positions on my sides was creating pressure points on my hips and shoulders which resulted in horrible pains the next day. I bought two 3 inch latex toppers, and now it feels like I'm sleeping on a cloud and the pains have mostly disappeared. It also helps to get an ergonomic pillow that will keep your neck and spinal cord aligned during sleep. 

I'm 72 and used to do a brisk walk every evening equivalent to around 3 miles, but now I'm down to 1/2 mile every two days because of the stress on my musculoskeletal system. I gave up running years ago because of the pain. I can't even run on a treadmill. 

Another problem is constipation as we age. I used to have a bowel movement at least every day, but now it's every 2-3 days, and it's like trying to poop a basketball. If I strain and squeeze too much then it affects my entire upper musculoskeletal system to the top of my head, and the next day the pain is significant. After three days I can tell that the toxins in my bowel are being released and that too has an effect on my pain levels. 

Foods, especially various cooking oils, will affect pain levels too, so Google that and stay away from the bad oils and foods that affect osteoarthritis. 

If you're taking Ibuprofen or any other NSAIDS be very careful not to overdo it and keep an eye on your blood pressure. This class of pain killers is very bad for the heart and is guaranteed to raise blood pressure. It put me in the cardiac care unit for one night with an episode of atrial flutter which could have resulted in a blood clot in the heart leading to a stroke. I know now that the reason I couldn't control the BP was due to the constant use of NSAIDS for body pains. 

If you're like me it's hard to understand why our bodies can't endure exercise like they could when we were younger. Our bodies are wearing out and I promise you it won't get any better as you age, so accept it, move on and be good to your body.  

OP, take a translator and go to the deceased wife's school and see the school director. That person may be able to answer your questions, but don't rely solely on that person's response. In Thailand if you ask ten different people the same questions you will get 10 different answers, and most people don't have a clue what they are talking about. Have the director refer you to the main school board office that handles matters for the schools and the teachers. My step-daughter teaches northeast of Udon Thani and she reports to the board in Nong Khai. I have asked such questions before and got a multitude of conflicting answers. They obviously have a rules/regulations book for such cases, but no one has ever been ever to show me any answers in that book. The answers seem to be stored in somebody's head, and it may or may not be correct. Plus, if they see that settling your problem will involve too much work on their part, they will simply tell you "no can do" and turn you away. Best of luck!  Perhaps you can approach one of her trusted school teacher friends and have her run it through for you and you stay out of the picture.  

This topic and some of the replies reminds me of a song by Peggy Lee years ago.....IS THAT ALL THERE IS?...1969
 

Go to a trusted seller that has been around for a long time and get a receipt for the purchase with the total weight of the item and the price and date, and take a photo of the piece on the counter in front of the seller. You can never be too careful. Here is the website that all sellers use for up to the minute prices. At this moment you can expect to pay 29,250 Baht for a one Baht gold jewelry (96.5% gold). Generally there are no discounts, but you may get a free gift of some sort...a dish, a comb and a nice little red cloth bag for the jewelry. Best of luck.

http://www.goldtraders.or.th/
 

The Apostle Paul had the majority of Thai people pegged to a T in 2 Timothy 3. Does all of this ring a bell?

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Wherever you retire, there's only one rule to live by: