Pita unveils the Move Forward party’s strategic roadmap for 2024

[fondue zoo]

12 hours ago, still kicking said:

The only thing what attracted you is cheap living and cheap women.

 

wait, there's other cheap stuff?

 

 

[Bday Prang]

2 hours ago, mfd101 said:

In the broad I agree, but calling Thailand "the most miserable place on earth" is a ridiculous exaggeration.

 

I live among the poor & illiterate Khmer peasants of Surin but they are infinitely preferable to (pick a country/place) Yemen, Gaza, Congo, anywhere in the Sahel, most of Russia, most of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, most of Iran, Bangladesh, Myanmar ....

I live in an Identical place , probably not that far from you , I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, If I did I would .  I would also add Europe and America to your list of unpreferable  places to live.   There are a few from this village who have ended up being taken abroad due to marrying foreigners,  they return here at every opportunity. some permanently

[Bday Prang]

43 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 The best interests for the Thai population / citizens is the point, not what pleases farangs. 

So all those foreigners desperately calling  for Thailand to change into a copy of their own countries, are doing so for "the benefit of the Thai population"  and not as a result of their inability to accept things as they are here .   Don't make me laugh

It is just like muslims in the uk calling for sharia law

[Bday Prang]

39 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

Reality is that the '$hit load of money off foreigners' is tiny in comparison to the continuous basic / normal tax inflows to the Revenue Department from daily / numerous / various personal / business transactions involving Thai folks.

 

Always amazes me how many farang believe if they didn't exist 90% of essan (and other) families would not survive. Grow up guys. 

 

You have missed the essence of my comment, which was, that few governments are likely  be adverse to any legislation that increases their revenue from taxation, the chance of any future administration rescinding the new tax rules is very  very unlikely.  Regardless of the relatively  "tiny amount" received from foreigners

 

 It also amazes me, that anybody believes  the population of Issan owes its survival to the presence of any foreigners, that is clearly a ridiculous assumption and I have said nothing that indicates I agree with such rubbish,  Isaan and its population existed  before any of us arrived , and would have continued to exist had we never arrived here. Indeed it will also continue to exist if we all disappeared tomorrow,  Although I can't help thinking that my mrs and a few others whose  lives may have been improved by our presence, might lament the inevitable loss of some of the fringe  benefits they have become accustomed to and currently enjoy  if we did vanish overnight.

 

   

[Bday Prang]

8 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Your opinion ok, but explain why all Thais want to have the newest phones, go on holidays,  Thailand, want to go get a space industry and do everything that other countries do too in the 21st century.. The country has to develop for the economy and if they stay living with their laws in the 19th it will be no attractive anymore.. poverty, overcrowded schools with poor education, overcrowded hospitals, no freedom of speech and writings, and corruption for the rich.. Is that what you want? or do you want a country where can be proud of with a good working policeforce to feel safe, where can ventilate your opinion instead of being in jail, a country that has less poverty and better educated people? I am not sure which is better.

The reason why I have left my country is not what you think. It was because I got too old for a job, but my Thai partner did not wanted to leave my country. 

                            Thais, incase you have not noticed, already have the latest mobile phones, even in the relatively impoverished village where I live.  Whether or not they need such sophisticated devices for communicating via  "line" or "playing on facebook" is another matter.

                             I have never heard any Thai rich or poor express any interest in the country developing a "space industry" neither have I ever heard any of them express a willingness to pay the additional tax that would be required for any other form of meaningful development. But I have heard some express an interest in relocating to Laos after they have retired , with a sense of nostalgia for the good old days and the realistic expectation that their civil service pensions will go a lot further

 

                      "poverty, overcrowded schools with poor education, overcrowded hospitals," 

sounds like a perfect description of the country I originate from, I have suffered twice from kidney stones, Once was in the UK,  fortunately the second time was here , and it was an infinitely better experience.

                       I am very proud to live in a country where patriotism and even xenophobia  is not seen as a crime ,or indeed evidence of being an extreme right wing fascist.

I feel very safe here , always have done, and as I don't harbour any strong anti-royalist feelings I can publicly say anything I want, pretty much anywhere  except on this forum

As far as corruption is concerned I am perfectly happy to live somewhere where the benefits of it are also  available to me and not just the super rich elite, as in the uk or other "developed " countries

                        I really can't understand why, as a result of you advancing years and enforced retirement you chose to come and live in a place you obviously don't like neither  do I understand why you dragged your mrs here against her will as by your own words she did not want to leave the "Idyllic" place you were living in

                        

                        

 

[Bday Prang]

2 hours ago, fondue zoo said:

 

wait, there's other cheap stuff?

 

 

like weed and lao khao to name just two

[lordgrinz]

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

So all those foreigners desperately calling  for Thailand to change into a copy of their own countries, are doing so for "the benefit of the Thai population"  and not as a result of their inability to accept things as they are here .   Don't make me laugh

It is just like muslims in the uk calling for sharia law

 

I just want Thailand to enforce its own laws, regulations, rules.....nothing more. However, the laws, regulations, and rules are not far off from what is in the West, the problem is the lack of enforcement. I guess the question is, are we supposed to follow the laws, regulations, rules of the country we entered/adopted, or break them like 90% of Thais who do so? 

[Bday Prang]

11 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

I just want Thailand to enforce its own laws, regulations, rules.....nothing more. However, the laws, regulations, and rules are not far off from what is in the West, the problem is the lack of enforcement. I guess the question is, are we supposed to follow the laws, regulations, rules of the country we entered/adopted, or break them like 90% of Thais who do so? 

personally I consider each on a cases by case basis,  for example I have no issue with nipping to the local shop on my unregistered motorbike without wearing a helmet, which would be unthinkable in the UK.  but i would not consider for a minute the idea of   threatening another driver with a gun or machete in a fit of road rage. 

[ikke1959]

1 hour ago, Bday Prang said:

                            Thais, incase you have not noticed, already have the latest mobile phones, even in the relatively impoverished village where I live.  Whether or not they need such sophisticated devices for communicating via  "line" or "playing on facebook" is another matter.

                             I have never heard any Thai rich or poor express any interest in the country developing a "space industry" neither have I ever heard any of them express a willingness to pay the additional tax that would be required for any other form of meaningful development. But I have heard some express an interest in relocating to Laos after they have retired , with a sense of nostalgia for the good old days and the realistic expectation that their civil service pensions will go a lot further

 

                      "poverty, overcrowded schools with poor education, overcrowded hospitals," 

sounds like a perfect description of the country I originate from, I have suffered twice from kidney stones, Once was in the UK,  fortunately the second time was here , and it was an infinitely better experience.

                       I am very proud to live in a country where patriotism and even xenophobia  is not seen as a crime ,or indeed evidence of being an extreme right wing fascist.

I feel very safe here , always have done, and as I don't harbour any strong anti-royalist feelings I can publicly say anything I want, pretty much anywhere  except on this forum

As far as corruption is concerned I am perfectly happy to live somewhere where the benefits of it are also  available to me and not just the super rich elite, as in the uk or other "developed " countries

                        I really can't understand why, as a result of you advancing years and enforced retirement you chose to come and live in a place you obviously don't like neither  do I understand why you dragged your mrs here against her will as by your own words she did not want to leave the "Idyllic" place you were living in

                        

                        

 

It is obvious that you were not happy in your country and left it too.... Besides that you probably like to live with ideas of the Queen Victoria age instead of moving forward.. We are living here very happily and enjoy our lives, but we have worked hard in our country where we come from and  nothing I have said was that I don't like it here. It is only for the Thai people that country needs to go forward or it will stay a 3rd world country for ever...And you can see it already that standing still and no investments are not attractive to many tourists anymore from the Western countries. Most tourist are Aseans  The economy slowed down already in 2023 and if there is no improvement it will go further backwarths..But according to you it better not to improve and stand still because you like the country as it is now.  

[Bday Prang]

8 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

It is obvious that you were not happy in your country and left it too.... Besides that you probably like to live with ideas of the Queen Victoria age instead of moving forward.. We are living here very happily and enjoy our lives, but we have worked hard in our country where we come from and  nothing I have said was that I don't like it here. It is only for the Thai people that country needs to go forward or it will stay a 3rd world country for ever...And you can see it already that standing still and no investments are not attractive to many tourists anymore from the Western countries. Most tourist are Aseans  The economy slowed down already in 2023 and if there is no improvement it will go further backwarths..But according to you it better not to improve and stand still because you like the country as it is now.  

                I come from the UK so of course I was not happy living there.    I'll ignore your comment about the " Queen Victoria age" as I know little about those times, how old do you actually  think I am 

              Yes I quite like things as they are  but if the truth be known I much preferred how things were here 30 years ago.  Those who never experienced the early 90's here will never understand what I am talking about

                Most of what I wish for and the majority of decisions I make have one purpose and one purpose only, that being to improve things for me and my immediate friends and family, I stopped worrying about others a long time ago.  Feel free to call me selfish, I really couldn't care less,   

                 There are several threads running on here at the moment with literally thousands of comments regarding the current new tax regulations, pretty much every post is from somebody whinging about it or discussing ways to avoid paying their share of tax here, are those people more, or less selfish, than me ?

[zhounan]

A program in line with the cosmopolitan liberal-progressist lifestyle leftist middle class around the world.

These privileged people despise the masses and live in a parallel reality.

[kickstart]

On 1/26/2024 at 8:12 PM, snoop1130 said:

Improvements to conditions in rural areas, which include cuts in farm production costs, increased use of machinery in production processes, farmer’s debt, improvements to water resources and the upgrading of Sor Por Kor land reform certificates into title deeds.

Having been involved with Thai farming for a lot of years, and as Thailand is still a agriculture based economy, the cuts in farm production costs not easy farmers are still reliant on buying seed ,fertilizer ect on credit and paying it back when they sell they crops ,with interest of course which goes hand in hand with debt ,mainly with the BAAC the farmers bank ,government  owned, they say that with compound interest it will take 40 years plus for all the agriculture debt to be paid off.

Increased use of machinery that is happening now, but it would help if import tax was reduced of imported machinery, new and second hand that would help development.

Water resources, with climate change and bad management, that will take some doing, land reform, the way Thai bureaucracy works that will not happen very quickly.

That should keep his in-tray full for a while.  

[ikke1959]

5 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

                I come from the UK so of course I was not happy living there.    I'll ignore your comment about the " Queen Victoria age" as I know little about those times, how old do you actually  think I am 

              Yes I quite like things as they are  but if the truth be known I much preferred how things were here 30 years ago.  Those who never experienced the early 90's here will never understand what I am talking about

                Most of what I wish for and the majority of decisions I make have one purpose and one purpose only, that being to improve things for me and my immediate friends and family, I stopped worrying about others a long time ago.  Feel free to call me selfish, I really couldn't care less,   

                 There are several threads running on here at the moment with literally thousands of comments regarding the current new tax regulations, pretty much every post is from somebody whinging about it or discussing ways to avoid paying their share of tax here, are those people more, or less selfish, than me ?

I never call you sellish. In THailand it is the best thing to do to stay by yourself. Indeed.. But we have to be aware too that nowadays people can't live anymore of 3000 THB income for the elderly or with 10.000 THB a month... Thayt is what I mean to say. Freedom of speech, more income for the people, less debts and less corruption are improving the country.. And tax we all have to pay I have to pay too here in Thailand or in my home country, but I don't care if the money is being used properly and in my home country the most goes to the African refugees and from other countries an dthe own people they don't care. No I am not a racist, but the emigration is a big burden for the whole EU. And the 90's are gone and the world has changed Not for the better as I am old enough to know. 

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

I never call you sellish. In THailand it is the best thing to do to stay by yourself. Indeed.. But we have to be aware too that nowadays people can't live anymore of 3000 THB income for the elderly or with 10.000 THB a month... Thayt is what I mean to say. Freedom of speech, more income for the people, less debts and less corruption are improving the country.. And tax we all have to pay I have to pay too here in Thailand or in my home country, but I don't care if the money is being used properly and in my home country the most goes to the African refugees and from other countries an dthe own people they don't care. No I am not a racist, but the emigration is a big burden for the whole EU. And the 90's are gone and the world has changed Not for the better as I am old enough to know. 

             I agree with most of what you have written, of course I have no issues with the Thai population enjoying a better standard of living but is following the ways of the west,  which is what most people mean when they talk about Thailand moving into the 21st century, really the way to achieve that aim?  The UK like most of Europe is really in a bit of a mess, burdened with uncontrolled mass illegal immigration, unable, or unwilling, to provide a decent state pension for its elderly, Hospital waiting lists measured in years rather than weeks, Schools and universities more interested in filling the minds of children and young people with left wing rubbish rather than basic reading writing and arithmetic. And just to make matters worse it is now almost a crime to be patriotic and proud of ones own country, to the extent that it is considered racist

            I actually don't think Thailand compares badly at all ,  the people are generally happier in their lives that most that I know back home and one thing they have , that I am really envious of is a pride and love, for their country which they are relatively free to express, that alone is worth more than money can buy

           I don't think Pita is the saviour that many seem to think he is , rather he is out of the same mould as Macron, Merkel , Trudeau, and all the other liberal progressives he will be aligning himself with the WEF and other such organisations soon enough,  the irony of another billionaire alleging to care about the masses is a bit much for me.

           Thailand may indeed need to move forward , but it needs to find its own way ,and be aware of the outright failure that has been allowed to happen in  the western world.

           The only thing we can be sure of is that we will both be dead and buried before any significant improvement happens here.

[rickudon]

On 1/27/2024 at 1:19 PM, Bday Prang said:

It also amazes me, that anybody believes  the population of Issan owes its survival to the presence of any foreigners, that is clearly a ridiculous assumption and I have said nothing that indicates I agree with such rubbish,  Isaan and its population existed  before any of us arrived , and would have continued to exist had we never arrived here. Indeed it will also continue to exist if we all disappeared tomorrow,  Although I can't help thinking that my mrs and a few others whose  lives may have been improved by our presence, might lament the inevitable loss of some of the fringe  benefits they have become accustomed to and currently enjoy  if we did vanish overnight.

Of course Isaan would survive without the presence of Foreigners. But do not underestimate their impact. A couple of years ago I did a quick analysis of the GDP of Udon Thani province, and the foreigners resident here accounted for about 3-5% of GDP. A similar amount is quite possibly spent/remitted by Thai wives who live overseas.

 

The changes i have seen here in 15 years are massive. Half the houses in our village have been modernised/replaced, car ownership about 3 times higher, roads all upgraded, A lot less litter. Less has changed further away from the big towns, but poverty is not usually visible.