AndreasHG

The Thai baht is appreciating also due to the strong inflow of FDI. The tension arising in the US-China relationship is diverting investments away from China and into, among other countries, Thailand. US tech giant Google recently announced its plan to invest US$1 billion in a data centre and a regional cloud service in Thailand, followed by several more digital companies. The Board of Investment (BOI) received requests of investment privileges for 46 data centres and cloud service projects worth around 167.98 billion baht. Thailand has also attracted a diverse range of domestic and international investments in the EV sector, with a cumulative investment volume of around 200 billion baht (49 billion from China-based EV manufacturers, including BYD, and 150 billion from Japanese manufacturers). Probably in anticipation of an appreciation of the Thai baht, foreign investors' holdings of Thai shares rose by 70 billion baht in the first eight months of 2024 to 5.18 trillion baht. Finally, the appreciation of the local currency has not put a dent yet to Thai exports (+7% in August) and to the influx of foreign tourists (despite a soft third quarter, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is targeting 36 million visitors and an income of ฿1.81 trillion, some 32% up on last year, by the end of the year), contributing to the further strengthening of the Thai baht. Given the above, I doubt marginal changes of the BOT interest rate may effectively change the trajectory of the Thai baht v/s other currencies.

Yet another day of ordinary madness on Thai roads...

Weak on immigration? Trouble in Paradise? It's ironic that the UK had to leave the EU to achive nothing. While the current Italian government achieved, what was sold to the UK brainwashed masses as unachievable in the EU, by firmly staying within the EU. And please don't mention the ECJ ruling. Even the illiterates understood by now, that the ECJ ruling has nothing to do with the off shoring of the immigration processing.

Given the way you use social media, I can't but fully agree with you.

Indeed: but 75 years later, when the world seemed to have finally turned page, competition is based on economic advancements and not upon size of the landmass upon which an empire rules. Today, in the XXI century, Russia and China fight following a XIX century playbook: What can possibly go wrong for Putin and Xi Jinping, and for the poor Russians and Chineses they drag in the sinkhole with them?

Have you ever heard about the Lend-Lease program, to bail Stalin out from hole he dug for himself? Or you're just another poor kid grown up in Eastern Europe and fed with Soviet propaganda? Without the $11.3 billion, or $236 billion in 2024 dollars, in goods and services the U.S. sent to the Soviets from 1941 through 1945, the USSR would have been dead in the water. Russia provided the only thing available to the country: Cannon fodder. Millions of men and women sent almost barehanded in waves against the German army, in the infamous "meat assaults", resulting in the highest human casualty toll of the whole WWII. Only the Japanese army showed a comparable lack of regards for human life, the Russians proved capable of. The Russians are so lucky lacking corporations and technologies, that their warfare is limited to "meat assaults" since ever: under the Czar in WWI, under Stalin in WWII, and now under Putin against Ukraine. By the way, the electronic device you are using to type these idiocies was manufactured by a corporation. Do yourself a favor, be consistent, leave the civilized world behind and go back to the cave in the jungle you belong to.

It's the same story over and over again: Russia cannot compete with the rest of the world in terms of economic development, scientific achievements, creation of high added value products, and therefore it devotes itself to doing what it does best: destroying what other countries have created. Europe feels being in the crosshair, but it's not alone. Russia is actively campaigning against malaria vaccination, directly causing the death of thousands of Africans (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/14/world/africa/russia-africa-disinformation-malaria-.html). Russia cannot compete when it comes to medical research. The only things Russia exports to Africa are weapons and mercenaries. Since 2022, Russia has sponsored 80 documented disinformation campaigns in 22 African countries, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. And it's the tip of the iceberg. All this happens under the careless watch of Russian citizens, who shamelessly spend their holidays in Thailand, regardless of the damage that their regime causes to the world wellbeing and to disadvantaged communities. And the vaunted Thai neutrality takes on the appearance, everyday ever more, of complicity with a criminal regime.

Only idiots are always right, never experiencing a change of heart or mind during their whole life. Good leaders must have the ability to change opinion, which is possible only if they have the ability to listen.

Australians have no word in who the monarch is, but bear also in mind that Australia does not pay a cent for the maintenance or security of the Sovereign. Only when the Sovereign visits Australia at the request of the Australian government are expenses incurred, and those expenses depend on the planned itinerary, which may be the shortest and simplest to keep expenses down. Let the Aussies enjoy their free-of-charge head of state, and the Brits happily foot the bill. They (the Brits) are ready to do anything to upkeep pomp and circumstance, and Aussies are practical people who know how to get straight to the point.

Unfortunately, a land lease in Thailand is a contract binding the lessor exclusively to the lessee or to the lessees, if multiple lessees are nominated in the contract. The lease is terminated upon death of the lessee/lessees, unless a valid succession clause is included in the Thailand lease agreement, enforceable by the heirs of the lessee against the original lessor. Leases are only transferable to third parties if the lessor permits it. Finally, unless otherwise provided by the contract of lease, a lessee cannot sublet or transfer his rights in whole or in part of the property to third persons. Without the permission of the lessor, the latter may terminate the lease. I would recommend you ask for sound legal advice, and assess your options based on your age, how solid is the relationship with your "lady", and foreseeable worst-case scenarios (such as death of one of the parties, etc.). Or keep it simple and buy a condo, but always basing your decisions on sound legal advice.

On safety grounds I would suggest the train. The road connecting Hua Hin from and to Bangkok is infamously dangerous. There is a special express train leaving Bangkok at 7:30 am and another one at 10:50 pm, both arriving in Hua Hin approximately 3 hours later. All other trains are in average one hour slower. Prices from 144.00 THB. Info here: Bangkok to Hua Hin | Train Times & Tickets (thailandtrains.com) Tickets are sold online by several vendors, offering also tickets for vans and busses. This is the one I used a few times in the past: Trains from Bangkok to Hua Hin from THB 144 Oct 2024 ✅ (12go.asia)

On safety grounds I would suggest the train. The road connecting Hua Hin from and to Bangkok is infamously dangerous. There is a special express train leaving Bangkok at 7:30 am and another one at 10:50 pm, both arriving in Hua Hin approximately 3 hours later. All other trains are in average one hour slower. Prices from 144.00 THB. Info here: Bangkok to Hua Hin | Train Times & Tickets (thailandtrains.com) Tickets are sold online by several vendors, offering also tickets for vans and busses. This is the one I used a few times in the past: Trains from Bangkok to Hua Hin from THB 144 Oct 2024 ✅ (12go.asia)

Actually the news was first published by the WSJ (Mystery Drones Swarmed a U.S. Military Base for 17 Days. The Pentagon Is Stumped. - WSJ) but reading this article requires a subscription.

Insecure characters tend to over react. I noticed this to be true for people, monkeys and even dogs, including those who currently rule North Korea.

Mysterious Drones Swarmed US Military Bases For 17 Days, Pentagon Was Not Able To Stop Them: Report (ndtv.com)

It's an average of 6.7 million visitors per month or, by and large, 2.2 million visitors present in the country each day, assuming each one of them stays in Thailand for 10 days on average. It's not an accurate estimate, because the number of tourists arriving varies seasonally, but this should give you a rough idea. You may find some interesting statistical data here: EC_EI_028_S2 Tourism Indicators (bot.or.th)

Not what True Corp. claims. They launched the single grid network in November 2023 and, if not fully deployed by now, it's just a matter of time. See: True Corporation’s Nationwide ‘Single Grid’ Network: Boosting Speed, Signal Strength and Coverage while Reducing Greenhouse Emissions with AI - True Blog (dtac.co.th)

I know and I hear it a lot: "when I was young the world was so much better"... Truth is, there has always been a fair share of crime, sometimes really ugly crime. We only lost memory of it. Charles Sobhraj - Wikipedia

Thailand geographic location is what it is. It has never exclusively attracted high quality tourists in first place. Already 25 years ago Khaosan Road was full of Western backpackers and travellers of dubious economic wealth. These tourists are still visiting Thailand. However, the combined effect of the emergence of low-cost airlines, the growing disposable income available to Russians, due the demise of Communism, Chinese, Indians (and Malaysians, Indonesians, Bangladeshi), their sheer number (over 3 billion just considering China and India) and proximity, has diluted the presence of Western travellers so much, that they are now almost invisible. For your reference, the number of foreign visitors setting foot in Thailand grew from approximately 8.5 million in 1999 to over 38 million in 2019 (the chart below is from Wikipedia). Thailand expects to receive 80 million visitors in 2027, further amplifying this phenomenon.

DTAC and True are one and same company since they merged, a process completed in March 2023. You're left with AIS if True-DTAC signal is weak in your area.

Genetically Europeans, culturally Mongols. This has two main implications: 1. specific cultural attitude toward private property. Pastoral communities traditionally have an aversion toward granting full private property of the land to private individuals, and the Mongols assigned the ultimate ownership of their lands solely to the Khan and no one else. In today Russia everything ultimately belongs to Putin, who can award or deprive his boyards of any asset (and their own lives too) without recourse. Russia is the only known country to have enthusiastically embraced communism, and for a reason. The Czar took the place of the Khan, the Communist Party of the Czar, Putin of the Party. Nothing fundamentally ever changed. 2. In 1717 the Tushetu-Khan Tsetsendorj of Khalkha wrote: ‘a large territory is the means of life’, and ‘for the increase of the herds it is necessary to expand the territory for ample migration and grazing the stock’. Wealth does not come from work, innovation, entrepreneurship, personal initiative or scientific knowledge, but only from the subjugation of an increasingly vast territory. In today Russia land still come first. Before human beings and their wellbeing, before innovation, before entrepreneurship, before justice and fairness. That's why Russia is such a miserable country, with no noteworthy great corporations created in its millenary history, besides those directly connected to the exploitation of natural resources or the production of weapons. Humans are disposable, control of the land is of essence. I apologize for my brute frankness, but I hope the message is clearer now and that you enjoyed the reading.

And counting...

Dear Cameroni, only I now understand your contempt for Ukrainians, and the support you convey in numerous posts, in favor of Putin's criminal war against their country. But try to see things from the positive side: Evidently the Ukrainian frequenter of prostitutes who preceded you in the relationship, raised her well. You got a good package despite, as the saying goes, "no rose is without a thorn". And your thorn just happens to be a STD. Not a big deal for a big Eastern European guy like you: learn to live with it.

Indeed: that's why they enslaved the Russians for over two centuries (making them unique among ethnical Europeans). And the Mongols also enslaved China, despite the mighty wall.

Chinese units are just as good v/s competition as their prices are. But to each its own.