zig

70 is a bit old for a midlife crisis.

It is just the right time if you feel fit to live till 140... ;-)

Else for Pantip: ground floor are 1-2 special shops.

And than there is Busitek (which I don't recommend) and behind another good shop.

I used a shop next to Busitek some years ago. I gave them a list of components I had in mind, they prepared a price list with a discount if I buy all of them in their place, and agreed to put it together for me for free.

Went for some shopping for one hour and it was ready when I came back. Hassle free and nice service.

Else for Pantip: ground floor are 1-2 special shops.

And than there is Busitek (which I don't recommend) and behind another good shop.

I used a shop next to Busitek some years ago. I gave them a list of components I had in mind, they prepared a price list with a discount if I buy all of them in their place, and agreed to put it together for me for free.

Went for some shopping for one hour and it was ready when I came back. Hassle free and nice service.

Incredible that there have been no rises in 10 years for Taxi's

No wonder they are resorting to trickery!

And just by the way even though the basic wage went up to 300 baht per day, finding someone to work at that rate is pretty difficult.

Regards

I recall that the rates were in fact revised in 2008. It used to be first two kilometers for 35 baht and was changed to first one kilometer. Similarly, the rates per km also went up.

In my experience the drivers are usually quite happy with the rate per distance, as long as there is no traffic. I think that they would just need to increase the fare per minute while standing in traffic. This would also make it easier to get a taxi during traffic hours.

Well, the separatist leaders themselves have confirmed on multiple occasions that Russia is supplying them with arms and soldiers. And few of these leaders themselves are 'former' military/intelligence officers of Russia who previously have been involved also in conflicts in Moldova, Chechnya and Georgia.

I think Russia is just increasing their presence and pressure notch by notch, all the time looking at and measuring the reaction from the West, to see how far they can go.

No they have not, Why bother to make up stories?

Leaders have stated some off duty Russian soldiers have come to join and help.

Just like US and UK and AU citizens are fighting for ISIS, it does not mean US or UK or AU military is helping ISIS, does it?

As i have said before, US and few puppets have been accusing Russia for too many things and eventually sleeping bear is bound to wake up and retaliate.

Russia has been very level headed about the whole thing, but since US did not seem to get the message, things are now starting to heat up

Now you want to bring Chechnya and Georgia into it? Do tell what you know about conflict in Chechnya or Georgia?

PS. With all that support for Georgia, have you heard anything ever since? US was so supportive, what happened?

It was only the last case of such a statement that mentioned that few thousand of soldiers 'on leave' are there. There have been few such flopped statements before which have mentioned that hundreds of troops 'trained in Russia' have joined separatist forces, or that it is difficult to control the fighters from Chechnya supplied by Russia, or expressed disappointment that the money from Russia is not coming in time. If Russia really wanted to, they could stop all this at any time, so one has to assume that this is happening with the blessing from Putin and the events are directed by Russia.

I am not bringing Chechnya or Georgia into this, I am just stating the fact that a few of the purported 'separatist leaders' in Ukraine were involved also in the events in these countries. What kind of 'local' separatist movement do they represent then?

...whilst you have prices going up and the wages standing virtually still, farm hands have been on 9000Bht PMC for two decades , its not surprising that something has to give, as long as the administration bows to big business and Thai's have limited spending power, nothing will improve, except the poor will certainly get poorer.

I would disagree - I have seen the local wages increased significantly in the last two decades, perhaps double - be that farm workers or qualified staff...

What country has ever prospered under a military Junta?

What country has ever prospered after a general appointed himself Prime Minister for life?

If you can answer those questions, you have a good chance of predicting the future.

The answer would be - Chile. Still, I doubt that it helps my chance of predicting the future in any way.

The problem is exacerbated by the habit of passengers opening the front door to tell drivers their destination. This gives drivers the easy option of declining. I don't know why people just don't get in the back and then tell the driver where they want to go ( probably because of fear of being kicked out with menace? ).

Simple, really - it is because it is tiring to climb into the taxi, only to be refused and have to climb out again, few times in a row. It is easier to ask first...

I just find it impossible to comprehend how people survive on 9'000 baht a month- rent,  food,bills, school costs if they have children- Wonder how long 9'000 baht would last the average TVF poster? 

 

Considering only the basic food, I spend only half of that amount per month. It is the rent and many unnecessary luxuries that makes it go many times over that amount... 

Suspended for a month just few months ago, but I also pay monthly. Just called their call center and the service was very helpful.

 

Another interesting point. All over areas of prime Bangkok there are families people who have resisted the urge to sell their prime land to developers and live in the shadows of shiny new blocks. I suspect some (not all) have very little money at all, but obviously have a very valuable asset under their feet. The value of the land would probably be huge, and they would have no way of paying the tax, leaving little option but to sell to the developers...... hopefully there is some clauses which may relate to the tax not being payable on a families primary residence or alike, with the aim to target more on those with multiple abodes for renting out.

 

 

So pretty soon the last green spots in the cities will disappear and make room for more condominiums or shopping malls. Great idea, NCPO! who needs green spots anyway?

Well, another effect would be that many Thais who are holding a number of empty properties and condos as an investment would have to reevaluate their approach once they have to start paying tax on this. This would put many empty properties back in the market and perhaps there would be no need for building more condominiums for a while ... Though, perhaps 0.1% is too little to have a major impact.

But the good news is

"UK Tax and Duty Free Allowances 2014

Travellers arriving in Britain from outside the European Union can now benefit from an increase in duty free shopping allowances. UK Duty Free Allowances in detail Goods valued up to £390 can be brought into the country without any duty payable on the purchases from January 1st 2010, including souvenirs, clothing, electrical goods and perfume"

http://www.taxfreetravel.com/UK%20duty%20free%20allowances

BTW how does £390 and UK income levels compare to £185 and Thai income levels?

Well, it is a fact that these limits are stupidly low in many countries, the same as in Thailand. The problem is that it has been announced that Thai customs are actually planning to enforce these ridiculous regulations.

But then again, during many years in Thailand I have seen many similar announcements and some action lasted for good few weeks, to be forgotten later.

sounds more like a sanctioned scam, where the confiscators (if you can't afford the coffee money), take your goods and sell it themselves.

The rules may come from above, but all the low level red-cap uniforms will be rubbing their hands...

Well, these rules have always been there, but have never been enforced. It would be great, if they would start enforcing them now It would do wonders for tourism ...

Seems strange that so many countries were fooled by these things.

There were Demo's given in which they appeared to work and many countries bought and used them on the basis of what was first shown.

Could it be that the ones that were demonstrated and distributed for testing did in fact work.

I recall that it was written that during the demos only the company representatives were handling the devices and arranging the scene, and they probably knew exactly where the different substances were hidden. As follows, it indeed all 'depends on the operators'

There is no conceivable need to hand over 30k in order to educate someone about Thai currency.

You seen one thousand Baht bill, you seen them all.

Can't really imagine how that would come about.

Wonder if it is indeed utter stupidity or trying to cover for money lost in another manner.

In my home country there were quite a few such stories some years ago. It seemed that the ruse was similar - some money handed over near exchange booths or in market place, and the victim having quite hazy memory of what had happened. At the time police presumed that the con women had some skills in hypnosis.

Consider that you usually need to invest also in furniture, air conditioners, TV, fridge, washing machine etc. to rent it out and this stuff will just keep depreciating.

Quote: The 10 popular dishes are currently sold at 25-30 baht a dish.

Here in Pattaya the cheapest dishes cost already 40 Baht and this started 1 year ago.

Why politicians all over the world are lying all the time?

Indeed - near my office in Bangkok all the street stalls also have raised prices more quite a while ago already. There is nothing one can buy for 25-30 Baht. Most cheapest dishes are 35-40 Baht.

> The group also plans to set standard prices within the club that will be transparent to tourists and prevent underbidding.

Well, in some other countries such price fixing would be illegal. I wonder if similar laws exist in Thailand.

Quite a strange way for defending the government - basically he is saying 'It is not true what BAAC is saying that we have not given them the money for rice subsidies. We shall have the money and pay to BAAC before the end of the year...'

His logic is fundamentally flawed because his statement actually does not refute the BAAC statements.

a combined sum of 27.857 billion baht to support the scheme.

However after deduction of interest burden and other expenses, now the bank only has 12 billion baht to support the rice scheme till end of this month, he said.

Please tell as Mr Banker how do you spend 16 billion Baht on interest burden (What interest burden?) and other expenses? (What other expenses.....Ahhh....you mean lining some pockets?

From some previously published articles I recall that BAAC has issued bonds few times to pay for the rice scheme, in total amount of more than 200 billion baht, and there is an interest that needs to be paid on such bonds.

It was also mentioned that BAAC has to pay 25-35 basis points higher on their bonds than the other similar bonds in the market due to decreasing confidence that the market has in BAAC bonds.

I wonder what is the interest rate that they are paying.

$40 US, what percentage of average workers net income is that in Latvia?

Around 5%, but then again most people do not need 400 mbps connection. You can also pay just 10-15 USD and get 5MBps connection.