Jonathan Swift

Just arrived at Patong today, 1st thing checking in my guesthouse I say hello to a young couple and boy and the guy nods his head, grunts, and looks away and keeps talking in, wait for it, Russian. I'm willing to try not to be prejudiced but it's tough when they keep fitting the stereotype. I hadn't heard the accent clearly before I tried to be nice. I think I've only had pleasant conversations with 2 Russians since I came here 11 years ago. I feel sorry for that little boy growing up with that example of social skills when here in Thailand he could be learning to accept foreigners from all over.

I can’t understand why so many people busy themselves with the internal affairs of a country that’s not theirs and whose policies wouldn’t come within a thousand miles of their lives, let alone actually affect anyone directly. On top of that everyone thinks they know all about what’s going on behind the veil as if they were there and bore witness. Have you guys got too much time on your hands? How about doing some volunteer work?

Do you not know how to use punctuation or are your little fingers too lazy? Do you want people to understand what you say? Do you care if people think you’re not the sharpest tack?

So, tell us what planet YOU’RE from. Because you sure don’t know much about this one. There’s only one creep in this story.

That makes sense. The monks thought they were doing something humane. Imagine how they feel - the horror.

Dog had an ample supply of brown envelopes.

To put it more succinctly they are bred for dog fighting, which is illegal just about everywhere for obvious reasons. But people make money off breeding them, selling them, and in gambling on fights, so it's about the money as well as status. . Given the huge number of maulings and deaths, my opinion is there are enough calm breeds with good demeanor and we don't need these little monsters. My opinion.

What a sad, horrible way to go. Sometimes I wish I hadn't read stories like this. Did the abbot not know the reputation and nature of this breed? Maybe he did. I guess just because you're an abbot doesn't mean you've got all your marbles. It seems like every one of these dogs is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off at the slightest trigger. The dog needs to be euthanized. What do they do about man eating tigers, bears, or lions? What is it with people who buy these dogs? Status? Something to show off? Yes and yes, being "cool" is more important than the lives of your neighbors and family. Might as well be a lion or a tiger on a leash. Same problems in America, and I'm sure elsewhere. In my old neighborhood in the US there must be a dozen or more of these murderous monsters. One of them ate another neighbor's dog. It should be illegal to breed and own these. They're more dangerous than guns because they act willfully on their own with no one necessary to pull the trigger.

Ah, that's the new 2025 model. Comes with dress wingtip shoes and optional black tie.

I live in the subdistrict Makksan, it really never bothers me. I live down a side alley and am a good distance away from any car exhaust. I don't hear any complaints from others. It doesn't get into my apartment. I travel a lot so I get plenty of fresh air on a regular basis. So I suppose it depends on your exact location and whether you're used to living in cities.,

And why would that happen? Are you a physician? A lung specialist? So enlighten us. What are the causes of emphysema? There are many causes. As far as pollution, prolonged ozone exposure can contribute to it. Thailand's ozone concentrations aren't enough to cause problems, it's mostly particulate and dust from crop burning. It's not good for you, but it doesn't cause emphysema. If someone already has emphysema then that's a problem, but why would such a person live in a risky place?

Have you ever been in a jail? In the US? I have. For drunk driving. Gang members put a hit on me because they thought I was an informant, and I got out on bail just in time. The cops deliberately set your bail high so they can keep you jailed for a month until you get an arraignment and bail hearing. There are crooked guards that will put you in solitary if you cross them, with a light that's always on and one outdoor break for one hour every day. The beds are flat steel. It's not Thailand, but it's far from comfy. So if you're going to comment about the world, do your homework first and you won't embarrass yourself by sounding like an ignoramus.

You can't judge a whole culture by the behavior of a few. Same where you're from no doubt. People are the same everywhere.

He probably is on a holding cell right now, or at least until he sobered up.

Canadian AKA American lite. Americans are carnally in love with SUVs along with their guns. No offense to Americans here, we're the good guys who escaped.

You can buy anything for a price. There are plenty of showrooms here with high priced trucks. The real question is why would anyone here want one? Vanity? To impress people as to your status? All of the above? All of the above? Well, I'm impressed, how about you guys?

Elephants are trained to respond to the touching of their ears, it's like pulling on the reins of a horse. So what was done was actually a sensible attempt to calm it down.

You're making the most sense here, and it follows what my own research has turned up, including direct advice from a Thai tax expert. I think every country is the same in that it's just not worth their while to go after small potatoes and chump change. Big fish have a bigger payoff per man/hour. Simple math. In the US most of my income since 1989 was cash and undeclared. After that it was Social Security, a very low amount below the poverty line - $1675/month now, and I have to add to that from savings in order to meet the 65,000 baht/month visa requirement. haven't filed a tax return in the US since 1989. Still not in jail. I think what it boils down to is, if you're not wealthy, and don't draw attention to yourself, you've got no worries. Thanks for your clarity and very useful post. I hope others are smart enough and can stop arguing long enough to listen.

Yup. I've cut myself up on those, nasty. Even the rocks are razor sharp. Between that and stepping on sea urchins I wear sneakers now when swimming

Only if they're made in Thailand

I had to learn the hard way to arrange for no phone verification to be used with my US banking from here, only written security questions, no sms OTP codes sent to my US phone. I used to have trouble using my US bank cards here - my bank's security would try to call me to verify the transactions because charges from Thailand, if I didn't notify the bank in advance, would trigger the system, and of course I don't answer my US number when here, and my cards got deactivated, leading to some terse conversations with my bank.

So my blankets are, or are not, exempt?

I'm surprised nothing was said about US Social Security and similar types of pensions. I have read the law which states that US SS is exempt, and was told by a tax attorney that as such I don't need to file. I believe him. I don't think that the beaurocracy wants the coming avalanche of paperwork to be any larger than it has to be, and I don't think they're motivated to hunt down exempt lower income individuals just to get them to file. Just my opinion based on my information thus far.

I don't think any US bank is going to hand over banking information just because Thailand asks for it. There is due process required and layers of privacy/security protections.

Here's where consulting an expert helps. I read and have been told that if you have documentation showing you have already been taxed in your home country Thailand will consider that income exempt. I don't know if it only applies to certain kinds of income, but there is supposedly an agreement between countries regarding this