Enzian

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.

Someone reminded me there is an Immigration Hotline at #1178. My Status has been stuck on Pending; would it be worth calling the hotline before going out in person? And is that the right or best number? (The young woman at the Bumrungrad Business Office said there's no point in calling, but I doubt she's the final authority on the system.) Thanks.

Don't know for sure since I've had a card and membership hospital number for almost 10 years; I suggest you call them, I just did a couple of days ago about the Office hours and their English is good and they are helpful. Are there any repercussions from the "big red stamp" that you or anyone knows about? Sometimes I almost wish they would kick me out of this country, except there are some friends I would really miss. But one big red stamp maybe I could live with. Thanks.

Same here, exactly. Submitted (or maybe that day I got the acknowledgement) and ever since it has been pending, so we're not alone. I last checked this morning (Sunday 8/6) and it was still pending, and I'm about giving up. My 90 days hits Tuesday the 8th. I figure if it is still pending Monday morning I'll walk over to Bumrungrad Business Office and see what they suggest, if they can do it for me in the 7 days following the 90-day point. One complication I have is my room # in the building changed so the one I had to do earlier this year I just let the system use the old room number so it would be approved. It won't let me correct the room number without taking a trip out there AFAIK. Does that sound right? Be great if Bumrungrad could do it. If I do it myself Immigration may not like the fact that I'm now essentially on a month-to-month lease, tho my rental agent would write one to satisfy them but it's just more work. My TGF might call them. Would that help and what's the number? Thanks! If I do nothing and the time passes, what's the worst that can happen? Just a 2K fine in Nov. or Dec. when I go out to renew I assume. Correct? Thanks!

For once I tend to agree with the "experts", in the first article cited (except for their suggested optimism). The second article is just about stupid politics. Ending monopolies and price collusion, enacting higher lending requirements, teaching financial literacy in schools, looking for real ways to increase productivity the elite be damned, are all good ideas. And putting loan sharks in jail.

Another question. A friend is trying to tell me that we no longer get a separate email saying that our 90 day online report has been approved, that we get an email saying that it has been successfully received, and then we have to check the Status to see if and when it has been approved. Is there any truth to this? Thanks!

I submitted my online TM47 on Wednesday July 26 and later got the email that they had received my information successfully. A week later, nothing more so I went to the Immigration site to check the status. For that submission it said on the right clearly that it was Pending. But in the far right column headed Cancel there's a big red X for that line. I figure that I haven't heard anything for a week because the 6 day holiday is not over until tonight. But does anyone know what that big red X means? And can I still take my passport to a service like the Bumrungrad Business Office for a seven day grace period after the actual 90 day point has passed? Thanks!

Are the banks really "implementing stricter criteria" for car loans? To what degree and in what ways? That seems more important than the political angle; let's have some in depth explanations no matter how boring it may be to some people. It almost seems like some of the banks here issue loans knowing full well that some high % of borrowers are not going to perform for long. Why? What are they thinking? Unless the purported changes are substantial I don't see how the household debt trend is sustainable. And it's like the question about the US federal debt, which continues to puzzle some very smart people: how long can this go on, will it blow up, and what will that be like when and if it happens?

And put the armed forces firmly under civilian control, like any civilized country should. But TBH, I no longer care what happens as long as the baht starts falling again. A pox on all their houses.

Photos or it didn't happen (jk).

I'm close to a situation where a Thai woman borrowed money from a government agriculture bank to buy about 3 acres of land (which has potential for development), but the bank would not accept the purchased property as security. They insisted the security be her parents' twice as large parcel, partly because they view every loan as being essentially to an extended family unit, and so they will make only one loan current to any such identified unit. Her parents and siblings (considered heirs) had to all agree, and they did. Then she proceeded not to pay on the loan for 6 years! But the bank did not foreclose, they just kept tacking on principle til the face of the loan was 33% more than it had started. Now she's making sufficient payments again, and the bank is happy, but the family as well as she remain on the hook. Anything can happen. A strange country.

So my attempt at an online 90 day report, the 15 days starting tomorrow, may or may not get processed?

I'm sure there are many who agree with you, and there may be no right or wrong between us, just a matter of comfort level. I will say a big reason I'm set up like this is that my live-in TGF sees a lot of stories of scams on her phone and has influenced me; she probably also thinks that if I never get scammed then I will have no reason to ever suspect her. So: this way I have peace of mind, and a walk to the bank is just good exercise for an old retired guy. But it would be helpful if someone could point out a real flaw in my system; that's partly why I posted. Thanks, to you, and everyone.

I've said it before, I have a Thai bank account, but no credit or debit card and no app (had one then deleted it). Unless it's an inside job, the only way money can leave my account is if I appear in front of a teller with my passport and bankbook, even for a transfer which I never do (only cash if I want to give money to someone, and if they are far away I just don't do it, or I have my business partner in the US do it if it's legit, and he doublechecks my thinking). I do allow the bank to send me an instant SMS of any change plus or minus in my balance (also useful when I receive a transfer from the US). And I use an iPhone.

Life is a beach! Let's go! Serfs up!

One pariah having a "fruitful discussion" with another soon-to-be pariah.