PingRoundTheWorld

Ahhh here we go again. Give it to Democrats to attempt to pervert election results by allowing noncitizens to vote. That shouldn't even be a question! Prove you're a citizen, or don't vote, period.

So in other words- never. I wouldn't be so quick to put a doomed slogan on it. With all it's faults and corruption Thailand has still managed to be one of the nicer places to live in the region. Things might get done backwards and with a lot of flip-flopping, but eventually get done for the most part. Exept for proper drainage.

Do you have actual examples of this happening? other than sob story propaganda? if anything I've heard more about extreme climate events in developed countries like hurricanes. Rising sea levels may or may not happen, but if that happens all coastline cities will be affected - including developed countries and including Thailand. As for Tuvalu. At least at this point in time it's a threat of what MIGHT happen IF sea level rise frequency increases for decades. This isn't something that already happened, and so far sea levels have risen centimeters. Not saying it won't cause problems in the future - but it's not like tomorrow they will be underwater - that's just propaganda.

Have you actually been to Phuket? it is nothing alike what you envision. It's quite a big island with many separate areas that are not really connected beyond roads, mainly due to terrain. It's imposssible for it to become one big metropolis without literally removing mountains, not to mention local politics. And as for Phuket finding a reason to exist other than tourism- that's about as funny as Pattaya officials' wet dream of rebranding it as a family-friendly destination. Having said all of that: it's obvious the problems are due to poor planning, over custruction, and lack of proper drainage. Other countries a fraction the size of Thailand can manage drainage and rarely flood - so why do so many areas in Thailand every year, multiple times a year. Pattaya again comes to mind: second road becomes second river every time it rains heavy - it clears out within a few hours but meanwhile it's barely useable - for a city that is one of the richest in Thailand it's amazing they cannot handle a little rain on THE main road for transporation. Just dig it up and install proper drains - not that hard.

Between this, and arresting the Dildo Crime Ring, I feel safer already. Keep up the good job BiB. How about they go after real crime? like violence and vaping?

Again- EVs are not green unless they replace fossil fuel burning electric plants with renewable or nuclear. Are there feasible plans to do so? (genuinely asking - are there?)

Really? They're not 6 (unlike the victim). At 12yo you already have a sense of right and wrong - and they knew it was wrong - they just didn't care. Much like most violence in Thailand - the perpetrator knows it's wrong, but either face, their anger, or in extreme cases sadism gets the better of them. I met a gf's 13yo daughter once. At that age she was already drinking and smoking (moderately), completely independent (kind of a <deleted> mother really but I digress). They are not the innocent little lambs you think they are.

That's great for the UK (really!), but now how about Thailand?

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.