ronnie50

I reckon not very well

Dunno why Phuket is in the news so much. Seems to be turning into a Pattaya of sorts. Overcrowded, cheap downmarket tourists, lots of scams and violence and deaths. Haven't been there since Covid - twice in the 'sandbox' and once on holiday - it was great at that time. Very few people there. The few hotels and restaurants that were open were very good too.

Nah, she has a British Passport, stick her on a plane to the USA and let those friendly 'Homeland' border weirdos have at her..

I think Benz drivers (per capita) are worse than the van drivers - particulalry when I'm driving up country. I've been cut off many, many times by Benz drivers. Watch them drive to the BKK airport as just one nearby example. Anyway, I hope Tyson/Yuri face justice and kicked out of the country.

Not really clear from the article whether the girlfriend was actually out with him or back at the hotel while he was out with mates. She raised the alarm when he got home anyway.

Agree I've seen the same and have had my own over-the-limit experiences. But not many people are aware that this generation doesn't drink like "we" did (or for some in our generation still do). I'm not saying all the 20-somethings are tea total, just that, many of the young Westerners, are not big boozers (maybe country by country) and the stats exist to back up that shift.

It says the Embassy is involved providing consular service, they've seen all the recent news about spiked drinks. They need to demand a toxicology report. Even if it reveals that it was spiked, the embassy probably wouldn't publicise that fact and so would the Thai authorities publicise it? Let me just leave that question there..

Belated thanks to those who provided the correct/official link to apply for a VN visa online. Grateful. FYI - anyone planning a trip to Vietnam in the next few weeks - the government just declared a new five-day holiday 30 April - 5 May. (taking in Labor Day, Reunification Day and a weekend). This would probably affect online visa wait times, and of course busier travel/pricing within the country itself during that period. https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20250407/vietnam-announces-5day-reunification-day-holiday/85816.html

Oh well, maybe Trump will add that to his 36% tariff on Thailand.... But since he doesn't give a rat's @ss about the little guy, including the US Thai-based professor who coincidentally was being arrested when the Thai tariffs were announced (how 'Chinese' of them), I somehow doubt he cares about the price of your re-entry visa to Thailand. (Edit to add that Biden Admin might have protested the US Prof's arrest; highly doubt Trump's Admin will even notice it).

Seems to me every country would arrest someone trying to leave the country who had so agregiously overstayed their visa. Overstaying in Thailand is clearly a problem because it happens so often. It might be the reason Thai IMM still has IOs physically stationed at exit points after security to ensure the visitor has not overstayed. Maybe Thailand makes money from it? Can't see any other reason for th IMM IOs to be there - everything is electronic these days - maybe they haven't figured out a way to catch the overstayers if they go fully electronic (no IOs upon departure).

I guess she could just get a new passport and even change her first name.

"increased 'energy' acquisitions"? Like what? Nuclear energy? Am I missing something else?

Most pension and SS systems have a minimum bar the CPI must rise to in order to add the COLA to a pension/SS. Like more than 2% I think. Not sure of the minimum bar. Two or three years ago was the big CPI rise and COLA - 8%? I missed that one unfortunately.

It's USDOL that does it via the CPI anuual changes.

Nope. It was Reagan, Bush(s) and Clinton that facilitated offshoring manufacturing for American companies which enthusiastically pursued a race to the bottom for wages in Asian countries, particularly China. Trump is trying to wind back the clock with sanctions - but that clearly won't work. I don't know what would work to be honest. Why would the US oligarchs and Captains of Industry spend all that money to build factories in the United States again and hire fat dimmwits to run the machines and do the paperwork? Meantime, Americans and the world will end up in a recesion through tariffs as consumers tighten their belts and only buy what they need. Has Elon built any new factories in the US?

Ever been to Bangladesh? I have.. dump. Maybe the people there are less miserable than Americans right now, but is that much of a claim?

They probably do - and probably don't know who coined the expression. BTW, did the University of Chicago get its budget slashed? 🧐

Any idea what the 2025 US CPI and COLA will be this month (this week actually)? I'm guessing around 3% but could a bit less.

Doesn't look Chinese to me. However old Mitch McConnell said the tariffs are stupid too and will just cost ordinary Americans more to buy things. Emily Ley - Simplified https://ssl-static.libsyn.com/p/assets/d/9/3/2/d932fba3586cae7f/v2_-_Simplified_Podcast_thumbnail_1400_x_1400.jpg

Yes, thanks. OK must be nationwide legal clarification then. They need to go after the fake company nominees next - I doubt they will though, or maybe they will ask for 'tea money' to ignore each home 'owner' .

I know. I mean is the Phuket ruling/clarfication country-wide? Or could some developer try to say 'oh, that was just phuket.'?

Still prefer Cathay to EVA though. I just wish HKG would use the boarding 'by seating group' approach used in many other airports. If you're not in business or premium economy class then you end up in this huge single line for economy which stretches way down the concourse. Taiwan's airport used to really suck, nothing open airside when transfering, but I think they built a new terminal? Haven't flown through there for at least 7-8 years.

You gotta empathize with people who leased thinking they'd be able to pass on the lease when they passed themselves, and at least they didn't try to form a company with Thai nominees to purchase a house with land. I wonder what effect this ruling in Phuket will have on the rest of the country? Does it need to be challenged in each province?

I read the article. It said the court couldn't find any 'precedence' for forcing the freeholders to renew the leases. Here's my question - when did Thailand's judiciary ever refer to precedence? It doesn't follow English Common Law's rules of precedence (the system used by UK, US (yes US has always followed the system of English Common Law), Canada and various other countries. Of course this isn't a 'criminal' case - it's a civil case. A Thai lawyer can better explain this - but my understanding is Thailand's judiciary can rule any way they want, regardless of previous similar rulings. Maybe in civil cases too? In any case, it was always a naive notion to believe the 30/30/30 system was lawful.

Should be at least 38-40 THB to the dollar. It's being artificially propped up and doesn't move in sync with other currencies. At some point they will be forced to let the baht float without interventions. And given the fact they will soon lose more manufacturing sales to the US, that means they will not be getting as much foreign/hard currency to add to the reserves. Tourism can only provide so much... but it's not enough.