Khun_Kong Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 zzzz said:... My father-in-law was born on 01/04; he tells people he was born on 02/04. Just wanted to self happy birthday. Spemding it with temporary friends in Pty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 "The minimum tax any foreign invidual would pay would jump to 27%." I understand the minimum tax is only 25% for holders of the Elite Card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USVirgin Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 Gadfly1 said: ...some, but not all, of this is Aprils Fools. The last bit about quality tourists and doubling the GDP sounds totally plausible - not sure about the rest. Nice post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 Oh, "new" poster, you're just annoyed because you believed it the first time through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 Thanks. Now here is the scary part. A few of the things things listed in the post actually have been seriously proposed, at separate times, over the years (OK, the numbers are largely made up as is the part about BGs levying fines), but, alas, I am not clever enough to dream all of this up. :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 I understand the minimum tax is only 25% for holders of the Elite Card. Well, that only seems fair, seeing as how they can't - as was originally promised - buy land if they acquire an Elite Card. Seriously, does anyone here know if anyone was able to get their money back after the government reversed position and declared that Elite Card holders couldn't buy land after all? That was the main - if not the only real benefit - of buying the card: the government said foreign card holders would be allowed to buy land. The government stressed this feature in trying to selling the card. I don't remember the numbers, but I recall that some foreigners actually paid the Thai government the US$20,000+ required to get an Elite Card. And then the Thai government changed its position and said the Elite Card didn't allow foreigners to buy land. I wonder if they were able to get their money back? Actually, I think I already know the answer to that question. Maybe the government first announced the Elite Card program on an Aprils Fool's Day and nobody noticed the timing? In any event, the Elite Card is certainly apropo for an April Fool's Day thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted April 3, 2006 Report Share Posted April 3, 2006 I don't remember the numbers, but I recall that some foreigners actually paid the Thai government the US$20,000+ required to get an Elite Card. And then the Thai government changed its position and said the Elite Card didn't allow foreigners to buy land. I wonder if they were able to get their money back? Obviously there are a few cases where bribery doesn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 3, 2006 Report Share Posted April 3, 2006 Obviously there are a few cases where bribery doesn't work. I am not clear on the bribery angle. I see this as the government announcing one policy, getting money from foreigners, and then changing the policy and then keeping the money. It is not exactly the sort of thing that makes foreign investors feel warm and fuzzy. Well, if things really do go seriously wrong, they can blame George Soros and the IMF again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saucier01 Posted April 3, 2006 Report Share Posted April 3, 2006 new poster on this board but a long time poster on another board. i am not some newbie to the scene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted April 3, 2006 Report Share Posted April 3, 2006 Gadfly1 said: Obviously there are a few cases where bribery doesn't work. I am not clear on the bribery angle. I see this as the government announcing one policy, getting money from foreigners, and then changing the policy and then keeping the money. Buying an Elite Card in order to buy land always looked like a roundabout way of paying a bribe to me. Then, surprise surprise, the Thai government changed the rules and kept the money! (Actually the cards went on sale prior to proposed amendments to the foreign ownership laws). I have no sympathy for the elite suckers who fell for it...but I'd be interested to know if any of them got their money back...or even bothered asking for a refund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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