Prubangboy

11 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

 

I pay for Medicare Part B and get nothing for it.

 

But I think being taxed on foreign sourced income as expats is a very unfair.

You can opt out of Medicare Part B. It would prob pay for your new Thai Tax bill.

Most countries have some kind of tax for remitted income. In Mexico and Brazil, they tax ALL world wide income, whether remitted or not. At crazy high rates that kick in early

Unpopular opinion: We live here, we use the road, police ect. So Thailand deserves some revenue for that.

38 minutes ago, Prubangboy said:

 

 

Woody Allen said he wanted to come back as Warren Beatty's fingertips (because they wouldn't let him name his preferred Warren Beatty body part in the movie).

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

My level considering most of my income.is US social security which is treated advantageously has no US tax so double tax credits do  nothing for me in Thailand. 

 

 

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. 

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.

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.

10 hours ago, NextG said:

Instead would go for goose, though a bit fatty. 

'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.

14 hours ago, bob smith said:

The remaining 187 days will be spent abroad. Probably Cambodia mostly, with a sprinkle of Vietnam, Phils, Laos and Nepal thrown in for good measure. 

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.

12 minutes ago, bignok said:

If you were a poor Indian boy u probably be dead or sick now

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.

10 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

I was just watching Steve Rosse old farang YouTuber

 

 

 

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

8 hours ago, Goat said:

 

Vlogger, tech guru, love matchmaker, historian and businessman

 

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.

49 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

 

And, NOT a WHITE girl.

 

But, a white girl might do, too.

 

Gamma...

 

 

I'm glad the white girl issue is settled.