ryandb

14 minutes ago, Geir Rasch said:

I know your kind exist, but I’m very happy none of you are in political power. If you exclude all the road only used by the owner, it is simply not true that over 60% of roads in Sweden are privately funded.

So you add an incorrect caveat to the true fact that they are owned privately.... they are maintained and used by PRAs not just individuals and if they receive any government subsidies (many don't) they must allow everyone the right to use them.

To touch on my belief on the welfare state, I'm from the UK, where there's very little community left and most of it is destroyed due to people on welfare, why be a good neighbour or member of the community when it's the government that bails you out in tough times rather than family or friends, why take care of your elderly mother when you can stick them in a government old peoples home instead.

Communities would be much better without welfare in my opinion, I believe most people are good and we do not need bloated government bureaucracy to help people.

I don't know your taxes, but do you think you could do more good with it for people who deserve the help than the government does?

2 minutes ago, Geir Rasch said:

When talking about country with a good welfare system, USA is one of the last countries I wold think of. Yes, Thailand is a corrupt country, but still I think everyone taking advantage of the country should also pay tax.

I state I don't believe in social security safety nets such as welfare

1 minute ago, atpeace said:

Yes most those roads existed because of taxes.  History isn't your strength.  You do know there are types of taxes other than income?

 

Free market does provide a lot but not everything.  It also provides an abundance of corruption left to its own devices.  I get it - the tax system isn't perfect.  Still waiting on you to provide the alternative.

The Gas tax didn't come in until the 1930s, they were funded through Public land sales. Yes, there were some import tariffs, but again you had a choice like your shoes, if you wanted the imports pay the tax. I'm a voluntarist, I'm fine with paying for things I agree with, but I do not believe in funding my oppressors.

For a modern example over 60% of Sweden's roads are privately funded.

What alternative exactly, just because the people have been convinced taxation is just and indoctrinated into the greater good argument from school age doesn't mean it would not work, unfortunately, we've been highjacked by central banksters so there will never be a End the fed candidate allowed. 

9 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Hey, whatever floats your boat.  I myself think we should all pay taxes and you feel society would be better off with no taxes because the system is corrupt.  You may be right but still waiting for your answer.  How does this tax less society function?  I would love to live in a place where no taxes were due and magically everything paid for by taxes still existed.  

I don't just have the opinion because the system is corrupt, taking money through threat of force is immoral. At what percentage would you be ok going to for a better society? 60,70,80 90% or 100%...oh no that's slavery 

Pre 1913 America, roads, schools, fire houses etc. all existed. They also weren't going around bombing the world before this period too.....

Free market provides everything at much better value and better quality, and before you talk about the American healthcare system realize it is enabled by the government, for e.g. in some cities per state laws you can not open a hospital without the other hospitals agreeing so they can keep a monopoly on pricing, then we have IP protection laws allowing drug companies to inflate the market cost while they have IP protection which is a farce.

And before you ask no I do not believe in social safety nets, families and communities such as churches should take care of this.

1 hour ago, atpeace said:

OK, my running shoes cost 8k baht.  That is extortion? Should I shoplift my next pair?  Some truth in what you believe but just curious how would a society work without taxes?

What a dumb analogy you can walk away from the shop as you have a choice... A better one is you pay the mafia protection money so you don't get hurt by the mafia

How wouldn't it? You aren't going to go the typical "muh roads" route, are you?

8 minutes ago, atpeace said:

SO true and people just don't get it.  Our home countries have many xpats filing taxes but for some reason this shouldn't apply to Thailand.  Everybody needs to chill. 

 

The odds of this being a minor inconvenience with no taxes paid here in Thailand are extremely high.  The new enforcement is to go after tax dodgers which are mostly Thai but we probably all know an xpat that isn't paying taxes and uses Thailand's loose tax tax enforcement to do this.  They still won't pay and probably won't have issues which is frustrating.  Depending on the country, tax avoidance was and probably will be the reason some choose to live here.

 

As I stated on the first few pages of the first thread on this issue.  This is  going to impact a few xpats and possibly millions of Thais.

I generally try to avoid extortion in my life, I didn't pick Thailand to avoid tax but it's something that fits with my beliefs, taxation is theft and is just corporate welfare in disguise.

1 hour ago, frankstraube said:

They made you buy a ticket within 60 days because you had a TV and  a return flight between 60 and 90 days, or because you did not have any return ticket ? 

 because it was on day 85 or something like that

5 hours ago, frankstraube said:

I always buy a return ticket after 30 days, and once in Suvarnabhumi i change it to 60 days. But of course it is better if you can change your ticket with no fee. And there is always the possibily that the flight back after 60 days is full... 

But every flight company knowing now that you can always extend the visa free entry by 30 days, i suppose they will let you board even with a return ticket after 60 days, right ? Did you ever had some bad experience ?

Not boarding but going through Phuket airport, they made me book a flight within the 60 days (I came in on a TV)

39 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

And I will still have to supply 26 copies and 61 signatures and witness for my marriage extension, home visit and 90 day reports, after 9 yrs of marriage Thanks Thailand  you are sooo caring to us who look after Thai women, and their families, who's fathers are not around, giving them a secure home and life. 

WOW, your hand must be sore from patting yourself on the back all day, I'm sure you are just doing that out the goodness of your heart and don't ask anything of your wife

31 minutes ago, Middle Aged Grouch said:

They should start with a special visa granted to all those above 50 who own property in Thailand and mainly deliver it with none of the absurd foreign health insurance requisites that ask to mention the minimun amount of coverage. Just a proof of ownership of the condo or 30yr leasehold with passport, photo  and pension  certificate should be enough for this special visa that could be valid 10 years with a maximum stay of 4 months each year and no absurd requirements to "requalify" each year like with the LTR visa.

There is a LTR for property investment... "Combined investment in Thai government bonds OR direct investment in companies registered in Thailand OR Thai property of at least USD 500,000"

Why above 50? Property ownership is property ownership? 

Just now, connda said:

I'm sure there are many military aged Ukraine's men hiding here as well.  Send them back as well as Zelinsky wants to conscript them and send the to defend the Western front against "Russian aggression."  Why should they be offered a cushy life in Thailand as their Ukrainian brothers and sisters fight for their country.  Deport them all!  🇺🇦

We have one (and his wife) staying in the house next to us, he's all about sending our help from NATO nations but is here... Now I'm antiwar and would never fight for the elites so I'd normally commend anyone avoiding conscription, but he's happy to sacrifice others for his cause which makes him no different from those elites. 

16 minutes ago, VBer said:

I will repeat again, to be sent to war this Ukraine, you must appear by yourself a sign the contract with MOD (and get paid for it). This is fully voluntary. However it is similar to signing contract with the devil, because after there is no way back, you cannot cancel it. If you will, there will be a jail time.

 

There is mandatory conscription still for 1 year service, but those personnel serving in Russia and not being sent to Ukraine. There are million ways to avoid this conscription, having a kid and being single parent is one of them.

How does this differ from what I said, conscription exists, but none are going to the frontlines

15 minutes ago, at15 said:

I have been in thailand for 10 years since mid 20's. This would be the worst thing that could happen for us younger folks. Making visas impossible and aggravating like russia or china would be the best. If you cant understand this well im not gonna explain it, good luck to you.

I wouldn't say it will, if you want to be in Thailand you can find a way easy enough, it still isn't as easy as the Philippines for example where you can do 3 years without exiting on a TV and now they have Starlink to solve the internet issue for DNs making it very appealing for first time DNs who are trying to grow their business

50 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

What happened to the mantra of “quality” tourists?

 

the average student, Muay Thai, cooking etc, and digital nomad is pretty young and living on a limited budget.

I'd class as a Digital Nomad as would most of the people I know living in the villas here on Samui, we definitely aren't on a limited budget, that's the average pensioner over here

6 hours ago, hydraides said:

Also I bet the digital nomad visa/muay thai will have either serious (tax requirements and reporting/ medical insurance requirements)

 

E.g have to pay like 20 % tax on your digital nomad earnings or something like that and have to earn at least 40,000 baht a month........

 

I think these proposals should be taken with a very big pinch of salt

 

 

$40k! That would qualify all the brokies (a remote CS job in the UK is like 2k a month so nearly 90k US if its a tech company 3-4k if) everyone is scared of coming, I imagine it'll be at least double/treble that which would be fine by me if it's renewable each year then it's much cheaper than other visas for under 50s even if they do a small taxation (think its 7% here) with the cost of living you are way up. 

My only thing I hate is why can't they just charge the 1900 on entry so you can book your onward flight correctly rather than having a cheap one to Singapore inside the 30/60 days and then cancelling it.

5 hours ago, scorecard said:

44 years old

22 years living in Thailand

so assume he came to LOS when he was 22 years old

how has he supported himself for 22 years

what visa has been on for 22 years - is that possible?

when / where was he a mercenary if he's lived in Thailand since he was 22 years old?

 

Some explanation would be nice.

 

The same nonsense post we always see as if this is impossible.

Quite simple answers could be provided, set up a business that makes money and provides Visa, work for a Thai company that provides a Visa. 

Why do you need to know?

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Far from a cold Sir, and no it's not the flu either.....

it was barely the sniffles for most people in fact if you were to believe the nonsense they were spouting in 2020 then no symptoms were also a symptom

as I stated unless you had underlying ill health it was barely a cold, unfortunately the hypercondriacs acted like it was everyone else's problem they refused to get on a diet

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

 

 

 

So it looks like they attacked a foreign couple then went over the other side of the road and stabbed the other dude, did he know the couple and there was more to this before, or literally just a bystander. Whatever you say the flying knee started physical aspect and that was a Thai man.

Also look at the little Thai throw the sneaky punch on the dude in the alley and get swatted off like a fly

51 minutes ago, aussiebrian said:

I have lived in Thailand for 19 years, I have never seen any Jew hatred amongst Thais. Could be because most Thais don't even know what a Jew is, look at Hitler chicken, poster of Hitler with super heros on University campus, etc,  This was naivety not hate.  But with farang, it is a different story, it is rampant especially since October 7th.. 

Move one country to the south of Thailand, Israelis are banned from entering Malaysia, Palestinian flags flying on many buildings, and rampant Jew hatred running wild.. (The Apple doesn't fall far from the tree when you look at Penny Wong.) 

The journalist who wrote this might have thought he would get more hits putting in an Israeli.. but maybe he is one of the very few that said "Israeli" due to Jew hatred.

 

https://focusmalaysia.my/when-flying-the-israeli-flag-is-now-a-crime-in-malaysia-but-ok-with-the-palestinian-flag/

 

As a Jew, nope, people don't like occupying nations, I don't like the US occupying areas of Libya to steal oil as much as I don't like the clear and obvious ethnic cleansing of Gaza so they can steal the gas and create the Ben Guiron canal. 

Perhaps you should check your own feelings about Muslims to see if you are biased in that direction. Did you have issues with Ukrainian flags being flown across the world for the past 2 years for or Russians being banned from nations and having assets seized?

29 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

I agree 100%. John Lennon had it right when he sang 'Imagine there's no countries, no religion too'.

 

But border rules are there these days to try and prevent the poor overwhelming more affluent countries. The US and Mexico, the UK and mainland Europe receiving 'economic refugees' from Africa. Thailand, being the self-appointed greatest country on Earth, believes that everyone wants to flock to their third world paradise, and so also rounds up those who don't play by the rules.

take away the state (all of it!) including the social security/benefits problem solved either you work to maintain the living costs of living in the stronger economy you fled to or you go back....