nigelforbes

The article tells you in part, the increase is based on the previous four months prices which are reviewed every four months. What it doesn't tell you is that subsidized electricity prices costs the government money and that money has to be paid back at some point so that prices can once again be subsidized in the future. The oil stabilization fund is the same, the fund that supports petrol prices.

That's helpful, thank you.

@RichardColeman "Considering the relationship between growth of export value and exchange rates over the past 10 years, the results suggest that several periods of baht appreciation against the U.S. dollar, such as in 2010- 2011 and 2017, coincided with strong export growth US (Chart 1). Conversely, in some periods, such as in 2009 and 2014- 2015, despite the weakening of the baht, export value contracted. Indeed, in addition to exchange rates, export value may be driven by other factors as well, for instance trading partners’ income or even specific factors such as structural economic problems that could arise either domestically or externally". In order to study and compare the importance of exchange rates and other factors on exports, the analysis needs to be complemented by econometric models. The estimation results on the relationship between export volume and the Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER)12/ show that the appreciation of REER reduces export volume in line with theories. Nevertheless, the elasticity of exports to exchange rate movements is found to be lower over time, suggesting a weaker link between the REER and export volume. In particular, a 1 percent appreciation of the REER in the past would reduce export volume by approximately 0.6 percent13/ . However, the elasticity now decreases to around 0.3 percent and becomes statistically insignificant during the past two years. Moreover, exchange rates have much less impact on export volume than income-related factors. https://www.bot.or.th/English/MonetaryPolicy/MonetPolicyComittee/MPR/BOX_MRP/BOX_MPR_June2018_2.pdf

There's no viable alternative at this point.

BOT studies have shown that doesn't happen, the volume of exports are not directly related to baht strength or weakness but to the state of the economy in the buyers country.

You're both right! Visa extensions done through agents, where the applicant meets the financial criteria are legal, extensions where the agent fronts the money for the visa are not. One costs about 7k (mine does), the other between 25k and 30k (apparently).

I don't think it says that at all! I think what that chart says is that USD has strengthened against AUD, and against almost every other currency, for much of that year. I'm sure some investors will have traded but that applies to investors in every currency, not just AUD.

I like that idea, thanks, it works for me. We are planning to render both sides but the full length lintel had escaped me, brilliant.

The insulation part is not nece3ssary since these are under-house rooms that are well shaded. I agree concrete fill will give superior strength but is almost certainly overkill.

I will intervene if I have to, the money is not an issue for me but I do want the job done properly. If 9cm will work, great, but if it really should be 14, somebody will hopefully know and say.

Well spotted, thank you, I'll fix that. :))

I'm trying to understand what size block to use to construct some internal walls at MiL's house, 7cm, 9cm or 14cm, here's the deal: MiL's house is 17 years old and and sits on raised concrete posts that provide a large shaded area under the house for sitting/washing machine etc. The concrete posts are spaced (from memory) about 3 meters apart and are steel wired at the base, the concrete floor contains steel mesh and is strong. A bathroom was constructed at ground level using 7cm block, one wall runs from post to post but the other walls stop short of the posts so are unsupported. Over 17 years, the frequent opening and closing of the door has caused the door opening wall to shift and badly crack, this has started to crack and weaken the two side walls. There is no lintel above the door! The concrete floor is intact and show no sign of cracking or weight damage. Floor to ceiling height appears to be about 2.5 meters. The project is to remove the three bathroom walls, reconstruct them more solidly AND to build a second adjacent room for storage. all walls will run post to posts and both doors will have lintels installed above. The exception to this MAY be the bathroom door wall which will be sited some 60cms back from the posts but the supporting end walls at each end will run post to post, hence the door wall will be supported. The existing walls appear to be 7 cm block. It looks like that may be OK if walls are run post to post and are supported, as long as the wall doesn't contain a door, otherwise X mm block should be used. What is the value of X, please, I think 9 may work (it seems 7 cm worked OK for at least a decade)? I know that 14cm will be ideal but this is not my project and MiL's budget is tight, 14cm block is 20 baht vs 7. TIA

A bad case of one bahtitis.

The US has been dumping since September, really!

Oh please! What would you rather be, old and poor in Thailand or old and poor in the UK...don't answer, it was a rhetorical question!

Bill I agree, I meant from the standpoint of respect rather than financially.

True. But which would you rather be, without visa and worrying about when you might get caught, penalties and all, and, without health insurance and all that entails, or, just the latter. Neither one is good but one is slightly better than the other. I mean, if you're going to stay here, at least enjoy the place rather than being scared to death every time a cop walks by.

Why? What does Thailand gain from doing that, apart from being seen to be taking care of older people, which they do in spades, just not foreign older people!

I haven't watched the video but the headline makes little sense, exports increased in February and it's still to early to know what March numbers are: "Exports in Thailand increased to 22376.20 USD Million in February 2023 from 20249.50 USD Million in January". https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/exports

No, I am speculating based on stereotype, why would I be prejudice, I'm older than he is! And if he's fully insured and he pays his health insurance premium every year (mine is 148,000 baht so his must be similar I guess), did he just keep forgetting to extend his visa or was this some form of silent protest perhaps!

Overruled, increasing old age means worsening health and increased need for medical care, if if couldn't afford the visa, how would he be able to afford the health care.

Hmm, but if the equivalent no visa/overstayer was arrested for the same offense in posters home country, how supportive would everyone be then, methinks, not much at all!

Presumably (potential future) medical costs that he likely can't afford.

A major problem at this time of year is that the air in the North is static, there is very little wind to speak of. That said, the wind currents at Tachileik are from the West, from Myanmar, as the Wind map shows, but are only very slight. https://www.windy.com/?19.605,99.355,8

I've considered similar in the past but haven't yet acted, this year I might. One solution would be to take a large Xiaomi air purifier (about 12k baht) and mount it outside somewhere weather proof and duct in the air outlet, into the house, to create positive pressure inside the house. The casing, the fan and the filter are all perfect for continual running at a low speed, that is after all what the SCG whole house product will be.