Thomas J

2 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

True that. And since corporations do not influence the government, but rather own the leaders outright, anything they want seems to be what they get. Here, just as in the US.

I know that the corporations have influence but it is also the foreign influence as well.  If you look at China they staunchly defend the Chinese manufacturers and get U.S. leaders to bend to their will.  I suspect they use the same techniques worldwide including Thailand. 

Should be a pretty easy fix.  Just cancel the term taxi and let them become ride hailing drivers. 

When the government has bankrupted the majority of them. 

29 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Could have been the UK....2% died.

Why not say so if you believe the Thailand figures represent the global problem... then everyone can pick up on it. I am afraid I was cynical of Thailand's early, very low, fatality numbers. 

Did you read the original article?  It says It said  "Today marks two months of Covid-19 restrictions in Pattaya with many business owners and residents getting frustrated"

Why would someone quote the figures in Liverpool, Washington DC, or Berlin.  The draconian measures are here in Thailand and the businesses shuttered are in Thailand so the actual circumstance in Thailand is the only one that is pertinent. 

The fact is that in the USA Texas and Florida have no quarantines, no mask mandates and their rates of Covid infection are no different than New York or New Jersey.  I think that some people if told that wearing a necklace of garlic will protect them from Covid would believe it. There are zero statistics only guestimates that measures such as masks, quarantines, social distancing have any effectiveness at all. 

Even assuming they do.  As mentioned the obese 80 year old with emphysema and hypertension is the one at risk, but is not the one impacted by their business being bankrupted or their job eliminated.  The reality is that the young to middle aged working public and business owners have real pain and subfreezing.  If there should be restrictions it should be to those over age 60 with particular emphasis to those with significant health conditions.  "Protecting" the business owners and employees by shuttering their business is just protecting them from surviving and making a living.  They have a minimal risk of contracting Covid and are virtually assured of having minimal effects from it, if they do contract it. 

To demonstrate how ludicrous the existing rules are, massage parlors, bars, restaurants, gyms etc are to a greater or lesser degree shuttered but these activities are just fine.  The government is picking which businesses it will allow to survive and which one it is killing.  I guess you cant get Covid grocery shopping or at a mall coffee shop, only at a bar or a restaurant that serves alcohol. 

 

https://thepattayanews.com/2021/06/12/believe-it-or-not-rain-falls-after-chachoengsao-local-villagers-build-enormous-phallus-in-religious-rain-making-ceremony/

 

48 minutes ago, Strongheart said:

You are right about the Thai government. However, the present Junta is not a legitimate government. They are pandering to the Chinese and now they will sell out Thailand to them

I have no doubt of that.  If you look at many countries including the USA "everything is for sale" including national secrets, military technology and jobs. 

No longer to the leaders of countries seem to have the interests of their own country and citizens as their priority.  If enough money is funneled to those in power they would sell out their own family. 

 

I have shopped online using Facebook, One2car, Shopee, Lazada etc.  I have noticed a propensity to provide as little detail about what is being sold as possible.  If you are looking for a car, often the listing won't include the year of the car, what options are on the car, and only occasionally will it include the cars mileage. On cars it seems typical to put a price that includes only the down payment not the total cost.  Even worse are those that advertise the amount financed but omit putting in that the price listed is after you make a down payment. 

On ads on Shopee and Lazada it is very typical for the listing not to include the product dimensions, color, or weight.  Now you might say, they are trying to get you to contact them.  No, getting a response from a a Thai seller is like trying to nail Jello to a wall.  Is it just cultural to include as few details as possible so that you can not complain about not getting what was advertised.  

7 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

Considering the unemployment rate they seem  to  have a lot to learn  about   actually  getting a  job thats if they really want one.

Were they from the USA.  Current system has those who whine about finding a job getting more in government unemployment benefits that actually working. 

I have got some mail from the U.S.  However two of the pieces of correspondence were greatly delayed.  Both of them at far different dates had stamped on the envelope "delayed" incorrectly mailed to Malaysia. 

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Here it is again. Stop posting fake news and false numbers.....

Worldwide there have been 3.8 million deaths in 176 million cases....that is 2% who did not recover and never will.

1,4491USA numbers....615,034/34,314,628.....ie 1.7%

The figures I posted were from Thailand.  Not the world  Perhaps you should have picked up on that when I said population of approximately 70 million or did that not strike you as a bit low for the world. 

Now here are the Thailand numbers.  

Now I don't know if you are a product of "new math"  I am not.  There are a total of 1,449 deaths "in Thailand"  There have been a total of 195,909 reported cases of Covid "in Thailand"  By my math, 1,449/195,909 comes out to a mortality rate of . 

00739629113

Now even that figure is "likely high"  Since we know pretty accurately how many deaths there are from Covid but the 195,909 cases are only those reported.  Many people with Covid don't get diagnosed.  They have such light symptoms they don't go to the hospital or clinic where they would be determined to have Covid.  Some with Covid are even asymptomatic. 

Also the "deaths" are skewed to the aged. My post stated that you are punishing the young healthy population when they have as shown a very small risk. 

Finally, the deaths are extremely skewed to those with other significant health problems.  Now when you factor in, that the younger a person  is the less likely they are to get Covid.  If they do get Covid they are less likely to require hospitalization, and without any other major health problem, these younger people face a very minimal amount of risk of death.  

Yet the government is shutting the working class people out of jobs, and businesses to shutter even though the people most likely to suffer the negative effects of Covid are not the ones going to work each day.  



http://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/20860.jpeg

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13 minutes ago, riclag said:

Hey T ,Why viber? Its just free for members .Why not a free one like textfree or talktone apps! I have these,I'm almost positive there's free calling to the states

You could be right.  I have not investigated those.  I rarely call to the USA but I know some services I used in the past did not go through.  Viber always did and its cost was about 2 cents a minute so that is the one I have used several times.  The vast majority of the time, I am talking via video on Facebook messenger, or on Line.  I think Whatsup also has video calling.  

43 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Of course this plan went away ages ago, transitioning to Ultra Mobile, but grandfathered for exisiting cusomers. 

I knew it transitioned to Ultra Mobile but yep the $3 plan is gone.  Looks like now $10 plan is still there. 

3 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

Which VOIP services do you use?

Viber

I have T Mobile.  It is $3 USD a month.  It is a prepaid plan.  Now I have a second phone that I keep that Sim Card in and when something like the bank sends an SMS message to verify I open up that phone.  However, if you have only 1 phone you can still have the T Mobile account.  Just don't insert the sim card.  You still have the account which is keeping your phone number.  Just insert it when you want to refill your account about once every three months you put $10 in a prepaid account and they auto charge you.  Or when you want to use the USA telephone number.  Mind you this prepaid plan is limited.  I use Facebook messenger, Line apps to talk to friends.  If I need to dial a USA phone number I use one of the VOIP services where calls are 2 cents per minute. 

Its marketing.  It is why the most sought after items like milk are often put at the very back of the store.  They want you to have to walk past everything hoping you will wander into something you don't routinely buy.  If they maintained the same shelf location, they know customers will go directly to the items they want without accidentally wandering into that unexpected item. 

The Thai police, keeping Thailand safe from dildos and vibrators. What true heros

This is an example of what I am talking about.  This truck supposedly has only 3,000 KM on it. and is a 2020.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1171545136650541/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Ad40b12aa-792e-4c85-a5d7-a847483251a7

15 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

Thats not this market. 

2 identical houses.. One wants twice the asking price of another.. Why ?? Because, face, because they dont need to sell, etc etc etc.. 

All records here are fake.. No one declares what a property actually sells for, your declare minimum accepted value, etc.. 

As I said, I did not know if it exists here in Thailand or not.  In the USA usually a title insurance office "closes" the transaction.  There is a buy/sell agreement that has been signed by both the buyer and the seller stating the price.  Those records get filed and that is how the value of the home for annual real estate property taxes and the transfer tax amount is established.  That serves as a basis for realtors/buyers to compare "comparable" not identical.  The fact that someone does not need to sell and asks more is irrelevant.  As a buyer you are only interested in what the "typical" price homes are actually sold for, not the price someone is "hoping" for. 

I don't know if this exists here in Thailand but in the USA properties sold have to be registered with the government for tax purposes.  Buyers and Real Estate agents use those to gauge what comparable properties in the same area actually sold for.  It also serves to show what the trend is.  If nearly identical properties in terms of size, amenities, and location sold for more 2 years ago, 1 year ago versus one selling 6 months ago, it shows that prices are depressed and trending downwards.   That provides a heavy incentive on a seller who wants to sell now, versus waiting fearing that the downward trend will only continue.  I suspect housing prices will continue to be soft and probably go softer.  The difficulty in traveling and entering Thailand makes purchases by foreigners less attractive.  Many Thais are financially strapped because of Covid hurting their business or employment.  I also suspect that at some time the Thai banks are going to have to move more aggressively at repossessing homes from people who are not paying on their mortgages.  Some homes in my village have been bank owned for over 5 years.  The carrying costs on those homes is detrimental to the banks and the deterioration of them makes all the homes in the area worth less. 

1 hour ago, 2009 said:

Why would I buy a Thai property now when I could just buy the S&P500 and in 10 years I will be able to buy 3 of them instead? 

 

That's the way it would have worked if you had invested in the S&P a decade ago vs. a condo here - 3 for the price of 1!

 

And the housing market has done even worse than the condo market which I will never understand, but anyway...

A home is not an "investment" it is a way of life.  You are absolutely correct.  Investing in the stock market provides you with upwards of a 1.5% to 5% dividend income each year depending on what stocks you own.  Assuming you make reasonably good picks those dividends increase over time.   With price appreciation your return should be upwards of 10% annually.  

Finally, there is no cost of maintenance, insurance, taxes, community fees etc on stocks versus a house.  Owning a house is no different than owning a car in the sense that it provides a nicer way of life, the same as a car provides a more convenient and personalized way of transport versus a bus or taxi. 

In terms of liquidity, you can get your money immediately, even borrow against your stock market investments easily as contrasted to a home and with many brokerages today there is no cost to sell your stocks.  

Finally, I see very nice homes in Thailand for lease for 20,000 to 60,000 baht per month depending on size and location.  They are also advertising these same properties for sale.  At the lease price, you would be foolish to purchase.  As little as a 3% - 5% return on your investment would pay all or a substantial portion of the monthly lease and you don't have the carrying cost.  

Cautious optimism infects Thailand

They better be careful with their choice of words like "infects Thailand"  Those in the government could easily construe  "optimism" as a variant of Covid 19 and we will be in for more measures to stop the spread of optimism.