Classic Ray

If the Governor wants to subsidise BTS fares to make them more affordable, he will have to raise local taxation revenue to pay for it. Maybe now is the time to legalise and tax gambling, including casinos, in the city, with sensible controls, and prevent the outflow of money to the death trap border casinos in Cambodia, and provide betting shops to allow legal means for Thais to indulge their love of football betting, again with suitable controls and taxation. The national lottery could be modernised using models like the U.K. National Lottery and Euromillions to provide improved revenue and money for charitable causes. Commercial property taxes, especially on entertainment venues, could be increased. Tax could be imposed on cannabis sales. These measures and others like them, carrot and stick, will increase tourism and local revenues and improve the funds available for subsidies.

This sounds like using up leftover annual uniform budget (less commission) to avoid next year’s grant being lower. They just issued some free black body warmer jackets to some office staff to replace perfectly serviceable dark blue ones. Unusual as they normally have to buy them from their meagre salaries.

Thailand is a similar society to pre-Revolution Russia or China. The rich have all the power and influence, backed up by the police and the military. The poor are downtrodden and hopeless of change. There does not seem to be the same appetite for Revolution here, although there were hints of it during the Red/Yellow shirts conflict and the recent student demonstrations. I am not sure if the current status will prevail, or if some groundswell of opinion or defining event will be enough to trigger overwhelming dissent. I think the Thai character is different to both the examples I quoted earlier, but I know they can get very angry.

Citing road safety or child protection as reasons are fatuous. Do they think people can’t get drunk enough by midnight to be a danger? Those who want to will drink as much as they can before midnight, no problem.

Prohibition works just about as well as it did for alcohol in the US. Better to look at legalisation, with appropriate safeguards, taxation on profits and assistance for those who have developed a habit. Same as the model for cannabis.

Makes a change from brake failure or heavy rain.

Finland 500ml Heineken 3 euros 29. Thailand 620ml Heineken less than 2 euros. No wonder Finns drink on holiday.

Time for BWV (Body Worn Video) cameras to be issued to customers and service providers, so ASEAN Now subscribers can have the facts before they launch into paragraphs of shaming.

I have worked in the metro rail business here, and safety standards (supervised by experienced local and foreign staff) are as high as anywhere else. Sadly my experience of public and domestic installations here, due to lack of training and enforcement of health and safety legislation is poor. Maintenance is a dirty word, there is no money in it, just look at moo bans and condos after the first few years, even the new builds are shocking, literally. Life is cheap here and no one wants to lose profit by taking any care whatsoever.

Moot point as foreigners should also carry passport at all times? I remember pre Covid Thai Viet Jet insisting on a passport as ID even for domestic flights in Thailand.

Part of the problem is the encouragement of self-funding for agencies such as Customs, RTP, Education, etc. Staff are paid very low salaries (but good pensions and medical benefits) and are expected to supplement their salaries from their activities. This invites corruption. Far better to increase salaries, use an ICAC (Hong Kong) body to investigate and root out corruption, and support legal processes. The money in the system can then benefit the whole population rather than only senior officials’ Mia nois. The problem is there is little will or effort made to deal with the problem, unlike Singapore or Hong Kong.

About time they worked out how to accept visa applications by post (EMS). They could have a document checking point like British Post Offices just to check that all necessary documents have been included and take fee, then they forward those documents by post. Any queries could be dealt with by phone (Immigration staff should all be competent in at least one foreign language) and then people only need attend to collect passport with visa. The home shopping/delivery apps can all sort it out, why not the Government? But I know Thais are obsessed with queueing and dealing face to face, customer service and convenience are at the end of the line.

This is a matter of degree. Asking children to help out briefly as a way of preparing them for life is commendable. Using them as cheap labour to run a resort, under cover of charitable works would be deplorable and illegal.

My kids like packet jok from a famous international supplier, but made in Thailand. The packet size reduced from 55g to 50g, accompanied by a price increase. Imported box wine from Aus has remained same price (albeit still much more expensive since stop of fruit wine exemption) but alcohol content has dropped from 14% to 10%. So watch for these tricks as well as raising prices for reducing value.

This is not a Health Dept issue, supplying cannabis to minors was already an offence, and still is despite recent relaxations. Responsibility to deal with this issue is firmly with the parents, in their absence the social/welfare services, and enforcement action by the police on the supplier and taking the children into care.

This is a product of the Thai economic model. Low efficiency of tax collection leads to a shortfall in the money available for public officials’ salaries. Low salaries means they must be creative to supplement them to support their desired lifestyles. So skimming becomes a way of life. Capital projects are well supported as great skimming opportunities. Maintenance not so much, which is why, together with skims on the original project quality, the infrastructure crumbles after a few years. Just look at how short the lifetime is of new roads. As there is no appetite to change the model, supported by the businesses and officials who benefit, it will continue ad infinitum.

I’m more concerned with the surge in prices locally, for all food but especially imports, that dwarfs any fluctuations in the value of the baht.

If they truly want to stop the public soliciting, all that is required is constant patrolling on foot of the area by officers and arrest of any offenders, both customers and suppliers. Assistance with alternative employment should be offered to those poor unfortunates. if there are those taxing these people, they should also be prosecuted, whether they are officials or private individuals. “Crackdowns” are useless and have no credibility even in the scaled eyes of the Thai public.

This is sadly a reflection on the unavailability of accessible loans at reasonable rates within the banking system and the current parlous state of Thailand’s lower classes after Covid destroyed their income. With no welfare state providing any safety net of benefits, and uncontrolled credit card spending/debt, many people are forced into the unregulated sector to survive.

Maybe it’s time for a Royal Commission involving the Buddhist authorities into the probity and activities at temples nationwide. Many Thai people are still devout Buddhists and deserve a well-regulated and trusted religious institution to reflect their devotion. With the current lack of oversight and ease with which people can enter and leave the monkhood, too many opportunities exist for bad behaviour and criminal activities. Too many scandals eg drunkenness, child abuse, drug abuse, financial cheating (flying saucer temple) are coming to light to allow these practices to continue.

Since the trading is really legalised gambling, this is really a gambling tax, can’t argue with that. it’s become very popular in this era of low interest rates discouraging saving as investment, and opening up of trading to the public.

Having sex (with a partner) and gossiping are two activities which governments everywhere have not yet managed to tax and which you can do for free. Also moaning about others on this forum.

Many years ago I did a border run from CM to Myanmar by van, fairly painless, get dropped off, get stamped out, walk across a bridge, get stamped in and out, walk back, get stamped in, wander around the town until home journey. Not sure of current border status after Covid hit.

Ironic that this anti-drug activity should be taking place against the backdrop of liberalisation of cannabis consumption (maybe temporary). A nation of mixed and uncoordinated messages.

Reminds me of the “electrician” who came to install my oven into my house in Chiang Mai. He asked what the green and yellow wire was for. I had to draw him a diagram and supervise him while he worked to be certain of my survival.