acepredator

They don't have a civil court system in Thailand? Why couldn't she contact a lawyer and file a civil suit against the clinic for compensation for her medical expenses. In addition, she could sue for punitive damages for the clinic's negligence resulting in significant physical trauma and emotional distress. Where I'm from, that's the course of action someone would be likely to take if he or she were in the same situation.

I don't know which agents you're referring to, but the agents I've talked to here in Chiang Mai follow the rules as put forth by the Immigration Office. You need the 800,000 in the bank or the monthly 65,000 in order to get a visa. There's nothing the agents here can do if you don't meet those requirements. One agent told me that some agents in Pattaya can put 800,000 in the bank for you just long enough to get the visa, and then they get the money back plus some fee, whatever that would be. When I asked if she could do the same, she was absolutely clear that she could and would not do so and that neither would any other agent in Chiang Mai. I only asked the agent out of curiosity because I do not need such a service. I keep 800,000 in a Bangkok Bank fixed account year round. My post was not very clear. When I said I would not keep my money in Thailand, I meant any money other than the 800,000 in Bangkok Bank, which I have no choice but to keep here. For example, I would not invest in property or the Thai stock market. My 800,000 has been safe for many years, and, barring a financial catastrophe, I expect that to be the case throughout the remainder of my time here.

If the Thai government guaranteed that the sun would rise in the east tomorrow morning I wouldn't believe them. If you think that the Thai government is honest, uncorruptible, or competent than you must not have lived here very long. If you have lived here for a significant period of time and still believe anything the government says than you must be using some extremely powerful hallucinogenic drugs or just be completely out of touch with reality. Thanks very much, but I'll keep my money outside of Thailand where a government guarantee is actually worth more than the piece of paper it's printed on.

Thanks for picking up on my deep sarcasm. Very impressive for a non-native English speaker. If by "wet behind the ears" you mean young and naive, the answer is negative. If you mean old and gullible, then I must reply in the affirmative. For example, I recently lent 250,000 baht to a Thai lady I met on the street. She promised to sell her house and three rai of land in Lamphun and repay me. That was three years ago, and I'm still waiting for my money. Maybe old and stupid would be a better description. When will I ever learn that when a Thai promises to repay a loan, you would have been better off buying lottery tickets because the money you lent is gone forever. If you see me begging in the street sometime soon, please show the kindness and compassion to give me a little spare change, or maybe a 20 baht note. As for my other problems, there's IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), adult onset scoliosis of the spine, etc. etc. etc. Yes, I know. That's way more than anybody cares to know. My point is that if you are truly solid for life, both financially and physically, then you are indeed an extremely fortunate individual. The vast majority of people struggling to survive on this miserable, wretched planet cannot say the same thing. But don't take it for granted. We are all only one motorbike or car accident away from being much less solid for life, at least physically, and probably financially as well. Best of luck in the future to you and your family.

Very true. The key question is, however, would you rather trust your money to a bank in New York or one in Phnom Penh? The issue is not about what will be taxed here in Thailand, as ATM withdrawals from either bank, presumably, will be tax free. The issue, at least to me, is the safety and security of my money. It just seems obvious that a bank in just about any country in the world would be more trustworthy than one in Cambodia.

A Cambodian bank account. Brilliant. Why didn't I think of that? I only have an account with Citibank in New York City, the financial epicenter of the world, which I'm sure is much riskier than an account in Cambodia. I'll close my Citibank account immediately and open an account in Phnom Penh. No chance that those honest and incorruptible Cambodians will misappropriate or mishandle my money, unlike those greedy, incompetent, and dishonest New Yorkers. Thanks so much for inspiring me to make such a sagacious and intelligent financial move, as you have done.

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply to my post. I'll follow up on your suggestion. I've signed up for one legitimate website, but so far it is slow to produce any moneymaking opportunities. I'm in the process of signing up for other sites that my research has shown to also be legitimate. It is a ponderous process, but I am staying the course until I see some meaningful results from my efforts.

There is no legal age in the U.S. The United States consists of fifty individual states, each of which has its own set of state laws. These state laws dictate what the age of consent is for that particular state. The ages of the various states are as young as 16 and as old as 18 years of age. If you are really interested, here is a link to the list of the states and their ages of consent: https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/age-of-consent-by-state/

Thanks very much for the suggestion, but I find it to be just a bit on the impractical side. Buying and handling live animals would be very costly and difficult. In addition, modern, domesticated dogs wouldn't have the slightest idea how to kill and eat a live animal, at least the dogs I've owned wouldn't. Today's pampered dogs have evolved to be fed food that comes from a can or a sealed bag. I'm afraid there are no other viable options.

I don't have dogs in Thailand, but in America I fed my dogs the canned dog food that they preferred, which was made from meat. While dogs are classified as omnivores, they are, in reality, carnivores by choice. If no other food source were available, they would eat food derived from plants, but they'd be much happier eating meat. Whoever heard of a vegetarian or vegan dog? And, yes, factory farming is a crime against the animals that are forced to be subjected to it. But, of course, the vast majority of those animals are fed to people, not pampered pets. Pets have very limited choices in what they can eat, unlike people. If more people stopped eating meat, the factory farming system would undergo radical changes in a very short period of time. Don't blame pets for factory farming; blame people who feel they cannot live without consuming meat.

By definition soi dogs are not owned by anyone. They live in a soi, which is why we call them soi dogs. Simple enough for you to comprehend? And, yes, yet again I will say for about the tenth time on this thread that they are pests and that the problem needs to be dealt with in a meaningful and efficacious, but humane, manner. That manner does not involve hollow-point .22 bullets fired from a Sterling semi-automatic rifle or running them over with your car. I think that intelligent and compassionate people (something decidedly in extremely short supply on this thread) can find a better way to deal with this serious problem.

I agree 100% with everything that you said. How nice to see one of the very few posts on this thread that are thoughtful, intelligent, and compassionate towards animals. Sad to say, but it seems that people like you and I are definitely in a very, very small minority.

There are limits there, too. Nobody ever said that freedom of expression is limitless. Generally speaking, the line is drawn when freedom of expression causes harm to someone else. The classic example, specifically concerning freedom of speech, is that one cannot scream "Fire!" in a crowded movie theater. Thanks very much for your suggestion, but I'll stay where I am for now.

Okay. I see. Thanks for your reply.

Very impressive again. I envy your ability to make money on your money. If you can do that, why go to work?

Very interesting. The concept of virtual law firms is something I've never heard of and never would have expected. It just goes to show how much society has changed recently, especially in the age of COVID.

Firstly, I can announce anything I want on a public forum as long as it doesn't violate the rules of etiquette. It's called freedom of expression, and it's considered to be a sacred right where I'm from. How unfortunate that the place you escaped from doesn't enshrine the same freedom. And, secondly, the majority of people who post here spend a great deal of time talking about exactly what they do, so your statement that people keep their mouths shut is absurd, ridiculous, and ludicrous.

I'm afraid that you're absolutely correct. As I said in previous posts, the government needs to get involved and take some meaningful action to stem the problem of stray dogs, but, of course, it never will. In my long experience here, I've concluded that government entities of all sizes are virtually useless. Ordinary citizens will do nothing, except possibly make the situation even worse, so there is no end in sight to the problem.

Sorry, but what best selling book are you referring to?

Wow!!! Over half a century without meat. Congratulations. Your longevity is a testament to the benefits one can experience being meat free. And, yes, the hypocrisy of animal lovers who eat meat is appalling. I've known a significant number of animal lovers in my life, but only a few vegetarians and even fewer vegans. Sad to say, but the vast majority of people in the world will be eating meat until they draw their last breaths.

Absolutely true. Unfortunately, as you said, the major changes that need to be made are not likely to ever happen here. As a result, the soi dogs and the people affected by them will continue to suffer. Very sad situation.

Yes, maybe I'm exactly as you described. In any event, I'm heading out, so have a wonderful evening.

Thanks for the excellent suggestion. I'll be heading out soon (if the rain has finally stopped) to donate to the staff at MY local bar.

Really? After living in Chiang Mai for 17 years I have no idea what Thailand is? I understand that the vast majority of stray dogs have no owners, but it's entirely possible that some might. I have seen dogs on the streets wearing collars that might have some kind of identifying information. It wouldn't hurt to try to locate owners, if possible. Of course it would be a long shot. If no owners can be found, then the dogs should be euthanized, as I've stated in several previous posts. Sorry, but I don't see the humor in this topic, so why are you rolling on the ground laughing?

Really? Those of us who donate to help animals are a sad bunch? Because we think that animals are important, as are people? If you donate to causes that help children, that's commendable. Of course, you should donate to charities that help with issues that you believe in. I also have the right to donate to the charities that I believe in. If you don't understand that, then you are the sad one.