Mike Lister

Wow, that's 2 units per kilo whereas the guide is only 1 per kg. Also, the formula for weight gain is low TSH, hi T4, it sounds like you're breaking all the rules.

Sorry, one more question, your weight? Thanks

Why so many confused idiots posting faces on this subject?

Total or partial thyroidectomy, and, dosage of Euthyrox, please?

An interesting quarterly asset allocation and 2024 outlook (with rationale) from Blackrock, link below: https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/literature/whitepaper/bii-global-outlook-2024.pdf

Many many thanks for those things, I thought I was the only one out there! One of the many things I've read on this subject is the link between the hormone guided weight gain and increased blood glucose levels leading to higher HbA1C. I thought I'd fought and won the Type 2 battle by restricting my diet and exercising daily but it seems like it may come back.....grrr, frustrating. I've also read that thyroidectomy patients are happiest (!) when their TSH levels are between 0.5 and 2.5 and their T4 levels between 1.4 and 1.7. Call me odd if you like but my numbers have barely even been in those ranges! For the past 10 years my TSH has been under 0.7 and my T4 has averaged 1.2 (but it did reach 1.3 once in 2015). I can hardly wait for my hormones doctor to tell me she's going to increase my dosage, I may have to go to my diet Plan B which is two dried leaves, a blade of grass and a lick of an ice cube once a day. :)

Yes you are correct, it appears to be a partial, albeit substantial portion, of their assets. The wording I've just read is below which is imprecise verbiage and also promotes some journalistic sensationalism: "What is the main reason for BlackRock's exit from US markets? — The main reason for BlackRock's exit from US markets is the combination of concerns about the corporate debt bubble and the impending recession, which has led them to reallocate their assets into emerging markets". Blackrock themselves, in their latest assets allocation report dated December 2023, said:, "On a tactical horizon, our overall macro view would keep us underweight developed market (DM) equities as a standalone because we expect growth to stay stagnant with persistent inflation, prompting central banks to keep policy rates higher for longer". The other part of this is that BR has changed safe custody bank from State Street and has spread their ETF assets across the major banks, a move that makes oodles of sense but which sparked rumor's about BR's views on the safety of US banks. https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/insights/blackrock-investment-institute/outlook https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/literature/whitepaper/bii-global-outlook-2024.pdf https://www.fnlondon.com/articles/blackrock-to-move-2tn-away-from-state-street-as-jpmorgan-citi-and-bny-set-to-benefit-20211208

The Social Security Fund helps pay for the Government Hospital system. I was suggesting that foreigners pay an increased monthly charge for access to that hospital system, I never imagined for one moment that might include private hospitals.

It may help to allow expat foreigners make payments into the fund, in exchange for medical privileges', an increased rate of even 10 times the Thai rate (430 month) would be excellent value for all parties. It's also worth noting that the SSc tax take is the lowest in Asia/Pacific, as a percentage of total tax take.......is it any wonder the fund is in trouble.

Is anyone here who takes Euthyrox and if so, did you have problems with weight gain? If you did, do you have any tips or pointers? This is a Euthyrox specific issue for people who have had total thyroidectomy and must take hormone replacements, please do not post your diet tips, unless it is Euthyrox specific. Following surgery 44 days ago, my weight was 84.1 which is close to my long term average weight. I started taking 0.5 mcg Euthyrox and after 8 days the dose was increased to 0.75 mcg, the long term dose guidelines are 1 mcg per kg or body weight although this may be lower in older people, I'm 74 years old. I'm due my first blood based hormones review at the end of the week when I pray the dose will not be increased. I weigh myself daily at the same time and am now 86.3, despite adjusting my diet to try and reduce weight. I eat one small meal a day. For breakfast I eat fresh fruit with low sugar content, lunch varies but is always small/medium and sensible, I've discovered that rice is like a fat magnet for me. Dinner is a bowl of soup or a small salad. It is said that it takes between 4 and 6 weeks for the body weight to stabilize, I think I'm at that point. My biggest problem is that I have spinal issues which are manageable at a lower body weight, at my present weight they are difficult. I also need to exercise which a combination of body weight and lumbar issues makes tricky. Any insight from personal experience will be appreciated.

Here's a better chart of the tax take in Thailand from the OECD that covers 2020 and 2021. At 11% of total tax take, you can see that Thailand's PIT take is not only the lowest in ASEAN but in ASIA/PAC and that there is massive reliance on corporate and indirect tax such as VAT. https://www.oecd.org/tax/tax-policy/revenue-statistics-asia-and-pacific-thailand.pdf The second graph shows tax to GDP ratio which again, shows Thailand near the bottom of the scale. And since government budgets now include deficit spending, the ratio of PIT to budget expenditure is extremely low.

I feel left out and am very concerned. I have 800k in the bank and my pensions are paid directly into my Thai bank account. This means RD can see the source of all my funds, AND my living expenses. Does this mean I wont come under scrutiny like every other expat and that I'll miss out on the rubber glove treatment? Signed, Concerned from Barking

Ah, I see the problem I started the ball rolling in my initial post by saying "Direct Taxes" when I intended to say, "PIT" (that has been falling and is 2%. My error in terminology.

At 80% you're being aggressive, I hope you're a young fella or have nerves of steel and a secret stash of cash for a rainy day.

Below is a screenshot from page 26 of The World Bank Spending & Revenue Assessment dated June 2023 (linked below) which shows Revenue Collection by type since 2005. You will note that Income Tax equaled 5.7% of GDP in 2021 which is higher than the 2% I quoted previously. But then I also attach the 2022 budget breakdown which refers to direct tax as being 2% of total revenue budget. You will also note that income tax collection has fallen, YoY. My apologies if I have used my wife's business as an example of taxation previously but she is the only wife and only business I have first hand knowledge of in Thailand where I can be absolutely certain of the financial details, whereas I cannot be certain which AN readers have seen that information before! I will try very hard from today onwards to try not to bore you with repetition since I understand how difficult it must be for you to not read something once it is posted! But one aspect of that repetition that perhaps you didn't understand is that my wife files taxes as a self employed person, she does not have any of the overheads of being a limited company, she is in effect, a regular employee, the same as any other regular employee of any company. Indeed, were the example of a limited company of any scale, it might involve capital expenditure and long term investment as well as supporting a labor force, along would all the other overhead costs that go along with being a limited company hence a 60% standard deduction would not be high. But a self employed person generally has none of those things, in my wife's case, her actual costs are only 16% of the cost of sales! https://dmcrth.dmcr.go.th/attachment/dw/download.php?WP=rUqjMT04qmqZG22DM7y04TyerPMjBT01qmIZAJ1CM5O0hJatrTDo7o3Q https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099052523201010405/pdf/P17715700c42070140a5b009c8453acd7a6.pdf

It is not covid related, Direct Tax income has been sliding for several years, since before 2005, it is now the lowest of any ASEAN. Direct taxes contribute less than 2% to Budget Revenue, indirect taxation continues to be the mainstay with corporate taxes coming second. Populist giveaways by successive governments are largely to blame, deductions and allowances relative to average wage are disproportionate. I've just done my wife's books for last year, she will pay 9k Baht in tax on sales of 1.1 mill. with a standard deduction of 60% of sales allowed as a deductible for costs.

All Immi has to do is count the number of days you've been in the country by looking at your passport, even most immi staff are capable of doing that, perhaps! If less than 180, check and pass, if more than 180, tax clearance required from RD.

Devils advocate stuff again for a moment.....Banking has nothing to do with Immigration either which is why Immi. requires numerous documents and statements from the banks, before a visa is extended, copies of bank books, statements, letters signed by officials, Presumably, in the future, at some point, Immi will put the onus back on the RD to provide the things they demand also regarding taxation and tax status. Which makes an even stronger case for the tax clearance certificate, before the visa can be extended or granted. A lot of theorizing here but I think the probability is high.

Baaa sounds like a credit rating, maybe you should quietly pre-sell goat meat futures, for delivery at some unspecified date and turn a profit.

I quit mine last year, actually, they quit me first but it was a close call. 150K per year to cover half my body, plus a 400K deductible, plus a 200k co pay. When something new arose and I tried to get an op pre authorized they declined and ended my policy, it just brought forward the inevitable that I should never have started.

Whilst you are entitled to your opinion in all matters, there is such a weight of evidence to the contrary in this matter that for you to go against that raises the questions of whether or not you are trolling or purposely trying to spread disinformation for some reason! Regardless of your motives, you need to understand that by continuing to argue this point, you are causing substantial distress to people who don't understand taxation. Let me once again set out some of the reasons why a tax on all transfers is simply not viable: 1) Neither the banks nor the RD knows when a transfer is made, whether the funds are assessable income or not. 2) Neither the banks nor the RD understands whether the recipient of the funds transfer is tax resident or not. 3) A tax on all transfers would, kill the Thai property markets, in places such as Phuket, stone cold dead. 4) A tax on all inbound transfers would reduce FDI to a trickle. Who is going to invest in Thailand, knowing their initial investment is taxed at source. 5) A tax on all inbound transfers would cause large numbers of retired expats to leave, along with the support those 150,00 people bring to the local economies', 6) A tax on all transfers would badly hurt several business sectors, including medical and automobile sales. 7) A tax on inbound transfers has no precedent anywhere in the world, apart from Myanmar (a military junta in civil war) and India (as it relates to certain locations only). Thailands reputation as a business friendly country would reverse and they would be seen as a pariah state.

Nonsense, for all the reasons stated thus to date, it's just not a starter.

Via a tax return is the only viable option.

A lot of very capable thinkers like Burry are predicting another financial crisis, as said in the OP, Blackrock has exited the US markets entirely because of this belief. That's a huge move to take for a firm that size, in the business they are in. I think that value of USD will have a lot to do with what happens, it will also impact expats in Asia because of the exchange rates and Asian economies. A strong Dollar will kill US equities whilst a weak Dollar will stimulate exports and increase demand. But that weak Dollar will also aid EM currencies and EM economies, even if it does make the Baht exchange rate unattractive to resident expats. Logically, a weaker dollar is more helpful than not to everyone (except us).

Another plus point for higher markets is that Small Caps have surged significantly and they are usually a precursor to gains by Mid, Large and Giant Caps. The FT analysis suggest Trump will not win which will be more positive for markets.