TroubleandGrumpy

A full European invasion??? Mate - take it easy - you'll have a heart attack.

It flows in exactly the same direction - you missed it again. Yes there are many reasons why illegal employment has increased in Thailand and the ones you liosted are definitely a factor. But as I said, the relaxation of Visa rules has been the main contribution to the increase in their numbers - over and above the 'normal' numbers that have occurred in Thailand. Another one is that tourism has increased in Thailand and there are more jobs than this time last year. And many more. But the Visa relaxation has caused a lot of problems. I know a guy that lives in Phuket (Rawai) - he has nothing but bad news about all the illegals working there - mainly Russians/Ukrainians). It is the same everywhere - not Russians/Ukrainians - they seem to be Phuket and Hua Hin mainly, but there are many others and the other tyoruist locations. Out on the farms in Isaan they are not even seen.

Mate - you definitely need to take a chill pill - quite a few of them. 1. It is not about you. 2. It is not about you. etc etc etc etc.

Only ignorant woke snowflake liberals ................. believe the majority of the media.

Great post - I looked into that occurance and it explains a lot. The one on NZ 27K years ago was nowhere near that big. Lets hope there aint another one in the next few thousand years - until humans are inhabiting Mars and other planets.

The point and yourself often seem to miss each other - despite many attempts by many posters. Maybe you should slow down and try to understand what others are saying. We are not attacking you - we are disagreeing with what you are writing.

The point being they have the mentality to do it.

LOL - nice try. But your cognitive bias fails to see that I meant those that walked inside the Capitol. There were 10s of thousands who wisely stayed outside - many of them were calling to the others not to go inside. Besides being wrong, it was obviously a trap - and it worked.

Only ignorant woke snowflake liberals believe the majority of the media. People are realising that they are very much supporters of the Democrats and that they are biased - more and more people are turning away from the media. They see what happened to Trump, and when they compare that to what happens to Biden, with all the free passes and platitudes, they start to understand. Just look at all the media hype about Trump being incompetent and unfit to be POTUS - and yet Biden is clearly showing mental incapacities and physical problems - not mentioned in media much at all. Just to give you some wiggle room - one reason the media is not attacking Biden relentlessly like they did Trump, is because they have polarised themselves so much that their viewers only want to see positive things about Biden and negative about Trump. The vast majority of their viewers are left wing Democrat voters so they are focussed on doign what they want. It was a miostake for them to take this approach, because they have lost at least half of their potential viewers. The reason 'go woke go broke' is real as Bud Light and all the others are finding out, is that being obnoxious to one side of the political divide is bad business - that plus it is the right conservative side that spends more of their money on 'capitalistic' things. Sheer idiocy to align oneself as a business with that part of the political divide that hates capitalism and abhors product consumption as a means of wealth generation.

Whatever they were (and I think they were both instigators and protestors) and the protestors were dumb bast*** to walk inside and protest - the doors were opened for obvious reasons and they fell right into it.

Good points - no way I can disgaree with any of that. Indeed Thaksin may want Yingluck to return both to do as you say, and to guide/mentor his daughter to be come PM. I guess we will soon find out - I am very sure she will be back here this year.

Wrong. That has been the case for a long time - no dispute. There has been a lot of legals and illegals in the past. BUT since they changed the Visa rules - free easier and longer - a lot more people are in Thailand working illegally. This issue with the Philippinos is only one group - there are many more across a lot of industries.

Mate - you are correct and there is no opinion in that - those are the facts and they have been clearly established by hearings and tribunals - but not covered much by the media.

What you are saying has been that way for many years - it has changed. What changed is Thailand changed the Visa rules, and now there are a LOT MORE poeple illegally working in Thailand who are here on these new longer and very easy Visas - fact.

Good points - but those 3rd world countries dont have that many 'bad' nuclear weapons and if WW3 started they would be the first ones destroyed in the ground. However, you are right in that if it happens, WW3 will cause a 'nuclear winter' and as such for longer than 1815 - but claims of decades long winter is exaggeration. Claims that billions of people and many more animals and plantslife would die are not - we can only hope it does not happen. Meanwile, something far more dangerous gets very little attention - Supervolcanos like Yellowstone as you mentioned. The last supervolcano eruption was 27,000 years ago (New Zealand) and although scientists are confident there will not be another one for a few thousand years - there is absolutely no guarantee the next one will not be sooner. And quite frankly if there was indications that one was coming soon, I am sure they would shut down that information to 'protect everyone'. 2012 was a BS movie, as was several related global disaster movies, but they all got that part right - those in power will keep it quiet as long as possible and look after themselves first.

Cheers - I think I know who you mean. There can be rational debate as to how serious the climate changes are, and as to whether it is solely/mainly due to man made reasons. But what cannot be argued is the fact that Government and Bureacracies never solve anything the right way - all they due is create programs (employ more public servants) and increase taxes to pay for the public servants and/or change people's behaviours to what they think is needed (note paying for more public servants comes first). That is all they have and it just does not work out well - except in times of war when everyone is on the same page. IMO climate change is not a problem - I am utterly unconvinced about the self-serving predictions of an impending global disaster are valid. I am also totally unconvinced that forcing everyone to drive electric cars is a viable long term solution. Over 40 years of predictions about global disasters have proven to be false - but just like Bullwinkle they keep saying 'this time for sure' - and those that want to believe them, believe them. Likewise, the extra emissions released in the total manufacture of an electric car take 10 years to be offset against those emitted in the manufacture of a modern petrol car, and that does not take acount of the need for replacement batteries and the manufacture of those new batteries. The solution as such is clear but they are seen as something bad by the ignorants and fools - build more nuclear power stations, more dams with hydro generators, and continue to decrease the emission made by petrol/diesel vehicles. Provide massive Govt incentives to encourage people to get rid of all vehicles over 10 years old - and then do the same for all vehicles over 5 years old. If that was implemented over a 30-50 year period, the amount of emmissions would be greaty reduced. Meanwhile, all the money now wasted on the global 'green industry' who have not in any way solved the problem since the 1980s (just feeding off it), should be diverted to developing nuclear fusion power generators to replace the nuclear fission ones over time.

There are a LOT of industries in Thailand that are currently having troubles with illegal workers from 3rd world countries who arrived on this idiotic Visa free entry scheme - which was all in the name of tourism growing the economy. They are taking jobs and income away from Thais - and most of them are sending their money back home and then coming back later in the year to do it all again and again and again.

You have a driving licence from another country? If you do then most of them will allow you to apply online and receive the IDP in the mail. You obviously need someone back there to receive it and forward it on to you. Avoids on the complications and issues you will have trying to get an IDP based on a Thai driving licence.

My advice is to use option 2 - get a 12 month Marriage Visa mulitple entry - and stay in Thailand less than 180 days in total from 1 January to 31 December and you are not a tax resident. You can do 179 days in Thailand in one trip, or you can do multiple trips over the calendar year that total up to 179 days. Get a new 12 months Visa in Sweden each time - avoid the annual extension khrapp here in Thailand. I will say that after a few years you might want to stop all the travelling back and forth between Thailand and Sweden. I did the same between Thailand and Australia for a few years with my Thai wife (who is also an Aust citizen) and it became 'not so enjoyable' - and it is a lot less travel time/issues than going to/from Thailand and Sweden. If that happens you might want to stay long term in Thailand - until you get much older and then because your wife is citizen you can move back to Sweden at any time - either for a while, or forever. Obviously that would entail a lot of planning and working things out. You are only taxable in Thailand on 'income' that you remit into Thailand. If you remit savings etc. then that is not taxable in Thailand - only income. But this whole new world of Expat taxation in Thailand is something that is going to evolve over the next few years - it would be a great time for you to only stay <180 days while it sorts itself out. When that is all sorted out in a few years (as much as anything can be in Thailand), then get financial and taxation advice in both Sweden and Thailand and decide what to do - plan well and be flexible. Avoid the financial legal sammers here - especially the Scandinavian ones - yes there are a few here. Drop me a direct message if you want more advice about my Swedish mate and what he is doing and why.

Good points - that would be the wise thing to do - admit guilt and sign a deal and get out. Last I heard he was claiming innocence (that the kicking was an accident) but maybe he will drop it and do what you have said. I certainly would - no question - presumed innocence until proven guilty is not how a Thai Court works - it is about 180 degrees the other way.

Dont come to Thailand or any SEAsia country. You are clearly a scammer's delight and will get ripped off big time. Anyone expecting answers to basic questions like that on an Expat forum is clearly less than a newbie. I think Sheryle has been very kind to actually give you some information - and the other Expats advising you to use Lonley Planet or Google too. My advice is to start travelling within your own country first - learn how to do it there first - then someplace a lot closer to home - before venturing far overseas. If you must visit Thailand then IMO you should get a package tour and only go where the package takes you.

The illegal Junta coup and all those who participated, and all those who benefitted from it, have been 'allowed' amnesty against any future charges. In return Phue Thai is bringing back its leaders that were convicted under Military rulers. First Thaksin and next Yingluck - and the powers that be will allow/facilitate this to happen for two main reasons. One is to ensure they are not charged in the future with sedition, and two because their convictions were politically based charges. Yingluck and Thaksin are both a lot smarter than Aung San Suu Kyi, who was immediately jailed by the Military Junta as the best means of shutting her down. If Aung San Suu Kyi had been able to escape Myanmar, she would have been a serious thorn in the Junta's hold on power, especially at the UN and with world Leaders and in front of the world's media.

Nail on the head hot - that is exactly why they are rated so low - Staff and Infrastructure. Meanwhile over in Singapore they have shown them way to go - make it easy for people (especially business people). But would AOT ever consider going and taking a look around Changi for ideas and advice?

Yingluck is coming back - MFP know she is Phue Thais best bet to win the next election outright. Perhaps they are planning to cause an early election - after the upcoming Senate elections and before Yingluck gets back and takes over.

Meanwhile, the Thai opposition parties are calling for a debate about the Govts lack of action in the implementation of it's election policies since being in office - nothing has actually been done and most things pledged have not even started. This time it is not a censure motion and vote, but clearly the Opposition Parties (mainly MDP) are saying exactly what we Expats are saying every day after another annoucement "It has been 6 months - stop flying all over the world talking about new hubs and projects, and actually get on with it and do something". Yingluck is coming back, when her big brother has paved the way. Leaders of the MFP (some) can actually think ahead and they realise she is the Phue Thai's best chance of winning the next election - whether it is in 3 years or if it is an early election called due to a split in Parliament.