Sigmund

I think it is more the cheating all over towards foreigners that does tarnish the image of Thailand and makes tourists want to visit other countries.

This is a vital reminder that public mass transport needs to be continuously developped and prices of course under full control to cater the largest spectrum of commuters.

When ever you visit Thailand, if possible, choose accomodation close to what is of interest to you. Avoid driving around yourself as we all know that the Thai roads are amongst the worst in the world and the Thai trafic police is always on the hunt to racket foreigners who drive on any excuse. Use public transport where available or Grab (avoid the regular taxi or tuk tuks that are all just a bunch of cheats).

When will foreigners learn ? avoid as much as possible driving around yourself in Thailand. Use grab, a taxi whatever, but do not do "self-catering" on Thai roads.

maybe they are looking for the Redbull heir ?

Will he at least make the long stay visa issues more simple for citizens from these countries and have Thai BOI stop asking and fussing all over for this and that document ? And perhaps check through other people, how nicely the thai embassies function so well, where they do not answer e mails and quite rarely answer and give proper replies on the phone....

Guess it all depends on which area you have your immigration reporting done and on which officer one can hit upon...and his/her mood of the day😁

Wait till the tax catch up on you no matter what is said as rules change.

Wait till they start asking you each year the documents to "maintain" the visa and make you go through all the hassle again with the risk of cancelling it.

So one goes through all the trouble to give them the documents when submitting for the LTR, wrongfully thinking once it's obtained, all the red tape harassment will stop. Wrong. It has to be "maintained" annually and go through all the fuss each year. No point in paying them extra just to get extra harassment. Other visa types are far better option and cost far less. This LTR visa is of no value to a retiree. Knowing how the agencies will hassle and fuss and ask for this or that document despite the requisites stating alternative documents on each requirement....why even offer such a scheme if they know that either they will not give the LTR based on absurd conclusions, considering such and such not to be "unqualified". Quite an insulting way to behave with retirees who usually own property and spend good money on each visit.

The main point to be sure is that the material is fireproof or fire resistant let's say and to avoid any short circuit with electrical wires that tend to dangle all over in the open space in the technical service area above the ceiling. Also make sure the workers are well insured and secured on doing the job as if they fall they will of course get hurt in the first place and also wreck and destroy when they fall on the plasterboard ceiling. I would also wonder if it would be necessary block any spaces in the roof access area that has openings and thus allows the hot air to flow through ?

Considering all the cowards sitting all over the UN or a majority of scapegoats of the US, or even those in the US just thanks to their cronies in politics back home, very doubtful the UN would do anything. In today's world the citizen's democratic defense is via Social Media and no place else.

But what about all the latest posts showing that the LTR must be "maintained" and that requires annual visits to immigration who will ask to re check all updated documents ?

So assuming one gets a LTR P visa and stays only in winter that is less then 180 days will that nevertheless mean that the BOI will be chasing the beneficiairy for his foreign pension and to put tax ? or even start asking for all kinds of statements if the pension is already taxed back home ? Far to much a risk I guess in this LTR P. Not to mention that despite having the LTR one still has to do annual reports to immigration, who have managed to push in a fine back door to harass and demand again and again all kinds of updated absurd documentation on anyting they can come up with...who can really be sure ? Some are great of course, but we all know how some can make life hell for foreigners and retirees. Surely there are far better options I guess for those who come over just for winter months in Thailand. This LTR is definately not what we may think as a hassle free visa valid 10 years (2x 5 yrs) and wrongfully assume there woule be no more dealings with those fine immigration bureaucrats, .

We all wrongfully thought that once you get the preicous so called 10 year LTR all the hassles would be over with those fine immigration fellows. But it is far from the case as every year one has to go through the usual immigration office harassment to produce all kinds of documents, statements etc to maintain the validity of the LTR that was wrongfully mentioned as "valid for 10 years with renewal after 5 years". And if by chance you are not in the country at the annual deadline they decide to report, it's just gone. Considering the hefty price just to get the LTR and the persistance of annual absurd immigraition paper work, it's far better for those who come over to Thailand in winter only, say from september to march.........far better to try other visa options that cost far less are are less a pain in the neck. BOI started this scheme with a good intent, but as immigration also stepped in, one can notice that they will go out of their way to maintain the harassment and useless red tape every year in order to keep the visa valid. There is no 10 year 5 year validity as we could have imagined at first by thinking that once all the red tape was done at submission, it would stop all the bureaucratic nightmares. Definately a no way for me to this LTR visa offer.

The official stats rarely consider all those fine young girls working in banks, offices, shops or even some wearing brown uniforms, who indulge in part time, free-lance prostitution. Check out the Thermae Bar in BKK and you'll know what we are talking here. 😉Or even in most clubs where it all looks like a usual "discothèque", great DJ's are playing, great girls all around that look like "normal", you chat them up and when it's time to start talking the business, she splits out her rate for a hanky-panky back at the hotel !! Strongly doubt that these fine young women would be accounted for in the stats all over.

I would sell my house on leasehold now and leave to another country like Vietnam, Indonesia, Phillipines or anyplace else. Because once the tax rules get more clear, depending on the outcome, many may rush to sell their condos, or houses on leasehold. This can crash prices obvisouly. Rather do it now, sell when the market is still what it is, rather then wait and risk a collapse if many choose to leave Thailand at the time. Plus who wants to continue to deal with all the hassle from immigration etc that gets bad to worse for foreigners daily.

Society gets angry when harassed on a daily basis. Just see how they harass for visa extensions or to get a long stay visa with all the red tape. People come to Thailand to retire and be left in peace. But it's anything but that. Thailand is great to play around as a 3 week or 1 month tourist. But for longer stay on retirement, definately the wrong choice considering all the trouble one goes through on extending visas on plainly on getting a long stay visa like the LTR Pensionner visa. I definately do not want to pend my life in handling all the rubbish the system asks on each and every visa issue or extension. Not to mention all the worries with the new tax rules that may or may not apply to all or not ??? Better to sell now because once tax things clear out, everybody will want to sell and the prices will crash in the leasehold market for houses and other real estate areas.

The law needs to change fast and enable foreigners who have bought houses to be able to purchase the land and at a decent cost. At least one piece of land would enhance trust in foreign investment. Because with the current leasehold-usurfuit schemes many foreigners do not want to buy a house in Thailand.

but India's economy seems stronger then Thailand

to many male hormones injected ?

is he stupid ? Such criticisms should never show one's face or name and home whereabouts... and better, should be posted only when abroad.

In many civilised european countries, unlike the US, the police are specifically told not to engage in high speed pursuits for minor offenses like petty theft or even purse snatching. For obvious reasons to avoid such tragedies in highly congested and populated urban areas. A different story if it's at night and more quiet, but definately not recommended by many european departments in broad daylight. Rules of engagement are different in Europe compared to trigger happy USA. Police cannot shoot somebody in the back and cannot engage with firearms, if there is not a factual display of means (knife or gun) that could lead to serious physical threat to the officer or bystanders.

Hope you fall on the same fine staff on next visit, as nothing is constant here and new rules can be made up on the spot by a many few.

So the US Navy is openly using Thailand as a valve to release the frustrations of it's boys during their Pattaya pit-tit stop ? We all know what many will be doing quietly in Patts 😁...Imagine all the people around making movies on their smartphones in the girly bars and then it ends up posted on MeTube and visioned back home in remote Milwakee or Ohio...😗