Prubangboy

You're right. Low income people (below $25K a year) do in fact pay no tax in the US and therefore have no credit to apply against a Thai tax credit. With no tax credit to apply against a $25K remittance, the annual tax due to Thailand as per the above table is 91K baht ($2,588, $215 a month). No one likes an extra bill, but recall that you're also not paying state income tax and getting much cheaper medical insurance and care here. Plus cheaper-everything like phone utilities etc.

I'll bet that remittances to buy condo's, start business's, medical expenses will be exempt, since that would def. be self-sabotaging.

Tax treaty general concepts: 1) Funds have to be remitted to Thailand to be taxable. If I make money back home and keep it back home, no Thai tax on it. You are not being taxed on all world-wide income, only what's transferred. No diff from England. 2) You get a credit for your Thai taxes owed equal to the amount of tax you paid on that income back home. Almost always, the tax amount you pay back home will amount to a credit greater than any tax you might owe in Thailand (means: you owe zero). For instance, pensions in the UK are already taxed as income. 3) It's progressive. Stupid Stickman said that 35% was the flat rate. You have to use up a lot of lower tax rate bands before you hit 35%. No one reading this will. Here's a list of the countries that have double taxation treaties with Thailand: https://www.imidaily.com/program-updates/thailands-tax-tightening-on-foreign-income-raises-questions-about-implementation/

DHL, it's a little expensive. (like $300?). Illegal to bring remains on to a plane (tho plenty do).

.....That her friends are all mysteriously on the other side of the border without her-story would have been one I would have pressed to hear; the elaborate confabulation as to how this wayward lamb got separated from her flock. Because Australian groups travel all the time together and routinely cross borders without so much as a backwards glance to see if everyone is present. It would be a good story, confected on the spot. Prob a very vague family emergency back home. 'Sad that Laos has no telephones so she couldn't sort it out from there.

As mentioned, saying a credit card was going to be rushed to her the next day is nonsense. I had a fraud alert and they had to issue a credit card. It took 8 days till I had the new card in my hands. Also, Thailand has Western Union. She could be cashed up by people back home in an hour. A lot of the women who do this are BPD. They do it for the thrill of the scam. The money is unimportant. "You're not going to help me", is a ploy to put you on the spot and bring out any White Knight instinct you might have (why these misguided simp impulses within us all must be ferreted out and killed).

I live on the 9th floor. Improbably, the railing on my balcony only goes up to my penis. Gamma is right. This place should rent to short Thai's only. The Burmese run a little taller than them, so nix them too.

The Swiss Army is famous for The Swiss Army knife. The Russians will flee when they see that their enemy has access to little pairs of scissors inside their weaponry. But those scissors are very hard to pry out of the knife casing, so I hope the Swiss have sufficient warning. Otherwise, it's corkscrews at dawn.

'Set me googling. Not avail in Chiang Mai. 2K baht for a full one at a couple of places in Bangkok. Very hard to cook right. Gotta be eaten very hot due to the grease factor. More crispy skin than meat ratio compared to duck. A half a goose is enough for two people. It's been decades. 'Will def indulged next time I go to BKK. https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/social-and-lifestyle/1413122/your-goose-is-cooked-on-soi-26

1st choice is the legendary 4 Seasons Christmas Buffet. At $200 a head (includes open pour), I will fast the night before. I thought about spending the night before there. It's $2,200 a night, 3 night minimum. Chiang Mai is back. Alternate is Why Not? Italian near my house, about 2,000 baht for a 5 courser with a couple or carafe's of house wine. If some people from our building go, we'll probably follow. There has been tentative murmuring. Duke's at Maya Mall has an impressive spread for 800 baht. Kantari Hills too. Last year, all of the above were booked out on the day.

That's on Jesus, up in heaven. Sorted, off the hook, run your lame guilt trip on someone else. This is a corruption of Metta gratitude work, or Naikan, in its more refined Zen concept. Just do the work. Stop being such a deep think poseur.

Laos is a bit pricey if you want to be downtown (and you do). I'm going to say 50% more than BKK to be in Vientiane. Nepal, similar. Cambo is the only one that screams cheap to me.

Why is he Indian? Possibly because his parents are Indian. Why are they Indian? Going way back, I'll bet they were very Indian. Pretend-pondering the relative, made up in your own head "injustice of this" is virtue signaling. Karma belief sorts out from the get-go what you haplessly wrestle with. I don't personally believe in Karma. But I broadly live an "As If"-life; I live as if it really exists, like Christians do with Heaven.

It's unquantifiable and has no bearing on the present moment. As you carefully -inexplicably- weigh your life's ups and downs (and now mine too?), consider:

Thai people's belief in reincarnation and karma frees them of this stupid and useless neurosis.

A casino seems likely in 5 years. That will swamp the white man out by his Chinese and Indian brothers pretty much for good. The pretty girls will go where the money is. Sex workers will proportionately less Thai. Expect more Madagascar beauty pageants on Beach Road. The honky tonk aspect will always be a money maker akin to downtown Vegas, where a bit of the old beach bar vibe will continue on for the oldies and the cheapies. They'll prob have to walk a little further to find it.

Steve goes back to the early Stickman days and has lots of long ago witty essays in the readers contribution section. Met him; super-guy. I live on a very instagrammed corner. I see people taking pics several times a day. No interest in it myself. Nimman1 Mall has a couple of arches with many little lights. It's rare not to see a Jap-couple photoing each other in front of them. A giant plastic durian statue is another must-photo for Chinese vacationers. Often they are amusingly posing like they're holding their noses. This person has a rare talent for Thai architectural pics: https://www.genevievefields.com/blog-1/an-afternoon-in-hat-yai

I once quoted a renaissance artist and had as my dating profile headline: Genius, Swordsman, Lover. I pulled from it. So def respect for Dan. The internet is no place for false modesty.

Hotel rates are up by a third since the spring. Grabcab fares about the same. Eating out, at least 20% more. Christmas and the 3 weeks after it will be huge. Nimman completely packs out on the weekends, with many Bangkok people flying up for the the EDM raves that happen every weekend out in the sticks. I went to one; it's like The Beach circa '96. All nationalities partying together, more mushrooms than MDMA. The Chinese have been light here of late, but they were def back in force for the lantern festival. They're big ravers too. Relatedly, a friend just got back from Pai and said the walking street was wall to wall people. In the middle of the week. Even Chiang Dao is a bit busy.

Take a look at the 66 Realty site. Diana was our agent.

I'm glad the white girl issue is settled.

You're living my nightmare. But if it works..... Prob not a good idea, mental health-wise, to consider the internet as a "place" that you go to. Partic when you are otherwise very idle.

I go to the Jett Gym chain. They have daily classes (called Kombat) that are OK for all fitness levels. I researched the various fitness "camps" in Phuket and found them to be expensive for what you get and not that great in terms of trainers and facilities (often, no AC). I had a private training session at Jett's Gym and found it impossible to complete the hour. It's a huge stress on the hips. As an old, out of shape person, low impact exercise is much better for you. Alternately, when I was staying in Pai, there were a few oldies taking classes that were much modified for tourists. Most were happy with it No contact except for hitting a giant pillow. One on one Muay Thai classes start at 1,500 baht an hour. You'd have to train for about a year first to get much out of one.

Long may your blissful union run. Does she have Thai female friends where you live? That seems to be the common denominator for relationship longevity. Poss harder for her to find on an island.

Finally, a monger with a vision and a plan. Sir, I salute you. Problem: They've seen plenty of your game-type before. And you're new to the rodeo. I don't see how you keep the plates spinning without regular cash infusions. In which case, game over. I have a 52 year old friend with a similar problem in America. He'd like to have 3-4 monogamous relationships a year via Tinder. The percentage of 40-52 year old women who think similarly is bumping along zero, And the rare few who on that same page have plenty of better options. Game that worked for him even 2 years ago is now falling on deaf ears. The women have gotten shrewder from being strung along by his smarmy ilk and he has no further game to bring to bear to offset that. His solution: Go fatter. They've been passed over, so have been less gamed. I hope this is helpful to your noble mission, which I 100% support.