BangkokHank

I Want to Stop CBDCs – What Can I Do? https://solarireport.substack.com/p/i-want-to-stop-cbdcs-what-can-i-do

Thanks for that tip top tip. I'll be heading up to Landour tomorrow, so I'll try your recommendation for lunch.

I am in India right now, in a place called Mussoorie in the foothills of the Himalayas. I have come here a couple of times before to escape Songkran, as the weather here is perfect at this time of the year. But since I was here 11 and 12 years ago, hotel prices have tripled in US dollar terms and are not as good value as hotels in, say, Vietnam and Thailand; it is difficult to find a decent restaurant here; and there is not a single supermarket in the whole city. Despite its recent rapid economic growth, India is still a primitive society. You would not have anything resembling a modern life here. I spent one night in Delhi on the way here, and if I had to describe it in one word, that word would be "Armageddon". I suppose there must be less horrible parts of the city than where I was near the airport, but there's no way I would live in Delhi voluntarily. Some people might think it's a cliche to say that Indians poop in the streets, but I saw a woman doing just that today on my walk from my hotel to the nearby main road. (I suppose she could have been peeing, but that's not a whole lot better. It shows that India doesn't think to provide facilities for tourists to relieve themselves in an overwhelmingly touristic city.) There are reasons why pretty much every Indian dreams of escaping India for a life in the West. So take it from them: Don't even consider retiring here. (And then there's the issue of there not being a retirement visa. I got a five-year tourist visa online for $80, but that allows a maximum stay of 90 days each time and 180 days in a calendar year.)

You think he's a nut case? I'll show you a nut case. (I got it on a flight from Bangkok to Delhi a few days ago on IndiGo Airline.)

Right. Nowadays people talk when they get scammed - like we're doing now.

This is NOT a case of careless travelers. It is DEFINITELY a case of scamming Lao immigration officials. It is not possible to "walk past the booths to get the entry stamps", as some people have suggested. Try it yourself if you don't believe me. Exactly the same thing happened to me 10 years ago when I flew into Vientiane to visit the Thai Embassy there for a visa. When I arrived at the Embassy, they had a look at my passport and told me that they could not process my visa without an entry stamp. I was very surprised to learn that I didn't have a stamp because I distinctly remembered giving my passport to the guy who was supposed to stamp it. So I hurried back to the airport and explained what had happened, and, as they remembered me (it's not a busy airport), they gave me the stamp. I had gone through all the right procedures and given my passport to all of the officials in the visa issuing/stamping queue at the airport. So this was a deliberate omission on the part of the officials at the airport. And it's not like they might have accidentally forgotten to stamp my passport. The guy sitting there has one job and one job only to do: Stamping the passports of entering tourists. It is IMPOSSIBLE for him to accidentally overlook this step. So clearly, it would be a good habit to always check your passport for the required stamps upon entering any country, especially ones that have made a lucrative scam out of deliberately NOT stamping passports, such as Laos, as is now known.

26 ongsa is my sleeping temperature.

They were not spending the money, so it was just littering, which is not nice, but neither is it a serious infraction.

The fair thing would be to make ladyboys compete against other ladyboys, not against women.

Hey, they need to be comfortable while stealing taxpayer money, don't they?

I used to use one of those one-baht-per-liter water machines. And while I can't prove it, I think they were the cause of the bladder stones that I developed 10 years ago when I used to use those machines. Now I have bottled water delivered to my home by Sprinkle. https://sprinkle-th.com/en/

The busybody woman was clearly trying to appear to be a generous hostess - at YOUR expense. You did the right thing by not allowing it. And you might have even taught her a lesson.

I'm glad that you are so easily amused. You are still evading the issue. Has Thailand declared its intention to start taxing the inward remittances of foreigners who don't work but nonetheless stay in Thailand for more than 180 days per year, yes or no? Here's what Perplexity AI has to say to my question: Yes, Thailand has implemented significant changes to its tax regime regarding foreign-source income remittances for individuals staying in the country for 180 days or more per calendar year. Here are the key updates: Current Rules (Effective January 1, 2024) Foreign-source income (e.g., employment, business, or passive income like dividends/rentals) brought into Thailand is now taxable, regardless of when it was earned Previously, only income remitted in the same year it was earned was taxed The new rule applies to: Thai citizens; Foreigners residing in Thailand for ≥180 days in a tax year; Tax residents who filed returns in prior years Tax Rates Income is taxed progressively, with rates ranging from 5% to 35% based on brackets (e.g., 0% for ≤150,000 THB, 35% for >5M THB) Future Proposal (2025) A draft amendment to Section 41 of the Revenue Code may further expand taxation to worldwide income (even if not remitted to Thailand) for residents staying ≥180 days Key Considerations Unremitted foreign income (kept offshore) remains untaxed under the 2024 rules Deadlines: Tax returns for 2024 income must be filed by March 2025 These changes aim to align Thailand’s tax system with international standards but may increase compliance burdens for expatriates and investors

Haven't you heard about their intention to start taxing the inward remittances of expats living here? And even talk about taxing the worldwide income of foreigners who live here? P.S. - It is not possible to name a source for a lack of information.

My tip to the Thai government for attracting investment and expats: Don't tax them/us.