kwilco

People have always been ambivalent about the US, now they are just universally hated. Trump has joined the Putin, Kim Jong Un in an axis of evil.... and the irony of that expression seems lost on them

No tariffs on Russia,then?

I think that many Americans don't understand that it is THEY who pay the tariffs .... to put it simply Scotch has just gone up 10%.

...but they don't...... here's an analogy....if you want a pick up you will be paying the tariff...not Thailand. The reason you don't make it in the US is because it was cheaper to buy from Thailand. However if evebtually you make a sumilar onevin the US it will cost more....unless you want to work fir $12 a day. Of course with the removal of the minimumwage and immigrants, you may have to. It's all very well, but most businesses don't just work for a protected home market, they need to export to survive. Well Thailand won't want your trucks because they make cheaper ones themselves.....so your new pick up industry is fecked from the start..... which won't be for a few years anyway Started by explaining it is an analogy... but my guess is people wint get that. It's a little bit hard for some to understand, so I expect a few "confused" emogees from the resident thickos.

Remember it's Americans who pay the tariffs. They are paid by those who import the stuff not by the countries who make it.

You're going to see a lot more like that. If I was an American, I would be <deleted>ttting myself at present. Especially if I thought I could retire in Thailand for the first enable future.

Looks like the cost of living in theUS is going to go up quite rapidly.

In 2024, Thailand exported 42,000 passenger cars and 20 CMVs to the American market. Value around 12 billion dollars. Import duties on foreign cars to Thailand are between 200 and 300%

You are impossibly dim

Sorry - what is this gibberish?? are you quoting someone else??

Reporting of the quakes affects in Thailand by the main Thai media has been very poor. This has left the door open for supposition and rumour in social media. THe Thai authorities have been particularly incompetent about this - firstly they failed to anticipate this. Secondly the initial Thai reaction to anything like this is to play it down to reduce the effects on tourist and other areas of the Thai economy - of course it hasn't worked - it never does - and now they are paying the price. They claim to have surveyed all structures in BKK and declared them safe - the truth is that no-one believes them. They should appoint a post quake committee to set matters straight.

about 100 km of actual raised expressways in BKK. and about 70 km of raised railways

I hope Rama II road is OK! They need to check around the country to restore confidence - checking this quickly doesn't really inspire confidence - imagine if something falls down in the near future??? What about things like the abandoned buildings and the hopewell project - there are bits of semi-derelict concrete all over Bangkok.

Again you ignore the volume of passengers!

Why is it that racists spend their time arguing that things they say aren't racist. There is stupid, stupider and Racist - the fog of racism clouds your ability to look at issues clearly

Of course I did I left Thailand during Covid when my contract ended. You just don't seem to gettit - it isn't the "paperwork", it's the amount of people arriving who may not have done th paperwork and the possibility or probability of the system - - crashing - during Covid the place was empty - I sat on a plane with about 6 people in economy class but that obviously hasn't registered with you

there already is an insurance scheme - you can look it up.

How is that "scaremongering" it would be free insurance!!! "In turn, this will help provide automatic insurance coverage to visitors to the kingdom" Thai examiner March 30th

I've first visited Thailand in 1994, and this century lived and worked here for 20 years including at dept immigration and customs and excise... I'm basing my opinion on hardened experience and length relationship with Thai officers and bureaucrats. It's nothing to do with wooly concepts like positive mindset. Comparing it with the Covid era is just ridiculous....numbers going in and out then we're limited to tend of thousands as opposed to over 35 million or more expected in the next few months.

What I'm suggesting is that already the infirmation and reporting on this is inaccurate

I read also that the new form includes some kind of insurance???

You are also confusing ETA with the TDAC form and your comments about Russians etc are just racist.... whoever gets it wrong will form a queue and queues take time you need to realise that this isn't Japan or Australia...every much doubt if they are using a Thai IT system.

so this is Thailand and not Japan - you agree there will be people who one way or another are not prepared -will you do yours 3 days in adbvance? the end result is a back-log of people without the right form who inevitably are going to form queues for others.

"Looks like" - I think there will be various problems - firstly people who didn't know about it.... then those who can't get online to fill it in. those who fill it in incorrectly the software overloads or crashes. This '3 days in advance" looks like creating problems. hopefully there will be a facility at the airport for passengers to fill in the form who didn't get the message How about those who can't use thai wifi and don't have a Thai SIM or a working SIM? i suppose they are expecting "hiccoughs" but they will have to turn people away from the immigration kiosk and hopefully have some facility there to help them - but I'm sure it will end up with queues at first. and then the system crashes......

"all foreigners" - so make sure your wife is travelling on a Thai passport. How to get online is not specified - you are required to put in your passport number on the form.