Walker88

Kind of curious how Thailand expects to get access to US or other non-Thai bank records, transactions that result in Capital Gains, other passive income, etc.? The honesty method? "Hi, Thai tax authority. I just sold my Hampton's summer home for $38 million, after buying it in 2008 for $7 million. How much of that gain do you want?"

Would anyone ask this question of Spanish women? Greek? Indonesian? Thailand is likely the only country, or one of a very very few, where anyone would even entertain this question. Why is that? Like most nationalities, Thai women would prefer a Thai man. Everyone else is second place, and a function of the individual woman and her preferences. Perhaps Thailand is somewhat unique in that it draws lots of foreigners interested in its women, and the country has a world-renown P4P industry. Agogos exist in but a handful of countries...Thailand, Philippines and ????? Thailand also has a much larger Thai-Thai P4P industry than any country I've ever visited or lived. Thus there is an assumption among visitors---whether they be Westerners or Easterners---that many Thai women are "for sale". Even Thai men think this, as the concept of mia noi is so common, as well as 'sideline girls'. The issue becomes a debate (Western man vs East Asian man) primarily because of history over the last 50 years, where it became common for older Western expats to match up with young Thai women. That became an image visitors and Thais alike have. The first change in that image came when Japan become a major investor, bringing many middle age Japanese men to Thailand. Japan-only clubs and areas were established, such as Thaniya Street in Bangkok. Over time certain agogos become "Japanese", like Baccara on Soi Cowboy. Japanese 'salarymen', however, were primarily interested in short term trysts, not marrying. As managers of Japanese businesses, they had more money than the typical Western retiree, so a reputation of paying a lot developed. Only recently has a new demographic appeared, which is young East Asian men (which might say something about the women of East Asia and their desires? Asexual? Look at South Korea fertility rate, at .78). It should come as no surprise that a 20 year old Thai woman would prefer a 25 year old Korean over a 60 year old Westerner. Social media has bridged many cultural gaps, as young Thai women and young East Asian men---or even young Western men---consume much of the same online content. Social media bridges many cultural gaps, but there is no way to bridge age gaps. 60-20 is always going to be 60-20, so if a young ANY MALE becomes available, Thai women are likely to choose one of them over the proverbial fat, bald, 60ish Westerner. There is an oft-made argument using numbers, such as 4-4-4, which implies something about size, time and pay made by East Asians. I'm not sure that was ever true for any of the (numbered) reasons, but the argument remains. In the times I have visited major agogos (fact-finding tour, not because I like that sort of thing----Ha!), I see plenty of Western men paying the price and walking out the door, so the money part of 4-4-4, if nothing else, is myth. There may be an increasing number of young Western men with young Thai women, but young Western men seeking Thai GFs are not as common as East Asians. Because we now see more of that, we might assume a preference, when the real preference is relative age. As for numbers, Western men have grown up in a cancel culture, so many might be hesitant to get involved in P4P. That doesn't (yet) exist in East Asia. (An aside: on various Forums one now sees boastful (fear of cancellation) Western males who claim "I never pay for it". That makes me start humming the famous Right Said Fred ditty.

Thailand seems to be the Bermuda Triangle of break failure. Eerie.

Come on, Bob. You're one of 8 billion humans on a planet around one of a trillion stars in a galaxy of 200 billion other galaxies. How much more important do you want to be than that? Your 10^27 or so atoms are defying entropy, but eventually will go back to stardust. Pretty cool. Actually, you and other humans on this obscure planet exist to be carriers for the trillions of bacteria that live in all of our guts. Now THAT's important. To bacteria, you absolutely matter.

It would be interesting to know how "DNA contamination" is defined. Does it mean a mutation? Does it mean an alteration of transcription? Does it mean A-T or C-G bonds are broken? With no other info, it's just scare mongering. How serious is it compared to UV radiation or smoking or a dental X-ray some other oxidizing or alkylating agent?

Poor wording in the article. They should have added, [more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had Covid-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines] THAN OTHER PREVIOUS COVID VARIANTS. It DOES NOT state that vaccinated people are more likely to get the new variant, only that they might be as susceptible, or at least somewhat susceptible, than non-vaccinated people. The conspiratorialists will decide vaccination makes one more susceptible, when the article did not state that is is just poorly written.

It isn't fiction. Perhaps it should be reinforced to the Chinese that the border-area scam compounds are all run by Chinese. Myanmar has them in the border near Tak, as well as the Myanmar border east of Lashio. The scams involve crypto scams, love scams, all sorts of things. Make endless calls or get tortured, even killed. Some women are forced into prostitution, especially in the Myanmar-China border areas. There's also some organ harvesting that goes on, the removed organs sold off to HK, Singapore or the Chinese mainland. Some Myanmar friends and foreign expats in Myanmar first told me about this. I assumed it was just urban legend. Then a few news articles began to appear in Western media. I subsequently checked with sources in the intel community and diplomatic corp. It's real. It mostly Chinese run, though there are also russians, especially in Myanmar. The junta takes a blind eye to it, because they're paid off. It involves tens of thousands of captured people. Modern day slavery, right next door.

If you think the material and quality of workmanship is similar to those "Italian" cut shirts in the EU, then it's definitely not worth it unless you're stuck in Thailand for a long time and need a shirt now. I don't think any of the Sukhumvit tailors are going to give Stefano Ricci a run for his money ($700 shirts in Sea Island cotton). I went with a visiting friend to Tailor on Ten, which non-eponymously is located at the end of Sukh Soi 8. What he was fitted for was of quite high quality. He's a super fit martial arts international champion, so he has a body made for fitted garments. He was quite pleased with what he bought. I went through their materials, and they have a good range of quality. I first had them make some linen shorts to test the build quality. Nice. I subsequently ordered some pleated linen slacks in a few colors, and have been quite pleased. They are likely to be slightly more expensive than the prices you quoted, but I suspect the quality of the garment produced will beat any 50 euro shirt you can find in the EU. It depends on how fussy you are about your wardrobe, what quality of cotton you want, how tight a weave, if you are particular about button type, stitching thread, accents, etc.

A Pyrrhic Victory for the aging and corrupt old guard. Dinosaurs who don't see the asteroid. Here's the Thai version of democracy: engage in a coup, stack the deck by altering the Constitution and getting the new, self-written one approved that allows the coup plotters and anti-democrats to appoint the Senate. Get a bit lucky in a multi-Party democracy so that a plurality will never be good enough for opposition to assume power. Gain the approval of powers who cannot be named, powers that carry decreasing weight among youth. It works until it doesn't. The chink in the armor is that the old and corrupt guard attached itself to the major regional power, who may turn out to be the superpower equivalent of Y2K or the Comet Kahoutek. It is not a cliche to say Thailand's future is its youth. They are increasingly sick of every bit of the old guard and not as enamored of authority 'just because it is authority' as were their parents and grandparents. When that disrespect of 'innate' authority filters down into the ranks of the youth in the military, actual change will be possible. Tradition is no match for the power of social media; this is a new world. Control bandwidth, and you control the future. It may take a few years, but odds favor a period of great social turbulence in Thailand's future. The old tricks might not work anymore, because iconoclasts are on the rise. They were a surprising plurality in May. Play their cards right, via such things as social media, with which their supporters are obsessed, and they may soon be a clear and undeniable majority.

A little over a month ago oil was trading at ~$78/bbl. Today it is over $90/bbl. A .6% drop in the baht is within line. Buyers of oil might try to wait for a better price if unhedged, but a major hedge, or price reaching an 'uncle' point, can easily move a spot rate .6% in a day. Yes, not quite a plummet, but it gets one's attention.

Not sure if we reside on the same planet, maybe not even in the same Universe. On my planet the dollar has been moving from strength to strength against most currencies, and the BRICS have been laid bare for being unable to be leaders in any way. russia made no friends invading Ukraine and putin's manner of dealing with those who disagree with him (pushed out of windows, aircraft shot down, poisoned with polonium or novichok, etc., plus russia's brain drain is greatly jeopardizing any future it might have had. India is becoming an Apartheid State under the Hindu Nationalists and Modi, and is now suspected of of ordering the murder of a Sikh critic in Canada. Brazil, as the joke goes, is the country of tomorrow---and always will be, while China may well implode under massive debt and an entire economy based on false asset prices. The US may well be loaded with debt, but so long as trump doesn't somehow get the WH again, the US strength is rule of law and ease of entry/exit of massive amounts of capital. As for 'false fluctuations' in currencies...let me guess---you never worked as a currency trader in a major bank. Had you done so, you would know how foolish such conspiracy theories are.

Yes, I form my own moral code. For example, I don't like that silly prohibition of murder. I'm more of a Viking, doing whatever I feel to take what I want. For example, I think trumpers have no right to live, and one by one I'm hellbent on eliminating them and erasing their pollution from the human gene pool. I'm well trained in all of the skills necessary to live MY moral code, and know it is my civic duty to relentlessly and without mercy follow that code. Woe to those who dare stand in my way. /sarc Civilization created a moral code, and that long before the various superstitions that go by the name 'religion'. It largely works. Maybe it occasionally goes too far, maybe not, but few really want to live the Hobbesian world of 'poor, nasty, brutish and short' lives. Those who bark loudest about society's rules are the first to complain when something goes against them.

Who died and made you king? YOU can decide how much a person can earn from their efforts, or how much a corporation can earn? You sound like one of those 'socialists' or 'commies'. INCENTIVE is a great system and seems to produce a better living standard for more people than any of the other 'isms'. We're not all as altruistic as you, a guy working tirelessly every day to solve cancer, air pollution, climate change, dementia, etc., expecting nothing in return. /sarc Frankly, you come across as an entitled brat, thinking others OWE YOU their efforts for your pleasure. You contribute nothing to society, but expect others in society to contribute to you.

I laugh whenever I hear people talk about great cabals, puppet masters, international conspiracies, Deep State, etc. I know such people have never been close to the halls of power and never been in elite financial circles. Not everyone can be, but that doesn't excuse tossing out logic and common sense. Think about it. Macy hated Gimbel. Musk doesn't like Bezos. Gates and Jobs didn't exactly get along. Those folks all share the same nationality. Imagine how different the Chinese are from Americans, the Iranians from the Saudis, Saddam from George W Bush. Those who reach the pinnacle couldn't care less you exist. They want to knock their competitor off the top, but you are meaningless to them. Cooperate? Hardly. Even the Federal Reserve and ECBank are often at odds. Nobody is so clever they can control the myriad of variables in the world. Influence is quite limited, and usually has an adversary. Those who know nothing, but who do 'research' (aka engage in confirmation bias) fear everything, from the Rothschilds (a spent force and widely dispersed fortune that is dwarfed by Elon Musk), George Soros, the Bilderbergers, Bohemian Grove, Skull & Bones, Davos and the WEF, Freemasons, etc. Quite silly. All of those folks are human, which is to say fallible. Sometimes they are outright dumb (e.g., trump, Reagan), or they have peccadilloes that occasionally hurt them (Bill Clinton). The world is actually quite random, because it is far too complex and dynamic for anyone to get a handle on things and exercise anything but very short term control. Put away the Faraday Cage. You're anonymous and safe.

Apples and oranges. The cost of an average American wedding does not include a purchase price for the bride, it's just a party. The parents of the bride did not raise her like a crop to be sold in the market nor a cow to be sent to the meat packer. They took care of her growing up because they are PARENTS and that responsibility is thrust upon them for choosing to bring a life into the world. If they raised her thinking 'Well, we'll get this back when we sell her off', then they are bad parents and bad human beings. Tradition is just an excuse.

So does he get citizenship? No. He's still not Thai. In an equal marriage, both sides give in to bridge the cultural gap. I appreciate you must have paid a lot to buy your wife and let her parents show off and make the other villagers jealous. Your choice. Not for me.

It's unlikely anyone of this Forum is unaware of sinsod, nor is anyone unaware of the concept of face. We just have different opinions. Desperate men will pay the dowry, then salve their ego by anointing themselves 'culturally sensitive' or chant "When in Rome...". They'll rationalize buying another human being by calling it 'tradition', or claiming it's an outward sign of devotion and commitment. They will allow themselves to be used by their in-laws, who will 'gain face' by selling off their daughter, ideally for a higher price than their neighbors sold off their daughter in the village pissing contest. Men with self-respect won't pay, even if it's a trifling sum, because they want an equal partnership, not someone who holds a deed or who bought the first schtupping of someone's daughter. A man with self-respect will not engage in human trafficking, which sinsod is. While Thailand has some lovely women, so does every other country, just as every country---Thailand included---has gold diggers and opportunists. Some here argue that we also buy our women in the West, but I disagree. Equality has put many women on equal financial footing as men. I happen to be wealthy, which comes with the curse of being suspicious of others' intentions. Fortunately, I dated women who are also wealthy, so none needed anything monetary from me. There are wealthy women in Thailand, too, but I suspect few would have any interest in a foreigner. What that means for me is that I am unlikely to ever marry a Thai woman, as there is no way I would buy a life partner. I can accept that, while maintaining my principles. Even if I did marry, I owe her family nothing, because they did not raise her as a crop to sell at the local market or a cow to sell to a meat packer. They took care of her because they chose to bring her into the world and assumed a parental responsibility. If they want to judge me as suitable or not, they should base that on my character and how I treat her, not by how much I'm willing to pay to purchase her.

One can buy a couple of slaves in Nouakchott for that price. Perhaps I'm too optimistic, but I think in 2023, buying human beings should be an embarrassment and outrage. In Thailand, the 'tradition' is selling a daughter's virginity, as a dowry was 'traditionally' demanded only for women not yet de-flowered. Do mom and dad supply certificates of purity?

Yes, you are buying her. Call it 'tradition' of 'cultural' or whatever makes you feel better about it, but the bottom line is you're buying your wife, plus letting the family show off to the rest of the village on your dime. You are being used. You are also letting the family dictate what culture will be at the core of your relationship, and it's not even .1% your culture. All take and no give. If it works for you, great. I prefer an equal relationship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxW789jHXII And in India it's the woman's family who has to buy the groom. Then the wife moves in with the MIL and sits on the floor at her feet, treated like a slave. These sorts of things are corollaries to slavery and bondage. Since I am opposed to buying and selling other humans, I guess I'll never marry into a place where I must show my 'outward display of caring and devotion' (as another poster wrote) via money. It's materialism, pure and simple. Love and devotion have nothing to do with it. Like slavery, dowries ought to be tossed into the dustbin of history. Let the chumps...oooh, sorry, the 'culturally sensitive' pay.

The modern term for sinsod is 'barfine'. In both cases, 'traditional' or modern, one is buying a human being's services and affection, feigned or real. Of course with the 'traditional' comes the showing off and face, so neighbors might be jealous. It's a village pissing contest. Perfect way to start a loving relationship, isn't it.

Do Thai women spit gold coins or something? Don't deserve? That's rather provincial thinking. I guess I'm just going to have to suck it up and live with my lack of worthiness.

No, I don't understand. It's a Thai-American marriage, but HE must be the only one culturally sensitive and understand women are chattel and must be purchased like a rug or used Toyota. If it takes money to be 'an outward display of caring and devotion', then it ain't love. An actual outward display of love and devotion is to be a faithful and devoted husband, not a family ATM. I wouldn't expect you to understand.

Yes, because it's obviously up to the foreigner to give in 100% to Thai culture, while the family in a Thai-Foreigner marriage is under absolutely no obligation to give an inch toward the foreigner's culture. /sarc Perhaps I haven't had enough time in Thailand to understand the subtle difference between buying a woman short term from an agogo and buying a woman long term from her family. It seems both ways the woman is just a good for sale. I'm not a 'cheap ass without a pot to pee in'; I can easily pay $30K or $1 million, but damn if I'm going to buy a spouse just because she's Thai. I prefer being single to buying a wife. It IS about the money in Thailand. I understand. And money=face. It is also going to be expected that the 'farang' continue to give in to 'tradition' forever. Nice guy? Loving and devoted? Who cares? Means nothing without the cash, and this---ironically---in spite of the local faith where the goal is to be without want or desire. It's almost as if they're saying, "Sure, deity, I want to be without want or desire, but how will I truly know I have no wants or desires until I've experienced money?" So how much did you pay for your wife? The wedding march is not "Here Comes the Bride", it's the late Tina Turner singing...."What's love got to do with it?" followed by the O'Jays "money money money money"

Maybe he was joking? Come off your high horse. Come to Thailand solely for the temples, did you? Never had a carnal thought in your life? When is your Ascension? Sinsod might be tradition to you oh-so-culturally-sensitive Thai-aphobes, but it is literally buying the woman, no less than barfining a woman from an agogo. A rose (or tradition) by any other name...... A Thai-Foreigner marriage involves TWO cultures, not one. The expectation that the foreigner give in 100% to Thai culture, with nothing in return, is something a chump would do. Such a man sets himself up to be a lifelong ATM. Bridging the cultural gap is not a one way street. While I do enjoy Thailand for a number of reasons, absolutely no way I would marry into a family where a visible display of what they sold their daughter for is part of the ceremony, and the goal is to show off for the neighbors. Some might find that 'cultural', I see it as a weakness, as well as a harbinger of what is going to be expected of me in the future.