ukrules

An immediate arrest and prosecution should deter others, apparently everyone is subject to the law, that's the rumour anyway

I'm down here in Phnom Penh at the moment, and the Thai Mrs is with me, she has been getting a little concerned about being Thai and in Cambodia. I told her not to worry about anything - not that this will do anything though. Now she's a member of some Hua Hin facebook gossip group and many people were reporting hearing weapons fire over the last week - which is odd - I've never heard anything, I don't know where their firing range is for larger weapons as we're not talking about small arms fire here. It's a hot topic right now and they think it's related to Cambodia.

Indeed, I first bought one of these a while back, maybe 10 years ago because the constantly changing chairs I was using were starting to irritate my lower back, I went through 3 or 4 of them over a year or so before giving up with the cheaper ones. I've never had any back problems at all previously but do sit on my ass in front of a computer for many hours every day and have done so for 30+ years So I bought an Aeron from Bangkok, when in Cambodia for half the year these days where I can't find an Aeron on sale at all, anywhere - I bought something which is kind of similar and does the job. So I nipped those future lower back issues in the bud as soon as they started to appear as a mild discomfort long ago and it's well worth it, I find it amazing what a difference a simple chair can make and where I previously laughed at those big companies paying $1000+ per chair for their employees I now understand entirely why they do it. Lots of chairs will injure you over long term use and that results in lawsuits for the employer - this avoids the problem which avoids the lawsuit!

Well now you know why this differed from the proper experience - they got it wrong - probably quite rare - but they're owning it so it's inconvenient but problem solved. You got your money back - simply order it again. Normally this does not happen, I've placed many orders with Amazon Export / International from the US or whatever they call it - all with taxes prepaid which is a system they operate in both Thailand and Cambodia (and who knows where else) where I've also received deliveries by both DHL and UPS - as recently as earlier this month with UPS in Cambodia.

Indeed, personally I like the Aeron by Herman Miller - you can order them online and they ship they via Fedex from Pergo Thailand. This is considered a reasonably high end office chair. Not cheap though 😂

It's quite likely they didn't - you think that stop at Heathrow was random?

A bit of an overreaction huh?

That 'before' photo could have been taken last year and I know you're definitely not paying the going rate - they always load it. I once heard of a place that charged 9 Baht a unit - I think half their revenue came from electricity sales.

Bash the foreigners to punish the actions of a few Thai bank staff, that's retarded.

Just ignore the morons, I do.

Maybe they're known to use a bit of 'coke' all the time - it's very common in the west you know - when I left they were all at it and I heard it became way more common.

Don't they have anything real to actually do?

I can see how Musk and Bezos made so much but Zuck coming in at number 2 ahead of Bezos, how and WTF?

Staying in the UK for less than 15 days per year is regarded as cutting all ties to the UK but there are other rules that come into play, only if you spend between 16 and 182 days per year in the UK and it can get complicated quickly. Best not to go at all unless you're sure if you're earning a lot in that specific year. Also these rules have evolved over time - a lot. The current SRT (statutory residence test) has been in force since April 2013 which was 12 years ago now. I am certain of this and if you don't go there or only ever go for a short period of time then you are 100% completely non resident. Before April 2013 residence was decided by a 'secret cabal' based on whispers and rumours in the corridors of power - ie it was arbitrary and up to civil servants - but not any more. Their power has been removed. 15 days or less and you're out regardless of any other 'ties' - they no longer care and haven't done for a long time now. Perhaps you're remembering the 'bad old days' ? Regarding your pensions - you're going to pay tax on them until the day you die as it's UK income - even if you were a foreigner in the UK that would be the case, doesn't make you in any way a tax resident.

Check the tracking and original order, I have never been required to pay any tax on an Amazon US import which was shipped from Amazon Export Services or whatever they call it. If you order through some reseller and for whatever reason the order is fulfilled by some third party company then you're going to be hit with the tax on import and that can be a real pain. Make sure it is a proper Amazon Export order because if it is then the tax is indeed prepaid every time and you should have proof of that and make sure it's not some scam

Depends on where you're originally from and how you left, where you're leaving from and arriving to and how often you move around those places. They can never close all the gaps and won't seek to do so. Many western countries won't 'release' you from taxation in your home country on your global assets until you're established in another country - but not all of them. The UK is a notable exception here as it's easy to lose UK tax residency by just not being there for a while - nothing else is required at all. They don't care where you go - if you're not there then you're out. Thailand too as all you need to do to be a non resident in Thailand is to be there for less than 180 days a year - it could be argued in a normal year that everyone (including Thai citizens) is a non resident until day 180 assuming they've been there all year - day 180 is June 29 in a 'normal year', June 28 last year due to the leap year day. You can't do that if you're from a bunch of European countries of which I don't have a list and places like Australia are tightening the screws as we speak and I believe they already want proof of a new established residency before they 'release you' from their regime. So say you come from somewhere like Thailand or the UK and spend just 177 days in Thailand, 179 in Cambodia and 14 days in Vietnam or Laos or practically anywhere else in the world during a year - who taxes you if you come from the UK or Thailand ? If all your income is made outside those countries then the answer is nobody but it depends on where you keep it and if any is remitted and that's what this is all about. Evasion is lying on tax forms and or even being seen to be hiding money - like large amounts of literal cash in banknotes bought in every month which aren't declared.

That's right but you're not accounting for greed. Unless someone undercuts them all then why should they reduce any prices?

Indeed, I'm using a windows program named MicroSIP along with an account at something called VOIPStudio. There are issues getting a phone number but they can be resolved if you speak to their support. At first they demanded something quite illegal for them to request from me - because I'm on an IP in Asia they would not accept a UK credit card, I complained about this and they requested a passport scan AND a scan of both sides of my credit card - now I know the rules about payment systems and they or their staff are NEVER allowed to ever see the 3 digit security code under PCI rules for online transactions - which they specifically said they 'need' to see. I opened up 2 accounts with different companies. I told them to pound sand on the credit card request and pointed out that it's illegal for them to request such information - but voipstudio do offer a bank deposit method of payment - which I then used. And after that it works. No proof of address required, funds came from a UK bank account and they knew this so they approved it after I sent them a ticket. Note - it is important to get a phone number or calls will be rejected from many networks if there is no number attached - not all - but many. My monthly plan is about 20 pounds a month and offers thousands of minutes to both landlines and mobiles in the UK through voipstudio - just fund it with a bank transfer not a credit card. So based on my experience I would suggest MicroSIP as the program and VOIPStudio but only with direct bank deposit - I sent them enough funds to cover many months of usage. I do believe that VOIPStudio offer their own 'softphone' but I use SIPGate specifically as it offers call recording in the mp3 format which is what I required from the outset. If you don't want call recording in mp3 then there are many more options.

Of course not, it's just more profits for the retailers. Based on the article 10% discounts to the most expensive wine in the world but they're getting away with 50% excise. I expected nothing less than this, they already know the suckers will pay for it. The only thing that will change it would be a new chain of wine shops that charges a reasonable mark up that would force the prices down everywhere else. Maybe that happens in the end

I would think the entire industry would fall to ruin before anything is done to meddle with it based on what happened before. Now the concept of 'personal liability' for actions taken by a PM has been introduced what incentive is there to do anything which might come back to haunt a PM later, regardless of the consequences?

A new Prime Minister was appointed just before that article was written. Things can change quickly with someone new in the hot seat.

Yes, I know both Bangkok Bang and Kasikorn offer these foreign currency accounts (they call it FCD account) - but there are likely other banks in addition to them.

A simple majority vote is required in the cabinet to approve a royal decree for official approval by the Monarch This is a secret process which will never be reported on or discussed because the existence of a potential royal decree approved by cabinet but somehow not making it into the gazette would signify something

That is something I was thinking of - could this be a temporary measure of something a little more permanent.

I wonder how this would work with the announced Royal Decree encouraging people to remit funds in the year they're earned AND the year after they're earned. Full global taxation if you're a resident for 180 days but not for this year and next year and that would presumably roll on continuously. Does this mean if I make about $150k a year from various income and investments I would need to remit all of that and then how long must it remain inside Thailand before it can be sent back out again to be reinvested? Lots of questions. Would global earnings take into account this new announcement or would the new announcement replace it or are they two entirely different things. I believe an act of parliament would need to be amended to alter the actual tax law itself, not sure if that can be done by a royal decree, does anyone know if it can?