CWMcMurray

Today's lesson - English Idioms:

"Don't dip your bread in your gravy"

"Don't get your pudding where you get your meat".

Guessing British? In US we might say... "Don't sh!t where you eat "...

But we American are crass...

I guess you could always deposit 100 thb and then withdraw 100 thb... Then update book...

Although if you have exactly amount needed for extension ... Don't withdraw 100thb and then deposit 100 thb...

Or your done for.. If balance drops under the required amount for even a second... Need to releasing funds

I don't find the below a compelling argument...

As Cambodian Casino is just few hours drive from Bangkok

So anyone that wanted to do this, could do it already

In fact, if done in a Cambodian Casino, they could also get around taxes..

As could keep winnings in a Casino account until the next Calendar year, then bring into Thailand tax free..

I worked three years at a casino. Its number one function was to make money for its owner. Its number two function was to launder illegally earned cash money. Five dollar slot machines pay back 99.5% so you drop 10,000 dollars into five dollar slot machines (with the help of aunties and cousins), get most of it back and pay tax on your 9,000 dollar 'winnings'. What was drug money in the morning is clean money by evening. Since the casino does not keep track of how much drug money you lost to get the winnings you paid tax on, the law enforcement can't prove that you get your income from illicit enterprise. Now the politicians won't have to lie and say how well they saved or invested to explain their unusual wealth, they can soon claim they 'won' it at the casino. No more using monks to transport your illegal income offshore; it's laundered so you can keep it close to you in Thailand. This will be a boon to corrupt officials, politicians, policemen, and soldiers as they can soon launder their own money.

Another negative, gambling tourists tend to never leave the venue where they gamble. The don't go on tours or go shopping; they gamble. Good luck, with all the cash involved in gambling, for the state to collect anywhere near the share that it is owed. Never mind, the head of whatever casino watchdog organization will get his cut.

Thirdly, gambling is a tax on stupidity since almost everyone loses every time.

.

Don't see any reason why not to legalize..

Anyone who wants to gamble now, can...

Either illegally in many of the local dens or legally on Cambodian border

Seems to me the only big loser if legalized is the criminals that are currently running the illegal casinos and the corrupt police officers petering the illegal gambling dens , who would lose a lot of tea money

And I'm completely ok with either of those groups losing out ..

It will help tourism, it will help tax collection

Or could try Gemopolis

http://www.gemopolis.com/fac_outlet.php

It may be sad.. But the day of successful family farms is past or soon will be.

This is not just in Thailand bit in the western world as well.

Is it sad for these lifetime farmers.. Yes... But is the reality

The sooner they accept and get out in front of things, the better off most will be.

The below is an interesting read... Is about the death of the family farm is USA... But can draw many parallels to Thailand

http://realtruth.org/articles/100607-006-family.html

Some may also find interesting thing on how subsidies can hurt the family farm...

Reformat the hard drive

Hey OP...

Would suggest that KTC and AEON are likely the easiest to get ...

I remember the first Thai credit card I got was KTC ... Believe their min salary for Foreign national was 40k per month ...

So you shouldn't have any issues with getting approved

Although even though never a late payment and usually pay off in full any time used in last 6 years... Never an increase .. They have policy that need to request increase in writing and re-submit paperwork if wanting balance increase. Although no annual fee

Never applied for AEON but heard they are pretty easy

Citibank is a good one ... You should have enough to receive without a problem.. Although likely gold card.. Think need at least 1 million annual salary for the platinum card

Not sure if much difference between the 2... Except the platinum m visa gets you special parking spot at the Mall and also access to the VIP lounge at the Mall... And a couple other perks

But interest rates I believe are the same

Also good thing about Citi cards are if you use them regularly and pay them off, they keep raising the limit without asking...

So makes it a bit nicer for long term card

Left the house(by airport) 6:40 am... Got to the office 11:20 (Suk)

Normally only takes about 1hr 30 min...

It's not plus 20... It's minus 20..

They paid 300.. Got back 30.. So paid 270...

Cost 250 and assistant pocketed 20.. Equals 270

But still a funny story that may get some kids...lol

This lapse is a good thing.

Requiring a warrant before making this information available is a good thing

I completely agree with revoking his passport, as he is a fugitive...

The problem is with the below statement..

By saying the below, it will lead the whole world to believe it is only as retaliation to exercising 'Free Speech'

Which is the completely wrong message to send.

Should have just kept it as .. He is a fugitive on the run...

QUOTE:

He singled out the part of Thaksin's speech in which he accused the Privy Council of involvement in past military coups as the key reason his passports were revoked and he may possibly lose his police rank.

"If he hadn't made that kind of speech, he would not have lost his passport.

I do not have a problem if same sex couples want to be together,but if its just about equal opportunity under the law with regards to taxes,welfare etc,allowing them the same security that normal families have,well that's ok with me.But please do not allow marraiges,it lessens the value of a true family unit,that of a husband and wife,a man and a woman.

As a straight person, I can never understand how some people believe that allowing gays to marry would "lessen the value of a true family unit." Who exactly is feeling that the value of their family unit is lessened? Certainly not me. Do you feel that way about your family? Not having a go at you, but just seriously want to know how allowing gays to marry would impact straight folks at an individual level.

Sorry honey... Just learned that Mike and Steve got married...

So obviously this means I no longer love you ... Oh yeah and I'm no longer taking care of or going to act as a father to my children...

Yeah.. That seems to make sense

Wouldn't buy a smart TV... Cost is not worth it.

For me.. Buy a large screen LED / LCD and then just buy Apple TV for about 4k thb

Or android box if you prefer..

But as I have iPhone, I prefer Apple TV , as can then also use AirPlay to stream from my phone

And can also use VLC streamer to stream from my windows computer to my iPhone...

So super simple to what any movies on my hard drive wirelessly on to my TV

In your situation, would likely just head to Laos to apply for a multiple entry O visa..

Then no need to go to immigration ever ...

As you will not be here more than a year... Just until wife's visa to US finished

You would need to leave Thailand every 90 days, But seems from your comments that you will need to travel anyway.. So non issue

Took about 3 weeks if memory serves...

I don't have any problem with any priest refusing to preform the ceremony if it is against their religion...

But as another poster mentioned, marriage is a secular institution with many secular benefits for those married.

Also it seems that the reasons against gay married are all routed in religious values

Given this, it seems that any country that purports to support religious freedom for all of its citizens should not have any real reason to ban gay marriage.

St Stephen

Greatful Dead

I told you how to solve it simply register all street level vendors. Issue 1,000 tickets each or total 80,000 baht worth charge them 75,000 payable to GLO . Once tickets sold vendors turn in 75,000 baht and get issue another 1,000 tickets to sell. The vendor makes 5,000 baht from sales. draw is help once a month. vendors should be able to sell more or less about 3,000 tickets a month. making 15,000 baht of which 5,000 they save after a year they should have enough saved to buy outright after a year. Then they are independent merchants. all unsold tickets every month returned to GLO and deducted from what they owe. Unless a licensed charity with cash to buy tickets and issue to there own vendors giving them a percentage for selling.no middleman no up pricing.

How do you manage the buy back? As seems that would need to turn in unused tickets prior to the drawing ...

Otherwise will not work... As vendors could just buy thousands of tickets... Sit at home and see what happens..

If any winning tickets, cash them in and then just return all the non winners to get their money back...

Or even if they do sell, there would then be an immediate black market for loosing lottery tickets... As if vendors offer to buy back from their customers at half price and sell back to the government for full price.

So how long before the drawing do you need to turn in the unsold tickets?

Need to be sure to leave enough time for ever ticket vendor to get back to the government office.. Get in line and sell back their unsold tickets

Currently listening only a small number of connected middlemen allowed to purchase lottery tickets so line at lottery office not too bad.. As these few buy in lots of 10s of thousands at a time...

But if middle men taken out of the loop and every individual ticket seller needs to get in line to buy tickets and sell tickets back ... How many people would that be ?

10s of thousands of people? Hundred thousand? How many lottery office would then need to be opened to accommodate ?

How many days need to wait in line to buy? How many days to sell back?

Really the best way is to sell tickets at 7/11, Family Mart, Tesco, Big C...

Immediately ends the scams, as no middlemen... also solves any issue of unsold tickets, as would not be any... People can pick there own numbers, what ever they want... Save huge costs to the government, as no need to print or distribute tickets...

Of course need to then find some work for the sellers... But unemployment less than 1%, right?

So shouldn't be an issue if they want to find work... But of course it is not that they CAN'T find work, but that they DON'T want to work for some one else...

Of course they will not be happy and will be vocal ... Of course they will likely be organized and roused and likely paid to protest by the same middle men who have so much to loose...

As they make tons of money as the gate keepers / distributors of lottery tickets under the current scheme

Best if you can negotiate with landlord or if he is not open to it...

You can also talk to other tenets in the building to see if anyone will want your room with the air con and they may be willing to pay you for it

Rented a place about 9 years ago... Cheap 2 bedroom TH 3,700 / month. In Bang Yai.. Total bare bones low end Thai style Town house

Did a lot of upgrades.. AC in bedroom, hot water heater in bathroom.. Afixed mirrors in bathroom.. Racks in bathroom

Add water pipes and plug for washing machine...run additional pipe to allow easy link into sink unit (thai metal removable style sink/cabinet)

Additional electric sockets...

All said and done, only cost about 10k thb for all improvements (minus cost of A/C and heater)

But well worth the money for fix up, as made it very livable and more comfortable...

And over all cost way less to pay the cheap rent and improve than find a nicer place that didn't need any improvements and higher rent

Once we were ready to move.. One of the neighbors who saw all the improvements we made wanted to move from their old place to our room and offered us 10k if we left the water heater and A/C..

Also land lord was ok with it... He just say he need to bp rent to 4000 thb per month for the other improvements (+300/mo)

Well worth it to us... Even though a bit less than half of cost of A/C and water heater

And only a third of cost once adding in other improvements, but still well worth it to my view

As no need to hire some one to uninstall, repair house...

Also new place already had A/C

So would try to work on finding some solution with landlord or see if some one else willing to move in to your place with A/C

Key is to think about the solution not the problem and be willing to bend a bit...

In the end was a win / win/ win... Everyone was happy

Are you sure you can't try something similar ?

Be creative and try to find a solution that everyone can live with...

Try to find a way to work with the land lord and not just confrontational.. You may be surprised

I like the idea of subsidy on equipment...

Purchases of new equipment should help create better efficiency and productivity in the farming process

Is it a new home in a Moo Baan? If so, go through the housing company... They will have a preferred bank that they have a very good relationship with.

Let them do the work to get you approved... If they want to sell... They will do everything they can to try and get it pushed through

H90... That's not really the case..

As Sheryl mentioned, the law states that you Must have an import permit

The post office generally doesn't require, but this does not change the law... They just tend to disregard it..

The courier companies follow the law and will not disregard it, as if found out to do so by Thai customs... They would face penalties and could loose their license to be customs brokers..

Believe me... They are not looking to loose their customs license just for you..

The post office don't face that risk... The post office guy is a gov employee... He ain't getting fired for not asking for your import permit ...

Also ain't no way that Thai customs will pull the Thai Posts right to receive international packages...

But they will have no issue to pull the brokerage license from a private company

Whether left or right handed depends on what I'm doing...

Writing, left handed .. But broke my arm about 12 years ago and found out could right passably with right hand..

Baseball, right handed

Shooting, left handed.. But passable right handed

Basketball, left handed

Golf, right handed

Painting... About the same with both (meaning new born elephants paint better)

No one ever tried to force me to be left or right handed... I just do what feels most comfortable for any task

It maybe just that you have not completely closed out and turned off app...