IsaanT

As well as all the healthy food items, I also make hydrogen-enriched water. This also tackles free radicals and has other health benefits too. I've noticed positive effects from drinking the water.

The Isaan region of Thailand has its own language called Isaan (ภาษาอีสาน, Phasa Isaan). It’s actually a dialect of Lao, closely related to the language spoken in Laos, but influenced by Thai over centuries.

The OP said three hours drive NE of Bangkok - there's a lot less planes overhead once one gets out of Bangkok, and they're usually above 25,000 feet! 🙂 The image below shows the live air traffic at the time of posting.

I don't know how long you've lived here but it's not the same as your home country. There are different rules, different ways of doing things and different values. Perhaps you could try to integrate with the local culture instead of railing against everything. You appear to be angry and to not fit in here at all, and it does make me wonder why you chose to come here in the first place. For all your claims, there appears to be no evidence that you have any wealth at all. I'm sure there are many ways you could show this but I suspect the truth is that you have a big imagination and a small bank balance/income, and you hide your disappointment behind your exaggerated stories. If you don't or can't abide by the rules here, your blood pressure would probably benefit if you returned to the place where you do understand the rules (and understand the consequences of non-compliance).

Sadly, I expect the wingers and complainers would still pay the 💰 to have their voices heard.

There are some things I'll never understand... such as how many people try to engage in reasonable conversation with the OP when all his responses are rude, disrespectful or insulting. This constant attention-seeking via negative posts makes me wonder just how damaged the OP must be.

I would agree but the photo appears to show a tyre, not a wheel.

An excellent example of AI use. I recently proof-read my son's business website (he's just made the break to being his own boss). I suggested several modifications and enhancements to his partner, who had constructed the website. Occasionally, when it wasn't entirely black-or-white, I copied the sentence or paragraph into whichever AI engine I was using at the time and asked it to correct the spelling, grammar and punctuation in best English business style (note the specific request). I have to admit it came up with a couple of ideas that I hadn't thought of but I was pleased and grateful. Conversely, I remember writing my resignation email notice to all my colleagues in my company. I thought about using AI to create something but I knew that would be TOO EASY!! I spent several hours, on and off, constructing my own humourous departure notice and felt better for having created it myself. Some of my colleagues kindly said it was the best resignation email they'd every seen. For everything else, I have to have a good reason NOT to use AI...!

I remember the early pioneering days when ChatGPT was first made available to the public. It was 30th November 2022. Since then it has evolved and come a long way. Let's get this in perspective - that's less than 2.5 years. I will be intrigued to see where we are in ten years' time but it certainly won't be going away. The responses from any AI system are SO dependent on the request. For example, if it was requested to provide a news report of a particular instance IN THE STYLE OF The New York Times (insert the news medium of your choice) it will oblige. As a simple example, ask it to report a news article (or make up a story) IN THE STYLE OF William Shakespeare; I would hope you would be impressed. As already referenced by CharlieG, there is a whole science now about prompt engineering, i.e. how to construct an appropriate request to eliciit an appropriate response. In essence, be specific and provide all relevant details in the prompt in order to obtain an appropriate request. As an example, I could ask AI to provide a route that can take me from Bangkok to Chaing Mai. It would give a response. However, If I said 'Please provide me with a route from Bangkok to Chaing Mai. I would appreciate a comfort/refuelling/eating break around every two hours, and I prefer PTT stations to the others. Please also suggest places of interest along the way, and I am happy to accept minor diversions along the route to be able to visit them. Lastly, I would appreciate suggestions which avoid large towns or cities, especially in peak traffic periods.', I will get a very different response (try it!). In simple terms, it is just like how you feel when you have been asked a question - do you feel you have all the relevant and pertinent information in order to construct a response? As has also already been stated, it's still the same with computers - Garbage in, garbage out. Take the time to construct a good prompt and you will be rewarded with a good response. Should you still be disappointed, please post your query and response here and I or others can help analyse it and make helpful suggestions. Finally, I remember one or two of my colleagues were openly sceptical about AI when it first appeared. There will always be doubters. Personally, I use it almost every day. At that time my company was paying management consultants (Cognizant) huge sums of money for advice and recommendations that I quickly found could be equalled by ChatGPT. I feel it is like asking a really wise and infinitely-knowledgeable friend to help me. I am smart enough to recognise when it might have misinterpreted my request but that would be my fault for not being clear enough (it's rare but it can happen). Embrace it - your life will be enriched accordingly.

Looking at the photo, I'd estimate the visibility to be at least 400 metres, probably more. I expect the visibility is less of an issue - it's the sharp bend in the road (possibly after a long straight) that might have lulled the driver into a false sense of security. Chevrons on a steel barrier on the bend should prevent any further accidents (or stop the vehicle from going in the pond).

Perhaps owning a car will open up new opportunities, as described above. I drive in Bangkok occasionally (usually visiting family in the Sukhumvit area) and can concur that driving outside Bangkok is a comparatively-enjoyable experience. I bought a 2012 pick-up last year. It only had 80,000km and had one careful (very elderly) owner. It looks and drives like new. Importantly, it's a four-door cabin so it has all the advantages of five seats like a family saloon but has much better load-carrying capacity (you might be surprised how often this is useful). I get it serviced by a main dealer each year and I expect it will give good service for many years. As you know, older cars have lost most of their depreciation so no need to worry about big capital costs diminishing. Other advantages of pick-ups include a near car-like comfort level, almost immunity to potholes because the suspension is tougher than saloon cars, and the imperious view over the other traffic (as enjoyed by Range Rover owners and other 4x4 types). The construction is also very solid, which is why it's not unusual to see 30 or 40-year old pickups still plying their trade. Lastly, the diesel engines are easily good for 300,000km if looked after, and the torque from a big turbo-diesel makes driving both relaxing and surprisingly rapid compared to some of the lean-burn small petrol-engined cars that need to be thrashed to get convincing acceleration for an overtake. The downside of pick-ups is fuel consumption. Personally, I rationalise that diesel is so cheap here compared to Europe that, pound-for-pound, it's the equivalent of getting 60-70mpg in the UK so I don't worry about it.

We live in an increasingly-connected world (as all the members discussing Thai taxation are learning about global taxation). I wouldn't assume hospital records will remain unconnected. Having said that, TiT so it may or may not happen as quickly as you might imagine.

Just for completeness, the small cracks in the sidewalls that have been mentioned are caused because old rubber oxidises (caused by heat, air contaminants but mostly from UV), resulting in shrinkage because the rubber has dried out. This affects the tyre's structural integrity so replacment is imperative. Rubber in tyres contains natural oils. Sidewall dressings are available which make the tyre look blacker and cleaner but also contain oils to help rejuvenate the rubber. Personally, I just apply some silicone oil occasionally to feed the rubber. And I keep my cars and motorbikes parked out of direct sun at home.

I used to work for the UK's largest tyre distributor. You say that you have been told that the tyres are 'more than' five years old. I'd be interested in knowing their age. Tyre age can be determined by the DOT (US Department of Transport) code printed on the side of the tyres. This states the month and year of manufacture. How the DOT Code Works: The last four digits of the DOT code represent the week and year the tyre was manufactured. Here's how to decode it: The first two digits represent the week of the year (from 01 to 52). The last two digits represent the year the tyre was manufactured. For example, if the last four digits of the DOT code are 2518, it means the tyre was manufactured in the 25th week of 2018. Example of a DOT Code: DOT B3YZ ABCD 2518 2518 means the tyre was made in week 25 of the year 2018. There is no set age at which tyres should be replaced. Most get replaced when insufficent tread remains but that isn't the case for you. Typically, tyres of more than eight years are probably best replaced due to ageing of the rubber compounds but it depends on how the vehicle has been used, stored, etc. Ultra violet light in Thailand is likely to degrade the sidewalls faster due to its strength here. As has already been pointed out, this is visible by small cracks forming. Blisters, cuts or any other abnormal indications would be compelling reasons for replacement in older tyres. So, how old are your tyres?

I was describing the FIFO principle. The answer to your question - how to prove the origin of savings - is to print a bank statement showing the balance of your savings as at 31st December 2023. Any savings up to this point are not assessable for tax purposes. Savings beyond this point, i.e. January 2024 onwards, are. The FIFO principle is then applied to the amount as at 31st December 2023. In case others may have missed it, here is a simple worked example of FIFO in action: Balance as at 31st December 2023 - $20,000 Remittances to Thailand in 2024 - $10,000 Additions to savings in 2024 - $15,000 Closing balance as at 31/12/2024 - $25,000 Using FIFO, $20,000 - $10,000 = $10,000, so the remaining non-assessable savings are $10,000. The additional $15,000 added to the account in 2024 is after the 2023 deadline so would be assessable for tax purposes if remitted to Thailand (the Thai tax is based on the principle of remittance-based taxation, i.e. you may pay tax if you bring the money in to Thailand. Obviously, if it's left in your home country savings account, it is unaffected.). Assuming that 2025 is a repeat of 2024 and a further $10,000 is remitted to Thailand and a further $15,000 is added (e.g. pension): the remaining $10,000 non-assessable funds would have been used up so the account would have no further non-assessable funds. The $30,000 balance at the end of the year would be assessable in subsequent tax years if remitted to Thailand. I hope this helps.

FYI for UK expats: It was helpful of @Moonlover to bring this to the forum's attention. However, with respect, I can improve on this. The official Thailand-UK Double Taxation Convention can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thailand-tax-treaties. A number of double taxation agreements are currently being reviewed, and this web page allows you to be notified of any changes in the content by email. The current information is effective in Thailand from 1st January 1981 and was published on the .gov.uk website on 2nd January 2014. I already use this .gov.uk email notification service for another UK legislation topic and find it reliable.

I've presented the facts. This forum wouldn't survive for very long if every statement (I exclude opinions) had to be verified. Some of us are trying to provide helpful input. If you seek ultimate veracity, please do your own homework.

I'm talking about bringing money into Thailand, so I am talking about the Thai Revenue Department.

I bought a Dunlopillo latex mattress here one year ago. It even had a Union Jack on it.

I agree - I have an alarm on my watch to remind me to eat a banana at 9pm every night. I follow most of the other advice and am usually asleep in 1-2 minutes.

My point was that expats are guests in Thailand. Thais may choose to flout their own rules, as nationals do in many countries. Expats are not nationals. Nationals are exempt from domestic visa issues, for example.

Why would you intentionally wish to flout the rules in your host country?

The process is simple and works on the FIFO (First In, First Out) principle. For example, if you had £20,000 in your savings account on 31 December 2023 and remitted £10,000 from it to Thailand in 2024, you would have £10,000 of your original 2023 funds left. Even if you added £5,000 to your savings in 2024, e.g. pension, accrued interest, etc., giving you a year-end balance of £15,000 at 31 December 2024, you still only have £10,000 of your original non-assessable 2023 savings.

You are absolutely right but I'm unclear what point you are making. Dick Van Dyke wasn't exactly Nureyev, was he?