On 7/4/2025 at 8:43 AM, geovalin said:

The government argues the revision is in line with global norms, citing research that 150 countries—including the US, UK, and 18 EU states—have similar laws.

I can't speak for the others, but the US absolutely does not have any such law.

On 6/29/2025 at 6:21 AM, Jingthing said:

I don't approve of soaking those workers or that big ugly bill in general but if this report is true, that is very good news for the typical American expat in Thailand who does remittances.

The remittance tax at any level is stupid and pointless, but American citizen senders were exempted in all versions of the bill so far.

"There is an exception to the excise tax if the sender is a U.S. citizen or national who uses a qualified remittance transfer provider (QRTP). A QRTP is an RTP that enters into a written agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and agrees to verify that the sender is a U.S. citizen or national."

Another Surprise in the One Big Beautiful Bill: Excise Tax on Remittances | Insights | Holland & Knight https://share.google/UpiRI4T2qy1A85m7S

On 6/26/2025 at 9:11 AM, webfact said:

the government intends to offer clearer communication about the bill's true focus on economic benefits through exhibitions and events

Ah, yes, the "true focus". So then they can just cut the casino part out from the bill, and concentrate on the all-important "exhibitions and events", right? Right...?? Yeah, I didn't think so.

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The conversation contained derogatory remarks about the commander of the 2nd Army Region and appeared to show a compliant stance towards Hun Sen, with Ms Paetongtarn allegedly expressing readiness to meet his demands.

That may reflect poor or incompetent leadership, but I'm not seeing how it qualifies as "corruption".

On 6/25/2025 at 12:06 AM, Kinnock said:

Why the ageist theme in the OP?

 

There seem to be younger members who fit the spec too.

 

Yes, I suspect that most of the older members who behave like that have been that way their entire lives...it's just who they are.

17 hours ago, Digitalbanana said:

Been using them several years, its normal for me to get transfers in seconds each and every time.

Same for me, sending from my US credit union to Kasikorn. And when I used Wise this week to send Vietnam Dong to a friend's VN bank account for the first time, that also took less than ten seconds. There's no obvious pattern, but people sending funds to Bangkok Bank seem to experience more delays than those remitting to Kasikorn.

11 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

More often than not, some doner get rich on the sale, and some doner gets rich renting the new location. 

These sales are all to large Thai corporations or developers. No "doners" are involved.

It's unfortunate, but it wouldn't be the first such sale, and won't be the last. Governments see how much they can make by selling their land in city centers and moving to office buildings, and they never really consider the intangible benefits of keeping a visible presence in the middle of town.

If I recall, didn't the Dutch previously sell part of their land on Wireless in the late 80s? And the Spanish sold their property just up the road in the early 90s, and of course the UK sold the front of its embassy, and then the rest. Sad.

It would be nice if they could tell us exactly what this scam was.

15 hours ago, webfact said:

addressing long-standing fairness concerns compared to traditional taxis

The only "concerns" are from taxi drivers who are offended that their long-standing free rein to cheat passengers has been infringed upon.

15 hours ago, webfact said:

The Ministry is engaging ride-hailing companies in discussions to align on legal compliance

How about "engaging" the traditional taxis to comply with the laws about using the meter and not refusing fares? 

15 hours ago, webfact said:

platforms will need to establish systems to manage driver misconduct

...which traditional taxis do not do. Is that "fair"?

Hitachi's safety system, not Suvarnabhumi's, but a good outcome in any case.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"The perception of Thailand as an unsafe destination has had an impact." In response, he urged a comprehensive overhaul of Thai tourism

I guess that's better than their usual strategy, which is to sue the people questioning Thailand's safety for defamation...

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Suriya and the Ministry of Transport are not just making plans

Based on this report, that is in fact all they're doing - there appears to have been virtually no tangible progress on any of these grand projects.

And no, "nearing completion of bidding documents" and "ha[ving] several high-profile projects awaiting cabinet approval" doesn't count as "progress" for projects that have been talked about for years, and sometimes decades.

15 hours ago, Social Media said:

officials said the “common sense restrictions” were implemented “to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors.”

The only "dangerous foreign actor" I know is Gerard Depardieu, and he's not on the list 😎

10 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

The country  reportedly has  a high proportion of visa holders who overstay. The Laotian Times reported that 4.500 laotians illegally reside in the USA.

The proper way to deal with that according to law is to refuse the applications of any likely intending immigrants, not to ban everyone in the country from even applying.

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The suspect has partially denied the allegations, claiming he was only responsible for opening the ATMs and that the equipment found in his possession belonged to him.

Oh, so then everything is fine, nothing to see here 😅

Wow. Where to begin? 

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

dramatic increase in Vietnamese sex workers, now surpassing Thai nationals in Bangkok's infamous sex trade

This is so patently absurd that, as Trink used to say, "any comment would be superfluous"...!

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

This shift is largely linked to Thailand's inviting tourist visa policies

A long-standing bilateral agreement allows Vietnamese to enter Thailand without a visa for 30 days.  There have been no changes to this policy in recent memory. 

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a concerned citizen implored the police to take action, stating, “the alley is already full.”

Sounds an awful lot like someone who doesn't like the competition 🤔

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

most foreign women arrive on standard tourist visas valid for three to five months

Ah, yes, the famous 3-5 month "standard tourist visas" - perhaps people shouldn't comment on matters about which they clearly know nothing! And by the way, stop by the Thai consulate in Saigon and see how many Vietnamese are applying for tourist visas. Hint: there aren't any, because they all enter visa-free.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a Crime Suppression Division spokesperson confessed it was the first documented evidence of Vietnamese women working the streets

Clearly he doesn't read ASEAN Now. From March 15:

"Thai police launched a nighttime operation in Soi Nana, part of Bangkok's bustling Sukhumvit area, leading to the arrest of 13 foreign women suspected of engaging in sex work.

"Among the detainees were women from Tanzania, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam."

https://aseannow.com/topic/1354668-police-raid-soi-nana-arrest-foreign-women-for-suspected-prostitution/

37 minutes ago, happydreamer said:

Are you admitted for the process?  My insurance will cover but only if I'm admitted 

Normally it's an outpatient procedure.

5 hours ago, sandyf said:

A few years back the government raised the tax on imported wine in an attempt protect the emerging domestic wine industry.

Thailand's wine industry is a virtual nonentity - it's difficult to find Thai wines to purchase at retail stores, even if one wanted to buy them. (I do, however, enjoy visiting Thai vineyards, which usually have nice restaurants.)

Taxes on wine here are essentially a luxury tax, not a protectionist measure. 

https://silklegal.com/wine-tax-in-thailand-a-protectionist-barrier/