Miami007

In Thailand there are "overstayers" and in the USA "non-documented" or "illegal" immigrants. 

In most cases,  they are law-abiding and contribute to the economy.  So should governments allow them to stay and continue what they are doing? While some others follow the rules?

9 minutes ago, phkauf said:

Playing the currency game is a dangerous game for Central Banks (Governments) and it looks like Thailand is going to learn a hard lesson in the near future. While they might have had a sugar high when the Baht was strong, it has come at the cost of killing the economy.

Exports are suffering - just the other day rice exporters are crying about how Thai rice is uncompetitive, which makes sense since it's basically a commodity with little differentiation. 

The hoped for benefit of the US - China trade spat is unlikely to happen now that is coming to an end. Plus with the high Baht, Vietnam and others are more attractive locations as an alternative to Thailand.

The tourism sector is bleeding out. While it's mostly anecdotal (more reliable than TAT), there are constant stories about how this is the worst season in years. I was speaking with a friend yesterday who wholesales high priced wine to hotels and restaurants in Bangkok and this year is horrible. Tourists are not spending on the luxuries like the used to.

Sadly, there is no easy solution to this mess. If they lower rates more to stimulate the economy, that could lead to an outflow of the hot money which would drop the baht but that could also get out of control as well. It looks like the BoT is about as well managed as THAI Airlines.

If it were easy.. everyone would do it

Exchange rates don't always do what politicians want them to do. And the USA is not looking favorably on countries which take measures to lower their currencies (currency manipulators). 

So Thailand seems to be caught between a rock and a hard place. 

Many of the countries in SE Asia have fairly small economies.. their currencies can easily be impacted by outside forces and they cannot do much about it 

49 minutes ago, Aspaltso said:

How incredibly dumb would a person need to be to go to a foreign country, and shoot and stab a police officer in that country? I cannot think of anything(more dumb) than doing this.

The guy was already dumb enough to deal drugs in Thailand (allegedly).  Plus possess a gun.

Not sure what the penalty for having 1kg of Ice would be.. can't be a slap on the wrist for anyone (Thai or foreign)

1 hour ago, Assurancetourix said:

I went a little faster believing that what is true in France and in other countries was in all countries 

 

" Some countries, such as Austria, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Syria, forbid extradition of their own citizens. "

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extradition

 

 

 

 

They may not extradite but will still prosecute and try based on their laws.. not a get-out-of-jail-free card

Why would a ban on the use of a chemical in Thailand affect the import of soybeans and apples from the USA to Thailand?

Something doesn't make sense..

It seems more logical that the USA is producing the chemical and selling it to Thailand.  But then the Chinese would probably produce a knockoff product much cheaper.  

Apparently farmers in Thailand were upset about the ban (at least a headline in Bangkok Post said so this week)

Something missing in the story

The biometric system is catching 45,000 overstayers... 

This would have been when they were attempting to depart the country (self-deportation)... and now they stay even longer.

Or did they want to say that they caught people trying to enter who had PREVIOUSLY been an overstayer and were banned from returning?

2 hours ago, RedPill said:

Never been to Larn, never will go either, but I thought it's always been for a day out tour only, no hotels/bungalows to stay over night?

 

First time I was there was April 2016. Beautiful water and not too crowded. Some Chinese tour groups but manageable. 

Last time I went was May 2019.. overcrowded ferry to get there, hordes of mostly Indian tourists and some Chinese. If they are adding 7000 Chinese to what I saw, there is no reason to go anymore.  

They do have some small accommodations there, but I never spent the night there.. 

12 hours ago, Ketyo said:

My step father is English. He left school aged 12 without any qualifications and worked in manual labouring jobs all his life. He has no training in economics and doesn't understand it.  He voted to leave because he wanted to take back control and didn't like all them foreigners coming in.

 

He has said that there may be a few bumps in the road after a no-deal Brexit but after that the pound will fly. He has said that Britain will be able to make trade deals with countries like Australia and New Zealand just as in colonial times, and those golden days will come back.

 

I don't know whether to listen to this old dock worker or the UK institute of fiscal studies, which says that the pound would go to near parity with the dollar.

 

 

The golden days will not come back...

The British Navy no longer rules the world's oceans and I can not run as fast and as long as when I was 25. And my hair won't grow back either 

Times change and we need to adapt 

12 minutes ago, lupin said:

Just got my 1 million thb 20 yr Elite Visa today... @ 50 k / yr, not looking so silly now compared to what OA holders will have to pay with these new reqs.

Bhahaaaaa

One question.. will you not have any insurance while living in Thailand? Or have insurance from your home country?

The older we get, the more likely we will need medical services at one point 

1 hour ago, car720 said:

Insurance companies are the second biggest crooks in the world and they are owned by the biggest crooks in the world..........banks.

Have you been talking to my father in law?

6 hours ago, scorecard said:

Has he actually been invited to attend the ASEAN summit, he the US are not part of ASEAN?

 

Is he's not coming to participate in ASEAN then why is he coming within the dates already planned for the ASEAN summit?

USA is a member of East Asia Summit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_the_Association_of_Southeast_Asian_Nations 

7 hours ago, Mavideol said:

now that's great news, crook inviting crook, there will be competition to determine who's the most corrupted, but with Trump, no one never knows what's next, he may not show up

Thailand may have to do Trump a "favor" (see Ukraine) or sell one of their islands (see Greenland/ Denmark) or T may decide to cancel his appearance.  

12 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

"Naew Na said that officers on the Friendship Bridge 2 were helped by the biometrics system, the Canadian embassy in Bangkok and an Interpol alert. 

 

But the passport being used appeared to be a poor fake and had been reported stolen. The numbers on several pages and barcodes did not match and the wrong ink had been used."

 

So anotherwords biometrics was irrelevant. Anyone who simply looked at the passport could discern that it is an obvious fake.

 

But let's keep selling Biometrics as the answer to everything, to justify the expenditure and to build a database on every citizen as well as visitors. 

The same arguments against Biometrics were used by many Europeans when the USA started taking pictures and fingerprints of visitors and residents several years ago.  But now the EU is taking pictures on passport kiosks when entering and leaving...

And facial recognition does work... I am using Global Entry in the USA.  Previously, had to scan my passport and have fingerprints matched.  Now the camera takes a picture and spits out the receipt with my name, passport information and where I boarded the flight to the USA...

Biometrics played a part - which part?

the fugitive entered in 2014 and never left; consequently, no image or fingerprints on file 

Or does Hua Hin have facial recognition cameras all over the city and the police got a hit - that is the only explanation I can imagine

Thailand is exporting more to the USA than to China?

The reason why they are getting rid of TM6 is not that there is no value or purpose to the forms.

No, only because they are out of storage space. If someone donates a warehouse,  will it come back?... 

Same, same as the USA - young people are spending too much (and old ones as well, for that matter).  

And if they were not spending, the economy were to collapse

How does the biometric system at arrival identify an overstay?

Or does the biometric system capture my intent to stay longer?  that would be a ground-breaking system worldwide.

or is that system working at departure and matching arrival and departure dates?  Which would be possible.  But these are overstayers who actually are leaving... still won't catch the overstay inside the country.  So not security benefit.  

Another case of weak reporting....

10 hours ago, Old Croc said:

It's happening now in China.

Check out their Social Credit System, and what they're doing with facial recognition.

Every citizen is being tracked and categorized.

Facial recognition also starting in the USA - if you use Global Entry they just take a picture of you and the receipt has your name, passport etc... 

Some airlines use it to board planes...  

If a picture of your face taken in the USA verifies that you are who you are when you hold a EU passport, do you still believe that computers are not connected across borders?

Was in Bali recently.  Went to a small convenience store to buy 3 cans of soda. Was NOT given a bag. When I asked I was told they didn't have any.

Went to a larger supermarket.  Same story.. no plastic bag, but I could purchase a reusable bag at the store. 

If Bali can do it, why not Thailand? Just requires a little adjustment and is definitely possible and a step in the right direction 

7 hours ago, owenm said:

How does one book and prepay for a Fast Track online? To be met at the gate on arrival but only 60+..

Would be interested to know.. And have there been any refused entries, for whatever reason, using this premium service? Maybe the IO is more accommodating.. Wishful thinking though, I am thinking.. ???? 

Several companies offer the service. I suggest to Google "fast-track service Bangkok airport "

Then can book and pay online and give flight information. 

Have used it before and it worked very well. Won't help with luggage and customs though- just immigration 

20 hours ago, terryw said:

If the UK gets a reasonably good FTA with the USA then any future FTA with the EU becomes less important. Why pay for something when a rival will give you a dealfor nothing.

Does anyone believe that the USA under the current president will give a favorable deal to the UK? 

Or is it more likely that the USA will take advantage of the situation and the president can talk about his great deal for the USA?

On 8/21/2019 at 2:07 AM, Just1Voice said:

I took them once, when they still had flights to LA. Swore i would never fly them again. Food was crappy, served cold, and "air hostesses" were old, all well over 30, totally unattractive, and downright unfriendly, and even rude. 

Sounds like what you will get from any US carrier except the age will be over 45 or 50 on long international flights 

Not really well written article

Does the proposal mean that Chinese and Indian tourists still have to get a Visa before entering, but that this Visa is without cost (Free Visa) ? I thought that there is a VOA available with a waived fee

Or will Chinese and Indians become Visa-exempt for stays up to 15 days (like most western countries for 30 day stays) ?  That could move the needle as it will be less hassle to enter