Dipterocarp

In Feb 2017 I lost a FEDEX letter sent to Chiang Mai from the US, just a document no particular value. Received refund and written apology. Then the letter arrived without explanation in December, 10 months late!  Something wonderful about this place.

Just flew in yesterday. On the plane about 5 minutes before landing in daylight a large agricultural burn could be seen.

Huge smoke, open flames.

One would figure the Army would go arrest the burners.

You can see them every afternoon at the food court at Kad Suan Kaew mall in Chiang Mai listening to the the Philipino band drinking beer and snack food they brought in from outside.

The cheapest guy in America I knew was making about US $180k per year and hardly spent a dime of it.  He owned multiple rental properties. A Surfer, lived in a small car, took free meals at churches and homeless outreach points and showered at the beach.  Supposedly he rented a car to exchange the tires with his worn ones which surely is criminal.  Something always not right about these guys

Somebody please offer Benjamin some Schweinshaxe to test his faith!

22 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

'In some cases, they said they believed Franco could offer them career advancement ...' That says it all.

An does he not always play an egomaniacal freak? So as like Kevin Spacey turns out to be his true nature.

Did they change the FBAR reporting date to April 15?

I don't know anything about taxes I have always used a preparation service/bookkeeper.

I work for a large US firm, there is an issue about how my company reports for overseas employees certain medicare or medical insurance taxes or something.

Filed taxes on time for 2016, soon some bills saying I was about $800 short.

Called accountant, he said he would deal with it back in May, they have  higher level contacts to call.

(Me calling does nothing, you just get a customer service agent with no ability to do anything).

No letters for more than 6 months thought it was dealt with.

I now suddenly I get a letter that says I still owe this for 2016, and with interest and penalties it is now over $900.

Would re-filing help? My accountant is on vacation.

Any suggestions, getting a real tax attorney will cost me more than $900.  

Same thing happened a few years ago but I just paid after a while, they only said I was $300 short.

I witnessed Tongans car surfing in Waikiki on November 23.

There were dozens of cars, women and men waving flags completely unsecured standing on MOVING vehicle roofs, sitting on hoods, screaming.

I had never heard of such a thing. The normally ubiquitous 5-O cruisers nowhere to be seen...

I have something like that too, called SUICA, very convenient. I also use the SUICA app. When using the actual card one must touch it to the reader, the APP is faster and does not require contact. The SUICA APP can be funded by my bank account. Using the card only requires one to go to a ticket machine in the Train station and load cash money onto it. That is time consuming and inefficient.

Many vendors do not yet accept credit card payments but they do accept such digital money cards.  Any contactless card system, digital money touch card ¥ device or mobile payment APP  is better than waiting for a girl to count out paper bills, possibly shortchanging you at the mini-mart, then stack "metallic tender discs" precariously on top with another useless bit of receipt paper that nobody really needs.

Such a system is already used in Thailand (7/11 cards) and could be a basis for a universal payments network  for Thailand (preferably when cash is banned.)  One does not even need a bank account. All transactions tracked, VAT applied and all income taxes paid.

I would prefer to not carry a wallet at all in the future as all daily functions could be contained in APPS on my mobile phone. I don't carry a house key,  or wristwatch I find them anachronistic. The key to my Honda is a fob that never leaves my pocket or bag. I know some people cling to outdated technologies but I find them to be liberating.

18 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

Well you don't just pull your phone out and hey presto the payment is made. You have to open the app and scan the code in which takes a while to focus, probably more time than pulling your card out of your wallet and tapping in the PIN. A lot of countries have contactless cards too, which takes almost no time. Why not introduce that in Thailand instead of this smartphone gimmick?

You have no idea what you are talking about. All I have to do is touch home button on my iPhone,  the wallet app is thus activated and transaction approved, just being in proximity of the POS device.  

Moments later I get an email from AMEX or VISA notifying me of the sale. (A separate function). It works so fast I can go through a turnstile in a Japanese subway station pass the mobile over the sensor not even breaking stride (about two steps), directly following somebody in front. Any problem the gate would close. If people think this is a gimmick that is fine but is much faster than "faffing about" with a plastic cards and physical wallets. I can't explain the technology but mobile payments according to what I have read are somehow more secure than chipped cards and the credit card companies and banks are embracing the technology quickly. 

20 hours ago, craftyhen said:

or Geoffrey...

 

 

I wish I had not seen that. An demon, should be in a psychiatric ward chained to a gurney not walking around freely. I feel sorry for his dog.

20 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

Chip and pin is a lot more sensible than faffing about at the checkout with your smartphone but people seem to love any smartphone gimmick going at the moment.

There is no pfaffing about.　Much faster than pulling a card out of a wallet or purse, sticking it in a slot, entering a PIN then having to wait for authorization, prior to putting the card away again securely before leaving the register. As is it seems many people walk around with a mobile in their hands already these days...

Why is there always so much sympathy for child abusers on these threads?

US, Australia, EU and like should all pass legislation to target international child abusers.

In addition to what ever other jail sentence is due their passports should be permanently cancelled and seized

so they can never again menace children abroad.

I own my own condo unit. Most individuals with business to conduct at CM immigration hit with 1600 baht fines from when they started with the TM30 enforcement. I can't tell you about 90 day reports, I don't do 90 day reports. 

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You actually think the hackers won't be able to bypass your fingerprint security.

If so, I have a bridge in New York I can sell you, real cheap 5555555555555

POS tech such as Apple Pay is not just finger print unlock of your mobile.

Every transaction is encrypted and unique, the traditional methods of skimming credit/atm numbers will not work. The vendor never gets your card number. Sure the hackers will find a way but for now it is more secure than 

even chipped cards with PIN numbers.

Cash should be banned in Thailand to cut down on corruption and tax evasion.

<edited> I see, 400 baht seems a bit much.

I am the owner!

" while she typed on a computer with her other hand".

She held my passport sensually touching the corner of her mouth while she typed with the other hand. Irritating whilst exciting as well.

Read carefully, Happy New Year!

You asked "Why?" I explained. Now it sounds unfortunately you mean to be insulting.

• They have not been stapling  departure cards in my passport for years fine if they do as long as visas are not damaged.
• Perhaps this is the way things are done at the Fast Track lane. Not because I fly business class always but because I am in the Thailand Elite program, which immigration does not like in my opinion. Yes I can take out the staple if I want to.

As for my venting of "rage" I will save it for gate agents and US TSA goons who insist on using my passport as a clipboard (occasionally making marks on it). I even had one Japanese ANA girl absent-mindedly stick the corner of my passport in her mouth getting lipstick on it while she typed on a computer with her other hand.  I don't know if she liked me or something but I had to tell her  "You know I don't think that is very clean anymore but could you please not put my passport in your mouth!?!?"  You see this small green ring of ink bled over from a Philippine entry stamp to a China Visa. "You visa invalid!!" See a pen mark on the signature page? Mumbai India - "This passport is mutilated sir, you must go back". My company pays for my passport and visas but I don't rate an assistant anymore, all the legwork is up to me, on my own time, so I would just wish that airline agents and government officials officials  show a little more respect for a most important and time consuming document.

And now from 2018 I won't be attending Promenada to lodge TM30 updates for two minutes (or two hours) anyway. It has been arranged that front desk at my Condo can do it for me. No more bits of paper stapled. Allelujah.

Sawastdee Pee Mai Khrap!

22 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Why?

My passport must endure the stresses of CONSTANT international travel.

I got double extra pages in it before the cutoff and hope to get a couple more years use out of it.

That bit of printer paper that constitutes the TM 30 notice won't last, will come out, and possibly be lost and as it has no purpose other than proffering to Chiang Mai immigration, it is better off sitting in my desk as it has for the past year or so and already has 10 update stamps on it. I don't want to take the TM30 notice out of Thailand. I don't work in Thailand. My passport has business/ work visas from 3 other countries and although they promised not to the girl stapled it right through my active QR code sticker for Japan possibly damaging it. Irritating. 

The entry IOs at the airport have not been even stapling the departure cards for years.

I saw one of these couples at an Italian restaurant in Chiang Mai that only served a few tables per night and had no menu. (It is not open anymore I don't think the business model worked). The gentleman appeared to be the Western CEO type in his 60s. These guys can make millions per year, fly around in the large cabin class business jets and have comprehensive expense accounts.  Contacts here can surely assign them a suitable executive assistant and escort that can accommodate their needs while in Thailand!

On 12/28/2017 at 1:05 AM, Danielsiam said:

They can remove the page where it have the stamp & visa, when they're already arrived in SA, then they can ask a renew of the passport ( lost, deterioration )

Most countries consider alteration of a passport to be a serious crime, not a good idea.

Chiang Mai immigration haphazardly stapled a TM form in my passport.

One of the staple holes went right through an active QR code in my passport for Japan.

I carefully removed the staple but there is a one tiny hole now in the sticker.

Is is still usable?

BTW They  said they would not staple but did it anyway (irritating). 

Looks a lot like this.

42 minutes ago, happyas said:

"Not keen on bland Chinese cuisine."

Sorry but you obviously have no idea [or, maybe no tastebuds] if you can lump the multitudes of excellent varieties of cuisine from all over China into one word..'Bland??  Get outta here..

Maybe you only ever ate the NZ specialty 'Chinese food"..Chop Suey..now, that would definitely explain your thoughts. 

Chop suey, egg <deleted> yung are anachronistic items that were seen on East Coast menus years ago. "General Tso, Kung Pao Chicken, Mu-shu pork" can be added as iconic creations for USA. Don't forget the "fortune cookie". All  can be quite good as long as the cooks are skilled and ingredients are fresh and plentiful. I have has some good Thai food in LA also but it is for the US market.  

Plenty of meat, no heat.