Chongalulu

You’re on the way to becoming comfortably numb.

'She ' said the same to me but then showed me how big hers was ! ????

Don’t think you really understand the mechanics of supply and demand,nor the other side of the equation. During the pandemic,when the oil price at one stage went negative the oil companies lost billions,as both Shell and BP are again on the $billions write downs on their investments in Rosneft and Sakhalin (I know you’ll have to Google that..). It’s a volatile business of swings and roundabouts . Yes,Putin is profiting from that by virtue of increased oil and gas revenues generated by higher prices more than compensating for reduced volumes of sanctions. That’s before even mentioning the starvation in many African states being caused by the cessation of Grain exports from Ukraine,nor the theft of some it by Russia to sell elsewhere. Consider this lesson one - basic economics…

Apart from being yet another idea that is announced without any thought given to implementation (of which Thailand is a master !) ,anyone with any concern re medical insurance cannot treat that aspect with any confidence. Firstly, the limit 500k baht around £10k is woefully inadequate vs the £10 million (meaning unlimited) of a decent travel insurance, not to mention the merited lack of confidence in having any claim met. As others have pointed out it amounts to little more than a scam.

Will this and any resulting hospital fees be included in the 300 baht tourist charge ? Looks like it might be a good idea after all! ????

Unless they got jetskis, I wouldn't try to rescue an adult in rough seas either. Red flags & told not to enter ... oh well ... you can fix stupid As a BSAC Dive leader you are trained that it is quite hazardous to attempt rescuing a panicking drowning man who could very well include you in his own fate,even when trained in the correct procedure ,which effectively involves a wrestling hold from behind around his neck - which makes him grab your arm stopping his arms from entangling/submerging you. I can understand a life guards reticence… 20 years ago I swam in rough seas off karon beach (May) but I’m a strong swimmer/trained diver and was wearing mask snorkel and top diving fins. It was still quite hairy…!

While the U.K. state pension was never designed to be the sole income for retirement (more of a safety net) it will increase by over 10% in April (circa £970 per annum)under triple lock - not that retirees here will benefit! However ,most occupational/private pensions you reference put a cap of 2.5% on their CPI based increases. As far as the article is concerned,it’s very poorly written by an economically challenged individual.

I’ve been reading some proper articles on this subject... The main drivers of inflation in much of Europe relates to energy (domestic and vehicle fuel). There has been very little of the former here and while the latter (diesel) has increased it remains a fraction of the price in Europe which in actual cash terms has increased far more than the 10 baht here. Food prices have increased but the movement I’ve seen is in no small way due to the egregious retail monopoly existing in thailand . If the writer is mentioning U.K. state pensions he has overlooked the more fundamental issue of them being frozen and the cumulative yearly effective penalty ex pats endure. Next April they are projected to increase by 10+% (roughly £970 per annum) which of course retirees here won’t get. On balance though my calculations show I’m increasingly financially better off here than in U.K. ,especially as the rental market (my house is rented out) is very buoyant and increased my monthly rental by £500 in January !

Exactly what I did when coming here 8 years ago. A large appreciation in the capital value and a monthly rental of £4000 . No capital gains /IHT to worry about either when the missus eventually inherits it and can do what she likes with it.

The level of economic understanding amongst so many government officials here would suggest an IQ barely above single figures. It really doesn’t bode well for a country trying to address a volatile global economic crisis.

Share the 'fee'..? ????

You must find things even more confusing in Thailand where Katoeys are better looking than many farang women ! ????

But we’re all considerably richer now by virtue of not living in the past . We’ve got those fancy calculators and computers now which help us understand that football is an entertainment business and top performers earn their salaries just as movie and pop stars did..

What something is actually worth is determined by what they will pay for it.

It might’ve been apposite to explain to your Dad that those people indeed had the sense to acquire the means to afford such indulgences…

How much will you pay me to endure a 'rounders' match? ????

A harsh but fair assessment of your understanding…

And the vast majority of people killed in road accidents are wearing seatbelts. Are you now going to stop wearing yours…? ????

Actually,you’ll get no sound out of a broken record - something we might all be grateful for you emulating ,although the "empty vessel " cliché is probably more apposite in your case ?

Ah,the old schoolboy error of using anecdotal evidence in preference to properly controlled studies. I had a non seatbelt wearing uncle who crashed into a lake and claimed not wearing a belt enabled him to climb out of the car to avoid drowning. Should we now henceforth eschew seatbelts? My grandma smoked heavily all her life and lived to 100 . Should I take up smoking?

No time travel necessary. Plenty of Comparative studies of vaccinated vs unvaccinated adjusted for age,health and other relevant factors have shown clear benefits for the vaccinated . You would be able to understand that had a time machine been able to return you to schooldays where you could have paid more attention this time…

Using the same logic … "All non smokers die". ????

Well,we are in a Buddhist society…

Don’t worry, there are no reported signs of any 'gray' (sic) matter in your head…

So not in hospital,or the morgue (like my unvaccinated acquaintance),with Covid. Which was rather the point of the vaccines. Or had that basic understanding escaped you ?