Fat is a type of crazy

Sounds good to support climate change. Surely you concur there's better ways to do it than tanking the economy - poor economies are normally the worst polluters. To state the bleedin' obvious Trump has no good climate or environmental policies I know of and many outright bad policies so hopefully if you are American you are looking for alternatives.

My possible concern was that my first trip in 2024 was in late May so if I go in July it will be a total of 7 months and a week in Thailand in about 16 months - based on last year I might then go again for 2 months late in 2025 so could be pushing the boundaries. But I'll have the cash and return ticket so hopefully that lowers the risk a bit. Thanks.

The risk is watching a certain type of thing on youtube begets more of the same in your feed confirming your bias. Silly unfair tariffs making China popular and looking like a fighter. If you watch Bessant speak he looks like a deer in headlights who wants to say 'I didn't sign up for this'. That'll do. Could watch some mainstream stuff - its' not evil to be well regarded and have a real reputation for good work and to use fact checking despite what some say here.

Now reports of further resignations at the top end of the IRS . This represents something all Americans should be concerned about - the independence and, of course, legality of IRS decision making and the privacy and protection of taxpayer information. Lots of fears too that the IRS are becoming less able to do their day to day duty to ensure people pay their fair amount of tax with sackings and what not. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-irs-chief-quit-over-deal-share-data-with-immigration-officials-report-says-2025-04-08/

Good topic. Not sure why people take offence - as though prosperity and good and effective governance could destroy the culture. Might make the girls less likely to take on an older expat so there's that. The no 1 thing for me as an example of what's wrong is pollution. You lose faith in the people's sense of their nation if they wont fight hard as hell to have clean air and other forms such as the rubbish around the place. Shows they don't have faith in their own worth and ability to influence the powers that be.

Thanks. I did fly Jetstar and had a return ticket so it wasn't an issue.

I had to look that up - I don't apply for a visa and get 60 days with an option for a further 30. From Australia.

No worries. The topic is costs for expats and that is a cost for some that needs to be taken into account including effects of levies. You didn't seem to get why. You even made the effort to search for the levies so I thought I'd give you a fuller picture. Something to pass 5 minutes. I think you think being unpleasant and crass makes you cool by the way. It doesn't but each to their own.

When I arrived in Phuket on this trip on a 60 day tourist visa the immigration guy had a longer look at the passport than normal. I had 2 60 day trips in 2024 and this trip is 5 weeks. I would assume I will still be ok to say come back in July for another 2 months but I am wondering if there is a guide to when they'll say enough with the tourist visas and I need a different type. This is without needing to go to an embassy so potentially off topic.

Bit tricky because you get the Medicare Levy Surcharge for years as a worker if no insurance so get private health insurance to avoid it. Then when you retire you may not get the surcharge - even if not eligible for age pension - but that's when you are likely to need private health insurance. There is also the life time health cover loading so if you say start private insurance at 60 after not having it you pay the going rate plus a loading of 60 per cent being 2 per cent per year over 30. There is a rebate for getting private health insurance that was bought in as an incentive but that is based on income and is being reduced bit by bit each year. Then there's the fact that it can still be better and less expensive to use public health care rather then private in some cases if there is no waiting list. But it is what it is.

Please do so. Your cutesie ingenue comments get tedious.

We know how the tariffs were calculated and there is no rhyme or reason, or fairness, equity or common sense to it. Unless it is simply to say 'I have power and now you must negotiate'. He even said countries are groveling to avoid tariffs. Then backflips. Humiliating. Laughable. Crazy. Sad. As has been said this impacts real lives in very significant ways. Business decision making needs certainty, employees not sure about the future, currency and stock markets in turmoil. Real people losing their savings. Damage has been done to trust and faith in America as a steady hand, as a trustworthy partner, as a consistent good faith player, as a sensible decision maker, and as a fair and decent player in world affairs. I hope this is an Emperor's got no clothes moment - it won't be for Maga supporters - maybe it will be for the world as a whole though in the past it hasn't been the case.

Theoretically correct but he is waxing lyrical about possible treatments - including injecting disinfectant - like he is knowledgeable - but coming across like a child. I would suggest if this is one of the worst examples of lack of fairness to Trump then it suggests his treatment hasn't been too bad.

But is not the one who resents who considers the resentee equal or superior? The victim does not resent as they are deceased. A politician's act may not affect me but may a friend and I will resent the poiltician for their actions. OK so now a mentally ill physically disabled one legged man drops a brick from an overpass and kills a friend. Do I now consider them an equal or superior because they continue to live ..oh never mind.

So a mentally ill person living on the street kills a friend. You resent them and their actions. Must I by definition consider them equals or superior. Pop psychology. A different way as it relates to politicians is to say maybe it's not resentment - but disappointment, bewilderment, not so much in the politician who may be well known to be a shyster bore but in the masses of people who believe he is a good thing who will bring a better life to them and the world. Despite a litany of facts - historical and in current events - that say otherwise.

Too many issues. Let's focus on tax revenue. Obvious but IRS need smart well paid staff and state of the art IT systems - cuts in an ad hoc manner will lead to less revenue, less confidence in the system, more tax evasion. Thanks DOGE. Need smart legislation to cut loop holes - not seeing much of that. America is incredibly rich -the rich doing extremely well - talk of any tax rises brings out claims of marxism and socialism even if a few points on personal tax at the high end would raise significant revenue with minimal affect on the rich. On other topics the democrats have been a bit precious here and there such as immigration. Lets hope the courts can balance immigration law with fairness and the rights of all individuals affected. Because if left to Trump it ain't gonna happen.

Think of yourself running the country and thinking - I'll introduce large tariffs and see what happens. Doesn't matter that the method of calculating them makes no sense; you haven't got decent advice from economists and other interested experts, e.g. those in the major industries affected, on what might happen with both good and bad scenarios; no knowledge of how consumer prices will be affected; no knowledge or care about the of fairness and the implications for each of the other 194 countries, the effect on long term relationships, and how others may use this to their advantage. Introduce them and see what happens. That's idiotic.

You mean you in your mid 50's or something walk up to every pretty young girl and talk to them. Success 1/100 Cringe 99/100

Not so bad to work in your job as retirement approaches - keep active but don't have to think too much. Australia and Thailand good. Do different things until bored - with exercise as a consistent thing - could be worse.

Friends and family don't whinge particularly. Work mates do a bit but that's normal. I don't know if Thai's are in general because I can't speak Thai but the Thai's I do know are known to have a bit of a whinge. This site is by nature is a place to have a whinge so it is not a representation of the normal world.

Come on Sparky you're better than this. Crazy tariffs calculated in a nonsensical way. If he wanted to bully countries into making trade better for the United States then I guess this is a way but the disruption to investors, businesses and employees around the world based on a whim and a hope that it all turns out is reckless at best.

As has been explained the calculations are based on trade imbalances not tariffs or other trade restrictions. Say Cote Divoire sells a bit more to the US in goods than US sells to Cote Divoire - then Trump is saying that to balance it out he charges them a tariff based on half of the percentage imbalance. Could be because people in the US like chocolate - cocao beans don't grow in the United States. To calculate the balance he leaves out services - banking, netflix, youtube, facebook, all not included which would in many cases balance it out. Why should Cote D'ivoire be penalised for selling stuff to US if they buy less? Is it be a bad thing for one country to sell more to the other country? Why should the figures for trade be the same? The 10 per cent tariffs are mainly where the US in fact sells more to the country e.g. Australia. Once again not taking into account services which would make it even more one sided. Not sure how the logic works that 10 per cent should apply - they come up with fake issues for those countries by looking at individual items e.g. Australian limits US beef for reasonable reasons and has special rules for medicine that make it cheaper - rules that Trump supporters would love in their own country . The only logic is that Trump is using America's power to force other countries to make further concessions to trade. Bully them into submission. But the figures above are not based on calculations that make sense.

Copacabana seems to tick a lot more boxes. Can be same price for a month.

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He said the trip itself might take 5 hours to get to the airport. Thought it might be busy at first - maybe some people going back to Bangkok after the weekend - but haven't been in Thailand at that time so maybe there is crazy traffic at that time.