scorecard

And it should not be expected that low paid security boys be expected to apply such charges / demand such payments, not their responsibility.

There are laws re such matters and the laws exist for good reasons. Surprising that the PM or his minders didn't take care with this to not break any laws.

There is no such thing as a permanent visa. Perhaps the poster means permanent residence / permanent resident, which is issued as a lifetime certificate for lifetime not as a visa. A visa has an expiry date, some visas can be renewed some can't, in all cases the holder must reapply and go through the consideration process. Permanent residence (or more correctly called A Certificate of Residence*) is issued for lifetime, it has no expiry date, it never needs renewal and never needs review but it does automatically cancel on the death of the holder. (* not to be confused with the simple letter 'Certificate of Residence' which is a 'proof' of address letter as needed to renew a drivers license etc. This is NOT a permanent residence indicator / proof.)

Let's go back a little; he appeared out of nowhere but introduced as a highly successful very wealthy property developer but nothing more. He made statements about gaining big property sales as though nothing else existed. Endorsed his party's promise of 10,000Baht to every Thai person over 16 yo and with no details / no announced strings / no limitations attached. Now seems he and a few others have realized the country can't afford it, but there are folks of course reminding him and his party that it a specific well announced election promise and they therefore have to deliver or face severe legal action re election laws. Seems they are now lost. But, there seems little doubt the paymaster will be as free as a bird in the very near future. No doubt the paymaster will have some big ideas how to override laws and ethics.

Was the little girls' mother found deceased or alive?, well done Best wishes to the little girl and a big thank you to the hotel lady.

MIne is based on when I die, now 78 yo in excellent health, no regular medications. Average age for death males in home country is 81 to 83 yo. When I do die I'll send you an e.mail with an answer to your question.

With the paymaster as the first example. He committed a number of serious crimes,well proven, not kangaroo courts, got convicted and sentenced to many years in jail. Fled LOS before any time served. Then suddenly returned and at same time some other force is at play and looking like he'll be 'forgiven' and back on the streets in the near future, basically no real jail time served. What a joke, but proves there's other very powerful forces at play and the judicial system / practice is just a joke. The good people of the LOS again treated like fools and with no voice.

Suggest you're overthinking the situation. So what's your strategy...

And they can operate outside of laws and ethics. They will show you it can be done, and they can do it, don't ask questions; not allowed, and no answers given anyway.

From one extreme to another: - From the news report currently 6 months + wait for initial approval. - 4.5 years back I returned and applied, all approved within 18 days and received pleasant phone call (at 18 days) from polite young male officer, all explained very clearly and as he indicated a letter in my mail box the next day (same details as phone call) with a direct line no (132 300) to call if I had any questions. Day after phone call, late morning, the back payment was in my Aussie bank account. As said one extreme to another.

... and with no respect for the citizens, what the citizens think is not relevant.

They believe they are special and entitled.

There's still the reality that most joe Thais are frightened to talk about such things.

Agree, I believe your referring to a table/chart issued by a Thai gov't agency, which would quite naturally be in Baht. Reality is the foreigners possibly affected in some way come from numerous countries, not just from the USA. I repeat; I believe your referring to a table/chart issued by a Thai gov't agency, which would quite naturally be in Baht.

And given the whole scenario and the laws of Thailand nobody will challenge why he has been released and cleared.

How cute.

Do immigration officers in your country all speak Thai?

Bullshid.

Nice graphic, my comment was about the many hands that will be out demanding a slice of the corruption that will be created.

1. Many / the more the merrier tourists are good for the local traders. They need money to survive too. 2. Most of us who live permanently in CM have little contact with the tourists and little if anything to be concerned about.

Further, my guess is that the paymaster and his party and the 'officials' who are 'operating 'this scam as per instructions from above have no interest nor concern what the public thinks / nor what the opinion of joe public is on this.

Nice idea re solar, but I'm guessing there still a lot of backroom discussions between the politicians / parties / cronies / big players to ensure they all continue to get their slice of the new pie.

My recollection is that the comment 'Thai will be the premier language spoken all over the World' was made quite a few years ago by an unimportant politician, and the comment was ignored.

...bunging...?

My son was studying the concepts of human rights from a textbook (I saw it, published by well respected international textbook publisher) with positive and negative examples from many countries. It wasn't a study of human rights specific to Singapore.