CartagenaWarlock

On 12/27/2023 at 3:19 AM, timendres said:

In my case, my Thai wife hated the US and blamed me for "dragging" her there.

That happens to people when they suddenly realize that they have to work.  

10 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

It might help to get press speakers and a united voice; all those farts from all those various bureaucratic branches of brainlessness does, quite obviously, not trigger off the desired effect. 

And all those farts in this forum are not going to change anything except make money for the forum owners. It's a vicious circle. People rejected in their own societies are forced to travel 10,000 miles to seek a life, and possibly a wife in a foreign land have no voice anywhere on the planet except this forum, and forum owners are clever enough to monetize their frustrations. 

20 hours ago, Denim said:

Just like Pattaya girls.

Why only Pattaya girls? 

7 hours ago, whophant said:

Hi all, 

 

Just a quick question, because I am seeing conflicting information on the web (surprise surprise!). 

 

How many times in one year can somebody who doesn't already have a visa (a Brit, if it matters) fly into Thailand and receive a 30 day VOA?

 

Some say six times, others say it's unlimited, but I always come here for a definitive answer. 

 

Thanks loads, and happy new year! 

Your terminology tells me that you are a low-information person or that your skills do not let you sort out the chaff from the grains. Good luck. There is no VOA for British passport holders. 

18 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

Most of these poor countries are due to the elites creaming the money for themselves. Think about that Andrew.

But that is out of his or your control. You simply cannot do anything except post in this forum. No other forum on the entire planet will provide a platform for a nobody who has to travel 10,000 miles to find a woman and live in a foreign country because your homeland cannot. 

7 hours ago, greeneking said:

Yes, so why were the regulations so important before?  Keeping the hordes from invading the paradise that is Thailand.  Thailand for the Thais and everyone else leave some money and leave because you do not belong here.

But what could one do? Desperate people, rejected by their own societies and possibly women from their own cultures, had to travel 10,000 miles to live like refugees (year-to-year permissions) and possibly get a wife for a decent life that they could not get in their homelands. 

16 minutes ago, kinyara said:

There wasn't a significant increase in Chinese tourism the first 2 months after introducing the more favourable visa conditions, I think the jury is most definately out on the success of this policy.

Just because there is no increase in tourists, it should not preclude Chinese and Thai visa-free travel.

Just now, sikishrory said:

Thailand is so desperate with this.

How many bloody tourists do you need.

The roads are full and don't move and going outside feels like walking in Moscow. The place is packed already. 

It's all about making travel easy.

14 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Good news. I might take a trip to Macau for a few days. 

Macau was always visa-free for the US and Thais.

If you are a US citizen and plan for healthcare expenses in retirement, you could have stashed more than 4 million baht in an HSA, tax-free, for over a decade. The money in the HSA is investable in any form, like buying index funds, etc., and you can use their VISA or MC to pay for all your medical expenses. All my friends have HSA cards in the US. I have one stashed with money that earned 24% last year alone. I used it twice at Bangkok Hospital, Pattaya. Besides, I have credit cards, each with a credit limit close to one million baht. Hopefully, I can survive an emergency in Thailand. 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:14 PM, Danderman123 said:

IIRC, foreign nationals with capital gains in the US are subject to a substantial withhold upon a sale.

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/06/nonusresidenttax.asp

Dividends are taxed at 30%. Capital gains are not. Let's assume a Thai person buys a home in the USA and then sells it at a profit after a few years. It is called capital gains.

11 hours ago, topt said:

Simplistically this whole thread is about a change in a directive which essentially removes a loophole of being able to remit income in the following year from which it was earned and not pay any tax on it - for any tax resident.

Here is an example of a loophole that they want to close. A Thai buys stocks in the US and sells it for a profit later. He is not obligated to pay any US capital gain tax because he is a foreigner (and the US assumes he pays in his own country). He parks the money in a US bank and brings it back the following year to avoid Thai taxes. It's closed now, of course. As usual, Thailand did not take into account the thousands of people living in Thailand because they had to travel 10,000 miles for a decent living in a foreign land. What about them? It is not sorted out yet.  

52 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

t is the 'system' that produces unwalkable footpaths, massive holes in roads, and unending poverty for 50% or more of the population.

But people still come here because home countries do not provide a decent living for many people, and it is impossible to find a much younger companion in their home land.

21 hours ago, smallchungus said:

’m in my 30s and that situation is exactly what I want to avoid

Traveling 10,00 miles for a decent living, possibly using a "wify" visa. I am always right.

On 12/18/2023 at 11:32 PM, georgegeorgia said:

Nirun condo's start at around 5k per month , 

Do people who are fortunate enough to earn dollars have to go to Nirun Condo? Traveling 10,000 miles to make a decent living is not enough.

Just now, Moonlover said:

Otherwise known as bribery.

You can call whatever you want to enhance your self-esteem, but to me, it's a transaction between fortunate people having access to earn dollars and unfortunate ones who cannot. 

5 hours ago, Pilot3Boz said:

These agents are crooks funding corruption!!

They are helping unlucky people who don't have access to earn dollars by taking money from lucky people who can't have a decent living in their own land and had to travel 10,000 miles to live like refugees (year-to-year contract) in a foreign land, possibly using a "wify" visa. 

On 12/19/2023 at 12:11 AM, Neeranam said:

These agents bribe immigration officers. 

They are the middlemen who distribute money from people lucky enough to have access to earn dollars to the unfortunates who don't have the luck to earn dollars.

Compare the rate with Wise. I think they will be competitive.
https://www.visa.co.th/en_TH/support/consumer/travel-support/exchange-rate-calculator.html

On 12/18/2023 at 11:15 PM, 4737 Carlin said:

about western restaurants etc. - I can get all that in Pattaya.

You can get food from all over the World in Pattaya.

8 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

I find that astonishing, you have actually "taken coal to Newcastle" 

as we say in English or sand to the desert. might be easier analogy to understand for Americans 

When one has access to much younger women from the impoverished part of the nation being paraded in brothels masquerading as bars, why do you want to bring spouses from your own culture?

5 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Forget Pattaya for an implant, goto Bangkok where the good facilities are.

Any recommended places in Bangkok?

23 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

They should shelve the idea and just tax people earning income here

Wealthy Thais can avoid capital gain taxes in the US and in Thailand as well.

What are the recommended dental implant places in Pattaya? Please post personal experiences, including costs per implant. I have a few missing teeth, and I use a flexible denture now. I have large corporate-level US dental insurance, and my teeth are taken care of during my yearly visits. However, insurance does not cover implants and only covers 50% of denture costs.