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29 minutes ago, jimmybcool said:

 

 I would disagree that lack of innovation or invention is the problem.  IMO the problem is labor costs and excessive red tape.  The cost to build a factory is much higher with the amount of permits needed and inspections etc.  Then building costs are high with labor to build being much higher than that in 3rd world countries.  After that your run rate is very high with unionized labor costs being double or triple that in China or India etc. 

 

Really is tough to open a new business in some places the the amount of hurdles placed in front of business.  Now SOME of them are for good reason and I don't want the USA to allow open sewers and spewing chemicals into the ecosystem.  But there needs to be a better balance than what we have now.

 

 

Manufacturing in the US depends on the product.  F-35 plants in Fort Worth TX are humming with lots of workers. New chip plants are in the plans for many US locations.  But clothing, shoes and consumer electronics are dead on arrival. I call this the "Wal Mart" effect.  Therefore, innovating or inventing products in the aforementioned categories are dead in the US.  Therefore, even 100% tariffs will not bring "home" manufacturing in these categories. 

US companies gave up on innovating or even inventing consumer products a long time ago.  Ford makes it's money on big and now bigger trucks. These behemoths have little use in most cities.  They are simply too big for urban roads and parking lots.  US innovation has been mostly in online consumer oriented services (Amazaon, the Facebook, twitter chat apps etc) and most imoprtatnly defense related like stealth technology and just about anything that goes boom.  One of America's great companies, Boeing, could ge gone if things don't change soon.    Yes, eventually BYD EV's will be on US roads. This is how you kill Tesla and not by lighting them on fire.  

20 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Because the baht is a major world currency?

Really?  

Anyone know what the Thai tariff rates are on imported wine, cheese and olive oil?  These three items are important to me so I feel the pinch eveytime I purchase any of these items. 

I mean when I look at California wines at Rimping I realize the tariff is probably higher than 30% and  why is Trump or whoever decided on these rates so hard on Asean? Even our "friend" Vietnam has been hit hard (40%). 

Ah, 44% for imports from Myanmmar?  Also, when Jim "lightning round" Cramer says your wrong on tariffs then you are probably wrong.  

To me there are two main reasons for staying in LOS for years:

1) It is cheap.  Sometimes it feels like for every $1 I have $2

2) Obtaining and extending retirement visa/ext of stay is not difficult. That is so far it has not been difficult but in the future things could change. 

I will put up with some boredom and lack of connection with Thai  people (they do not seem to want that and are only interested in transactional contacts like buying a service or a product).  So I stay in my space and do my best to get along with them.  I have estaablished a daily routine and so far it has been accpetable. I do travel to real countries like Singapore, S. Korea and Malaysia from time to time bu realize I do not have or make enough money for long term stay in these countries. Based upon my research and experience countries like these want the truly wealthy for as long term stayers.  Maybe in the next life?

If reasons 1 or 2 change then I would leave and only return as a short term tourist. 

51 minutes ago, Don Giovanni said:

Did I say just for entering?

 

I said for playing, you know, betting with money?

 

The Don.

I have been to casinos that charge for alcohol even if one is playing. Several in the US and one in S. Korea.  So free alcohol is not available at all casinos even if one is playing. 

Do not assume free alcohol.  Not all casinos offer free adult beverages.  I really can't see in LOS free alcohol just for entering a casino.  

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

What Thai visa is she on?

20 year Elite Visa? Then "she does not have go back".  I have heard this phrase many times "my forever home"?  That is until your next visa extension at Immigration. One is not guaranteed a long term stay in LOS.  It could end early so plan accordingly.

Does anyone think the Myanmmar government wants US rescue workers flooding int? 

I was back in LA in Feb and a dozen eggs at Wal Mart was $9.99.  Went out for breakfast and one of the local diners had an egg surcharge.  Good to hear prices are back to normal.  

I was back in LA in Feb and a dozen eggs at Wal Mart was $9.99.  Went out for breakfast and one of the local diners had an egg surcharge.  Good to hear prices are back to normal.  

1 hour ago, Caldera said:

 

I cannot only imagine that, I did just that yesterday, evacuating from the 22nd floor.

 

It really wasn't a problem, for me anyway, but let's say I wouldn't have enjoyed walking UP again. 

True but I have seen many old foreigners in wheelchairs and some using walkers.  I hope many do not live in high rise condos.  

It would be over quick. 

How many of us on this forum live on the 20th or even on the 30th floor of a high rise in Thailand? I do not and never have. I have lived on the 4th and now on the 3rd floor of an old apartment building in CNX.  From the begining I have had and continue to have doubts about evacuating from a high rise or being rescued from such heights from the local fire department.  Can anyone imagine walking down 20 or 30 flights of stairs in the event of disaster or electrical power outage?  This lastest EQ should give all of us time to ponder these questions. 

Everytime I go to BKK my choices of hotels means I have to stay on a high floor(usually 20 or higher) and I have just a little bit of doubt but I carry on.  On my next trip to BKK I might look for an alternative type of stay.  

Does the term "seismic retrofit" apply in Thaialnd?  

2 minutes ago, Packer said:

 

Not only that. There are likely people mangled and half crushed to death but still alive trapped and suffocating to death right now. 

EQ rescue operation even for LAFD USAR(Urban Search and Rescue) is slow, difficult and saves very few people. The building in BKK that collpased looks like it was under construction (I saw a crane on the roof) and hopefully number of deceaseda and injured is low.  

2 hours ago, keemapoot said:

Yeah, possibly, though likely the Trump administration will try to bully Congress this term to get this done as he has them mostly afraid already. The SS trust fund has almost $3 trillion that Trump is salivating to get. He and Musk think that by busting social security so that it won't work at all, that the populace will support the privatization effort for efficiency reasons, in the process robbing this trust fund. That trust fund is due to be depleted by 2035 anyway which will result in a permanent 20% or so haircut to everyone's benefits. The social security system can support itself and pay all beneficiaries forever mostly at this reduced 80% rate. I think Musk and Trump will try to sell the republicans in Congress on the plan that they can privatize, get better returns with higher risk investments, rob and divert the trust fund, and leave everyone holding the bag later.

A sincere attempt to save SS would require a combination of raising FICA contribution rates, raising the retirement ages from 62 to 64 and 67 to 69, reduced benefits for new applicants and placing SSDI in a different type of fund.  But none of his is happening under the Tesla Guy or DOGE. 

20 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

Yes, no problem with SS benefits being deposited into foreign banks for now. And, this may not change. However, the bigger issue is getting service when something goes wrong with that deposit. For now, expats in Thailand with Thai addresses have to contact Manila, and perhaps eventually will need to travel there in person for issues.  If Doge closes the office or makes it untenable to get servicing, many expats will be forced to travel to the US to a local service office (thought those are rapidly being reduced too), perhaps, and even that may be problematical without a US address in that SS service center's jurisdiction - you will not be able to schedule this unless it is in your assign area based on your address. So, this could be the start of a squeeze on US expats.

 

The larger looming issue here of course is that all of this crap by Doge and Trump is part of a plan to discredit the agency, thereby setting up a situation of claiming the agency does not work and needs to be privatized, with Doge raiding the trust fund for other purposes likely.

I think actually getting rid of the SSA would take more than one POTUS term.  More likely the actual purpose could be to have fewer people receiving benefits or reduced benefits across all lines of SSA (SS retirment, SSDI and SS survirvors).  Somethiing like this can be done in under 4 years.  I believe most pension plans in the US and possibly in the world fear people living longer and more people collecting benefits for more years than they had planned for.  Even my CA state pension agency did a lame attempt at "are you still living" letter initiative for those who are over 100 and living overseas. It was a lame attempt because they sent my letter which required a notairzed response to  an old address in Southern California even though they had my address in Chiang Mai.  It took three loud and angry phone calls to Sacramento CA to undo their lame attempt to cut me off.  Dealing wtih SSA over the phone of course will be more challgenging and getting more challenging as each day passes. I expect things get even more turbulent.

27 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

This only applies to new claimants for now. However, the bigger concern for expats in Thailand is that indeed the Philippines office may be targeted for closure or have severe staffing reductions by this Doge gang. Doge and the administration does not give a crap about expats, and in fact, shows disdain for them as these and other actions on immigration show.

 

For that reason, I'm not sure it's a sustainable long-term plan to maintain a foreign Thailand address only, because if they tighten the screws further, obtaining the ID.ME and other authentication methods might become increasingly difficult or impossible going forward without a full US address and phone number, etc..

 

However, even that issue has now become more difficult for nomads and expats. The USPS has a new requirement that all users of private post office box centers must provide evidence of an actual permanent address in the US, so things seem to be getting more difficult for US expats year-by-year.

SS benefits can be deoposited into foreign bank accounts.  Could this be the next move for the Tesla Guy and DOGE? This could force many overseas Americans to make a big change?  My CA state retirement pay can only be deposited into a US bank account.  I know some CA retirees who liive overseas and they actually have a check mailed to them from Sacramento, CA.  Sometimes the check can "be in the mail for a long time".