Presnock

This indicates to me that they are acting as a mobile consulate. If so, then why do I have to use local mail in order to get a new passport? Just wondering. Or, can I just make an appointment at the Congen, Bangkok to get a new passport? Anyone have ny idea?

555 equals ha ha ha (sound of Thai speaking 555)

Hey, the under valuation he did when he paid taxes (some years a billionaire and didn't pay tax at all - that too is a CRIME in the USA.

We sent our daughter (moved housing) to find the "better" local Thai schools until 5th grade. We kept moving because all the schools did not meet the goals we had for her. In 5th grade we sent her to a "new" school - fantastic buildings, layout, etc half Thai teachers, rest Farang - though most farang teachers eventually tried to leave as soon as possible as the school was run by the daughter of a Thai univ. and most of the Thai teachers were schools buddies. Anyway prior to the end of the first year, we knew we were leaving - even were offered full scholarship to continue but no way - and by the end of the 3rd year all the original students were gone as well as the farang teachers. We went to an international school (CMIS) - daughter on a US passport so did not have to take Thai classes after 6 grade which the Thai teacher didn't like because she really liked our daughter. She began studying Chinese in 7th grade, then a year later began self-teaching Korean because she like KPOP (by graduation she had passed level 4 of the international Korean test), she continued studying Chinese and even taught basic Chinese at another Thai high school near CMIS, which was broken up by the pandemic, took AP Chinese, did teacher's asst for one year when she had a free hour daily, taught Korean and English to others as part of the community service they needed to graduate. She speaks, reads and writes Thai with no problems. She English (American with me), and Thai exclusively with her mother and most of her friends. She is now a student at the number one Univ in Thailand studying Korean. Your wife must take time to speak Thai with your daughter. Extra classes should help especially in the writing while watching Thai programs (especially news for vocab) or movies should also help her. Good luck!

The case has already been proven! He has been declared guilty of fraud. Now this trial is about how much money he must fork over! No matter how well schooled one may be in law, one must know the laws of the particular court location. He broke those laws of FRAUD, that is why he was found guilty and his business license has been suspended.

Yes, Trump ordered his financial "wizards" to inflate the value of all his properties when he was applying for loans. One example is his Trump Tower apartment - 10,000 square feet but he claimed 30,000 square feet and jacked up the cost even more then. And yes, he always paid the banks in question. But they only have a certain amount of funds to loan and Trump used up most quotas. Then, when tax time rolled around, he deflated the values of his properties- this time TAX fraud too on top of the original fraud. Since so many witnesses provided information to the Attorney General, she ruled him and his companies guilty of fraud. Now they are trying to determine how much damages he should pay plus, his business licenses for New York are no longer valid and he and his family can no longer operate there. He wanted to higher inflated values so that he could be rated higher in the FORBES magazine of richest Americans! He since has dropped out of that magazine as fraudulent valuations aren't included in one's worth! Hopefully he will be as guilty in the other cases - especially now that he stopped funding their lawyers so they got one more concerned with this client instead of Trump dictating what the lawyer should be doing. Most of them immediately are advised to work a plea deal with the prosecution as they have another "open and shut" (for you non-English speakers this means an easy to close case due to sufficient evidence. Imagine how funny it will look as he takes the oath (if he wins of course) wearing prison orange suit!

unfortunately, the US politicians are first of all, POLITICIANS and in my opinion, like in other countries in which I have lived, consider themselves entitled to make as much money for themselves and their families. They may come into an elected office with dreams of "solving" the problems of their nation. Soon though they seem to learn how easy it is to fatten their wallets - corruption is the current word used. Some countries try to pass laws preventing such corruption but the law that is passed if possible, is too weak or watered down because who wants to kill the goose that lays the golden egg so to speak. Now, most western countries are infested with way too many immigrants. Previously, the immigrants into these countries merged into different communities and assimilated into local society, many becoming productive citizens. Nowadays with the hordes pouring in, they tend to stick together, becoming a voting majority in many places and begin to try to change their new country to be more like the one they fled, and in doing so destroy the society of their new country. This is my opinion anyway but I have seen the same thing elsewhere and read stories from other countries and it strikes me as being exactly the same. I recall India had a story years ago, that their parliament had been trying to pass a non-corruption law unsuccessfully for 5 years. My own congress failed to pass an insider trading bill recently without success. Now I am fully aware of salaries, and when almost all the elected officials' families are rich I begin to wonder just how is that possible.

read and article the other day from some doctor - he said the biggest killer of man was "retirement" because they all stopped doing whatever too soon. I agree somewhat, but many people should have changed their lifestyles earlier in life if they wanted to possibly have a healthy retirement. Too many wait until it is too late to really improve one's chance of longer life - that would be healthier too. What is a longer life with rampant disease, paid, hospitalization etc? I am approaching 80, walk 6kms a day, lift weights, do core stretching and exercises regularly. I have very few pains occasionally but I have done this for many year already - though I used to run instead of walking due to the "runners high" which I experienced every day. I have a younger wife and we have a 20-year daughter and I hope to have many more lucid years to follow their lives. I also do not drink alcohol, nor smoke tobacco or other drugs. I have not even had a headache in over 20 years. BP is that of a healthy 45 year old. But, if I were to not wake up tomorrow, THAT"S death. But I enjoy life daily, am happy and have no regrets in my life. Hope all are at least satisfied with their current life - otherwise, try to change it. Be happy! that is easy, after all this is TIT and we choose to be here.

Trump feels he is beyond normal laws

Every campaign stop he asks for huge donations. On top of that he sells his picture on shirts, hats, etc for big $ too and then uses that money for his expenses.

Have read that VN "hates" the Chinese and I have seen numerous stories about how Russians are not favored there either. They seem to be much smarter than the countries immediately surrounding Thailand and what happens to them as they climb into bed with the autocratic rulers.

One would think sitting in SEA, surrounded by Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and what has happened in those countries to the rights of their citizens, that these "politicians" would shy away from autocratic leaders or that the local citizens wary of military rule would let the new government know how they feel. Maybe that is what all want but I don't believe so. Since I am not a citizen here but only a "visitor", I coud care less except for my wife and daughter. I feel sorry for them and will make preparations for moving if needed.

My family and I have used Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai Dental Facilitiy with positive results. Very happy with their service and results of our visits.

you mean like the Trumpers saying 2020 was stolen? atrer 60 court cases found no evidence of corruption in the voting and some of those judges were evern appointed by Trump. By challenging FALSELY with so many idiots backing him, it will challenge the US democracy. Just like the Rep House of Reps, can't agree on anyone that doesn't believe that Trump should be Pres again. Biden meanwhile will spend everyone's money that they might have and then have to raise taxes on the poor people while the rich get richer and manufacturing moves overseas instead of the US. He is just as dangerous as Trump. WE need a new generation to step up and attempt to straighten things out....yeah wondering where someone honest would be willing.

Not only Thai GF, my wife of 20 years, house owner prev restaurant owner wanted to take our daughter back to the US for college - asked for a tourist visa but consulate said noway, had to apply for immigrant visa - at that time Afghan fiasco popped up...immigration in the US was backlogged over 500K and doing about 35K a month - needless to say by the time the approval arrived (over a year), daughter decided to go to college here and doing well and happy. We will forego the immigrant process.

Not sure where the other guy is coming from but anyone who has been on this forum for any length of time would know that DrJack54 is an avid donor of whatever is needed for us especially in the immigration rules and games.

exactly - what about college/school kids that aren't in the area of their being registered in a certain house/condo or whatever. The school term would have the students in the area of the school and not at their registered address for which (as I read) they have a 4-km area in which to use the digital funds. Just wondering, as I am and ex-pat and won't get involved with that program.

Well, as an American one has to pay taxes on whatever they make/get each year. Pensions are documented with amount being paid and taxes paid to the govt and in some cases also to the state of residence. I would think that documentation should be easy to be provided. Even providing translations should be easy as one just has to put down the amount of funds transferred into Thailand, then show how much money one made and how much tax was paid to their home country. However, TIT so I may be thinking too logically on this issue, that is why I am not worried yet and thinking about fleeing. I spent 8 years working in the PI and loved every minute of it. Greatest diving in the world, but local food can't compare to Thai food. Plenty of golf courses, cold SanMiguel, lovely ladies as PI was ruled for centuries by Spanish and Americans, weather temperatures about the same as here, but they have about 20 typhoons a year, strong earthquakes, and active volcanoes.

US pensions in most states even federal are taxed on residents. If one claims a state that does tax fed pensions, then that state also takes their "fair" share. The US has a double-tax agreement with Thailand but says that the resident country can still tax the money for which the US will then make up for any taken out by Thailand. But if the amount of tax on pensions/savings as unearned income us as low as reported, I don't thing too many people will be double-taxed. US fed pension sure don't go in the several hundred thousands of dollars a year and govt employees do not get that amount of salary. Salaries are provided for all to see. But, I will wait until the final law comes out and can then match up with what should be legal or not and how I will have to report it.

No I am honest, have been for 77 years so why change now? Trump got multi-million loans from a lot of banks, and yes those banks most likely all made money when he repaid them but the problem is that banks have a limit on how much money they can loan out at any one time so some poorer folks were unable to get a loan as Trump had used up the banks quota. Then when tax time came around, Trump and his family dropped their home and businesses' values below their true amount so that he paid less tax - check his history, many years as a self-claimed billionaire, he didn't pay any taxes at all. This is all factual and can be found by checking. Once in Itay while jogging early AM kept finding lira along the side of he road. I of course kept picking it up. After a while no more money, but about another mile or so I saw a wallet along the road. It had one or two bills in it but in my mine, that money I had found probably came out of that wallet. I turned it in to the authorities. I was taught young in life to be honest - if a store person gives me incorrect change in my favor or their's, I always make sure to correct them.

So correct, loan you money at one interest rate and then money that they have loaned out and been repaid at a higher interest rate is then loaned to you at a higher interest rate. They are using monies from others to loan to you. Something like Trump and his family did for years - tell the banks their housing and properties were worth tons of dollars when they weren't and getting cheap loans but telling the tax people that their properties were much cheaper.

I have been told and read it too, if you have a US passport then it is free entry into Korea - have you checked to see if a Brit p/p can do the same?

No, I hear/read that the US economy is zooming right now while many other nations are hurting. But, query any working class person in the US and they will tell you that life sucks if they don't just punch you as they too are pissed off about their financial status. The only folks who are not being swamped by the interest rates due to "inflation" are the really rich people. But all the working stiffs are PISSED off. I chat with folks back home and they all show me the horror stories of trying to buy a house or car, credit card interest rates etc and gas prices zooming. If you see any US news it will be about the workers in just about every industry on strikes for higher wages and better benefits.

I queried "greenbacktaxservice.com" that sent me an ad for doing my ex-pat taxes and FBAR but I do my own without any problems and they indicated that if I had any tax or FBAR questions, they would respond within 24 hours or so. I asked about the double-taxation on US pensions and international agreement with Thailand. They answered the next day saying that even with the agreements, the resident country could still tax those pension funds but that then the US would lower the US tax dollar for dollar. And on any earned funds, the US has a lower tax for overseas residents paying taxes to the US. That is their website and you can just email them and ask your tax questions or FBAR questions if any too. SO, it appears to me that if the Thai govt does insist on my paying any tax on my pension funds sent here then my US tax will make up for it. But what I would probably do is use my US credit card more than I do now or plan to do so that I would be sending fewer US dollars here and that will cut the amount that they would normally get from me. Their loss for my troubles. For all, good luck with whatever the "next" scheme will be. Whenever you exit the country, you'll give them an extra 300 baht!!!!