mfd101

I find it hard to believe that a grown man, standing at the back and HANGING ON, would be unable to withstand the centrifugal forces as the vehicle 'sped away'.

I'm looking forward to it. Will be a real test for both of them - Trump not good with a woman, Harris having to get down 'n dirty with real policy questions. Either of them could bomb real bad.

Take the train.

The EU's problem is that (as far as I can tell) all voting has to be unanimous or nothing moves. Which is hopeless. Surely you can invent a system where some types of issue (eg constitutional) need unanimous approval, others (eg defence & security) need 75% approval, others (eg major economic) need 66% and others (eg minor economic) need 51% .... etc etc.

Either one can make a big mistake. Would Trump ditching Vance help? Mmmm, maybe but not a good look all round. Makes Trump look vulnerable. And Trump not good with women ... will struggle to get the tone right in a debate. Can La Harris get thru the next few weeks without a big boo-boo? (A cackle in the wrong place, crumbling before a policy onslaught from a hostile interviewer, doesn't perform well in the grand debate if there is one ... ). So far she's looking really good and ticking all the boxes - younger, energetic, coloured, female etc. She now needs a state governor (younger white male) to balance out the platform and I think she's looking good for a win in November.

Yes, good stuff. Worth a read.

Fascinating. The effect of good science is that our ignorance increases at about the same rate as our knowledge.

In the Thailand context what I notice is - both here in south Surin and in Bangers - the skilled people you deal with (whether technical matters around the house, or medical or legal or other) - are disproportionately Thai Chinese and speaking good - often very good - English. And - particularly those around the house - they do a good job and don't cheat you. My b/f says: Always get Thai Chinese if you can. (He also says I remind him of Thai Chinese - always worrying about money. 🤓 )

Age 28? I don't think he needs Daddy looking after him on a daily basis. Perhaps Daddy just wanted an excuse to join in the fun. Needed a story for Mummy back home.

Well, what a surprise! As societies get 'richer', their citizens get lazier and fatter and eat worse and worse foods. Who would have thought?

I went to the Prasat Revenue Office here in Surin province this morning. All as you might predict (if you're an optimist). Girls behind the desk very helpful. Took a little bit of back'n forth between them & my b/f for them to fully understand the matter in hand). Possible implication (though I didn't ask): May not be too familiar with dealing with non-Thais, but it wasn't a problem & they were very courteous to this ol' man. Then copies of p/p, house book, & Immigration record of our address (as I'm not actually IN the house book), then my signature on the multiple copies. Print out of the result in Thai, with the TIN very clear. Unsigned by the Big Boss till tomorrow. Pick up Thursday morning. Meantime I have sent off to the NAB the requisite (unsigned) doco but clearly showing the TIN. Tried not to sound too triumphant. As pointed out above, none of this means I HAVE to lodge a return early next year. My current thought is that, unless further information, rules 'n regs are forthcoming, I won't do anything because I think I'm 100% covered by the Oz/Thai DTA s.19(2). (However the entry immediately above this suggests I will have to. In which case so be it.)

Funnily enough, if they plant all the trees they say they're going to do (and good on them), the effect might be to delay the flooding of Bangers by perhaps 1 year ...

The on-stage 'debate' between the 2 contenders - assuming there is one - will go a long way to deciding the outcome, just as it did with Biden. We have a fair idea how Trump will do. Harris is (at least to me) more of an unknown in that context. Her reputation is that she's not much good at coherent argument (surprising in a lawyer, I should have thought). If she can rise to the occasion, she might just lock in a win.

It's going to be a surprise either way - a nasty one or a nice one.

'Prominence' translates (partly) in to 'popularity', as every politician knows. Just look at Trump ...

OK

My bank is NAB and their form doesn't give that option. Don't know what the 2nd bit means. or how to fix.

As far as I can (now) judge, my bank doesn't like me saying in effect 'There's no point in me doing anything till early next year', meaning 'I won't even try' ... Anyway, I've moved on in my understanding & I will try this coming week ...

Well, they weren't accepting of my response along those lines for the last few weeks. Though my answer was more along the lines 'The Thais won't give me one till next year when I have to lodge my first tax return here'. On your second point, I'm assuming that - having received a TIN - I can either do nothing on the basis that my income can be taxed ONLY in Oz, or - I think more likely because of the amount of money I bring in to Thailand each year to support me, my b/f & his family - I will have to lodge a return but with no tax to pay.

Because my Australian bank - creature of the Australian Tax Office - is insisting I have a Thai TIN and has frozen one of my accounts till I do. Once I have a Thai TIN I don't have much choice - it seems to me - but to lodge a tax return each year, starting next Jan-Mar. As my only income comes from Federal Government superannuation & must therefore be taxed - I think - ONLY in Oz (s.19/2 of the DTA), I don't expect I'll end up paying anything extra here in Thailand. Fingers crossed. I'll have a better idea after next Tuesday when I plan to call on the worthies of the TRD here in Prasat Surin. It may be an interesting life experience. Or not.

And the 20 or 30 million impoverished peasants who don't have an income of more than 5000฿ a year, and can't read or write, and don't have a bank account, and wouldn't know one end of a mobile phone or desktop computer from the other ... What's The Wallet going to do for them?

Just another manifestation of the Thai obsession with status.

Thais love complexity. Most 'changes' or 'reforms' are add-ons, not replacements.

An issue for me in all of this is: Will my 'spouse' (Thai male) in a gay marriage (actually Australian Capital Territory civil partnership dating from 2013, before 'gay marriage' was available in Oz) count as a 'spouse' next year when I prepare my first-ever Thai tax return? It appears to be advantageous to do a joint return, particularly when your spouse has - as in my case - no independent income.

So more beefing than beef for a while.