halloween

3 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

He's still viewed as loyal to Thaksin (or a potential ally, or must be punished for not distancing himself fast enough), so the Junta needs to pick him off.

 

If the powers-that-be put 1% of the effort they put into wiping out the red-shirts, into running the government they might have accomplished a reform or two by now? But I'm guessing that's not their true goal.

 

 

Look at it this way - like a lot of Thaksin's cronies he is a criminal, and now he is being prosecuted for his crimes. We both know that there would be no prosecution with a Shinawatra government in office, and you seem to think he shouldn't be prosecuted now. In other words, Shinawatra cronies should NEVER be prosecuted.

Where I come from, untouchable criminals being prosecuted would be considered a worthwhile reform. The innocent depositors he helped rob would likely agree.

5 hours ago, rkidlad said:

This is not a prostitution ring if the girls are underage. It's a 'paedophile ring'. Having sex with children doesn't only make you a paedophile - it also makes you a rapist. This is absolutely abhorrent behaviour by people who absolutely should know better. This is a national scandal.

 

If the people entrusted to bring the perpetrators to justice are not doing their jobs and are not being held accountable, the whole country should hang its head in shame. 

It is still a prostitution ring, it is not paedophilia unless the girls are prepubescent, and the offence is Statutory rape - an offence which can be committed by consenting partners. Other than that, I agree.

Just now, Eric Loh said:

Why? You can't defend the topic? I feel sorry for you that most posters think you are a joke. 

You posted that everything was fine in 2014, and I produced evidence to the contrary. Your response was to cite events of 2010.

If you think it was funny that people were being killed in 2014, you have a moral deficiency. Actually your constant defence of the Shinawatras, their failed policies and corruption made that evident some time ago.

Add 10 years interest. And tax evasion penalties.

3 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Feel sorry for those who lost their lives taking part in the demonstration. What disturbed me most is the wanton and reckless shooting of foreign journalists, nurses, activists and the overwhelming fatalities of civilians in the hands of the military who swear by oath to protect their own people and the cowardice in granting themselves an amnesty.

 

Quick Eric, let's change the subject back 4 years. Pathetic.

48 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

The country was pretty civilised and normal during the Bangkok shutdown. Were there thugs running amok or uncontrollable mobs raging through the cities or countryside; the blood was not running in the streets; there was no destruction of buildings or homes; there was no rioting or looting; the government, courts, medical establishments were kept open for business and functioning adequately; telecommunications, social media facilities were active and normal. Protests not widespread but confined to limited areas in Bangkok. Rest of Bangkok and the upcountry continue life as normal and the Bangkok famed traffic was just as horrific as usual. Pretty civilized to me and my company was functioning without disruption. Still they stage a coup claiming to bring peace. Baloney, I say. Matters were worse in 2009 and no coup. Because the chosen one was PM then?

I'm so glad it wasn't members of you family murdered by the red shirt thugs. Their family members possibly remember it differently. I'm OK Jack?

"..... killed in the country's recent political unrest, which has claimed at least 20 lives and injured more than 700 since November. "

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/thailand-political-violence-leaves-3-children-dead/

56 minutes ago, tbthailand said:

but the thugs are running amok without fear of prosecution... 

There are thugs are there are real thugs. I will take the ones in green shirts any day, they aren't killing as many people, nor propping up a Shinawatra criminal conspiracy pretending to be a government.

27 minutes ago, JAG said:

Very simply, ask the people that understand the implicit risks in not giving the answers you want.

Admit it, your conspiracy theory sucks. How do you secretly intimidate thousands of survey respondents and keep it a secret?

18 minutes ago, Denim said:

According to Suthep , former member of Democrat party and his Democrat party colleagues who quit the party to protest and shut down Bangkok , all the unrest was deliberately planned and actuated by himself and the military just to create a scenario where a coup would be justified.

 

The plan succeeded and now they can congratulate themselves for bringing peace and an end to strife that they themselves orchestrated.

 

Unfortunately for the democrats , their erstwhile plotters have decided to stay on and not shoehorn Abhisit back into his puppet leadership.

 

They must be miffed.

Your claim that the violence was orchestrated denies the fact that there were 2 sides involved. Of course the UDD/red shirt violence was inevitable, that is what they do, what they were created for.

It is hypocrisy to claim that people are now denied the opportunity to speak out, while also claiming that protest against the criminal excesses of PTP were simply to induce violence.

11 minutes ago, JAG said:

The surveys are not believed because they are written by/conducted for those with a very soecific agenda.

What you mean is that they don't fit your agenda. Has there been even one person involved in those surveys who claims that they witnessed manipulation? How do you maintain secrecy in a conspiracy involving so many people?

13 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

Given circumstances, the Thai people, as a whole, have acted with restraint.  They deserve far more credit for their behavior than they have gotten. 

Has it occurred to you that the Thai people are nowhere as upset about the current situation as some seem to believe? Or that they actually prefer having the red shirt thugs put back in their box?

Of course, there are plenty of surveys that convey that information, but they can't be believed if they don't fit the agenda.

5 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

Are you talking about now or before ?  I am confused. 

Actually both. Why I prefer now is the lack of people dying.

4 minutes ago, Thechook said:

Yes Suthep and the Mad Monk still haven't been held accountable for running amok.

Quite. how dare they protest about the criminal behaviour and excesses of their government. PTP was absolutely right sending the private militia to discourage protests.

One thing though, wasn't THAT putting a gun in someone's mouth and telling them to be happy?

1 hour ago, wakeupplease said:

Would that be Peace and quite because of fear of jail or worse?

Well, yes. That's how it works in a civilised society. Which is a better situation than thugs being allowed to run amok without fear of prosecution.

1 hour ago, bartender100 said:

Putin and Russia are not the enemy, but we seem hell bent on making them such 

In Don's eyes, that seems to be the case. Part of his discussions with them concerned bypassing the sanctions imposed for their Ukraine/Crimea excursion. Nothing personal, it's just business.

I'm waiting for the new ad - 'British Paints, no more touch-ups for 7 years.'

Aha, the usual suspects.

52 minutes ago, Moti24 said:

"Police believe the man was among Vietnamese poachers who had come for agarwood to the sanctuary and had somehow died."

 

Yes, he definitely died!  But, more to the point, who buried him?  There lays the answer.

 

 

Somebody who knew his name, obviously.

Hardly secrets after blabber mouth has finished polishing his ego.

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

Thanks 4MyEgo ...  that's explains it in basic to me, now I understand.  One has to do everything possible to stay as an Australian resident,  however the way they could confirm or deny that is simply look at your exit and entry dates with Australian immigration.  As you said I assume most just think it's a matter of telling them ..'yes'  i'm a resident .. and they think all will be ok, but that won't be the case as they will check into it.

 

$400 pw is good, I didn't realize it was that much so definitely will pay all expenses and more in Thailand.  Anyway, for me it's still 10+ yrs away so plenty of time and things could change by then. I'll chat again on the rentals with you as things develop ...

cheers. I really hate the government more than you. lol

I had some thoughts about going back to Oz each year and working 5 or 6 weeks. You are allowed to earn $125/week on OAP without losing any payment, and this can accumulate for up to a year ($6500). The fly in the ointment is the 32.5c/$ tax as I would no longer be a tax resident.

BUT my accountant suggests I put a submission to the ATO that I am planning to do a lot of travelling (in excess of 185 days/year) but still want to remain a tax resident. In his view the ATO prefers to keep you a resident so they have a claim over offshore earnings and are likely to grant this. Once granted, unless stated otherwise, you remain a tax resident until they inform you that your status is revoked, which could be years as hardly a high attention matter.

You would have to convince them that you are maintaining residency with an address, phone number, bank a/c, licence, even club memberships.

Alternatively, they could force BKK Air to stop price gouging.  I can fly AA Surat - KL - Gold Coast cheaper than a return flight to BKK.

BTW During 19 May - 28 October 2017 Bangkok Airways flight traveling between
Bangkok - Samui will be operated by Bulgaria Air. Now THAT is something to look forward to.

1 hour ago, fruitman said:

I bet they even can't speak to eachother...the boatguys can't speak english.

There are 2 quite short English words that when used together have an almost universally understood meaning. 3 Fs and a couple of vowels out of 7 letters, if you need help.

On 13/05/2017 at 1:53 PM, Kenny202 said:

I thought to apply online you had to have previously applied for some online approval or something ie: prove ID etc

 

IIRC they send a renewal notice to your QLD address, and there is a code(?) on the renewal. They wouldn't know that you are online in Oz or here, but you MUST have a Qld address which the new licence is posted to. Don't think they will post offshore even if you BS a bit.

On 10/05/2017 at 10:45 AM, 4MyEgo said:

Yes, from my quick read over several articles, you were always required to have had to of worked in Oz for at least 10 years before you could get a part pension, i.e. 10 over 35 years of working life of the full aged pension, i.e. you would receive around a 3rd of the pension, now its moving to 15 years, so after 15 years of working continuously you will receive 15 over 35 years of a part pension.

 

So if you have worked 35 years your in, i.e. full pension, anything under that has to be above 15 years to be considered to get the part pension, but it has to be continuous.

 

Let's not forget if you are living abroad and under the pension entitlement age, you will have to return when you hit the magic age, i.e. 65, 67 depending when you were born, make your application, and once approved, remain in the land of slavery for 2 years before you can make it portable, i.e. take it with you, if you leave before hand, they will cut it and you will have to start the 2 years again, so I have heard.

 

 

As an alternative to the 2 year BS, I have been returning (and working) for at least 185 days each year for the last 3, with 1 to go. Tax office says that makes me a resident (with $18,200 tax concession) and by the time I claim pension will have spent 2+ years in country. Can't see how C/L can say I am not a resident when the Tax says I am, and I will have the 2 year actual residency if they want it.

I was lucky in that OAP entitlement begins 2 weeks after I normally come back here.

1 minute ago, kingkenny said:

The trees were in their compound I think.  

not by the photo above.