jaideedave

On 4/27/2024 at 8:50 AM, BerndD said:

As a German, I receive my pension in my Thai bank account, usually 3-4 days earlier than pensioners in Germany. In July 2024, like every other pension recipient, I will receive a pension increase of 4.57%. If I die, my Thai wife can receive a widow's pension from the German state equal to 40% of my pension. Requirement: the widow must be at least 46 years old and the marriage must have lasted, I believe, for 6 years.

 

There are no restrictions on pension receipt for Germans who live abroad permanently.

Similar to my Cdn pension. My Thai wife will receive 37.5% of one of my pensions.Aged 45+....but taxable income. There are provisions to have the tax liability waved but you must apply.At todays ex-rate about 11-15k/month. Not much but house etc paid up.

59 minutes ago, Korat Kiwi said:

Yes it looks like a bit of speed was involved.  The way the forks are separated from the rest of the bike... 

 

Ouch that gotta hurt. 

Never felt a thing

14 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

I used two different English/expat pension advisors .... both chose investments based on their commission and both lost me money, as well some investments still frozen due to scheme suspension.

 

Now only invest in property in home country as it's so hard to find a trustworthy advisor.

In years past while working O&G sector I was in contact with a somewhat shady " UK conultant" based in Bkk. He wanted a 2% fee to manage my investments. I found out later the co. he was representing was bogus and the BIB were tracking them down all the way to Singapore. I dodged that bullet. 

One of the products was a high interest bond from Australia that got exposed as well.

51 minutes ago, simon43 said:

The policy of freezing pensions has nothing to do with racism or discrimination.  It's available to UK pensioners in those countries which have signed a double tax agreement with the UK, such as the Philippines.  

 

For whatever reason, Thailand (and Laos and ...) have not signed such an agreement, probably never even requested such an agreement with the UK.

 

Therefore, if you want to moan at someone, moan at the Thai government for failing to request a double tax agreement with the UK!

Is it worthwhile for a UK pensioner to relocate to the Pp to establaish the higher rate then spend 6/6 months in each country ? I suppose everyones situation is different ,married,single etc.

I've been to the Pp years ago with friends an none of us cared much for what we saw. The Yanks were just leaving Subic and Mt Pinatubo had blown its top the year before.We got ripped off at every turn and cut short our visit and returned to the LOS. That was 30 years ago so maybe it's changed.

17 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

Back of a fag packet: Pensions of 80k a month equals 960k per year, less 500k in TEDA leaves you 460k to account for, assuming you are from the UK and that's not a government pension. If you paid Thai tax on that 460k the tax would be 31k (that's 300k at 5% and 160k at 10%) But chances are you paid UK tax on that pension (?), if so, that tax can be offset against any Thai tax that becomes due.

Back of a napkin: A marriage visa requires 40k/mon or 480k/year.

TEDA@ 500k. Wifey gets the other 40k.How does this look?

BTW I'm not from UK but a former colony.

On 4/4/2024 at 7:57 PM, Startmeup said:

Just transfer a lump of money into a Thai friends bank account and get them to give you the cash. Or are we saying all the cam girls, penpals and family donations/gifts from abroad will be declaring this money and be subject to tax too?

Give me fcukin break. This tax thing will be thrown in the bin. 

@Startmeup I like your way of thinking.My pensions total 80k monthly.I use Wise to bring it here.I'm thinking I'll send 40k to my account and 40k to my wife's account.I'll gladly pay what little tax that will attract.I also have the option of using an ATM to withdraw 40k and good luck to them catching me.There are over 100,000 ATM's in LOS.Does an alarm go off somewhere when a foreign debit card withdraws cash?

Another scenario:Billy Bob gives his gf family 200k for "sin sot" , do they run down to the RD to declare this windfall...? 555

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has directed the Provincial Police Region 8 Commander in Phuket Province to intensify efforts in apprehending individuals with bad influence who continuously violate the law.

 

During a meeting to review the police operations at the Provincial Police Region 8 Headquarters, the Prime Minister delivered policy directives, stating that over the past six months, there have been numerous arrests related to drug offenses.

 

Appreciation was expressed for the rigorous enforcement efforts. Various measures should be employed to apprehend offenders to address the issues more effectively, including continuous management and addressing the issue of online gambling, which has caused distress to the public.

 

Acknowledging the importance of morale-boosting incentives for the police force, especially regarding housing, it is imperative to ensure adequate and continuous construction of police residences. The government will take care of improving the living conditions of police personnel.

 

Regarding the development of Phuket province, strict measures should be enforced concerning illegal hotel businesses, ensuring that licenses are issued strictly and that no one operates above the law. This includes stringent oversight of tourism activities and preventing exploitation of tourists for personal gain.

 

Source: NNT 2024-04-20

 

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influential figures  LOL Who? Tony T....HAVIN A LAF

27 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

I'm just curious if she will wear a neck brace already when arriving...

I can picture her in the plane after the landing announcement: "Attendant, help me put this on will ya"

Standard garb will be issued just before the plane lands, wheelchair,neck brace,arm sling and a few other props. Quick trip to the police hospital VIP ward for some unforseen jet lag...rinse and repeat. What a place we call home...

1 hour ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

After reading the title, I thought that this post was going to be about Bernard Trink. 🙂

 

 

I'm afraid Mr Trink (aka Night Owl) has left us and he no longer "gives a hoot" 

In the past I would book a flight to either PP or Siem Reap for a week to avoid Songkran. These days I just stay close to home and only venture outside for necessities in the AM.

13 minutes ago, marin said:

If you have to make the call phone number to phone number you may want to try 00500 + country code and number. I know to the USA its much cheaper Oz is more like 6B a minute.

I've been using the 00500 prefix for a few years now.Cheap and almost always good connections. No muss no fuss.A couple baht/minute AIS

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The Government of Thailand‘s plan to partially finance its 500-billion-baht digital wallet handout scheme through a 172.3 billion baht loan from the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative is set to undergo legality verification by the Council of State. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who also stated that the government will seek advice from its legal arm to ensure the lawfulness of the scheme.

 

“There is a plan to create a super app for the scheme, which would require additional funding from taxpayers.”

 

The 62 year old Thai prime minister reassured the public that the government would fully explain the situation once the app is ready. PM Srettha also emphasised the government’s commitment to transparency, promising that the scheme would be open to public scrutiny.

The proposed handout scheme, a flagship policy of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, involves distributing 10,000 baht to 50 million Thais through a “super app” developed by the Digital Economy and Society Ministry. The app is designed to be utilised by all banks in an open-loop model.

The Bangkok-born prime minister, who also serves as the finance minister, expressed optimism that the scheme, set to roll out in the fourth quarter, would spur the economy, boosting the GDP by 1.2 to 1.6%.

 

Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat elucidated the financing strategy for the digital wallet scheme. The scheme will be funded through three sources, with 152.7 billion baht drawn from the 2025 fiscal year budget.

 

Budget reallocation

 

The 172.3 billion baht loan from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives’ budget for the 2025 fiscal year will be disbursed to 17.23 million farmers. The remaining 175 billion baht will be sourced from the current fiscal year’s budget reallocation.

 

However, the plan to borrow from the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative has drawn criticism. Critics argue that this mirrors the Pheu Thai’s loss-ridden rice-pledging programme under the former Yingluck Shinawatra administration, said Jurin Laksanawisit, a Democrat Party list MP.

 

“This is an exact replica of the rice-pledging scheme. They share the same DNA. The government will now borrow 172.3 billion from the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative. Combined with the more than 200 billion baht debt incurred by the rice scheme, the Pheu Thai-run governments will owe the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative about 400 billion baht.”

 

The government has yet to detail how it will repay the loan it plans to take from the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative to fund the digital wallet scheme.

 

Nipon Poapongsakorn, a distinguished fellow at the Thailand Development Research Institute, urged the government to provide these details. He also pointed out that the 500-billion-baht handout was a short-term measure intended to secure political gains ahead of the next election, despite the economy’s current state of recovery.

 

by Mitch Connor

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-04-12

 

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Me thinks they're trying to figure a way out of the mess.How not to proceed without losing face. Blame it on.....? 

15 minutes ago, Seppius said:

 

I like Foodmart, but you are right, I buy very little meat from there, also check ex dates on the pies in the chiller. I like the sauerkraut they sell in bags B90, much better for you than tinned or in a  jar 

Yes I'm not bashing them because I still shop there but I don't but meat there anymore. Their bakery is pretty good.

8 minutes ago, Chivas said:

 

I was tugged at Gatwick last month by Customs (randomly for sure)

 

Do you have more than £1000 on you was the 5th question (45,000 Baht)

 

Several years ago I was lined up at a kiosk at the boarding gate for a flight to Tripoli and a suit slid up to me and politely asked how much cash I was carrying?

11 minutes ago, Hellfire said:

He did not state what currency he wants to take with him. But what normal person will want to take 500 k thai money to another country with him? It is definitely US dollars.

If he has 500k in USD cash I'm thinking there will be more than a few eyebrows raised.He definitely has to declare it no matter what or risk being detained and the cash confiscated. Is he here on a tourist visa or ? Something just doesn't add up. 

If he has 500k in THB he'll have to exchange it somewhere before he can spend it...even Laos or Cambodia. Maybe a Myanmar General gave it to him for safe keeping. sheesh

12 hours ago, Banana7 said:

I don't gurn, I say it with a straight face, it's a rip-up job. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. Beach Road has been ripped up, as bad or worse, than shown above, 3 times in the last 10 years. Your photos show a complete replacement or new construction of the complete walkway, not a rip-up, in my opinion.

 

In about 3+ years, maybe sooner, there will be some new reason to rip up the street again. After all, the new multiple million baht storm sewers on Beach Road are still inadequate and the street floods multiple times and washes away many parts of the beach, each and every year. So they need to be replaced or redesigned causing replacement of walkways, roadways, perhaps even some utilities.  The huge temporary pumps aren't adequate, are an eye sore and are an after thought to try to compensate for inadequate engineering design.

 

I don't know anything about what others have stated, the brown envelopes need to keep flowing, to support payments for certain fancy houses, cars, etc. I imagine lots are currently flowing from the Jomtien beach road job, and will continue for 2 or 3 years. They could double-up the take, by finding/making new reasons.

 

 

I moved to Pattaya in late 2004.They were working on Beach Rd then and ever since. At that time they were drilling horizontally to bury the cables. These are all "make work" projects IMHO. 

Another example is the meridian cement curb smack down the middle of Thepprasit Rd.Why? 

Jomtien was quite acceptable I thought but now you can expect years of construction along there. It will most likely ruin a few businesses as collateral damage.

5 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Why?

It's useless anywhere but here.. I had 20k cash in Canada a few years back and changed it at a currency exchange.They didn't want it at first but in the end gave me a very poor ex rate.Big mistake on my part.

Whenever I used to go to Cambodia I always bought USD here to take with me and never any issues.

On 12/17/2020 at 5:08 PM, WaveHunter said:

I went there to Foodland on Thappraya since it's right next to my condo, and bought Brahman Rib-Eye because back in the States I love Rib-Eye. 

 

It looked nice being a thick cut and all marbled and everything, so I bought 5 of them to keep in my freezer and one to cook for dinner that night.

 

Maybe Rib-Eye means something different here in Thailand but it was probably the worst steak I've ever had!  It was so tough it was hard to cut with a steak knife, had lots of gristle, and was not juicy at all, and had no flavor to speak of!

 

I know how to pan-fry steak so the fault was not in preparation.  The next day I tried to tenderize it with course kosher salt for an hour before cooking...and not much improvement at all.

 

If I love American Rib-eye steak, what should I be looking for here in Thailand, and where should I be looking...because Brahman Rib-Eye is clearly not it, and that was the best I saw at FoodLand, so Foodland is not the place to go.

Forget Foodmart for beef steak.I bought a frozen rib eye and when I was cooking it I began to realize it was one continuous piece of meat like a string? It was shaped like a steak but hand formed from some off cut. I was very pissed off with this crap! I should have taken a pic and exposed them.

51 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

But you can't stay over night when you really need comfort, unless you hide behind some boxes.

Besides it will be a dead giveaway if they spot the sleeping bag.

On 4/10/2024 at 7:28 AM, KhunLA said:

Turn the AC on, or sit in the shade with a breeze (or fan), and sip a cool beverage.  Think about a month or 2 of windy, bitter cold back in the mother land.   

 

Those days when I was walking out an aircraft, and the snow was coming sideways in the wind, and I could barely see anything.   Or up in the bucket, deicing the plane, only to have it get delayed from take off, return, and need to get deiced again.   Damn Global Warming

 

Appreciate & Enjoy the weather.

 

How hot .... DAMN HOT

At the surf yesterday, and it looked good, from inside the car w/AC on, after walking the dog for about half hour.

 

Looking for 35 today, maybe feels like 40, a cool front.

I'm thinking coffee shop, surfside with and iced Cappuccino & brownie might be on the afternoon's agenda 

This unfrozen Canuck remembers ice forming on my eyelids walking to school in winter on some days. I rarely complain about the heat anymore.

And no,not uphill both ways.