Fat is a type of crazy

16 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

You have now taken my place detained in the view talay 2B and good on you ....now your getting bored 😀 and I'm bored with you ..

 

You added that last bit on afterwards to be mean ... look if you were stuck for 7 weeks  in a 21 sqm room amongst drunks and sad people and your escape was to go for long sweaty walks around Pattaya I feel your pain. But it was fairly likely given you would have known before hand but lesson learned and all that. 

I am liking the hot but not too hot weather in Jomtiem. Winter at home. Not much pollution. Not too busy. Accommodation and facilities get a lot of bang for your buck. I think I'm a low season in Thailand kind of guy. Nice food and all the other things mentioned many times. 

Think I'd miss the lack of certain foods, beer, wines, people I know, language I know, seasons if stayed too long. 

I think I could identify a fair few posters from the text alone. Or get close. There is one poster who has taken on several identities, and others too, and it doesn't take long to work that out. I don't come here for facts except the rare occasion I have a visa question or something. You come here to read different personalities express themselves and interact and AI is a poor substitute for that. 

I imagine there's all sorts of things happening behind the scenes and it will come to pass that Biden will not run. It has to be so. The fact that he polled well after the debate should not be succor for Biden but a reflection on the distrust and dislike for Trump. 

1 hour ago, Pattaya57 said:

I take your point. In my case, I have a taxable Super pension which uses up my tax free threshold so all of my interest is taxed at either 21% or 34.5% instead of the non-resident 10%

 

There are other reasons to change to non-resident though. My Mate is married to a Thai with a child in school for last 2 years and living in his Condo. He has now bought a house and is stressing that if ATO audit him he'll never pass the resident test. So he's decided to elect non-resident on next tax return.

 

One added bonus, he has $20k capital gain on shares and gold. He found that if he declares non-resident as of 1 Jan 24 he won't have to pay the capital gains tax as prices tanked up until January (ATO treats gold and shares as sold on day starting non-resident so they use the price on that day to calculate CGT)

 

Can't see a benefit except maybe the first year. Interest alone you could have a small benefit - but won't that be offset and more by higher tax on the  PSS pension and possible other income that you note uses up the tax free threshold.   But if other reasons make it work for you then no worries. 

7 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

Last two years I paid a lot of concessional contributions to Australian Super to bring my marginal tax rate down (and build up fund for the future tax free pension). My Super fund has confirmed that I can still do that as a non-resident.

 

As an example, if I earn $18,200 income from non-bank interest, I can contribute $18,200 to my Super and the non-resident tax is then $0. Meanwhile all of my bank interest is at 10%. If $15k interest, total tax is $1,500

 

A resident earning the same $18,200 is also $0 tax due to the tax free threshold, however their bank interest is then 16% (+ 2% medicare). So if $15k interest, tax is $2400 + $664 medicare = $3064 total tax (double that of non-resident)

I am doing the same as paragraph 2 and get that deduction. So I can have say $18,200 interest as per your example and if I contribute a similar amount to my super fund I get the same deduction. So I still haven't used up my tax free threshold based on that income alone. So that $15,000 interest has nil tax because that first $18200 income is still available. This is setting aside other income which lets assume is taxed at the same rate for residents and non residents though residents have a benefit all the way up to $45000 income based on 2024 marginal rates given the 19 per cent rate between that and $18200. 

I too am not sure how you'd be better off unless you have huge amounts available to earn interest. Many would say those huge amounts would do better in other investments but that's beside the point. 

I note that as a resident you could put funds in super e.g. a separate fund from your government one - get a tax deduction for part of it - and then later in an annuity and pay no tax. I am still working out how that works. 

Then of course as a non-resident you may have to pay tax in Thailand though it seems Defined tax super pensions are not taxable under the Double tax Agreement. 

On the interest though lets say you have  $500,000 to earn bank interest. At 5 per cent interest that's $25,000 interest or $2500 in withholding tax for non residents. The tax for a resident would be less than that say $1200 based on marginal rates. So you would need a lot of savings to gain a benefit or am I missing something. That is assuming you pay the same tax on other income such as your PSS payment as a resident or non-resident once the beneficial lower marginal tax rates are used up. 

11 minutes ago, riclag said:

Is it me or did Trump expose the entire 

Washington establishment by do that debate!

He had me fooled !

I thought it was a trap and didn’t want him to go in the LIONS CAGE with CNN and bidens 60 years of debate stage experience.

 

Ive watched Pundits say sources said that Cnn put a lid on Tapper& Bash.

It appeared that way , cause there was no live criticism of Trump or fact checking by them.

 

I wonder if Karoline Leavitt , Trumps  press secretary was   strategically put in 

a interview with A CNN ANCHOR  , knowing that she would shut her down, had something to do with CNN giving a half way decent debate moderation.

How often does the Left eff up, for the  whole world to see they got caught with their panties down!

 

methinks

 

Me thinks that maybe your assumptions about the media you seem to despise were a bit off. I give you that MSNBC and CNN have a bias in that the pick the stories the audience likely want and they present too much of Trump and not enough actually important stories. But you may be surprised that they are often critical of the left when warranted. And the criticisms of Trump aren't so much an unfair bias in my opinion as a different world view whereby he really is an appalling candidate and person  in an objective way. I think newscaster in years gone by from the 60's onwards, many whom you probably respect, would have presented Trump in a similarly bad light. 

In summary I was not surprised a bit to see a fairly presented debate. 

You could look for some better accommodation than you had in Jomtiem so it's more enjoyable. They say Nimman is nice with lots of food and fun things to do. . Prubangboy knows about that. Maybe he can tell you. You could be his friend. 

I went from my airconditioned hotel with pool to my air conditioned restaurant for a nice cold beer with a friend and some hawker working hard in the hot sun all day carrying heavy stuff put their stuff down near me, showed no deference, and was annoyed I didn't buy her stuff. Thailand is terrible now. Boo hoo. 

28 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

But does she want to be president?

She knows first-hand how difficult that job is. Does she really want to make her life miserable and become president?

Not too shabby an option  though. Work a bit hard for 4 months. Be president. 

He seems to have done better in his appearance today. Problem is even if he did really well in second debate people are going to say which one will we get when he's president .. for 4 more years. Please Jill or Barack - have the talk that needs to be had. 

10 minutes ago, susanlea said:

The US has many of the best companies in the world. Apple, Amazon, Microsoft. Without these companies the country would be stuffed.

America has successful companies. If it didn't have successful companies it would be stuffed. Well now I know thanks. 

9 minutes ago, susanlea said:

90m voters who selected Biden should be ashamed of themselves. They should be fined $5000 with the money given to GOP voters to cover high inflation.

What exactly did Trump say he would do to deal with inflation. His certainly suggested things that would exacerbate inflation as I have told you e.g. tariffs on imports. Trump is was and always will be a dud if you stick to what he says instead of how he makes you feel. 

It's not easy but he will go. It's untenable. America's future or an elderly mans feelings.

Just now, susanlea said:

Then research the numbers. Trump had low unemployment, low inflation and a secure border.

Spent a <deleted> load on covid support - much of which went to the wrong people and criminals  - and that and supply issues related to covid and the growing economy after covid was a key reason for inflation that followed. Not blaming him - they did it everywhere. 

Just now, Yagoda said:

So, clearly you don't live in the USA and know nothing of economic conditions on the ground. Why didnt you just say that?

I am an Australian who has felt the effects of inflation as wages didn't keep us so I feel that pain and can make comparisons. 

23 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Why lie?

Not lying Susan. Even Fox News had to admit it. 

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

Haven't you been retired the last 40 years

Retirement from a Australian Government job lol...your having a laff 

You still sad about your dud holiday. In 2024 the Australian Public Service is a lean mean machine full of hard workers. You would be proud of all of us. 

15 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

What state do you live in? IM here in the USA vacationing and prices are stupid.

Inflation - mainly caused by covid spending and hard to reign in. Been away from economic news for a month but through this last year seen even Fox news reports where they reluctantly had to admit the combination of growing economy, jobs, and decreasing inflation is impressive. I don't even really give credit to politicians - it's more about providing a stable political and economic environment and getting out of the way. 

That doesn't make it easier for someone dealing with inflation who doesn't benefit from shares or property who has to buy the essentials- but it's hard in my opinion not to see that America has handled it pretty well in comparison to the world.

But Trump is to my knowledge still recommending a 10 per cent tariff on imports - mentioned today - terrible for inflation - and some close to him about blunting the Reserve bank independence on increasing interest rates to handle inflation - said it before but see what that did to Turkiye. 

3 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Shows how selfish the Democrats are. Country ruined to save their own ass.

He's done well and the American economy is in tip top shape compared to the way Trump left it but he's gotten too old is all. 

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

Well now thats its clear Trump will be our next President, are there any non Trump voters or folks whose minds have been changed who want to discuss policy? I know the rabid rascist Trump deranged spittlespewers are still flopping around in paroxysms of epileptic insane rage, but there are a ton of policy issues to discuss and resolve.

You don't get it still. Most democrats had concerns about Biden and aren't invested in him as leader. Today was best either as him nailing Trump or him crashing and burning badly so a new leader can be picked. The latter happened. It's like pulling off a band aid  - better fast than slow - decision to replace him is now easy rather than watching a continuing slow decline when the decision to replace is  too late. 

Trump is still Trump  - popular with a certain base but so full of lies and bluster and childish nonsense for those that can see -  he even went with the aborting  babies after birth line today - a new younger faster opponent should do the job that Biden can no longer do i.e. efficiently showing those on the fence how full of it he is. 

Examples: Security guard down stairs - super nice and fun Massage girl today - lovely and sweet and a bit shy but worked hard. Lady who made my lunch - nice and natural and disarming. That's today and in a tourist area. Lighten up and smile and they'll smile back. 

Just now, bob smith said:

my god.

 

another annoying tourist post...

 

those annoying tourists pay their kids through school and keep a roof over their heads!!

get it?

 

bob.

I just mean the attitude of western tourists probably rubs off on them and they become a bit more westernised. They aren't rude as such  - just not some how charming as Thais often are. 

Haven't read through the thread so maybe repeating stuff. I am in a kind of retirement or practice for retirement in the touristy Jomtiem. I have limited experience of this area but everyone seems the same as my experiences back from 2003 - friendly, a bit shy, generally nice. Haven't seen a bad side yet. Some staff at the night market a bit abrupt but that's reasonable when dealing with annoying tourists all day. Changed a bit from 1985 when it was a bit more exotic. I think you may be just sick of it and that sends out an energy to those around you. Could be time to go home.