Guderian

Sounds like a good idea given the clouds of black smoke most of those old diesel trucks belch out. I had a Grab or Bolt taxi a while back which was an MG EV, and the driver was very happy with it. Driving around a crowded city, the limited range wasn't such an issue as it is if you want to travel cross-country. If these EV songtaews will reduce air pollution, then I'm in favour. Of course, you'll still have the same psychos driving them, but sorting that out is another mission altogether, lol.

Anybody want to crowdfund the security guard to take the woman to court?

Anybody who was mistakenly thinking that Thailand is still a democracy hopefully realises now that it's just an unelected dictatorship in reality.

Today's news: Oh my Buddha! It's low season and there are no tourists here, what will we do? Yesterday's news: Thai tourism sector proposes 300-baht tax to counter over-tourism Well all I can say is, that worked fast! 😃

I used Bolt to go to Marco's last night at 19:00, the price was around 80 Baht, the same as usual give or take 5 Baht. I always give these underpaid drivers a nice tip, so made it 120 Baht each way.

That's certainly true in Pattaya, which is becoming unlivable during the high season. BUT it's hardly likely to be due to foreign tourists, most of whom don't own or rent a car here. If the ever-increasing volume of traffic on the roads is caused by tourists, then they're of the Thai domestic variety, and this dubious tax will be pointless.

Foodmart is fine for basics, but the choice is very limited and you need to head out to Lotus, Big C, Makro, Friendship and even Siamburi's. If you don't want to invest in your own wheels, the ride-hailing apps like Grab and Bolt provide very reasonably-priced taxis. Don't forget that you also have the expat food shop by the Machanu statue, and I believe there's another one in Jomtien Beach Condo, though I've never been to it myself. Depending on where in Jomtien you are, the market on Soi Wat Bun might also be handy for you.

Yes, it's not very clear at the moment, and I was thinking of ignoring the whole nonsense and just continuing doing as I have for the last 20 years here. However, say that you get to 2029, five years after the rule change and, not having heard anything from the TRD, or having had any problems with Immigration or anyone else, you assume that all's well and you're in the clear. Then, suddenly, you get a demand from the TRD to file tax returns for the last five years and bring all your supporting documentation to discuss your tax position with them. Depending on your personal situation, you may be in the clear, or you may get hit with having to pay five years in back taxes, plus penalties and interest. Does anyone really want to risk that? Personally, I think the safest route is to carry on as usual, and pay an accountant to file a tax return in the first quarter of next year. At least within a few months you will know exactly how your local TRD office is applying the rules and how much you will be on the hook for in future years. It may be nothing, or a trivial amount, but surely it's best to know exactly where you stand rather than imitate an ostrich? Then you can decide what you want to do: grin and bear it, spend less than 180 days a year in Thailand, or move elsewhere that's not signed up to CRS.

Now that they've swallowed the OECD's "Big Government" shilling and implemented CRS, with all the problems and uncertainty that's causing innocent people here over their tax affairs, I should think the OECD would welcome them with open arms.

Interesting thanks, but you've got an erroneous 'c' in the link, lol. This is the right one: https://www.museumthailand.com/en/museum/National-Aviation-Museum-of-The-Royal-Thai-AirForce If I was near Don Mueang it would be high on my list of things to do, but living in South Pattaya the Naval museum seemed like an easier option. Not if they won't let farang devils in, though, unless accompanied by a member of the military.

I see it now at the airport just off Sukhumvit

Sounds good, I'll take the GF there one of these days!

OK, thanks. I was looking at Google Earth where someone has pinned Coffee War as being the Aviation Museum as well...

I might well be as mixing it up I've only seen it from the motorway while driving past. So what's Coffee War? From the FB page it looks like it's an old passenger jet that's been converted into a cafe. Then what are all the other aircraft parked nearby, is that the museum?

Did you just turn up and go in, or did you have to make special arrangements to visit like the guy who wrote the article I linked to? I'm also a fan of old military stuff, and I'd like to visit but it's a long way to go just to be turned away at the gate.

Has anybody been? This is the place not far from the 7 motorway by the 331/332 junction, you can see a 747 and other aircraft parked up on the hill. It sounds like it would be an interesting place to spend an hour or two: https://aviationspottersonline.com/royal-thai-navy-museum-u-taupo-naval-base/ but the guy who wrote that lot said it's not open to the public. I assume he really means the evil 'farang public' who might be spies wanting to steal the military secrets of their Dakotas and Corsairs, lol. After all, what would be the point of a large museum if the Thai public weren't allowed in? Or is that info out of date and you can visit it now?

Amazing. I must get myself some of those blue pool dumbbells, they clearly work miracles! lol.

Another one of TAT's quality tourists, lol.

A good thing the cops didn't bother showing up or it would have just been chalked down to yet another case of farang 'bad karma', lol.

A busy Songkran is just a clear sign that TAT's campaign to attract 'quality' tourists has failed (yet again), lol

Since these are mostly young people who can't possibly claim that their income comes from a pension that's already been taxed, I hope the TRD is on the job and raking in billions of Baht in taxes from them.

Well you haven't had to fill one in if you arrive by air for several years, and the world hasn't ended. Why not just abolish it completely? And then do the same for the TM30 and 90-day reporting.

No sympathy from me, 7% is a start but it's a relatively small change. If you want to see a poorly performing currency against the Thai Baht look at the GBP. Going from 75.5 Baht in September 2005 down to 37.4 in August 2019 was a drop of almost exactly 50%. Even today, at just under 46 Baht, it's still a reduction of almost 40%. Let's see the THB drop by, say, another ~20% and then things might get more interesting and fun.

Good. So they may as well drop their silly plan to tax foreigners' pensions then, as it's not going to raise even a fraction of 187 billion Baht, lol.

I just wish the supermarkets would have a "cash only" checkout, I'm fed up of waiting behind gormless people trying to focus their crappy phone cameras on a QR code, and then try to remember what their password was, and then try to figure out how to work the payment app. I worry about what a future of digital money will mean for our privacy, freedom and personal choice, so I always use cash when I can.