mfd101

Useful item in today's 'Australian': Wise chief exec Kaarmann points to the enormous hidden costs Aussie banks charge their customers for transfers overseas. They do this through the margins they charge on foreign exchange rates. As an example he says Wise charges cAUD40 for a transfer of AUD10000, using the market rate, while the Big Four banks charge between AUD370 and 615. Good to be getting the news out to any innocent Aussies still using the Aussie banks. (I hate to think how much money I wasted when I was bringing 100s of 1000s of AUD across in 2016-17 as we built our mansion here. Hadn't heard of Wise in those days.)

Looking for someone who speaks English.

Can't help noticing that the first report above says "tourists". The second report above says "Thai youth". I assume they were young Thai tourists ...

Same again next Monday.

Spelling police ...

In Thailand the difference is rather small.

Yes, poor Usofan health stats & performance go back well before covid.

Petty theft & drugs use & peddling in my part of the world, the latter getting steadily worse (in my perception).

They were all on their 4th or 5th packet of ciggies of the day.

Compared to the rest of the 'Western' world, these numbers - and going back now at least a couple of decades - say nothing good about the evolution of Usofan cultures, lifestyles and health arrangements.

The court's decision in this matter, being judicially complex, will take at least 12 months before it can be announced. By which time the decision will be that there is nothing to investigate.

New TAT campaign to reach 50 million visitors in 2024: 'Adventure Tours of Thailand. Anything can happen! Come prepared!' Chinese pouring in to escape Communist conformity ...

Impossible for Thailand at any rate. S&P rates 11 countries AAA, excluding Usofa. Fitch rates 10 countries AAA, excluding both US & Canada. Moody's rates 12 countries AAA, including Usofa & Canada.

Never heard of irony? You must be American.

I obviously don't understand these things, but - with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 4%, and compared to any 'Western' nation - why isn't Thailand rated at AAA+?

Most of this is pretty irrelevant for at least 2/3 of the population who live in 3rd World/2nd World conditions ie poverty absolute or relative. They are not great consumers so the poorest of them will barely notice any moderate levels of inflation, and the others will just pull their tight belts in even tighter.

April in Melbin? Changeable, I should think.

Bit of a worry when your technology's at 15th place but your knowledge is at 41st ...

Yes, an interesting concept of 'GDP' and 'GDP growth'. Nothing sustainable. Come & gone in a flash. As usual in Thailand, all appearances, no substance.

And did she personally profit from this (ie financially)?, or was it a political advantage? In any reasonable judicial system the first might be a criminal offence, the second likely not.

It would be laughable if it weren't going to be so ridiculously expensive.

And her heinous crime in this instance was what?

I am 'partnered' (in Oz, pre-gay marriage there) to my Thai b/f since 2013 and living here on OA since 2015. We will marru here once the law is changed (if ever! remember it will presumably not get through the Senate as currently constituted) just to strengthen both our positions inheritance-wise. Not sure I understand what the advantages might be of moving to a marriage visa ...

The obvious reason for few or no Americans having been released is their continuing usefulness as hostages: The US Administration is the only government able to lean on the Israelis sufficiently to keep making concessions ...

(Yawn). Does it matter?