TallGuyJohninBKK

Wat Thammakai and the SSC and both worried now. No longer protected by Shinawats, all the dodgy dealings of millions of baht between the co-operative and the temple, the land purchases and private accounts are at risk of being exposed, along with the extremely suspicious rulings of the SSC.

Well done Khun Paiboon and Phra Buddha Isara.

Forward with reform of the temples and all their crooked dealings!

It sounds from the OP article like there's some kind of potential disciplinary case against the Thammakai guy back before the SSC? But the article doesn't exactly say that, or what's pending in regards to this guy?

If they didn't get it right the first time, hopefully, they'll get it right the second time. But I wouldn't be holding out a lot of hope.

As I read the article, it's really divided into two different sections.

The first deals with the situation of a "crisis" where the MPs can appoint/vote a non-elected PM.

But the second, as I read it, deals with the powers of the regular PM, even the elected ones, and seems to strengthen those powers considerably, as the article notes:

A provision stipulates that the prime minister can propose an MP vote of confidence in the administration. However, in cases where the PM receives less than half of the vote, the premier, with royal approval, can dissolve the lower house.

Articles 184 is another article which strengthened the executive. It stipulates that the PM can declare to the lower house that MPs have to choose between approving the bill or facing dissolution of the lower house.

Though it's not exactly clear, if the PM dissolves the lower house under those provisions, then what happens? The PM can act unilaterally pending a future election, or the Senate rules or what?

CW Immigration doesn't just do those stickers/stamps as an informational reminder.

They do them because someone there, rightly or wrongly, felt your 90 day report wasn't submitted early enough.

I received one once when Immigration first began their notion of 15 days ahead for mailed submissions. I adjusted my mailing date to be a bit earlier than the 15 days ahead date. And haven't received another one since.

Who knows exactly what rule they're enforcing there, and whether there's variation from one officer to another. But IMHO, it's probably best to take steps to avoid getting those kinds of warnings.

The better question for the OP to ponder is:

Is ANY chicken sold commercially in Thailand free of hormones?

SIAM COMMERCIAL BANK yesterday agreed to a Bt1.5 billion insurance payout to cover the money embezzled from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology LatKrabang (KMITL) via the financial giant's accounts.

I too was wondering about the source of the funds for the payout here. If you rely on the OP article quoted above, it would appear to suggest insurance.... based on the wording. Though there's no detail of that reference provided in the rest of the article.

Just as an aside, if I recall correctly, the major VIP shareholder in the bank also owns a prominent insurance company in Thailand, the same one that insured CentralWorld when it was burned. Wonder if they might also be an insurer for SCB?

I'm guessing, this would be the largest single Thai bank fraud reimbursement ever???

And yet it seems a trial judge and then an appellate panel have ruled exactly opposite to what BangkokLawyer is saying/arguing here.

Sometimes, a single judge will go off wrongly on a wild hair. That's why appellate panels exist, to review and correct for those kinds of legal misjudgments. But in this case, it seems the appellate panel agreed with the trial judge's interpretation. That certainly can't be considered a promising sign.

But then on the other hand, the law here seems to be pretty flexible and subject to re-interpretation -- depending on the hour of the day and whose money and interests are at stake.

“As always,” he added, “you should engage competent legal and tax counsel in order to implement this mortgage-based security structure successfully.”

Would those be the same "competent legal and tax counsel" in Thailand who presumably told the buyers here that the now invalidated agreements were perfectly legal and secure in the first place???

...SCB agreed to compensate the loss of 1.5 billion baht when it was also found that the bank staff was also found to have connection in the embezzlement scam.

I've done retirement extensions at CW in BKK for years, including the most recent one last September. And never has Immigration there asked me to provide any kind of documentation of my rent/housing arrangements. If something has changed on that re retirement extensions at CW-BKK, it would have to be pretty recent.

Other than the passport photocopies and application form, the only other thing they've ever demanded was income documentation either by bank deposit, monthly income or combination of the two.

Maybe it's just me... But... if you think about the relatively limited number of aircraft (jet and helicopter) operational hours the Thai military conducts per year, and then consider the number and frequency of aircraft loss mishaps they experience, it likely would make for a very interesting ratio were it possible to compare that to a similar lost aircraft mishaps per operational hour ratio for other countries.

I think it kind of depends on whether the OP has access to uncapped home internet/wifi.

If he does, the voice over IP mobile to mobile calling options from Thailand to the UK are numerous are numerous and free. LINE, Google Hangouts, Skype, etc etc, assuming both parties have those apps on their devices at either end of the call.

If he has no home wifi/internet and is relying exclusively on Thai mobile data services, then making VOIP calls using those apps is going to cost money via having a Thai mobile data allotment/plan, but probably is going to be cheaper than any Thai mobile direct calling offering to the UK where calls are billed by the minute, especially if he's doing a lot of calling.

But if the parties at the other end of the call in the UK are only on landlines or have mobiles that aren't smartphones, then services like Skype can offer a good value.

For VOIP calling to UK landlines only, Skype offers 400 minutes per month for $3.99+. Or unlimited UK landline calls for $4.99 per month.

If he needs landlines and mobile numbers in the UK, it's 400 minutes per month for $11.99+, or unlimited UK landline and mobile calls and calls to select other European countries for $19.99 per month via their Unlimited Europe plan.

http://www.skype.com/en/rates/#scom

Sending clothes and shoes thru a private courier service to Thailand is asking to get nailed....

Lessons here... don't use private couriers. And if you have to send clothes/shoes, keep the individual package values small, and don't use private couriers... It bears repeating.

Typically, electronics may be a 10% duty if they're caught for duty. But clothes and shoes seem to draw anywhere from 30 to 60 percent. And yes, I've had a private courier clothes package dutied at 60 percent... Never again.

You can appeal with your local Customs office, but I've never heard of much success with that. Since they apparently can assign their own value determinations, regardless of the purchase price. And, the duty rates are so bureaucratic that if they charged u 40 percent, there's likely at least some plausible basis for them doing so. It all comes down to their interpretation, and that's pretty hard to win an argument about.

I doubt we will get to know the reason why this plane crashed inexperience ,poor maintenanceor whatever. RIP Noppanon.

Well, we could always comment on the Thai expertise at accident/crash investigations...

Currently, the investigation team is working under the assumption that something went wrong during the training flight.

Really???

Kodi is the renamed version of what was XBMC.

If you upgrade to the latest version of the software, it will carry the Kodi naming.

You can install the new version of Kodi over an existing XBMC installation, though I'm not sure whether or not the software itself recommends a clean install.

Next to Suk 48, a man on the street outside the Clinic and near the dentist.

Been using him for 10 years, shoes and trainers, and he is excellent in all areas for both.

Also speaks good English, and I feel so guilty about his low prices I often tip him double.

He's better than most shoe repairers I used in the UK, so go see him.

Phrakanong is the nearest BTS.

SS, do you mean he's on the main Suk Rd near to Soi 48, or on Soi 48 itself?

I have seen a Mr Minute repair everything keos in a few shopping centres down town, think the one nearThe Novotel Phloen Chit has one in the basment, i used a side walk shoe repair once with no compliants but you wont find those guys anywhere near down town.

Are you kidding? There's all kinds of sidewalk shoe repair places along lower Sukhumvit Rd. and Phahonyothin Rd north of Victory Monument, among other major thoroughfares. Whether you can depend on the quality of their work, though, is a different issue.

Basement of Robinson's, Sukhumvit, directly opposite the rear exit of Top's supermarket.

If you're talking the one at about Soi 19 near Asoke Rd., I've used them several times, and they've done good work.

The guy there seems to only speak Thai, so bringing along a Thai speaker helps. It also seems that there may be a sliding price scale for Thai vs farang, When I went there alone, the guy quoted me high. When I took my wife along, she managed him down to a much more reasonable, but not street cheap, price.

It's in the basement, toward the back, near the MK Restaurant there.

As for their timeliness, I believe they were a day late on one of my jobs, but mostly have delivered as promised.

One of the few places I've been able to find that could put real durable effective non-slip soles on some of my rubber-type shoe soles (Hush Puppy mall walkers). I had been slippin and slidin like crazy during the rainy season until getting the soles re-done.

PS - I've never asked the shop there to do any work on any of my leather sole shoes.

Thanks for the suggestions!! I'll give those a try.

I was responding to this post below... where he mentioned some Foodland stocking the Yona beer.

BTW Foodland now stock Yoho Brewing's superb Yona Yona...well worth a sip or 100

My absolute winner, a drink that I am happiest is in Thailand, not looking value for money? Yoho Brewing Yona Yona. I am simply in love with this perfect little can of beer.

I got around to looking for and asking about Yona Yona at my local Foodland (Sukhumvit Soi 5) in BKK the other day. They didn't have any on the shelf that I could find, and the resident liquor ladies had no clue what I was talking about/asking for.

I agree. But at least on my internet connection in BKK, I'm pretty sure it would take longer than 1-2 days continuously running to download 100 GB...

And then of course, as you point out, even longer to turn around and upload the same content to a different cloud storage destination elsewhere.

USA box worked fine for me. $10/month. They scan and email you the unopened envelope. $32 to get all your mail sent via DHL.

Went paperless on all accounts so would only get a few shipments a year for things like a new atm or credit card. Even filed my taxes using that address.

The problem I've had with that approach is pretty much all of my bank cards seem to be mailed in non-descript, plain envelopes that oftentimes don't even mention the name of the issuing bank on the outside of the envelope.

Thus, if your mail service is simply sending you a scan or a photo of the front of an unopened envelope, at least in my experience, you have virtually no way of knowing from the outside whether or not it's a bank card inside or something entirely different.

It's not like the banks exactly want to advertise on the outside of their envelopes -- "Hey Thiefs, Here's a credit or debit card inside for you to steal."

I could get it, but I won't.

As stated above, this is a one-year offer...and then after that, if you want to keep the 100 GB, it means paying MS... presumably, unless some other free offer comes along.

If I want to use and pay MS for my cloud storage, then that's fine.

But I don't want to move Gigs of stuff to OneDrive now, and then try to move them out/off at the end of the year. Anyone tried taking 100 GB off a cloud storage drive from Thailand lately???

This offer is a lot like their recent strategy of offering Office 365 for free for one year with new PC purchases. That's great....but then at the end of the first year, they want you to be on the hook for paying an annual license fee for MS Office 365 forever into the future. I'd rather just buy the new DVD or regular Office download every 5-10 years, and be done with it.

I've had those exact same questions, since I also use Turbo Tax for my filing. And of course, Obamacare is a new obligation in terms of tax issues.

When I checked last year, I was told that when you indicate that you live outside the U.S., TurboTax told me that info gets coded into the info they send to the IRS as part of your tax return, though I agree, I don't see it anywhere in the printed version that they'd produce.

But what really matters, if that you meet the non-U.S. residency exception in IRS rules, meaning, being outside the U.S. for 11 months out of 12... or not more than 30 days in the U.S., -- the requirement is something like that.

I believe, this year, TurboTax will have questions relating to Obamacare, and whether you qualify for any of the exceptions.. I'm guessing one of those will be the foreign resident status. Haven't gotten into my TT for this year, as yet.

The stated purpose of this thread, for several successful years, is to alert viewers as to what retail bank rate products exist currently in Thailand.

May we please stick to that topic, those interested in (semi/not) related debates about off-topic experiences, please, please, give it a rest and start another thread related to your interest (or lack of)!

John/Capt -- do you use your mail forwarder address for your Federal tax return?

Yup... always have...since day one. I use them for everything address-related. So it IS my address. And never had any issues about doing so. Though...after filing my tax return, if I get any correspondence back from the IRS, those letters are ones I ALWAYS have scanned and emailed...

On the other things mentioned above:

1. Re Obamacare obligation, AFAIK, that only kicks in if you fail to meet the IRS foreign residency requirement/exception, which IFIRR means being outside the U.S. at least 11 months out of the year, or approx that.

2. Re Amazon direct shipping, A LOT of Amazon products, including a lot of electronics stuff, are NOT eligible for direct shipping outside the U.S. And even if they were I wouldn't use them for two reasons. 1. Their shipping rates are higher than Shipito's for almost everything (I'm not sure about their shipping rates for books/DVDs). And 2. Amazon's shipping methods are more likely to involve/incur Thai Customs charges, whereas those can mostly be avoided with Shipito, especially for lower value shipments.