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From Pattaya Mail Income tax fears replace insurance worries in latest Pattaya expat poll By Barry Knyon The new top concern of Pattaya expats, almost 60 percent, is the recent announcement of the Thai internal revenue service to tax all income brought into Thailand by both Thai nationals and farang residing here over 180 days in a calendar year. According to a straw poll of 150 expats (UK, US, EU, Australia), conducted in Jomtien soi five from 26-28 September, the subject has displaced visa and insurance concerns from their traditional first place in past polls. “Touch my pension and I’m out of here, was the response of many expats. Some, mostly retirees, said they were reviewing their options such as moving to Cambodia or the Philippines where tax laws are believed to be softer or ignored for foreign residents. However, about a quarter of the respondents had never heard of the proposal or thought it did not apply to them. Five respondents thought it only referred to currency speculators, holders of off-shore accounts in Hong Kong or elsewhere or rich investors in overseas businesses. Pattaya Mail contacted a Thai tax lawyer for his personal perspective. Here is his reply, “Thai revenue is simply updating an old law by saying that tax must be paid, from next year, on foreign income even if the incoming money’s arrival is delayed into a future tax year. But there is no intention to tax again income that has already been taxed abroad. For example, the pensions of most foreign retirees are taxed initially in their home country and there are, in any case, double taxation treaties with 61 countries. The issue is whether all resident expats will need to register with Thai revenue to obtain a tax identification number (TIN) to explain their individual circumstances. Nobody can answer detailed questions until the revenue issues more guidelines for the non-business community.” Second subject choice for most respondents was concern that more long term visas would soon require compulsory hospital insurance. The prime worry was amongst the holders of non “O” retirement extensions or the annual extension granted to foreigners with a Thai spouse. There have been no official announcements, but remarks earlier in the year by a deputy national police chief, Surachate Hakparn, seem to be the main source of worry. Several respondents said they had now moved to Elite visas which guarantee multiple-entry to Thailand for 5-20 years depending on the initial cash sum paid, starting with 900,000 baht. The whole subject is controversial in Thai government circles as the evidence shows that most non-payment of hospital bills by foreigners arises from motorbike accidents involving short-term tourists under 40. Other subjects of worry raised in the field study included the future of night life in the city which some see as short-term as the Pattaya tourist profile changes to Asia and away from Europe and the future of ganja leisure smoking in view of recent government announcements to restrict use to medical treatment. Brits are understandably upset by their “frozen” old age pensions here, although respondents seem resigned to the inevitability of discrimination. Four respondents primarily raised the issue of inflation in supermarket products, whilst three referred to traffic jams which they blamed on city hall or too many music festivals. A sole Australian expat said she was really worried about an influx of Americans if Donald Trump won the general election next year.

From Pattaya Mail Heiner Moessing from Siam Properties was the guest speaker at the September 27 meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC). His topic was The Joys and Perils of Property in Thailand. Heiner has been in real estate nearly all his life. After graduating at Free University Berlin (MBA) he worked for a in their private customer division where he concentrated on property matters. Heiner noted that the property market in Pattaya is quite different not only from most western countries, but also from other areas of Thailand. This is due to it being a major tourist destination as well as the choice of many retirees for their home in Thailand. One difference he pointed out was that in Pattaya, one can list properties with many agents at the same time, there is no “exclusive listing” by a single real estate agency. Also, in choosing an agent, one needs to find one that actually “listens to you” on the type of property you are seeking, whether to buy or rent, as some agents are known to ignore your wishes and show you properties that are completely different from what you are looking for. He then proceeded to explain the advantages and disadvantages of condos units as well as houses. The types of ownership structures necessitated by Thai laws that generally prohibit foreigners from owning land and allowing ownership of up to 49% of units in condominiums. This was followed with pictures of properties as he pointed out areas one needs to consider when buying or building such as ceiling height and type, ventilation, and arrangement. Heiner concluded with things to consider if you want to purchase property as an investment. For example, he said it would be better to invest say 10 million baht in several small condo units versus one single unit or house. He mentioned current market conditions noting that older condo units will often be larger and less expensive than newer units which tend to be the opposite. However, the newer condominium developments will most likely have more amenities in the common areas than older developments.

I would agree with you about Prime. But Prime is unique because it has a long-established reputation for what you refer to as an exclusively "legit" shop. But for the other shops in the area, the reason they don't require minimum tips is that none want to be the first in fear of losing business to competitors. So it boils down to favor status quo.

Heartened to hear that you don't use Google. Guess what thew me off was that you cited it as the rationale for determining the customary tip. Tbh, I don't think getting a foot massage in the Thai business class lounge quite equates with the service massage shops provide.

It's a misnomer to refer to Thailand as a country where tipping is not expected in the area of massage. Less than 95 percent of the massage industry in Thailand is aimed at or available to farangs. The remaining five percent is an outgrowth of the Vietnam War period when the population was quick to capitalize on the presence of western young men who were making Bangkok and Pattaya R&R havens. But massage parlors existed long before that event to service the local population. Without "tipping" or some other type of service fee, it would have been unable to sustain itself. Without the tradition of tipping, the influx of young men from ASEAN countries would have never come about. Nor would the they come to dominate the go-go bars we discuss so much on these pages. Tips make up their livelihood. I hope that doesn't leave you anyting less than happy. It's noteworthy that in the Saphan Kwai area that primarily serves the local population, not only is the tipping culture firmly entrenched, so are posted minimum tips.

So if the massage shop changes 500 baht for an hour massage, you think 100 baht would be a fair tip? Please don’t substitute Google for your brain in all matters.

Why tip anyone. Just consider yourself entitled to have boys service your body for the sheer thrill of it. if we all follow your logic, no one would be tipping anyone. Maids, bartenders, waiters and bellhops would get stiffed.

In other words, Macaroni, you’d be perfectly content if your employer didn’t pay you for your job. Because that’s what the tips represents to masseurs. It’s their pay. What a ridiculous attempt to justify bad behavior.

Mixed shop. They exploit the fact that the vast majority of shops in Silom/Surawong don’t require minimum tips. Classic Cheap Charlie behavior. And it’s consistently on display. I've patronized Prime and would be embarrassed to tip less than 500.

But if we told court we went to my room to discuss who was bigger asshole, Trump or DeSantis, I think they’d buy it.

I think it's stupid not to. Just texted with massage guy I talk with almost every night after work. Today he had three customers: two from China who gave him total of 300 baht and one from US who gave him four times that amount. Why? His shops does not post minimum tip. Those shops that do post tips don't seem to have any problem making it understood.

Prostitution is illegal but massage is not. Many shops post both on line and in shop the minimum tip. That would not be illegal.

From the BBC By Fergus Walsh Medical editor Men undergoing treatment for prostate cancer could be safely given far less radiotherapy, a major trial has found. Doses can be cut by three-quarters meaning five higher doses is enough, instead of the 20 or so given now. The international trial involved nearly 900 men with medium-risk prostate cancer that had not spread. Lead researcher Prof Nicholas van As from the Royal Marsden Hospital said the results were "outstanding" and "fantastic" for patients. Prostate Cancer UK said the finding had the potential to save time and money for the NHS, while still giving men the best outcomes. It means thousands of men could be given larger doses of radiotherapy - also known as multi-beam radiotherapy - at each hospital visit, but less overall. The study found that after five years, 96% of the men who received five doses of the multi-beam radiotherapy were cancer-free, compared to 95% who received at least 20 doses of standard radiotherapy. Side effects, such as needing to pass urine more often, were low in both groups. The top-line results of the PACE-B trial will be released at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology (Astro) conference in San Diego. Prof van As said he expected the results to lead to "enormous change" in the way radiotherapy was delivered. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-66946336

Good question. Pattaya One News reports that police identified the culprits using video surveillance footage, although they don't report on the outcome of the investigation. https://pattayaone.news/pattaya-transwoman-steals-from-bahraini-tourists-purse/

The Junta in Myanmar claim that its image has been tarnished by a blockbuster movie in China. How is this even remotely possible when it has already managed to tarnish its own reputation beyond salvage. https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2655306/myanmar-says-image-tarnished-by-chinese-thriller

I would endorse PeterRS' idea about making things clear in advance about fees and minimum tips. Just about all the massage shops in Saphan Kwai post minimum tips for individual guys (the tips are set by the boys themselves, as far as I know). This eliminates misunderstandings and ensures that masseur receives fair compensation. In shops where's no minimum (and that's most of the ones in the Silom area), I amazed by how many northeast Asian customers offer zero to a few hundred baht. As for Vinapu's observation, I have the same thoughts. I like to think of those guys as"Bangkok straight": they're straight until they decide they're not as the right opportunity presents itself when the door closes.🙂

If you're in town between now and October 8th,you might want to consider this street food event. Or you could also just check out the vendors who set up shop along the Silom-Surawong rectangle. From The Nation Celebrity chefs in Thailand are scheduled to showcase their culinary skills and latest street food inventions at the “SX Food Festival 2023”, an exhibition of sustainable food at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok. The event is part of the Sustainability Expo 2023 (SX2023), which runs until October 8 at the convention centre. Held under the theme “Thai Street Food Museum”, organisers modelled the exhibition venues after iconic street food neighbourhoods in Bangkok, including Yaowarat (China Town), Memorial Bridge, Chalerm Krung, Phra Nakhon, Ratchadamnoen Avenue, Hua Lamphong, and the floating market. The fair opens daily from 10am to 8pm. Admission is free.

From The Nation Passengers flying from new terminal advised to allow extra 20 minutes People taking flights at Suvarnabhumi International Airport have been advised to check their flight information carefully to avoid confusion now that the new satellite terminal has been opened. “If you accidentally enter the new satellite terminal [SAT-1], you will have to restart the whole check-in process again and this delay may result in you missing your flight,” the Airports of Thailand (AOT) warned on Friday. The terminal, for which a soft opening was held on Friday, is designed to handle 15 million passengers annually, marking a 33% increase in the airport’s capacity from 45 million passengers to 60 million. Currently, two airlines are scheduled to use the SAT-1 terminals for specific routes. They are: Thai AirAsia X flights to and from Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo), South Korea (Seoul), and China (Shanghai) Thai Vietjet Air flights to and from Singapore, Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) and Taiwan (Taipei). “Check your boarding pass. If it says Gate S101 to S128, that means you need to travel from the main terminal to SAT-1 terminal to board your flight,” AOT director Kirati Kitmanawat said, adding that passengers are advised to use the automated people mover (APM) as the terminals are one kilometre apart. Kirati added that according to a trial run, travelling from the main terminal to SAT-1 takes no more than 18 minutes. Since the APM leaves every five minutes, he said, passengers should ensure they have at least 20 minutes to spare. Airlines that have expressed interest in using the new terminal include Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Mahan Air, All Nippon and Thai Airways International.

From CNN A sugar replacement called erythritol — used to add bulk or sweeten stevia, monkfruit and keto reduced-sugar products — has been linked to blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and death, according to a study. “The degree of risk was not modest,” said lead study author Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute. People with existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were twice as likely to experience a heart attack or stroke if they had the highest levels of erythritol in their blood, according to the study, published February 27 in the journal Nature Medicine. “If your blood level of erythritol was in the top 25% compared to the bottom 25%, there was about a two-fold higher risk for heart attack and stroke,” Hazen said. “It’s on par with the strongest of cardiac risk factors, like diabetes.” Additional lab and animal research presented in the paper revealed that erythritol appeared to be causing blood platelets to clot more readily. Clots can break off and travel to the heart, triggering a heart attack, or to the brain, triggering a stroke.

From VN Express National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on Thursday announced that it plans to launch a direct route between the central coastal city of Da Nang and Thailand's Bangkok in November. This move materializes the outcomes of talks between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin on the sidelines of the recent high-level week of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the latter proposed the opening of additional flight routes between the two countries. Vietnam and Thailand celebrate their 10th anniversary of strategic partnership this year. Vietnam Airlines is coordinating with relevant authorities to launch the route linking the Da Nang international airport to Bangkok-based Don Mueang international airport in early November.

It may puzzle us farangs why a high-level cop would seemingly be so careless in advertising his wealth, but to a Thai it's no mystery at all. Consider this narrative from "Bangkok 8" between Colonel Vikon and Detective Jitpleecheep, the protagonist: "Don't I know I'm vulnerable to an enquiry anytime? Don't I know that some army bastard or muckraking journalist, or some asshole who wants my job, can start digging anytime and find my stuff--my boat, my little house up north, my handful of bungalows on Samui--and start pointing the finger? Wouldn't I be happier with less assets and more peace of mind? Why d'you I think I keep that stuff where everyone can see it, when I could just sell up and put the money in a bank in Switzerland? Why?" "Because this is Asia." "Exactly. If I'm to do my job properly I have to have face. And my enemies have to see the war chest. You don't survive at the top of a greasy pole if you're a humble little cop piously shuffling files around."

From Pattaya Mail A 55-year-old tourist from Bahrain, Hasan Mohamed Almuqahwi, experienced an unfortunate incident during his late-night baht-bus ride from Soi Bua Khao back to his hotel on September 28, prompting him to report a robbery to the local Pattaya police. Hasan told the police that two women, visibly transvestites, had joined him on the baht-bus. Engaging in what seemed like casual conversation, the journey took an unexpected turn as the vehicle approached the hotel where Hasan intended to disembark. Seizing a fleeting opportunity, one of the women snatched Hasan’s bag, containing 7,000 baht, 60 Dinars, and essential documents. Hasan attempted to restrain the suspected thief, but failed. In a blink, the two transvestites made a quick escape on foot, leaving Hasan in hot pursuit but without success. Following the incident, Hasan reported the theft to the local authorities. The Pattaya police promptly initiated an investigation, diligently examining closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to identify and apprehend the suspects.

From The Nation The word "police" (“tumruat”) in Thai has its roots in Cambodia’s native language, Khmer, and the oldest evidence of this word in Thailand can be found in a stone inscription in Lopburi province, which was created between 1022 and 1057. It is believed that this term referred to individuals who worked in government-related roles. However, the oldest known institution in Thailand with functions similar to the modern police force existed during the Ayutthaya period under King Borommatrailokkanat (1448 to 1488). During that time, police officers acted as royal guards and worked within the Grand Palace. They would accompany the king wherever he went, and they were allowed to carry weapons within the palace grounds. Additionally, these officers served as a judicial body to settle disputes, as if the king himself were the judge. To become a police officer during this period, one had to come from a respected family lineage and earn the trust of the king. During the reign of King Mongkut or Rama IV (1851 to 1868), the police force was formally established in 1860 to maintain peace in the capital, Bangkok. Its main duties were suppressing disturbances caused by bandits and ensuring the safety of the population. They had the authority to intervene in disputes. Captain Samuel Joseph Bird Ames, an Englishman who had worked as a merchant ship captain, was appointed to establish this new police force. His expertise in maintaining regulations and discipline on ship operations led the King to believe that he could help establish a police organisation. As a result, Captain Ames became the first police chief in Thai history. The chief of police was a foreign national (“farang” in Thai), and the police officers themselves were not Thai either. Malay Muslims were hired to serve in the force, which created problems from the beginning, as they did not understand the local language, customs and traditions. They were mocked by the locals. People also complained that the police did not take their duties seriously, lacked courage, stole people's food, did not pursue criminals, and slept on the job. These issues led to a negative perception of the police. But as the police force expanded, recruitment was opened to the locals to join the police. Eventually, Thai people were recruited into the police force. During the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who modernised Thailand significantly, there was further development in the police force. The city was expanding, and there was a need for more police presence in various regions. Furthermore, the status of police officers was elevated to that of civil servants, and a police academy was established.

From The Nation A merger between Line Corp and Yahoo Japan Corp has created a new company called LY Corporation. Line Corp, which operates the popular mobile messaging application Line, will use the new name from October 1 onwards, it said in a statement released on Thursday. Line app also informed its users about the imminent name change in a message sent on Thursday. “We thank all the users of the Line Official Account service. Line Corporation and Yahoo Japan Corporation will merge to become a single company on October 1, 2023, and the company’s name will be changed to LY Corporation,” the message said. From October 1, LY Corporation will take over from Line Corp. It will oversee existing Line accounts in Thailand and other countries, it said.

From The Nation Representatives of certain groups on Thursday presented to Parliament on behalf of the public the drafts of three bills in the hope that lawmakers would pass legislation on same-sex marriage, promote gender acceptance, and redefine prostitution. The drafts were accepted by first deputy House Speaker Padipat Suntiphada. The draft Marriage Equality Bill proposes amending Section 1448 of the Civil and Commercial Code, which limits the definition of marriage to a man and a woman, by making the marriage law applicable to any couple, regardless of gender. The draft bill on "gender identity, gender expression and sexuality" proposes that official certificates accept the gender that an individual identifies as. The third draft is an an amendment to the 1996 Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act, specifically to define sex workers as legal professionals who are entitled to rights and freedom to work equally. The three bills share the same goals of ensuring sexual equality, promoting acceptance and equal treatment of all individuals regardless of their genders, sexual identity, or profession, said a representative.