Presnock

Probably just a case of over tourism - seems now every day another article surfaces with the govt touting the more and moree tourists coming plus how much money they are spending! Ride the BKK trains and you will seldom find an open seat anywhere!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$

DUH! Surprised that he was so vocal about Taksin and ALpine golf course! Also under contro of Taksin for decades> Strange...

We note regularly Sunni and <deleted>e bombing/killing each other. Islam supposedly founded in 600 AD century, and after he died, the two different sides couldn't accept one or the other as the Muslim religious leader so they have been at war a long time. I read not too long ago that the fastest growing religion today is ISLAM, and fail to understand why Christianity which claims to be a peace loving religion loses out in growth by a radicallized for most of the Muslims I have met in their own nations. Now they are pouring into the west., not assimilating into the western culture but now massing together a a voting bloc so that they can elect one of their own to the local electorate and then begin trying to establish Sharia law as opposd to the western workd. I also fail to understand that after living as slaves for millenia, female Muslims still do not overthrow those radicalized males. Perfect example - supposedly Iran recognizes several different religions but especiall sunni Islam. When they overthrew the Shah in 1979, women had total freedom, free education through professional status, dressed western style clothes, etc . Yeah the SHAH was no freedom for all type and really horrible for quite some time but then moderated somewhat in his treatment of the citizens so I understand why they overthrew his leadership but why, like Afghanistan, the females accepted returning to slavery of the Stone Age.

yes, sad but after 30+ years here, IMHO that is too true!

On this forum alone, there have been several tax agencies offering their services. Can easily contact and find out about charges. Though from what I have read, one can take their finance paperwork to a local revenue dept office and they will fillin the forms for you or advise you about your assessable income,. Unless one's financial situationis very compolicated, I would think it should be easy and if complicated, then yes, contact one of the local tax agencies such as "expattaxthailand.com" Carl has provided me with info previously and they offer a 15-minute free consultation on one's taxes. Good luck.

even worse, we read regularly on this forum, news items where pet dogs suddenly attack their owner and sometime fatally. Certain breeds IMHO as a dog owner for over 70 years, should be ourlawed as they were originally bred as fighting dogs. I realize too that some people have these same breeds the entire life of the dog and only good stories to tell of them but it seems that at least in Thailand pitbull partials or pure breeds can turn vicious without warning. Soi dogs should be sterilized by the govt and all pet owners should be required to register their dogs with a chip and then stray dog owners can be discovered through the chip if the dog was abandoned and then the owner fined for abandoning the dog.

for anyone wanting to lose weight, after I had figured I wouldn't lose anymore weight, I read Dr. William Li/s books on diet to beat disease and diet to beat your diet - these are not normal DIET books per se. He researches foods for prevention and curing or diesease. uiHe expains why it is difficult to lose weight because we eat the wrong foods. I changed my diet, eating only those foods that are healthy. At the same time, I eat during one 5 hour period a day and fast the other 19 hours. I eat a ton of fruits with my oatmeal, and greek style probiotic yougurt, a total waste if lo-cal or lo-fat so the greek style yogurt also has more protein, drink 2 cups of coffee a day 2 cups of green tea with ginger, no sugary drinks or diet drinks, seeds, nuts, turmeric, black pepper, chili pepper, sesame seeds, chia seed, sunflower seeds no red meats mostly salmon sea bass or chicken with steamed or lightly sauteed in extra virgin olive oil and exercise 1to 2hours per day (6 km daily walking, 1 hour core when no weights and 1.5 hours weigts 2-3 times a week) and I lost that final 6 pounds.. I never snack, any bread is sour dough only but not too often and some hard cheeses. With my cereal I also throw in a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste - the weigth loss was as I am 78 years old

But just think how happy those 500+ BILLIONAIRES area that were created during that "pandemic" many in the Pharmaceutical industry!

Same thing happened in 2016, Trump won not because the people really liked him, but that they hated Hillary, this time they hated the Democratic team of Biden and Co. (Kamala), IMHO had the Dems chose a moderate poliician, then that person would have beat Trump. I sure wouldn't vote for Trump, and didn't in either election but I would never vote for a Democrat due to their policies either.

no love for any particular ideology, deal with western countries too, only concern is making money from all countries. From the Nomad Capitalist, daily changes of visas, taxes, etal in many countries recently after the OECD agreement signed in 2023..

and IMHO will never be. I lived in a Muslim fundamentalist city for 2 years. Some truley horrible stories but most wouldn't believe them if wrote them. Had co-workers (male and female) shot by a known terrorist and I and my wife should have been in the vehicle that was attacked and stopped at a red light while going to work. Within 25 meters was a pickup full of local police who did absolutely nothing except after the attack and the light turned green they left. Had to escort the bodies and their families back to the US for burial. Having to tell next of kin of the death by terrorist. Not a pleasant task. I volunteered for that assignment because I wanted to find out for myself if Muslims were really anti-Westerners. I did make some friends possibly who told me that male chilldren begin the indoctrination of hating westerners upon reaching 4 years old. One of those possible friends kept trying to get me to adopt his 3 young teenage daughters so that they would not have to grow up and marry in that faith in that area. Just a tad on my experiences in that region.

read the Consulation instructions on passport renewal. I did the on line and it was super easy with good service.

FYI: bill re-introduced in Congress to cease US taxes on social security https://www.myfederalretirement.com/hr-1040-social-security

NOT AT ALL! Only taxable by the US!

that is why one needs to read their own DTA agreement to better understand what their taxation position is.

non-assessable, thus not taxable by Thailand, only US

Unless some farang feels like paying any amount whether correct or not just so he can feel ??SAFE??

Just have to agree. During my working days, I worked and lived in many countries, EU, Africa, Central AM and Asia. I know what I like or don't like and how to survive in just about any different country. I still love Thailand and have no plans of ever leaving.

actually I get a newsletter almost daily from "Nomad Capitalist" and from the articles I read, changes amond countries are taking place daily. Some countries are searching for RICH and UltraRICH people while some will settle for well off retirees. Tax systems are also changing in many countries as so many signed onto the OECD agreement. Therefore, one even contemplating relocating to another potentially retiree-heaven, must be kept up to date on any recent changes possible changes by seeking a local forum to get the impressions of the expats in that location. Best of luck.

You can write to American Citizens Abroad for some info or to the Inernal Revenue Service (IRS) of the US about taxing of US citizens living abroad. https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/get-help/international/tax-response-of-citizen-resident-aliens-living-abroad/ I am a member of the ACA so get regular emails about any issues Congress is working on. anyone can join.

we are foreigners so can give you tax advice...you need to check the law about remittance of foreign income.

suggest yu read the DTA for your country before making decision on what they are for. All are different, some give exclusive taxing rights for the original country while some give taxing right to the tax resident country.

then you need to check your country's DTA. The US DTA specifically claims taxing right on social security and civil service pension. Some others do too but I haven't read them so....

What I fail to understand is that the DTA's re official treaties between your country and Thailand. If they push you on this then file a claim with your embassy or in the case of the US wih the State deparment and advise the RD that is what you are doing. Also tell the press local and in your neck of the woods so that if enough people complain, the rd will stop doing that as it is illegal! If one accepts that they have to pay something just so that it isn't too much, then things will only get worse when they see how easy some expat are.