Guderian

Sounds like the start of another rice pledging scheme. Yingluk's last one almost bankrupted the country, but with Thaksin pulling the strings from his hospital office they might actually manage it this time.

1. Keeping khun Thaksin out of jail; 2. Scaring the hebejebes out of several hundred thousand retired expats, quite a few of whom are actively checking out alternative countries to live in; 3. Making Thailand's woeful democracy even more of an international laughing stock than it already was; 4. Did I mention keeping khun Thaksin out of jail? lol

One big problem with this is that, regardless of legal challenges, it's probably going to take several years to understand what the implications really are on a personal level. I think a lot of people have been hoping that, as of 1/1/2024, suddenly everything would become clear, but if it's going to mean filing an annual tax return in order to be able to continue living here then the first one won't be due until 2025, after the 2024 tax year has ended. Then, as with all things in Thai bureaucracy, different offices will apply the rules as they see fit, so just like with Immigration, the whole thing will end up being a pig's ear. It will probably be 2026 before the dust settles and we understand how, broadly, they are going to implement any changes, plus what local idiosyncrasies apply to us. So we will be faced with 2 or 3 years of complete uncertainty over our tax situation, nobody will want to bring in large sums of money to buy a new car or boat or condo or house, in case in a year or two the TRD decides that you owe 30% or more tax on the amount. Expat life will, to a certain extent, grind to a halt.

Probably in the same legal category as prostitution, lol.

Why is there a picture of Bob Hope on the left side of that poster, lol?

It sounds miserly, but it's to provide support to Palestinians under siege in the Gaza strip, not really a major issue for Thailand. I should think they'll be a lot more generous when it comes to helping the 25,000 Thais who have been working in Israel.

Not feasible while seasonal air pollution is so astoundingly high. Experience and some successes in both India and China show that you have to be able to use the sub-continental seasonal air flow patterns, as well as coordinating industrial policy regionally. That's possible in big places like China and India, but in SEA it would mean unprecedentedly close cooperation between the various selfish and self-interested countries in the region. The fact that Malaysia can't even properly control the vast air pollution caused by its own palm oil plantations in North Borneo, which often afflicts peninsular Malaysia, is a good example of why you shouldn't hold your breath waiting for cleaner air in Bangkok, or just about anywhere else in SEA.

Nope.

It's actually been run by Rick's wife since he died many years ago. I've been there in the past and could drive over again to see what's what, but I'd prefer to find out if any members here have relevant information.

I haven't seen any bread from Rick's bakery, either rolls or sliced loaves, for weeks. Maybe I'm just unlucky in my timing and it happens to be completely sold out whenever I visit Foodmart or Friendship, but I'm starting to wonder if the bakery's closed down? Or are they selling their bread elsewhere nowadays?

Speaking of which, how's the ganja situation in Tokyo these days? I seem to remember it carried the death penalty a while back, though they usually preferred to let you simply rot in jail for decades rather than hang you by the neck until dead. I agree wholeheartedly that Thailand's not perfect, but it has many plus points. Let's just see what happens with the big tax scare come January, and it's quite possible that you might end up with some new neighbours you already know from AN, lol.

The underemployed bureaucrats do so love awarding themselves and their mates long holidays. Why on earth are they taking Friday 29th off, it's got nothing to do with New Year and should be a normal working day? But, of course, if your days in the office are long and empty and your useful economic output is zero (or even negative in many cases), then why not?

Surely, this is why cannabis was legalised? lol

The main concern for many Thais is that. in the event of a severe drought, their demi-God, currently isolated in a police hospital, will no longer be able to walk on water... lol

Well obviously, the entire street will have to be dug up and resurfaced before this can happen, so the mayor and his mates will be in clover. Then they'll decide that the drains need replacing and dig it all up and resurface it again. Then there will be hiding the cables underground... etc., etc., as we've seen in other parts of Pattaya. Welcome to the wonderful world of endless Pattaya road works, lol.

If it really bugs you, there are options...

I take it back, we've got some very heavy rain in Pattaya at the moment, though it's also pretty localised looking at the radar. The Hua Hin radar seems to have stopped updating at around 9:30 this morning so the composite map wouldn't have shown anything over us. Here's the Nongkhame radar instead

It was only a Thai Navy corvette that sank last December, they're clearly looking to up their game, lol.

As usual, the rainfall radar at 13:30 is somewhat less than terrifying, lol...

Thailand is soon to join Cambodia as another pseudo-province of Greater China.

I must have missed the "Embassy letter phase" entirely then, as I didn't need one ten years ago when I transferred my visa stamps and I didn't need one this time either. I wonder why certain Pattaya agents are still demanding it, if it hasn't been issued since June?

Apparently, Thailand has signed up to the 1998 Rome Statute but it has never been ratified. That may have something to do with the possibility of certain prominent Thai politicians being held culpable by the ICC for major crimes on Thai soil. Just fishing for ideas here, but maybe the Tak Bai massacre under one Thaksin Shinawatra may have something to do with that. Plus the 2,000 or more extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers under the government headed by, let me see now, who was it? Oh yes, Thaksin Shinawatra.

If they get so scared of one person being shot in a random incident, it'll be interesting to see what happens the next time a passenger boat carrying Chinese tourists sinks in calm weather, lol.

I came back with my new UK passport last week and the next day went to Immigration in Jomtien to get the stamps transferred. As you know this will be an overnight job, it's best to drop it off near the close of play to avoid the queues. I did that last Thursday and was told to pick it up on Monday afternoon, which I did. All fine, everything transferred and in order, and no fee. Also, no mention at any stage about an 'embassy letter' or anything else along those lines. I find that interesting, as I'd phoned an agent before I left for the UK in August and they were adamant that you HAVE to have the embassy letter, even for a passport obtained while you are in the UK, she claimed that she'd transferred stamps into four new passports just that week and they'd all had to have the embassy letter, no exceptions. Clearly, this agent doesn't know what she's talking about in this instance, which may not be surprising as she mostly does driving licence renewals. Anyway, the following currently applies in Jomtien Immigration: there is no need for any embassy letter or confirmation to transfer the visa stamps from your old passport to a new one, at least not for a passport issued while you are back in the UK. A passport received by post while you are still in Thailand may be a different matter, I have no way of knowing.

Yes, this is the composite rainfall radar picture at 12:30. Hardly alarming, is it?