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Caldera

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Posts posted by Caldera

  1. 3 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

    I have not heard of 28% Interest Rates. This not to say there are not, it just means that I have not heard of them. I have heard many accounts of 20% rates, which is still Bandit Territory.

     

    I just saw a Thai friend's "Personal Loan" statement from SCB. 28% interest, I kid you not. Shocking. I had seen credit cards that came close, too.

     

    • Like 1
  2. The BoT urgently needs to take the commercial banks on a shorter leash. That they can extend insane amounts of consumer credit to people - who can hardly afford to service that debt when all their overtime payments and bonuses are factored in - can only end in tears. In a sustained economic downturn with mass layoffs and pay cuts, that's a disaster waiting to happen and ultimately a threat to the stability of the banking system itself.

     

    Also, I don't see any reason to allow a bona fide bank to charge 28% interest - that's loan shark territory. If a person's credit rating is that poor that such an interest rate is warranted to offset the high risk, that person shouldn't be given credit at all.

    • Like 2
  3. 30 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

    what I find is sad is how the laws concerning immigration are being trashed by foreigners.

    What's sad is inane rants like yours. There's no rule of law in Thailand, the law is whatever the official you deal with says it is. Hence the vastly different experiences of people shared here. Foreigners generally don't trash Thai laws, but their inconsistent application, ranging from capricious to corrupt.

    • Like 1
  4. 9 hours ago, Hal65 said:

     

    I'm in country on ED visa.

     

    UbonJoe said my ED can not be switched to Volunteer in country, and he probably has the best info for these things in a legal sense. But all 4 agents confirmed it was possible which leads me to believe there is a gray/black way of doing it, at least that's what was suggested in another thread.

    You already have a non-immigrant visa entry, so the reason of your extension CAN be changed from studying to volunteering. You probably wouldn't be able to find an IO willing to do this on your own and without offering an incentive though. With an agent that shouldn't be a problem.

    • Like 2
  5. I use PayPal in Thailand and the US but not in Vietnam. You should be able to do what you plan to do, but it's slow (PayPal withdrawals to banks in Thailand take 3+ business days) and expensive - fund PayPal in VND, cash out in THB, converted at less than favorable exchange rates plus fees.

    • Like 1
  6. 20 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

    TBH I would try to avoid buying your son a smartphone as long as possible.  I have 2 sons, 16 & 13 & android phones are addictive & kill off family life.

     

    Not really different from having a "home computer" when I was that age. Instead of not letting me buy one, my parents told me that I couldn't use it for more than two hours a day. I still think that's the better approach - teach children how to use their gadgets responsibly and make sure they get enough exercise. Being smart phone and computer savvy is great, being a couch potato isn't!

     

     

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