TallGuyJohninBKK

Because that's the level of intellectual consideration that the Thai police bring to most of their endeavors and decision making?

Except for the fact, that police big shot Big Joke specifically proposed increasing the requirements for retirement extensions directly as part of their efforts to weed out foreign criminals and motorcycle gang members. Maybe you missed that part?

As previously noted by another poster, the current Thai government bank accounts deposit protection law only covers amounts up to 1 million baht per accountholder per bank. Anything beyond that is uninsured by the government. So if they actually raise the current 800K amount too much, they're in effect going to be requiring farangs who want to get those retirement extensions to deposit at least a portion of their funds into unprotected/uninsured Thai bank accounts.

That would make more sense toward achieving their stated goal (keeping out criminals) vs. their stupid notion that increasing the financial requirement on retirement extensions will somehow weed out criminals (which it won't).

"The warehouse, post approval, rapidly metamorphosed into a storage facility hosting an eclectic plethora of fireworks." "Metamorphosed" into an "eclectic plethora" of fireworks? Well, someone had their English dictionary out today! Or maybe the posted news story here is an AI-generated rewrite? Who actually talks or writes like that?

I typically order my bagels in BKK for delivery via Grab or Foodpanda... My favorite regular bagel is the "classic" bagel from Monty's by Roast. They sell a 5-pack for delivery for 250 baht. https://food.grab.com/th/en/restaurant/monty-s-by-roast-bagel-sandwich-breakfast-bread-coffee-thecommons-thonglor-delivery/3-C2NZBATJTB3ENT? https://www.facebook.com/montysbkk Also recently tried a selection from the BKK shop called "BKK Bagels". They were bigger, and had a really nice cinnamon raisin version, and also a good wholewheat version. https://www.foodpanda.co.th/restaurant/s3h0/bkk-bagels-sukhumvit-33 https://www.facebook.com/BKKbagels

Of course... But it's not just a benefit if you don't claim at all, but also if you claim less than the average for your age group. For most of the years I've had a Pacific Cross policy, with the exception of their standard 5-year age band premium increases, I hadn't had any year to year premium increases. You start adding up those 7-10-15-20% annual premium increases that other insurers often pass along annually, and it ends up being quite a difference. Also, Pacific Cross doesn't automatically pass along a premium surcharge for ANY and EVERY claim. But rather, as the CSR manager cited in her communication above, only in the event of "significant claims" activity in a given year. And even then, in deciding whether to apply a temporary surcharge, they also consider how long you've had the policy, how much premiums you've paid in, and how that compares to your cumulative claims amounts.

An interesting comment on the current state of the Thai Navy... So its "most advanced" surface ships, including the one that just crashed, are close to 30 years old and were Chinese built?

Sheryl, fyi, I shared your comment above with the head Customer Service Manager for Pacific Cross Insurance in Bangkok, first verbally on the telephone and then in an email exchange we had where I copied her on your entire comment. She specifically rejected your assertion above that Pacific Cross will apply blanket coverage exclusions to existing policy holders who develop chronic conditions after they already have a valid policy in effect -- subject to two unsurprising caveats: Coverage in such a case would not apply only if: 1. the policy holder is found to have concealed a pre-existing chronic condition at the time they applied for their policy, or 2. the chronic condition developed after the policy was written but during a specified short-term "waiting period" for some specified condition listed when the policy was issued. There is no general exclusion in Pacific Cross' Maxima policy language relating to chronic diseases. Here is what the Pacific Cross manager wrote to me on that issue: "When applying for health insurance, the applicant is expected to declare all his/her medical history for determination of coverage. In the case where the applicant does not fully declare his/her past health conditions, and these pre-existing health conditions are later discovered, then additional exclusion conditions are applied. Also, if a health condition develops during its waiting period, then it is covered also as pre-existing and not subject to cover." And further: "I wish to assure you that your MAXIMA policy will cover you well should one day you happen to develop cancer, cardiovascular diseases, or any other diseases and disorders which are not related to your personal exclusion or the general exclusions (see attached) in our policy. The company pays millions in claims for medical treatments for our insured members year after year for treatments of cancer and other chronic illnesses which are subject to cover. And no, we do not add exclusions for chronic health conditions which are already covered under the policy." She also addressed your comments about claims triggering premium increases and Pacific Cross' policy on that: "Health insurance premiums increase due to a number of factors, the key one being age. So when you enter a new age group which is every 5 years, the premium is adjusted to reflect the increase in health risk associated with age. In addition, when significant claims are made under the policy during the year, then a loading is applied at the renewal. This loading is temporary and adjusted based on claims record. In the case of no claims, a no claim discount of 10 - 20 % is given." She went on to point out that Pacific Cross is different than other insurers who often pass along general price increases to all policy holders every year based on the overall claims experience of their entire client base. "With community loading, I understand the same loading applies to all policies irrespective of claims record. Therefore, a member who has had significant claims and a member with few or no claims are loaded the same amount. If you are a healthy person with few claims, then this system is not to your benefit." Hope the comments above are informative to you and the other members here.

There's a solution coming... But you're gonna have to wait a few days before we tell you what it may be.... https://thethaiger.com/news/bangkok/bangkok-authority-offers-building-permit-resolution-for-troubled-ashton-asoke-condo "The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) revealed a potential solution for the Ashton Asoke condominium, following a unanimous ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court to revoke the building permit. The BMA is ready to allow the condominium to apply for a new construction permit, after making necessary changes to entrance and exit points. The BMA reported that Chadchart Sittipant, Governor of Bangkok, is expected to present further details on August 3."

The explanation given sounds plausible... But any time I read the following kind of comment: "the Thong Lor chief ensured the accusations were baseless." That's when I begin to worry that something foul was really going on.

The code enforcement, zoning and project permitting staff in the various local government offices in Thailand appear to be some of the most suspect civil servants around, based on past news reporting of their performance in various cases. With the significant baht valuations at issue in these kinds of huge, high-value projects, the temptation for influence peddling and graft would seem significant.

I addressed the Ruamrudee projects status in the original, prior thread on the Ashton ruling here. In short, it's been about seven years since those buildings were ordered by a court to be partially demolished, and from all indications, not a single brick has been touched thus far... though the buildings do appear to have been closed (no longer operating at a hotel).

It wasn't any "miscalculation." It was an effort to get around what the actual building access regulations are. At least part of the issue is/was, the developer relied on using land for project access that it was granted access to by the MRTA. And the court ruled the MRTA didn't have the legal right to give its land over for private development use.

From one of the subsequent news reports posted above: "the one where the accident occurred had not yet been authorized for use as a warehouse as it was newly built." No valid government license/permit for the actual use involved. Probably no valid insurance coverage as well.

Climate change leaves fingerprints on July heat waves around the globe, study says The fingerprints of climate change are all over the intense heat waves gripping the globe this month, a new study finds. Researchers say the deadly hot spells in the American Southwest and Southern Europe could not have happened without the continuing buildup of warming gases in the air. Thanks to years of research and more powerful computers, scientists can now determine almost in real-time whether climate change is contributing to the intensity of heat, storms, floods and drought — and by how much. (more) https://apnews.com/article/heat-wave-deadly-climate-change-europe-america-4c361736afa70766049acdb189ccfd64

Water is refreshing in the heat, right? In parts of Florida this past week, not so much KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — In the sweltering summer heat, nobody tries to cool off by jumping into a hot tub. In parts of Florida, however, that’s what the ocean has felt like. Earlier this week, sea surface temperatures reached as high as 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit (38.4 degrees Celsius) around the state’s southern tip in Manatee Bay, according to the National Weather Service — although scientists said the context for Monday’s reading is complicated. ... July has been so hot that scientists announced a global heat record even before the month ended. (more) https://apnews.com/article/florida-water-heat-wave-ocean-climate-2f0a1eb529aba9f17ee88a04cda7df42

Floods, fires and deadly heat are the alarm bells of a planet on the brink [washingtonpost.com] By Sarah Kaplan, The Washington Post, July 13, 2023 The world is hotter than it’s been in thousands of years, and it’s as if every alarm bell on Earth were ringing. The warnings are echoing through the drenched mountains of Vermont, where two months of rain just fell in only two days. India and Japan were deluged by extreme flooding. They’re blaring from the scorching streets of Texas, Florida, Spain and China, with a severe heat wave also building in Phoenix and the Southwest in coming days. (more) https://www.pacesconnection.com/blog/floods-fires-and-deadly-heat-are-the-alarm-bells-of-a-planet-on-the-brink-washingtonpost-com https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/07/12/climate-change-flooding-heat-wave-continue/ And as to the cause: "Scientists say there is no question that this cacophony was caused by climate change — or that it will continue to intensify as the planet warms. Research shows that human greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from burning fossil fuels, have raised Earth’s temperature by about 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels."

It's also worth noting, the Thai medical establishment here, even the mainstream parts, doesn't exactly have an unblemished credibility record when it comes to COVID treatments, even the non-herbal ones. The Thai medical establishment kept flogging and prescribing the medication favipiravir as a frontline COVID treatment long after the country where it was developed (Japan) ceased using it for COVID, and many other countries, including the major ones like the U.S. and the UK, never approved or authorized favipiravir (Avigan) as a COVID treatment, because there never was a sufficient body of credible evidence to support its use. Fujifilm Drops Anti-Covid-19 Pill Avigan, Once Hailed as Silver Bullet Studies suggested antiviral drug wasn’t effective in countering the coronavirus https://www.wsj.com/articles/fujifilm-drops-anti-covid-19-pill-avigan-once-hailed-as-silver-bullet-11665751145 Japan's Fujifilm stops work on Avigan as COVID drug TOKYO, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Fujifilm Holdings Corp (4901.T) has ended development of its anti-influenza drug Avigan to treat COVID-19, the firm said on Friday, after more than two years of work on a pill once hailed as Japan's biggest contribution to the global coronavirus fight. ... Subsequent analysis of data from 84 people enrolled in the trial showed no significant results, the company said in a statement on Friday. ... But studies in Japan were inconclusive, leading domestic regulators to hold off on approval, partly because data from animal studies showed it could lead to birth defects. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/japans-fujifilm-discontinues-development-avigan-covid-19-drug-2022-10-14/

From the OP article: "However, as the user base of Thai traditional medicine grows, so do the questions about efficacy and safety around these treatments. Critics argue that much of the knowledge surrounding Thai traditional medicine is anecdotal, rooted in practitioner experience and historical data, rather than grounded in scientific evidence." Indeed, I have no doubt that more Thais turned to their various local herbal treatments during COVID, probably because of the difficulty here for them to obtain recognized, proven COVID medications -- which typically aren't domestically produced in Thailand, and thus carry imported pricing and supply constraints. Yet, just because more may try or believe in the herbal route doesn't mean those treatments have been proven with any credible research. And it's telling that the OP article here cites none, and instead says doctors from the one cited Thai hospital are planning to conduct some research on their use. Thais also believe amulets will keep them safe from traffic collisions. But believing it doesn't make it so.

I'm reading several sources that indicate a U.S. person with prior credit activity and scoring who later ceases all U.S. credit activity can become something called "credit invisible" -- meaning the agencies will no longer calculate a current score for them -- because of a lack of recent activity. "Whether you’re young, new to the U.S., don’t have recent credit activity, or have have what’s known as a “thin” credit file, the major credit bureaus may simply not have enough information to compile your credit scores. ... So if you’ve opened a credit account in the past, you probably already have a credit report. But you’ll only see a score if your report shows recent activity — generally within the last 24 months. ... Most scoring models look for activity within the last two years. If you’ve had credit in the past but no longer use credit cards, or you have closed accounts on your report, there won’t be recent activity to produce a score for you." https://www.creditkarma.com/credit-cards/i/if-you-dont-have-a-credit-score What Does It Mean to Be ‘Credit Invisible’? "Over 20% of American adults find themselves more or less in this condition, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).1 The reasons vary. Eleven percent have no information on file with the credit bureaus, while the other 12% have a file that the bureaus consider “thin” or “stale.” Some people have no credit score because they’re very young and never had much chance to use credit. Others haven’t used credit for a few years." https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/credit-cards/credit-intel/zero-credit-score/ All of the above suggests a person who may have had a good credit rating in the U.S. in the past -- but then ceased all U.S. credit reporting activity during years living abroad -- can't simply restart with their old score from many years back if they end up deciding to return to the U.S. Because they won't have had any recent U.S. credit reporting activity to base a valid current credit score on.

What Happens if You Don't Use Your Credit Card? Make sure you use your card often enough to avoid the issuer closing it, which can hurt your credit score. ... "If you haven't used a card for a long period, it generally will not hurt your credit score. However, if a lender notices your inactivity and decides to close the account, it can cause your score to slip. That's because losing a source of credit can affect your credit utilization ratio – the percentage of your total available credit you're using. And if the card is one of your oldest, closing it can hurt the length of your credit history, which accounts for 15% of your FICO score. That can bring down the average age of the accounts in your credit report and lower your credit score." https://money.usnews.com/credit-cards/articles/what-happens-if-you-dont-use-your-credit-card 5 Things That May Hurt Your Credit Scores ... 5. Stopping your credit-related activities for an extended period If you haven't used your credit accounts for months, and your lenders and creditors have reported no new information to credit bureaus, it may make it more difficult for lenders and creditors to evaluate your application for credit or services. Also, after a certain period of time, which varies depending on the lender or creditor’s policies, your credit card account may be considered “inactive” and closed by the lender. That, in turn, may impact credit scores in the same ways as if you had closed the account." https://www.equifax.com/personal/education/credit/score/5-things-that-may-hurt-your-credit-scores/

There are more factors that go into determining a person's U.S. credit score than just their history of making on-time payments (and avoiding late ones) -- though that is the largest single weighted factor among several. "FICO does not reveal its proprietary credit score calculator formula, but the calculation incorporates five major components, with varying levels of importance. These categories with their relative weights are: Payment history (35%) Amount owed (30%) Length of credit history (15%) New credit (10%) Credit mix (10%) https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/05/creditscorecalculation.asp

Typically, if a person has no activity on their credit card over an extended period time, the card issuer at some point will often simply not renew the card when its next expiration date comes up. If that occurs, then the person's available credit amount is reduced by the credit limit on the non-renewed card, and the number of active credit accounts is reduced, and the closed card's payment history eventually is removed from the person's credit history. Those changes can hurt a person's credit rating, as follows: "If you think you may have too many cards or have some you no longer use, the worst thing you can do is start closing accounts without considering the impact on your credit score. Closing older credit cards can shorten your credit history, which can hurt your score. Payment history on closed accounts eventually falls off your report, which can also hurt your score. Closing credit card accounts also reduces your amount of available credit, which can hurt your credit utilization ratio if you have outstanding balances. It's better to leave your credit card accounts open and just put these cards on ice. If you get a warning about inactivity from the card issuer, use that card now and then to prevent the account from being closed." https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/082516/why-too-many-credit-cards-can-hurt-your-credit-score.asp

So you started out asking for 36 inch inseam pants, and now have settled for 34 inch inseams instead? You gonna be well-prepared for the seasonal floods when they come? ????