rattlesnake

I did this and in Thailand, in my experience, the answer is yes. In France, however, it wasn't the case and my wife and I had to submit a joint declaration to the family court in order for me to be given parental rights. We never even knew this for years, until I went to renew my son's passport in France and they told me I had no rights, much to my astonishment. So your friend may want to check out the requirements in his own country in this respect, just out of anticipation for the future.

AfD needed quick.

Okay, so this means that some options are available for some sellers and not others, for reasons they don't control. I distinctly recall being able to pay with Kasikorn mobile banking for some items, and the option being unavailable for others (but other banks being available).

It depends on the seller, some allow only certain banks for the mobile banking option, others none at all. As has been said above, the best is to just scan the QR Code.

He's also just signed an Executive Order withdrawing the US from the WHO. Fantastic times ahead.

I recall my son was easier to reason with when he was 5.

Yes.

But you didn't fall for it, xylophone, because you're a special kind of smart… Protectionism is protectionism. A policy and its effects have nothing to do with the personal life of those implementing it. Latest example, TikTok now 50% US-owned. Trump boasts about saving TikTok at DC rally day before inauguration: ‘We’re going to make a lot of money’ https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-boasts-saving-tiktok-dc-224330970.html

If they are trying to go down this route, they are making a mistake IMO. Thailand is not a destination for wealthy people and won't be anytime soon. Furthermore, the objective result of loosening the short to medium-term visa requirements has been a massive influx of people with meagre incomes (one just needs to see the number of videos flourishing on YouTube about "how to live in Thailand with $500 per month" and the like). I think whoever in this government is relying on foreigner influx to enrich the country has got it all wrong, they should take the (already massive) revenue from 2-week holidayers and invest it in national infrastructure, but that implies long-term vision, which seems to be critically lacking. IMO some people high up in the political chain probably had this "great idea" and don't realise how difficult and inefficient it is going to be in practice.

The turning point was July 2024, when he committed the one crime this forum's users are incapable of forgiving.

It's very funny to me that so many people suddenly take offence at billionnaires getting involved in politics just because Trump is doing it.

"Time will tell, but don't sell the Thai's short when it comes to making a quick and easy baht out of foreigners." They are also very sensitive about their image abroad. Currently, this tax thing is very negatively perceived and neighbouring countries are increasingly presented as better alternatives. We should never forget about face-saving and its influence on the Thais' behaviour: IMO this will weigh in the process and final decision on how to proceed.

I think that if they try to implement it, the Thai administration will have a lot of trouble managing the DTA issues, checking who owes what and/or managing claims and refund requests, enforcing payment on those who don't file anything, and ultimately, this is going to be an inextricable entanglement of problems which I anticipate will result in many offices simply not enforcing it because they won't even begin to understand and/or agree amongst each other what needs to be done and how. I think you are correct in your assessment that increasing revenue is the key driver in this process: when the Thai authorities realise that this endeavour is having the opposite effect, i.e. people leaving in droves (and I know several who have already left), combined with a negative image compared to more welcoming neighbouring countries, I anticipate this law will join (or remain in) the long list of laws which are not applied. I would not be surprised if they ended up charging a flat tax of 1,000 baht as a "processing fee" to every long-staying farang extending their visa, and all we would need to do is check a box stating "I certify being a resident of a country having a DTA with Thailand". If, say, 200,000 people are liable to the tax, that's 20 million extra per year for Thailand, just 1,000 baht extra per year for us, face is saved and everybody comes out satisfied. Now that, IMO, sounds a lot more Thai-realistic.

The minute he supports Trump, he become à supervillain. You guys are funny.

Thank God.

These scumbags don't follow any religious precepts, or if they do they do it wrongly, merely out of provocation or in a futile quest for identity. Their only true relation to Islam is through their cultural heritage. I would say they are much closer to the American ghetto/gangster model (drugs, prostitutes, theft, vulgarity… you won't find any of that in the Quran) than to Islam.

Come on Jing, put your money where your mouth is and move on.

No choice, they have French passports and were born in France. I think the only viable solution for these people is remigration. Political solutions have to be worked out with the countries of origin of their parents, who were imported as labour during the 60s and 70s. It would be very difficult, but not impossible, deals can be worked out which satisfy both parties. Strong financial incentives can be implemented against the relinquishing of French nationality, and programs can be financed to support them over there for the first few years. Large infrastructure projects could be financed in these countries which are still underdeveloped (this could be an incentive for their governments). It wouldn't be that expensive considering what is spent on these people currently in France, and the French people would agree with it. Of course, it isn't Macron or any of the globalist clique who would ever consider doing that, first there would need to be a deep political shift. And also Frexit, as EU laws prevent any sovereign decision.

Yes indeed. A few months ago, I watched Zombieland, a 30-minute documentary on the destruction of Germany. The last time I was there was in 2009 and it was still the clean, pleasant country I'd always known. Now it's become this:

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the LA Times and a renowned transplant surgeon, is raising alarms about the fallout from mRNA COVID-19 “vaccines,” linking them to unprecedented deaths and cancers in children. “For the first time in my career, I’ve seen an 8-year-old, 9-year-old, and 10-year-old with colon cancer.” “A 13-year-old child died of metastatic pancreatic cancer.” He has thrown his support behind Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stating Kennedy “knows more about the science than most doctors.” VID_20250117_222632_003.mp4

Yes, it was such a beautiful country and it is now in tatters… Maddening indeed… and sad.

I am French and grew up with them. Then I lived in Phuket for a year and ended up moving because of them. They are worse in France because they know they can get away with anything. But they are definitely becoming confident in Thailand, it's time they were taught a lesson by the authorities IMO.