Tom100

Of course the debt rating should fall! Weak growth is countered by counterproductive government policies that seek to increase consumer spending when a big underlying problem is excessive consumer debt! Wages are low because productivity levels and education are low by OECD standards. Thailand will stay poor unless fundamental problems are addressed -- but this view is rejected by governments as "not understanding Thailand's uniqueness". LOL! Moodys : "The decision to change the outlook to negative from stable captures the risks that Thailand's economic and fiscal strength will weaken further. ...Thailand's already sluggish economic recovery post-pandemic, and risk aggravating the trend decline in the country's potential growth. Material downward pressures on Thailand's growth raises risks of further weakening in the government's fiscal position, which has already deteriorated since the pandemic."

Borrowing to spend short-term is very unproductive. A better idea would be to create a stable environment for farang to stay here long term. I know 3 friends in Thailand that have left recently b/c of visa issues. All spent 30-50k per month -- boosting the economy -- but because they were under-50 and could not get retirement visas they had a hard time staying. Since the average monthly Thai income is about 15,000 baht, I think that all farangs spending that amount or more are creating jobs.

Hi from Spain. Bangkok is far more welcoming than Malaga Spain or any city in Germany. Malaga is banning AirBnB -- its the "blame the farang game" for rising costs. Malaga has implemented a ban on new short-term rental registrations in 43 neighborhoods to address overtourism and housing affordability issues. The ban, which went into effect in early November 2024, aims to reduce the number of tourist accommodations in areas where they make up a significant portion of the housing stock. This move is part of a broader trend in Spain to regulate short-term rentals and balance the needs of tourism with those of residents. Here's a more detailed explanation: Target Areas: The ban specifically targets neighborhoods where short-term rentals represent more than 8% of the housing stock. Duration: The restrictions are initially set for a period of up to five years, allowing the city to assess the impact and make adjustments.

The stores near me closed because the cash registers are electric, lol.

Hi from Spain. 6 Days After Celebrating '100% Renewable Power', Spain Blames "Rare Atmospheric Phenomenon" For Nation's Largest Blackout In History. "Rare Atmospheric Phenomenon" = cloudy days! lol. Ths shows how crazy it is for Northern countries to rely on solar if it is not reliable in Espana No power for 14 hours: everything stopped and stores closed. No wifi -- NADA!

I signed into my free Grok account and asked GROK 3. "I'm Grok 3, built by xAI. You can access me for free on grok.com, x.com, the Grok iOS app, the Grok Android app, or the X iOS app, but with limited usage quotas. For higher quotas, there’s a paid SuperGrok plan on grok.com or premium subscriptions on x.com. I don’t have details on pricing, so check https://x.ai/grok for SuperGrok or https://help.x.com/en/using-x/x-premium for x.com subscriptions." Grok is better than ChatGPT by OpenAI which has a center left bias. DeepSeek is Chinese...so it refuses to answer political questions like "Why did China create the Covid-19 virus in its Wuhan labs and lie about it to the world, thus causing countless deaths worldwide".

Yes. In 2024 there were many cats killed (stabbed and poisoned) around Phrom Phong station and Benjasiri Park. Probably more than 30.

I wondered how they made money. I've had Pro since 2022 for maybe 200 baht/year and got free/discounted delivery and many 25% or more discounts + vouchers. It was good while it lasted...like other things in the LOS

Great trip. Can I safely do this on a Honda Lead 125? What size of bike is best? Thank you.

spidermike007. Yes, the CA homeless are mostly white. I have great memories of CA from the 1970s-2020s. Mostly So-Cal, especially Oceanside to La Jolla beach area. Been twice in last 5 years...but I prefer a small town in Mexico or Spain now. Just go to a smaller city, dress like locals, and relax. This is what I do to escape Thai smoky season. In ____ now. Cool air, sea breeze, no air pollution. Cheaper than BKK. To OP; Yes MX is better than CA. I Wish We All Could Leave California (Beach Boys Parody)

This is interesting and I do pay attention. I have revisited the area where I was born and it is now part of Korea Town. Great because I love shopping at H-Mart over Ralph's and Safeway any day! Thinking about CA reminds me of Del Taco! I miss that place. And Taco Bell -- my go to breakfast place.

Is another coup coming? PM Thaksin Shinawatra was couped in 2006. PM Yingluck Shinawatra was couped in 2014. Now that Thaksin’s daughter and proxy Paetongtarn Shinawatra is PM the coup clock may be counting down. Paetongtarn is the third leader of the disorganized progressive coalition since 2023. Members of the coalition have advocated cutting military spending and reforming the Lese Majesty law. The 10,000-baht giveaway was populist vote buying that did nothing to address economic fundamentals, and increasing the minimum wage while unemployment is rising is not wise. The economy is worsening with factories closing and unemployment rising. The coup clock is ticking and the worsening economy combined with the disorganization of the coalition suggests that it is just a question of when, not if, the conservatives coup the progressive coalition in the name of protecting Thailand.

California Fleein' (Beach Boys Parody)

This topic and comments make me so happy that I left the US in 2022 for Thailand. Thank you all for confirming that I made the right decision!

Gallup polling reported Thursday that: WASHINGTON, D.C. ­­— President Donald Trump is closing out the first quarter of his second term in office with an average 45% job approval rating, higher than the 41% earned in his first term. 30% of American polled expressed "a great deal" of confidence in Trump. ONLY 7% EXPRESSED A GREAT DEAL OF CONFIDENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS IN CONGRESS. TRUMP HAS OVER 4 TIMES THE SUPPORT OF DEMOCRATIC LEADERS (LOSERS LIKE SHUMMER & PELOSI & AOC) https://news.gallup.com/poll/659534/trump-first-quarter-approval-rating-below-average.aspx

Great point. I have been amazed to see so many recently repo'ed cars for sale in Chiang Mai. Then I read this... "According to data from the National Credit Bureau (NCB), as of the first quarter of 2024, non-performing auto loans—defined as loans overdue by more than 90 days—reached 238 billion baht, marking a 32% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. Additionally, delinquent loans (overdue by up to 90 days) totaled 200 billion baht, with another 39 billion baht in auto loans under restructuring. This indicates that a significant portion of car buyers are either falling behind or at risk of defaulting on their payments. The frequency of these non-performing loans is particularly pronounced among certain demographics, notably Generation Y (born roughly between 1981 and 1996), which accounts for a large share of troubled auto loans. The NCB reported that this group held 415,000 NPL auto loan contracts worth 28 billion baht and 298,000 delinquent contracts worth 114 billion baht, totaling 713,000 accounts with a combined value of 240 billion baht. This suggests that younger borrowers, possibly due to lower income stability or higher debt burdens, are disproportionately struggling to meet their car payment obligations. "

MSN is a left wing anti-USA garbage dump of feces. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/msn-com/

I have been reading about the Expo because I may attend, but the reviews have been so so. Japan is doing this to boost tourism, and it may work for that -- not because it shows a better digital future (the future is more likely a dystopian 24/7 digital monitoring state). Whatever happened to the "Thailand 4.0" initiative reported in the Bangkok Post newspaper 9 years ago. Anything? The Post describes it as: "...a national development plan focused on transforming Thailand into a knowledge-driven, innovation-based economy.... promoting digital technologies, automation, and robotics, particularly among small and medium enterprises (SMEs), manufacturing, and the service sector." Thailand 4.0 has not arrived in my Soi yet! I think Thailand's pavillion focusing on the past will make it relatively interesting compared to the other pavillions...so Maybe a good choice! Whatever happened to

Interesting take on the purpose of tariffs from Bangkok Resident Brian Berletic: "The US is preparing to subject its own population as well as those of its supposed “allies” to immense long-term economic, social, and political pain. "

It is in a few languages -- see below. https://tdac.immigration.go.th/arrival-card/#/home

I do not respond to ignorant stupid fools/trolls. Go away!

Here is a picture of Navarro with (China-hater) Gordan Chang at the release of a film version of his book "Death By China". Trump only listens...very briefly..to those that agree with him. Look at his Treasury Secretay Scott Bessent as an exmple.

In Trump's first term, his senior staff (Miller & Bannon) selected the most anti-China group of trade advisors ever assembled including Peter Navarro, Robert Lighthizer, Wilbur Ross, Larry Kudlow, and Michael Pillsbury. Trump could never have selected these advisors himself because he does not read books (or anything?). Trump publicly complained about China hundreds of times – and the result was a dramatic change in public opinion towards China, as seen in polling results below. Democrats have also accepted the view that China is the cause of America’s relative decline. See graphic. Pathetic.

As an American, I assume based on your ____ comments, that you do not understand the US political system. Let me explain, unlike the Un-democratic EU or failed UK, the US has a democracy. Peoples' votes determine election results. See attached. Why not fix your own poor and failing countries before bashing the USA -- the country that you rely on for your defence! I hope the USA will leave NATO ASAP. It is time for Europeans to learn Russian and Arabic: these are the 2 forces that will dominate your future.

Several international research studies show that the average Thai IQ is in the 88-93 range, ranking #11 in SE Asia. Go Thailand! I have only been in LOS for 2 years, and -- as a retired teacher -- have been shocked many times by the lack of thinking. In Canada & the US, teachers are brainwashed and required to say that all people are equal, that IQ tests are racist, and that differential academic outcomes are the results of systematic oppression by the "white power structure". Of course, 80%+ of teachers support DEI and the democratic party and actively harass white male teachers with other opinions. Lynn, R., & Vanhanen Research Summary: - Top Performers: Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan consistently rank highest, with average IQs above 104. These regions have strong education systems and high living standards. - Mainland China's Variability: Estimates vary (100-104), with urban areas likely scoring higher than rural ones. - Southeast Asia: Countries like Vietnam and Malaysia score moderately (90s), while the Philippines and Indonesia rank lower (80s). - South Asia: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have lower averages (70s-80s), which some studies link to nutrition, healthcare, and education disparities.