Felt 35

On 4/10/2025 at 11:12 AM, Tubulat said:

Is this also a form of deception, everyone concludes that coffee is getting more expensive, and then we get some official trying to claim the opposite. not just in LOS, mind you, it's a trend in the world, loudly propagating the opposite, but I won't fall for that for a long time.

Yes. Time to stock up on coffee.

Felt

Personally, I don't think highly of Songkran, but if people don't need more exciting entertainment and challenge than the "art" of throwing water at others, then let them continue in a safe way without disturbing
people who drive, cycle or walk and who clearly indicate that they are not in on the art and challenge of throwing water, continue in peace.

Felt

What we are now seeing is an empire that is tottering because its military spending and imbalances in world trade are too great. The United States is now at a crossroads, which is quite normal when a country has dominated the world for around 150 years. Wars and military spending, combined with a skewed trade balance, have broken the backs of all other empires before them.

The United States has to do something to try to reduce its trade deficit, it is simply not sustainable. The United States also has to distance itself from Europe in order to make Europe take more responsibility for its own security.

For the United States, it is of course tempting to print ever more money to finance its overspending and wars, but that will probably lead to the downfall of the country. The only chance for the United States to survive is to take a step back and hand over a greater part of the power and responsibility to others. Europe undoubtedly has the capabilities and resources to take on greater international responsibility, the question is whether Europe has politicians who understand the game and are willing to take responsibility... I hope so, because we certainly do not benefit from China taking over the role of the United States as the world's most powerful nation.

Otherwise, I don't like Trump, but he may be the right man for the job...

38 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

If people can't trust the govt and media they trust themselves only.

In this case people were terrified, afraid to die, injured. So they left head over heals.

Who is to blame?😳

I have no problem with understanding the people 🙄

BANGKOK, Thailand – Until two weeks ago, Smith Thammasaroj (search) was a prophet without honor.

As chief of Thailand's meteorological department in 1998, he was accused of scare-mongering when he warned that the country's southwest coast could face a deadly tsunami.

He retired under a shadow, dismissed as a crackpot, accused of causing panic and jeopardizing a critical tourist industry that grew up around the tropical resort island of Phuket (search).

Today, Smith is being lionized for his foresight after the devastating Dec. 26 Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed more than 150,000 people around the region, including 5,300 in Thailand, where 3,600 more are listed as missing.

Less than a week after the tragedy, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (search) appointed Smith as a vice minister and put him in charge of the newly established National Disaster Warning Office, which will work with seismologists to establish a tsunami early warning system.

Now when Smith speaks, people listen. And he has a new message: The United States must take some of the blame for the grievous number of casualties.

The 68-year-old forecaster — who earned a bachelor's degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Vermont (search) in 1962 — said he believes that if the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (search) had acted quickly enough, many lives could have been saved.

Workers at the Hawaii center have said they tried in vain to warn Indian Ocean nations about the possible effects of the earthquake but they were not equipped to monitor that part of the world and didn't even have phone numbers for the right officials.

The Hawaii center, set up in 1948, hosts the only regional network of its kind in the world, but is set up solely to monitor Pacific Ocean countries.

"I'm not angry at them for failing to warn Thailand, because at that time they did not know for sure, they merely said a tsunami was possible after the earthquake," Smith told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Tuesday.

But after the giant waves hit southern Thailand, the center had more than an hour to alert India, Bangladesh and the Maldives, "and if they warned those countries, they could have saved thousands of lives," he said.

"It's their failure to do so that makes me mad at them," he said.

But the Hawaii center denied it could have alerted those nations in time.

"We didn't know anything even after the waves hit Thailand," Charles McCreery (search), the center's director, said Tuesday. Scientists at the Hawaii warning center did not learn of the tsunami until several hours later when they read news reports on the Internet about it striking Sri Lanka, McCreery said.

"That's well after those waves would have hit all of those places over there that got hit badly," he said. "So there really wasn't the opportunity."

Although the center had data on the earthquake, there are no sensors or tide gauges to measure water levels in the Indian Ocean, so there was no way to know if a tsunami had been generated, he said.

Smith has been equally critical of his own country's meteorologists. He said earlier that staff at the Meteorological Department working on Dec. 26 knew what was coming but failed to act because they were ignored earlier.

"They knew exactly what was going to happen, but they ... were afraid to make a decision, because they believed if they made a wrong forecast they would get blamed," Smith said.

The Meteorological Department has said it knew about the earthquake and the possibility that it could trigger a tsunami about an hour before waves began slamming ashore.

But they said they had no way to determine the size of the waves — and therefore the threat they posed — and were reluctant to issue a warning without such information because it could harm the tourism industry and anger the government.

Smith showed no such reluctance when, as head of the meteorological bureau, he made headlines in 1993 and 1998 with warnings about a possible tsunami.

His 1998 warning, which came after an earthquake-triggered tsunami killed more than 2,000 people in Papua New Guinea (search), sent droves of people running for the hills in southern Thailand. But no tsunami hit Thailand, and furious tourism executives and government officials excoriated Smith for his judgment.

Thai Predicted Tsunami; No One Listened | Fox News

San Kamphaeng Air Quality Index (AQI) and Thailand Air Pollution | IQAir

Hua Hin Air Quality Index (AQI) and Thailand Air Pollution | IQAir

Koh Samui Lamai Viewpoint Outdoor Air Quality Index (AQI) and Bo Put Air Pollution | IQAir

Mueang Phuket Air Quality Index (AQI) and Thailand Air Pollution | IQAir

Toronto Air Quality Index (AQI) and Canada Air Pollution | IQAir

I pay taxes here, as most people do, just as I would in my home country. It is my contribution to the community.

Felt

Street racing with motorcycles and regular gang violence in schools is not what I think of as mature😐

Felt

3 hours ago, JimGant said:

You're nuts. There's no " certificate of clearance" to be obtained. Owe no taxes, file no tax return. No "certifcate of clearance" asked for by Immigration. Heck, have assessable income below TEDA, thus file no tax return -- ignore those 60/120/220k thresholds -- those aren't codified requirements.

 

What the heck does this imaginary "certificate of clearance" look like anyway? Bet you can't produce one.

 

Quit scare mongering, KH. You're getting tiresome.

https://www.rd.go.th/english/23518.html

https://www.rd.go.th/english/21977.html

https://www.rd.go.th/english/21978.html

14 hours ago, Felt 35 said:

 

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/rankings/quality-of-life

 

5 hours ago, Felt 35 said:

 

Standard of Living by Country | Quality of Life by Country 2024

Quality of Life Index by Country 2024

Standard of Living by Country | Quality of Life by Country 2024

1 hour ago, Presnock said:

The health insurance or 100K $ must be able to cove 50K USD hospitalization.

1 hour ago, Presnock said:

The health insurance or 100K $ must be able to cove 50K USD hospitalization.

Ok, then at least I should go clear of that requirement.

Felt

5 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

 

If less than $80K US equivalent income/year (but more than $40k US equivalent), for an LTR-WP you need to prove at least $250k US$ equivalent investment in Thailand, and simply having the money in a Thai savings account is NOT IMHO adequate.  I believe just money sitting in the bank is not considered an investment.

 

You need something like $250k (or more) US$ equivalent in real estate purchase in Thailand (such as a condo purchase) or $250k US$ equivalent purchase of Thai government bonds, or possibly some specific Thai mutual funds or a mix there of. 

 

In my case I used the 50% of the purchase price of my foreign freehold condo (1/2 was in my condo deed/chanote, and hence ownership, is in Thai wife's name - so I could not claim 100%) and I made up the remainder (to reach the $250k US$ equiv) by purchasing 2-million THB in Thai government bonds.  I purchased a 7-year term bond.   When I go to reprove my finances in 5-years (which will be year 2028 for me), I will either go the proof of $80k US/income per year, or buy another 2-million THB Thai government bond.

 

If you are unsure if your 'investment' will qualify for the $250K US$ equivalent investment in Thailand, then simply phone BoI and ask them. They have many employees who speak English language.

 

 

Someone else may need to answer this. 

 

I went the self health insurance route (with $100k US$ equivalent in a Thai bank as my proof of health insurance finances). 

 

Possibly in 2028 I will go with a letter from my European Health Insurance company.  I think thou you simply need to have to prove another year left in your coverage - but again, you can check with BoI on this.

Ok many thanks, will call BOI and check.

Felt

This thread seems to have several people with mostly good experience with LTR visas, so I allow myself to ask a few questions!

If as a retired person with under US 80K annual income but well over US40K but the rest of the finances back home, do I then have to invest / deposit the money in a Thai bank or is it enough to prove that the finances are available? Btw, the insurance US 50K requirement is that totally cover for a year?

Thanks

Felt

I don't understand why China is so highly regarded by Thais. Look west Thailand 

Real GDP per capita

$22,100 (2023 est.) China

$21,100 (2023 est.) Thailand

$9,200 (2023 est.) India

$63,600 (2023 est.) Germany

$54,500 (2023 est.) United Kingdom

$72,100 (2023 est.) Denmark

$82,600 (2023 est.) Switzerland 

The World Factbook - The World Factbook

On 3/1/2025 at 9:39 AM, Lacessit said:

European history.

Let alone their own.

Felt

On 3/1/2025 at 7:41 AM, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

 

Thanks. 

 

In the meantime, I've downloaded Viber and purchased a subscription that provides unlimited calls to the US for 59 baht per month.

 

I've used Viber in the past, but haven't done so for a number of years now. I'll see how it works.

 

Unfortunately, Viber does not seem have an option for providing a US phone number the way Skype does, at least as far as I can determine. But that's a minor issue compared to being able to make calls to landlines in the US.

Do you know if Viber have a "stand alone" download for windows, i.e.no need for a phone app?

Thanks 

Felt

5 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

Waste management in Thailand still stuck in third world

Only waste management

On 2/25/2025 at 10:17 AM, billd766 said:

And if the banks and finance companies will not lend the money if they believe that you cannot repay it? If you don't have the funds without borrowing it, then it IS expensive.

 

Given the current debt in the private sector, buying a new car is out of the question for many Thai people, ICE or EV.

 

Try thinking outside the box and your comfort zone.

and then it was this about live within our means 😑

47 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Preserving Thailand's Tourism Reputation

 

lol

 Something for TAT on their travel exhibitions abroad, come to Pattaya for the temples😀

2 hours ago, Krillin said:

Can you imagine if the Thai Government began effectively pre-screening would-be expats and tourists for previous arrests for violent crimes, crimes involving drugs, crimes involving rape, or crimes perpetrated against minors? 

 

... Hmm. You're right. The tourist-based economy would take a significant hit. 

 

Yeah, maybe that's why they haven't been doing that. 

Oh my god, that would be great, but it will never happen, then everything, absolutely everything falls like a deck of cards here.

Felt

On 2/24/2025 at 12:38 PM, MikeandDow said:

Thailand is already doing this! to a certain degree  still not stopping bad Trourist

That degree, in my opinion, stop with a brown envelope, and often the envelope is not even necessary. 

Felt

Where I rent there is a notice on each floor in the low season that says the minimum rental period is 30 days and if you do not follow this you can be punished with a fine and even imprisonment. In the high season the notice is gone, and the management of the apartment complex look down (high season) every time I who have asked the question about that type of rental meet one of them in the hallway. Who owns the building...🤫... if I remember correctly, he was the prime minister a few months ago🙃

Felt 35

2 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

How is this going to stop bad Tourist from coming to Thailand ??? 

General stricter visa requirements and of course crossing the border when already in Thailand must be ruled out as a form of visa extension. 

Felt