Jonathan Swift

You ask if dummies read news? Your question answers itself.

yes, you missed the headline: "Thai Embassy in New Zealand increases visa fee 600%" You also missed: The current price is $300. And here's the math: Current price ($300) reflects 600% of the old price (six times the original amount) so you divide it by 6 and the answer is the original cost of $50. Be careful how you phrase this. The new cost is 600% of the old. But the percent of the increase amount (your third question) which is $550 on top of the old price of $50, there the math gets weird - the increase amount of $550 is 1100% of the original price $50. ($50 being 100%) And if you say that the increase amount is 600% of the original price, in other words it went up BY 600%, then it's $50 PLUS $300 = $350. This is why there is a difference when you say something is 5 times more than, or five times as much. People mess that up all the time.

The Mooninites

Funny sidenote - I always that the word "Russkies" was an ethnic slur created by Americans, but in fact that's what Russians call each other!

Here's my contribution art.

Last time I dealt with a Thai airline they tried to overcharge me for a small suitcase, and then told me I had to buy a seat fot my modestly sized acoustic guitar. Then since they had made a schedule change such that I was entitled to a refund, they refused the refund. I booked through Agoda whose office is near my place in the US, so (yes I’m mad enough) I’ll be taking Agoda to small claims court. No airline with any customer courtesy ever refuses a guitar as carry on to be stored in a closet. It’s even a law in the US that airlines make those accommodations. It’s also the principle of the thing. I dan’t like anyone crookedly trying to take advantage of me.

Surprise! Price fixing is everywhere, look at tuktuks and taxis (non meter)

“Bois”? Seriously? Are we supposed to be impressed with your hip modern vernacular? In Thailand? Or are you that bad at spelling?

Very nice in Hua Hin, nice breeze every day. Sea is very warm but not ridiculous. Take a nice little trip here folks

Isn't seawater 200% humidity?

I know a Thai lady who has worked in baggage/ground services for 15 years. About 5 years ago another contractor came in and cut all of their pay by 60%. Her 10 years of service meant nothing. She works successive rotating 12 hour shifts, sometimes 7 days a week. We all know that overworking and abusing employees who are underpaid and sleep deprived is going to create job performance problems. That is one explanation, in my humble opinion.

Flying has nothing to do with ground services. Ground services are such things as baggage handling. Ground. Services. Not air services. Do your homework.

Funny, I've lived in Thailand 10 years and have managed to avoid being robbed or beaten. Wonder why? And why even drive in Thailand anyway?

These writers crack me up with their awkward use of "dramatic" slang which makes them sound like bad 1940s pulp magazine writers.

Sounds like a lot of people in this forum can't handle change and maybe just don't belong here, or should never have come here in the first place. I'm quite happy anywhere I go, I've been here 10 years. The expats I run into along the way are also quite happy here. I think these forums attract a disproportionate amount of complainers who really just ought to leave and stop complaining. Everything changes, everywhere. Why would you not expect Thailand to change?

Sounds to me like your friends simply are not cut out for life in Thailand. Not everyone is. If they are leaving Phuket because of "traffic" and are not even going to explore other places here I doubt that they even knew what they were doing in the first place. I go to Patong (Phuket) every year and that is hardly a place where traffic is as heavy as cities like Bangkok where I live. I have lived in Thailand 10 years.

Common sense from experience is fearmongering? Hardly. A little bit of fear in this case is appropriate. Do you ever read the stories here? He is advising caution and sensible financial planning. He doesn't owe you an elaborate description. You have to figure that out for yourself. No one's going to babysit you or lead you by the hand. If you don't get the point, you probably shouldn't be reading this publication. Maybe you shouldn't be living here. Here's what you didn't get: A fat wallet will differ for different people. It's a matter of personal choice to measure the calculated risks of living here against your financial situation. For me personally, I make a tiny $1600 US/month social security. But I keep a $10,000.00 US emergency fund in my US bank. Beyond that I have a mutual fund that I can tap into if need be. Worst comes to worst I can fly back to the US and be covered by medicare for anything serious. Which I may be doing. After a high PSA blood test and an MRI, I need a biopsy to screen for prostate cancer. I had money enough thus far, and if I need surgery and other treatment I will fly back to the US where I have Medicare.

Fat wallet meaning that you have a sizable enough nest egg of savings to deal with emergencies, which is what I have always done. I keep $8,000.00 - $10,000 US in liquid funds in an emergency fund in my US bank at all times, and I have a mutual fund I can tap as well. Outside of that, my social security income is tiny by US standards, but supports me nicely here. So I agree, it's risky business to come here without some funding to cope with emergencies, although I wouldn't call it a fat wallet in terms of income. I should add that I have rarely had to tap into that fund, although presently I may have to spend some money, 50,000 baht or $1500 US, on a prostate biopsy to screen for cancer because of a high PSA and a bladder infection. If I need prostate surgery I will return to the US for Medicare coverage. Meanwhile the sister of a good friend had a compound fracture of the knee (tibia) from an accident and they are just working class folks with no money and now out of work, I was able to send my friend 19,000 baht to help with a 30,000 - 50,000 surgery bill. (I have known her over 10 years so I can trust her, she has never asked me before) I also started a go fund me to cover the remainder. My financial planning for emergencies at this point in time included a nice dividend payout from my mutual fund, so I was lucky in being able to cover my own medical plus help out a friend.

As a person who suffers from Bipolar II depression you are spot on about a depressed state being invisible to outsiders. Nobody who I don't tell about it is aware that I get this. However, I am careful around balconies because all it takes is losing your balance sometimes. It would be useful if someone commissioned a study into these balcony deaths to see what is at play. I suspect the biggest factor is intoxication. But there are any manner of different ways to commit suicide, this seems to be a convenient method for distraught individuals. People jump off buildings, bridges, all sorts of things in the rest of the world. Quite painless no doubt. But "being around a lot of booze and hookers" is not likely to lead to suicidal depression, that's not how psychology works, so you are wildly speculating and off the mark in that regard. If you mean that a reckless lifestyle makes accidents more likely, again you are correct. I also think that counseling and therapy may not be as accessible in Thailand as it is in other countries. I looked into it and the cost was prohibitive.

Yes, I find it quite challenging to be living amongst such perfect human beings, knowing that I will never measure up.

Something like a perforated stomach ulcer might do it. Ruptured aorta or pulmonary artery? Although I suspect "liters" was an exaggeration. Were they measuring it with water bottles?

More likely a perforated stomach ulcer. No doubt 20 20 hindsight will reveal a number of errors

There is another fairly credible story on this topic here on aseannow, which stated that yes, any money brought in to Thailand is taxable. The exception would be for US Social Security, which is not "assessable". The question would be, if a third party such as Wise were used for the transfer, would we have to provide proof that this was Social Security income? And what proof? I have Social Security benefit letters and tax form statements and am hoping if necessary they would be sufficient. Another question would be, will Thai banks now voluntarily submit reports of such transfers to the Thai tax office, or is there any privacy protection for the bank account holder to prevent that? In other words, is this an honor system where the accountholder is responsible for declaring the transfer as income? In my case I transfer my Social Security income once a month using Wise. I have no idea how this will work out due to the aforementioned unknowns. Also, will immigration get involved when expats provide income information for visa renewal purposes? That sounds like a hot mess in the making.

Right. Exactly. The Thai vendors get to make their money on them so nobody really loses. Outsourcing manufacturing to China is the way of the world now, literally everywhere. So truth be told China is helping fuel the Thai economy by making these. On the other hand there is really no shortage of affordable Thai manufactured products, I have a whole closet full of those colorful shiny Thai silk shirts.

Agreed. It comes across to me as a phony attempt by silly foreigners to look like they're part of a culture that doesn't belong to them. I understand the sentiment of wanting to belong and be accepted here, but I manage that without looking silly.