suzannegoh

The price PassionDelivery shows is the same as in the supermarket.

I am sure that import duties/taxes plus shipping costs are what drive the price per bottle. No one want to price themself out of the market. There is a local IPA for 109 baht. If anyone could sell what is pictured above for that price, they would logically do so.

Yes, the supermarkets charge about the same amount for those beers. But if the reason for the steep price was only import duties & taxes, shouldn't Paulaner, Erdinger, and Weihenstephaner cost 200 baht per 12 ounce bottle also?

I too like a good beer or ale....but sometimes when the price is way over the top I draw a line.

Taking the piss on pricing will never help the local cause.

I brewed back in NZ. I also shared my brews with friends at no cost to them. If I was to

go commercial I still wouldn't charge what these idiots think their brew is worth.

Perhaps after a few their logic goes out the window?

It does seem a bit over the top. Exorbitant import taxes would be part of the reason but that's about double the price of Paulaner and Erdinger and in the US those cost about the same as craft beers (roughly $12 per six pack in a supermarket). Too many middlemen in the supply chain maybe?

Tax seems voluntary to big American corporations, why should people pay to a system that makes life harder .

Another myth perpetuated by those wishing to villify "Big Business"

That's what I don't get about the Bernie Sanders movement. If American multinational companies were put out of business, would that really be a good thing for the American public? If Americans don't like it the way it is now, with American multinationals doing most of their manufacturing overseas, they aren't going to like any better when everything they buy is from overseas companies who manufacture overseas.

"Bernie" conveniently does not address what will happen when all "big business" leaves USA...no tax revenue, no jobs....

Either that, or he really is that ignorant about economics

Bill Maher, Mr Liberal himself and an outspoken Bernie supporter, came up with an interesting stat on his show this week. I think that the data might have come from the Cato Institute, but according to Maher two-thirds of Bernie supporters say that they would not be willing to pay an additional $1000 per year in taxes in order to have free healthcare and free college tuition. And yet we are to believe that the reason to vote for Bernie is not just to get free stuff.

I certainly "mind" paying US taxes as I haven't lived there since 1998. I just about reached time qualification to apply for citizenship in another country. I ended up leaving 1 year before I hit the bell, but I did look into it seriously. Certainly makes sense for some. In my case, I stood to lose more than I gained, so it would of amounted to a meek political statement.

So, I maintain my forced contract, minimize exposure best I can, and pay the club membership dues each year; aware that my dues may be misused and abused by a poor management system.

I'm a sheeple who's aware of the issues, alternatives, and have made a decision to stay the course. There's a difference between that, and being a sheeple who is unaware and doesn't want to know.

A more reasonable, viable target is ACA's lobbying effort on tax reform and, specifically, residence based taxation. I follow that. FWIW (not much probably) have made my comments for the record on both expat banking issues and RBT vs. CBT. That is how change will be made and it's a hard slog because no politician likes the idea of less slop in the trough.

Still more effective than moving back to the States, exposing myself to more taxes and privilege to live there fees, and go on a half-baked martyr's crusade against the IRS, in and out of court and probably jail.

Guys like AsianTravel promote the crusade, copy and paste krap they dig up on the internet and bounce around like stupid cheerleaders from the safety of their keyboard. They've got no skin in this game but they love whipping others who do, into a froth.

" There's a difference between that, and being a sheeple who is unaware and doesn't want to know ".

From what you have written here it seems then you have given the matter at least some thought.

So isn’t it a bit disingenuous of you to deny the opportunity to the sheeple who are ” unaware and don’t want to know “to learn and discuss some of the issues involved and get the opportunity to consider BOTH sides of the argument?

If the US government and even the US judiciary make it virtually impossible for opposing views to be adequately considered in public how will many of the sheeple who are ” unaware and don’t want to know “ ever learn exactly what are the issues being argued in the first place?

There are obviously some pertinent issues here which keep being buried or are being brushed aside like former IRS Commissioner Sheldon Cohen in that interview in Post number 10 where he abruptly finishes the interview because the questions get too hard. Maybe other Americans are put off from asking these difficult questions when they get the kind of reaction you gave referring to them as “ doodle brains “. Your profile says one of your interests is personal finance so why do you so readily criticise those that show curiosity regarding so many unanswered questions involved in this matter?

For example I thought the USA represented free speech 1st amendment and all that and yet the government found it necessary to officially ban Irwin Schiff’s book in a way that is more reminiscent of Nazi Germany or Communist Russia .

If you read the legal analysis regarding the grounds for banning this book it seems to me you could drive a bus through it

Judge Bans Schiff Book on Income Tax

http://www.givemeliberty.org/NoRedress/Update06-30B-03.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Federal-Mafia-Illegally-Unlawfully-Collects/dp/0930374096

Tax seems voluntary to big American corporations, why should people pay to a system that makes life harder .

Another myth perpetuated by those wishing to villify "Big Business"

That's what I don't get about the Bernie Sanders movement. If American multinational companies were put out of business, would that really be a good thing for the American public? If Americans don't like it the way it is now, with American multinationals doing most of their manufacturing overseas, they aren't going to like any better when everything they buy is from overseas companies who manufacture overseas.

" It gets recycled by doodle brains who think they've stumbled upon a secret, "

LOL

on the other hand it could mean that the majority of the sheeple still haven't woken up to the legalities?

in the documentary I referred to in the previous post I would hardly call some of the people that were interviewed or indeed the producer and director of that film a doodle brain

Ok, so you are awake. Endowed with this insight. You are not one of the 'Sheeple'.

Charged with this information, did you pay tax and file a return this year?

https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/why-im-proud-that-my-tax-bill-is-zero-19112/

That's great that the author of that article has managed to legally pay zero taxes. That can be done and some people think that arranging their finances so as to minimize their tax bill is of paramount importance. And if you're a Sovereign Man it goes without saying that doing so makes you superior to the sheeple. But others think that it makes more sense to maximize your net income (income less taxes) rather than to focus only on your tax bill. Isn't that a silly idea?

More adequate directions please?

What do you expect, GPS coordinates? The restaurant is not far from the 711. To find it turn left on the soi, then turn right after the third barking dog.

Well, I won't be going again, but on the topic of giving directions: heck yes. GPS coordinates or Google Maps link saves a whole lot of confusion and chatter. ( It's here: https://goo.gl/aqOSKc )

Some science fiction writers predict that one day even portable telephones will have GPS enabled mapping but personally I find that farfetched.

More adequate directions please?

What do you expect, GPS coordinates? The restaurant is not far from the 711. To find it turn left on the soi, then turn right after the third barking dog.

This is one of the regular conspiracy stories that comes up every once in a while.

What the guys testimony actually proves is that the IRS has hired some complete idiots.

Here's a Snopes article about it

http://www.snopes.com/business/taxes/voluntary.asp

It gets recycled by doodle brains who think they've stumbled upon a secret, and can't wait to share their unbelievable discovery with the world.

Talk about timely discoveries, the CNBC video clip, lower left, advertises Tim Russert on Meet the Press. Tim passed away in 2008.

" It gets recycled by doodle brains who think they've stumbled upon a secret, "

LOL

on the other hand it could mean that the majority of the sheeple still haven't woken up to the legalities?

in the documentary I referred to in the previous post I would hardly call some of the people that were interviewed or indeed the producer and director of that film a doodle brain

Not a doodle brain maybe, but this is an old story and Joe Banister (the IRS agent making that "admission") only narrowly avoided jail, lost his CPA license, and was disbarred. So it might not be a good idea to hang your hat on the proposition that you can beat the IRS by quoting him.

From Wiki:

In 2004, Banister was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States^[1] and various counts of willfully aiding, assisting counseling and procuring the filing of a false amended income tax return^[2] in connection with his alleged assistance of a client, Walter Allen Thompson.^[3] Thompson owned and operated Cencal, an aviation and flight bag manufacturing business. Cencal employed a number of hourly wage workers who were predominantly seamstresses, production workers and office workers. In July 2000, Thompson removed all of the employees from the taxpayer rolls by no longer withholding employment taxes from wages and salaries, by not filing Forms 941, and by not providing employees or the IRS with annual wage or other income statements, Forms W-2 or 1099.

Thompson was charged numerous tax-related offenses. On January 28, 2005, he was found guilty of two counts of knowingly filing false claims against the United States under 18 U.S.C. § 287, ten counts of willful failure to collect and turn over taxes under 26 U.S.C. § 7202, and one count of willfully filing a false income tax return under 26 U.S.C. § 7206.^[4] Thompson was acquitted on one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States under 18 U.S.C. § 371.^[5] Thompson was sentenced to serve 72 months in prison and was fined $7,500.^[6] The case against Banister continued, and Banister was eventually acquitted of the charges against him.^[7]

funny how over the past few years anyone who mentioned gold price manipulation was instantly labelled a conspiracy theorist

Deutsche Bank Admits It Rigged Gold Prices, Agrees To Expose Other Manipulators

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-04-14/first-silver-now-gold-deutsche-bank-admits-it-also-rigged-gold-prices-legal-settleme

Did they manipulate it in both directions, up when it went to $1900 and down when it went to $1100, or was it a one-way trade?

off topic posts removed.

What is the topic? We already have an extensive, active thread on burgers. What is this about anyway?

It was inactive the last time I looked.

Apparently burgers are a taboo subject on here.

I'm not sure which is more absurd, for burgers to be a taboo topic or for them to be the most popular topic.

Carl's JR; dry and tasteless, I'm not sure if it's even beef. Definitely appropriate for this thread.

One I do miss (and it's kind of a burger - that's not a burger) is Arby's.....There aren't a lot of them - but when ever I had/found one a Big Montana + 1 regular smothered in Arby's sauce & seasoned salt (some had it) always seemed to hit the

spot.....Sometimes they were 5 for $5 & I'd take some home/hotel.....

I'm not sure if they are in other countries.....

One of the tests for me is the taste of food after it's no longer warm....Good food usually keeps it's promise & taste....

A few years ago their was a man named Spanky in Chiang Mai who prided himself on being able to copy Arby's "burgers" (which are actually roast beef sandwiches) . His restaurant didn't last long though, powers that be didn't like roast beef apparently.

Rumor was that was not all he was selling.

Probably he sold French Fries and Onion Rings too, maybe some condiments.

It's a real dilemma, money (the FIAT currency) as we know it will

soonish disappear, so gold is predicted to be worth close to $5 000

an ounce in the near future, we should all be buying gold ingots as

it will keep appreciating but from experience as per my mother and

other people we know in Europe, have been attacked, killed and

butchered for their gold, it's a real dilemma as what to do.

Myself now have sold and own no gold.

PS; The cheapest place to buy gold is India

think of your security

If fiat currency were to disappear what would you use for $5,000 per once?

If fiat currency has we know it, along with the entire world economic system, were to disappear, gold will be worthless. Weapons, lots and lots of very big weapons will be what you will need to stay on top. Everyone else will be slaves to the ones that have the very big weapons.

Go ahead and buy gold as speculation, but as a hedge against the collapse of fiat currency is ridiculous. Who are going to sell it to? To buy what? If you think the world will just suddenly go back to the gold standard way of doing business, that is just ignorant.

TH

thaihome, thank you, I agree with you. Anyone who thinks fiat currencies are going to disappear has got rocks in their head.

That can't be, most of the farangs that I meet in Thailand say that gold is the only real money. And not many of them are schizophrenics., mostly they are retired Navy Seals, MI5, and captains of industry.

Carl's JR; dry and tasteless, I'm not sure if it's even beef. Definitely appropriate for this thread.

One I do miss (and it's kind of a burger - that's not a burger) is Arby's.....There aren't a lot of them - but when ever I had/found one a Big Montana + 1 regular smothered in Arby's sauce & seasoned salt (some had it) always seemed to hit the

spot.....Sometimes they were 5 for $5 & I'd take some home/hotel.....

I'm not sure if they are in other countries.....

One of the tests for me is the taste of food after it's no longer warm....Good food usually keeps it's promise & taste....

A few years ago their was a man named Spanky in Chiang Mai who prided himself on being able to copy Arby's "burgers" (which are actually roast beef sandwiches) . His restaurant didn't last long though, powers that be didn't like roast beef apparently.

I made it sound like we were using exclusively Bumrungrad and wantonly running up the bill but that's not the case. We have certain routine tests and MRIs done at other places for reasons of convenience, we've used BNH in Bangkok a couple of times for minor surgeries, and I cut the insurance company a break on prescription costs by having them filled at an independent pharmacy instead of at the hospital.

I'm well aware that Bumrungrad is not the only place with good doctors, but I think that Bumrungrad is the gold standard in Thailand. Almost all of the doctors that they have on staff have rock-solid credentials, most of their doctors are good at explaining treatment option to patients, and I think that the odds of receiving successful treatment there are as high as anywhere in SE Asia. And they can direct bill to foreign insurance companies.

The point that I was inelegantly trying to make is that if your insurance company is willing to pay for even the most expensive hospital in Bangkok then you don't have much incentive to beat the bushes looking for cheaper alternatives, for anything complicated you might as well go straight to the hospital that you trust most. And that means that your medical costs are apt to be more expensive than if you didn't have insurance or if you had a less comprehensive policy.

I think that National University Hospital in Singapore is probably the gold standard for the region but that's an aside. Libel laws prevent me from detailing my experiences with Big B. over many years but I think if you had the entire picture you would change your views. Anyway, you must seek treatment where you feel comfortable doing so.

All of us form our opinions of hospitals based upon anecdotes and anecdotes are not data. I don't know a way around that, nor do I know why you've had bad experiences with Bumrungrad while I've have good ones.

One thing to consider when looking for the gold standard is oversight: as far as I can see there are almost no controls in place in Thailand to manage and verify the quality of medical treatment but in places such as Singapore and Hong Kong medical oversight is a big and very important issue. In Singapore for example the Health Sciences Authority regulates medical standards and actively monitors compliance, it can be argued that the HSA is too powerful and that doctors are afraid of making a mistake because that can lead to suspension or their license being revoked but it does lead to high levels of patient safety, nothing even remotely similar exists here as far as I can tell.

I don't doubt that the medical care in Singapore is highly competent. That's the way that it is there in most non-medical fields too, if something goes wrong it's not usually because someone <removed> up.

I don't know about such chronic treatment here in Thailand, but I am Medicare eligible and if something were to hit me that would just be too much out-of-pocket or not available here in Thailand, it would be time for me to spend a good deal more time in US of A.

To the case above, either this is a total fabrication and rip-off on the part of the hospital /insurer or there was something that led them to believe that an accurate medical history had not been provided by the friend. Say tuned.

It is not a fabrication. Look at my post history previously. I sure so not go off making 'fairy stories.'

The above has happened, and I will report the outcome in the future when I know more. I have known this guy for well over eight years: he is fit as, and this was his first claim ever.

From what I can gather is that the hospitals here are all inter-connected, and the Insurance has access to this information. He seems confident to getting his money back but in reality, being told one thing and then given another is not on.

BUPA Platinum is structured on a limit per incident basis with no limit to annual amounts or lifetime payments. There are no deductibles for outpatient only coverage.

What happens when the "incident" is a chronic condition that will incur expenses on an ongoing basis?

I don't know -- my coverage is hospital Inpatient only up to the limit per incident. i am assume that a chronic condition is one that is treated on outpatient or ex-hospital basis.

Thanks for your advice and patience. My concerns are mostly about chronic conditions, a one-off expense is something that I could whether.

"they are determined by demographics and statistics", of which your actual medical expenses form a part - Bumrungrad is one of the the most expensive private hospitals in the country. If you lived in the US you wouldn't automatically have al your health care issues taken care of at North Okaloosa Medical Center (FL), so why do similar in Thailand.

http://www.menshealth.com/health/50-most-overpriced-hospitals

You're not the first farang to object to my spending habits and I doubt that you will be the last. It's not just me that is causing this problem, everyone with insurance is contributing to rising medical costs to some degree. If no one had insurance there is no way that private hospitals would be able to charge as much money as they do.

You misunderstand, I'm not in a position to object to your spending habits, that's your business not mine, I was merely pointing out something that may not have been obvious. In fact I used to use Bumrungrad for all my medical needs when I first came to Thailand and then I started to realise that there are alternatives that are just as good if not better but also substantially cheaper.

I made it sound like we were using exclusively Bumrungrad and wantonly running up the bill but that's not the case. We have certain routine tests and MRIs done at other places for reasons of convenience, we've used BNH in Bangkok a couple of times for minor surgeries, and I cut the insurance company a break on prescription costs by having them filled at an independent pharmacy instead of at the hospital.

I'm well aware that Bumrungrad is not the only place with good doctors, but I think that Bumrungrad is the gold standard in Thailand. Almost all of the doctors that they have on staff have rock-solid credentials, most of their doctors are good at explaining treatment option to patients, and I think that the odds of receiving successful treatment there are as high as anywhere in SE Asia. And they can direct bill to foreign insurance companies.

The point that I was inelegantly trying to make is that if your insurance company is willing to pay for even the most expensive hospital in Bangkok then you don't have much incentive to beat the bushes looking for cheaper alternatives, for anything complicated you might as well go straight to the hospital that you trust most. And that means that your medical costs are apt to be more expensive than if you didn't have insurance or if you had a less comprehensive policy.

I think that National University Hospital in Singapore is probably the gold standard for the region but that's an aside. Libel laws prevent me from detailing my experiences with Big B. over many years but I think if you had the entire picture you would change your views. Anyway, you must seek treatment where you feel comfortable doing so.

BUPA Platinum is structured on a limit per incident basis with no limit to annual amounts or lifetime payments. There are no deductibles for outpatient only coverage.

What happens when the "incident" is a chronic condition that will incur expenses on an ongoing basis?

The healthcare insurers in Thailand have network hospitals and that's where they want you to go barring an absolute emergency. They are familiar with the doctors at the network hospitals and most likely have negotiated rates with them for the most common procedures.

The problem with Thai policies, at least the last time that I checked into them, was relatively low limits on the maximum amount that they pay out each year. Basically Thai policies are backwards of what I want. I'd rather have a policy with a high annual deducible and high annual limits than a policy with no deductible and low annual limits. The reason is if ran into ongoing medical expenses (perhaps dialysis or prolonged cancer treatments) in excess of what those Thai policies pay it could bankrupt me, but paying the admittedly ridiculously high cost of a worldwide policy from a US insurance company is something that I can budget for. And by now, in our 50's, both of us have "pre-existing" conditions thought would probably prevent any Thai insurance company from writing us a policy.

That's a pooled cost though, not an individual one. By selecting expensive care I am indirectly causing insurance rates to go up overall but it does not have a direct effect on my rates. Though some policies might be that way, my annual premiums are not a function of my actual medical expenses, they are determined by demographics and statistics.

"they are determined by demographics and statistics", of which your actual medical expenses form a part - Bumrungrad is one of the the most expensive private hospitals in the country. If you lived in the US you wouldn't automatically have al your health care issues taken care of at North Okaloosa Medical Center (FL), so why do similar in Thailand.

http://www.menshealth.com/health/50-most-overpriced-hospitals

You're not the first farang to object to my spending habits and I doubt that you will be the last. It's not just me that is causing this problem, everyone with insurance is contributing to rising medical costs to some degree. If no one had insurance there is no way that private hospitals would be able to charge as much money as they do.

You misunderstand, I'm not in a position to object to your spending habits, that's your business not mine, I was merely pointing out something that may not have been obvious. In fact I used to use Bumrungrad for all my medical needs when I first came to Thailand and then I started to realise that there are alternatives that are just as good if not better but also substantially cheaper.

I made it sound like we were using exclusively Bumrungrad and wantonly running up the bill but that's not the case. We have certain routine tests and MRIs done at other places for reasons of convenience, we've used BNH in Bangkok a couple of times for minor surgeries, and I cut the insurance company a break on prescription costs by having them filled at an independent pharmacy instead of at the hospital.

I'm well aware that Bumrungrad is not the only place with good doctors, but I think that Bumrungrad is the gold standard in Thailand. Almost all of the doctors that they have on staff have rock-solid credentials, most of their doctors are good at explaining treatment option to patients, and I think that the odds of receiving successful treatment there are as high as anywhere in SE Asia. And they can direct bill to foreign insurance companies.

The point that I was inelegantly trying to make is that if your insurance company is willing to pay for even the most expensive hospital in Bangkok then you don't have much incentive to beat the bushes looking for cheaper alternatives, for anything complicated you might as well go straight to the hospital that you trust most. And that means that your medical costs are apt to be more expensive than if you didn't have insurance or if you had a less comprehensive policy.

Agreed, but my point is that because we have a highend insurance policy we have no incentive to minimize our medical expenses and hence we don't. There have been quite a few things that we could have had done for half the price if we shopped around for the best deal, but instead we head straight to Bumrungrad because the insurance will pay. If we didn't have insurance our medical bills would have been lower than what the insurance company paid.

You will pay for your choice eventually through higher premiums, it makes little sense to me to pay X for a procedure when far cheaper cost Y can be easily obtained elsewhere with same level of risk, case in point a coronary PCI. Selecting the higher cost option every time, just because the insurance company will pay, does nothing more than drive prices ever upwards.

That's a pooled cost though, not an individual one. By selecting expensive care I am indirectly causing insurance rates to go up overall but it does not have a direct effect on my rates. Though some policies might be that way, my annual premiums are not a function of my actual medical expenses, they are determined by demographics and statistics.

"they are determined by demographics and statistics", of which your actual medical expenses form a part - Bumrungrad is one of the the most expensive private hospitals in the country. If you lived in the US you wouldn't automatically have al your health care issues taken care of at North Okaloosa Medical Center (FL), so why do similar in Thailand.

http://www.menshealth.com/health/50-most-overpriced-hospitals

You're not the first farang to object to my spending habits and I doubt that you will be the last. It's not just me that is causing this problem, everyone with insurance is contributing to rising medical costs to some degree. If no one had insurance there is no way that private hospitals would be able to charge as much money as they do.

I would say calculating whether health insurance is a good investment is easy: If you get real sick and your medical costs greatly exceed your cumulative premiums, it was good investment. If you don't get real sick and your medical costs do not exceed your cumulative premiums, it was not a good investment.

So as long as you know that you are not going to get real sick, don't buy it.

Agreed, but my point is that because we have a highend insurance policy we have no incentive to minimize our medical expenses and hence we don't. There have been quite a few things that we could have had done for half the price if we shopped around for the best deal, but instead we head straight to Bumrungrad because the insurance will pay. If we didn't have insurance our medical bills would have been lower than what the insurance company paid.

You will pay for your choice eventually through higher premiums, it makes little sense to me to pay X for a procedure when far cheaper cost Y can be easily obtained elsewhere with same level of risk, case in point a coronary PCI. Selecting the higher cost option every time, just because the insurance company will pay, does nothing more than drive prices ever upwards.

I would say calculating whether health insurance is a good investment is easy: If you get real sick and your medical costs greatly exceed your cumulative premiums, it was good investment. If you don't get real sick and your medical costs do not exceed your cumulative premiums, it was not a good investment.

So as long as you know that you are not going to get real sick, don't buy it.

Agreed, but my point is that because we have a highend insurance policy we have no incentive to minimize our medical expenses and hence we don't. There have been quite a few things that we could have had done for half the price if we shopped around for the best deal, but instead we head straight to Bumrungrad because the insurance will pay. If we didn't have insurance our medical bills would have been lower than what the insurance company paid.

I have been fully been fully insured health insurance-wise for 12 years since arriving full-time in Thailand. After reading all the information here and elsewhere on ThaiVisa, as to the health insurance rip-offs and that anyone who could afford to pay cash for their own medical expenses should not buy insurance, and that there are much better things that one could do with the money that they would save on annual premiums, etc., I have decided:

I will renew my policy for the 13th year when it comes due in a few months.

did you use it during those 12 years? if not, its hard to argue thst it was a good investment

Calculating whether it's a good investment is not always straight forward. We've had an expensive policy with worldwide coverage for several years and the insurance company has paid out somewhat more in medical bills than what we have paid in premiums. But a big part of the reason that the insurance company has paid out so much is that they will pay the full cost (less an annual deductible) for medical care at any hospital, including Bumrungrad. Therefore we go to Bumrungrad for just about everything, but if we didn't have that policy we probably would have shopped around for cheaper care and found it.