sambum

Blame TAT - they want to boost their figures (again!) The accompanying headline post suggests 6 million European tourists in 2024!

"Others supported the transwomen, remarking that many “bad foreigners” come to Phuket nowadays." Try telling TAT to stop asking them to come then!

"The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) reports anticipations of welcoming 9.6 million long-haul tourists this year, aiming for over 896 billion baht in revenue with next year’s target." Whenever you see the words "Tourist Authority Of Thailand (TAT)", you will notice that they are always followed by words like "expects", "aims for", "anticipates", "hopes for", "expects" and then some figures that are wild "guesstimations". What makes me splutter in my morning coffee is that these posts are often accompanied by other posts stating that resorts like Phuket are complaining about having too many tourists! Regarding attracting 8 million tourists from Europe, I think someone should remind TAT that people in the likes of the UK will be struggling to pay their food and Utility bills in the winter of 2024, and holidays are probably the last thing they are planning for! Or maybe they are "anticipating" millions of Russians and Ukrainians escaping from the war? "In the Winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive" (The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down")

Very true!

I agree with you to a certain extent about some of the homeless treating it as a lifestyle/personal choice, but there are many more that are in that situation not through choice but by circumstances beyond their control (In the UK anyway) and I do not like to see them all being tarred with the same brush. I have my own opinion on the multitude of reasons for this, but I would be "hijacking" this particular thread, which is about the American Election, so we'll have to leave it there. As regards the Conservative Party ("Tories") and the Labour Party, I think that you could say that loosely your equivalent would be "Republicans" and "Democrats". The Tories traditionally represent the middle class/better off, and the Labour Party is supposedly the party that represents the ordinary working man/lower class. However, our new Labour Government are not exactly acting as many people think they should, as some of their recent decisions seem to fly in the face of their Manifesto! (I won't go into it!) Anyway, like you, I do not have a great knowledge of American politics, but I am rather bemused when a recently convicted criminal can be even considered as a candidate, let alone be the President of your country!

In the UK we had a Tory politician say a while ago that "homelessness was a lifestyle choice"! Where do these people come from? The planet Zarcon? There were various replies to her comment, mostly unprintable, but when you have people with that blinkered opinion of how the "lower classes" live, it is probably one of the reasons why they lost the last election. (Mind you, the new lot aren't much better, but as this is a post about American politics I will "zip it"!) replacement

"....only UK Government related pensions (not state pension) is free of tax in Thailand." Are they not the same thing, or by "UK Government related pensions" do you mean something like a Civil Service pension, or a Serviceman's pension?

Is it true that to serve 2 terms in office as the President of the USA, you have to be a convicted criminal/felon before you can serve your second term? 😃

I think what's next is that all those wealthy people that Thailand was hoping to attract will be saying "No Thanks" and take their money and custom elsewhere, and the Government will be trying to find a way to squeeze more money out of the people that are here already. Ring any bells? Having spoken to a few of my "bar stool lawyers", quite a few of them have said that they pay UK tax on their pensions already, which is almost the lowest in Europe anyway. They also have their pensions "frozen" by the British Government,(no annual increments) because they live in Thailand, so you can imagine the plans that are being made and talked about should the Thai government try to tax them on money that they have already been taxed on anyway!!! And don't expect them to be hopping in and out of the country every 6 months - many of them are too old to "hop" anywhere! So, Thailand will lose out on all the revenue that the wealthy people/businessmen would have been bringing in to the country, and also losing the income generated by the ex pat community - many of whom kept the small family businesses of this country going when Covid was rampant. And then the "blame game" will start!

"Hopefully all the illegals will be deported and the streets will start to be safe again,..........." Sounds like you're blaming all the violence in America on "illegals". I don't think the streets of America have been safe since "The Gunfight At The OK Corral", and best of luck with deporting the "illegals" - you could maybe ask the new PM of the UK for advice on that one!

Wise move! This Government are trying their best to woo as many (wealthy) ex pats to Thailand to invest in business or retire here, and then say (to the wealthy ones) "Oh but you will have to pay 35% tax on any money you bring into the country" Seems to me like they are waving the stick about sooner than the carrot!

Of course it does! What part of "EVERY PENSIONER" do you not understand? He should choose his words more carefully, which is one reason why I don't think he will last long in the job

Yup!

But what about the Winter Fuel Allowance and the Over 75's TV licences? And I am a pensioner living in Thailand - I do not get the Winter Fuel Allowance or the over 75's (quite rightly so), but I will not get the 4.1% rise in State Pension, so "EVERY PENSIONER will be better off under the Labour Party" is a lie!

"She’s going to do a splendid job finishing off the Tories." The same kind of splendid job that Starmer is doing to the Labour Party! Remember his recent speech at the Labour Conference - "Every pensioner, EVERY PENSIONER will be better off under the Labour Party." How does that "lie" sit with the thousands that have lost their Winter Fuel Allowance, and the over 75's that have lost their free TV licences ?

This may have been posted before so I'll make it as brief as I can:- During the Covid "shutdown" some OAP friends of mine were caught drinking illegally. They were jailed overnight, and in the morning pleaded guilty, and were fined 10,000 baht each by the magistrate! They were then taken back to the Police Station, and told that unless they paid ANOTHER 20,000 BAHT EACH (to the Police) they would be taken to Immigration and their passports stamped with the offence, and their next application for a Visa extension would be denied! TIT and this is RTP!!!

And how do they know that there is no patient inside? XRay vision?

I wouldn't class the town of Surat Thani as a tourist option, but Koh Samui and Ko Pha Ngan are both in the Province of Surat Thani, and well worth a visit, but Koh Tao is not on my bucket list, "I'm afraid"!

"The trip was nice, but I have never had the desire to visit again. Once was enough." I feel exactly the same after a 3 day trip to Pattaya many years ago!

Thank you!

Thank you!

I was asking Bradiston the question how to apply for citizenship, and how it would affect other aspects of my life, yet you jump on my back like I'm some kind of freeloader. Please read my post in the manner that it was intended.

I have lived here for 20 years and have been married to a Thai wife for 6 of those, so do I qualify for citizenship, how do I apply, how much would it cost me, and would I then qualify for free medical care and be allowed to vote? Also how would it affect my pension from the UK as I would no longer be a British citizen?

"Earlier this month, frustrated by the lack of communication from police regarding the case’s progress, the victims considered escalating the matter to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). Nonetheless, Police Chief Weeraphong assured them of the police’s commitment to their case, reported The Phuket News." Oh, that's all right. then!