THAI EXPAT
Active Member
My motorbike registration was up. In Thailand, you pay your Tax on the vehicle, register it for a year, and buy your Insurance, all at the same office. The motorbike taxi driver in my condo building offered to go to the office and do it for me for a fee of 300 baht. That's about $8 USD. I said great, as there is usually a two hour wait. So I gave him my paperwork and 1000 baht for fee's. That afternoon, he gave me my new registration and insurance, along with my change.
I should mention that, total cost for one year of basic insurance, tax and registration cost 780 baht. That's about $23 USD folks. Because I have a more expensive model (Honda CSX). The basic Insurance package includes Medical injuries to you and one passenger, Liability Property Damage, and vehicle damage. How much do you pay to insure and register your vehicle?
This started me thinking of how much easier life is in Thailand, as opposed to living in America!
Medical Care is Superior, and far more accessible than America. The lie that America has the best care, is spread by Insurance companies, to keep you paying ridiculous costs. And the ACA is a sad joke on the poor. A $5000 deductible insurance means you have no medical care, just insurance you can't use!
I don't need the motorbike. It is a toy. There are motorbike taxi drivers on every corner who will take you wherever you want to go. I use them occasionally when I have to go somewhere I don't know. If it's raining, or convenient I take a Baht Bus. That is a full bed pick-up with a shelter on the back and bench seats. You just wave them down and hop on. When you get where you want to go there is a buzzer you push. The fee is set at 10b. About .30 cents. If you have a special need, such as moving big items, they are for hire. Just negotiate a price. If you like to drink , this is a great way to Bar Hop without driving drunk.
For long distance trips, private vehicles are just a phone call away, or Air Conditioned buses run frequently. Any type of vehicle for any purpose is cheap and convenient.
Food vendors are everywhere, offering a variety of soups, bar b que meats and sea foods, and cooked fruits like pineapple and deep fried bananas. (My Favorite).
At the bar, beer is $2 for imported and $1.50 for domestic. Local whiskey is $1.25. While sitting in an open air bar (Bar BEER) vendors selling, watches, DVD's, Sun glasses, t-shirts, dress shirts, sports clothes, shoes, ladies dresses, underwear for men and women. If you frequent bars, you never have to frequent stores, and prices are comparable if you are smart.
Fresh fruit carts are constantly passing with fresh Mango, Pinapple, Water Mellon, Guava, Papaya and whatever is in season, like Cantaloupe. All Peeled, cleaned of seeds and cut in bite size pieces. The bars don't mind, but if the servers know you, they will help themselves to a slice or two. Thai's enjoy sharing food.
If I want a deep cleaning for my Condo, 2 ladies will spend all day cleaning it for 300 baht, $10 dollars. Any repair, even replacing a light bulb, can be had from the maintenance workers at the condo. They will go and buy whatever is needed and replace it. For less than $10.
Almost all businesses deliver. You can get hot food from the best resturants for a $1.50 delivery fee.
The point is that there are almost no social services from the government. No welfare, no EBT cards, no unemployment insurance, no free medical. Everyone is expected to work, and there are few regulations to stop you.
The unfortunate can find a meal and shelter at the Temple. The Gov.t cares for children without family, but charity is the main provider.
So, what I'm saying is that I have all the service of a staff whenever I want it. Just like a rich man. I have the satisfaction of knowing that I am helping people, while helping myself. People helping people because Government stays out of the way.
In America, a man was killed in New York for selling loose Cigarettes, because he got tired of being told how to live and resisted. The Police were blamed of course, but the politicians who passed the laws restricting free trade, went blameless to go on telling NY'ers how much salt they can use, how their meat must be cooked, how big a drink they can buy, etc.
In New Orleans, a man was killed for selling TV's outside a gas station with the owners permission, but some people were unhappy with it, so police must react.
In Thailand, my lady wanted to have something to do. So she found some beauty supply company, down loaded their web site, and sold Beauty Products to her friends. She calls in the order, deposits the wholesale amount in the company bank account, and they mail the products within 3 days.
No permits, no licenses, no tax returns. Only direct business.
I read stories how immigrants came to America, got a push cart and sold fruit and vegetables door to door. One famous Pizza shop in NY told of how his great Grandfather came from Italy and sold Pizza by the slice from a push cart.
What the hell happened? Why aren't people free to use their talent to support themselves? Are we that stupid that Government must tell us how to live every detail of our lives?
Why can't a ghetto grandma, raising children on a pension, who makes the best Sweet Potato Pie in town, make some extra money by selling slices and pies in front of her building?
I'll tell you why! When you depend on the Government for your survival, you will vote for who ever promises you the most. And that is political Power.
So America, you can call yourself a Capitalist Country, but Capitalism and free enterprise is only for the wealthy.
By the way. Unemployment is up in Thailand this year at 1.05%. That is up from 0.56% at the end of 2015. America is now at 4.6% people collecting checks. If you include those who want to work, but stopped looking, it is between 18 and 24%. As far as people, which is the poor country?
I should mention that, total cost for one year of basic insurance, tax and registration cost 780 baht. That's about $23 USD folks. Because I have a more expensive model (Honda CSX). The basic Insurance package includes Medical injuries to you and one passenger, Liability Property Damage, and vehicle damage. How much do you pay to insure and register your vehicle?
This started me thinking of how much easier life is in Thailand, as opposed to living in America!
Medical Care is Superior, and far more accessible than America. The lie that America has the best care, is spread by Insurance companies, to keep you paying ridiculous costs. And the ACA is a sad joke on the poor. A $5000 deductible insurance means you have no medical care, just insurance you can't use!
I don't need the motorbike. It is a toy. There are motorbike taxi drivers on every corner who will take you wherever you want to go. I use them occasionally when I have to go somewhere I don't know. If it's raining, or convenient I take a Baht Bus. That is a full bed pick-up with a shelter on the back and bench seats. You just wave them down and hop on. When you get where you want to go there is a buzzer you push. The fee is set at 10b. About .30 cents. If you have a special need, such as moving big items, they are for hire. Just negotiate a price. If you like to drink , this is a great way to Bar Hop without driving drunk.
For long distance trips, private vehicles are just a phone call away, or Air Conditioned buses run frequently. Any type of vehicle for any purpose is cheap and convenient.
Food vendors are everywhere, offering a variety of soups, bar b que meats and sea foods, and cooked fruits like pineapple and deep fried bananas. (My Favorite).
At the bar, beer is $2 for imported and $1.50 for domestic. Local whiskey is $1.25. While sitting in an open air bar (Bar BEER) vendors selling, watches, DVD's, Sun glasses, t-shirts, dress shirts, sports clothes, shoes, ladies dresses, underwear for men and women. If you frequent bars, you never have to frequent stores, and prices are comparable if you are smart.
Fresh fruit carts are constantly passing with fresh Mango, Pinapple, Water Mellon, Guava, Papaya and whatever is in season, like Cantaloupe. All Peeled, cleaned of seeds and cut in bite size pieces. The bars don't mind, but if the servers know you, they will help themselves to a slice or two. Thai's enjoy sharing food.
If I want a deep cleaning for my Condo, 2 ladies will spend all day cleaning it for 300 baht, $10 dollars. Any repair, even replacing a light bulb, can be had from the maintenance workers at the condo. They will go and buy whatever is needed and replace it. For less than $10.
Almost all businesses deliver. You can get hot food from the best resturants for a $1.50 delivery fee.
The point is that there are almost no social services from the government. No welfare, no EBT cards, no unemployment insurance, no free medical. Everyone is expected to work, and there are few regulations to stop you.
The unfortunate can find a meal and shelter at the Temple. The Gov.t cares for children without family, but charity is the main provider.
So, what I'm saying is that I have all the service of a staff whenever I want it. Just like a rich man. I have the satisfaction of knowing that I am helping people, while helping myself. People helping people because Government stays out of the way.
In America, a man was killed in New York for selling loose Cigarettes, because he got tired of being told how to live and resisted. The Police were blamed of course, but the politicians who passed the laws restricting free trade, went blameless to go on telling NY'ers how much salt they can use, how their meat must be cooked, how big a drink they can buy, etc.
In New Orleans, a man was killed for selling TV's outside a gas station with the owners permission, but some people were unhappy with it, so police must react.
In Thailand, my lady wanted to have something to do. So she found some beauty supply company, down loaded their web site, and sold Beauty Products to her friends. She calls in the order, deposits the wholesale amount in the company bank account, and they mail the products within 3 days.
No permits, no licenses, no tax returns. Only direct business.
I read stories how immigrants came to America, got a push cart and sold fruit and vegetables door to door. One famous Pizza shop in NY told of how his great Grandfather came from Italy and sold Pizza by the slice from a push cart.
What the hell happened? Why aren't people free to use their talent to support themselves? Are we that stupid that Government must tell us how to live every detail of our lives?
Why can't a ghetto grandma, raising children on a pension, who makes the best Sweet Potato Pie in town, make some extra money by selling slices and pies in front of her building?
I'll tell you why! When you depend on the Government for your survival, you will vote for who ever promises you the most. And that is political Power.
So America, you can call yourself a Capitalist Country, but Capitalism and free enterprise is only for the wealthy.
By the way. Unemployment is up in Thailand this year at 1.05%. That is up from 0.56% at the end of 2015. America is now at 4.6% people collecting checks. If you include those who want to work, but stopped looking, it is between 18 and 24%. As far as people, which is the poor country?
