John Drake

This from NBCBayarea reporter:

The large number of illegal Chinese businesses is the key. That is what is most important and is the likeliest outcome increased Chinese tourism, especially individual, non-group tours. How many "tourists" will simply disappear into the woodwork, carrying bags of money to set up shop? It's a silent annexation. I see in the Bangkok Post that the new slogan for Thai-Chinese tourism is "Two Lands, One Heart." Sounds a lot like the description of Hong Kong the PRC used, "One Country, Two Systems." Great. Until the PRC dropped the hammer and abolished Hong Kong's system.

The world, alas, is quite busy doing just the opposite.

In worrying about "friends," ASEAN (and Thailand) ought to consider FDI. The US dwarfs China in that regard. Perhaps the US government should direct US firms towards more US "friendly" countries.

These crackdowns do take place. And people are caught up in them and suffer the consequences. They may then lapse into non-enforcement, but do not discount the ability of a crackdown to wreak havoc as intended before it's put in the closet and ready to be rolled out next time.

Now that the Chinese are back, I imagine digital nomads are expendable. They're not well liked by anyone, it seems. Lots of money to be made from catching, arresting, fining, imprisoning, and ransoming them.

Meanwhile, over there in reality-land,

Just about every day I see cars and trucks speed into Phutthamonthon Sai 3 and the newly painted crosswalk. They seem to speed up as they see the crossing. Not uncommon to see vehicles whip around from behind a slower moving car or truck and head into the crosswalk almost blindly. There is a police station literally less than 10 meters from the curb of the crosswalk. All the police need to do in order to mint money is come out of their station and pull over offenders. Should clear at least 50,000 baht every 15 minutes.

Looks sort of like a dweeb in the fuzzy photo.

This is exactly how northern Laos essentially became annexed and how Cambodia is following the same pattern. Chinese come in and ignore local laws and rules. Just do as they please, while building their own infrastructure. Eventually, a state within a state, and the entire geographic entity then falls into their lap without a shot being fired.

It was in the papers, because the BoT released a statement. Anybody with any brains at all knows that manipulation of finances goes on in this country to the benefit of a tiny elite so they can buy property, soccer teams, and companies in other countries. That's why Thai exporters are already complaining about an overly strong baht. And that's why nobody will listen to them. Not when there are buyouts to undertake, mergers to make, and a Bentley or two or dozens to be had, along with some large estates to buy. But go ahead and pretend your George Soros and the king of the forex.

We knew last time because they released a statement. And we know why that was, too, don't we? Because releasing the statement itself increased the pile on and helped strengthen the baht (or in nigelforbesenese "reduce volatility.") 555

So 35 to 38 is volatility. Must intervene. But 38 to 33 is not. Everything just fine. Laughable.

That would create a vast tropical slum.

The latest Thaiger story identified two of them as "Australian citizens." And says they poured beer over the mother's head. Australian mafia? Hmmm.

From the day Prawit complained that the baht was too weak against the dollar and that it should have been no more than 35 baht to the dollar, from that day onwards the baht has steadily increased against the dollar. The Bank of Thailand admitted they intervened against the dollar to bring "stability."

Well, internationalism, I'm not sure it's even safe to click on an emoji for those two posts you just made.

Clearly, you are incapable of deducing the consequences.

Chinese insurance companies are not paying out in China. You think they'll pay out here? https://www.ft.com/content/c049eb2d-4455-4ed3-b775-2c6818ec5737 "China’s urban middle class is not faring much better as patients struggle to file Covid insurance claims. Multiple hospitals have refused to issue proof of infection for patients who tested positive unless they also report a lung infection and pass a review by local health authorities." https://www.ft.com/content/c049eb2d-4455-4ed3-b775-2c6818ec5737https://www.ft.com/content/c049eb2d-4455-4ed3-b775-2c6818ec5737

Mao had a "Red Guard." (There is a photography of Thai university students cosplaying as Red Guards. I can't show it because it's from Khaosod.)

I thought that had been cancelled at the Thai end of things. Meanwhile, in China, I saw on my Twitter news feed that Chinese covid insurance in China has started denying claims by redefining Covid narrowly. If they aren't going to pay out in China, are they going to pay out in Thailand? https://www.ft.com/content/c049eb2d-4455-4ed3-b775-2c6818ec5737

How long have you been here?

If they come without insurance and they get sick with covid, who else is going to pay? That's what the insurance was for. Now, if they test positive, they still have the same ramifications, but they also may not have insurance. Someone's going to pay. Can't imagine it will be the Chinese group tourist.

Spell albuquerque

The ambassador wasn't here. He hasn't got a clue. And his predecessor, the charge d'affaires, was too busy pulling up the draw bridge and keeping Americans out of the castle to notice anything outside.