scorecard

On 9/26/2023 at 4:14 AM, scorecard said:

I'm wondering why to continue Injury and Sickness benefits using the ongoing Voluntary Insurance scheme the SSF wants to see the foreigners name in a  Yellow Tabien Baan TB book?

 

Name in Yellow TB book plus pink ID card is a requirement to get approval for Injury and Sickness benefits to continue using the Voluntary Insurance scheme (member pays their monthly contribution at a Thai bank for tansfer to the SSF).

 

I have Thai Permanent Residence PR (27 years) therefore my name is in the typical dark ble covered TB book. The SSF says this is not aceptable, must be a yellow TB book. 

 

Why?

 

(The yellow TB book is used for foreigners who have a long-term Visa (Visa is a key word because visas have an expiry date, some can be renewed but renewal is not automatic.

 

On the other hand PR holders are entered in the dark blue TB book because their approval to be in Thailand is for lifetime / permanent (cheewit), same as citizens). The pink ID card issued to PR holders shows 'cheewit' in the expiry date section bottom centre of the pink card. Cheewit is the Thai word for lifetime).

Some months later. I called the 1506 hotline and spoke to a SSO lawyer. I explained my name is in the typical dark blue covered Tabien Baan book because I have Thai Permanent Residence PR (27 years). 

The SSO lawyer shared that most SSO staff in local offices have very little/ zero  knowledge of the different coloured TB books and sme for different types of visas / PR etc.

She said she would call the CM SSO office and explain all of this to them. Soon after the Snr. officer from the CM office called me and shared that he now understood and my name in the dark blue TB book (he already had a copy) was totally acceptable.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

 

The National Soft Power Strategy Committee of Thailand is setting its sights on transforming traditional events into world-renowned festivals throughout the country’s 77 provinces. This objective will be achieved through comprehensive research and festival organisation training.

 

The committee’s vice president, Dr Surapong Suebwonglee, highlighted the need to better manage the country’s numerous attractions. He opined that the country’s festivals, if harnessed effectively, could significantly boost the tourism sector. This could be especially true for annual flagship festivals, which are capable of consistently attracting a substantial number of tourists.

 

Focusing on the government’s flagship policy of soft power, Dr Surapong drew parallels with South Korea’s successful utilisation of cultural products to escape the middle-income trap. He asserted that Thailand has the potential to follow a similar trajectory.

According to Dr Surapong, events such as Songkran and Loy Krathong need to be elevated to world-class festivals. To achieve this, he suggested more research and training of personnel, in coordination with academies across all provinces.

Soft power committee

 

He also proposed that each province should establish its own soft power committee. These committees would be responsible for creating unique city festivals, setting them apart from others. Initial projects could be launched in provinces that already have sufficient infrastructure, manpower, and assets, with Nakhon Ratchasima being a prime candidate due to its established local soft power committee.

 

Dr Surapong emphasised the central role of the private sector in leading most festivals, with the government functioning as a facilitator and securing momentum from investors.

 

A draft of the Thailand Creative Content Agency (THACCA) Act is currently open for public opinion until the end of April. This legislation aims to establish a one-stop service agency for promoting festivals and ten other soft power industries. The draft is scheduled for submission to the Cabinet for legislation preparation by mid-next year.

 

In anticipation of the THACCA Act, the fiscal budget related to soft power promotion would be distributed through various bodies such as the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), or the Culture Ministry.

 

TCEB President Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya identified five potential sectors for festival organisation in Thailand: art and culture, creative and lifestyle, entertainment, sports, and innovation. He revealed that TCEB plans to support more than 30 large events and festivals in fiscal 2024, which are expected to attract around 2.3 million visitors and generate over 3.6 billion baht.

 

Among the notable events lined up are the Money 20/20 Expo in Bangkok in April, the Mango Art Festival in Bangkok in May, and the Isan Creative Festival in Khon Kaen, scheduled to take place from June 29 to July 7, reported Bangkok Post.

 

by Alex Morgan 

PHOTO VIA:John Thomas FROM:Unsplash.com

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-04-15

 

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Boost renowned attractions...

How about some focused work to strongly boost manufacturing etc., capability, efficiency,  entrepreneurship, etc. 

On 4/14/2024 at 5:49 AM, Social Media said:

 

Finding an impartial jury for the upcoming criminal trial of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan proves to be no easy task. As the first former president to face such charges, Trump stands accused of falsifying business records to conceal a payment made to an adult film star before the 2016 election.

 

With the trial set to begin, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and Trump's legal team face the challenge of selecting 12 jurors capable of setting aside their opinions about one of the most polarizing figures in US politics. However, the predominantly Democratic makeup of Manhattan poses a significant hurdle to finding an impartial jury.

 

Former Manhattan prosecutor Jeremy Saland acknowledges the difficulty of the task, given the widespread exposure New Yorkers have had to Trump and his family over generations. Despite this, Saland emphasizes the importance of ensuring a fair trial where jurors carefully consider the evidence presented.

 

The jury selection process involves multiple stages and could last over a week, with as many as 500 prospective jurors from Manhattan and neighboring Roosevelt Island. Both the prosecution and defense will scrutinize juror questionnaires to identify biases and impartiality.

 

Questions posed to prospective jurors include their media consumption habits, political affiliations, and associations with radical groups like QAnon, Proud Boys, and Antifa. However, Justice Juan Merchan emphasizes that jurors will not be dismissed solely based on political beliefs but on their ability to render a verdict impartially.

 

Challenges during jury selection include weeding out biased individuals and ensuring those selected have not predetermined their stance on the case. Each side has a limited number of challenges to dismiss jurors, while unlimited challenges require valid reasons.

 

To aid in the selection process, both sides may utilize experts to analyze jurors' social media activity for potential biases. Despite the challenges, experts note that finding an impartial jury is not unprecedented, citing the lengthy jury selection process in high-profile cases like Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault trial.

 

Ultimately, the search for an impartial jury in Trump's trial underscores the complexity of navigating deeply entrenched political divides in the pursuit of justice.

 

14.04.24

Source

 

Seems to me that there would be / must be alternative options available. 

On 4/14/2024 at 7:12 AM, Chomper Higgot said:

Steady on.

 

Nobody is arguing there shouldn’t be a trial.

 

There are those arguing Trump should be above the law. 
 

Pick a side on that.

Easy. Nobody is above the law regardless of any circumstances / previous titles or anything else. No discussion needed / no discussion allowed. Case closed. How can it be anything else.

On 4/13/2024 at 10:10 AM, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Do you have a Skype account?  Get one - download the app and call using Skype.

Alternatively does the person you are calling have Line or similar social app? You can call them using that app.

There is no cheap way to make a 'phone call' - but you can make an IP Call using internet via social app or app like skype.

Line of viber, both are VOIP operated (voice over internet protocol).

And both are quite easy to download, SMS, chat and video chat, can send photos etc., all at no charge.

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Excellent news on the jail time... but where will the money come from to pay the fine?

Parents?

Perhaps their schools should be fined heavily also. I've heard many times that some of the teachers at these troublesome technical schools strongly encourage / demand the students track down and fight students from other similar schools. Supposedly for the glory of their schools

On 4/14/2024 at 9:46 AM, Tropicalevo said:

Why?

The last one dropped in anger stopped a war.

100% record so far.

That doesn't mean it 'works' every time, and in every circumstance.

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

Saint Tony, the Redeemer,  will he bless everyone too, or is he only taking blessings.

And his arrogance is beyond belief.

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Just a sign of the times....

True, three generations in same house is not so prevalent.

But it is the case for my family. Me, my Thai adult son and his Thai wife and their 4 kids - 3 generations.

Luckily we have a 5 bed / 4.5 bathroom house, full western kitchen. House is debt free.

For us it works, very happy family. 

13 hours ago, webfact said:

 

The millions of Thais heading back to their home provinces to visit elderly parents over Songkran underlines the harsh reality that many of these seniors spend most of the year all alone.

 

Research by Mahidol University’s Institute for Population and Social Research shows the percentage of elderly couples living alone rose from 16.9% in 2011 to 20.6% in 2017. And that figure is on course to climb to 23% by 2050.

 

This is on top of the percentage of single seniors living alone, which soared from 8.6% in 2011 to 10.8% in 2017 and is expected to jump to 15% in 2050.

 

The epidemic of old people living alone coincides with a downward trend in extended families, where three or four generations live together. Such living arrangements are no longer that common in Thailand.

 

Moreover, Thailand is officially an aged society – and on course to become “super-aged” in the next decade. Senior citizens accounted for 20.17% of its total population as of 2023, according to Statista.com.

 

The country must therefore prepare infrastructure, facilities and initiatives to support its graying population. However, public and private sector budget to fund these preparations is limited – meaning millions of seniors without young relatives or carers could be left to suffer alone in their final years.

 

One potentially game-changing solution to this brewing crisis is time-banking.

 

“We are experimenting with the time-banking concept to deal with the country’s growing elderly population,” said Asst Prof Dr Nate Hongkrailert, who works at Siam University’s Research Center for Community Development and heads the Time Bank in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district.

 

By Thai PBS World’s General Desk

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-04-13

 

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And there's another sector - old farang living alone.

I live very happily in a well managed mo baht with my loving / supportive Thai family.

An old farang (82 yo) live in same village ten walk from me. His Thai wife died 10 years ago, he refuses to engage in any conversation about whether he has other family in the US.

He rents a small house and depends on food cooked and given free by neighbors every day. a couple of Thai ladies clean his house and do his laundry free. He does receive a small company pension from the US but whether it continues until death is unknown. Other Americans have offered to check if he's entitled to US social service benefits but he changed the subject immediately. He has no medical insurance. 

He almost never leaves the house. Myself and 2 other farang have tried to take him to lunch at medium price restaurants but he cancels at the last minute or asks unnecessary questions about food preparation ([How can you make hamburgers, you're not from New York'. etc.). And makes other impolite comments. I've taken fresh sandwiches and other foods to his house but he pushes it aside. 

He can't walk more than about 100 metres, and he seems to have a severe back problem. We have offered to help his visit 'old folks homes' but he flatly refuses.

Just recently he's been making comments like 'I don't want to live more then perhaps 1 year more'.  

What to do?

15 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I always feel sad and nostalgic when I recall the many train rides of my youth which I have enjoyed while travelling to and from schools, on the dilapidated Long Island  Railroad, or on The Main Line, or up and down, along the western and eastern coasts of Taiwan, way before they had the new trains with AC.

 

Those were the days when trains were trains, when you could smell the smells of the roadbed, and not feel so isolated from the world outside, as one passed through it.

 

Also, on the Taiwan railway lines, the doorway of the car at the end of the train was completely open, with only a sagging chain to hold one back from falling out.  And, one could drink as many cans/bottles of Taiwan beer as one wished, standing back there.  And, one could urinate out the back, too, which provided a wonderful sense of freedom.

 

You could put 24 cans of Taiwan Beer in your bag, and then finish most of it on the way from Tainan to Taipei, a trip that night take over 5 or 6 hours, beginning at dusk.

 

There was so much more FREEDOM, back then, that you just wouldn't believe....

 

The most romantic train song on this sad list might be this one:

 

But still, when singing about Trains and FREEDOM....then....I prefer this old standby (I am talkin'  the Freedom of the Underground Railroad, here....):

 

 

As a kid / young teenager I travelled often by steam train from my small city to the provincial capital. 350 kilometres, very slow, took 15 hrs.

Many 2 to 5 minute stops. About half way a 20 min stop for warm tea and a bun. 

Very old carriages, very upright seats, some with no padding depending on what carriage you ended up in. Very basic toilet facility in each carriage.

No fans or air conditioning and depending on the outside wind direction carriages often full of smoke and soot from the engine., often enough windows jammed open or closed.

Parents watched their kids closely because no closing doors at both end of each carriage.

On 4/12/2024 at 6:45 AM, rhodie said:

And just to confirm, yes indeed, he has to do the 2 years.

Officer told him if he leaves the country in the 2 years, his pension will be suspended until he returns and the time away will be added to the 2 years.

Seems different reports on what happens in the 2 years. I thought you were entitled to reasonable trips abroad, but who knows.

Please read this:

https://guides.dss.gov.au/social-security-guide/7/1/4

5 hours ago, NightSky said:

This poor bloke obviously has mental health issues and needs to be given the appropriate care. 

And as soon as possible returned to his home country, if needed by financial help from his family or his country. And a total ban on re-entering Thailand should be considered.

Short holidays abroad when accumulating the 2 years back in Oz to achieve portability.

This subject has been debated many many times, many comments made that short trips out of Australia during that initial 2 years period don't interrupt accumulation of the 2 year period. But it's difficult to find this stated on Centrelink websites.

Has any member found a Centrelink / Services Australia websites which states this categorically? Please share.  

The other side of the story. If you go to the Pakistani embassy in Bkk to apply for a visa to enter Pakistan expect to be spoken to with disdain, severe rudeness and slower than slow attention.  

16 hours ago, rexpotter said:

Wasn't really that long ago in time that things like this happened regularly here. But nobody knew about it. Cameras everywhere now, watching every move we make.

That needs correction, should read "...watching every move that everybody makes."

"... we make" implies that cameras are set up specifically to catch foreigners. That's obviously not true and racist. 

The authorities (in any country) take advantage of modern technology to catch people (any/all people) who break the law regardless of their nationality. As they should.

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

If she transfers the money to her account she could be accused of theft.  Draw up a Will and provide a copy to the main branch where you opened the account.

First the facts:

a). Does your wife know where the bank book is kept?

b).  I'm guessing it's a joint savings account but was it set up so that:

      b)1.  - Both parties need to sign all documents (mainly meaning withdrawals)? or

      b)2. - Only one party needs to sign any document including withdrawals?

                (It is possible the bank might have a maximum withdrawal amount for each

                transaction.)

If it's b)2. Some banks follow the idea that if one party is still alive and that's all that's needed according to the setup of the account, she just goes ahead and signs a withdrawal / several withdrawals to remove quickly the funds.

Another point; If the bank is not told you are now deceased, then if the wife presents the bank book and a withdrawal slip signed she has signed then there is no reason why the bank would not allow her to withdraw the money; just one withdrawal or several withdrawals over a short period of time.

Perhaps you could talk with the bank manager, your wife must be present, and good translation provided if needed, to ask whether she can sign alone after you are deceased. And at the same time check if there's a maximum amount for withdrawals. And preferably equest the bank manager write and sign and have witnessed a short note as to what can happen with the bank account.

Perhaps also worth considering to write a simple will, and in the will, amongst other items make it specific that all assets (including bank balances and other specific items) are bequeathed by your wife, with her complete name, ID card number etc. But make sure the will is properly signed and witnessed. 

On 4/11/2024 at 6:53 AM, TheFishman1 said:

Everybody realize what was happening there’s no surprise there another issue where is the Red Bull kid TIT

If the paymaster can 'arrange' (has enough money) a return home then why can't the red Bull family arrange the same for Boss?

Seems to me that the Pamaster is a billionaire but the Red Bull family probably several times richer. 

i