hansnl

Betting on rich foreigners.

Guess they know enough and will go somewhere else.

20 hours ago, YetAnother said:

i love this guy; we hear the news and immediately suspect what might happen; a week later, he does

Guess he thought about the possibility far before you.

Don't get the idea the man is stupid, he isn't, far from it.

4 hours ago, expat_4_life said:

There is little doubt that EV's are coming our way, most viable in the cities. The popular wisdom is that they are environmentally friendly. Yet, I still wonder about the rare earth materials in batteries, their sourcing and the recycling.  With the current political "go green" narrative in control, we'll probably just have to wait and see many years down the road exactly how wise moving to EV's was and/or viable they prove to be.

The real problem is the grid.

In no country is the grid ready or will be ready in time to be sufficient for all the "clean" electric solutions.

And as you say, is an electric car, during it's whole life cycle,indeed as "clean" as we are led to believe?

Yes, the western tourists left, and it is questionable if they will come back.

It all boils down to profit maximisation by the rich, the poor took away too much.....

The western tourists came for the little people, not for the rich.

And Chinese come only one time, they are not coming back time and time again like the western tourists.

Everybody lost, even the Chinese investors..

5 hours ago, hobobo said:

Thai army has been pretty useless in warlike situations for ages. It appears its role these days is limited to military coups

Oh, really?

Do some research before you shoot off your mouth.

On 2/13/2021 at 5:22 PM, Orton Rd said:

They need to bury the sex trade as well

Yes, definitely.

All profit needs to go directly to the big fish, all those Isan boys & girls cream off too much really.

On 2/12/2021 at 1:37 PM, Ireland32 said:

Nothing to see after Korat and to Udon and Nong Khai is a bore , also KK is a Boring place , Udon is more interesting and fun

Khon Kaen is as boring or as interesting as Udon Thani.

It all depends on what you want.

Udon is more westernised if you are looking for that, Khon Kaen is more Isan.

10 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

just a little pre season practice for when tourists return in large numbers. 

 

 

When tourists return?

Probably......if.

8 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

The one person who should be behind bars !

I take it that if you make yourself P.M., then amend the rules  to make yourself untouchable, that is accepted in the Thai justice system ?

 

The laws of the land are made in the parliament, the courts need to obey the law.

A country where courts supplant the lawmakers is a sorry country.

3 hours ago, Mai mee said:

I was having coffee on my balcony about 5:30, about 200-300 meters away, but without a direct view down onto Bangla Rd...  Heard the shots between 5:30 and 5:40. There were a group of 5-6 shots in very rapid succession, followed several seconds later by another 2 shots, and perhaps another few seconds and a final single shot. 

 

Ambulance sirens followed about 10 minutes later.

 

The initial Thai news reports which appeared an hour and a half later said the policeman had been fighting with a falang man before the incident, then brandished the pistol and fired randomly down and into the street, according to my gf, this is apparently when the noodle vendor was hit.

 

It would appear the initial hit was drunken recklessness and willful disregard on the part of the police corporal, but the second go-round (in the CCTV video) certainly appears to be attempted murder.

 

I sincerely hope that justice will be served, but I've been around long enough to doubt that will be the case when the police are involved.

AHH, fighting with a farang before.

Blame the farang.

Unbelievable.

21 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I've never fired a gun in my life but I would think it takes some skill not to kill someone point blank from 18 inches.

 

You'd be surprised being drunk.

2 hours ago, elliss said:

 

Polling Science ?.  I would have lost money on that one ..

 

Indeed, the number of +/-1070 is sufficient if the the randomness is guaranteed.

And I doubt very much if that is so.

So, foreigners living in Thailand for many years and paying income tax over the money they bring in should pay for the vaccination, while Thai who have never paid taxes on income get it free.

Oh, I get it, the foreigners should pay all.

Chinese takeover.

23 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

It's not about tourism at the moment, do you not get that?  No one is expecting tourists to do three weeks quarantine, this is about trying to protect Thailand from the virus.

Then, I guess, all the land borders need to be locked completely.

But that, obviously, would stop the inflow of cheap labour.......

Just now, hansnl said:

That said the banks will will charge you a percentage and deduct it from the amount.

Even with the steep transfer costs of TW on bigger sums it might be better to transfer portions via TW.

On 2/15/2021 at 7:52 PM, Pib said:

Just go with a SWIFT transfer....be sure to transfer GBP...don't let your sending bank convert to baht as you'll get an exchange rate several percent below the Thai bank TT Buying Rate used for incoming international transfers.  And TransferWise can get kinda pricey for large transfer as their sending fees are high for large amounts.   Use to be at around 15K USD equivalent a SWIFT transfer would work out a little better due to the high Transferwise sending fees.

 

About a dozen years ago I SWIFTed a little over 200K USD from the US to Bangkok Bank to buy our house/dirt here in Bangkok....money arrived next day...no questions....no problems

That said the banks will will charge you a percentage and deduct it from the amount.

Even with the steep transfer costs of TW it might be better to transfer portions via TW.

Since my arrival in Thailand in 2006 I spend more per month.

May one wonder how that organisation knows how much these card holders spend?

On 2/10/2021 at 8:19 AM, scammed said:

in a state subsidized hospital, its perfectly OK

to subsidize tax payers, i.e not you,

but what isnt OK is to change price after you accepted the terms,

speaking of which, do you have it written down somewhere the stated cost prior to the hustle ?

as per usual in thailand, whether

its a taxi fare or any other service/product,

always make an agreement beforehand

before you hand over money, and in case like a hospital, where you will get the service before you pay, have it written

Tax payers should be treated fairly in state hospitals?

That is good, because although I am not Thai, I pay tax in Thailand, quite a lot actually.

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Explainer: The WHO's theories about the origins of COVID-19 after Wuhan probe

By David Stanway

 

Peter Ben Embarek, Peter Daszak and Marion Koopmans, members of the World Health Organization (WHO) team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), pose for pictures at a hotel in Wuhan, Hubei province, China February 10, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song

 

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A team of experts appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) completed its 28-day mission to the Chinese city of Wuhan this week seeking clues about the origins of COVID-19.

 

The following looks at their findings.

 

WHAT ARE THE MAIN SCENARIOS?

 

Peter Ben Embarek, the WHO's leading animal disease expert, said the team conducted scientific investigations into four main scenarios about how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spread into humans.

 

In the first, a single person was exposed to SARS-CoV-2 through direct contact with the host species, the horseshoe bat. The virus could have been circulating in humans for a while before making its breakthrough in heavily populated Wuhan.

 

The second scenario, seen as the most likely, involves transmission to humans via an as yet unknown intermediary species. Liang Wannian, an expert with China's National Health Commission, said pangolins were potential candidates but other animals - including mink and even cats - may also be reservoirs.

 

A third possibility is that COVID-19 originated under the first or second scenarios and was then transmitted via cold chain products. Chinese experts have attributed later COVID-19 clusters to imported frozen food and have raised the possibility it might also have caused the Wuhan outbreak.

 

The final scenario is that SARS-CoV-2 was leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is known to have studied captive coronaviruses. Ben Embarek ruled out the possibility and said it would not be subject to further research. Accidents happen, he said, but it was "very unlikely" in this case.

 

WHEN DID THE OUTBREAK BEGIN?

 

The experts said that while it was unlikely there were large-scale outbreaks in Wuhan or elsewhere in China before December 2019, they do not rule out that it was circulating in other regions.

 

A crossover either directly from bats or from an intermediary species would suggest the transmission to Wuhan could have been facilitated by wildlife trading networks.

 

Marion Koopmans, another member of the expert team, said wildlife on sale in the Huanan seafood market could be traced to regions that contain bat habitats known to harbour viruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2.

 

One such region is the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan, but the team is also considering that the first human transmission took place across the border in Laos or Vietnam.

 

WHAT ROLE WAS PLAYED BY HUANAN MARKET?

 

Although the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan was linked to the first case clusters, the initial crossover from animals to humans did not occur there.

 

Liang said that there was still insufficient evidence to determine how the virus entered Huanan, but that it was clear it was circulating elsewhere in Wuhan at the same time.

 

The most likely scenario is that someone carried SARS-CoV-2 into the market, but Ben Embarek also suggested it could have been introduced via a "product", including frozen wild animals known to be susceptible to the virus.

 

DO THE FINDINGS CHANGE THE POLITICS AROUND COVID'S ORIGINS?

 

China has expressed concern that any investigation would be "politicised", and said it would only cooperate if it was clear it would not be expected to take blame for the pandemic.

 

By ruling out the lab leak and accepting that COVID-19 could have originated outside of China, the WHO team has not crossed any of Beijing's lines. China would also be heartened that the WHO team is considering the cold-chain theory. But the findings are unlikely to satisfy those who believe China is culpable and has covered up evidence.

 

WHAT FURTHER RESEARCH IS REQUIRED?

 

Ben Embarek said China needs now to find evidence that might prove the coronavirus was circulating much earlier than December 2019. He said blood bank samples would be a good place to start.

 

Bat communities near Wuhan have been ruled out as a source, and more needs to be done to scour caves in other regions to see if a closer match to SARS-CoV-2 can be found.

 

The animals on sale at the Huanan market also need to be scrutinised further, and the role played by cold chain products in general also needs more research, Ben Embarek said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-10

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

I sincerely doubt if the WHO can be trusted in this matter, nor do I trust the Chinese to be open.

3 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

There is an old English saying "You can not hunt with the hounds and run with the hare" ! Aung San Suu Kyi (or anyone else for that matter) would not find it possible to support the rohingya while surviving with the country's "rulers" and the majority Buddhist population. She quite rightly took the only possible path open to her, and I for one am very pleased that she still enjoys massive popularity among the Burmese ????

While most who "doubt" the standing of Aung San Sui Kyi and the treatment of the Muslim Rohingyas seem to forget or don't know what and who started the troubles.

2 hours ago, herwin1234 said:

Bullet train, eh. Soon China will have bullet trains capable of up to 600 km/hour, joining their already impressive bullet train system.

Meanwhile in the usa...oh wait, no bullet trains. 

China trains running at 600 km/h?

Not on rails and steel wheels.

13 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

And the Thai military do  not care.

You think most politicians, from whichever side, care?

23 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

HI, I am sorry to have to throw some 'cold water' on your plans.

But better that you are aware, than when applying mid 2021 and finding out that you do not meet the requirements and get your 1-year extension for reason of retirement based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa denied.

You wrote that you are already on a 1-year extension of stay for reason of retirement based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa, and that you got that extension by making use of an Agent.

But having done so that means that you will NOT be able to meet the requirements for your mid 2021 extension.  Because the +800k seasoned for two months on your personal Thai bank-account is ONLY applicable when applying first time for your 1-year extension of stay for reason of retirement using the Funds-in-Bank method.

When you are already on a 1-year extension of stay (as you wrote) the process to apply for a further extension goes in two steps:

1 - First the Immigration Officer handling your application will check whether you did meet the conditions you accepted when applying for your 2020 1-year extension.  And those conditions stipulate that you need to keep +800K on your personal Thai bank-account during the first 3 months after your 1-year permission to stay was provided, then you are allowed to lower that amount as long as it does not slip below the +400K tresshold, and finally you have top up again to +800K for two months prior to the moment of application for your new 1-year extension.

2 - The second step is that the Imm Officer - if you 'honoured' the conditions for your previous 1-year extension of stay - will check whether you meet the requirements for your new 1-year extension of stay (e.g. the mandatory Thai IO-approved health-insurance policy, and having all other required documents in order).

>>> But as you used an Agent who took care of the +800K at the moment of application for your 2020 1-year extension of stay and you wrote that you only subscribed to the mandatory Thai IO-approved insurance, you will not be able to meet condition #1.

The 'problem' when using a Fixer Agent to circumvent the +800K Funds-in-Bank requirement when applying for the 1-year extension of stay for reason of retirement, is that you are virtually 'hooked' unless you started from day-1 of that 1-year permission to stay with semi-permanently parking the required 800K/400K on your personal Thai bank-account.  So that after 12 months you can provide evidence that you met the conditions for that 1-year extension of stay that was provided.

>>> So you now have 2 options:

a) Once again engaging a Fixer Agent which will circumvent the +800K/+400K requirement during the past 12 months which you are not able to meet anymore. 

Note: Let me know if you need the co-ordinates of a reliable Fixer Agent in case you were not fully satisfied with the service that the Agent you used for your 2020 1-year extension provided, so that I can PM this info to you.

b) Hope that by mid 2021 when your current permission to stay is due to expire, that by then the current border restrictions have eased.  That would allow you to do a 'quick border-run' and after returning VisaExempt, you would then be able to 'apply from scratch', i.e. applying for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement at the local IO of the province where you intend to stay long-term, and subsequently in the last month of those 90-days then apply for a 1-year extension of stay based on that new Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement.  The advantage of doing so is that you would also have dumped the requirement for the Thai IO-approved health-insurance (which is ONLY applicable when applying for the 1-year extension for reason of retirement based on an original Non Imm O-A Visa).

 

>> I have PM-ed you a comprehensive Guideline document on how to stay long-term in Thailand when over +50 years.  All of the above (and much more) is outlined in detail in that document, including how to apply for the cheap 'throw-away' LMG Plan-1 insurance when extending your current permission to stay for reason of retirement based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa.

 

Tell us more about that LMG plan?