PingRoundTheWorld

Good. The video does not show a kick, only the women jumping up which could be out of fear. When in doubt, there's doubt. Yes he's a scumbag, no- that shouldn't convinct him if there's no evidence. There's no record of her going to hospital to treat a wound, her pride being wounded doesn't count as evidence.

But not the environment. But if your personal goal is saving money then sure. (to clarify: I see nothing wrong with it, just call a spade a spade - it's not green unless you make effort making it green i.e. solar etc)

The only way they survive is if they actually do this. I'm covered by a DTA, but just to avoid ambiguity and potential problems down the road I'll extend my current elite visa further if they offer this. If not it's a really hard choice as DTV offers a very similar visa at a fraction of the cost. Funny enough salary-wise I would be eligible for LTR easily, but the red tape is making it impossible - I work for a US-traded company worth tens of billions $, but because I'm employed via a local-country subsidiary which is a non-traded company I am not eligible. How stupid is that?

Phuket: a foreigner is facing massive bills, possible jail time, possible visa revocation and deportion - for an alleged one kick that did not require treatment. Also Phuket: two girls physically and sexually abuse a boy half their age. Pay 5000 and go. And even that wasn't paid. Seriously WTF. These girls should be locked up in juvie or an equivalent. Certainly not walk free with a trivial fine. What message does this send? be as violent as you want - all you have to do is apologize later.

I understand, but disagree. I mean- I agree exports is bigger than tourism, but when you combine tourism+expat inflows+European simps sending money to isaan 🤣+grey purchases not on the books (prostitution, nightlife, tuk/taxis, street vendors, anyone that doesn't declare) then it's still a huge chunk of the pie.

It makes perfect sense that the baht would appreciate vs the Dollar when the Fed cut rate and BOT did not. However what doesn't make sense is why the BOT did not cut rates - Thai inflation is well below the target inflation (%1-3). They should've cut rates even before the Fed did, and now even more so than before. If they don't they'll be essentially sending Thailand into deflation.

Probably true. Also Japan workforce is still more expensive than others. Higher tech maybe, but not low tech.

True, but once the equilibrium is out of balance and there's much more demand for one currency than transactions from that country, they do have to buy, in extreme situations, which is what we're considering here.

Agreed and understandable, but processing fees for domestic debit cards is minimal at %0.55, domestic credit cards %2-2.5, and internation credit cards %2.8-3. Why they insist on charging a whopping %5 extra which is above and beyond their fees is a mystery. (well not really - it's just greed). I just use cash or QR payment with such merchants because there's no way I'm padding their bottom line beyond their fee cost. Really annoying practice that DOES break their merchant agreement (they do say they are not allowed to charge extra to use cards - they just ignore it). https://www.kasikornbank.com/en/business/sme/financial-services/collection-solutions/pages/edc.aspx

And that's before you account for the fact that most electricity that charges EV comes from fossil fuels, so you're not really significantly helping pollution either. The only way it might be greener is if you have a solar/wind/etc charger and used it instead of the grid - which owners don't do.

Even if this were true (which I'm not sure) - how do you think Visa/MasterCard would get the baht needed to settle the accounts? they'd have to exchange foreign currency to buy the baht. There isn't some magic where foreign currency is magically turned into baht by the CC companies - they'd have to buy (exchange) currency to have local funds to settle.

And the Yen circling the toilet down 40%... Might actually bring some production back home there, maybe.

Again with this lie. These are "on the books" numbers, but the reality is that the majority of tourism spending isn't on the books. Anything from street vendors to tuk tuk drivers to hookers - these constitute a massive chunk of the economy that isn't "on the books" because nobody reports it. What tourists spend in hotels and reputable establishments isn't the majority of spending - nightlife and other unreported income is. In reality Thailand's GDP is probably more like 30% tourism, if not more. If you have any doubts - just look what happened during Covid when there was no tourism - millions unemployed back to their villages, richest province in the country (because tourism!) - Phuket - on it's knees, basically a ghost town. Manufacturing is nice, but there are cheaper options for that (Vietnam, even if we ignore China) so it's not the future of Thailand - nor should it be. Thailand should aspire for tourism and higher tech as a future, not manufacturing. Of course they won't, but that's another story.

To be accurate: a Thai man saying the girl said the foreign man assaulted her is the only evidence that we know of. It could very well be that the Thai man himself did it and trying to pin it on the foreigner. Also it could very well be that the police have DNA or other evidence that they haven't announced to the public. The word of a third party who didn't witness the event himself should definitely not be enough to convict - hopefully they conduct a proper investigation for DNA etc.

Again with this bs? Pattaya has never been and will never be a world class family friendly destination. Amazing that there's people delusional enough to believe this. And as far as pissing in the water - who cares? people do it all the time, just in the water and not out. Fun fact: the smell of chlorine in public pools is not actualy chlorine which is odorless - it is the smell of piss in the water - even a little goes a long way to get that familiar scent.

Getting "shocked" by open display of affection in Patong is like getting shocked that there's gambling in Las Vegas. Tourists literally go to Patong for the debauchery, it's not the beach they come for.

What's wrong with a little sin? As long as everything is consensual and everyone is happy - it's all good. Your wife and her boring "educated" friends can stay home - Pattaya does not need them.

What is there to commend? the guy broke several laws and karma hit back: 1. Working illegally (streaming is work). 2. Not paying tax on revenue that was sourced in Thailand 3. Driving a vehicle without a driver's license. 4. Driving without insurance. 5. Driving a vehicle he does not and have never had a license or experience with (just like a regular car license doesn't qualify you to drive a truck). Arrest and deport. Thailand does not need the kind of "advertisement" these YouTubers provide. I could be wrong and he has a work license, drivers license, and insurance - but somehow I highly doubt it.

You're clearly living in an alternate reality. Just two nights ago I saw an Arabic guy being dragged out of a restaurant after starting a fight. Not sure what happened later as I was just passing by but there was definite violence. Just the other day there was a report about a group of them knocking out a guy in front of Marine Plaza. You're delusional if you think it doesn't happen. No- not all of them are violent. Sure there are some who keep to themselves. But violence around that area is pretty common. That it doesn't always hit the news (though it does in extreme cases) doesn't mean it's not there. I pass through there on a regular basis, so I've seen a few incidents, they're just not serious usually so don't hit the news.

Probably not completely true. I'm sure some money exchanged hands anyway. However you're right- beyond her word there is zero evidence of a kick so it's his word against hers. The video he took shows him rushing towards her and she jumping up - but it does not show a kick. More likely he accidently touched her with his leg so she thinks he kicked her and he's convinced he didn't. I'm not saying he's a nice guy - the way he spoke and the entitleness are disgusting - but being a disgusting human being is not illegal and there was no assault here.

Nothing money can't fix. If he has enough money to get out of this situation - which he apparently does - he has enough money to buy a different type of visa. TiT.

Why are you assuming the current administration is concerned about sequential visa runs? the military government and immigration officials they appointed had a stick up their *** about it, but historically there was no problem doing sequential border runs indefinitely before the coup, and Thaksin always wanted foreigners (money) coming in AFAIK.

That's actually a good change from the current system where an IO can deny you based on how they feel today. I suspect the people checking these applications will be a bit more liberal in approving them, unless an actual official quota is declared. It's really the IOs that made up all the unwritten rules "come too much" - it's defined anywhere in law or rule.

Literally LMAO. Good for him and **** that b****. Paid it off no doubt, but that was not an "assault". It was a an entitled butthurt b**** trying to use connections to get revenge for something that really did not need revenge.

Oh wow! Thanks for the laugh I needed that! What are you on? there are news reports about them misbehaving on a regular basis, and when you walk around Marine Plaza it's impossible not to see (and hear) them on their big bikes. They are violent (mostly towards other Middle Easterners, less common against other nationalities but it does happen too), they are obnoxious, and I'm pretty sure intimidating tourists and locals is illegal too. Reminds me of Saudi Arabians in Dubai - every weekend they flood the place and cannot handle their alcohol. Seen a few dragged away by security just in one night.