Phuket to make foreigners pay for COVID test, Thais get it for free

[BenBen23]

On 5/3/2021 at 3:54 AM, DrDave said:

Correct - students need only provide uniforms, and a very modest tuition for the last 3 years. I don't recall paying more than a few hundred baht per term when our daughter attended M4, and prior to that the only expense was her uniform.

 

As to pension systems, all Western countries do not have universal participation. The US for example does not have a system that applies to everyone. Social Security payments, for the most part, are available only to those who paid the corresponding tax to fund the system during their employment, as well as their surviving spouses. Currently, the employee the employee and employer pay an equal share of this 12.4% tax. Medical coverage (Medicare) however, is universal for all over age 65 regardless of whether they paid the corresponding employment tax.  Private pensions are generally a thing of the past, except for select groups such as government employees and school teachers. Most private employers began phasing out their pension plans in favor of primarily employee-funded 401(k) plans starting in the late 70s.

The U.S. social security system is not optional. All people who work are required to pay into it wither they like it or not. And incidentally if someone is unable to work because of a developmental handicap, crippling injury or otherwise, who pays for their life? The Social Security administration. 
 

[BenBen23]

On 5/3/2021 at 7:57 AM, Fairynuff said:

And I’m just saying I’m not, but you are. Thailand is no longer a poor country, there are however poor people, as with any country.

Thailand GDP per capita was $7,800 before COVID, in 2019. In England it was $42,378. In USA $65,297. In Australia $55,000. So again, you are wrong.

What do you think of that new 300 baht tax on tourists entering the land of smiles? 

[BenBen23]

On 5/3/2021 at 7:04 AM, BritManToo said:

They definitely allowed Thaksin and Yingluck to live there.

They even sold them a football club.

If they were still there, they'd get free vaccinations along with any other Thais in the country.

So no... they don't. Notwithstanding the two politicians they allowed in. 

[BenBen23]

On 5/3/2021 at 7:02 AM, BritManToo said:

80% of Thai citizens have never paid any income tax (figures available from Thai income tax website).

We all pay VAT on everything we buy.

 

If any government wants to do something 'for the public good', then it should also pay for it.

Well I'll admit to a certain prejudice. I want nothing from government. The European sense of entitlement and love for the nanny state sickens me. The spread of this mental illness in my own country alarms me. But hearing rich foreigners' living in a poor country complain about having to pay 15$ for a covid test just makes me laugh. 

BTW less than half of Americans pay income taxes and incidentally its the half that wants more and more free money from government. 

[BritManToo]

Just now, BenBen23 said:

But hearing rich foreigners' living in a poor country complain about having to pay 15$ for a covid test just makes me laugh. 

I'm not prepared to pay anything for something I don't need or want.

[kynikoi]

I travel extensively in the south or at least used to. I've never been outside the bus terminal in Phuket on my way through the province. 30 years in Asia.

 

It literally repulses me.

[DrDave]

40 minutes ago, BenBen23 said:

The U.S. social security system is not optional. All people who work are required to pay into it wither they like it or not. And incidentally if someone is unable to work because of a developmental handicap, crippling injury or otherwise, who pays for their life? The Social Security administration. 
 

Agreed. My point however, was that people who never paid into the system are generally not eligible for benefits (except for surviving spouses). Unlike Medicare, Social Security is not universal, meaning not everyone is eligible for benefits. There's a significant population that while employed, worked off-payroll, and thus didn't pay into the system. These people along with those that were never employed are ineligible.

[Fairynuff]

5 hours ago, BenBen23 said:

again, you are wrong.

No I’m not.

[BritManToo]

12 hours ago, BenBen23 said:

Thailand GDP per capita was $7,800 before COVID, in 2019. In England it was $42,378. In USA $65,297. In Australia $55,000. So again, you are wrong.

What do you think of that new 300 baht tax on tourists entering the land of smiles? 

Off topic ..........

GDP doesn't really mean much as the rich push up the averages way beyond the earning power of most people.

In England I hardly knew anyone getting near the GDP number, most people working retail jobs were getting more like 15,000 pounds/year and that hasn't gone up in the last 15 years, in fact there were so many EU immigrants coming in from the poorer EU countries the pressure on wages was pulling down. In Thailand 100,000Bht/year is the general retail wage.

No idea about USA/Australia, but I'd doubt a checkout girl/shelf stacker was pulling down $55,000+ a year.

Edited May 10, 2021 by BritManToo