bradiston

This is a poll, aka survey. A poll doesn't ask 100% of the population. That's called an election. The way things are going in the US, the next will be settled by shoot out. That should clear the air.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Thai_Chamber_of_Commerce

Here're the results of another of their surveys, from 2016, into corruption. Apparently things are showing a marked improvement, as the cost of a bribe is down on previous years: https://integrityhasnoborders.com/news/news/117-university-of-the-thai-chamber-of-commerce-survey-corruption-situation-in-thailand-improves

I wouldn't have included you in my results then. Simple as that.

A survey? I conducted "a survey" and there was 100% approval. Why do we get this tripe every day? TATonomics, churning out fabricated figures for every occasion.

Can't see a problem with rolling a few armoured divisions across the Polish and Romanian borders into Ukraine, with Zelensky's express permission, if not invitation. Without even firing a shot it would surely halt Putin in his tracks. Ukraine is NOT his territory despite his claims, so he could have no complaints. He's rolling up to NATO's borders in Romania and Poland, while the mere possibility of NATO rolling up to Russian borders with Ukraine, which could not have happened for many years to come, if at all, is what he claims in part provoked his invasion. Not sure if this is an appropriate subject matter for a Thai forum, but couldn't find anywhere else to post it. I'm not interested in flaming, trolling or other forms of online punch-ups. But I read every day of the worsening situation in Ukraine and just wonder where we, as more than likely expats of countries closely affected by these events, stand.

I think the other guy is right. It's called the New State Pension and differs significantly from the old pension. https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/what-youll-get

You mean revolves around? It's all a conspiracy!

Assuming this was an individually weighed item, seems like she's keyed in the weight instead of the price, although usually a barcode is printed out with all the details on it when weighed. The fact she disappeared for 10 minutes suggests the price was somehow hidden, so maybe the sticky price label got messed up and she's had to go and get the bag reweighed and repriced, all at no extra cost to you! But my point would be, this is your item, it's you who gets it weighed, it's no sweat to check the weight and price when you pick it up. Sometimes you can be surprised at the price and might not even want the item. But who knows? Always check the weight and price label. My ¢20 worth, allowing for inflation. Yes, the cost of a ¢2 comment has risen steeply in line with the CPI and RPI and now stands at ¢20.

That's it. I'm sorry to be the one to break the news, but your ideas are totally out of whack. You think Putin started this just so he could withdraw to some mythical buffer zone 6 months later, that already pretty much existed? Then pulling out altogether in exchange for some worthless agreement? Are you insane? What makes you think he'll stop now? What about the stated objectives, countering the so called genocide Zelensky was supposed to have been carrying out in Donbas? What about the denazification program of a state with a Jewish leader? All the deaths and billions of roubles and you think he's looking for a way out where he achieved absolutely sweet fa apart from a probably worthless agreement for Ukraine not to join NATO which he probably could have got at the outset? Plus 2 more NATO members added to or close to his borders? He's destroyed most of Donbas, so there's nothing there anymore even for the expat Russians. Mariupol ditto. The Black Sea coast is completely obliterated. Your latest suggestion that it's all part of an elaborate exit strategy is just laughable.

You'll have to do better than that if you're going to make these wild claims. Nothing of what you claim was in the agreement makes any sense in any case. 40 years ago? 1982, right? What actually happened was the Berlin wall came down and with it the Soviet Union. West and East Germany subsequently reunited. Absolutely nothing to do with any agreement with Russia, just their absence that made it possible.

Yes, it was the Budapest Memorandum. A total stitch up. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum_on_Security_Assurances

Somebody else said he has pensions paid directly into a Wise account. Is this possible? I use Wise but I don't think the account I transfer to from my UK bank is available to 3rd parties. I move funds from my UK bank to Wise where they're held until I move them on, to a Thai or Filipino bank or wherever, as I choose.

Maybe not, but there were world wide protests against the Vietnam war. In the free world, that is. And major protest movements against the Iraq war. I don't see the same reaction to the Russian war. Where are the protests outside the Russian embassies? People don't react in the same way. And identifying and sanctioning American oligarchs back in 1968? You're drawing ridiculous parallels. 1. It was Russia who originally invaded Afghanistan. The US armed the Mujahedeen to throw them out. I don't think Zelensky is in any way like-minded. But no, it didn't end well. 2. When Russia invaded and brutally suppressed popular uprisings in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968, did the world react? No. 3. When Russia and Germany invaded Poland in September 1939 (yes, they were big buddies then, Hitler and Stalin), and proceeded to carve it up between themselves, did the world react? Yes. Britain and France declared war on Germany. Much later the US joined the war, but only after the Japanese destroyed their Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbour. It seems to me there are many many people on this forum and around the world, who weren't around in the Soviet era (pre 1991). Now, we have a picture being pushed out of poor defenceless Russia trying to protect itself against brutal, aggressive, expansionist NATO. Zelensky's a Nazi, albeit of Jewish descent. The ethnic Russians in Donbas are being exterminated etc etc. What complete and utter drivel. What the Soviets did behind the Iron Curtain and indeed within Soviet Russia was just unbelievable. Trouble is, you can't teach it in schools for fear of accusations of brain washing. Putin is the true reincarnation of KGB/Soviet brutality. All the pictures we're getting of the smiling, friendly man in Tehran? Complete rubbish. He heads a brutal, repressive regime, make no mistake, and if you're a European, it's coming your way.

And all this is the result of a non existent threat. You really believe NATO was about to invade Russia, or at any time in the near future? The demonising of NATO is laughable. Putin is solely to blame. You can see why he launched the invasion. NATO wasn't even on his doorstep back then. It's a land and resource grab. BRICS is the new power block, and you've got Iran and others hungry to join. Putin wants the old USSR back. That's the real threat.

I don't understand. Why can't you just have it paid into your UK bank and move it out here with Wise at your convenience, and at potentially much better fees and rates.

Using the link provided by another responder above, and not the one promoted at the bus station (why direct people to a site that doesn't work?), I managed to book a 5am departure from NBT to Morchit with Roong Ruang.

Do you have a link for that?

Bangkok Bank in London doesn't do retail banking, so I don't think you can open an account there. But you can send through them. My advice, put the pension money in your UK bank and transfer out here with Wise maybe every 3 months, so you can wait for the best rates. My UK bank still pays interest, so I only do minimal transfers.

Do they spend hours driving around picking up and dropping off?

You mean on 12go?

If he's still alive.

One last note. There is an online booking system for the Morchit bus, but it reports full on all buses. So I went to the ticket office who said come on Saturday and book. Of course, why didn't I realise? ????

I already did, but thanks anyway. First trip is scheduled for 0600. I think I've settled on the first Morchit bus out of NBT at 0500, then the A1 airport bus. More comfortable and reliable than a minibus. Thanks to all responders. There is a lot of choice, and flight and date times do make a difference.

https://ridl.io/putin-on-democracy/ Russia is incapable of screaming anything. Putin's made sure of that. He wouldn't be where he is if it was. It has no voice but his voice. That's the catch. But, he, Putin, just used to be the one pushing democracy. But unpopularity in a democratic world would mean disaster for him, so he quickly gave up pushing it. Right now, he'd choke on it, if he ever mentioned it. Your deflection hinges on a ludicrous and irrelevant detail. We're not arguing about democracy. If you can mount any sort of defense of the invasion, destruction, occupation and terrorising of huge swathes and numbers of people in the Ukraine, feel free. It's more than you'd ever likely feel in the reboot of Soviet Russia coming your way.