dbrenn

The EU resembles more and more the Soviet Union. A centralised, undemocratic bureaucracy that exerts control over such a diverse region, forcing on it a financial and social model that doesn't work, and in doing so has inflicted such misery on those who can't or don't fit in. Great job Farage in bringing down the metropolitan elites who never have to live with the consequences of their failed social and economic experiment. Looking at the politics in Europe right now, Brexit is only the start,and its result hopefully will herald a long overdue reshaping of British politics: the the old parties no longer represent the true divisions in society anymore, and the sooner they are replaced by ones that do, so much the better.

Interesting too how the Blairite liberal (who call themselves Conservative, but aren't) and intellectual leftist Guardianista Remainer camp (who call themselves Labour and claim to represent the poor, but don't) are howling down the result of a national vote and deriding as stupid those who voted, in a majority, to get out. How democratic is that? They should be ashamed of themselves.

Interesting to see the the Tory government, who called the referendum have not enacted Article 50 (and show no signs of being eager to do so), but have started voicing opinions about reducing regulations - the regulations they are concerned with are removal of the minimum wage, removal of maternity rights, removal of the working hours directive... and of course more controls over unions.

It's early days yet. If they don't invoke article 50, then they are not the Tory party: they have instead morphed into the Blairite Liberal party, indistinguishable from the Blairite Labour Party, as I have stated in my post above. If they don't invoke article 50, then they are just the latest manifestation of metropolitan purveyors of PR soundbites, divorced from their electorate, where cronyism has replaced principles.

The Conservative Party is in its death throes anyway, as is the Labour Party, and I'm hoping that parties that actually represent the divisions in society will replace them in due course. The sooner that happens, the better. I'm sure that Farage and others like him will be back if Mrs. May turns out to be yet another Liberal impostor, pretending to be a Conservative, but lacking the conviction to carry our the will of the people by invoking Article 50.

He may be an annoying little pip-squeak but he's neither an embarrassment nor a racist. The bullingdon club needed up-ending and that is exactly what he's done.

Hats off to him, regardless of what it may cost in the long run.

The funny thing is, the anti-democratic facist remainers are calling people names, pots and kettles come to mind

The EU resembles more and more the Soviet Union. A centralised, undemocratic bureaucracy that exerts control over such a diverse region, forcing on it a financial and social model that doesn't work, and in doing so has inflicted such misery on those who can't or don't fit in. Great job Farage in bringing down the metropolitan elites who never have to live with the consequences of their failed social and economic experiment. Looking at the politics in Europe right now, Brexit is only the start,and its result hopefully will herald a long overdue reshaping of British politics: the the old parties no longer represent the true divisions in society anymore, and the sooner they are replaced by ones that do, so much the better.

Interesting too how the Blairite liberal (who call themselves Conservative, but aren't) and intellectual leftist Guardianista Remainer camp (who call themselves Labour and claim to represent the poor, but don't) are howling down the result of a national vote and deriding as stupid those who voted, in a majority, to get out. How democratic is that? They should be ashamed of themselves.

Will anyone bother to vote?

A Canadian backpacker robbing a bank in Singapore. He should plead insanity.

The only problem is the the 'big Baht' comes from businesses that are suffering. Adding to their suffering are all these commercially illiterate generals who keep calling five day holidays for sundry reasons, almost on a monthly basis.

I manage a business here, and seem to spend most of my time signing pieces of paper.

Thai airways allows you to confirm a booking without paying. Does anybody know if the booking confirmation is enough?

Unless they are very naive, they may trip you up on that one by asking for an e-ticket. A booking is only a reservation, but needs a ticket number to be a ticket.

As far as I know it is down to the owner of the business. The PM did say it was a holiday but at the discretion of the owner to choose if to give staff the time off.

We've exchanged the Wednesday public holiday for Monday. All our staff can have a long weekend.

The number of public holidays in Thailand these days is ridiculous, and amounts to little more than the idiot generals showing off by chucking the serfs some crumbs every now and then in the form of holidays, where they are supposed to grovel in appreciation to the establishment.

Far better to have fewer, and give people more annual leave. That way, people can enjoy their leave when it suits them, and business can keep running by planning around individual staff absences.

Her judgement is in doubt already having appointed Johnston as Foreign Secy.

He may be something of a genius but comes over as a clown and already commentators are questioning whether he will be taken seriously on the international stage.

Has the new PM put party unity over the interests of the country ?

Right - Theresa obviously hasn't been reading the newspapers recently. US/UK relations won't be good if Trump gets in. Our dear Boris was insulting Trump when it was assumed that he wouldn't stand a chance of winning the Republican nomination. If Clinton gets in? Too bad, Boris insulted her too ...

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/13/europe/boris-johnson-uk-foreign-secretary/index.html

Not a good start .... Boris deserved something, but not Foreign Secretary.

I'll drink to that.

Places like Cambodia and Laos only made travel easy for individual travellers in the late nineties. They were pristine when they first opened and are now rapidly being spoiled by mass tourism.

Thailand's pristine places have already been spoiled by mass tourism so there's little point in closing the place now.

Yet another Blairite liberal clone. She's not a Conservative at all and has failed dismally in most of what she claimed to support.

Politicians are all the same these days. Aside from, perhaps, Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage, they all have so little in common with their party membership and the people that vote for them.

The absolute last thing we need is the forum swivel-eyed Brexit mob telling us what type of politician we should have leading the country.

Did you notice that there was a recent referendum, in which the swivel eyed Brexit mob outnumbered and outvoted the liberal Blairite luvvies? Having had their swivel-eyed views proven in this ultimate democratic test, surely that gives Brexiteers a mandate to speak their mind in a forum like this one :-)

All she has in common with Maggie is her gender, and who cares about that?

On her politics, I'd say she's a cross between Tony Blair and John Major.

Shouldn't it be up to the religious bodies to select and appoint thier head. The military shouldn't have any say in religion, the military has a specific role and it doesn't include politics or running religion. Imagine if the Chief of the Defence Force in Australia tried to dictate who will be the grand mufti, senior cardinal or any other religious head.

Who on gods earth does Prayuth think he is. People like Robert Mugabe, Idi Amin Dada, Saddam Hussain and a cluster of other like minded individuals have gained a title, is he trying to join this elite group?

I'd say that Prayuth's role model is Alexander Lukashenko.

It's a shame that there are so many monks who don't make any effort to behave properly. Thailand's religion is such a nice part of the culture.

Yet another Blairite liberal clone. She's not a Conservative at all and has failed dismally in most of what she claimed to support.

Politicians are all the same these days. Aside from, perhaps, Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage, they all have so little in common with their party membership and the people that vote for them.

The rich, along with the military and the politicians who are under military patronage, are above the law in Thailand.

I thought Thailand was in the AEC already since the turn of the year? Doesn't that mean any citizen of a member country can come and go to any other member country and stay there, work and whatever?

No. AEC does not provide freedom of movement, either for residence or for employment. At best, it is an aspirational document that identifies a small number of professions (I believe it's 8) where the member states undertake to make movement easier. In practice, Thailand and many other member nations have erected administrative barriers to even these professions (e.g. licensing requirements that non-citizens are unlikely to be able to meet). It is nothing even approaching EU-style freedom of movement and, IMHO, it never will be. Most of the ASEAN member states are simply too parochial and inwardly-focused.

God observation, but the resistance to freedom of movement in AEC by member states, and their refusal to follow the example of the EU, might be more to do with the obvious problems that freedom of movement is causing in the EU, rather than parochialism in the AEC ...

Any Health Insurance for 10,000 bht a year, won't be worth the paper it's printed on. Get a copy of the terms and conditions, take it home and read it thoroughly. A decent and proper Insurance will cost you in the region of 10,000 bht a month more if you want cover for all eventualities depending on your age. Remember that a lot of Thai policies want you pay and claim back. The better policies will pay the Hospital and Doctors direct.

I like AXA PPA but it isn't cheap at 150,000 bht a year at 58 yrs old but you also covered world wide (except the USA) as well as Thailand.

Agreed. Health insurance that costs 10000 per year would likely have so many conditions and exclusions. Claiming would be impossible for most eventualities.

I have a BUPA Platinum policy. 147000 per year for me (52) and the wife (41). The hospital cover is higher than you'd ever need, includes 60000 Baht for outpatient cover and is also valid worldwide except the USA. The card is accepted as payment in most hospitals so no need to pay and claim back later.

Why not just phone the Nepalese Embassy and ask?

Maybe he wants to hear from people who have actually done it. After all, that's what a forum like this is for.

Military meddling caused this daft referendum in the first place.

Talk is cheap

If you really need to have those shots because you may have been bitten/licked/whatever by a rabid animal do not delay getting them until you have found a better price at the other end of the country.

ABSOLUTELTY !!!!

Rush!

Agreed. Rabies is a dreadful disease that tortures you then kills you. Prompt treatment is absolutely essential. Just get the shots as soon as possible. Call mum for a loan if needs be.

I hedged against the recent drop in the Australia dollar by putting half of my money in USD exchange traded funds. If the AUD had gone up, I'd have lost the same amount on my USD holding, and vice versa. What actually happened was the AUD dropped, which meant that the half of my money that was in AUD was worth less, but the other half that was in USD was worth more by the same amount. Hedging is useful and helps you get a good night's sleep.

Let's hope the USD doesn't jump off a Pattaya balcony any time soon then!

If you live in Thailand and Australia ..... hedging means holding those two currencies.

As for Thai baht, not too sure about that either, I wouldn't be wanting to hold more than I needed.

I have enough for a year, but if it were 'run away' time, it wouldn't be a big loss.

I live in Thailand, but my money is in Australia - as you say, I would't want to hold all my money in THB, but I was concerned that any depreciation in the AUD versus the USD would leave me a lot worse off once said funds were eventually converted into THB (which tends to follow the USD more that the AUD.

Hedging by swapping half of my AUD funds for USD meant that, any reduction, or gain in the value of the AUD did not affect my financial position.

And it heads even lower

$1.30 and I can imagine

a few old boys are

starting to worry about

hanging on to their birds

Schadenfreude is such an ugly aspect of human nature.