Fat is a type of crazy

52 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I got out of there back to Thailand with about two weeks to spare before the blocks came down in both countries. I'd be climbing the walls by now, or in a straitjacket.

According to my son, the problem is people are willfully disobeying the regulations in place. He lives in Olinda, where there are many tourists and cyclists getting the stinkeye from locals, as they have clearly gone more than 5 km to get there. Or take the one infected guy who traveled to Shepparton, causing mass testing there.

Also, he says the issue of suicide numbers and mental health is being carefully kept in the background. Not a comfortable place to be right now, good luck.

Thanks Lacessit. I won't go on into a  Covid discussion, but patience is really wearing thin, due to so few cases. Today is a big day and hopefully next week businesses will open up.

I was brought up in Olinda for 10 years so know it well. Beautiful place. I lived along time in St Kilda but now am back in the hills. 

1 hour ago, owl sees all said:

I feel I have to explain just a little.

 

When it is Mildred's bed time Mr Chicken is asked to give a squawk. This is the signal for bed.

 

Mrs Owl was dozing in the chair. I thought she was watching the TV. It was 8-30 and time. Mr Chicken gave out an out-of-character, exceptionally loud squawk, which set the Mrs off. She grabbed Mr Chicken from me and promptly dissected it in the kitchen. And then; the ultimate insult. Threw it in the rubbish bin.

 

Everything seems OK for now. We will see at 8-30 this evening.

It looked like a clean cut which means she must have wielded the chopper with some relish.

If there's any possibility of Mr Chicken getting a squeeze I would hide the chopper.

33 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I never get bored here, every day is an adventure for me. Just negotiating Thai traffic on a scooter or in a car is a daily challenge. Golf, swim, exercise, shop, explore. Talk with all the nice people on TV, listen to music, read books, watch videos. Go down to my GF's village once a week.

OTOH, if I was living in Melbourne I really would be bored out of my skull.

 

Particularly with lockdown at the moment. I can relate to that though. I like Melbourne, and many of my friends and family are mainly here, but when I am with my girl in Thailand it's like life has an extra colour and sense of freedom that it doesn't have here. 

Riding the motorbike, eating the food, friendly people, less rules, massage, tropical weather,  it's just seems like a good place to retire .

Now with technology too you can still get benefits of back home.

Who knows I may get bored there but see what happens. Not sure what part of Thailand.

Last went to Chiang Mai and Chiang  Rai in 85 as a 20 year old tourist with my girlfriend, took a raft up to the golden triangle, stayed at a hilltribe, all that stuff. I liked Chang Rai. Had a lot of rickshaw bike type things back then. It was beautiful and green. No doubt changed a bit but still seems nice. 

1 hour ago, polpott said:

What is this thread actually about? It seems to be built on the premise that farangs are ruder than other races. Nothing could be further from the truth. IME, in order of rudeness are:

 

1. Chinese.

 

2. Indians.

 

3. Russians.

 

English speaking farangs are way down the list.

 

Maybe you guys don't mix with others much as your social lives revolve around a barstool.

I think sometimes it's do with being new to tourism. Many Chinese are new to travel, and are one generation away from being dirt poor,  and are not adept at social niceties. 

They have no notion of personal space - two hours at a famous tourist attraction in Bangkok, and having Chinese jump queues, bump into you and just generally get in your face, turned me off them for a while. Spitting and such is not uncommon. They can be a bit too patriotic in an obnoxious way.

Most Chinese are nice though and have a good sense of humour.

If you saw some Aussies in the first wave of tourism, drinking and shouting in the 70's and 80's in Bali, it wasn't much better.

Never found Indians rude but haven't been close to many in Thailand. Some Nepalese at suit shops in Patong would drive you crazy. Suits you sir.

Russians often look surly and grim and ready for a fight but they tend to actually be polite.

When I think of it Americans tend to be polite. The old cliché of the loud American isn't as common as it once was.

I think some of the anti ACB talk is a bit unfair. I don't agree with her politics or religious beliefs but she is a high quality candidate for the bench. Though she is likely to make conservative decisions, I don't think she would do Trump's bidding in any way, shape or form once she is on the bench. 

This contrast with Trump appointees in some lower courts that are unqualified and are picked just because they will do the Republican partys' bidding.

I haven't read all the posts so I may be repeating things but I think for me the keys are:

• have at least 2 days and maybe 3 days a week when you don't do heavy exercise - you can still walk and do yoga. Mixing the exercise day to day , which it sounds like you are doing, is good too. Watch your technique when exercising e.g. swimming - not too much strain in the neck;
• each night before bed, maybe when watching TV, do a ten or fifteen minute yoga and stretching  thing. I do it and I no longer get cramps and feel OK in the morning ;
• of the exercise you do squash is probably the most risky for joints followed by running, but if you don't feel pain when doing it, it should be fine;
• limit alcohol to one or two a day as often as is possible and have one or two no alcohol days a week;
• you are lucky to be in Thailand for cheap massage; and 
• turmeric, walnuts, salmon, not sure they make a difference but they seem to be good.

Not an expert but just a few comments. The  foreign income remittance rule as you say is such that  if you are a thai tax resident and you bring those funds in to Thailand in the following year there is no tax in Thailand.

I would note though that in the examples you give such as wages and capital gains there may be tax in the other country. 

I can talk about Australia which may or may not be comparable to the countries where you earned income.

I'm not too much help on the wages issue. In the case of wages earned in Australia if you are a non-resident you would have to pay significant withholding tax , which is higher than the resident rate, because there is no tax free threshold. If you earn the Australian wages remotely, and are not a resident,  this is the area you may have a tax benefit.

I note though non-residents do  get taxed on interest, dividends, rent and other Australian income. 

Non residents generally have to pay tax on 'taxable Australian property'. This includes any real estate but does not generally include shares.  For real estate it can be worse because in some circumstances non-residents, even if they were previously residents,   do not get some capital gains concessions available to residents.

So though you may not have to pay tax in Thailand you may have to in the other country. There may be a tax treaty between your country and Thailand. 

He's reviews were a bit beyond reasonable, e.g his multiple references to slavery, but his statement  has a feeling like something from North Korea, and I can't see all those news organisations making Thailand or the hotel look good over this.

I thought Kamala did well - she gave thoughtful answers most of the time and came across as an acceptable possible president. Women sometimes have it tough if they come across as aggressive but I think she came across positive and smart and she was mainly respectful when she listened. She has a lovely smile. 

Pence did OK but I don't think he did much to appeal to swinging voters.

Be nice if they could answer about packing the Supreme court - just say we have no plans at this time. 

10 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

I'm no expert, but it seems to me that the only "sure" way of avoiding the con-men is to apply for work through the Ministry of Labour (I'm just basing this on reports from Thais I know who got blueberry picking jobs in Finland and did ok).

 

Of course, this being Thailand, even the "official channels" sometimes require a brown envelope.

 

There are many stories of Thais being ripped off in their search for "streets paved with gold".

 

NB: There used to be a moderator on Thaivisa who was an Israeli woman, married to a Thai man, who had personal experience of employing Thais abroad. She had lots of good advice (can't remember her name).

I agree - they should be ready to get good answers on things like:

• can the fee be paid in installments as you earn;
• contact details for Australian agent and preferably Australian farm; 
• a plan that would likely require two weeks quarantine, and would not involve businesses in the Melbourne area, if any time soon; 
• is it on the books which means tax but also means likely decent award wages and other protections on conditions;
• proof that they are getting a proper work visa and not just a tourist visa post covid and winging it;
• cost of airfares, and proof before full payment, and cost and quality of accommodation. 

Pretty obvious some of it but better to be safe.

Owl Log - 08-10-2020 - Tuesday evening.

Big talk in the family is the Mrs' daughter and her husband wanting to work in Oz. I thought it was difficult, but if a Thai has 150k baht - and in the know - a work visa is forthcoming. And a job picking grapes or in a chocolate factory in Victoria ensues, earning a fortune of course. I've been asked to help financially. Also, to look after their three year old for two years.

Good luck for your family member. There's a big Cadbury's factory in Melbourne about 10 minutes from my work. 

They're crying out for fruit pickers at the moment. During covid they increased the dole significantly so it wasn't worth it for the unemployed as more work meant less dole. No backpackers either to pick fruit  because of covid. So the pay is really good if you can get here. From newspaper: 

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/coronavirus-restrictions-leave-26000-fruit-picking-jobs-unfilled/news-story/a0449ac38a6a8769d782a4cbe97b18ba

9 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If that's so please explain why New Zealand ( western country ) had so few deaths, and is basically back to normal despite not having compulsory mask wearing except for a while and only on public transport. Even during the full lockdown many did not wear masks. Where I live hardly anyone wore a mask and I don't see anyone wearing one now. No spread of corona at all outside isolation facilities except a small outbreak in Auckland a while ago, but Auckland is at lowest alert level from Thursday along with rest of NZ.

New Zealand had one of the strictest lockdowns in the world at the time and it worked.   Masks were less prevalent back then but with such a strict lockdown people were pretty much totally social distanced so they were less necessary. But they can only help when you are together eg public transport.

Mask rules haven't been eased because they don't work but because social distancing and mask use had done the job and cases have dropped to nil.  Cases were never high in New Zealand too. People now have pretty much total freedom. You are lucky.

Social distancing is a total success story for New Zealand.

4 minutes ago, Sujo said:

Biden will inherit a poisoned chalis, best he can do is take it on the chin and set it up for his successor.

 

I wish him good luck. But why anyone would vote republican is beyond me, after gwb and now trump its obvious what a mess they leave.

 

The only repub worth a thought is kasitch but he had no chance as he was far too reasonable.

Two republicans to look out for in the future are Dan Crenshaw and Tim Scott

They both speak impressively and find that line of supporting Trump but sounding intelligent and not losing their soul

Keep away from Thaivisa that day. Its always giving me the sh*ts

12 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

 

I drive a Rolls Royce. Cause its good for my voice.

But you wont fool the Children of the Revolution

https://listverse.com/2018/07/22/10-shocking-facts-about-the-rajneesh-movement/

35 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

The Black & White Minstrel Show. I was shocked! Shocked I say! Such racism shook my very core!

I can remember it seeming weird and incredibly boring when I was a kid. What is this show? Men with black face singing 'Oh Susannah' or 'By the light of the silvery moon' with women with parasols. 

12 minutes ago, baansgr said:

And the rest of Oz?

Australia is pretty much Covid Free as is New Zealand. Melbourne where I live has had the worst of it due to some mistakes with nursing homes and hotel quarantine but is now down to less than 10 cases per day down from 750 last month.