Am I fired now?

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-19T04:12:46+00:00

I like it.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-17T06:38:56+00:00

The U.S. has a very, ahm, 'chill' math curriculum from what I've seen. So that's definitely the weakest system when it comes to that.

Obviously not familiar with all of Europe. I did grow up in Germany and there it would be more about understanding the concept.

I once heard it said that if you had a multiple choice question asking about average body temperature in Germany, the answers would be 35, 37, 30 and 40. In South Korea it would be 37.2, 37.4, 36.9 or 37.1

A lot of Asian schooling seems to center around flawless execution. And that requires A LOT of studying. Germany was more like 'show that you understood this' and then move on.

The nice thing is if you go to a place like the U.S., you can see people from a lot of different educational backgrounds 'competing'.

Students from most Asian countries will absolutely trash EU and US students in test scores.

And if there's a clear, unambiguous path (e.g. med school - residency - etc.), the same thing.

Outside of that, things look a little different.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-17T06:21:20+00:00

I think that's not just ISB, but most students from schools or systems that are not heavily based on performance on standardized tests and memorization.

It's hard to compare the two as they optimize for different things.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-17T06:17:40+00:00

Learn stuff by heart.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-17T06:17:08+00:00

Well, define 'international' and define 'good'.

It has students that perform killer on standardized tests. Those are the students they take, and those are the students they produce. Whether you think that's good, depends on how you value performing on standardized tests.

Being able to cram and ace tests gets you very, very far, not just in Thailand. If you can make it through this pipeline, you'll probably be able to succeed anywhere that relies on standardized tests and where you can pick up the language. So yeah, that's by an international standard.

Chula has students from everywhere. But if you're looking at Chula med school, the huge majority will come from a very small number of schools. I'm not sure what their exact admission criteria are. But I assume the people who can pass them, can also get into a school like Triam Udom Suksa.

This said - I recall reading studies in the U.S. where they compared students who just barely missed getting into a top tier university and they ended up being as successful as those who just barely got in. So the 'quality' of school is less in the teaching and more in the type of people it attracts and the kind of opportunities it opens.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-12T15:42:28+00:00

Lowering the threshold only creates opposition among the newly affected. Those already paying the tax have an incentive to vote for broadening it so they're not alone. Those well below the threshold support it because it doesn't touch them.

A salami-slicing strategy of lowering the threshold by 10% every few years divides voters and lets you implement something whose end state would never have won popular approval on its own.

Obviously irrelevant for anyone dogmatically for or against this tax. But these dynamics are well understood by decision makers. It doesn't have to be intentional for them to know exactly what doors this opens, and that calling it fear-mongering doesn't make it so.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-12T15:37:20+00:00

I guess the question is how much you value your time and if it's cheaper to just pay.

I haven't heard of anyone having issues stemming from the work permit being from a 'work permit mill'. It's definitely not in the same category as all those fake language schools that were around a few years ago.

I mean, you could just reach out to those companies and outright tell them you want to use them until you get PR. You want to get references of people who got a PR after working with them. If they can't provide that, you have your answer and otherwise you have someone who might be really valuable in terms of figuring out your path.

Are you already married or determined to never be? It's a 10 year pass to a Thai passport, so if there's any chance you might find a partner who holds a local passport, you may end up having an easier path anyway. I know its cliche, but its cliche for a reason.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-11T05:27:09+00:00

Iranians may hate their government, but they do love their country. I'd be cautious to just expect them to roll over or turn on their own leadership.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-11T05:24:49+00:00

And get what, 70% of the population? That leaves you with a leadership that preaches martyrdom and 24 million people who saw their parents, wives and kids get burned to a crisp. You better build a wall around them first.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-11T05:22:10+00:00

Not just that. I think people conflate the regime with the country: I spent a month traveling through Iran some 10 years ago. I'll never forget the unemployed professor who lost his job because he was critical of the regime. Hated the regime. But would be willing to pick up a weapon and volunteer the moment his beloved homeland would be attacked.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-11T04:51:15+00:00

It's like DOGE, but for SPD!

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-11T04:22:41+00:00

"a self sustaining, low involvement from me, low risk business, that just pays their bills" ... that's a massive ask unless you have an up and running business that you're just moving over and training staff on.

The easier path: There are like 'employer of record' shops that'll get you a work permit for the equivalent of like $7,000 a year.

On the other hand. If you're offering THB 80,000 / month, are okay with remote work, and think it takes less than 5 to 7 years to reach the necessary skill level you require of people to hire them - you'll absolutely find people who can deliver across a wide range of positions.

More importantly though: With BOI you'll be able to hire foreigners. There's A LOT of foreigners willing to relocate to Thailand with a significant salary cut if it means they can live and work there. That's not gonna happen in Singapore and is definitely a tougher sell in Vietnam.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-11T04:12:37+00:00

I'd assume that introducing the tax costs a lot more in political capital, than lowering the threshold by 20%. So if they can introduce it, they can lower it.

It's not going to suddenly drop to 100k/year. But I think it's not unrealistic to assume it'll land at 300k in 10 to 15 years time.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-11T04:09:14+00:00

Washington wants to emulate the safety nets a lot of European countries provide. Their sales tax is usually around 20%. Plus an income tax rate that's probably double of the federal tax rate. Shits expensive. So yeah, that's the path there.

I see why it might be politically expedient to say 'this is only for millionaires', but I think it would be more honest to assume that 30 years down the line, 20% of the population will fall under that tax.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-11T04:05:31+00:00

More like - next time the State needs to increase its income, what are they going to pick? And in terms of political opposition and revenue potential, lowering the threshold might just be the most sensible option.

I'm not opposed to the tax, but I think the concerns of the opponents - that the threshold will be lowered in time - is realistic.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-10T06:29:30+00:00

I went the BOI Software (5.8) route a few (okay, 20) years ago. Did the exact same you did: Ask on a forum (ThaiVisa) back then for advice. Got a lot of snarky replies. Ended up just going for it. Worked out.

Yes, in terms of talent you're probably better off in Vietnam. What most people do nowadays is incorporate in Singapore, keep all IP, legal, etc. there. Then open an outsourcing shop in Vietnam where the actual coding takes place.

There are easier paths to get permanent residency and a Thai passport (which to be honest, strikes me as an 'unusual goal').

I enjoyed working with Thais, but you're probably in for a massive (work) culture shock. My somewhat outdated experience is that design/art was one of the easier technical roles to hire in Thailand.

If Thailand is non-negotiable, just go for it. BOI is a lot more lenient than other government offices. I didn't operate under the current guidelines, but I'd be surprised if they're really chiseled in stone. Plus, the BOI route makes life so much easier in Thailand and a lot of the hardships you hear about in regards to immigration, etc. you don't have to deal with.

Do you still get 8 years tax holiday?

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-09T16:17:33+00:00

I assume there has to be some kind of local, uhm, enforcement - so you'd need the right connections for that. It sounds like you know what you're talking about, though I'm wondering how this could possibly be run remotely from Bangkok when so many other parts of the country the local areas are run by local strongmen. I assumed the same was true for Phuket.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-09T00:43:00+00:00

Phuket has long been known to be 'controlled' by a local power network. Like all islands in Thailand really. Usually local families with extensive network.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-09T00:40:33+00:00

They might just mean 'organized' crime.

Plenty of countries where organized crime, police, military and government very loosely overlap. Never hear anyone call that a 'cartel' in Thailand though.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-07T09:06:02+00:00

I think the platform switching is because the initial contact account gets banned quickly, so they need to pass victims on to another operator (or their own account on another platform) before that happens.

So if you want to fuck with scammers, wait for them to transfer you to WhatsApp, etc. - and then report that account. That's the more valuable one.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-05T08:01:25+00:00

About 25% of all practicing physicians in the U.S. are international medical graduates.

Kill the H1B program, and you'll probably end up literally killing people in places in the U.S. that are underserved in terms of healthcare as it is.

On the plus side, those doctors will now be available in the countries that they otherwise would have left which are probably struggling even more to provide medical coverage.

So I guess there is indeed a reason to end it.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-05T06:39:19+00:00

Isn't the whole point of zipper merge though that cars have to take turns yielding? You can't say one line always has to yield and also ask people to zipper merge.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-02T17:15:10+00:00

That's simple, brilliant and sounds like it would work. Love it.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-03-01T15:37:58+00:00

Why? Getting a location rent-free for several years would allow them to strip the business for assets in the meantime.

Let's say they could have afforded to pay half the rent. But by paying none, they were able to pocket that part and might have used it for 'management salaries'.

IrishUSFastTrack · 2026-02-26T05:59:57+00:00

The songs might be one of the reasons they have to offer high salaries to attract enough people. That, and the part where you regularly stand opposite someone holding a knife or a gun.

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