Enzian

The point is that there is are optimal rates for different classes of goods that would maximize total revenue. And though it's hard to be precise what those rates are, the present rates are almost certainly too high. So either they are too stupid to understand that, or they don't care. Setting aside protectionism and the like, I think that they don't care, because with lower rates the upper middle class might look too much like themselves, and can't have that.

This goes along with the article above worrying about the economy in general. Thailand is becoming less competitive in various ways--talent pool, political stability, taxation policies, control of corruption, lack of competition in retail, and on--and the new government is responding with talk about handouts and debt suspension which will just create moral hazard. Ah, the good old days! Sanook is great when the tide is rising for everyone, but atm the tide is going out for many parts of the world, and Thailand is in a holding pattern for the status quo. "Competition" in general seems to be a dirty word for the Thai elite, and I've yet to see that PT party is any different in this regard. But today the baht is headed toward 36.5; there's always a silver lining!

Specifically it's come increase out tax base so we can pay for the upcoming farmer bail-outs, welfare give-aways, effective vote-buying of our populist policies without driving up the national debt to the point that voters think twice about us in the next elections--assuming that the next elections will mean anything at all.

I spent a fair amount of time in Provence and the Cote d'Asur in the past year and saw not only many examples of this work but also a lot of the landscapes and locations that were the subjects. It's one of the most beautiful parts of the world of course, that's why so many worked and settled there, and the artists were not apologetic about searching out heart aching beauty. You have to remember that this is a time that the French middle and upper middle class was on a historic high; life was not just good, it was great. But all this changed with one catastrophic event, the First World War, which to many seemed like the end--or at least the refutation--of European Civilization. Personally I can't look at this body of work without at some point reflecting on the sadness and irony of what followed.

Because those countries socialize carefully selected segments with restraint and intelligence. Need I spell it out? TIT. Price controls never result in optimal outcomes for everyone. Sooner or later (and it can take a long time in some cases) prices will revert to the mean, except that that figure may actually be higher than that which would have resulted with no controls and better policies. There are so many moving parts in any situation that economists can't be exact, but the general rule holds. I like populism, but this new government is already trying too hard to have its cake and eat it too. One thing that would help Thai consumers greatly would be genuine competition in a range of consumer product prices, which I dare say is minimal right now in many areas.

Gold shops are too tempting, and should be shut down; every time a Thai female friend comes close to one they lose their minds. Oh, and I've heard anecdotes that robbers like them too.

Several times I've stated on forums that the fact that this government (even more than others) is perfectly capable of changing any rule in any way at any time is why I will never buy a condo here, or contemplate any other long term commitments for that matter. Even if this particular issue quickly blows over (or just doesn't apply to me personally), the point is only reinforced. Myself, if needed, can have everything wrapped up and be out of here for good within two months at most. Caveat emptor.

The article says the scheme will not lead to moral hazard because along with it will be an incentive program to educate farmers. I presume this is doubletalk. How will such "education" cause farmers to change the culture that led to the unsustainable debt in the first place? Are they going to tighten underwriting guidelines in the future? Maybe, I don't know yet. Is the program to forgive debt, or like what moratorium usually means, to put a no consequences delay to payments and collections? And if the latter, how will debtors be better positioned when the moratorium ends? My tgf has a debt to a government bank for money she borrowed and used to buy a parcel of farmland. How does she find out if she qualifies for this program? Thanks for any answers.

Pot seems to have arrived at the same place as prostitution, concerning which if you ask any of the top guys what they think they would no doubt say it's illegal and they are personally against it. Another elephant of no enforcement sitting in the center of the room. The Thai system. I walked on some less familiar streets last night and saw no less than 3 new pot shops that I swear were not there 2 weeks ago. All small but shiny and well lit (no pun intended). Interesting times indeed, and I can't even guess where it will go from here.

What do you mean? The baht is at the lowest range it has been since last November. My CC charges look cheap. Yesterday I moved US$5K and whichever bank did the conversion gave me a relatively decent 35.3; I wish I'd done more, but who knows where it will go in the next 2-3 months. Speaking of confidence, and that photo, I'm confident those bags didn't have to look so fake, and that the model should have been assigned short shorts.

The policy proposal Campbell is not reported as citing is that of ending monopolies and presumably oligarchies in the business world, as much a red cape to the establishment as softening lese-majeste punishments imo. Yes, I could read the actual Time article, but my brain can't process much more garbage today.

You can lead a hor to culture, but you can't make her think. Especially in Thailand.

Daily life certainly is an adventure here: avoiding STDs, avoiding impact with 2500 lbs of steel and glass marked TAXI, not losing your mind over the operations of the RTP Immigration division, fighting off alcoholism wet syndrome, counting the daily loss of brain cells due to heat and humidity, avoiding snakes and scorpions and tropical diseases, and arguing with your mates that your girl is "different"!

I understand that the majority are men-with-men, but there could be more clarity about the ways in which it can spread, esp. since they mention household members. Because the picture gives me a scary feeling about the massage industry; has there been any reported connection with massage?

This is always the problem with democracies, when ordinary people can vote themselves a place at the public trough (just like their betters!). But I know this is just about a wish-list poll of what people would like to see. I'm interested in the second item, a debt moratorium period for "farmers". Because my TGF has a debt with some kind of government land bank for her rather speculative purchase of about 3 acres of farmland several years ago. Is this something anyone in power is seriously talking about? And who qualifies, and how? She might qualify if this were real, since the bank in question seems to view debts (but not ownership) to attach to extended family units, and her family does some small scale farming.

What form would be taken by a national financial crisis brought on by excessive household debt?

Recalls the old joke: We try to be sufficiently cynical but some people make it hard to keep up. (I'm American and I approve of this statement, and if you think the government is working for you, I have a few bridges for sale...) In the present Thai environment, how can these developments be viewed with anything but the utmost cynicism? But I guess whatever it takes to keep the baht in the tank...

My TGF (from KK) is offended that he seems now in lockstep with Prayuth, after all that baggage all around, and this would be my line of thought; there's no way he would be returning without some sort of understanding with the real powers, and it would have to include some settlement of the next government. I hate to say it, but Prawit looks increasingly possible--but I know nothing.

Are you sure that everyone was being asked? (I had exactly the same experience: I filed my TM 47 14 days before the 90 since I flew in, on day 91 thinking grace period I went to CW and while waiting for my queue number Approval came on my phone.) I rent a condo, & it's my understanding that the TM30 is not my job; maybe your situation is different. I got my rental agent (absentee owner in this case) to give me a fresh extended copy of my lease in case I was asked, but in the event I didn't have to see an officer. My agent says she never has filed a TM30 and never will; is it just that enforcement is random? Anyone? I'd like to know what to say if it comes up at renewal time around November. A rant: we don't get 90 days before our next report day, it can be more like 75 days based on submission of the TM 47, which is stupid. And also stupid is requiring us to toe the line and do certain things when they don't do their job in a timely manner.

So the baht would fall and stay down; look at the bright side. But it's interesting that they are looking at "fun" (sanook anyone?) ways to cope with this; everyone is getting a little goofy, and for good reason.

I stopped reading with "pleasant weather".

A hookah-smoking caterpillar gave me the call that this was in the works. There's been a significant rise in cases of depression in the country is cited as why we need this step. But I would be depressed too if I were invited to vote for a candidate of my choice and then told my vote means nothing and never will.

I have a large (over 20) collection acquired from a well known, established art dealer in Bangkok who is also a friend. I went through a phase and then stopped. The main thing imo is simply age. It's possible to make fakes that look hundreds of years old but are not, but experienced dealers can tell. Also some are far more appealing aesthetically than others. The enamel and silver inlaid cases that usually hold them are often impressive and a pleasure to own in themselves, but perhaps not as expensive as one might think. But 20,000 baht and up is absurd. Also selling and dealing images is considered bad karma by purists, so dealers use the fiction that they are simply renting them to the next party in the line of possession. But I would agree that selling fake ones in a temple setting should result in the worst sort of karma.

This could be a good thing. When I came back from Nice France on May 11 Turkish Air was easily the cheapest option (is their currency fall involved I wonder) and I've always thought their flights were a good experience regardless of what I think of the nation's leadership and government. And that flight was fine, though the Instanbul airport was a little confusing this time. And Thai is a good experience in the air in spite of scheduling issues and how badly run they've been behind the scenes.

For y'all information: My Approval came on the 15th day from the day I got the email saying my TM47 submission had been "successfully received". I got that acknowledgement on July 26. Every day after that that I checked the Status, it was Pending. So on day 91 from when I landed in Swampy May 11, I went out to Chang Wattana in person and got a queue number to report in person. About an hour and half from when my number was coming, I received an email saying Approval with the attachment. This would have been the first day of my putative grace period. (I'm now screwed because my TGF had suggested waiting one more day; now I must "listen to her".) I had decided the system was locked up and neither yes or no would ever come, wrong. But I don't know what this says for anyone else, or for me in the future. Any ideas? Leaving the building no taxi in the queue at first would take us to a BTS station. We got a cop to help and he told all those waiting for customers who had turned us down to leave. Another cop found us a willing driver. On the way that driver said the taxi mafia there tries to bully him to follow their system. I tipped him.