Dogmatix

If they clear that stretch of vendors, where will people buy Kamagra?

TISI charges horrendus fees for license exemptions for electrical products where a Thai importer has already got approval for the model.  I payed THB 2,500 for an exemption for an electronic drum module.  If there is not existing approval for the product, you have to pay for the testing yourself which could run to THB 100,000.  However, AFAIK this is no likely to happen with something valued at under THB 40,000 which involves a more detailed customs clearance procedure with the buyer having to register with customs as an importer for some reason. 

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

I recently got scammed from Lazada, case is still under investigation.

A so-called Bangkok trader with a reputable site selling electrical products, shown as in stock.

Sourced the item from China, as the item had to pass through customs on departure from China & entry to Thailand.

Upon delivery I got a pair of socks...

The kicker is you have to except them to go through the refund process.

Lazada really needs to get it's act together and get these scammers off their platform

 

I received an empty cardboard box when I ordered a product from Ali Express.  I did manage to get a refund though.

There are plenty more fish in the Ocean. Move on and find another, if a hooker says no.   It's true he doesn't sound like a yank and whoever he was talking to on the phone obviously had trouble understanding his appalling accent as he had to keep repeating himself before the security subdued him from behind and everyone out of their misery including the person at the other end of his phone call.

5 minutes ago, billd766 said:

And ALL the generals involved in the illegal military coup should be in jail for life or executed for treason against the state.

 

Oddly enough NP general has ever been punished for any military coup since 1932. Not even a 500 baht fine or a wai in apology to the Thai people.

 

Nor has any justice or law maker been punished for colluding with a coup.

 

Yet those who were legally elected but usurped, have always been arrested and punished.

 

Odd that.

You are wrong.  In 1977 General Chalard Hiranyasiri was executed without trial after leading a failed coup against the military government.  In the old days military coups were often staged against military governments to put a new bunch of boys in green at the trough.  This one was unsuccessful and Chalard pulled his gun on another officer and shot him dead for allegedly reneging on his promise to join the coup after he saw it was not going well.

When is Hun Sen coming to testify about Thaksin calling for props such as a neck brace for a photo op with Hun Sen to fake illness?

They are really going after the big fish now.  Seven officers in the picture to get a gram of dope or 145 mg each.  They deserve special police medals.  

Elon Musk is walking around with a lot more ketamine than that in his bloodstream at any given moment.

On 7/9/2025 at 8:09 AM, ronster said:

What treatment are the foreign nationals receiving 🤔

Are they having to buy meds at inflated prices or are they getting them cheap.

How many Burmese and other foreign migrant labourers have it unreported and not receiving any medication.

Although he was promoted like Trump as a businessman who understands economic management, it has become very apparent this time that he either no longer understands anything about economics, or that he never did but had much better advisors to cover up his ignorance in the past.  His economic policies including handouts, land bridges and other utter nonsense have all turned out to be total flops.

See gangs of subcontinental men on Walking Street bargaining the price with katoeys.  Most just laugh at them and don't do a deal but some do. 

How to be vigilant, other than avoiding Thailand?

Thai customs has a room full of suitcases confiscated from tourists, mainly Brits, who were caught trying to smuggle cannabis out of Thailand.  Since it it not currently a serious offence in Thailand, they are either released without charge and minus the dope and luggage or get a modest fine.  Unlucky for her and the British girl in Dubai they were caught there and not here.  Still gotta be a bit intellectually challenged to take the risk of smuggling drugs, specially to countries like Georgia and Dubai where penalties are strict, prisons awful and the justice system dubious, 

Before legalisation the story was about Brits smuggling cigarettes back to the UK from duty free shops in the Mid East.  

3 hours ago, mfd101 said:

And they'll still be talking but doing nothing in 50 years' time as the sea waters lap the royal palace ...

Thaksin's grandchildren or great grandchildren will be queuing up to take their turn at being PM to do nothing about flooding or anything else constructive by then. 

The OP forget to mention the first day of his trial for LM coming up in July in a case brought by the Thai military,  based on the accusation that he defamed the monarchy in an interview given to  Korean newspaper.

Given that he is a known flight risk, it would be advisable for the court to place him on remand during the trial.

On 6/9/2025 at 7:43 AM, JimHuaHin said:

Time for Taksin to go.

...to jail.

It is very unclear but the announcements made so far could easily  be interpreted to mean that overseas income is taxable in Thailand, unless remitted to Thailand in the tax year it arose or the following year.  That would be effectively global taxation which they claim (falsely) is required by the OECD but with exemptions money remitted in the stipulated period.

It seems the latest regulation allowing exemption for income earned before 2024 will be wiped out which is tough luck for anyone who sold investments in Dec 2023 to create a long term stock of money that can be remitted to Thailand. 

If it is indeed a global tax, there would be a loophole, unless it has to remain in Thailand for a certain period, in that investors could remit the money out again immediately.  It also seems simple enough to create a transaction on even earn interest on a bank deposit to able to remit the income tax free.

The RD clarified last time that principle could be remitted tax free.  If still true, anything can be remitted tax free.  If not true and only the income can remitted tax free, they will not attract the trillions they hope for because the principle will be left overseas.

The article says prostitution is illegal in Thailand but is not really true.  The 1996 Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act only makes prostitution illegal in certain circumstances. 

• Soliciting in public so as to cause a nuisance is prohibited.

• Operating or managing a prostitution business is illegal.

• Profiting from the prostitution of others (e.g., pimping, brothel-keeping) is a criminal offense.

The VN hookers may well be bothering people in the street which is clearly illegal but It is a hassle for cops to get good enough for that. Passers by will not give evidence.  So the cops have to do it.  In the past to prove the girls (East Europeans in those days) were really soliciting for sexual services, cops actually had sex with them, arested the girls when they had finished and knotted up the used condoms to present as evidence. (I think there was a queue of cops at Lumpini police station volunteering for this dangerous mission confronting violent criminals.)   There was a big outcry from Thai  women's groups arguing the cops had created the crimes themselves  as agents provocateurs.  There was also an outcry from the wives of the arresting officers who were named in the media.  Ha ha.  So the cops were forced to abandon these fun crime busting missions. 

Nowadays, if they take action against foreign hookers at all, it is most likely to be for visa violations.  

The cops don't like to admit prostitution is not really illegal in any meaningful sense the same way as they pretend smoking weed in public is specifically illegal.  It is not but smoking anything in public is illegal under the Public Health Act, if it causes a nuisance and someone complains.  So it is actually a fairly similar concept of illegality that makes it hard to get convictions.  So cops don't usually try in either case.

I remember visiting Pnom Penh many years ago and hundreds of VN hookers had moved in the years following Wun Sen's takeover at the head of a VN army.

18 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Any specific bars/areas that should be avoided? 

My question too.  For public safety the article should be specific about areas and bars VN prostitutes are operating, so we can avoid falling prey to their siren calls.

9 hours ago, Hornell said:

I just find it difficult to believe than anyone can be so stupid nowadays to either agree to carry another bag for someone or to allow them to insert a package, the contents of which they don't know, into their own baggage.

Exactly.  Charlotte Leek came back to England from a trip to Thailand then flew back saying she had been offered a job in Thailand with flight and expenses paid.  The job involved flying off again a few days later carrying 46kg of weed to Sri Lanka, presumably on route to the UK or somewhere else in Europe, since weed is widely cultivated in Sri Lanka and must be a lot cheaper there than in Thailand.  So she set off with an extra two suitcases packed by someone else and was given cash to pay for the excess baggage at Suvarnabhumi. Pretty obvious that she knew she was smuggling something illegal but thought the money was worth it.  She had been an air hostess for TUI and was a part time beautician in nail bar.  So probably not very bright but, even so, it must have been obvious that something was wrong, even if she didn't look inside the suitcase.   Weed is fairly bulky and has a strong aroma which sniffer dogs can't miss. 

The other English girl in Georgia is only 18 and pregnant.  She was going to start a nursing course but that will have to wait for for a decade or more probably now.  Not sure of the details of her case but it sounds like she had 14kg of dope and may well have known what it was. 

The extra bags may have been a red flag to Sri Lanka customs but what these kids don't understand is that the drug networks often grass on some of their own mules as part of a deal with authorities to let most through.  Also very young travellers with odd itineraries are often a red flag.  Doing two trips to Thailand in quick succession and flying to Sir Lanka or Georgia afterwards, particularly, if full fare, may look suspicious.  Years ago two English girls were busted smuggling heroin out of Thailand.  Thai cops said they were alerted by British cops who had seen their itinerary flying full fare from Bangkok to West Africa to the UK as odd and tipped off Thai police.  The British cops checked their profiles and found they were unemployed which further heightened suspicions.  Having pleaded they were set up they got Royal pardons on account of their young ages and went back to England to tell the tabloids they knew all along what they were smuggling.  

1 minute ago, Sydebolle said:

Well, well, the ten-years visa might be a winner, the 99-years lease as well but, according to the article, is restricted on government land. 

Let potential buyers - irrespective of nationality - buy land with certain restrictions (I understand that US citizen are entitled to one Rai under the "American Treaty" dating back to the 60s of last century). 
Drop the work permit restrictions as I cannot see a non-Thai hairdresser or non-Thai ice carver competing with Thais; architecture and tourism might also be much more professional without the restrictions in the Alien Business Law. 

There are lots of possibilities to make "Thailand great again" but it takes a new breeze of professionals and not all those old oligarch goats driving this country into the ground for their own personal benefit. 

Restricted on govt land because the seller has to sell the freehold to the government and the lease to the foreigner.  A very bad idea.