jayboy

Nigel Biggar, a Cambridge professor takes a different view - "Had it been sitting in judgement on the prosecution of the war against the massively murderous Nazi empire by Britain and the US, the ICC would have issued arrest warrants for Churchill and Eisenhower. While invading Italy in 1943, the Allies caused old men, women, and children to be torn apart by bombs and shells, exposed to the wintry elements by the destruction of their homes, and starved of food and water. They did this ‘knowingly’, aware of the effects of their unavoidably imprecise bombing and shelling. But they didn’t intend civilian harm and sought to minimise it, as far as war-winning allowed. Nonetheless, their efforts weren’t ‘adequate’ to save tens of thousands from perishing. The presumptuousness of a court that declares itself devoted to the cause of ‘lasting peace’, its novel and imprudent intrusion of a concept of fundamental human rights into the laws of war, and its neglect of the principle of double effect, all combine to drive a legal interpretation that makes successful war-fighting unlawful, however just its cause. Thereby the ICC undermines its own authority, forcing states intent on military victory to repudiate its jurisdiction."

No it couldn't - ridiculous suggestion.In any event the Oxford Union is a private members club and is not part of the university.Furthermore every shade of opinion has been expressed there for over 200 years and this has never been sanctioned, even when members declared before the Second World War they would not fight for King and Country.Many of those who took that position shortly therafter died in the air and on the battlegrounds and beaches.

Perhaps you didn't notice the writer is a Labour MP.

When people say it's pretty common knowledge, invariably as in this case what follows is inaccurate.Rich Thais do pay taxes but as with rich people everywhere are smart enough to minimize their payment, or more to the point hire accountants who are smart enough to minimize payment.By the way for legally employed Thais, it's quite hard to wriggle out of PAYE.

I don't vehemently disagree because I can see your logic but I think you are wrong, and it is not in my view a "massive folly" to acquire a TIN. I have a TIN and as matters stand will not be submitting a tax return for 2024 because i will have not remitted any assessable income in 2024.But more to the point I do not think it likely, even remotely likely, that the TRD will be checking whether non working foreigners with a TIN have submitted returns.

Is it nitpicking to distinguish between a biological woman and a bloke in a frock?

It's a fair point.Possibly because Thais including transgender Thais tend to be delicately built and usually not hirsute, backed up by graceful good manners in most cases.Not always the case elsewhere where a cross dressing man can sometimes be mistaken for Fred Flintstone in drag.

Not quite.Being a woman means being a person who has XX chromosomes and reproductive organs that make bearing children possible.However not every woman is able to bear children.

Oh dear

I used to worry about being debanked too but mainly in the context of international cooperation on tax transparency. But I don't understand the concern about international transfers (assuming one is not cheating the UK government on the state pension.) There are many very reputable banks, mainly Channel Islands based, which exist to service expatriates and have no problems in regular transfers overseas.

Or the Thai way as well.

Depends where you live.In posh suburbs and fashionable parts of the big cities very likely.In many other areas far from acceptable.

And never was - like the rest of the independent sector. Stupidity is one thing.Ignorance is another Envious spite is yet another.But the Labour government and its gullible acolytes have managed to combine the three, to devastating effect. This is a minor issue in the overall scheme of things but it is also very revealing.

If you mean this school is for profit, you are misinformed.It's not.

Not one of the top 100 independent schools in the UK is for-profit.They have no shareholders and any surplus is reinvested.Actually there is usually never more than a modes surplus if any.Schools like Eton and Winchester are well endowed from centuries back but the others have to rely on appeals.

It's never been taxed anywhere in the world - pure spite on the part of the Labour government who hate the middle class.

Agreed, you included. Incorrect.There are circumstances when not necessary, especially if the individual has no assessable income. They are equally likely to be misleading.

It was a slight annoyance but the key point is the mechanism actually still exists and requires no additional legislative or statutory authority. I don't know why they suspended the requirement.I doubt whether the Embassies had much to do with it - perhaps the Japanese and the Americans who had the major influence in those days. Tax clearance requirements for foreigners do exist in a few countries but as in Malaysia are directed at foreigners who have been employed, not retirees and other non working people. Who knows what they will do?

This is pure and ill informed speculation on your behalf and bears no resemblance to reality.If Thailand wanted to monitor foreigners tax compliance a mechanism already exists in the Tax Clearance certificate which is now in suspense but could easily be revived.Again there has never been any suggestion up to now that it will be revived, other than in the fevered minds of some foreigners.Personally I think it unlikely.

Yes all ranks, provided certain criteria (common to all ranks) are met such as families living together.

It's just been demonstrated that privilege is not acquired in this way.You could make the case against but you just repeat the dogma. It's a spiteful bit of class warfare to appease the left.Some people with closed minds will like this.

Boarding school syndrome is real though the the system has changed out of recognition in the last 20 years. In any case most independent school children are at day schools. No other country on earth charges VAT on education.

It's not clear at all.Let me make it simple for you.If private schools were abolished, the children of well educated middle class parents would still tend to end up at the top of the heap. I have a lot of respect for the Sutton Trust.If there's a wish to press for equality of opportunity (and i think most people will support this) , then the work needs to be done in the state education sector - not by penalizing aspiration and the pursuit of excellence.

Actually I would deny it.It's true that say the top thirty independent schools have pupils of mainly wealthy /upper middle class (though many many exceptions) and that their excellent education and, more importantly, supportive home life gives them a leg up. But for the vast majority of the independent sector there is no particular advantage in gaining access to universities/employment.Furthermore none of the independent schools are "for profit. Eton for example has over 100 boys with fees fully remitted and 20% boys receive financial assistance.However Eton is a special case and it is ludicrous to suggest there are many other schools like it. At Oxford and Cambridge there has been a rapid decline in independently educated students.Critics of the independent schools tend to forget that these days universities and employers want the ablest candidates available and don't care about where they were educated. The assault on independent schools is therefore little more than spiteful class warfare.There is no proof that the very large sums claimed in VAT will in fact be forthcoming, not to mention the need to find government funding for the mass of pupils forced to transfer to the state system. I don't in fact have much sympathy for the independent sector because of the ridiculous escalation of fees in recent years.But what most critics don't appreciate is that even if independent schools were abolished altogether, the wealthy and well educated middle class will ALWAYS find a way to give their children an advantage in life.

All from savings pre 31.12.23 therefore non assessable