samtam

It was all a big misunderstanding.....

Volte Face: (if only the tax debacle took such a short time to get one too)....

Until you get this changed, the problem will recur. At one stage I was having the aircon that was problematic cleaned every three months, because the jelly build up took about that time to clog up the tray...and the waterworks began. Almost 3 months to the day, in each of the several cases. My whole renovation in 2019 was to fix the continuous aircon problems I had over the preceding 15 years. So I ripped all of them out, (they were the built-in type, put in by my first contractor in 2004), and as it involved so much ceiling and wall work, renovated the whole place as well. It was therefore rather irritating to find that the newly installed split Mitsubishi inverter units with bells on failed, as described. The only thing I can say is that the electricity bill has fallen by 75%, because the old units were clearly unfit for purpose on every level.

The most important thing is that your outflow pipe from your aircon unit flows at a downward angle towards the (outside) outflow pipe. I had a repeated problem of my newly installed aircon. Always leaked after 2 or 3 months. Solution was to remove the boxed in area and make the outflow pipe slope downwards, so that no water collected in the tray. Then to insulate the outflow pipes and the copper coolant pipe, (which in the original installation had been duct-taped together, causing condensation, which after time dripped through the boxed area). As well as this, I have all aircons (5) professionally cleaned every 6 months. Whereas before the main culprit, (my bedroom aircon, which gets most use) used to have "jelly" in it, now it does not, because the water flows out, and does not accumulate in the aircon's tray. I also cut the outflow pipes (outside) into 2 segments, with a funnel, covered with mesh. If the far end of the run off pipe, which feeds into a drain, gets clogged, the water dripping through will backflow through the funnel, (outside) on the balcony. All 5 aircons were "professionally" installed during a major renovation, but three years later, and several major "waterfalls" later, ruining JT silk curtains et al, I decided to take out the box (in which the pipes were hidden for aesthetics). As I suspected, the piping was as described above, (completely ignoring the 101 of these things, gravity). Once fixed, the box was reinstated, and so far, everything seems to be working satisfactorily, (although I've probably jinxed it by writing all of this). Aircon installation by "professional aircon installers" is not of a very good quality, and the problems occur long after the contractor has disappeared. A/C drain line tablets, according to Google: https://www.google.com/search?q=a%2Fc+drain+line+tablets&rlz=1C1CHBF_enTH851TH851&oq=A%2FC+drain+line+tab&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIKCAIQABiGAxiKBTIKCAMQABiGAxiKBTIKCAQQABiGAxiKBTIKCAUQABiGAxiKBTIGCAYQRRg6qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

They attend a course in the Tourist Authority of Thailand Magic School of Statistics and Wishful Thinking, (TATTMSSWT for short).

@kevthailand Thai banks' staff not knowing their product is a requisite for being employed by them.

I actually gave up my seat on an airport bus to a woman with a large belly whom I assumed was pregnant. She said "thank you, but why?". I said, "because you're pregnant." She told me she was not! We both laughed.

I'd slap your face, but I'm allergic to leather.

When you hold the door open, or move out of someone's way, and they pass without a murmur, (a regular occurrence here sadly, where good manners seem to have slipped off the DNA, despite a contrary reputation for friendliness and politesse), "You're most welcome. Please don't mention it." (Irony is lost too.)

I would add, this whole sewer show could easily have been avoided if a bit of simple critical thinking had been applied, (such as the major discussion on display on the 2 fora in AN, and doubtless from wise and savvy tax accountants and lawyers, and investment firms and private bankers). But until there is finality in clarification, they have done a great deal of damage to investment and the financial system of Thailand, and proven once again that risk is a major criterion of any dealings with Thailand.

Itsy bitsy spider... Thanks @Dogmatix. I hope this is the first nail in this coffin of stupidity. If however, Thailand tries to tax all worldwide income, like the USA, that would be an even more silly idea than the one currently being spouted, and unlike the IRS, I think their ability to enforce this is wildly optimistic. The article you reference also seems to emphasise the main target as (wealthy) Thais who invest overseas, and I suspect like previous attempts to alienate this segment of the electorate will end in tears.

I have just gone into my UOB branch in Silom Complex to effect some minor banking operations, (updating my passbook and asking for a breakdown of an aggregated sum). One of the transactions had a narrative EFT, and I asked what that was, as it was not included in the transaction code list at the back of the passbook. They had to inquire in the back office. Twenty minutes later I tried to proceed with other inquiries, (adding a power of attorney, initially an unknown concept, and twenty minutes after that, deciding to abandon that for another day). If Thai RD are going to rely on banks to help them sift through customers' transactions, they are in for a very long slog. UOB is about average on the scale of ineptitude. My recent registration for the facial ID facility was another exercise in the stimulation of high blood pressure, as despite numerous SMS notifications, the staff in another UOB branch seemed to know very little about how this worked, what an electronic chip was in a passport etc, and 50 minutes later, I limped out, exhausted by the ordeal. Perhaps one little hurdle Thai RD need to consider for their cunning masterplan.

Not condos or houses either. Singapore is now one of the most expensive property markets in the world. Ditto Hong Kong, (despite a recent downturn). Always difficult to get meaningful statistics here, but I think the foreign buyers' percentage of ownership of Thai properties is unlikely to be a major catalyst. TBN here suggests it will account for 15% of the market in the next 2 years. "The market is dead" sounds about right to me. It was in a coma during the pandemic, and is still breathing, but barely. Any tax uncertainty or negativity will obviously have some impact (see above), and it will have relapse. In this case UK State Pension has been "assessed", and it is zero. Whether Thai RD will consider that as the more favourable outcome to the UK expat, and one that should apply, is anybody's guess at the moment.

When you state "their position remains unchanged", I'm not sure I follow you: their position surely changes, because now they will still owe taxes, and file a tax return?

Colombia and Thailand are very disparate countries to each other, as indeed they are to Hong Kong SAR and Singapore (in terms of tax), and yet the latter 2 have very favourable tax regimes, (as noted by the lawyer in the OP). Unfortunately living in either Hong Kong or Singapore would cost you infinitely more in housing and cost of living, than any new tax in Thailand.

Can you expand on "economic ties" please?

AFAIK there are no boosters for the current new variants. When I had my 'flu jab at BNH in Bangkok the doctor said that there was no need to get any covid booster. This is a completely different response to that being given in the West, (USA & UK). In the latter, my cousin (same age as me, 66), has had his eighth covid shot, (a booster for the new variant). I last had my 3rd covid vax in 2021, caught covid in Spain last year, with minimal symptoms.

"OK, I'm ready for my clarification now Mr DeMille.", to paraphrase Gloria Swanson.

I think the key is "has the tax been assessed", (in Dubai)? It has been assessed, (at the zero rate). But Lord knows how Thai RD will interpret that. It would be nice if they could let us all know, and PDQ.

Yes, it has to be signed/chopped by the bank.

Yes, we have a group of 7 or 8 who are constantly whingeing about very minor details. I call it the Whine LINE. Their comments are rather like those I imagine are made by schoolgirls about their classmates, teachers etc, (and I'm probably being unkind to schoolgirls). I have discouraged our manager from participating, because however he responds, they are encouraged by those responses to double down. It is important that he follows the chatter, but not participate in it. Sure enough, ignoring it seems to make it die down. I am on the board of the condo, so I get informed. The magnificent 7 (or eight) wouldn't lift a finger to improve the condo for the good of ALL residents, but boy, they love to complain when the management makes changes designed to do just that. And these people are rich, (dare one call them HiSo?), but devoid of any grace or thoughtfulness.

@Murn Are you the TAT rep for Chiang Rai?!🤔

@pollyogI have had this problem in the past, but only if I've left the cans in a cupboard (that tends to get too hot). And I generally don't stock a lot of mixers for that reason, because we don't drink them, and friends visiting went into a hiatus during and post pandemic. I do buy Chang soda in a bottle, which seems to be OK, but is also drunk pretty quickly.

Thanks. It shows Chiang Mai University as the contributor. I have notified them, (I think). Have had correspondence with them over the last few days.

Here is today's for รร.โสตศึกษาทุ่งมหาเมฆ แขวงทุ่งมหาเมฆ เขตสาทร กรุงเทพฯ, Bangkok, Thailand Air Pollution: which shows "no data", but 129 on the map. So it has presumably been disabled, but not removed from the map. I have notified them of this one too.