Guitar God

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Hard to see how foreign grows paying staff $20/hour can compete with Thai grows paying staff 300bht/day.

Last I heard you could buy kilos of decent weed in Oregon for less than 50 US cents (17 baht) a gram. Evidently everyone isn't making $20/hour.
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/03/20/oregon-cannabis-businesses-struggle-record-low-prices/

4 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Because its the way.  Whenever possible, the norm in Thailand is to pass the problem off as caused by foreigners.  Its OK to promote Thailand as a cannabis tourist destinantion because that's seen as a positive but I believe that increasingly, we will see foreigners blamed for any negative aspects of the business.

 

Hasn't this always been the way in Thailand? Blame the foreigners?  Take for example murders, I'm sure there are plenty of murders every day in Thailand but which receive the most attention?  If a foreigner commits a murder, it seems to me that they receive by far the greatest coverage.  Then there's the culture of blaming foreigners, not necessarily Westerners, for serious crimes - sometimes with no or scant evidence, as we have have seen in recent years.

 

As its election time, I think blaming foreign interests for the situation with cannabis will become even more common place.

 

Madam Kitty's argument seems to be blaming foreign strains of cannabis for breaking the .2% limit.  I don't know of any cannabis plant that produces .2% THC - even the leaves contain way more than that in most plants.  Native strains?  I personally know of one large farm that produces weed that has a THC content of over 20%. I don't know the origin of the strain grown but that is not important to the owners - what they want is as strong a product as possible because that's what sells. Interestingly, that farm has been around since way before the recent changes in the law and is well known locally - its not easy to keep a farm of that size secret. The ownership of that farm is even more interesting - definitely Thai ownership but let's just say its not owned by ordinary Thai citizens.

She’s not demonizing foreign shop owners. If you read her article she’s opposed to illegal foreign imports ruining the market for legal shop owners and growers. 

1 hour ago, hanssna said:

Okay thanks for all the information ( I am Dutch and in around 12 years from now I hope to get my AOW here in Thailand). 

I have another question and maybe some Nederlander here has experience with this (please no guessing); 

I have been working / living here since a long time so according to mijn pensioenoverzicht .nl ( log in with DIGID) I will get around half of my AOW when I turn 68 or so...  since I only spent half my working life in NL.  Let's say this will be 600+ Euro.  Way below the 920 for sure.  Would that be cut even more if I am married to a Thai wife here? That would be a shame..   Or would it remain 600 Euro or so, because it's already much lower than the 920 Euro mentioned?  Anybody here in this situation?  Thanks for any more info on this ???? 

I have 23 years in the Dutch system and therefore am eligible for 46% of  the fully vested (50 years) AOW pension. If I am single (or married and separated) I'd receive €653 (46% of €1353.11). If I'm married (and not separated and living together as husband and wife) I would receive 46% of €920.98 or €423.65 . I've yet to receive a payment so I can't confirm the amounts but based on answers I've received here and the results of additional research I believe I now have correct and current information.

It is possible to continue to contribute to AOW to build up more years credit when you retire in 12 years. I don't know the specifics but it might be worth contacting AOW to see if there'd be a benefit to your doing that.

Upon further examination it seems that there used to be a "young partner supplement" but at some point prior to 2019 it was done away with in a budget cut. I read an article  in De Telegraaf about a man who lost €300 a month after marrying a Thai. Another commenter wrote "The abolition of the younger partner allowance was a pure cutback. There was no human dimension to it. The government has been calling for years that the state pension will become unaffordable and that is why cutbacks had to be made. This discount has been implemented under the guise of the partner working or having to work. It is irrelevant where one lives, whether the partner is physically able to work and whether work can be found."

8 hours ago, ardsong said:

@Groenen, please be reminded, that if  you receive AOW, yearly you have to fill a Life certificate and get it approved by the Thai Social Security (TSS) office. That paper has info on your (thai) partner/ wife.

Now I also got last week a new paper, requesting me to specify my yearly income and also the income from my partner/wife. Also that paper needs approval and signature from TSS.

So more and more information on you and your partner/wife is collected.

It sounds like you're receiving AOW and are married to a Thai who never contributed to the AOW. Does your wife receive anything, or do you just get the married pension for yourself?

I found this at belastingtips. nl which seems to indicate that she should be receiving a supplement. I still don't know if that applies to everyone who has a right to AOW or only Dutch citizens do.
Foreign partner

Suppose you have emigrated to Spain and are retiring. Your partner is Spanish and is 40 years old, she has never lived or worked in the Netherlands. Your partner can still be insured in the Netherlands for 25 years for her state pension (theory). The supplement for your partner will then be 25 x 2% = 50% (of the married couples with an AOW pension). This percentage is determined at a point in time (when you turn 65) and will then no longer be adjusted. This is strange and incorrect, but that's the law, take advantage of it. When your partner turns 65, the supplement will stop. The allowance also stops in the event of your death.

https://www.belastingtips.nl/kennisbank/fiscaaladvies_dossier/emigratie/recht_op_aow_na_emigratie/?fbclid=IwAR3BIIRjPlKtxnWuI1TO1tA7LyfGxtvd5eYMTWTWE07zzj2IESaqFVVmlKU

I spoke with a Dutch friend who works for the government (but not for the SVB) and she found this online.

https://www.belastingtips.nl/kennisbank/fiscaaladvies_dossier/emigratie/recht_op_aow_na_emigratie/?fbclid=IwAR3BIIRjPlKtxnWuI1TO1tA7LyfGxtvd5eYMTWTWE07zzj2IESaqFVVmlKU

Foreign partner

Suppose you have emigrated to Spain and are retiring. Your partner is Spanish and is 40 years old, she has never lived or worked in the Netherlands. Your partner can still be insured in the Netherlands for 25 years for her state pension (theory). The supplement for your partner will then be 25 x 2% = 50% (of the married couples with an AOW pension). This percentage is determined at a point in time (when you turn 65) and will then no longer be adjusted. This is strange and incorrect, but that's the law, take advantage of it. When your partner turns 65, the supplement will stop. The allowance also stops in the event of your death.

I have a question for the people who said that I'd just get €920, is this based on personal experience or how you've heard it works or how you think it works? The article my friend found seems to contradict that unless this foreign policy supplement only applies to Dutch nationals but not to residents/past residents with a right to AOW.

What happens with your Dutch AOW pension if you're married to a non-Dutch national who has never lived in the Netherlands and has never contributed to the AOW? A Thai wife for example.

According to the AOW, if you are married, you receive the married pension, regardless of where you were married, or if your wife has ever lived in or been a resident of the Netherlands. They didn't say whether you wife gets an additional amount equal to your married pension amount resulting in you getting more money than if you were single, or if you're penalized for being married and you get only the lower married pension instead of the higher single person's pension. 

Right now single pension is €1353.11 per month and married is €920.98 per person per month. If someone were 100% vested and married to a Thai wife who has no connection to the Netherlands, would they receive €1353.11 per month, or €1841.96 a month? 

Are there any people here who worked in the Netherlands and are drawing AOW and have a wife who never lived or worked in the Netherlands? 

Thanks in advance.

1 hour ago, chilli42 said:

You mean the China virus?  What could possibly be causing this uptick in cases.

Umm, a few million drunk Thai people in close contact with each other partying  for three days. Public health experts accurately predicted an increase in cases because activity like that is the perfect way to spread airborne diseases. 
 

I wonder what we should call the problem of people referring to Covid as the “Chinese Virus”? The pinhead bigot disease? 

12 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

And also a record number of votes , so many people voted in 2020 , but I suppose that postal votes made it easier for people to vote , hence the record breaking turnout and Joe got the most of those votes

The record turnout was from patriotic Americans voting and  trying to save the country from a wanna-be dictator who was already plotting ways to remain in office after he lost. Five states have had 100% voting by mail dating back to 2002 with zero evidence of voter fraud. There is no evidence to support that voting by mail favors one party over the other but that doesn’t stop RWNJ media from promulgating lies about it. Trump lost because he was unpopular and he received fewer votes from Republicans because they now had four years to see what a poor choice he was in 2016.

10 hours ago, PMinThailand said:

Wrong heading: The Thai Government introduced a ban on electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or ‘vaping’), shisha smoking, and electronic shishas in 2014, for “health reasons and to discourage young people from starting to smoke”

Correct heading: The Thai Government introduced a ban on electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or ‘vaping’), shisha smoking, and electronic shishas in 2014, to provide new opportunities for the corrupt police to collect money from foreigners.

..and to ensure that the Thai Tobacco Company retains a nicotine monopoly.

On 2/1/2023 at 11:59 AM, Henryford said:

Will they be raiding the thousands of weed shops that are now open in every town?

Cannabis is legal, selling cannabis is legal with the proper license . It’s only vapes containing nicotine that are illegal. 

13 hours ago, Muhendis said:

A million Baht in 9 months?

That's a lot of units.

I had a  dozen ASIC miners running in 2017 and my electric bill was around 130,000 THB a month.

On 12/8/2022 at 9:55 AM, IAMHERE said:

Good question. Five million baht of electric is about 1200 bit coins at todays prices. That many machines, one point five bit coins per machine would be break evenish.

 

I wonder where that electricy would be today if it hadn't been used by thieves? Probably on someone's wrist, maybe, perhaps.

In 2016/17 I was making about 350,000 a month in revenue and had an electric bill of around 130,000 THB. By the end of 2017 I was making around 140,000 and still had a 130k electric bill so I stopped. That was with a dozen ASIC miners that cost $1500 to $5000 each. Without exact figures it's hard to guess how much they made. They had at least $35 million USD invested just in hardware, maybe more. Even without paying for energy, it's unlikely they made out well in two years, with low BTC prices. Maybe they never even broke even.

She's either suffering from a mental illness or she figures if women can walk around in a skimpy bikini and nobody cares, then nobody should care if she wears a bra and underwear while changing clothes, which actually cover more skin.

7 hours ago, Gknrd said:

Yea, and when she plays the next game in the US and starts talking again. We will see her true colors. It will be back to business as usual. How she is mistreated and hates the US.

America, where everyone brags about how much freedom we have but complain if you exercise it. Don't offer your opinion on politics and don't even think about exercising your freedom to not stand up for songs.

20 hours ago, jvs said:

Wants to be American?

 

Add a red hat and it’s an “American starter-kit”.  

9 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Good.  More guns in the hands of people creates a polite society.

 

No need for euros or aus people to take part in this discussion.

Yeah, the more guns, the safer the country. Look at the U.S. it’s the safest  country in the planet. 
No shootings there, just a bunch of polite people. 

What is the current fee that Thai immigration collects here in Thailand in THB for a one year visa renewal based on marriage to a Thai spouse and what is the fee for a multiple entry?

I apologize if this has been asked before. I spent quite a bit of time searching here and online and I found nothing except the fee in USD and AUD and GBP online. Here, no matter what search terms I used, nothing came up.

I’m really surprised that not a single armchair detective here  is claiming he was murdered by his Thai girlfriend, her family, her ex-boyfriend or a kathoey. 
 

Or does that only happen when 190cm tall farangs fall off hotel balconies that have 75 cm high railings? 

20 hours ago, internationalism said:

so now have to pay to Dr Anutin Bumjaithai mafia-style political party for licences, permits, certification etc.

Half money under table, as per usual, plus 10% from profits.

That's a great income for a political party just before the general election for vote buying.

The most lucrative part of business - processing and export, will be limited only to dr Anutin associates.

Everything according to master plan, written yet before the last general election - engineer Anutin for health ministry to monopolise ganja for Buriram province

That’s all inaccurate. Many private companies and one-person businesses already have licenses to sell cannabis and import and sell seeds etc. 

Most businesses require a license or permit. Even to sell gasoline. 
Your super powers seem to be finding conspiracies when none exist. 

Does he want to be set on a pike?