Guest Posted September 2, 2003 Report Share Posted September 2, 2003 >>>Stay positive and it could work out for you but do have a back up plan if it does not.<<< lots of 'em. thing is that i have never cared so much about the money, just about the profession. in my line it is all over the world very difficult to make decent money, but that's OK - i love my work. and i am selfemployed - so no one to blame for than me. and the downturn did not come as a surprise, i expected that since a few years. and i have not chosen to do that because of monetary reasons - i did it because that was the only thing i liked to do apart from being a bum. >>>For those that say Thailand cannot survive without nightlife as it was and their money they spend, are definetly not economist of great measure.<<< definately. it has become much more in the face during the last years. even though - it will not disappear as long as the situation upcountry stays as it is. it will just be back into more covered and less obvious. >>>Record exports and vehicle purchases highest ever in Thailand had not much to do with the nightlife this year.<<< i have no idea about economy, but these carsales scare me - most of them are on credit, and i do see certain signs of a new bubble economy coming up again as far as i can understand that subjectmatter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 2, 2003 Report Share Posted September 2, 2003 IMF closed office and I think last week I had read that the personal loan sector was at 34% of all loans and they was thinking it was a bit higher than they liked. Definetly they have a very prolonged crack down that continues and if it is only a face to put on because of APEC we will see. Some of the other post in the General section from people working in the tourist section are saying their tourist bookings for the holiday season look as strong as before the crack down so I guess a boycott is not in sight. I know I seen my share of people from India during the SARS epidemic this year. Also heard alot of people from Britain/England was in town for the summer due to good exchange rates. I have not seen a for sure % rate of what part of toursit is of the GDP but would be interested in what asia has compared to the west. I wonder how many new bars have been opened for the asian market. Has anyone noticed a change on the type of tourist from the west. Is it still the renowend drunks and derilects for the most with a few temple seekers and families thrown in. Maybe it is just all a plot to pick up cheap condo's and property from some of these 90 day visa runners and low income employees that will be driven out. Just remember no matter how harsh it may seem the first thing to go when their gone is the gold then the property will be mortgaged. One thing noticeable is the ones saying the crack down will not last long they cannot survive without us has weakend other than the few calling it from the end of the bar sitting with rose colored glasses on ( who unbeneath him knowing is having inventory done on what he has in his place so they can insure they get everything of worth before they run him off also). At the end of the high season when the toursit numbers look good Takisan can say see we can get as much from them not putting up with them for the whole year. The only problem they are having is playing the nice guy game and not just running the people off but using the slow play of squeezing them out, maybe they just want to insure they get every last satang before they make em leave. Be careful if you are getting these village folk use to western style crappers and showers, not much else you are good for because they already have us on a monthly family membership payroll income with their daughter. Maybe this could be part of the problem they used to get better paying allotments and when they got lowered to a certain level the village folk have to put their minds together and choose to restock the income sources before they get to low, kind of the same thing you have been hearing about doing in todays stock market diversify diversify diversify. I only wonder if some of these village folk that we give no credit for brains are not waiting for us to make our couple visits a year. They probably do not even stay where they show us, it is just a few places the village chief sets up to show us how poor they are and how much they need from us. Throw a couple whiskey bottles around and things and we peg them as brainless. I visted the ex's family this last time as it had been a few years now and I'll bet you they seen the volvo on the other side of town or someone did. They did kind of wonder in one at a time. Of course this time I was with a nice looking young T-loc just to show them I was not in the need of to much. Then I broke out the cooler and drinks which they have never seen me drink before. The customairy change of look at the old photos and how much they think the ex was not good and they sure could use some money though, and guess what the younger daughter is on offer. Well who knows I may just need another miserable cunt to destroy me again and owe them some headache anyways so we will see how this crack down goes and I may just plan a little retribution of my own. Maybe this needs moved to the stories section but one thing I do know is most of us cannot see past our few inches of pecker and what ever is in store I am not playing. I made a decison years ago I would not give up my miserable life at work and plunge into no mans land as I have enough of that at work. The only thing for sure is stay mobile and agile what happens will not be part of our decision we done our deciding years ago. And for the guy in Surin who I played golf with (the only piece of shit course in 5 counties around the place) who was telling me how cheap it is to live there. You are not living cheap she is living good. Best of luck to you all don't forget to use the for sale section before you leave I may be buying. (do not take this to serious they love us all). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmine Posted September 2, 2003 Report Share Posted September 2, 2003 [color:"red"]I did ask a thai laywer about this but he didnt know if it had gone up or not ! but he did say that 40 000 was what it was previously . [/color] I am a little confused here. Does it apply to non-Thais who teach in school? The reason asked is because I know that the teachers average around 20,000 Baht, or does it have criteria such as full time employees who work 40hrs/week fall under the new rule? So if teachers work for 25 hours,they don't fall under the new rule? :: Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickfarang Posted September 2, 2003 Report Share Posted September 2, 2003 "Perhaps a safe bet now might be to use a travel agent who "guarantee" return same day tour bus trips rather than going alone? Wouldn't fancy being on my own and told I couldn't come back at Poipet or at least get prior notice before trying." I think a lot of English teachers in Bangkok schools make more than this, but upcounry, 20,000 baht is near the top (as far as I know). The net result will be a disporportionate drop in the number of native English speaing English teachers in that part fo the country. I probably doesn't matter much for most, though, because the English test on school exams don't require speaking skills. wcv56' post (two posts up) is an epic work. Keep 'em coming! RickF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Yeah, but he could split his next one up into paragraphs or sections, so it's easier on the eyes. As to the minimum wages, Iwould say, welcome to the real world out there. There's a lot of bickering about working in Thailand legally, but the bottom line is its still much more difficult to get permits in the west. In general its the Thai's way of trying to get foreing workers in positions not easily filled by Thais. The problems arising for foreign teachers however does worry me for the development. Thailand needs a lot of quality foreign teachers, but most school are unable to pay salaries of 50K or more. Not sure if exception to this minimum income rule will apply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Looks simple to me. For a few thousand baht you could get a work permit . If you took the old 40,000 baht and pay the tax on it you could get the work permit even if it is your own money you are working for or paying the tax with. It is the tax is what they are after not really how much you make. I do not think this has teachers in mind for the most. If you take away the mutiple 90 day visa a work permit will be the only way unless you do it legally to stay long term in Thailand. How many people do you think will be trying to buy these work permits just as a way to stay long term. Is the tax rate 15% for foreign workers, that would be 6000 baht a month on the new scale for a brit, you could pay a place to put you as a manager because they serve burgers (western food and drink).. You drop off your 6G a month and they carry you as a employee. Why else would they have a different pay scale for nationality for the same work as a westerner. 90 day visas go away and you will not believe how many alternatives there will be to skirt the law. Many of them being used now. Soon there will be exemptions for teachers they did not mean to upset these people but then again is there several teachers on the payroll that may only spend a couple hours a month just to get the work permit. I would look at this a part of the 90 day visa law. How many Indian tailors getting 5000 Baht a month and what ever these other nationalities specialize in. The income rate is being set to what each country would consider to expensive to exploit for someone needing to skirt the law. Does this sound possible. Since the rates listed are more favorable to poor countries who use the same resources as a western why should their wage be any cheaper for a work permit. Do you think they looked at what each nationality and at the main stream of type of work they are employed in. As mentioned a english teacher up country does not get the same as bkk. Well for sure WTO was considered otherwise every swinging dick would be expected to make the same minimum tax payment based on they shit and shower and use the same amount of resources as anyone else. It really looks like they used bar fines and tipping to set this up with. Hell some of the people I have been running into in Thailand could probably go home and threaten a relative that you may need to move in with them unless they can get a deposit to put into a thai bank. looking at some of these people the whole country will probably put up the money needed to keep them out of their own country. I will have to ask the embassy next time do to they a list of people they pay or will pay to stay in thailand and not return home. I could be on the list if they know about that half wit I married last time ( I did register it at the embassy, shit). I am tired and will let this one go for a while now. Just my 2 satang worth-less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Hi, I think you are forgetting that there are some more requirements involved with getting a workpermit. The company needs a certain amount of capital per workpermit, as well as a certain amount of Thai staff (I believe 4 per workpermit). Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 KhunSanuk I thought of it and most bars, resturants have at least 4 girls working. I think it was more like 7 for a second foreign work visa needed but several businesses that would most likely help a person out for cost plus 10G baht a year. I hope no ones takes me to serious. I am just playing devils advocate and having people look at both sides of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 4, 2003 Report Share Posted September 4, 2003 As KS said its not that simple. Not only minimum capital / Thai personel requirements, but also fitting job discriptions and the right qualifications. By the way the tax rate is progressive with the first 100K or so at zero rate. 50K probably reached the 15 percent bracket for a small part of that. Note that the indian tailors are Thai nationals. no Work permit issue there. Perhaps it'll take while but Thailand will eventually go the way of most western countries. That is short term visa's are given but no longer 2 in a row without a break. Visa runs eventually won't do the job. You'll have to be out of the country for 90 days before you can enter again for another few months. Trust me this is going to happen. Sure you can opt to stay on illegally. Woudn't want to be in anyone's shoes when arrested for that. Go and have a look once at the immigration detention centre in Suan Plu. Thai prisons seems like paradise afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 4, 2003 Report Share Posted September 4, 2003 One of the reason I have not bought a place or decide to start setting up house yet is you never know what laws will change but if it is something that can put money in the government pockets without it coming directly from the citizens pocket, thailand will do it. It is all money that drives the place. At least some of the new laws will cut down on the kick backs. The place is really saturated with people that have no business of trying to live in a foreign country. I know my views are not the same as everyone or even most but making decisions with all the glitter and glamour of the place alway has and will result in several failures and doom to those that do not plan for the future properly. I do believe the present government is looking more to the long term than the present well being of their country. This hype of they cannot do with out us westerners is not what they are trying to do. They are being more selective and what they lose short term from the restriction they will more than double with the new economics of the asian region. Thailand is attractive to very prosperous asain countries also. I cannot qwite place it if it is because of the influence the west has had on it in the last 20 years or it has what everyone really is looking for (location, weather and the atmosphere of it all). One thing for sure I have enjoyed it a lot in the last 15 years and if I can every see the light at the end of the tunnel from these grueling years of work I will also stay more than a couple months a year. For sure those that use their abilities and brains will survive the latest changes and be prepared for a fun future along with new changes. Enjoy and sanuk to you all it has been an adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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