soalbundy

It really does depend on, where you live, your attitude, whether you have a rudimentary knowledge of the language, how open minded you are and what size your ego is. If you live in a tourist center I can imagine that many farang would get on a Thai's nerves, not unlike many cities in the West who's local inhabitants moan about too many foreign holiday makers (or even holiday makers from their own country, Cornwall for instance) If you live away from the tourist centers we are generally well accepted and genuinely liked, taking into account my remarks in my first sentence (my experience). I live in a village in Isaan, it is a laid back existence, even the police and immigration are friendly, at my visa extension visit last week the women doing my paperwork were more interested in the photos of my son in his army uniform while one officer was chatting with my missus about the rice harvest. On my early morning walks around the lake I often get invited in to one of the houses at the lakeside for a coffee and a chat (I'm the only farang in the village) and the monks on their alms walks with their covered bowls will also stop for a chat or just a smile and a wave. I do my best to fit in, I dress decently, I show myself at the village temple on festive days to show respect, if only for 15 minutes, nobody has ever seen me drunk, I show them genuine respect, young or old and that is reflected back to me. My 19 years here has been a positive experience.

It's a good source of tax income, why not? Gambling takes place anyway illegally, this way it can be supervised and taxed. Weed and prostitution is available in every country, sometimes legally, sometimes illegally, why not legalize something you can't stop? Again, it can be supervised and taxed.

Or rather the representative of the real PM.

I prefer my Thai handyman who looks after his family and Supports the community instead of destroying it as you did with your actions, so no, I won't be buying your book.

What is hard or easy is subjective, an assumed falang hard life could be seen by many in say Ethiopia as easy. Life has many component parts, not just money or comfort, mental well being, social acceptance, spirituality, a sense of purpose, being able to make the most of your abilities and yes, a sense of happiness despite the hammer blows of life. A young Thai man who works at a hardware store full time and privately as a professional handyman, attached my new shower heater for me in the evening after work and then put in a new bathroom tap with the waste water pipe. He is married has children, works all hours god sends and is always cheerful, he is happier than my manager on a huge salary at my old company in Germany. He told me his hourly rate to privately assemble my things at home but when he realized that we live in the same area he tried to reduce the price by 30%, I refused the offer and paid him the full amount, he had worked so efficiently and quickly and so cheerfully after a hard days work he impressed me, he deserved the full rate. As far as I was concerned the man is a success.

Most were found in the suitcase but the picture shows them also cutting open the wallet where additional money was found which I found extraordinarily thorough unless they knew it was there. The German customs aren't monsters, i remember an instance many years ago of a humerous pi$$ taking German rep of my company returning from Thailand with several boxes of cigars, he duly declared these to customs, they weren't a well known Thai brand and the customs lady balked at the idea of searching through huge lists to determine the minuscule amount of tax to be paid, she said she would let it go but he insisted, "I don't want to cheat the German customs and excise", so the poor lady spent another 15 minutes going through records to eventually charge him 5 Euros, then with a smile he produced 4 packets of Thai pipe tobacco whose brand name was written in Thai, "Oh I forgot about these", "please, just leave", "But the tax dear lady", "Just leave before you produce something else."

I agree, but sniffing cash hidden in the lining of a wallet? Wallets are where money is kept so a dog will react to a wallet which should make an officer dismiss the dogs reaction but no, they tear the wallet apart.

It wasn't a big kickback, just a medium one, the press exaggerates as usual.

If she could show a withdrawal bank statement she's in with a chance, otherwise the whole lot will be confiscated. strange that customs went to such extraordinary lengths for this woman, possibly a tip off.

Muppet.

It would be silly to fear the inevitable.

A place of convenience to rub one out.

They wanted a result not a contest, the victim will know who they are.

Oh no! not racism, how awful.

depends on her last medical examination, HIV is still a thing here.

That one would want to do that and the reason behind it is due to causal events, life is a series of causal events beyond our control, only the misguided think they have control over their own lives even though the package looks like it.

Causality would argue that.

It's bad everywhere, national debt and interest payments on bonds are eating away at the substance of many western nations, especially the USA. Industrial activity in Germany and China is slowing down and a stock market crash is expected in the next few weeks due to high yields in the bond market, why did Thailand think this would leave them unscathed? In the UK 25% are on or near the poverty line, there is rampant unemployment in China, 50% of young workers in Spain and Italy have been unemployed for years, even Phd graduates are homeless and yet Thailand thinks with a few gimmicks they can entice more tourists. Thailand at the moment seems to be a sanctuary of relative well being, the poor have warm weather and a bowl of rice, better than the ice and snow coupled with homelessness in farang land.

or ability

Yes,I thought pi66ed would have been a better description than confused

1 Pensions and other payments for past employment as well as annuities derived by a resident of a Contracting State may be taxed in the other Contracting State only if such payments are deducted as expenses in determining the profits of an enterprise of that other State or of a permanent establishment situated therein. 2 Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1, pensions and other payments for past employment as well as annuities paid by or out of funds created by a Contracting State, a Land, a political subdivision, local authority or local administration thereof shall be exempt from tax in the other Contracting State. From that it would seem that I don't need to pay tax ?

I'm not so sure about these DTA's. I get a German pension, I don't pay tax in Germany on my pension as according to one written remark on a tax form the German tax authorities assume I will be paying tax in Thailand on my pension but in a recent 'letter of income' from the German consulate for the 'io' there is a paragraph stating that I should be exempt from taxation on my pension due to DTA with Thailand.

Everybody can lie, just look at Trumps record, but to lie in a report and give out the dossier for scrutiny is a risk no sane person would risk, even the truth can have consequences which is why I am certain Steele would have taken legal advise before giving up the dossier. Trump doesn't dare sue on the basis of the dossier being false, he is suing (to the best of my knowledge) on privacy issues where he may have a chance of winning. I doubt that he is doing this with a happy heart and may end up backing down.......there are risks for him in court and he, as a political animal, may decide to stick with bluster and lies, it's his preferred style after all.

Why on earth should they? It's about business not ideologies or political camps. Thailand is too small to have any affect on the world stage and choosing a side can spell disaster in the future, political friendships are transitory at best, yesterdays friends are tomorrows enemies. Business is hard nosed without emotions, a much safer option for little bears who only want a little honey. It has worked well for Thailand in the past; Thailand isn't a homogeneous nation and although they have been nestled between warring nations with political upheavals happening around them they have managed to keep the peace between their own borders.

Any excuse for falling numbers will do, just don't mention a worldwide economic recession which is a harbinger of bad news for the future predictions of hoards of tourists banging at the immigration gates.