TroubleandGrumpy

There is usually one near to top/bottom of all escalators. Detective T&G (retired)

Trump was POTUS for 4 years and unlike what they said would happen, the World did not fall apart and WW3 was not started. Sure he aint a great guy - but why are they so obsessed with him not being POTUS again?? It appears to me that most people in the USA were better off under Trump than they are under Biden - except hardcore left wing voters like Students and illegal immigrants. Why they are desperate to stop him become POTUS again - what did he do that was so bad? WW3? Economy Collapse? Massive Inflation? Gas and all prices up? Big increase in worldwide conflicts? Massive increase in illegal migration and crimes? Did he have dementia? Buying votes by using taxpayer money to buy/reward student votes? Blocking all legal efforts against his Son? Weaponised the DOJ against the previous POTUS? Getting the DOJ to invade the previous POTUS' house for documents he himself had in his garage? Allowing medical mutiliations of minors in the name of Woke PC idiocy? And the list goes on and on - but the main and most pertinent question remains the same - why are they so desperate to stop him becomming POTUS again??

Definitely a good point. But as with these things in other local countries, if the 'boss' fails to see the iceberg ahead, he will go down with the ship - like so many others have in the past. Look around and you will see that most of those countries in this Region that have no 'boss' anymore are ruled/controlled by the military. Self preservation is a powerful thing - even for the biggest ship's captain in the world.

You are so funny mate - yet again you show that your opinions are formed by what you see in the media that aligns with your own poersonal views - and yet you think that means you are right again 🙂 Let me try to explain things to you (again). Unlike in Gaza (and many places) the media in Israel has a lot of freedoms - the Times of Israel is a centre-left publication and their 'bias' is towards the left - but more often than not they are centre. But they are defnitely not a supporter of right wing political parties or right wing persons in Israel - especially Netanyahu.

Yes indeed - whatever happens the new Senate will not be 'condusive' to Move Forward policies. Yes it is essentially PT versus Military. IMO the majority of Royalists are not against PT as much as they were in the past - because they are all deeply against Move Forward. The issue of PT versus Military goes very deep - both Thaksin and his Sister were outed by coups. IMO the outcome will be a severe curtailing of the power of the Military such that they cannot ever again take power through a coup. But Thaksin Snr knows it will be a generational process, and one that he will not be around to see finish - but probably his Sister will see (first hand) - and he hopes that it will be his Daughter that will put in the final nail. IMO by taking power and then not returning to the barracks, but staying on in power for 10 years, the Junta has destroyed their credibility to ever again take power though a coup. They tried to hold power through the political system, but being so inept and ignorant of politics, they have literally shot themselves in both feet. Should they ever rolll out their tanks again, the economic and financial responses from the western world will destroy Thailand in the long run - despite China taking their side.

What - no CNN or Fox sourced article?? I refer you to my earlier statement - stop believing the media and hollywood - they both blatantly lie - they are about entertainment - they are not about the truth.

Thaksin is back and he is planning things very carefully step by step - based around the fact that the Junta appointed Senate will be outed very soon, plus avoiding tanks on the streets again. IMO Thaksin also has in that plan, his belief that Pheu Thai will win more seats than Move Forward at an early election. I agree - especially if/when the economy turns around and the 10K handout has occured. Thaksin has been a 'game changer' and he knows Move Forward and the Junta Parties (including Anitan's turncoats) will never partner up, so he knows that without Pheu Thai no one else can form Government. Pheu Thai, guided by Thaksin, is going to be exercising their power more and more this year, because they will say (behind closed doors) 'either you cooperate now or we go to an early election'. Whilst Move Forward will probably think they can do the impossible again despite Thaksin being back, the Junta Parties know the only way they will have any power for a long time is to comply with Pheu Thai, or fire up the tanks.

Many charities these days are either scams or act as slush funds for the people running them who pay themselves massive salaries. That is why I no longer give to charities that I do not personally know or get involved with. During Covid a lot of good charity work was done by Expats donating food and drinks to Thais who has lost their means of earning a living - they are the last ones I donated towards. PS - seems to me that many Thais either never knew about all the work Expats did during Covid, or they have forgotten.

Absolutely delusional and totally ignorant. Proof? Delusional = thinks anyone having an opinion on Gaza/Israel that is not the same as his is wrong, because he truly believes that his opinion is totally factual and the only correct one possible. Ignorant = takes a person's statement and interprets that within their own cognitive bias. I never said I "supported" the Vietnam war, nor WW1, nor WW@, nor Korea, nor Iraq, nor Gaza - nor any others. But unlike the ignorant silly over-educated idiots that protest against Israel/Gaza war, I understand that wars have always occurered and always will occur. Wars are extremely complex and there is never a simple fix - and there never will be a utopian delusional world with everyone riding unicorns with pigs flying around. That last point is also about being delusional - one leads to the other.

You are clearly delusional - and probably a troll - no one can be that ignorant unwillingly.

Yes they were - idiotic narcissistic silly peaceniks. Same type as the lot that are now doing protests against Israel. PS - stop believeing the liberal media and hollywood - it will rot your brain (maybe too late).

IMO those protesting and claiming genocide should be deported to the West Bank or Sth Lebanon for 12 months. That will surely cure their ignorance of who is who and what is what. They are IMO acting like peacenik ignorant fools claiming that Poland was always a part of the Germany Empire (and it was), and that WW2 is killing innocent German civilians and it is a war crime. The reality is that the western alliance countries (except USA) legally declared war on Germany because the country (lead by Nazis) had invaded Poland. WW2 resulted in far more 'innocent' Germans dieing than in the other countries, but that is war and why it should be avoided as much as possible. Gaza (lead by Hamas) has been committing acts of terrorism against Israel for decades, and their invasion and atrocities committed in October were the final straw - so the Israel Govt finally declared war on Gaza (lead by Hamas). IMO they had no choice really because things had gotten so out of hand that they could not avoid this step any longer.

Threatening to resign because he did not get what he wanted - sounds more like a teenager threatening to leave home because he did not get a new bike. Tell him to go to his room and not to come out until he agrees to behave himself.

Yet another member of the powerful and wealthy Thainese with their dirty fingers in lots of dirty pies, complaining about things but never speaking the truth - the issue is loss of their money from whatever they are complaining about. The sooner that Thais start reducing the power of the wealthy Thainese 'families' in this country, who are masters of manipulation, corruption and graft, the better off Thailand will be in the long run.

Sorry - but you are unecessarily raising frivolous 'arguments' and unrelated issues regarding the point. You have formed an opinion and refuse to accept that you could be wrong and are demanding that I prove I am right - on your terms. That is not how it works - I have my opinions and I am not going to prove why I am right to have those opinions. This is not a Court of Law and I am not being charged with the crime of disagreeing with you - I do not have to prove anything to you or to anyone else. May I suggest that you just accept that I have my opinion and that you have yours, and as far as we are both concerned, they are valid opinions. There is no right and wrong here - this is just about a difference of opinion. You dont have to explain yours to me, and I dont have to explain mine to yours. If we each provide some reasons why, then that is all that is required.

No - sorry but you are wrong. Check this out :_ The ILO Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) | International Labour Organization

It is not about an election commitment. It is about the Government moving forward with a proposal/initiative. Prior to the Govt moving forward with any proposal/initiative, they seek input and opinions (from many sources), and that can include leaking the proposal/inititive to the media to see the reactions. The APA and other Pensioner groups will have issues and questions IMO, as will other groups - like those involved with the International Social Security Conventions, and many others I have no time to think about now, and dont know about. That is how Govt works (I was involved in that) - it is not about presenting everything at an election every years.

Yes indeed - it is banned (but as you said many do it). Can Foreigners Be Real Estate Agents in Thailand? - Integrity Legal - Law Firm in Bangkok | Bangkok Lawyer | Legal Services Thailand IMO Thai authorities 'look the other way' because of a simple fact - how will Thais sell property to foreigners and get their money, if they cannot speak their language.

You are being given plenty of notice boys - get in now and stock up (quietly). Do not tell anyone you have a stock of supply - especially after it is banned again - and certainly never sell it just because you could make a lot of money (Thai jails aint no fun place).

The tax mob/mafia will have something to say about this me thinks.

Not sure how much you know about Thailand, but if you think Thai 'realtors' are anything like those in the west, you are very much mistaken. They have no licences, no qualifications, no indemnities or insurances, and or financial obligations or requirements. Any Thai can setup themselves as a 'real estate agent' in Thailand - no Expat can though (reserved for Thais only). Having said that maybe someone knows one in Hua Hin who is OK - but there are a lot of them that are not OK. IMO do not buy anything 'off plan' - but up to you.

Everything you state above is predicated on your belief that once they change the rule regarding tax residency, that will automatically result in all pensioners overseas being taxed on their pension. That is IMO not the case - and it is not in the stated aims of the proposed change as per the documents, nor has it been stated as a stated aim of the Government. If you have a statement from the relevent Minister stating that the change will result in all Expats overseas being taxed on their pensions, or a stated aim within the documents, then please provide that. I am not saying that you are definitely 100% wrong - you could be right - but you are stating things above based on your opinion of the outcome from the rule change proposed for tax residency - that is a leap I do not think will happen.

That change was introduced to stop people eligible for the pension, returning to Australia and applying for the pensions and then leaving immediately it was approved. That was done a lot by people who had worked in Australia for decades and then returned to their home country - especially Italians and Greeks.

I will respond one at a time - both for ease of writing and for others reading. You could be right and yes many pensioners will not give a rat's rear about Expats overseas. But I was in the APA and they can be very 'active' if they think they are going to be 'next'.

I just posted my reply to your post on gifts from ealier today - before I read this post asking to stop commenting on gifts. I am happy to leave that/this as my last statement on the matter of gifts.