icare999

Here in Isaan all they want is some politician who gives the most baht, regardless of party, most dont even know what they are voting for.

+1 totally true which is why it might be better to have a form of semi dictatorship if thats possible for 5-10 years but not Taksins version. And yes i am saying ,most poor Thais and many rich ones are far to ignorant to deserve a vote.

"So, this is an ongoing problem that needs to be resolved, as it can lead to a shortage of English teachers and guides," he said during his weekly TV programme.

How about enforcing the schools to adhere to the law and providing work permits instead of keeping teachers semi-illegal.

Couldn't agree more, however, the problem is the current requirements prevent good teachers from being employed legally. A degree in Psychology doesn't make someone a good teacher.

Someone who is passionate about teaching, does preparation, knows how to get the best out of their students, has done a teaching course, how to correct and make their students better and knows how to teach is what makes a good teacher.

I wish for the day they scrap the degree requirement and do a teaching observation and screening instead. Then, everyone wins, bar the bad teachers.

Unfortunately, it's the MOE I believe that needs to wake up to this.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

Who has the time/resources to monitor a person who possesses no credentials whatsoever?

It does not take any degree of intelligence to get a certificate in TEFL (or any other similar program). But does that make a teacher? Heck no!

I want a person who has taken Child Psychology classes; a person that has demonstrated beyond the shadow of a doubt that they can complete a university degree (which btw, isn't difficult).

Whether a university educated person, regardless if they studied teaching, psychology or under-water basket weaving, will make a good teach is anyone's guess. However, I'll wager my money these educated people will probably almost always be better at teaching than some retard high-school drop-out.

your totally wrong I have 2 degrees and a vert Ed from 3 universities and i taught for a little while but to be honest some of best teachers i saw where nowhere as qualified as me. In those days you could teach in UK with A levels and some of teachers i met only just scrapped through but were I'm sorry to say much better teachers than me except at university level where i also taught for a while and for that you do need very high academic qualifications. As far as psychology classes sure i had all that but again IMO most parents would know 10 times what i was taught on that subject.

Gee..How many foreigners are looking over their shoulders at the Thai Company they set up to buy a house?

Or to buy land, or to start a business, etc. Could be some nervous, sweaty palms in Phuket about now.

Why in Phuket, they haven't started there yet. What about Pattaya where they are starting. No problem though, just sign it over to the wife and take out a 30 year lease. People like to make a big drama out of nothing.

because thats exactly who people use stupid company route because they dont trust their wives and 30 year lease is no good if wife then get nasty which she can't do if in company name but i can never understand why people marry id they can't trust their wives or why they buy a house via a company since as I've already posted if they die before sorting it out its a nightmare for any inheritors to get it anyway. I know 2 cases where (1 is now 12 years later) the nominee shareholders simply claimed it was theirs and little inheritors seem able to do. In one case it involved property costing over 100 million baht and wife/GF has been collecting rents for all those years and openly boasts she just pays shareholders a bit. I understand her husband put in bios will all to go to his children and they have spent many many millions of baht in court and legal fees. IO doubt they will ever win and wife has told them shell settle and give then 10 million or shell just continue and they will never get the property. At start she offered 1/2 but now says stupid forang soon ill offer 5 million then nothing and let them go broke trying to get courts here to support them.

I would be in favor of this, but the action needs to be reciprocal.

For my country, that would mean that no Thal national can own land, work without paid in capital of an appropriate amount and the hiring of four US citizens for every work permit, and duties of 100% to 300% of any Thai products imported.

Is it a deal?

difference is in UK its legal for anyone to own land or poverty and here its not legal for non thais to own land so forang doing this ares knowingly breaking the law and i hope they get stung for it like anyone else breaking the law. ITs of course almost impossible to change law in UK so stupid suggestion

i always said company route to buy a hop use here was very stupid Apart from fact that one day they might actually investigate i know at least 2 cases where forang died and many years later their heirs unable to get the property since shareholders rightly claimed jot was theirs.

Serves them right IMO

i truly with this vile self seeking megalomaniac would be put priorly in his place

very fair and reasonable I hope they dont make same mistake as in UK where its 40% above about 15 million and you can't even buy a decent home

UK IH tax is very unfair and on ly really hits middle class never rich

these vile evil people should be bombed to hell IMO we could and should do it we and USA have weapons and technology to do loin point strikes and i can't understand why they dont just do it

in my experience id trust doctors here much more than in UK

schooling much better here if you use one of excellent international schools but not cheap and much much better than a lot in UK (at least coma red with a lot of UK government schools)

safety in over 30 years i am still convinced here is far far safer for kids than UK or USA but like everywhere you do need to take a it of care

earning here is almost a no go unless you have a job with one of big multinationals

corruption sure but its only got really bad in last 5-10 years IMO due to Taksin and before was more like a tip extortion not really exist unless you call trying to get you to buy or overcharging extortion but then that's as bad or worse in UK and much worse in USA only its from slick telesales and rest

Bad corruption?

What do you call opium caravans going down the main street in Chiang Mai or in 1950 as one of General Sarit's army convoys approached the railhead at Lampang is northern Thailand with a load of opium. Phao's police surrounded the convoy and demanded that the army surrender the opium since antinarcotics work was the exclusive responsibility of the police.

When the army refused and threatened to shoot its way through to the railway, the police brought up heavy machine guns and dug in for a fire-fight. A nervous standoff continued for two days until Phao and Sarit themselves arrived in Lampang, took possession of the opium, and escorted it jointly to Bangkok, where it quietly disappeared.

http://www.akha.org/content/drugwar/mccoy/30.htm

come of it thats I'm 50's and in London we had Krays totally corrupt police men and recently money for MP's and rest

I can put my hand on my heart and swear that I am happy here, there are things I miss about the UK and Europe that I want to experience again so I plan to spend some time there each year, but that need is only driven by the fact that I've been here full time for over ten years and I'm nearly 65.

Two weeks ago we were up in Chiang Rai, just a few hours north of us. We were sat in our room at the Dusit Island Hotel, a room in a five star hotel with excellent facilities and views, it cost us less than £46 a night including breakfast. As we were enjoying the view out of the full length windows, the clouds coming in over the mountains, the river, the colors and the simply wonderful overall vista, I thought back to my UK trip in March where I paid £56 for a room in a Traveldoge with a truck park outside and a very expensive Harvester as the sole means of food, drink and entertainment, the contrast was stark

I then thought about how little it costs by comparison to do the "weekly shop" here in Thailand and how outrageous it can be, unless you have cooking facilities back in the UK.

Once back home in Chiang Mai I needed to visit the Emergency Room at a local hospital at near midnight. I was seen and dealt with in the space of thirty minutes, (overpriced) medicine was prescribed but I felt 100% better within the hour, the cost was £15. But the best parts were that the cashier and the pharmacist both smiled, were super polite, one engaged me in pleasant conversation and the next day, the nurse called to see if I was better.

We eat out here frequently, sometimes it's 50 baht food, a couple of times a week the bill for the two of us runs to 600/700 baht but that's for a really nice meal - the UK comparison is non-existent.

We don't ride motorbikes hence no accidents, we never get ripped off by the police, Soi dogs are easily manageable, taxi's are easy to order by phone and the rate is fixed and cheap enough. Road accidents? you need to be alert, just like everywhere else.

Am I truly happy here, you bet I am.

sorry on a lot of things your wrong In Uk you can get a good meal at local pub for 300 baht or a good roast for same although you need to know where to go. Hotels your right. The 50 baht food unless noodles is IMO crap and full of MSG and we spend on quality food not much less than UK. In UK education is free here we spend over 1 million baht a year for our 2 kids actually nearer 1.5 million but they are now finishing. One of great things here however is health care is very affordable and you dont need to be subject to lottery of NHS and get private rooms and rest.

But how much it costs is not really relevant and no measure of happiness. It could cost 1/2 in UK than here to live but id still be here and if need be have a lower standard here than in UK. Overall i find cost of living here except housing about same as UK once school fees, medical and other factors are taken into account but in UK we certainly could not afford or have 2 maids. That is provided your house was paid for in UK.

You can't be wrong about an opinion on where you live which makes you happier.

One cannot say living here or living there is "better" It what suits you at the time in your life. It's pointless to argue about this town, province, country is better than that one. It's too individual.

sorry i said wrong about things he was saying about things being so much cheaper here than in UK and not being able to get good education here etc i never said wrong about wanting to live here or not but wrong to base on surpassed incorrect comparisons of costs education medical and rest

It's great if you come from a country that's wet and cold.

It's great if you want a younger woman, or just want to go whoring.

It would be a disaster if you came here with a wife and children.

Your children would get a bad (yet expensive) education, no chance of a decent university, and have zero chance of making money in their future.

You owe it to your son to live in the UK until he has started university.

Then you can do what you like, and he will be free to choose his own future, knowing you gave him the best start in life you could.

I somewhat disagree with that. You would have him raise a Thai kid who doesn't speak Thai and knows nothing about Thai culture.

I wouldn't do that to my kid. Not everything is about money and jobs .I'm sure many Thai kids do well in the west after doing some schooling here.

Why the expensive education jibe? Paid for my sons uni education and very reasonable. Suppose you think it was c**p uni?

most units here are c$#p as you put it and i would not want our children going to any Thai university but international schools are excellent

"It's great if you come from a country that's wet and cold.

It's great if you want a younger woman, or just want to go whoring."

After someone writes this you can disregard everything else they say. This is the only problem that I see living here is Sexpats like this poster.

What a stupid comment. A childs education should be paramount in any decision for a family to up sticks and move to another country. The education system here is dreadful , including the private schools. The OP and his family should stay where they are until the children are educated. I guess you came for the temples and the thought of sex with a much younger lady never crossed your mind ???

nonsense while most Thai schools are awful theirs lenity of top rate international schools which are much much better than most schools in UK even private ones. The Thai private schools are not so good even those with so called english programs or bi lingual. Its not that cheap but cheap compared with UK private schools and fees depend on location as well as age of child. Outside Bangkok start at around 200,000 baht a year for lower grades and then increases to 400-500,000 after age 15 or so into A levels.

I'm in a similar boat as the op.

Living in Australia, 39yo, Thai wife, 1 small daughter.

We often ponder packing up and moving to Thailand.

The main issue would be income living there. I would still need to earn enough to be able to save for retirement. No idea how that would go in Thailand. Would mean re starting a whole new type of career, from the ground up.

Visa issues...well that's maybe ok with a Thai wife, but who knows in the future. Here in Aus, Thai wife has no real visa issues.

Schooling for daughter...sounds a little worrying from all I have read on here.

Safety of daughter. Maybe I'm over reacting on that one, but I know she's safer here in Aus, and I trust Aussie doctors more for that matter.

Then let's not forget slimey things like Thai corruption, and extortion from locals trying to make a quick baht even though their bike hit yours.

All in all, as much as it sounds great moving to Thailand, think staying put here, schooling the kid here, earning here, saving here etc etc etc here is probably for the best. Then one day, Thailand here we come!

Maybe some longer Thai holidays are what's needed!

in my experience id trust doctors here much more than in UK

schooling much better here if you use one of excellent international schools but not cheap and much much better than a lot in UK (at least coma red with a lot of UK government schools)

safety in over 30 years i am still convinced here is far far safer for kids than UK or USA but like everywhere you do need to take a it of care

earning here is almost a no go unless you have a job with one of big multinationals

corruption sure but its only got really bad in last 5-10 years IMO due to Taksin and before was more like a tip extortion not really exist unless you call trying to get you to buy or overcharging extortion but then that's as bad or worse in UK and much worse in USA only its from slick telesales and rest

I can put my hand on my heart and swear that I am happy here, there are things I miss about the UK and Europe that I want to experience again so I plan to spend some time there each year, but that need is only driven by the fact that I've been here full time for over ten years and I'm nearly 65.

Two weeks ago we were up in Chiang Rai, just a few hours north of us. We were sat in our room at the Dusit Island Hotel, a room in a five star hotel with excellent facilities and views, it cost us less than £46 a night including breakfast. As we were enjoying the view out of the full length windows, the clouds coming in over the mountains, the river, the colors and the simply wonderful overall vista, I thought back to my UK trip in March where I paid £56 for a room in a Traveldoge with a truck park outside and a very expensive Harvester as the sole means of food, drink and entertainment, the contrast was stark

I then thought about how little it costs by comparison to do the "weekly shop" here in Thailand and how outrageous it can be, unless you have cooking facilities back in the UK.

Once back home in Chiang Mai I needed to visit the Emergency Room at a local hospital at near midnight. I was seen and dealt with in the space of thirty minutes, (overpriced) medicine was prescribed but I felt 100% better within the hour, the cost was £15. But the best parts were that the cashier and the pharmacist both smiled, were super polite, one engaged me in pleasant conversation and the next day, the nurse called to see if I was better.

We eat out here frequently, sometimes it's 50 baht food, a couple of times a week the bill for the two of us runs to 600/700 baht but that's for a really nice meal - the UK comparison is non-existent.

We don't ride motorbikes hence no accidents, we never get ripped off by the police, Soi dogs are easily manageable, taxi's are easy to order by phone and the rate is fixed and cheap enough. Road accidents? you need to be alert, just like everywhere else.

Am I truly happy here, you bet I am.

sorry on a lot of things your wrong In Uk you can get a good meal at local pub for 300 baht or a good roast for same although you need to know where to go. Hotels your right. The 50 baht food unless noodles is IMO crap and full of MSG and we spend on quality food not much less than UK. In UK education is free here we spend over 1 million baht a year for our 2 kids actually nearer 1.5 million but they are now finishing. One of great things here however is health care is very affordable and you dont need to be subject to lottery of NHS and get private rooms and rest.

But how much it costs is not really relevant and no measure of happiness. It could cost 1/2 in UK than here to live but id still be here and if need be have a lower standard here than in UK. Overall i find cost of living here except housing about same as UK once school fees, medical and other factors are taken into account but in UK we certainly could not afford or have 2 maids. That is provided your house was paid for in UK.

Some of you are really content and happy, whilst others seem to be moaning about just about everything! Is this just the normal mix of views or not?

Look at it from another perspective:

Maybe some claim they are happy because they are deeply invested and have no way out and the lies keep them sane, or it's just as "bad" where they are from, or, they're embarrassed to go back.

And maybe some of us who are sick of it, just aren't complainers.

So, appearances, and especially anonymous claims, are dangerous if you use them to make a major life decision.

Lots of guys who just six months or a year ago, were claiming how everything was great, how LOS was perfect … they have spontaneously vanished from TV.

i guess that could be true but I'm happy here and most of people (ex pats) are quite happy IMO. I dont really understand comment about people having invested here and not wanting to admit they are not happy. I guess your referring to people who are not happy in their relationships and have put houses or whatever into their wives name. Well plenty of people have down that in UK but it does not stop them simply breaking up and getting on with things. If anyone is embarrassed or have as you say invested to much then they are pretty pathetic human beings to not just accept it was a mistake and move on. Myself ive nested 95% + of everything i had into my Thai wife and our kids but if i was not happy with them or my Thai wife it would not stop me just moving on even though I'm over 80.

No one is 100% happy IMO but I'm sure I'm much happier here than i could ever be if i stayed in UK even though id be very rich. Of course theirs things that I miss a bit like the local pub and chatting with a few people which i dont find much of here since most seem to be sexpats or just not my type at all and i find many to be total tosspots but that could be my age

After the Generals return to barracks in a year or two business will be back to usual, sadly.

if they return before making sure Taksin and his clan are out of picture for good and if they continue doing this people will think several times before trying it again. A few prison sentences will drive message home.

I doubt this time they will just hand over back to normal corrupt scum without some safeguards

For me it would be peace of mind to be able to rest comfortably each day not knowing where the curent rule are heading as you can not be sure what will happen next week let alone next year if you are on retirement or marriage visa's. Congratulatons on hanging in there calmly without getting too rattled by it all.

Couldn't agree more - peace of mind was the exact reason why I went to all that trouble. Now I can live here any time I like, doing what I like, completely on my own terms.

i used to be concerned because i was only on 1 year extensions but after a few years did not bother me a bit since chances of immigration not allowing me to stay are id say 1 in 1 million or less. Ive been here over 30 years have a wonderful this wife and 2 Thai kids (who have 2 passports) and unless thailand descends into a north korea or pol pot place theirs not a chance they wont let me stay IMO. So IMO piece of mind must mean your very insecure type but well done anyway. For me if i could ever be bothered to even try for PR it would be for heck of it just like when I managed to get a cheque book here which I did after 2 years of trying and i dont know any other forang with that or Thais for that matter (unless it was a business). I used it once to just show it could be done.

interesting and well done. Apart from a couple of americans who have been here since Vietnam war In 30 years I've never met a forang who got Thai citizenship. Plenty who had PR (permanent residence status). Im not at fall jealous but honestly doth see point unless you believe theirs a chance they wont let you stay by which i mean they will kick out all forang retirees married and rest. If that happened which i think has a 1 in million chance you'd not want to stay anyway. Ive thought about applying for PR but I know several people who have that and they tell me its a waste of time since they still have to report every year and if they happen to be our of country when they should report they loose it and it costs nearly 200,000 baht.

I just dont see advantage at all at least for someone like me whose been here over 30 years. Land ownership i doth care its all in my Thai wife and children's names anyway. Running a business my Thai wife can do that or soon our children and apart from for fun id not want to be a tuk yuk driver,. MAybe not reporting ev dry 90 days or once a year queuing for my retirement extension 1/2 a day would be nice but no big deal. Perhaps if your poor it would be useful to save approx 6000 a year (retirement extension and multi entry permit) anmd not need to keep 800k baht in bank for 3 months but id say if your that poor you should not be here.

No I dont want a marriage visa and some jumped up immigration guys visiting our private home etc and before some pathetic person says their is no such thing as a retirement visa well tell immigration since thats what they stamp in my passport each year and queue sign says retirement visa.

i don't know if they still do it but USA embassy did not ask for proof to supply letter confirming 65,000 baht income a month. I was told by several Americans they simply had to swear it was true.

It used to really annoy me since once i thought ill use income method just to see and British embassy wanted detailed proof before doing letter.

But then us Brits play fairly unlike some other countries

UK Pc nonsense has reached point of absurdety One of reasons i left UK 30+ years ago was all this nonsense

It will 100% based on value once the rule is in place. Gains will be from April 2015, tax legislation is not implemented retrospectively.

well obviously you know better tunas me after all I've been doing property for only 60+ years and gone through numerous tax changes so what do i know

Well see but your totally wrong on this one they dont tax retrospectively but that does not mean they use values at time of tax change

but obviously your a great tax expert

I have read the links, now I want to see if I have grasped the implications.

If I sell the two properties I rent out in the UK before 5 April 2015 I will pay no CGT? ( I have been out of the UK 10 years)

If I do not sell them then I will not only be liable for CGT when and if I do, but also I will be taxed at 20% as my personal allowance will have gone from 10,000 pa to NIL

Have I got this right?

You will only be liable for CGT on any appreciation after April 2015.

The government recognises that this change is not straightforward to introduce. For this reason, the charge will apply from April 2015, and only to gains arising from that date. We will ensure, as far as possible, that the extended CGT charge is fair and sustainable, without imposing unnecessary or intrusive burdens on non-residents.

As for them withdrawing the personal allowance, this has not been decided yet on how and whom this is going to effect !

maybe maybe not details have not been real eased yet its very open to interpretation form that date could easily just mean only for property sold after that date and does not necessarily mean only gains from that date. Its a very dangerous assumption to make that your interpretation is one which will be used.

anyway i prefer safe than sorry and my this wife has already sold 2 of her UK properties even at low price id prefer to have bird in hand than 2 in bush. One she has in London she bought for 5000 pounds in 1976 and sold last year (when this was proposed) for 235,000 and recently resold for 325,000. Market is crazy in London and soon only billionaires ail lbw able to buy decent housing in London or foreigners. Crazy prises in London have been largely due to foreign buyers but this change may put a swift stop to that. Anyway IMO its a total bubble and as I said better bird in hand than 2 in bush.

save us from so called experts total shams most of them and i should know i used to be one in my field. I always found it amusing that people believed crap i totally made up.

This policy could indeed put an interesting slant on how those in positions of power politically and commercially along with the average Thai person support this current junta and any such subsequent administrations as may evolve.

Spreading the tax burden a little more evenly is indeed a vote catcher, we should remember the vast majority of the electorate in any country have the voting power if not the wealth power.

There were as we are all aware of no doubt muttering from previous administrations concerning land taxes, inheritance taxes etc but to date nothing has been done to implement these proposed measures. The one fly in the ointment in my view and many others views too is the proposed possible implementation of a 10% V.A.T. is a harmful move which hits the lower paid far harder than those with above average incomes

When ones assets are threatened cheap rhetoric is a fine defence and it creates a veil of deceit that cloaks the unwillingness to implement such policies.

In fact if we look back into recent political history here we see clear evidence of the laws being amended to benefit those with enormous commercial assets with the taxation policies being modified regarding the taxes payable on share trading deals along with the law relating to foreign shareholding ownership policies so as to benefit one persons particular family businesses. With regard to land taxation upon death there needs to be a base tax free level on the estate value as there is in the U.K .

Small family owned land or other commercial assets say to the level of 4 million baht or as an example let us say of 300 rai should be exempt from taxation as a death duty inheritance factor.

So if there is to be a junta with a controlling power and no opposition as such to its action and that junta actually implements a fairer taxation system that has to be a positive move for all concerned.

4 million baht even here will still hit hard a lot of poor land owners in some parts that wont even buy a rai and even here 20 million is not exactly stinking rich

their are none but you can buy pure silver pellets by KG