likerdup1

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Thanks for this great reply. Where in Mexico do you fancy? Beach resorts? City? Curious. I'm American and doing a bit of scouting around in the future as I'm getting discouraged with Thailand. Just flew into Bangkok a few weeks ago. Not impressed, it's getting over built and more crowded than ever. Pattaya is no fun anymore .. same. Way overbuilt, too many people and crowded.

Sounds like the Philippines. Armed guards at all banks. First time I ever visited a place where guards with shot guns stood out front of each bank.

Big place and many climates. Bogota is actually quite cold during it's winter. Where in Colombia have you lived? What's been your experience there?

Thailand is getting to be less and less attractive as a retirement destination than ever before. Sigh.... I don't like to stereotype people or sound prejudice but I find most Chinese and Russians ill mannered, loud and unsympathetic to Thal culture. Thai's will put up with this for the cash... But me? I'm looking at alternate destinations.. South America is a contender.

From the number of replies to previous posts by the OP I expect the postings in this forum have yielded nearly zero interest in the material. In other words. Nobody is reading this stuff, so I should probably not even bother with my replies. Nobody is reading this stuff anyway. I've been wasting my time.

"must factor this into their personal income tax for the year." Who knows any expat that files an income tax return as it's specifically says in most all non employment VISA's that working is forbidden. Alot of worry about nothing I expect. They would have to start making all expats file tax returns I expect. If this actually happens I'll be considering other countries for retirement living as this will be the last straw in the ever evolving difficulty in qualifying for long term permission to stay in the Kingdom.

I'll I needed to convince me he wasn't an effective business man was the fact he opened a casino in Atlantic City "The Taj" and it failed! Casinos are money making machines. How the hell do you run a casino business into the ground?

Clancy I. rest in peace. Brilliant carrier of the AA message. Was once proud to call him my grand sponsor

That's fine. But I'll be here and checking this forum for alcoholics looking to recover from alcoholism. If I read something that claims to be associated with AA and is counter to the AA message I will speak out out of respect for the AA 12 step program of action that saved my life. From what I understand this forum is the "I drink to much forum" for people looking for help with drinking problems. As far as can tell It's not the "Friends of Bill W." forum for discussion of AA or advertisement of books or blogs promoting so called alternative methods to do the 12 steps.

Let's not stoop to being judgemental or slinging mud. I think we can both agree being judgemental of others is quite the opposite of spiritual behavior. BTW, the big book was written in such as way as to leave very little up to interpretation. I highly suggest studying it. In the text itself they say thet strive to specifically and as precisely as possible show other alcoholics how they had recovered.

How am I supposed to know if I like it or not without reading it? It's not that I don't like it. It's parts are just plain wrong and not AA. As I said there is a lot of misinformation about the AA program that seeps into the AA fellowship. What you've written about these acronyms is a prime example. In this case you are writing material that you claim to be AA program and it's simply not. I'll I'm doing is pointing that out. If you are going to write material that you claim is AA then back it up with actual program literature quotes. Parroting things and ideas heard in the AA fellowship doesn't necessarily make them part of the AA program. Best thing I ever did for myself is really study the AA Big Book and 12 and 12 step essays. And I didn't rely on myself to comprehend those texts. I used program teachers like Joe and Charlie and Bob D and Scott L. best thing I ever did for myself to become a recovered alcoholic. I think it's very important to keep in mind that AA is in the business of saving lives. I want to be as precise and as accurate as possible when sponsoring and communicating the AA program. Just as the original AA authors strove to. Someones life may depend on it.

This is great. Any issues with the local electric company about adding power to the grid? Is this something that is now happening regularly on local power grids throughout Thailand? Or is it that by virtue of how the system works and the meters spins backwards that the electric company is none the wiser about your systems addition to the power grids energy?

One reason I've grown to dislike life in USA is the proliferation of people and their dogs in hotels, all manner of shopping stores (including sometimes food stores by people who ignore the rules) and most surprisingly airplanes. It's irritating and selfish in my view. When I see people strolling through the mall with dogs on leashes I want to go up to them and ask them. What do you think this place would be like if everyone who owned a pet brought them to the mall? We'd be in a ferking dog park! When I go shopping I do NOT WANT TO GO TO A DOG KENNEL or dog park to do it. Reasons: 1) It's unsanitary and dirty 2) They can be noisy 3) Some dogs actually bite and pick fights with other dogs. 4) Some owners have the gall to think that it's OK for their dogs on leash to make contact with people and smell them etc etc. 5) Many people including me are allergic to dogs and cats. It's the dumbing down of USA and growth of the Walmart class of Pajama and slipper wearing, overweight, pizza and burger eating unhealthy consumers.

Many AA's hove found that it is important to reference the 12 step program from AA literature when communicating ideas about AA. I find the fellowship a place where a lot of information get's talked about that does not necessarily line up with the AA program described in it's literature. So repeating ideas kicked around the fellowship can perpetuate misinformation about the true program of AA as outlined in AA basic text literature. Acronyms such as H.O.W. and G.O.D. are examples of ideas that have come from treatment centers or other recovery sources that claim to know the AA program but exist for profit. They embellish or write their own literature without careful study of the original AA basic texts. They give out information about AA that is in many cases not AA. For example. Open mindedness is referenced in Appendix II. Nowhere in the program literature does it have anything to do with taking a sponsors advice or direction. The word is used to express an attitude one should have when looking at spiritual principles or considering the existence of a Higher Power or Power Greater than ourselves. Appendix II AA Big Book: Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problems in the light of our experience can recover, provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts. He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial. We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the program. Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable. Open mindedness is also used in "We Agnostics: (This chapter existing in the book to help persuade atheists or agnostics to be open minded and willing to believe there may be a Higher Power or God to help them with alcoholism) Page 48 Big Book: Faced with alcoholic destruction, we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be on other questions. In this respect alcohol was a great persuader. It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness. Sometimes this was a tedious process; we hope no one else will be prejudiced for as long as some of us were. (the prejudice they are talking about is prejudice toward a Higher Power or God) The AA Big Book concordance @ https://www.164andmore.com is an excellent source one can reference to see how words are used and in what context they are used in the AA fellowships text books "Alcoholics Anonymous" and "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions".

When you say that "she doesn't need to worry about all this onward flight stuff" are you sure the airlines will let her fly on a one way ticket only showing the tourist visa? Would the airlines also want to see an onward ticket? (because the airlines are left responsible to fly a person back if not allowed entry into the Kingdom)

Another thing that appears to work just fine is buying a ticket and then canceling (using the 24 hour free cancellation grace period, this is at least done in the USA). Buy the ticket, print the Itinerary and then cancel. I doubt very much if any of the airlines bother to look up the booking. Just don't book a return ticket with the same airline. Several ticketing agencies in the USA allow 24 hour risk free cancellation.

OK, this is news to me. I hadn't realized as a US citizen I was getting 30 days permission to stay as visa exempt on arriving in Thailand with no pre-arranged visa. I had always thought that was VISA on arrival. So, that begs the question.. who's being given Visa's on arrival and getting permission to stay for 15 days? Strange.

I had thought two weeks extension was the limit for visa on arrival? Has this changed recently? I'm certain I've read a 30 day extension is allowed on a 60 day STV but 30 days for visa on arrival?

Yea, Phils is pretty rough around the edges compared to Thailand. It takes some adjustment that's for sure. You get what you pay for in this situation from my experience.

Are you sure EU residents are getting 59 days on arrival? It's 30 from my experience and then can easily get extended another 30 after that. One can get a tourist visa to the Phils at a Phils embassy and that is 59 days. Visa on arrival is 30 days.

Me thinks one trusts ones own thinking too much. People are generally a lot happier if they let others go about their own business and pay more attention to their own. Rational people take advice from persons recognized as authorities, experts and Doctors in their field. Personally, I feel that the Thai people show great respect for one another (and farangs) by wearing masks. Wearing a mask to a rational person says to others "I may be sick and want to protect you from my infection if I am". Basically wearing a mask says. I CARE ABOUT YOU. The Japanese have been doing this for decades. If a Japanese person is sick they wear a mask out of respect for others. The don't want to get OTHER people sick. It's a great show of respect for others. Not wearing a mask especially when one is sick with an air bourne pathogen like Covid shows lack of respect for others and is a very basic demonstration of self-centeredness.

I'll live there if only if I can find a "genius" girl. BTW did you find one yet? Mensa awaits!!

Nope, not necessarily. He may be viewed as and authority as a teacher and in that case the age of consent is 18 in Thailand. It also states he was wanted for taking her away from her parents which is illegal since she is under 18.

It says he was wanted for "taking a minor who is over 15 years old but not exceeding 18 years old away from their parents, guardian, or caretaker without reasonable cause, willingly and intentionally." The article head line maybe wrong. Why he was arrested may not be for statutory rape YET.. The age of consent in Thailand is 15. HOWEVER, he is an authority as a teacher and the age of consent in that case is 18. ALSO! the age of consent is 18 in the USA and I have heard the USA may have some policy in place with many countries to allow the arrest of US citizens who travel for sex with under age women. Before the discussion ensues I think it would be prudent to figure out just what is going on. This article has some contradictory information.