TallGuyJohninBKK

This, BTW, is a very peculiar study, in that it has been authored mostly by a group of pediatric cancer oncologists from the Netherlands whom, based on their bios, have no experience with COVID vaccines and have never published research on COVID related topics, except for a couple articles talking about how COVID pandemic restrictions impacted cancer care for children. ----------------------------------------------- There are a few tell-tale signs however, of just what's going on here, including: --it cites COVID infection fatality rate estimates from a Stanford professor, John Ioannidis, who once infamously predicted that the U.S. would only suffer 10,000 deaths from the COVID pandemic. [The actual figure thus far has ended up being about 1.2 million!] Ioannidis in 2020: "If we assume that case fatality rate among individuals infected by SARS-CoV-2 is 0.3% in the general population — a mid-range guess from my Diamond Princess analysis — and that 1% of the U.S. population gets infected (about 3.3 million people), this would translate to about 10,000 deaths. This sounds like a huge number, but it is buried within the noise of the estimate of deaths from “influenza-like illness.” https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/17/a-fiasco-in-the-making-as-the-coronavirus-pandemic-takes-hold-we-are-making-decisions-without-reliable-data/ ------------------------------------------------- --it includes a reference to an article by an "independent" French researcher claiming that COVID vaccines are "gene therapy" -- a notion that's been widely debunked and discredited. No, COVID-19 vaccines aren’t gene therapy https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-covid-vaccines-gene-therapy-806280914802 ---------------------------------------------- --it relies in talking about the extent of vaccine related reported adverse reactions from the original vaccine clinical trials on a paper by a U.S. doctor called Joseph Fraiman, who's been involved with misinfo peddling anti-vax politicians in Florida, and whose paper likewise has been widely discredited. "The V-Damage Report also relies on a paper written by emergency medicine physician Dr. Joseph Fraiman and colleagues to argue that vaccine damages led to the rise in disabilities. As we’ve previously explained, the paper makes an unsubstantiated claim about adverse events based on a flawed reanalysis of the clinical trials of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines." https://dallasexaminer.com/no-evidence-excess-deaths-linked-to-vaccines-contrary-to-claims-online/ ----------------------------------------------- --and, in talking about supposed vaccine adverse reactions, it relies on reported data from several public reporting systems -- VAERS in the U.S., the Yellow Card scheme in the UK, and Eudra in Europe where ANYBODY can report anything, and the data collected is specifically said by the collecting agencies to not be proof of any causal connection between the report and the given vaccine. In other words, unverified. What VAERS Can and Can’t Do, and How Anti-Vaccination Groups Habitually Misuse Its Data "But for nearly as long, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS, has also been exploited by people opposed to vaccination. With a publicly searchable database, full of unverified reports of health problems that occurred sometime after vaccination, VAERS has proven irresistible to the anti-vaccination community, which often falsely claims the number of reported deaths or other issues is proof that vaccines are dangerous." https://www.factcheck.org/2023/06/scicheck-what-vaers-can-and-cant-do-and-how-anti-vaccination-groups-habitually-misuse-its-data/ ------------------------------------------ All of the above pretty well suggests what the authors here are all about, and how much credibility to give to the way The Telegraph has misrepresented their data.

That doesn't say COVID vaccines CAUSED deaths.. It says deaths occurred during a period when COVID and COVID vaccines were present. Those two different concepts are WORLDS apart. It's hardly surprising that, as the study correctly reports, many countries had high levels of excess deaths during the 2020-2021 years that were the peak of the COVID pandemic, and many people never even were vaccinated for that matter. And as the news release accompanying the study specifically says: "It’s not clear how many of these excess deaths reflect the impact of COVID-19 infection, or the indirect effects of containment measures and vaccination programmes, say the researchers. While it’s likely that the indirect effects of containment measures did change the scale and nature of disease for numerous causes of death following the pandemic, those caused by restricted healthcare use and socioeconomic upheaval are difficult to prove, they add." https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1046663 The authors of this study don't know, and their study doesn't say.

There's absolutely nothing new or surprising about the notion that world countries have had large numbers of excess death during the 2020-2022 years of the pandemic, which is the period address in this report. And, it's the broad consensus, unsurprisingly, that COVID disease itself and related impacts -- overcrowded hospitals, missed health care, etc etc. -- and not COVID vaccines -- are responsible for the vast share of those deaths. Here's what the legitimate research shows: How COVID-19 shots slash all-cause mortality and outshine misinformation "The accumulation of evidence solidly affirms that COVID-19 vaccines not only directly save lives by preventing virus-specific deaths but also play a crucial role in reducing all-cause mortality among vaccinated populations. While claims about COVID-19 vaccines being associated with increased mortality have circulated, they are often based on misinterpretation of data, anecdotal evidence, or preliminary research that does not stand up to rigorous scientific scrutiny. [emphasis added] The consensus among health authorities and scientific community is that COVID-19 vaccines are a critical tool in reducing mortality and severe illness from the virus, with the benefits significantly outweighing the risks." https://www.globalvaccinedatanetwork.org/blog/Vaccine_Victory_How_COVID-19_shots_slash_all-cause_mortality_and_outshine_misinformation Global Vaccine Data Network: About Us The GVDN® addresses limitations in vaccine safety "Our aims are to work with vaccine safety and effectiveness experts, global health agencies, and other global non-profit health alliances to help assure the safety and risk benefit of vaccines through vaccine monitoring..."

That's correct regarding the study itself. This, on the other hand, is a BOGUS false news article by The Telegraph. There's nothing in the actual study that in any way quantifies any share of COVID vaccine-related deaths in any legitimate way. The term vaccine isn't even listed in the title of the actual study, and nor are vaccine related deaths even cited in the key findings of the actual report. Here's what it actually says: Excess mortality across countries in the Western World since the COVID-19 pandemic: ‘Our World in Data’ estimates of January 2020 to December 2022 "Results The total number of excess deaths in 47 countries of the Western World was 3 098 456 from 1 January 2020 until 31 December 2022. Excess mortality was documented in 41 countries (87%) in 2020, 42 countries (89%) in 2021 and 43 countries (91%) in 2022. In 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic onset and implementation of containment measures, records present 1 033 122 excess deaths (P-score 11.4%). In 2021, the year in which both containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines were used to address virus spread and infection, the highest number of excess deaths was reported: 1 256 942 excess deaths (P-score 13.8%). In 2022, when most containment measures were lifted and COVID-19 vaccines were continued, preliminary data present 808 392 excess deaths (P-score 8.8%). Conclusions Excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This raises serious concerns. Government leaders and policymakers need to thoroughly investigate underlying causes of persistent excess mortality. https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000282#ref-85 There's also an accompanying news release done in conjunction with the report that specifically says the following: "It’s not clear how many of these excess deaths reflect the impact of COVID-19 infection, or the indirect effects of containment measures and vaccination programmes, say the researchers. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1046663 It's NO surprise to anyone who hasn't been living under a rock for years that the worst years of the COVID pandemic resulted in large number of excess deaths around the world due to COVID disease and related factors, something that long ago has been widely and repeatedly reported.

I wouldn't know about that, since I don't -- and never have -- fit into any of those categories.

Ya, I raised the question above of what would happen with tax-free / tax deferred earnings from accounts such as the IRA and Roth IRA accounts in the U.S., which can accrue earnings for years without being taxed by the U.S. (in the case of Roth, in perpetuity, in the case of IRAs, until you reach an age into your 70s... If they tried to start Thai taxing those kinds of tax free/tax deferred retirement accounts held abroad, it would seriously make me reconsider my future plans for staying here. Those, AFAIK, aren't exempted by the current US-Thai tax treaty, unlike things like Social Security and government pensions, which I'd assume would still remain off-limits to the Thais because of them being specifically excluded from Thai taxation under the terms of the treaty.

Financial support for my Thai wife and (indirectly) her entire family that ensures they won't be impoverished, at least during my lifetime... Payments to my Thai landlord as a stable and responsible long-term tenant. Thai VAT on everything taxable I buy here, etc etc. Spending more at local Thai businesses (and indirectly supporting their employees) than the average Thai citizen/family does. I would say all of that doesn't add up to nothing.

... but for married folks (half kidding here) only if you bring along 23 5x7 size color photos showing you and your wife and your family and your neighbors in various groupings and arranged in various poses in each of the various rooms of one's home, including sitting on the bed, and out front showing your street address... and all those must be pasted portrait style on A4 paper, no staples!

One of the peculiar things about living here is there rarely seems to be a time where, as an expat, you can just sit back and relax and not have to worry about the locals being up to some monkey business that's going to have some major impact on your life. If it's not messing about with taxation, then it's messing about with/changing the rules and regs for Immigration, health insurance requirements, or other stuff. Usually accompanied by long periods of time where no one actually knows or is clear on just what they're actually going to do with floated proposals. I'd really prefer, they just leave folks alone and stop messing!

I was going to ask... what benefits would the TH government be providing in exchange for taxing my worldwide income? Option to join the national health system? Thai citizen rates for national parks and such.... Or, more likely... NOTHING! 🙂

But I think that U.S. tax provision is only applicable to people who are employed and have foreign source income, and doesn't apply at all to the retired population folks.

Jim, so if they do this, then it means they're abandoning the whole notion they announced and publicized in past months of only planning to tax foreign income, subject to DTAs and such, when it's imported into Thailand? If so, that's a major upsidedown change. And it would seem to raise other questions like -- can Thailand impose a Thailand tax on tax-exempt or tax deferred earnings received in foreign countries but not necessarily imported to Thailand, such as with USA-based IRA and Roth IRA accounts (where you'd have no U.S.-based tax offset, except for RMD distributions). And then that would seem to leave in limbo the question of accrued savings held overseas... The prior plan had a tax exemption for prior savings that would be imported here. But under this plan, would they consider bringing past savings into Thailand "new" income at the point the funds are brought in?

Gotcha.... Examples: If you live in Portugal for 183 or more days in a calendar year, you'll be considered a resident and must pay income tax on your worldwide income. If you live in Portugal for fewer than 183 days, you'll only need to pay on income earned within Portugal. https://www.expatica.com/pt/finance/taxes/guide-to-taxes-in-portugal-105742/ A resident individual is subject to Australian income tax on a worldwide basis, https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/australia/individual/taxes-on-personal-income

"The United States and the East African nation of Eritrea are the only two countries that tax the worldwide income of all citizens and permanent residents regardless of where they live or where they earn money." https://brighttax.com/blog/citizenship-based-taxation/ https://www.taxesforexpats.com/expat-tax-advice/Citizenship-Based-Taxation-International-Comparison.html

fyi, the BKK Post -- which cannot be linked to or posted here under forum rules -- has an article on this topic today.. It basically clarifies a couple things: 1. This is just a proposal under discussion for now, and no timeframe for action. 2. The 1 billion baht platform reference refers to their intention to tax online vendors who have that level of income... 3. The Thai government tax person is claiming going to the worldwide income approach will bring Thailand into compliance with international norms -- which seems to be exactly the opposite to what in fact is reality, where most countries don't do that.....

It's called "Dynamic Currency Conversion," which is the financial term when a merchant or ATM shows you the purchase/transaction amount in your card's home country currency amount (and charges you up to 5% extra for that "convenience,") vs. the normal practice of simply showing the transaction in the local currency, being Thai baht. When using Krungsri (yellow bank) ATMs with a foreign bank card, you'll often get a pop-up screen once you've entered in the withdrawal amount that asks you to either accept or reject the offered DCC rate. (A lot of foreigners here probably don't bother to pay attention to what exactly they're being asked and what it means, which means an extra 5% for the ATM owner, which makes the bank happy) In short, you absolutely want to REJECT that offered DCC rate (tap NO) every time. Once you tap NO, your withdrawal will proceed, you won't be charged the extra 5% surcharge, and your receipt will show the W/D amount in THB. (Tapping NO will not cancel your transaction...fyi). PS -- But yes, either way, you'll still get charged the standard Thailand 220 baht processing fee for ATM withdrawals made with a non-Thai bank card -- unless your foreign card happens to be one of the relatively few that reimburse all international ATM surcharges.

Remember this -- China, Dec. 25, 2022: COVID-19 ravages China with estimated 250 million cases in 20 days; world weekly up 9% Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Mainland China is experiencing its first major COVID-19 surge since the pandemic originated there three years ago with an estimated 250 million people infected with the virus in the first 20 days of the month as the "zero tolerance" has ended. ... China no longer is reporting asymtomatic cases and has closed a network of PCR testing sites. People who are using rapid antigen tests to detect infections are under no obligation to report positive results. And only deaths caused by pneumonia and respiratory failure after contracting the virus are classified as COVID deaths, Wang Guiqiang, a top infectious disease doctor, told a news conference Tuesday. (more) https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2022/12/25/world-COVID-19-estgimates-250-million-cases-China/9401671979017/

It may have something to do with the fact that there's little evidence that COVID vaccinations, to any significant extent, cause the kind of mental impairment / brain fog that many studies have documented IS among the characteristic symptoms of so-called Long (post infection) COVID. In fact, the bulk of research shows just the opposite, that COVID vaccination overall reduces the risk of symptoms from Long COVID. Vaccination Dramatically Lowers Long COVID Risk Several new studies reveal that getting multiple COVID vaccine doses provides strong protection against lingering symptoms January 3, 2024 "At least 200 million people worldwide have struggled with long COVID: a slew of symptoms that can persist for months or even years after an infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. But research suggests that that number would likely be much higher if not for vaccines. A growing consensus is emerging that receiving multiple doses of the COVID vaccine before an initial infection can dramatically reduce the risk of long-term symptoms. Although the studies disagree on the exact amount of protection, they show a clear trend: the more shots in your arm before your first bout with COVID, the less likely you are to get long COVID. One meta-analysis of 24 studies published in October, for example, found that people who’d had three doses of the COVID vaccine were 68.7 percent less likely to develop long COVID compared with those who were unvaccinated. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vaccination-dramatically-lowers-long-covid-risk/ AND ‘Brain fog’ of long Covid comparable to ageing 10 years, study finds Symptoms of infection can last two years, but researchers find no lasting cognitive impairment after individuals fully recover Fri 21 Jul 2023 The so-called “brain fog” symptom associated with long Covid is comparable to ageing 10 years, researchers have suggested. In a study by King’s College London, researchers investigated the impact of Covid-19 on memory and found cognitive impairment highest in individuals who had tested positive and had more than three months of symptoms. The study, published on Friday in a clinical journal published by The Lancet, also found the symptoms in affected individuals stretched to almost two years since initial infection. (more) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/21/long-covid-brain-fog-ageing-10-years-study

Analysis: Biden is alienating progressives yet again — but he may have no choice (CNN) -- Joe Biden is pushing progressives who are already sour on his presidency to the limit with a tough new executive action barring most asylum applications from migrants crossing the US-Mexico border illegally. But the president’s weakness on one of Donald Trump’s biggest campaign issues means it’s a risk that he has no option but to take. People familiar with Biden’s strategy pointed out privately that he was in the position of taking bold action on immigration after Republicans in Congress refused to act after killing a bipartisan immigration bill to please their presumptive nominee. If Biden wins November’s election, it will probably be because he was able to cement the most disaffected liberal Democrats behind him, while appealing to moderates and dissenting Republicans who reject Trump’s extremism. Many of the latter group feel that the border crisis is a matter of urgent national security, and Biden needs to show he takes the presidential duty of securing the homeland seriously. (more) https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/04/politics/biden-progressives-immigration/index.html

Biden rolls out asylum restrictions, months in the making, to help ‘gain control’ of the border WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday unveiled plans to enact immediate significant restrictions on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border as the White House tries to neutralize immigration as a political liability ahead of the November elections. The long-anticipated presidential proclamation would bar migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials deem that the southern border is overwhelmed. The Democratic president had contemplated unilateral action for months after the collapse of a bipartisan border security deal in Congress that most Republican lawmakers rejected at the behest of former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. Biden said he preferred more lasting action via legislation but “Republicans have left me no choice.” Instead, he said he was acting on his own to “gain control of the border” while also insisting that “I believe immigration has always been the lifeblood of America.” (more) https://apnews.com/article/biden-asylum-migration-immigration-mexico-border-dec5f83b468b5795479bf1f5e49799d5

Per the Associated Press: "A GOP-led subcommittee has spent over a year probing the nation’s response to the pandemic and whether U.S.-funded research in China may have played any role in how it started — yet found no evidence linking Fauci to wrongdoing." ... Republicans repeated unproven accusations against the longtime National Institutes of Health scientist..." https://apnews.com/article/fauci-covid-pandemic-origin-congress-a66625482f25824476ee315484790230

This Dr. McCormick, before he became a member of Congress: Physician running for congress in GA comes under fire for spreading misinformation Updated: 6:42 PM EDT September 29, 2021 ATLANTA — Critics say a physician running for congress in Georgia has spread misinformation on masks and for some COVID vaccines. Dr. Rich McCormick is a physician who came close to winning the 7th district congressional race last year, and he's running for it again next year. ... Recently, McCormick has become somewhat regular on NewsMax, a cable channel that surged in popularity among conservatives in 2020. "I think the delta variant is being blown out of proportion. We're not seeing the mortality rate spike. We're not seeing people hospitalized en masse. We're not seeing them go to the ICU," McCormick told NewsMax on July 8, just weeks before hospitalizations and mortality started to surge. During the same NewsMax interview, he also falsely claimed that children are not at risk. (more) https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/critics-physician-running-for-congress-in-georgia-sidesteps-science/85-d6bf03d9-9efe-4a13-be81-074023b698f8

Key takeaways: Fauci defends against GOP claims on COVID origins, response Fauci called some assertions "seriously distorted" in public testimony. ... "Fauci rejected suggestions he used his private email in his official capacity, and both denounced and distanced himself from the adviser's actions. "Let me state for the record that to the best of my knowledge I have never conducted official business via my personal email," Fauci said. ... Fauci told lawmakers he "knew nothing" of Morens' actions with Daszak or EcoHealth, denounced Morens' behavior as inappropriate and asserted Morens was not "an adviser to me on institute policy or other substantive issues." https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/republicans-poised-grill-anthony-fauci-covid-19-response/story?id=110677611

COVID!!! I know this may come as a surprise to some here, but we had a bit of a COVID pandemic during the past years since 2020 that officially killed 7+ million people based on official death reports, but based on rates of higher than normal deaths, probably killed somewhere between 20 and 30 million directly and indirectly. Per the New York Times from March: The true toll "Covid’s confirmed death toll — more than seven million people worldwide — is horrific on its own, and the true toll is much worse. The Economist magazine keeps a running estimate of excess deaths, defined as the number of deaths above what was expected from pre-Covid trends. The global total is approaching 30 million. This number includes both confirmed Covid deaths and undiagnosed ones, which have been common in poorer countries. It includes deaths caused by pandemic disruptions, such as missed doctor appointments that might have prevented other diseases. The isolation of the pandemic also caused a surge of social ills in the U.S., including increases in deaths from alcohol, drugs, vehicle crashes and murders. Globally, Covid ranks among the worst killers since 1900. AIDS, for example, is estimated to have killed about 40 million people, but over a half century rather than only four years. The 1918 flu killed somewhere between 20 million and 50 million people." https://archive.ph/niVyc The above cited study in the OP takes a partial look at the phenomenon of excess deaths during the COVID era, tallying excess deaths in 47 western countries by year for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 -- the years of the COVID pandemic with the highest death tolls thus far. Excess mortality across countries in the Western World since the COVID-19 pandemic: ‘Our World in Data’ estimates of January 2020 to December 2022 "Excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic has been substantial. Insight into excess death rates in years following WHO’s pandemic declaration is crucial for government leaders and policymakers to evaluate their health crisis policies. This study explores excess mortality in the Western World from 2020 until 2022. ... Conclusions Excess mortality has remained high in the Western World for three consecutive years, despite the implementation of containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. This raises serious concerns. Government leaders and policymakers need to thoroughly investigate underlying causes of persistent excess mortality." This issue has been examined previously by various reports and studies: Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 March 2024, The Lancet "An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)00476-8/fulltext# AND 14.9 million excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 The WHO, May 2022 "New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic (described as “excess mortality”) between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million). “These sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “WHO is committed to working with all countries to strengthen their health information systems to generate better data for better decisions and better outcomes.” https://www.who.int/news/item/05-05-2022-14.9-million-excess-deaths-were-associated-with-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-2020-and-2021 Lastly, worth noting, the period of the OP cited study stops at the end of 2022, meaning nothing in their report deals with anything that's happened in the studied countries from 2023 and beyond. So it's not any kind of look at what's occurring in current times.

And remember this -- Bangkok, August 2021: https://www.scmp.com/video/asia/3143460/thailand-sees-overwhelmed-hospital-morgues-and-renewed-protests-amid-biggest