News Forum - Thai PM tells nation to buckle up for ‘winds of change’

[HolyCowCm]

2 hours ago, palooka said:

Apparently the Insurance requirement will be raised again, plus already have an extra form for visa renewals - Police report.  Some cops will do it for nothing others want a fee which varies from cop to cop.

Really? A fricken fracken police report for a renewal? This is now ridiculous. Is this a police report from the home country or they want for here? I take it here as you lead to.  Either way it is bs. Can anyone else confirm this in their area?  
Where are you at? HH? 
And raising the insurance again?

This is soooo counter productive and warm with open arms. They are shooting themselves in the foot.

Anyway this is a bit off topic and maybe should have its own subject in the visa section.
But with da Winds of change as the big Cheese head is saying these are not winds but a spit in the foreigners faces who have been here for some time already. 

 

[DwizzleyMatthews]

1 hour ago, HolyCowCm said:

Really? A fricken fracken police report for a renewal? This is now ridiculous. Is this a police report from the home country or they want for here? I take it here as you lead to.  Either way it is bs. Can anyone else confirm this in their area?  
Where are you at? HH? 
And raising the insurance again?

This is soooo counter productive and warm with open arms. They are shooting themselves in the foot.

Anyway this is a bit off topic and maybe should have its own subject in the visa section.
But with da Winds of change as the big Cheese head is saying these are not winds but a spit in the foreigners faces who have been here for some time already. 

The rise in mandatory health insurance coverage ( for OA visas and retirement extension of ) is not news .

Announced more than a a year ago the 40/400k coverage rises to 3 million baht coverage in Oct 2021 for new OA visas and on Sept 1st 2022 for retirement extensions ( extensions based on marriage are exempt ).

Although not officially announced ( Royal Gazette ) the expectation is that it will happen.

Many holders of retirement extension, from an original OA visa, will convert ( or have converted ) to an O visa by leaving the country, myself included.

( my annual premiums would rise from 7,700 baht to 26,800 baht ).

The police report is something new, unless talking about the initial application for an OA visa in which case it has always existed.

[Bluesofa]

12 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I don't think that is what he was talking about

I will give you an example

I just spent the better part of a month travelling with my 21yr old stepson

He gets all A's and B's at Thamassat University in an extremely tough major, Physical Therapy. He's an intelligent kid.

And it is like he shuts his brain off 80% of the time

He wanted to go on this long trip all over Thailand yet had absolute zero interest in where we were going, would just pass out as soon as we got in the car

Just zero curiousity whatsoever and I do blame the way he was taught

Interesting point.

When my stepson was fifteen, my wife, he and I we were driving around for a day.
On the main road I made an effort to point out the kilometre posts on the side of the road. I explained that it showed how far it was to the next large place (in both directions by looking at the two sides of the post).

He was interested for about five kilometres, reading the posts as we past them. Then he went back to sleep. I assume now (three years later), he's forgotten all about them, sadly.

Navigation for the hard-of-learning has taken over - GPS.
 

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, DwizzleyMatthews said:

The rise in mandatory health insurance coverage ( for OA visas and retirement extension of ) is not news .

Announced more than a a year ago the 40/400k coverage rises to 3 million baht coverage in Oct 2021 for new OA visas and on Sept 1st 2022 for retirement extensions ( extensions based on marriage are exempt ).

Although not officially announced ( Royal Gazette ) the expectation is that it will happen.

Many holders of retirement extension, from an original OA visa, will convert ( or have converted ) to an O visa by leaving the country, myself included.

( my annual premiums would rise from 7,700 baht to 26,800 baht ).

The police report is something new, unless talking about the initial application for an OA visa in which case it has always existed.

Haven't been closely following it on the OA and insurance being raised as I  am on an O, but I do have a friend about to sign up for an OA in the US and do keep an ear out. The police report I am also curious about, but knew it is a report needed from your country of residence to get the visa. Now if it is for here then that is toally new and a wind of change in the wrong direction

[Haole.TH]

Regarding teaching "critical thinking" in school.

There was a post 8 yrs or so back about these 4-5 kids (I seem to remember 1 8th grader and the rest in high school) that used critical thinking to show the military coup  did not make sense.  This was anonymous for quite awhile ...

Prayut came out and wanted those kids found.

I searched on google but can't find the incident ... Does anyone else remember this incident?

[Venusianhart]

The winds of change indeed! 

When the incoming global market collapse bites an already reeling Thai economy, watch out. 

Prayuth is not a likeable personality, but he's fairly benign compared to some of the monsters and mobsters eyeing the role now.

 Short of a cataclysmic event occurring within the ultimate hierarchy, there's going to be no sudden lurch to democracy in the next election. The entire system is in the military's pocket. It's just a kinder version of Myanmar, so far...

[Venusianhart]

22 hours ago, Graham said:

He is working only for the select he does not working for the normal Thai person, how can this government seriously still be going ahead with the purchase of submarines without engines ?

Because a whole gaggle of brass have their farewell kickbacks to get and retirement is coming up soon!

The engines, of course, will be another cash cow for the next wave of brass, and naturally, the engines won't fit and/or be up to spec so the subs will never be commissioned anyhow.

If only I could make my fortune betting my prediction will come true.

[HolyCowCm]

15 minutes ago, Venusianhart said:

Because a whole gaggle of brass have their farewell kickbacks to get and retirement is coming up soon!

The engines, of course, will be another cash cow for the next wave of brass, and naturally, the engines won't fit and/or be up to spec so the subs will never be commissioned anyhow.

If only I could make my fortune betting my prediction will come true.

Yah, but the brass already have postitions set up to go on to State Run corporation boards or already business owned by their groups so they really never retire, they just move on to making top baht somewhere else keeping the iron fist control for them and whom they support. Winds of change is like far-ts in the wind. It stinks.

[Venusianhart]

1 hour ago, HolyCowCm said:

Haven't been closely following it on the OA and insurance being raised as I  am on an O, but I do have a friend about to sign up for an OA in the US and do keep an ear out. The police report I am also curious about, but knew it is a report needed from your country of residence to get the visa. Now if it is for here then that is toally new and a wind of change in the wrong direction

I agree. However, it never made sense for the police report (from one's home country) to be skipped just because of applying locally. 

That's why so many scum came in prior, and then in many cases ended up murdering a Thai partner or in some cases, their own buddies!

I'm no longer a "residential" expat, I have Thai property held jointly with my mea jaa, but work and live back home again, and will do so until the situation improves.

To get her residency in my country, I had to submit a Thai Police record request as I had lived in Thailand more than six months.

I had to get my local police to take fingerprints on a Thai form. Luckily, the RTP accepted a PDF of these! Wow!!! A miracle.

However, tea money was requested of my wife who acted as my representative, for speedy processing. She politely declined as the amount asked was THB 6000. Also, if they play up, and "lose" the file, I will have no hesitation in reporting this to my embassy.

I'm sure the "misunderstanding" will then be sorted out. Hopefully, that won't be needed.

I'm no fan of the annual paperwork, in fact I detest it vehemently, but everyone should be screened as a prerequisite of retirement/marriage/edu/business extension being granted, without exception. 

Every farang wanting to live in the land corruption built should be a model citizen with a clean rap sheet!

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, Venusianhart said:

I agree. However, it never made sense for the police report (from one's home country) to be skipped just because of applying locally. 

That's why so many scum came in prior, and then in many cases ended up murdering a Thai partner or in some cases, their own buddies!

I'm no longer a "residential" expat, I have Thai property held jointly with my mea jaa, but work and live back home again, and will do so until the situation improves.

To get her residency in my country, I had to submit a Thai Police record request as I had lived in Thailand more than six months.

I had to get my local police to take fingerprints on a Thai form. Luckily, the RTP accepted a PDF of these! Wow!!! A miracle.

However, tea money was requested of my wife who acted as my representative, for speedy processing. She politely declined as the amount asked was THB 6000. Also, if they play up, and "lose" the file, I will have no hesitation in reporting this to my embassy.

I'm sure the "misunderstanding" will then be sorted out. Hopefully, that won't be needed.

I'm no fan of the annual paperwork, in fact I detest it vehemently, but everyone should be screened as a prerequisite of retirement/marriage/edu/business extension being granted, without exception. 

Every farang wanting to live in the land corruption built should be a model citizen with a clean rap sheet!

Well I thouroughly disagree with you on the renewal of having to submit a Thai police report. As for the one in one's own country then no problem if you are applying for a long term visa as it is a one time deal. People can go whacky sideways at any given time and a police report will not help this. So I have a yes I am ok with the first time only but not for renewals, especially ones who have a long time proven track record here already as they should not have another hurdle to jump. But I am fine with your opinion as this is how you feel. Funny, my kids to get their US passports never had to submit a police report, or even my wife for her 10 year visa for the US.

[palooka]

8 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

Really? A fricken fracken police report for a renewal? This is now ridiculous. Is this a police report from the home country or they want for here? I take it here as you lead to.  Either way it is bs. Can anyone else confirm this in their area?  
Where are you at? HH? 
And raising the insurance again?

This is soooo counter productive and warm with open arms. They are shooting themselves in the foot.

Anyway this is a bit off topic and maybe should have its own subject in the visa section.
But with da Winds of change as the big Cheese head is saying these are not winds but a spit in the foreigners faces who have been here for some time already. 

From here. Shocked myself as how would anyone particularly the Police know anything about me, maybe it is more about the "lively" characters who fight and stab each other in those wonderful tourist hotspots.

[HolyCowCm]

23 minutes ago, palooka said:

From here. Shocked myself as how would anyone particularly the Police know anything about me, maybe it is more about the "lively" characters who fight and stab each other in those wonderful tourist hotspots.

Like the old theory that you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent, and this comes at a cost and time or perseverance, but in every sense of the matter you lose something. Bunch of crap if you ask me.

[Marc26]

8 hours ago, Bluesofa said:

Interesting point.

When my stepson was fifteen, my wife, he and I we were driving around for a day.
On the main road I made an effort to point out the kilometre posts on the side of the road. I explained that it showed how far it was to the next large place (in both directions by looking at the two sides of the post).

He was interested for about five kilometres, reading the posts as we past them. Then he went back to sleep. I assume now (three years later), he's forgotten all about them, sadly.

Navigation for the hard-of-learning has taken over - GPS.
 

1st time my stepson came to Caanada he was 14 years old............his 1st time outside of Asia

Got in at night, we hung around at house

Next day we go and take a ride, his 1st time ever outside in Canada, he was alseep in 10mins, just blew my mind he'd have no interest in this totally new country he's never been to

[Marc26]

5 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

Well I thouroughly disagree with you on the renewal of having to submit a Thai police report. As for the one in one's own country then no problem if you are applying for a long term visa as it is a one time deal. People can go whacky sideways at any given time and a police report will not help this. So I have a yes I am ok with the first time only but not for renewals, especially ones who have a long time proven track record here already as they should not have another hurdle to jump. But I am fine with your opinion as this is how you feel. Funny, my kids to get their US passports never had to submit a police report, or even my wife for her 10 year visa for the US.

I think you may have forgotten but I am almost positive you need a police certificate for the 10 year US visa

 

https://www.ustraveldocs.com/au/au-gen-faq.asp

[HolyCowCm]

10 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

I think you may have forgotten but I am almost positive you need a police certificate for the 10 year US visa

https://www.ustraveldocs.com/au/au-gen-faq.asp

Hi Marc. Nope. Not for CM and not for my wife. The interview and documentation presented and my input for the CM Consulate was enough and way too easy. But I do have a documented history with them for many things as even securing a young thai girl whose american dad died to get her passport and SS funding for her until she is out of University. And my kids USA citizenship and a bunch of things. But, this had no bearing on my wife's 10 year. 

[Marc26]

Just now, HolyCowCm said:

Hi Marc. Nope. Not for CM and not for my wife. The interview and documentation and my input for the CM consulate was enough. 

My wife needs to renew hers and in North America, suff like that has been so hard to get appointments for, so we may book an appoitment for CM when she is back in Decemeber

 

 

[HolyCowCm]

3 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

My wife needs to renew hers and in North America, suff like that has been so hard to get appointments for, so we may book an appoitment for CM when she is back in Decemeber

CM may request that you are living in this area. Not sure, but maybe rent a place and use it to your advantage if you have to, and the weather and air has been fabuloushere for the last year. No down sides.. What I can say is the CM Consulate have the best wonderful group of US staff you could ever want to deal with and meet. Simply the greatest always in my book. I think they are just so pleasant because they are staying in CM and love it as this is a bonus gold card to get. I would talk them up more but you would not beleive me, but in truth, they and the consulate for how they are could not get any better. Top tier already.

[Marc26]

42 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

CM may request that you are living in this area. Not sure, but maybe rent a place and use it to your advantage if you have to, and the weather and air has been fabuloushere for the last year. No down sides.. What I can say is the CM Consulate have the best wonderful group of US staff you could ever want to deal with and meet. Simply the greatest always in my book. I think they are just so pleasant because they are staying in CM and love it as this is a bonus gold card to get. I would talk them up more but you would not beleive me, but in truth, they and the consulate for how they are could not get any better. Top tier already.

Yeah I know they are well thought of, hence why my wife planned on going there over Bangkok

 

My wife got her initial 10 year visa in Vancouver

Her interviewer was a big Thailand fan, he wanted to speak Thai to her but she said his Thai was awful, so she had to politely ask him to speak English 555

 

But it was an obvious easy interview for her and a visa secured  :)

[HolyCowCm]

12 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

My wife needs to renew hers and in North America, suff like that has been so hard to get appointments for, so we may book an appoitment for CM when she is back in Decemeber

Well, I would gather that she has no red flags and is exemplary as a visiting human foreinger being to the states. Come and go and has no oops! From this she is married to you who is from what I can see an Adonis, so there should be no problem renewing her 10 yr.

1rst time at SFO for my wife.. Biggest problem we had was one agent officer idiot upon arrival to the USA was manipulating the questions in English ( silver faggot tongue) at the check in passport desk. He sent her to the you now have to wait and be further interviewed (you be caught room)  as you point to be an undesirable until you can prove not. The question about how much cash you have red flagged her, but it was a trap door question as I am the big daddy cash boy and she only had a couple thousand USD on her as I always give money to her to hold. You knwo as well as me that a couple of thousand USD will only l;ast you less than 10 days if you dont have a place or are not sying with family or friends, that bank roll runs out fast like it was pcoket change.

 

the other times I have not left her alone and insisted she be with us when entering the US. You know the US citizen passport line holders or the other line. The last time she entered and all the rest from the first time, the last time was a Thai woman officer acting as could have been a Philiphino or Indonesian or whatever Asain. Playing a game. You know most adults have to go single file and normally no mutliples at one time unless they are your children or unless they are tollerant and say ok, all you come. So as I walked up after clearing my sh*t fast first, I then got involved really quick with the officer and my wife. So 30 seconds after I spoke it finisihed, but then the officer said Karp Khun Kha, then I flipped my head and started speaking Thai with her as saying ah ha, you are Thai huh? Oh how great and thank you. Big smiles and all done. The immigration officer was nice but did play a semi game, but I do understand that they need to. Me before, a story of the not so far pas maybe 7 years ago, after 12 years of not going back had a bunch of questions hurled my way. And other times asking what I do and I say in the food industry but teeling them I don't to not live in the USA but i am from lets just ay near Hillsborough cities.. they ask" You have food Samples? Nope. Only presents for my family and no problems, but they do have some question that one will be easy and the n the next will be designed to throw you off if something is off or you truly are no with it and get f-d up by it. Just how it is, but I will never ever leave my non USA citizen Thai wife alone at that booth ever again.

So my long story to make short, the Consulate in CM or BKK are not  the worst one can encounter and they are fantastic, but the BS that comes will be coming from the Immigration Customs booth and them officers. My wife from her very first experince of being hauld to the Room ( well over 1 hour +) had came to the thinking and feeling that she was verbally abused and that she never ever wanted to go to the USA ever again. But then my dad's health started failing and then he passed away. She has zero desire to go to the USA unless it is ultra important and a must now. And now that we have our babies, our beagle and french bulldog, she will opt out if she can and be perfectly hap stating at our CM house. But that is unless it is of something like my older brother to pass away whom she totally loves more than she loves me or the dogs, and then she will be first in line but the biggest cryer as well. Such a softy sensitive gal, but such a hard gal wrapped into one..

Anyway, the US Consulate here in CM cannot even be touched or surpassed for how wonderful they truly all are here. hope you liek the story and can follow it. not goping back and speel checking or grammaring it. Not looking to be a writer for the Thaigre so what you read is what you got.

Cheers!

[HolyCowCm]

40 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

Yeah I know they are well thought of, hence why my wife planned on going there over Bangkok

My wife got her initial 10 year visa in Vancouver

Her interviewer was a big Thailand fan, he wanted to speak Thai to her but she said his Thai was awful, so she had to politely ask him to speak English 555

But it was an obvious easy interview for her and a visa secured  :)

 

Sounds like no problem for her. I understand how Americans are and can be having their fascination and love for the people and things here because yes, it is a fun and wild great time, but as I over the years I have had many friends who visit me who first go oh wow as I speak and interpret for them taking care of them, then their next visit after the other next many ( as they are now addicted in love with here) they then start to try to learn and speak Thai and then ultimately try to get me to teach them as they try to speak or try for doing for how to say that, and what is this, and so on it never stops, and so I then plainly refuse and tell them that it is their thing, their Thai experience and their deal to do it on their own if they want to truly speak Thai. Yes I  often do teach them a tid bit now and then (more than often than not) but I do not go more far than that as is too far, as this is not my thing to nourish and baby them. Do it on your own by your own trial and error or leave it at that.. For the Thai embassy or consulate interviewer, it is only a split moment so why not humor them. Still won't help them speak well, but at least it will help her and her getting farther, that is unless they already speak good Thai and have an ulterior reason to hear how she speaks Thai dissecting how she is as a human being.

Anyway, it is my Friday night and seems I have a rapid mouth and happy to talk. Been a hard week for me, but today as is Friday I am happy that the this week has come to an end for us here, and I am really happy the USA has a 3 day holiday leading into the 4th of July festivities for the birth celebration for the USA.

BTW. Happy 4th to you my friend. Now I will tone my babbling keyboard mouth kwriting down. But it was fun for me, but getting time for me to go turn on my amp and go play some music in my ktichen into my headphones. Life doesn't get too much more better I can say. Well at least for tonight. . 

Gonna go see the Elivis movie over the weekend here with my daughter, so there is a variety of fun outside of bars and tha of  pleasing, or well trying to please the wife while it is not that time of the month. I love what the American Indians used to do with their squaws. That time of the month they used to make them go outside of the living quarters of all the teepees and then stay outside until all was cool.

 

[Marc26]

59 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Well, I would gather that she has no red flags and is exemplary as a visiting human foreinger being to the states. Come and go and has no oops! From this she is married to you who is from what I can see an Adonis, so there should be no problem renewing her 10 yr.

1rst time at SFO for my wife.. Biggest problem we had was one agent officer idiot upon arrival to the USA was manipulating the questions in English ( silver faggot tongue) at the check in passport desk. He sent her to the you now have to wait and be further interviewed (you be caught room)  as you point to be an undesirable until you can prove not. The question about how much cash you have red flagged her, but it was a trap door question as I am the big daddy cash boy and she only had a couple thousand USD on her as I always give money to her to hold. You knwo as well as me that a couple of thousand USD will only l;ast you less than 10 days if you dont have a place or are not sying with family or friends, that bank roll runs out fast like it was pcoket change.

the other times I have not left her alone and insisted she be with us when entering the US. You know the US citizen passport line holders or the other line. The last time she entered and all the rest from the first time, the last time was a Thai woman officer acting as could have been a Philiphino or Indonesian or whatever Asain. Playing a game. You know most adults have to go single file and normally no mutliples at one time unless they are your children or unless they are tollerant and say ok, all you come. So as I walked up after clearing my sh*t fast first, I then got involved really quick with the officer and my wife. So 30 seconds after I spoke it finisihed, but then the officer said Karp Khun Kha, then I flipped my head and started speaking Thai with her as saying ah ha, you are Thai huh? Oh how great and thank you. Big smiles and all done. The immigration officer was nice but did play a semi game, but I do understand that they need to. Me before, a story of the not so far pas maybe 7 years ago, after 12 years of not going back had a bunch of questions hurled my way. And other times asking what I do and I say in the food industry but teeling them I don't to not live in the USA but i am from lets just ay near Hillsborough cities.. they ask" You have food Samples? Nope. Only presents for my family and no problems, but they do have some question that one will be easy and the n the next will be designed to throw you off if something is off or you truly are no with it and get f-d up by it. Just how it is, but I will never ever leave my non USA citizen Thai wife alone at that booth ever again.

So my long story to make short, the Consulate in CM or BKK are not  the worst one can encounter and they are fantastic, but the BS that comes will be coming from the Immigration Customs booth and them officers. My wife from her very first experince of being hauld to the Room ( well over 1 hour +) had came to the thinking and feeling that she was verbally abused and that she never ever wanted to go to the USA ever again. But then my dad's health started failing and then he passed away. She has zero desire to go to the USA unless it is ultra important and a must now. And now that we have our babies, our beagle and french bulldog, she will opt out if she can and be perfectly hap stating at our CM house. But that is unless it is of something like my older brother to pass away whom she totally loves more than she loves me or the dogs, and then she will be first in line but the biggest cryer as well. Such a softy sensitive gal, but such a hard gal wrapped into one..

Anyway, the US Consulate here in CM cannot even be touched or surpassed for how wonderful they truly all are here. hope you liek the story and can follow it. not goping back and speel checking or grammaring it. Not looking to be a writer for the Thaigre so what you read is what you got.

Cheers!

My wife has entered the US probably 40 plusx or more in the last 10 years, we travel quite a bit to the US

She has entered mostly from Canada but also Asia as well and about half those times she entered alone and she never had an issue at all, thankfully

 

But when she 1st started coming to Canada she would get bounced to secondary customs for questions and such

But that hasn't happened for quite some time, she has had so many visa and work permits I am sure she is in the system as a "trusted traveler"

 

This last time 2 weeks ago she entered Canada with her visa expiring in 1 month, she is allowed to stay for 6 months but I was surprised they didn't even tell her that

 

 

[Marc26]

30 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Sounds like no problem for her. I understand how Americans are and can be having their fascination and love for the people and things here because yes, it is a fun and wild great time, but as I over the years I have had many friends who visit me who first go oh wow as I speak and interpret for them taking care of them, then their next visit after the other next many ( as they are now addicted in love with here) they then start to try to learn and speak Thai and then ultimately try to get me to teach them as they try to speak or try for doing for how to say that, and what is this, and so on it never stops, and so I then plainly refuse and tell them that it is their thing, their Thai experience and their deal to do it on their own if they want to truly speak Thai. Yes I  often do teach them a tid bit now and then (more than often than not) but I do not go more far than that as is too far, as this is not my thing to nourish and baby them. Do it on your own by your own trial and error or leave it at that.. For the Thai embassy or consulate interviewer, it is only a split moment so why not humor them. Still won't help them speak well, but at least it will help her and her getting farther, that is unless they already speak good Thai and have an ulterior reason to hear how she speaks Thai dissecting how she is as a human being.

Anyway, it is my Friday night and seems I have a rapid mouth and happy to talk. Been a hard week for me, but today as is Friday I am happy that the this week has come to an end for us here, and I am really happy the USA has a 3 day holiday leading into the 4th of July festivities for the birth celebration for the USA.

BTW. Happy 4th to you my friend. Now I will tone my babbling keyboard mouth kwriting down. But it was fun for me, but getting time for me to go turn on my amp and go play some music in my ktichen into my headphones. Life doesn't get too much more better I can say. Well at least for tonight. . 

Gonna go see the Elivis movie over the weekend here with my daughter, so there is a variety of fun outside of bars and tha of  pleasing, or well trying to please the wife while it is not that time of the month. I love what the American Indians used to do with their squaws. That time of the month they used to make them go outside of the living quarters of all the teepees and then stay outside until all was cool.

Haha, you have had a few for sure  5555

But happy mood!

 

I want to see Elvis as well but they said it is almost 3 hours long so I may wait for it to come on TV

 

Enjoy your tunes!  :)

[mickeboy]

On 6/30/2022 at 5:19 PM, UncleFatBloke said:

The innovation he is looking from Thailand will only come from two areas:
1. An education system that promotes questioning rather than rote-learning.

But that would take 15-20 years to happen and for the first generation of innovative thinkers to move into the science and engineering sectors!

2. Make your country more foreigner-friendly and reduce most of the barriers for setting up business in the country. Just like China did 20 years ago and reaped the rewards, and coincidentally, they are now losing businesses rapidly who are re-shoring or moving to lower cost countries, which China is no longer!

NOW is the time for Thailand to offer serious alternatives to Vietnam, the Philppines and Indonesia!

Succinct!  
 

As one of those foreigners who went to China twenty years back, the thing the Chinese did especially smartly was set up special economic zones free from the usual local corruption and roundabouts.  The Chinese government also encouraged locals to work and learn from foreign businesses.  

Thailand is not just rife with systemic corruption, very real HR issues are a nightmare for manufacturing.  

Until there’s a real shift towards global competitiveness I’m afraid the economy of Thailand remains mired in its farming/tourism model.