TroubleandGrumpy

Yes - but with an Aust based company.

Still lucky - got things that others need - food, coal, iron ore, aluminum, uranium, etc.

Aldi mobile is best.

But you die alone with no one to look after you.

Interesting - still going on about tax residency. The OAP has had some developments. Article on the upcoming indexing changes - July indexation rates to boost some social security payments from July 1 | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site Pensioner organisation pushing to remove the income limit restrictions on Pensioners - Let’s change the pension rules - National Seniors Australia Thoughts??

There are 2 'phases' in Super in Aust. Accumulation and Pension. During 'accumulation' the Fund is paying 15% tax on all earnings across all funds in accumulation phase. During 'pension' the Fund is not paying that 15% tax. If you switch to 'pension phase' the money is not taxed and is therefore technically taxable if you are a tax resident of another country. But it is not taxable in Australia whether you are in accumulation or pension phase, or whether you are a tax resident or not. You cannot stay in accumulation phase when you turn 75 - not sure the exact rules and limits etc. Many many complications - such as proving how much tax you paid on the Super earnings (less fees and costs), because the Funds do not report on an account basis. Likewise, they will not report on any date period other than July to June. The same thing applies to ATO - and yes I have approached and formally requested both of them - denied. Under DTAs etc., the tax paid on Super earnings is deductible here - but the proving of that will be extremely hard if not impossible. IMO best to say nothing and hope that Thailand will exclude earnings that have been subjected to the taxation system of another country with which it has a DTA. After all, the rule was changed by TRD because of Thais investing overseas and not paying taxes there (not tax residents there), and then bringing it back tax free into Thailand.

Interesting times - watching Thailand as it 'adjusts' to a post-Junta Government with the massively wealthy and influential playing their power games. Add to that an economy that is sinking fast while all around it grows (excluding the other still 'Junta-occupied' Myanmar), and it is indeed an entertaining time. While those married Expats in the villages and those single one in the 'entertainment' areas dont give a rat's rear, many of us are wondering where this country is headed. I can see massive changes coming ahead - especially around the reasons for these lese-majeste laws, and I hope it happens peacefully, but it worries me that it might not go that way.

Seems to me that many Expats here dont think hard enough about what they will do when they are in their 80s. Whilst I sympathise with the Lady and understand those who support her, it does seem clear that she has not planned ahead - and now reality has hit home hard. Whatever you think of the UK Pension arrangements (and I agree they are harsh), they have been that way for a long time and she did not plan ahead. I have met many Expats here in the same position - mid-late 70s and still not planning ahead. IMO health insurance here in Thailand is a scam - at best a massive waste of money - when you make it into the 80s and are still here. While insurance is AOK in your 50s/60s, once you get to 70/75 things change - premiums skyrocket and payouts decline - because you will need more and more medical services. IMO those Expats who have the money to pay for decent health insurance, would be better off if they started in 50s or 60s to put the equivalent of an annual premium in a separate bank account - and let that build up over the years. If you think an insurance company is going to pay out 500K to 1million baht a year in your 80s, you are being delusional. Health insurance is for when you are under 70/75 and you get a sudden unexpected illness or injury. Your own savings is what you will need once you get over 70/75. Sure some claim they will continue to cover you, but the exclusions will be much greater and so will the premiums. I knew a bloke that was 80 and his annual premium quote was almost 200K - if he made 90 I reckon it would have been close to 500K.

I think I can sum up what all the woke liberals are saying :- "If we can get Trump jailed, get MAGA banned, end the electoral system, stack the SCOTUS, open the borders, ban voter IDs, censor free speech and allow all refugees to vote - then we can save Democracy."

Clinton (both), Obama, Bush (both), Biden were/are consummate experienced lying politicians with personality. Trump is an arrogant abrasive billionaire businessman with a personality that most people do not like, but who did as a POTUS (or tried to do), what he said he was going to do when campaigning (unlike all the others). The system//swamp/MSM saw him as an outsider and they attacked him relentlessly - and/or they allowed and helped the attacks to take affect (RINOs etc.) Those personal attacks caused many people to dislike him and even drove many into TDS mode. Trump is not a politician and has no idea how to lie with fake sincerity - in fact he is the opposite - a brutally honest person who says it like it is - warts and all. That approach does not endear yourself to many people, and in fact makes many people either dislike or hate you. If you want to see/learn the truth about Trump you don't listen to The View. Likewise you don't listen to Jessie Walters etc. Listen to Bill Maher - he calls it like he sees it - and being a liberal at heart, that is not an easy thing to do. When you are a conservative, you like success and understand what it takes - that is why many righties like me will actually like Obama and Clinton personally, and yet we hate their politics. Lefties are driven by their peers to both personally and politically hate conservatives - they lose their rational thinking when they do that - it is hard to think clearly and rationally about someone that you have been driven to hate does or says something.

Give Trump a chance - he can only last 4 years (despite the Dem fearmongering). Maybe what is needed to brideg the divide is Trump and the GOP in charge - Biden certainly has not tried. Remember his 'hate speech' against MAGA supporters - when he said he was going to heal the country? That was total BS and his speech was reality - lefties always sew discontent and anger in their supporters - and it works.

Wrong - your views are liberal fantasies. The Dems state that Trump started the divide, but it started with Bill Clinton and his impeachment. Trump tapped into what was already there and had been there for a long time. Trump did what Dems had been doing for decades (although I will grant he did it very undiplomatically) and that is tapping into discontent and frustration (especially blacks and other minorities). Trump stated 'being a good boy' time was over for the GOP, and that it is time to fight fire with fire. A majority of Americans agreed with him - and IMO a majority still do.

Very good summation of the Thai system of Governance - what is good for a Thai is good for Thailand. Maybe things are changing - I heard a 'Thai apologist' vlogger the other day complain that there has been several instances of Thais kicking foreigners in the head and other violent acts of assault, and nothing happens. But when a foreigner punches a Thai, he is usually arrested immediately, held in jail and then charged and (maybe jail) and then deported (after paying a fine). Even the apologists are starting to see the underbelly truth about Thailand and its corruption and xenophobia. IMO it is all related - Tourism failing and the Thai economy going bust - while most others in SEAsia are growing strongly after Covid. More cheap Charlies form poorer countries, and more war escapees, with less 'quality' visitors, are not going to fix things here. I agree with the BOT Governor when he said the problems in Thailand were systemic and entrenched.

RIP to the girl and boyfriend - sounds like they were very good people. More and more 'positive' news just keeps pumping out from Thailand - surely this will attract quality visitors and retirees.

So you said YES to "Do you not see that this is about Trump being POTUS (again)?" I guess that sums up most Dems supporters - happy to use the legal system to stop a political opponent. In History, that is done by Dictators (Sth Africa, Myanmar etc.) and Communists (China, Russia etc.).

I'll take that one. All I have to do is to ask some questions. Do you realise that the allegations occurred while Trump was POTUS. Do you not see that this is about Trump being POTUS (again)? Do you really think Trump does his own tax returns? Do you really think this is normal? To criminally charge someone with book keeping errors and force them to attend every day or be jailed? Do you really think - I will answer that one for you - NO.

In the past the GOP always played it much 'fairer' and when in power they did their job - manage the country for all the US people. That aint gonna happen anymore after what has happened to Trump and his Supporters - partisan weaponisation of the Justice and Parliamentary system. If you do not think that the reason they called the 'pitch invasion' by unarmed people an 'Insurrection', then you are extremely politically naïve. They have done that and charged all those unarmed walk-ins and jailed many innocent people, for one reason only - to stop Trump being POTUS again if/when they can get him convicted of starting the so called 'Insurrection'. These minor charges of book keeping errors and omissions will not stop him running, but if he had been convicted of starting the 'Insurrection' then he would not be allowed to run for POTUS. Yes the Dems are that bad - they will destroy the lives of right wing US people who were just stupid/silly, in order to stop Trump.

That is what they do - and usually dont stop until they bury themselves.

Judging by how they dealt with all that Cobalt materiuals - your list is not far fetched at all. If they just emply oiverseas expertrts then all is good - even the Chinese - but if/when Thais take over running it, not a good thing IMO.

But they mostly stem from that occurance.

LOL - what a dope - who has had too much dope - you know why they call it dope?

Gotta go - wife is calling - thanks guys - it was fun. Have a great day.

Never heard of these claims. What are they??

Now the Dem media machione starts to relaease fake polls that claim what they want people to think is what they think. They dont seem to (yet) realise that the majority of the people now know that media etc is corrupted. Those that dounted Trump's claims about 'The Swamp' are now realising he was telling the truth. If Trumpo had been POTIUS for 2 terms this would never have happened - it is only being done to stop him getting a 2nd term - period. The DA run for election on the basis that she would charge and convict Trump - in a 95% Dem county.

Did you know that Trump was convicted in a kangaroo court by a partisan system in a partisan jurisdiction (95% Dem voters) by a Dem Judge. Do you know that the verdict will be thrown out - and the Judge - and the Dems will be forever seen as the Party that weaponised the justice system against a political opponent in a court case with extremely flimsy basis and denying the defendent witnesses and testimony. You lefties think you have won - but you have actually lost.