Enzian

5 million is nothing these days. i have a "friend" who is worth 5 mil, and he's poor.

The urban middle class may indeed be a work in progress in the sense that its ultimate loyalties are still up for grabs. I know most on this forum don't much like Prayuth, but there is this strange evidence that the Bangkok middle class does like him on the whole. My theory is that while they don't ascribe to all of his agenda, he and his administration provide a buffer between them and the remaining Taksin style rural extreme left, left-over communists if you will, who still have the numbers in their favor (thus the need to pack the government). But even while many of them are also (like the elite) Chinese-Thai, would they support a complete turn toward China? Personally I doubt it. 

24 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Qatar would be the healthiest, far higher than America who comes only at #10.

The problem with such lists/rankings, is that those above the US are all relatively much smaller in total population, which gives them the advantage they enjoy. The US is indeed a rich country, would that that wealth were put to better uses.

Infrastructure is one thing, but my fantasy has always been that the powers that be including some that cannot be named would pay the unemployed to clean up all the trash that the "virtuous poor" have thrown by the wayside throughout the country. And at the same time institute a massive and threatening campaign that they JUST STOP DOING THAT. In the present situation such a program would be possible, the people at the top have the money, or access to it. And the tourists who finally arrive would love it. We would be world famous, third world (I know, a misnomer) without the third world.

Is it the case that all public begging in Bangkok is illegal (but the law not enforced)? Women with a child sitting begging on the sidewalk by the Asoke station is the thing that most brings out in me almost racist rage at asian customs that are not addressed by effective public policy. They shouldn't be allowed there for a minute.

50 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

Sure Anitifa. So small in numbers that they're almost imaginary. This is the same kind of prejudice that the civil right movement experienced during the 50's and the 60's. Then it was communists who were blamed for inciting black americans.

Yes, I just imagined all that burning and looting, sitting here in peaceful Thailand. And as a matter of historical fact the CPUSA did co-opt the civil rights movement starting in the 30s and right on basically to present, and to some degree the political right in America deserved it, but it has left a very difficult legacy.

Say I'd like to go from LOS where I am to Vietnam (where I have in-laws) before the end of the year, a modest request I'd say. Will Vietnam look at the low rate in Thailand where I've been Covid-free for months, or at my US passport? And if I even get to Vietnam, what will Thailand look at when I try to return, my US passport or my stay in a safe country?

But a problem of these arrangements just mentioned is that if the property goes up in value during the marriage, or improvements are made with "community" income spent, the other spouse may gain a community interest in the increase. Income earned during a marriage by either partner is the one thing around the world almost impossible to keep separate, even with a prenup; trying to over-ride community property rules is generally considered to be against public policy.

I've looked into this because I almost got married here, and I believe it is a lot like many states in the US, where it is possible to have separate property, and separate property purchased with separate property, which cannot be touched by the other spouse, but it is important to identify the property as separate from the start of the marriage, and really KEEP it separate with no commingling. I can recommend a law firm if you PM me.

I have a US passport but I haven't been in the US since the first half of last November. I went to Germany for three weeks and then since Dec. 6 I've been in Thailand except for a two week trip to Vietnam before the shutdowns started. But it likely goes by passport, not history of location, so the headline "allow in visitors from Thailand" is misleading, because I'm "from Thailand" but wouldn't have a chance-setting aside the question of whether I would want to go there at this time.

"God save Thailand."

God protects, saves if you will, drunks and children, and He has a special subcategory of these for Thailand which will come through.

With the increased cases in the US I'm not going to be seeing my close family members in CA any time soon. Too dangerous at my age, and can't return to Thailand without quarantine if possible at all.

Recently read a good piece about the history of communist insurgency in Thailand, but that was long ago, and tho Thaksin is more recent he is gone too.

I used to install doors and windows for years. That would be an illegal glazing in the US.

It's funny, I've had GFs here walk into glass doors, and into full length mirrors in low light; at least they were not hurt. I did it myself in Cologne a few months ago thinking to enter a restaurant, felt very dumb.

This is still a stone age country trying halfheartedly to adapt to modern enlightened societies (which have their own big problems, but at least they have the traditions and history). Things work here because of cultural consensus and consent, not because of any rule of law. The upper levels of the financial system needs rules, but the rest just proceeds by conventions. The hypocrisy about prostitution is one of the conventions. The system isn't corrupt, corruption is the system (I didn't invent that).

3 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

Technology is really changing "The Game". Why walk the streets, or have a cut taken by pimps/bar owners etc, when they can just get punters via their smartphones

I apologize for going into detail, but except for business guys passing through and the like, most guys would rather hang around a woman, seeing her in person, before making the decision, rather than ordering on-line (and especially since pictures lie). I have the impression, and the dating sites actually say, that the self-identified "freelancers" on-line don't do all that well.

I hate to jump into this, but I wonder if things like the Roi Et case mentioned above usually come about not because of the impropriety of the IO's action, but because he or someone in the office rubbed wrong someone higher up? In other words, it may in practice come up only because of interdepartmental frictions?

I'm grateful for the low numbers of infections here, but... sometimes I wish they WOULD throw me out of this country. I'd go buy a right to stay I've heard about from Portugal, spend my final days wandering around the art museums of Europe, and eff this place.

3 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

For those who wish to transfer money to TL now (800K) the exchange rate sucks and you will lose big time. That said 15 K for agent is looking good.

My last retirement extension renewal was with a bit over US$30K in a FCD (Foreign Currency Deposit) account; no requirement that the money be in actual Thai baht. The problem was that with that kind of account, my bank, otherwise very good, doesn't provide a conventional bank book, only a magnetic card to use with tellers and managers. When I renewed I had the letter from the bank that everything was good, and some monthly statement print-outs, but the officer in charge could not get his head around the fact of no simple bank book. We called the bank's 24 hour line and they confirmed to him on the phone that that is how they do things. Finally he had me do a hand written statement and sign it, and he finished the renewal. My girlfriend talking to him in Thai made a ton of difference, but she and I are split; next time I may need an agent or a new girlfriend to explain!

Re Masterton's post above, I have this fantasy of going into the Immigration office in Chang Wattana and yelling No human is illegal, I have a right to be here and I don't have to do no stinking' visa renewal you all fascists...  it would be pretty funny.