gejohesch

Thanks for these explanations. I'm not an economist but I find all that clear, and it makes a lot of sense to me. One thing, in particular, catches my attention: the concept of economic ecosystems, as opposed to the old-fashioned concept of "isolated" economies which could very well function by trading "wine here for cheese there". The idea was that if 2 countries A and B can both make say cheese and wine, but A makes cheese more effectively than B and B makes wine more effectively than A, the both A and B will benefit by B buying cheese from A and A buying wine from B. That frees manpower away from less effective tasks and ends up lowering the costs. Let me develop a bit on your wire and car seat story. Say the USA are better at making the start-up wires, send them to Mexico who are more effective in bunching wires together, who send the bunches of wires to Canada who are better than the USA or Mexico at fitting the bunches into some hardware and software, who then send the wire bunches + hw/sw to the USA who are better than Canada or Mexico in building all that into car seats and so on, and so on. So, in a way, these modern ecosystems, are they not like an extension of the principle that "trading is good"?

I agree. I'm a EU citizen. These last few years, I have avoided buying anything made in China, which I see as a bullying and arrogant nation that threatens several neighbours with its aggressive policies. Think of Taiwan, or of China building artificial islands in the South China Sea to support its very dubious claim that it all belongs to them (or nearly). Now, I have started checking brands to make sure I do not buy anything made in the USA anymore. I buy sports and biking equipment, like 1-2,000 EUR worth a year - OK, it's not that much but believe me I'm certainly not the only one to do so. I must say I'm sorry for all the very decent Americans, I know there are millions of them, and I have several good American friends. But the situation is clearly that we now have an insane dictatorship in place in the USA who throws <deleted> and abuse at everything that does not fit with its hyper-nationalist view of the world. It's war without declaring it, and the world is responding to it - I'm just one small representative of that reaction. Coming to other points in this discussion - does Trump know and/or understand what he is doing? Is the USA economy going to benefit, if not in the immediate, at least in the mid to long term, so the Trump policies will be vindicated? I think the answer to all that is : NO. What I see in the Trump policies and in the people around him, a classic case of hubris and overreach - ie of overplaying one's hand. People all around the world will pay a heavy price for Trump's manipulations, first of all Americans themselves (apart maybe of the superrich). It is well known that markets hate chaos and uncertainty. Normal people hate that too. People who feel the threat of losing their jobs or at least losing some of their purchasing power (and there are growing echoes in that sense) will protect themselves by reducing their expenses. That will have a knock-on effect on all sorts of industries. I'm not an expert nor a prophet, so I might be wrong, but I see a severe economic crisis being in the cards. How certain can anyone be that all that Trump stuff is going to end with a sweet, soft and gentle landing for the USA????? I think people are playing with fire big time here....

Thanks for your "correct....". However, I'm sorry, but I don't think I agree with you for the rest.

That's my reading of Starmer's statements. He cannot say openly that he distrusts Trump, that would be amateurish to the extreme. At the same time, he knows how to let people understand where he stands when he said (somewhere, I cannot remember where) that "He cannot accept that the US are an unreliable ally". What this really means is that, he thinks/he knows/he understands that the US are now an unreliable ally, and he finds that new reality difficult to accept. It's a typical British understatement, very subtle and diplomatic.

Good summary. The prime beneficiary of Trump-MAGA policies will certainly be China, I'm 100% sure of that. Certainly not Russia (!), and I doubt the EU can compete with China, although it might do its best. Whatever, The USA will be a big loser.

I'm afraid there is some truth behind the perception that Israelis often behave badly when abroad. I remember seeing a group of young Israelis in a restaurant in Hampi, years back, one guy was reclining on his seat and had his legs put right up across the table, he was wearing no shoes and was displaying his very filthy feet to everyone. That would be shocking in any country. Such arrogance! Such total lack of respect for other people! That's just one example, I have seen more. I'm not anti-semitic one bit, btw. On the contrary.

I saw that in India in a few places I visited just a few years ago, eg Rishikesh, Gokarna or Hampi. I met a nice Israeli mature couple in Orccha who brought the subject themselves, being embarrassed by the poor behaviour of their younger compatriots in India. They tried to explain it by "they had a tough time while in the army and now need to let their hair down". But I think there is also sthg true in what you're saying - they feel superior to others. Maybe it's more the case with poorly educated people, as also happens with of other nationalities?

The Thai culture is charming, but if only they would spend a bit less time laughing, playing, praying and singing when at school (or even at work!), and a bit more time actually concentrating on learning and/or doing something.... Ah, the word "concentrating" ...... I will stop here!

It seems to me that Thais consume a lot of Chinese products (plastic stuff, tools, electric pumps etc). I wonder what effect US tariffs on China might have on Chinese sales in Thailand?

I went to KL 2 weeks ago, so just a bit later than you. I found the MDAC system straightforward as far as filling in the details are concerned, and indeed got a reply by email, quite rapidly (cannot remember, maybe just a few hours, not more), with a pdf file attached. However, the pdf did not contain a QR code. I could get confirmation on the MDAV website that my application was indeed received, however, when going to get the QR code, the system replied with the message that "no record was found". I tried multiple times. I got a bit nervous, having to fly to KL without a QR code. There was absolutely no explanation whatsoever on the website why I would not get a QR code. So, rather poor show I think! Arriving in KL, I could go through the automatic gates (EU passport) no pbm. Maybe that's where the MDAC system recognises me as having registered online? No idea! Leaving KL, a bit of a nagging doubt again - what if immigration asks to see that damn QR code - which I never got? But I went through no question asked. Conclusion, it's a good system. Makes entry-exit easy and quick. Shame it was a bit obscure wrt getting, or not, that (in)famous QR code. Having had a few minor but annoying issues when registering for entering Thailand during COVID times, I rather expect the Thailand equivalent MDAC system to be even more obscure. Ah, that's the word, is it not, about Thailand : obscure....

Thanks, interesting .... and vague as usual for most stuff coming from Thailand. What does "elderly" mean? Older than 65, 70, 75, 83 and 3 months????

Thanks, good to know

I didn't know that was possible. Interesting.

I'm planning a trip to Nepal in September, accompanied by my Thai partner. During that trip, we I intend to do a trek of 6 to 8 days. I had some trouble finding an insurance for myself (EU citizen) that would include search and rescue cover, which is required to trek in Nepal, but eventually found one - worked as ca. 220 Euros for 3 weeks. However, I have even more difficulties finding a similar insurance for my partner (Thai woman). Lots of stuff found online is specific to citizens to one part of the world only, which means that it takes an awful time sifting through all the links, when searching. I found an offer for her with World Nomads but it's sthg around 1,000 USD. No way, I'm going to take anything like that!!!! Would anyone on this forum have a recommendation? I would be very grateful!

It is not at all uncommon that one would have to declare for tax in a given country even if that does not involve a tax liability. I give an example I know very well. Certain foreign residents in Portugal have had for years been living under the so-called RNH system ("Residente Não Habitual") with the requirement to declare their worldwide income to the Portuguese authorities while as a matter of fact the taxation rate applied to the declared income was 0% (YES!). Needless to say, that system was fiercely attacked by other countries and the taxation rate under the RNH regime is not 0% anymore (but still rather low).

I'm not clear about what you want to say here, but one thing I can tell you to make it clear is that a DTA (Double Taxation Agreement) is not an agreement that allows 2 countries to tax you on the same item. On the contrary, it is an agreement to avoid double taxation. Now, each DTA between "Country 1" and "Country 2", be it Germany-Zimbabwe, USA-Timbuktu or Croatia-PNG will have all sorts of bells and whistles and they will differ from DTA to DTA. Certain income items will be taxable in Country 1 and not in Country 2, others will be taxable in Country 2 and not in Country 1 - and yet other items might not be taxable at all.

"Many visitors feel targeted due to nationality-based pricing, viewing it as an implicit form of discrimination." Yes, I cannot help it, but I indeed feel targeted. "Furthermore, the higher costs could deter some tourists, potentially affecting Thailand's competitiveness compared to neighbouring nations without such policies. Charges for foreigners can be significantly steeper, leading tourists to question the fairness of paying more for identical experiences as locals." It certainly deters me. It's been years I have refused to visit any of those places that would charge me so much more than if I was a local. I do not like being treated like a walking ATM. And that by the way is not only in Thailand, but also in India for example. I remember the entrance to the park on the other side of the Yamuna River, opposite the Taj Mahal, charging sthg like 5-10 times more a foreigner than an Indian national - I did not enter. Or visiting the sites in Yucatan, Mexico - sthg like 30+ EUR or USD pp - what the hell do they think, tourists are loaded with millions? Those charges come on top of everything else and it ends up being a bit OTT.

Could be interesting, but do you know more about possibilities to do that, either in THB and in Thailand, or in another currency and that would be paid to her being resident in Thailand?

Correct also in the jurisdictions that apply to me : the pensions are transferred to the surviving legal spouse (with substantial reductions from what they were being paid to me). Nothing could possibly pass to my GF. So the question for me is how to either: 1) Make an investment on my GF's name. Best seems to be a life insurance. I checked: a life insurance would not be considered as part of the estate upon my passing away, so it would be 100% to her benefit. or 2) Make a will to the benefit of my Thai GF, taking into account that it can only be whatever remains after the parts that would go by law to my children. I think it would be possible not leaving any part of the estate to my legal wife, which would not worry me as I have very well looked after her and she would get my pensions (reworked). However, this may not be the better option because: it needs legal work (tedious, intricate) + the fiscality that would apply to a beneficiary other than the ones dictated by the law (the ones that cannot be disinherited) would probably be heavy.

Yes. I just checked that. It's exactly how it works.

Again (!) : No, that is not always true. Different countries (citizenship, pension sources), or better said : different jurisdictions > different laws. Just read what Red Phoenix explained, and my replies above. In most Western European countries, one cannot disinherit children. And to be precise, at least in the jurisdictions that apply to me, the laws are very precise in stating how the estate is distributed between children (and surviving spouse if any), and that leaves 0% for anyone / anything else.

Thanks again, your construction is interesting. I have 2 children and I know for sure that at least one of them will refuse to pass on anything whatsoever to my Thai GF.

Ah, that's very clear, thanks very much. As I said in my reply to so else just a minute ago: - A) I'm a citizen of a Western European country. - B) I'm still married in a Western European country. - C) My pensions are sourced from 2 Western European countries. Point 1 you make is particularly of interest : children cannot be disinherited. That's the case in the Western European countries A, B, C above. I have 2 children. If I write a will stating that I leave even 1000 THB to "the noodle shop lady down the street", the lawyers will just have a good laugh and ignore it. So, in my case, securing the future of my "de facto wife" but "legally speaking GF" has to go via donations or some investment entirely in her name.

Good point. That's exactly my worry. I'm a citizen of a country in, I'm still married in, and my pensions are sourced from Western Europe (note that these are not necessarily the same and unique country). When deceased, these countries will exercise their laws, and I suspect that these will prevail on anything I try to do "on the legal side" in Thailand.

Donations to the wat : indeed, that's a concern. My partner is more sensible than most others I see around in her region, and she has seen the world with me (outside Thailand) so she has a bit of a sense of reality. However, she remains a Thai person, and whenever we are back in her village, she turns back being glued to the wat and everything that revolves around. Buddhism is a nice thing, which I respect, in principle, but the way it is practised in Thailand is a corruption of what it origially was meant to be.... Pension: yes, I have pensions (plural), related to past employment. However, not being legally married with my Thai partner, and still having a legal wife in Europe (very difficult to divorce for various reasons), the law in my case - given my nationality and where the pensions are being paid - would completely override any will I might have signed, wherever. So, a reasonable option I get from a number of contributors in this discussion would be to invest in a condo, on my Thai partner's name, that would secure her a regular income. Key would then be to invest in a quality condo with quality management. And hoping she would not sell it once I'm deceased to waste it all between the wat and her family, but again, that would be up to her. There are limits to what one can do!