CharlieH

Off topic discussion removed.

A number of petty exchanges removed.

I liked the Bang Saray area, nice little beach, good places to eat out etc, easy distance of Pattaya if thats what you want.

More than half of all voters believe former President Trump will act like a dictator if reelected to office, according to a new poll. The Harvard CAPS-Harris poll found that 56 percent of those surveyed at least somewhat agree that Trump, who is the clear front-runner for the GOP nomination, will act like a dictator if given a second term, including almost 40 percent who strongly agree. The poll also found that 59 percent of voters believe Democrats are unfairly trying to scare voters over Trump by saying he wants to be a dictator. The results come after Trump made and doubled down on comments that he would act as a dictator if reelected president, but only on “day one” of his second term. “Democratic talking points are having an impact on Trump,” said Mark Penn, chairman of the Harvard CAPS-Harris poll. Penn added that the poll suggests people are worried Trump could abuse his power if elected. The poll found about half of all voters believe Trump would be a threat to democracy if he is reelected president, with Democrats overwhelmingly saying they believe so and Republicans overwhelmingly saying they do not think so. Independents were evenly split on the question. Pollsters found that Trump leads President Biden in a hypothetical head-to-head match-up by 5 points, 47 percent to 42 percent, with 12 percent undecided. With the undecided voters required to choose, Trump’s lead narrows to 4 points, 52 percent to 48 percent. Trump’s comments about being a dictator came at a town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity this month after Hannity asked him about reports that Trump plans to take more authoritarian tactics if reelected president next year. FULL STORY

Major flooding in northern Australia has begun to ease but many towns remain isolated in crocodile-infested waters as supplies dwindle. Extreme weather driven by ex-tropical cyclone Jasper has dumped a year's worth of rain on parts of Queensland. Some rivers have swollen to record levels, flooding homes, severing roads and power, and forcing people to flee houses in boats. One man is missing. Hundreds of people still require rescue, many in remote communities. Queensland authorities say the rain has become less intense, and river levels have begun to fall. Rescue and relief efforts have been hampered by the closure of Cairns Airport, where planes were pictured submerged on Sunday. Many communities between Cooktown and Innisfail remain cut off by floodwaters, and food and water stocks are running low. Of primary concern is Wujal Wujal, where up to 300 people are waiting to be evacuated. Former mayor Desmond Tayley told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation he had "grave concerns" for the elderly and people with disabilities in the small community. With no electricity and supplies almost gone, "desperate" locals had been traversing floodwaters where large crocodiles had been seen, he said. "A lot of people risk their lives to get to and from different places within the community... We've got big crocs close to 6m. Being attacked by one of those, you never see someone again." FULL STORY

A volcano has erupted on the Reykjanes peninsula of south-west Iceland after weeks of intense earthquake activity. About 4,000 people were earlier evacuated from the fishing town of Grindavik and the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa was closed. The eruption started north of the town at 22:17 local time (22:17 GMT), the Icelandic Met Office said. The region around the capital Reykjavik has been experiencing an increase in earthquake activity since late October. Images and videos posted on social media showed lava bursting from the volcano just an hour after an earthquake swarm, or seismic events, were detected. A coastguard helicopter has been sent to the area to confirm the exact location and size of the eruption. The Met Office said that the eruption was located about 4km (2.5 miles) north-east of Grindavik and the seismic activity was moving towards the town. The length of the crack in the volcano is about 3.5km, with the lava flowing at a rate of around 100 to 200 cubic metres per second, it added. It said that this was many times more than in previous eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula in recent years. A senior police officer at the Civil Defence told national broadcaster RUV the eruption had happened quickly and appeared to be "quite a large event". Vidir Reynisson said the lava appeared to be flowing in all directions from a large crack in the volcano. FULL STORY

At least 116 people have been killed and another 220 injured following an earthquake on Monday night in north-west China, state media report. Chinese authorities said the 6.2 magnitude quake struck Gansu province around midnight (16:00 GMT) and also affected neighbouring Qinghai. Thousands of rescuers are braving freezing conditions to try and help people in the high-altitude area. A second quake struck neighbouring Xinjiang hours later on Tuesday. The damage from that 5.5 magnitude strike was not immediately clear. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered full rescue efforts to Gansu, one of China's poorest regions. Jishishan county appears to be the worst-hit area. Gansu lies between the Tibetan and Loess plateaus and borders Mongolia. The Monday night quake struck the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, an administrative region for China's Muslim Hui people. Chinese authorities said the quake measured 6.2 on the richter scale, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a magnitude of 5.9 and depth of 10km (six miles). About 10 aftershocks have taken place, local authorities reported. Footage showed hospitals receiving patients, and rescuers searching through the rubble of collapsed buildings. Debris was also seen on the floors of rooms whose ceilings had partially collapsed. FULL STORY

Post and response removed. Members please desist from making personal remarks./name calling.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned there will be “problems” with neighboring Finland after it joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) earlier this year. Finland’s ascension to NATO marked a major shift in the security landscape in northern Europe, and added some 1,300 kilometers (830 miles) to the alliance’s frontier with Russia. It was also a blow for President Putin, who has long warned against NATO expansion. “They (the West) took Finland and dragged it into NATO! Why, did we have any disputes with Finland? All disputes, including those of a territorial nature in the middle of the 20th Century, have all been resolved long ago,” Putin said in an interview published on Sunday. “There were no problems, but now there will be, because we will now create the Leningrad military district there and definitely concentrate military units there,” Putin added in the interview by Russian state broadcaster Russia 1. Putin also dismissed as “complete nonsense” remarks from US President Joe Biden, who earlier this month warned that Putin would “keep going” if he takes Ukraine, suggesting that Russia could eventually attack a NATO ally and draw US troops into conflict. The Russian leader said Russia “has no reason, no interest, no geopolitical interest, neither economic, nor political, nor military, to fight with NATO countries,” adding Moscow does not have any territorial claims in NATO countries. “There is no desire to spoil relations with them (NATO countries), we are interested in developing relations,” Putin added. FULL STORY

Most important is a "reason to return." if that's not absolutely foolproof, expect disappointment. As you were told back in March: Just keep in mind that all questions on a visa application must be answered correctly, failure to do so may well result in the application being refused and if answered dishonestly, may result in the applicant being banned from making future applications for a lengthy period.

Donald Trump is facing a backlash for repeating a remark at a political rally on Saturday where he said undocumented immigrants to the United States are “poisoning the blood of our country”. The former US president’s comments were the latest example of his campaign rhetoric that seemed to go beyond the lies and exaggerations that are a trademark of his stump speeches and instead go into territory of outright extremism or racism. In November he was widely condemned for calling his opponents “vermin”, language that echoed that used historically by dictators and authoritarians. Trump, who is the overwhelming favorite to be the Republican nominee for the 2024 race for the White House, made the comments at a rally in Durham, New Hampshire, attended by several thousand supporters. He added that immigrants were coming to the US from Asia and Africa in addition to South America. “All over the world they are pouring into our country,” he said. The White House hit back, saying that Joe Biden believes “our leaders have a responsibility to bring the country together around our shared values.” “Echoing the grotesque rhetoric of fascists and violent white supremacists and threatening to oppress those who disagree with the government are dangerous attacks on the dignity and rights of all Americans, on our democracy, and on public safety,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement. Trump’s comments come days after he warned that if he is re-elected next year he would act on immigration like a “dictator” – but only on the first day of his term. He has since floated the idea of sending potentially “hundreds of thousands” of US troops to secure the US-Mexico border, build a network of immigrant detention camps, and “begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history”. “He’s disgusting,” former New Jersey governor and Republican presidential contender Chris Christie told CNN Sunday. “He’s dog-whistling to Americans who feel under stress and strain from the economy and conflicts around the world,” Christie said. “He’s dog-whistling to blame it on people from areas that don’t look like us.” FULL STORY

Russia and Ukraine launched more than a dozen drones at each other’s territory for a second day on Sunday, one of which apparently targeted a Russian military airport, while a Ukrainian civilian was killed after drone debris slammed into his house near the Black Sea. At least 35 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over three regions in south-western Russia, the Russian defence ministry said in a post on the messaging app Telegram. A Russian airbase hosting bomber aircraft used in Ukraine was among the targets, according to a Russian Telegram channel critical of the Kremlin. The channel posted short videos of drones flying over low-rise housing in what it claimed was the Russian town of Morozovsk, whose airbase is home to Russia’s 559th bomber aviation regiment. Vasily Golubev, the governor of Russia’s Rostov province, also reported “mass drone strikes” near Morozovsk and another town farther west, but did not mention the airbase. Golubev said most the drones were shot down and there were no casualties. He did not comment on any damage. Also on Sunday morning, Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched overnight by Russian troops in southern and western Ukraine, as well as one X-59 cruise missile launched from Russian-occupied Ukraine in the south. A civilian was killed overnight near Odesa, a key port on Ukraine’s southern Black Sea, after the remnants of a destroyed drone fell on his house, Ukraine’s military said. FULL STORY

MOVED to Health Forum

He either gave up for the day or more likely was at the wrong address ! I've had a few, "no answer" when we've been home all day.

Multiple posts have been removed due to persistent contravention of Community Guidelines.

At a campaign rally in Durham, N.H., former President Trump said under the Biden administration “the American dream is dead” in his latest remarks against Biden. “Joe Biden and the Democrat Party are incapable of solving any problem. They haven’t solved anything, they’ve only created problems,” Trump said. “As long as Joe Biden is in the White House, the American Dream is dead.” Trump continued, saying things will change the minute polls close next November because he will win again and “that crooked Joe Biden” would be gone. The former president predicted that it would be a “historic victory by Christmas of next year.” He then said the economy would be roaring back, energy prices would plummet and the “hoards” of migrants crossing the border “will have ended,” which earned him cheers and applause. Trump, who is polling ahead of the other Republican presidential candidates in New Hampshire, asked voters to help him secure the nomination before anyone else could find their footing, the Associated Press reported. According to polling in the state from The Hill’s partner Decision Desk HQ, Trump has a decent lead with 45.9 percent of support. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is in second with 20.8 percent. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) trails behind with 12.8 percent, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 8.9 percent and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 8.6 percent. FULL STORY

Third T20, Grenada West Indies 222-6 (20 overs): Pooran 82 (45), Powell 39 (21); Rashid 2-32 England 226-3 (19.5 overs): Salt 109* (56), Buttler 51 (34), Brook 31* (7) England won by seven wickets Scorecard Phil Salt's stunning century helped England pull off their third-highest T20 international chase as they beat West Indies by seven wickets in the third T20 in Grenada. Salt brought up his first T20 international hundred off 51 balls and finished unbeaten on 109, with Harry Brook smashing the 21 runs needed off the final over to ensure England chased 223 with a ball to spare in an incredible win. Nicholas Pooran's 45-ball 82 led West Indies to 222-6 as Adil Rashid finished the pick of the England attack by taking 2-32. England are 2-1 down in the five-match series with two left to play. Salt and Jos Buttler both passed fifty as they put on 115 for the first wicket to give England hope, with Salt, who hit nine sixes and four fours, continuing the brutal hitting after his captain was out for 51. England needed 31 to win off the final two overs but Alzarri Joseph held his nerve in the penultimate over as he conceded only 10 to give the hosts the upper hand. But Brook, who was on seven from two balls heading into the final over, calmly hit a four and two sixes off the experienced Andre Russell's first three balls to put England on the brink of victory. He and Salt then ran two before Brook flashed at a wide one from Russell and it flew over the boundary at deep third. The fourth T20 is in Trinidad on Tuesday. FULL STORY

Three Israeli hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza were shot dead while holding a white cloth, an Israeli military official says. The official said the case was "against our rules of engagement" and an investigation was happening at the "highest level". The hostages - Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Talalka, 22, and Alon Shamriz, 26 - were killed in Shejaiya on Friday. Israeli troops have been facing stiff resistance in the area near Gaza City. The case has added pressure on Israeli authorities to reach a deal for the release of the more than 120 captives who remain in Gaza. The wait of their families has gripped Israel, as the military carries out its offensive against Hamas. Speaking at a news conference, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no let-up in the Israeli operations. "Military pressure is necessary both for the return of the hostages and for victory. Without military pressure... we have nothing," he said. Hamas, for its part, said it had told mediators there would be no negotiations to release hostages "unless the aggression against our people stops once and for all". An Israeli military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said an initial investigation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) suggested the three hostages emerged shirtless from a building, with one carrying a stick with a white cloth. One of the soldiers, the official added, felt threatened, as the men were at a distance of tens of metres, declared them "terrorists" and opened fire. Two were immediately killed while the third, wounded, returned to the building. A cry for help was heard in Hebrew and the battalion commander ordered the troops to cease fire. The wounded hostage later re-emerged, and was shot and killed, the official said. The hostages had either been abandoned by their captors or escaped, the official added. A building with a message SOS was found in the area, and the authorities were investigating whether it was linked to the killed hostages. FULL STORY

Liverpool and Scotland legend Sir Kenny Dalglish will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year. The 72-year-old won eight league titles and three European Cups as a player and manager at Anfield after joining the club from Celtic in 1977. Dalglish, who also led Blackburn to the title, is Scotland's most-capped male player and joint record goalscorer. "Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award is truly an honour," he said. "I have always believed in the importance of team success, and I wouldn't be where I am today without all of the players I've played with, the people I've worked for, and the supporters that stood by me, so this is for them." Archive: Kenny Dalglish's five finest moments in football Glasgow-born Dalglish began his career at Celtic, where he won four Scottish league titles before Liverpool paid a then British record transfer fee of £440,000 to sign him. In his first season with the Merseyside club he scored 31 goals, including the only goal in the 1978 European Cup final against Bruges at Wembley. He would go on to win a further two European Cups and five league titles before becoming player-manager at the age of 35 in May 1985. "To go from the dressing room to the manager's office, I wasn't always the most comfortable, but I had fantastic support from senior people at Liverpool," Dalglish said. FULL STORY

Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer is "stable" after he suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during the abandoned Premier League match at Bournemouth, his club confirmed. Both sets of players were taken off midway through the second half as Lockyer received medical treatment. The 29-year-old was responsive as he was carried off on a stretcher to applause and taken to hospital. Luton said Lockyer was "stable and currently undergoing further tests". "Our medical staff have confirmed that the Hatters captain [Tom Lockyer] suffered cardiac arrest on the pitch, but was responsive by the time he was taken off on the stretcher," Luton said. "He received further treatment inside the stadium, for which we once again thank the medical teams from both sides. "Tom was transferred to hospital, where we can reassure supporters that he is stable and currently undergoing further tests with his family at his bedside." Following confirmation the game was abandoned, both the Luton and Bournemouth players came back out on to the pitch to applaud the supporters, with Hatters manager Rob Edwards visibly emotional. Lockyer collapsed during the play-off final win against Coventry in May before being taken to hospital. FULL STORY

Does this suit your sensitivities any better M'lord..... https://people.com/mark-zuckerberg-s-hawaii-super-compound-reportedly-includes-a-secret-underground-bunker-8416854 You may not like the Tiktok platform, doesnt mean its all trash. There are plenty reporting on it https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-jeff-bezos-are-chasing-bunkers-and-space-travel-2023-12

In most cases, you would need to show the regular monthly deposits from overseas and they are marked as such by the bank with a code,You show the bank statements to the immigration. You need to go to your immigration office and ask/confirm with them exactly what they want.Offices do vary. Get it from the horses mouth.