mfd101
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Everything posted by mfd101
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I won't wear a helmet, makes me look stupid
mfd101 replied to scubascuba3's topic in Motorcycles in Thailand
Clearly my daily reading of FAZ is getting out of hand. -
I won't wear a helmet, makes me look stupid
mfd101 replied to scubascuba3's topic in Motorcycles in Thailand
Mask cheap or free. Helmut expensive. -
Thai PM Srettha will not attend ASEAN summits this week
mfd101 replied to webfact's topic in Thailand News Headlines
PM's bags under the eyes getting bigger'n bigger. -
Thai PM’s new weapons procurement plan to boost national economy
mfd101 replied to webfact's topic in Thailand News Headlines
It's called: Spreading the risk. ???? -
Thai PM’s new weapons procurement plan to boost national economy
mfd101 replied to webfact's topic in Thailand News Headlines
We shall see. -
Thai Political Activist Holds Feces-Throwing Event
mfd101 replied to webfact's topic in Thailand News Headlines
Only in Thailand. It's part of what makes living here worthwhile. No end of entertainment. -
Reduction in Military Conscription Quotas Expected in April 2024
mfd101 replied to webfact's topic in Thailand News Headlines
There is a reasonable argument in favour of conscription, namely that it offers to poor & uneducated peasant boys (my b/f was one) a window on a new bigger world of which they have no prior knowledge or experience. Whether that counts as a counterargument to those who see conscription - not unreasonably - as supporting military authoritarianism and threats to democracy depends on the circumstances at any particular time. The point is that, like most important issues in government & life, it's not black'n white. -
Thai PM’s new weapons procurement plan to boost national economy
mfd101 replied to webfact's topic in Thailand News Headlines
Just calming the boys as PM & new Minister ease themselves in to their new chairs. Perfectly sensible. It's what they will do that counts, not what soothing words they offer in the meantime. -
I've got an 8-year-old Canon Pixma (with cartridges) connected (by wire) to my brand-new 24" iMac. Works fine. [The wifi hasn't worked for some years (to connect to my old MacBk Air) - not sure whether that's the machine's fault or my technical incompetence.]
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Here in Thailand: Are you Old Money? Or Nouveau Riche?
mfd101 replied to GammaGlobulin's topic in ASEAN NOW Community Pub
Yes, my b/f spends all my money. But I have a large library and a well-furnished mind. They should last me till death do us part. -
Royal approval of Thailand’s new Cabinet granted
mfd101 replied to webfact's topic in Thailand News Headlines
I think this and other views here are too black'n white. Yes, not ideal. Yes, MFP should be running the shop but instead they're in the retraining program, absorbing lessons for next time. They'll do much better next time. As to the new government, Yes there are some old personnel, the most egregious being Anutin. But the Two Uncles are out of the picture (in Prawit's case still with a symbolic-only role as the now-temporary head of his party but not in the government). There are many new faces, not least the entirely new PM (new to the parliament as well), and the whole system has been given a shock & a shakeup it wasn't expecting. To conclude from all of that that 'nothing has changed' is fainthearted at least and generally blind to what is now a more complex reality than before, with plenty of room for change and reform. But still some blind areas relating to the Constitution. To be handled with some delicacy over time ... However the speed with which the PM & Ministers were blessed by the Palace might suggest some high-level impatience for the government to get on with the job. -
This is only Stage One of the process ...
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Pension system in need of reform as cost pressure mounts
mfd101 replied to snoop1130's topic in Thailand News Headlines
That's what VAT/GST is for: Noone can escape it because everyone is a consumer. -
Trump tells Glenn Beck he’d ‘lock up’ political opponents if reelected
mfd101 replied to Social Media's topic in World News
Seen from outside and far away Usofa looks like a once-great nation whose greatness is sinking more or less rapidly in the west ... When you look at all the other nasties in the world (China, Russia, Iran, Nth Korea ... ) it's hard to be optimistic about the future of civilization and democracy. -
Pension system in need of reform as cost pressure mounts
mfd101 replied to snoop1130's topic in Thailand News Headlines
GST/VAT same thing. The thing about GST/VAT is that it hits poor people greatly. Rich people don't even notice. The in-betweens in-between. So you need to democratize/socialize your tax system with a progressive (in the technical sense) income tax to produce just outcomes. The point is that you need both. -
Pension system in need of reform as cost pressure mounts
mfd101 replied to snoop1130's topic in Thailand News Headlines
In other words, to provide a decent pension system you first need a decent & non-corrupt taxation system ... GST is the obvious way to go, along with an enforceable income tax system.