2 hours ago, mfd101 said:

I wonder how this will affect the value of the baht ...

The thai leaders probably think it means that they should try to increase the value of he baht since there will be fewer buyers and they need to therefore increase the price and value of the baht to make more money - typical thai business thinking.  Just like the foremer RM and current pm trying to get the head of the bank to lower the interest rate but he feels it makes the baht stronger to keep the same interest rate while other govts are lowering theirs.  Just because itis causing business losses due to that interest rate, he doesn't care.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

You put a young woman in charge who has absolutely no experience in politics, and she appoints every single minister based on cronyism without any thought to the whole concept of merit and skill, and what do you end up with? 

 

The super wealthy and the elite deserve this fate richly. 

It didn’t start with the new prime minister, Thailand has always been an economic and morality backward country. Due to the success of its tourist numbers, in my opinion, their politics  will get worse and worse. 
Greed comes to mind , and who cares about Thailands poor , none of them. 

Not surprising at all. We have tried 2 avenues to open a business here. We applied for, and finally were approved for a legit BOI company, which was unbelievably hard and took almost a year to do! However, when we tried to add employees, it was impossible. Long story, but a new hire would leave the country to get a temporary non B, and when they came back, BOI office kept sending the employee addition request back with more and more questions (sometimes the same questions multiple times). This process took months, and the employee would run out of time on the temp Non B.

We abandoned ship with that effort, and went with a traditional business. This was also more work than it was worth. Requiring ridiculous amounts of senseless paperwork, and protocol, that showed us again just how difficult this would be going forward. Again. Not worth it.

The system is archaic, clunky, and the people making decisions have zero clues about various industries that are applying. I have so many "face palm" stories about our dead end journey, it's mind numbing.

Edited September 28, 20241 yr by BadSpottedDog
mistake

When I came to Thailand to work, they asked me what title they should put on my business card.  I told them not to use the words "manager" or "director", lest I get caught up in a FCPA prosecution. (Or tossed in jail when there was an accident, which almost happened to our country GM)

 

I don't know how any US company does business in Thailand without getting caught violating FCPA.  I guess the key there is "getting caught".

 

5 hours ago, Shocked farang said:

500 Baht dates? A real date is priceless! 

They were the best, found outside Family Mart at 4am.

7 hours ago, Purdey said:

Thailand shoots self in the foot regularly. The poor PM left clueless.

I can hear her eyes rolling around in their sockets as I write this. 

8 hours ago, Andycoops said:

What else do you expect with the political chaos, ever changing laws and rules on how to do anything.

 

The left foot never knows what the right foot is doing because they are only focused on their own bubble, oblivious to all that is happening around them.

You are correct sir. My take is that mismanagement of economic policy has been a major handicap, it doesn't seem like they ever have someone competent to do the job. 

10 hours ago, mfd101 said:

I wonder how this will affect the value of the baht ...

 

Possibly will have little effect in the medium term.

 

You only have to see what 'western' politicians are doing to their economies to have doubts about the outcome.

 

Of course there has always been corruption in high places; with characters the likes of Horatio Bottomley.

 

But I would suggest that many of those who in past times went into politics later in life after making their mark in some other sphere, did so with a relative disinterest in the paltry remuneration it then offered.

 

Nowadays, politics is often seen as a life-long, well-paid career opportunity by young people graduating from university where they studied the subject.  The motivations are likely to be somewhat different.

 

7 hours ago, BadSpottedDog said:

Not surprising at all. We have tried 2 avenues to open a business here. We applied for, and finally were approved for a legit BOI company, which was unbelievably hard and took almost a year to do! However, when we tried to add employees, it was impossible. Long story, but a new hire would leave the country to get a temporary non B, and when they came back, BOI office kept sending the employee addition request back with more and more questions (sometimes the same questions multiple times). This process took months, and the employee would run out of time on the temp Non B.

We abandoned ship with that effort, and went with a traditional business. This was also more work than it was worth. Requiring ridiculous amounts of senseless paperwork, and protocol, that showed us again just how difficult this would be going forward. Again. Not worth it.

The system is archaic, clunky, and the people making decisions have zero clues about various industries that are applying. I have so many "face palm" stories about our dead end journey, it's mind numbing.

And with all those obstacles combined with onerous luxury taxes, wine import taxes, major corruption, an over inflated baht, and so many other areas that make it difficult to operate here, one wonders how the Thai economy is even doing moderately well at this point. 

 

There is something fishy going on. 

8 hours ago, BadSpottedDog said:

Not surprising at all. We have tried 2 avenues to open a business here. We applied for, and finally were approved for a legit BOI company, which was unbelievably hard and took almost a year to do! However, when we tried to add employees, it was impossible. Long story, but a new hire would leave the country to get a temporary non B, and when they came back, BOI office kept sending the employee addition request back with more and more questions (sometimes the same questions multiple times). This process took months, and the employee would run out of time on the temp Non B.

We abandoned ship with that effort, and went with a traditional business. This was also more work than it was worth. Requiring ridiculous amounts of senseless paperwork, and protocol, that showed us again just how difficult this would be going forward. Again. Not worth it.

The system is archaic, clunky, and the people making decisions have zero clues about various industries that are applying. I have so many "face palm" stories about our dead end journey, it's mind numbing.

Thank you for bothering to tell us a real life experience to explain the reality.  Stupid, self flattering fools running the place.

Thailand, the land of corruption, cronyism, scams and unrealistic hubs, where powerful business families and local marfia families will exterminate any threat to their profits.

I also wonder where and who do the surveys.I know the visa requirements can change often and the rules around it.Anyone who has a business goes thru many hoops  if they live there.The neighbours see this and make it easier for the farang to do business.You can only really tell by talking to farangs and do they want to stay and run a business.

21 hours ago, Purdey said:

Thailand shoots self in the foot regularly. The poor PM left clueless.

and without a leg to stand on

2 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

where powerful business families and local marfia families

are one and the same thing

On 9/28/2024 at 1:32 PM, spidermike007 said:

You put a young woman in charge who has absolutely no experience in politics, and she appoints every single minister based on cronyism without any thought to the whole concept of merit and skill, and what do you end up with? 

 

A bit like putting a General in charge then?

 

Although I have very grave reservations about the process which led to this present government being installed, and this "young woman" being put in charge, at least it had some modicum of popular input. The preceding General installed himself, announced he was in charge and sat there for 9 years.

 

I am not sure that merit or skills played any part in his ministerial appointments, although there was a fair amount of cronyism knocking around.

Edited October 11, 20241 yr by herfiehandbag