Tom100

Excellent answer. See and decide based on what feels right for you. Before I moved to LOS I asked people online where to live -- most said near Asoke in BKK -- biggest mistake was listening to others rather than making my own decision as HarrisDude suggests.

Excellent and very thoughtful analysis. Well said. " It's like a play that everyone knows everyone does, and they keep playing pretend somehow. It's insane." The only upside is that the Baht will stay weak forever.

Totally agree with BangkokDude. Why do you reject an entire analysis based on a one letter typo? Educated in Thailand maybe?

While Thailand lags, and wonders why It cannot attract more international investment (duh!), China and Chinese international students excel in testing. One research study showed that Chinese HSstudents studied spent 200% more time in school and studying than american sudents. I visited Chengdu, Sichuan a few years ago and saw that many US tech companies went there for the intellectual talent. No investments in Thailand...none ever likely. These are all in Chengdu: Intel, Texas Instruments, Micron Technology, Qualcomm, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, Amazon, Google, Meta, Electronic Arts, Blizzard Entertainment, Dell Technologies, HP.

Thailand standardized test scores vs. OECD averge since 2000. The gold line is the OECD average. This test is only taken by students that stay in school until age 15, and the dropout rate is high, so the actual average abilities are lower than shown in the test results. The large decline in the last decade may be partly attributed to Thai social media addiction, as usage has soared and many studies show a negative correlation between increased social media usage and academic results. In brief, those that spend more time on social media than studying have worse performance. Thailand criticised the OECD PISA study results and started the O-Net testing...which showed similar results...so Thailand killed the national O-Net testing. Really! Bad messages are simply rejected... TiT! Retired teacher

The poor educational results have been well known for decades based on standardized testing. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2044427/long-overdue-end-of-o-net-exams.

Agreed. The Costco chain pays quite well and is highly productive. Costco is the world's largest retailer of beef, poultry, organic produce, and wine, and just under one-third of American consumers regularly shop at Costco warehouses. Costco is ranked #11 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.

81 countries and economies took part in PISA 2022 testing. Thai results are relatively bad and deteriorating.

In my daily bike rides i have seen that Chiang Mai has at least 3 very large hotels that have been closed since covid that would be suitable for a gaming complex. 1) Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel 2) Lotus Pang Suan Kaew Hotel 3) A large hotel less than 1 km NW of Lotus Pang Suan Kaew Hotel on the road between the old city and Maya Mall Reopening these huge hotels would create a lot of jobs...although any money lost by locals would partly offset that economic benefit

Trump’s Final Term Ends in about 1400 days on January 20th, 2029. If he keeps up his current pace the US and the world will be a very different place in 2029, possibly a post-nuclear-war apocalyptic pile of radioactive waste. At least that would put an end to the AN trolling epidemic! Always look on the bright side of life (Monty Python)

Should this diktat be applied to hollywood movies too? Are you also opposed to the use of technology like computers? Luddite thinking? Maybe we all go back to stone tablets....?

I think Putin would win a fight with Musk -- a guy who does not exercise at all. The only muscle Musk exercises is his mouth! (oh, yeah, he has 14 kids so another one gets exercise 🙂

In 2023 Musk challenged Mark Zuckerberg to "one-on-one physical combat" but chickened out after he learned that Zuckerberg trained in MMA. lol!

NEOM was doomed to fail because it has little air connectivity and would never have the nice things the affluent want. On the other hand, Dubai -- a great airline hub -- already exists as "....a futuristic metropolis rising from the desert, promising cutting-edge technology and surreal architecture." Abu Dhabi -- another great airline hub -- already exists as a second-rate Dubai. Abu Dhabi has great food & infrastructure. How could MBS be so dumb?

I had this problem when I tried to login using Chrome. Logging in with Microsoft Edge was easy. Most government logins are optimized around Microsoft...and the contacters that build these <deleted>ty websites are not the best. Try Edge!

I have the LTR Visa already with airport FastTrack access and unlimited reentry permit. My taxis to/from Chiang Mai airport cost me 100 baht. Since I do not golf or need to pay for massages, this is worth no more than 10,000 baht. Anyone want to offer him 1 more baht? Seriously, just because you paid a lot for this does not mean it has much value to most expats.

I had PC for 2 years, but changed this year to AXA. I tried to make one claim in second year and it was never actually denied... but the claim was delayed by months and I was told that my premiums would rise if I made the claim, so I withdrew the claim. For 2025 my premium increased 41% despite never being paid for a claim. I sent 2 letters requesting an explanation for the rate rise and was ignored by the same agent that was very nice when I purchased the policy. I know the agent is still there but they did not care to reply. They "guarantee" they will not cancel policies if you start the policy before age 65 and continuously renew it...but annual premiums can rise dramatically -- especially if you start to make claims (it is called bait & switch!) Insurance companies do not want to pay claims because it reduces profits. Some people may have had a great experience with them...not me. Buyer beware.

Yes. This is what I think too. I rent because I do not see the reason to buy into an oversupplied market. I am also worried about the constantly changing rules imposed on farang.

Dan Bongino is a great man -- dedicated to the USA! He began his career as a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer from 1995 to 1999 before serving as a U.S. Secret Service agent from 1999 to 2011. Why are you Non-US citizens and TOTAL LOSERS posting retarded ignorant opinions? I am a US passport holder and I support Kash & Dan. The FBI was totally corrupted. Read the news!

Corruption thrives where education is weak and countries are not meritocratic, reinforced by systemic inequality and political roadblocks to political/social reforms. Breaking this cycle requires governance that lets educated voices reshape the system. But TiT, so it is not happening. The chart below from the Bangkok Post show that Thai highschool scores are not only far below international averages for developed countries but they have been falling steadily since 2012 (after rising from 2000-2010). I suspect that the falling test scores reflect rising internet/smartphone usage which causes falling attention spans and reduces the ability to learn.

+100 My lefty cat-lady american democrat friend called Trump a threat to democracy. As soon as Trump won in 2024 she claimed that the result was faked and that the election should be challenged. After Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election she wrote a book called "What Happened" claiming that Trump stole the election due to Russian interference and that his election undermined democracy. The enemies of democracy are the radical leltists.

Yes. I think the shift is partly to charge prices that are disproportionately higher than the relative input cost difference. Makes sense given real estate overhead. Same in Canada where more expensive Sushi places displace cheaper Chinese places (although still run by Chinese/Koreans). Grok.com AI provided this response.... Increase Over the Last 20 Years The growth of Japanese restaurants in Bangkok over the past two decades has been remarkable, driven by Thailand’s increasing appetite for Japanese cuisine, a growing Japanese expat community, and tourism. Here’s a breakdown based on available data: 2000s (Early Growth): Jetro and other sources indicate that the popularity of Japanese cuisine in Thailand began to surge around 2000. While exact numbers for Bangkok in 2000 are scarce, the nationwide total was likely in the low hundreds, with Bangkok as the epicenter. A 2017 Jetro report mentions that Japanese restaurants in Thailand had been growing continuously since 2000, suggesting a baseline of perhaps 200–300 nationwide by 2005, with Bangkok likely having 100–150. 2010s (Rapid Expansion): By 2017, Jetro reported 118,000 Japanese restaurants worldwide, with Thailand emerging as a key market in ASEAN. In 2018, Thailand had over 3,000 Japanese restaurants, with Bangkok hosting 1,718 in 2018, rising to 1,993 in 2019 (a 16% increase in one year). This reflects a decade of explosive growth, fueled by Thai consumer demand, health-conscious trends, and the influx of Japanese chains like Fuji, Zen, and Yoshinoya. 2020s (Pandemic and Recovery): The COVID-19 pandemic slowed growth in 2020, with a net decrease of 726 new openings nationwide compared to 2019’s peak. However, provincial areas saw a 21% increase, while Bangkok’s growth was modest at 5.6%. By 2022, the nationwide total hit 5,325, indicating a robust recovery. Bangkok’s share likely grew from 1,993 in 2019 to around 2,600–2,900 by 2022, with a projected rise to 3,000–3,200 by 2025. Estimated Growth Trajectory 2005 Estimate: ~100–150 in Bangkok (extrapolated from early trends). 2015 Estimate: ~1,000–1,200 (based on pre-2018 growth patterns). 2019: 1,993 (Jetro data). 2022: ~2,600–2,900 (estimated from nationwide 5,325 and Bangkok’s historical share). 2025 (Current Estimate): ~3,000–3,200 (assuming continued moderate growth). Over 20 years (2005–2025), this represents an increase of approximately 2,850–3,100 restaurants, or a 20–30-fold rise, aligning with Jetro’s observation of continuous annual growth since 2000 and Thailand’s status as ASEAN’s largest Japanese food market. Factors Driving Growth Cultural Influence: The Japanese expat population in Thailand (over 50,000 in Bangkok alone) and Thai fascination with Japanese culture (e.g., anime, tourism to Japan) have boosted demand. Economic Factors: New retail complexes, franchises, and Thai entrepreneurs entering the market have accelerated expansion. Health Trends: Japanese cuisine’s reputation as healthy has resonated with Thai consumers. In summary, Bangkok likely has around 3,000–3,200 Japanese restaurants as of February 2025, up from an estimated 100–150 in 2005, marking a dramatic increase over the past 20 years fueled by cultural and economic dynamics. For a precise current count, real-time surveys or updated Jetro data would be needed, but this estimate reflects the trajectory based on available evidence.

I have used ChatGPT hundreds of times and find that both are excellent with the right prompts. I gave it a question from a university class I took in 2021 and Chatgpt produced a perfect answer in one minute. It took me a day. My actuary friend asked the paid ChatGPT to write code to solve a complex actuarial database quiry and analysis. No one in the New York office could solve the coding problem. ChatGPT wrote the code that ran in SAS and solved the problem fast. AI is better than most employees and will replace millions.

Before I bought Pacific Cross insurance, they said they would pay hospital claims directly online if I preregistered with hospitals. After I went to a hospital and had a valid claim that was submitted by the hospital online it was automatically DENIED. Pacific Cross told me they did not know who I was. I said I was the person that bought the policy. They required that I prove my identity with THREE COLOR COPIES OF MY PASSPORT. MUST BE MAILED TO COMPANY. NO EMAILS ALLOWED. They misplaced the mail and asked for the tracking number, then said I was at fault. THE PERSON THAT SELLS INSURANCE FOR A COMMISSION IGNORES YOU AFTER YOU PAY. DO NOT TRUST PACIFIC CROSS. Many insurance companies use delaying tactics to avoid paying claims. This is how they manage profitability. They only certainty is self-insurance. If you get cancer, you may be covered for the first year, but your policy the following year could be 5-10 million baht! Your policy price will be increased to recoup your claims and more.

Agreed. In the US, the average claim denial rate is currently 16% See below. Luigi Mangione (who shot the health insurance CEO) wrote the words "delay," "deny," and "depose" on the bullets used in a crime, with each word appearing on a separate bullet casing; this phrase is often used to criticize tactics employed by insurance companies like delaying payments and denying claims. I had Thai insurance with Pacific Cross for 2 years. I only tried to make one claim but they made the process extremely time-consuming, ignored/misplaced the docs I mailed in, refused to accept claim forms in PDF format - mail only, then claimed delay was my fault, then told me that my insurance would go up more than the claim amount. So they promised to punish me for a legitimate claim. I dropped the claim, next year (2025) they increased my annual premium over 40% despite no claims ever. What fraudsters...using the common industry tactics of delay, deny, and depose.