trainman34014

15 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

This equates to around 100 baht per month based on the pitiful savings rates.

Yes; if you keep only the minimum amount required in the account.    However; would you rather have the 1200 Baht in your pocket or leave it for the Thai Government to take it ?

''Under The Spotlight '' ?   More like under a 60W Bulb that is about to blow !

Much ado about something that will go on forever until they start shooting participants in the back of the head Chinese style.

As the country is run (controlled) by Sino Thai's it is not surprising such decisions will be made !

18 hours ago, kickstart said:

Been like it for a good few years' gasoline has nearly always been 4-5 baht dearer than diesel, you could say gasoline is subsidizing diesel.

Expensive diesel increases inflation, as 90%??? of all goods in Thailand are hauled be road, this happened 10-12 years ago when fuel prices went up big time, my then bowl of lunch time noddle's went up twice in as many weeks. 

But don't expect to see your bowl of Noodles coming down as a result of this 2 Baht reduction; more likely to go up again !

9 hours ago, TheFishman1 said:

Whatever happened to the cop who used plastic bags and killed the kid in the police station? You know the guy they had millions of dollars with the cars in his garage what ever happened with him TIT

Last i read he got 20 years in the slammer !

I see it like this.  I have been on this Earth just short of 78 years and have experienced just about all the ups and downs of life and death (apart from my own).   In that time i've heard, read and viewed accounts of Ghosts from many different sources incuding my own Mother and Father, who both had their own 'Ghost Stories'.   However; i've yet to have an encounter with one and until i do i will continue to be a non-believer !

On 9/5/2023 at 11:11 AM, Shop mak said:

Thais get this with their breast milk, and the next 15 years, older family members will warn young children about what horrible things will happen to them, if they don't listen to their older family members ...

 

All about control.

 

Such a shame when they don't even teach them anything useful !

I live in a predominently 'Red Shirt' area and every Thai person i speak to has said they will never vote for Pheu Thai ever again and there is now seems to be a desire to wipe them out at any future Election.   How that would affect the overall Red Shirt situation i'm not sure but Pehu Thai have certainly shot themselves in both feet !

He's doing a 'Ronnie Biggs'; the British Great Train Robber who escaped from prison and ran off to Brazil, spent all his money and then returned to Britain for free Medical Treatment before finally expiring not all that long after !

The whole thing is rigged; the Stage has been set and the Farce has begun, now we just see how it plays out !

Ah yes; he wants to return to breath the same polluted air as his Brothers and Sisters !    Lol.

12 hours ago, GregTN said:

I would always get a new KR 22 each year but this year at Chiang Mai I was told that it was no longer required to have a new one each year.  When I asked at what time a new one was required  I never really received a tangibly answer.  I will probably still get a new one each year just in case they change their minds.

We've been using the same one for 16 years and never been asked for anything else.  Can't understand what this thread is all about ?

PT are shooting themselves in both feet and whenever the next Election comes around they will be ignored by most ordinary Thais !

Keep an eye out for the ones arriving by Dinghy; they start with a trickle and later it becomes an Invasion !

20 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Means testing of Thais is going to be difficult. Many don't trust banks, and have their savings in gold.

Under the bed, under the floorboards, inside walls, cash , gold, i've seen it all here but the most wealthy keep thier dosh offshore and 'invisible', often invested in property abroad.

49 minutes ago, khunPer said:

It's fair enough that those, who have fund to take care of themselves, do so. However, the difficulty in Thailand lies in that only around six percent of the population is registered for income tax – and only about four percent pays income tax, according to news articles – so, registering who is actually in need, is difficult for the remaining 94-96% of the population. This does of course not mean that 96% of the Thai population is poor, it rather indicates that there is a huge level of Informal economy, neither taxed, nor monitored by the government.

 

In other countries like the Scandinavian – don't forget that Pita would like to change the system towards these and New Zealand – there is an extremely detailed registration of the citizens economy and government retirement pension is reduced depending of each individual's status. Those with high income pays extra high taxes and gets less in return. Thailand's step increasing income tax-scale is actually even more hard on the rich than the Scandinavia countries, when looking at the difference from lower tax rates to the wealthy people's tax rate – but not to forget that Scandinavians in total pays much more tax, also those with (very) small income.

 

600-700 baht up to 1,000 baht is very little support to those elders in real need when looking at buying power – it's 20-30 baht per day – if comparing to a Scandinavian retirement support from a government it should be in a level up to perhaps between 6,000 and 10,000 baht per month, when considering buying power and difference in general living costs. But paying a rate that equals the Scandinavians would be very costly. It there was no government retirement pension, then a Danish citizen with average income should save up between 20- 25% of the income up to retirement age, to cover for the missing government pension. For a low income – around the level where you would be considered poor in Denmark – 28% to 41% of the income during the year up to retirement age, should be set aside to cover for none government pension. Less percentage – much less – if you are in the higher og very high income level.

 

Would Thais in general be prepared to pay 20-25% income tax for an acceptable, but still modest governmental retirement pension?

 

The average Danish income tax percentage is from 38% – plus additional 8 percent when it's income from work – and up to 52%.

 

Danish government's various income support, which however is mainly retirement pension, equals 14.7% of GNP.

 

It's important to have in mind that the more subsidies the people wish from a government, the higher taxes shall be paid. In Denmark – and yes, we are still number one in the World on the income tax chart – we pay in average around 40-50% income tax, 25% v.a.t. and high gift-taxes on lots of other stuff, like paying for up to three cars when buying one. We ought to get a lot in return, but the higher taxes we pay, we get relative less and less in return – while government administration grows to register and control all financial movements of the population; the Taxman even have access to one's bank account – and today many Danes complains about bad health system, too little pension (compared to buying power) and the number of people that feels they are poor, is growing.

 

It's a quite difficult balance to find – I'm not sure that Pita's and MFP's idea of copying the Scandinavian system is the right way – so, first of all you need to invent a system in Thailand to find out, who really are in need, and an economical registration and control level that the population can accept.

Comparing Scandinavia to Thailand is not exactly Apples for Apples is it .     Pita is an Educated Man but also a very naive one or he wouldn't have entered the Political fray knowing full well that he had to be absolutely 'clean' and free of anything his Enemies might be able to use against him to stop him leading a Government   Being Educated doesn't always mean being Smart and Street Wise !

7 hours ago, soalbundy said:

He would have to be insane to do that, no normal person could kill a small child.

Sadly a lot of Thai Males cannot be described as 'Normal' in the way we tend to think !

Following the National Practice of shooting itself in the foot !

Do you Love Me.... or is that a Canoe in your pocket ?

The only thing of economic interest to these twerps is getting their fingers in the money pie.  Other than that the Countries fortunes can go to hell !