Where does the money come from?

[kensisaket]

13 hours ago, fruitman said:

Just look at what's sold in BKK, nothing cheap or made in thailand....mostly imported goods for double or triple the price of the West and they survive so must be selling.

 

I fish in a restaurant costs 300+ these days, and it's a smaller one than some years ago when they were 180...

 

Just look at the queue's at Sizzlers every single day again, all day long...why can't anybody copy that because it's so simple?

 

Or look at Chockchai steakhouse, always busy and even icecreams are sold for 100 baht a piece, those cost 8 baht at ikea.

 

In Isan i even can't order a hotdog at the 711 because they have no idea what that is...a hotdog 555555...and i order that because the rice in the restaurant which was recommended to us was stinky and from yesterday and kept in the cooker all night without chilling it...

 

 

Not sure where you live in Issan; but, hotdogs are a food staple here. They are sold everywhere.  7-11 has them cooking on their slow cooker grill; and, ready to eat/microwave are hanging on the wall along with hamburgers, grilled cheese plus several other sandwiches.  The most expensive Talapia (fish) is 170 baht at every local restaurant.  

[AlQaholic]

Export and corruption, the drivers of the Thai economy.

[Dania2019]

Bathen has gone strong 32% in the last 12 years but more than 20 million of people are still very poor. After the election nothing are going to change in the right way. I know a lot about this you wrote but want to stay here, so I don`t want to rite about it. Thats it. 

[Kwasaki]

18 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

1. Where does all the money come from to pay the govt workers?

 

2. Why does Thailand's economy appear to be so strong?

1. Taxes I guess.

2. Thailand had a GDP of 15.450 trillion baht (US$455 billion), the 8th largest economy of Asia.

[Time Traveller]

18 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

Where does all the money come from to pay the govt workers?

Are you a socialist millenial ?

 

Seriously, use some commonsense. Taxes paid by the private industry and consumers go into general revenue for the govt to use. Just because a few retail businesses in one city are not making money is no indication of the overall health of the economy. 

Remember, taxes come in many forms such as income tax, sales tax, excise duties, import taxes as well as business licensing registration fees, fuel tax and so on. 

[Jeffrey346]

I have lived in KK for 11 years. There are lots of Thai'a with lots of money here. 

I have never seen so many new Mercs and BMW's here. They are everywhere.

What you don't see are all the huge factories that are 10-20K out of the city limits. They employ 1000's of people and the Top guys are making huge money.

There is one factory with guards and no name anywhere that manufactures the Louis Vuitton bags. 

Big money here in KK

[Dumbastheycome]

16 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

All of the noodle shops, restaurants, barber shops etc are about the only safe bet. Very small profit but enough for a Thai to live, particularly if they have no qualifications or education. Pay 3000-6000 baht a month rent. Normally business and accomodation upstairs or at the back. Eat the leftovers from the restaurant and a few thousand baht grog / lottery money. I pity these poor farang pump a million baht or so into these ridiculous coffee shops

 

Youll probably find shell be busy first 2 to 3 months then it will trail off again. Then for no reason a spurt. No rhyme or reason to anything...like you could never nominate your "busy" day. This week it might be Saturday. Next Saturday dead and Monday busy. Then theres all the holidays and interuptions (Vote, Songkrahn, buddha days etc). I feel very sorry for the poor Thais who exist hand to mouth

 

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Agree with the erratic  nature in trade. My wife runs a restaurant which overall makes a small profit over and above paying staff. But that is on owned property so no rent or lease costs. 

Have observed  many others that start and fail.

Some times I wonder if it is because  even  in rural situations  now the 7's and  Tesco's are proliferating.

[Kenny202]

43 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

1. Taxes I guess.

2. Thailand had a GDP of 15.450 trillion baht (US$455 billion), the 8th largest economy of Asia.

I don't know if 8th largest in Asia is meant to be good or not. I'm guessing not really. 

Does anyone have a ranking? Would be interesting to see

[Kenny202]

35 minutes ago, Jeffrey346 said:

I have lived in KK for 11 years. There are lots of Thai'a with lots of money here. 

I have never seen so many new Mercs and BMW's here. They are everywhere.

What you don't see are all the huge factories that are 10-20K out of the city limits. They employ 1000's of people and the Top guys are making huge money.

There is one factory with guards and no name anywhere that manufactures the Louis Vuitton bags. 

Big money here in KK

I agree with you there is some obscene money here. I just don't see anyone spending it. It's certainly in a very small minority though. As you say factories out towards Chumpae etc employ 1000s of people and top guys making big money. But that means a few making huge bucks and 1000's not

[Kenny202]

21 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Agree with the erratic  nature in trade. My wife runs a restaurant which overall makes a small profit over and above paying staff. But that is on owned property so no rent or lease costs. 

Have observed  many others that start and fail.

Some times I wonder if it is because  even  in rural situations  now the 7's and  Tesco's are proliferating.

7 11s and Tesco about the only businesses I see here I would like to own. It must be tough for the mom and pop shops. 

[Kenny202]

43 minutes ago, Time Traveller said:

Are you a socialist millenial ?

 

Seriously, use some commonsense. Taxes paid by the private industry and consumers go into general revenue for the govt to use. Just because a few retail businesses in one city are not making money is no indication of the overall health of the economy. 

Remember, taxes come in many forms such as income tax, sales tax, excise duties, import taxes as well as business licensing registration fees, fuel tax and so on. 

I'm not suggesting it is like that everywhere. Only asking the question. I just don't get it? CIty where I am there is no doubt in my mind business is depressed. I was in Bangkok last week and while it was Central Bangkok, apart from the big malls etc I didn't see anyone looked like they were killing the pig. All the sellers in MBK where complaining. Went to several restaurants with my son and twice I said maybe this place wont be any good as there were no customers. On both occasions food was excellent but most restaurants we ate in were deserted.  

[saminoz]

17 hours ago, whiteman said:

and do not forget the haircut shops

...still not enough massage parlours though!

Edited April 9, 2019 by saminoz

[Quack]

North East Thailand basically survives on remittances from Bangkok, I thought that was obvious...

[willi2006]

15 minutes ago, Quack said:

North East Thailand basically survives on remittances from Bangkok, I thought that was obvious...

Any reliable source for that?
Quite a while ago I read it's the opposite.

Edited April 9, 2019 by willi2006
Added quote.

[Kenny202]

Any reliable source for that?
Quite a while ago I read it's the opposite.

Like every country. The rural people think they are supporting the city people and vice versa. At the wages these country people work for and the pittance farmers are paid for their crops you would have to sympathise. I doubt Thailand would be in the position its in if not for the cheap labour

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[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, Kenny202 said:

I don't know if 8th largest in Asia is meant to be good or not. I'm guessing not really. 

Does anyone have a ranking? Would be interesting to see

Seeing as there's some fifty countries in Asia I would say it ain't bad.

[dabhand]

1 hour ago, Kenny202 said:

I don't know if 8th largest in Asia is meant to be good or not. I'm guessing not really. 

Does anyone have a ranking? Would be interesting to see

Here's the listing.

http://statisticstimes.com/economy/asian-countries-by-gdp.php

 

[Tropposurfer]

18 hours ago, fruitman said:

We just had 2 aircons cleaned...1000 baht for 20 min work.....

 

Yesterday we ate japanese, nothing special but 1100 baht.

 

And nope, i 'll never go to Isan because i can't stand it when everything is low quality or goes wrong.

OMG ! That's sooooooo expensive NOT!

Cost you $150 or more to clean ONE home air conditioner in any Australian city ! 

You really are doing it tough. Cheapish mid range Japanese food in Australia cost $40 for a single person (me the other night in Cairns) go eat Japanese in Sydney and it will cost you $50 or $60 (without alcohol) or more for one person and not a huge meal.

As for Isaan I gotta agree with the remoteness of the place, yes quality service and stuff isn't as easy to access as other places down south, too far from the ocean for me too.

[Caine]

Thai economy appears to be strong because the whole country is built on bullshit and borrowing. When this junta is finally kicked out  with their pockets bulging the truth will finally appear. Don’t bank on your 800,000 baht accounts surviving.

[transam]

18 hours ago, fruitman said:

We just had 2 aircons cleaned...1000 baht for 20 min work.....

 

Yesterday we ate japanese, nothing special but 1100 baht.

 

And nope, i 'll never go to Isan because i can't stand it when everything is low quality or goes wrong.

20 minutes to clean two A/C's.....Don't fink so....Unless you hired the wrong cleaners....????

Your last para is nonsense, stuff goes wrong wherever you live, together with you get what you pay for..

[fruitman]

3 minutes ago, transam said:

20 minutes to clean two A/C's.....Don't fink so....Unless you hired the wrong cleaners....????

Your last para is nonsense, stuff goes wrong wherever you live, together with you get what you pay for..

They pressure washed the indoor and outside units thoroughly, why can't that be done in 20 minutes by 2 trained guys?

[transam]

5 minutes ago, fruitman said:

They pressure washed the indoor and outside units thoroughly, why can't that be done in 20 minutes by 2 trained guys?

Well the two guys that come to do the A/C clean and pressure test on my only A/C unit takes about an hour.....But they do strip the whole thing down for their 500bht...????

[Caine]

17 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

yes where you live, but in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and here in Hua Hin things are booming. And all down the coast to PKK and beyond.

 

Some people living up north think things are bad. they are not. I felt that way too visiting all over the north.   

 

going forward the biggest challenge facing expats in Thailand is the poor exchange rate, with maybe the exception of the US Dollar.   

 

anyone who thinks the strong baht is temporary or some sort of 1997 style crash or a huge correction is coming is fooling themselves. 

 

Pattaya booming my arse, have you been here of late ? absolutely desperate. 2 good weeks before Christmas, Christmas and New Year visibly well down on previous years. 2 week into February dwindling away, I’m in a 100 room resort and for last month I have been practically the only person by the pool. So by my calculations they’ve had 8 weeks of reasonable trade and it’s getting worse some boom.

[Kenny202]

Here's the listing.
http://statisticstimes.com/economy/asian-countries-by-gdp.php
 

I didnt realise the Arab states would be included in Asia

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[Kenny202]

Pattaya booming my arse, have you been here of late ? absolutely desperate. 2 good weeks before Christmas, Christmas and New Year visibly well down on previous years. 2 week into February dwindling away, I’m in a 100 room resort and for last month I have been practically the only person by the pool. So by my calculations they’ve had 8 weeks of reasonable trade and it’s getting worse some boom.

I found Bangkok the same a few weeks ago. Bars were chock a block with girls, never seen so many freelancers on the street. Didnt see too many punters. In any case Im really musing about the general economy where I am. Sounds like tourist areas struggling too

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[ThaiBunny]

4 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

I didnt realise the Arab states would be included in Asia

Traditionally Constantinople/Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus and the two parts of the city are known as the "European" side and the "Asian" side. Logically therefore everything south and west (or east, depending on your perspective) that isn't Africa is Asia

Edited April 9, 2019 by ThaiBunny

[Just Weird]

22 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

Where does all the money come from to pay the govt workers?

It comes from the trillions of baht that is collected from taxpayers, regardless of your assertion that "no one in small to medium businesses appear to pay tax".

 

Edit:  Transam, the Revenue Department's annual reports, in English, would help overcome your confusion.

Edited April 9, 2019 by Just Weird

[allanos]

2 hours ago, dabhand said:

Here's the listing.

http://statisticstimes.com/economy/asian-countries-by-gdp.php

 

Not the only factor, but the size of a country's population has a lot to do with  overall GDP rank, hence why China is in number 1 position, India number 3.

 

A better relative indicator as to how well-off or poor the people of a country are is to look at GDP per capita, which gives an altogether different perspective, and is why, for example, a sparsely populated, but resource-rich country like Qatar is streets ahead of most Asian countries (not all).

 

On this relative basis, Thailand is number 21, China is number 24.

[seancbk]

18 hours ago, wgdanson said:

I am just about to have mine done. What is 'doing it properly' please?

 

A two man team (sometimes 3), they typically take about 20 mins or so to do a proper job.  I pay 600 THB to have one unit cleaned.    It should be noted this is *just* cleaning, it is not repair or diagnostics so if your AC is actually not working properly because of a fault or needing to be re-gassed cleaning won't do much. 

 

[swissbie]

6 hours ago, Time Traveller said:

Are you a socialist millenial ?

 

Seriously, use some commonsense. Taxes paid by the private industry and consumers go into general revenue for the govt to use. Just because a few retail businesses in one city are not making money is no indication of the overall health of the economy. 

Remember, taxes come in many forms such as income tax, sales tax, excise duties, import taxes as well as business licensing registration fees, fuel tax and so on. 

You forgot to mention the most important one: sin tax..