theblether

Just to clarify. It wasn't me. Just in case anyone is wondering.

This guy has posted in this topic 70 times. 70 times. Dear me. It must be a record for this forum. Shocking.

Farcical. There's no way this survives an appeal. It doesn't matter now anyway, it can't be appealed before the election due to the sentencing date. And I said already, I think there's more merit in the other cases. This one is a joke. A very poor joke.

Well, people are always asking for politicians of conviction. They've got one now.

All Trump has to do is announce criminal justice reform and a minimum of 30% of black voters will support him. However, it has been my long-held opinion that the US justice system is cruel and absurd. The strange thing is, the Democrats broadly agree. The foundation of the US system is legalistic bullying and plea deals. Plead guilty to X and you'll get 5 years, dare ask for a jury trial and we'll land you with ten more charges and you'll be looking at 25 years. Each and every one of us has seen that play out. The idea that people can be sentenced to 600 years in jail is the definition of moronic. In the UK the maximum sentence is whole life. And we give legal aid so that people have a chance of a fair trial. The ghost of King Pyrrhus is wandering around today. Some "victories" just ain't worth it. And before the TDS Brigade launches into frothing attacks - I'm of the opinion that other criminal investigations against Trump had more merit. This one is farcical.

It was from a report in that notorious left-wing rag ( ahem ) known as The Telegraph, quoting security officials. By the way, please tell me you are not one of the halfwits that thinks Iran supports the Palestinian cause. 🤣 Anyway, when you get a chance read this report. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/research-report-72-the-impact-of-counter-terrorism-measures-on-muslim-communities.pdf

By the way, your view of the "Irish" is straight out of The Wolf Tones fantasy playbook. If you'd like to engage on this issue be aware I am from an Irish Roman Catholic family that rejects your delusional view. However, it's off-topic.

White guilt complex - hilarious. I stated a truth. Here's another truth. The Internet is polluted with halfwit clowns that don't have the first clue as to why Muslim nations are rejecting Palestinian refugees. I look forward to you informing the members of the forum why that is the case.

94% of intelligence reports dealing with Islamic terrorism in the UK come from the Muslim community. Without them there would be far more terror attacks. You are deluded if you think the majority of British Muslims support terror attacks. They detest the scum with a vengeance and the consequences for innocent Muslims are immense. A Muslima doctor friend was involved in treating victims of the horrendous Manchester Bombing attack. Exhausted and traumatised, she went home on the train and was subjected to abuse. Have a think about that.

The thing that entertains me above all is the Irish complaining about immigrants. I can't think of many countries that have exported more people than Ireland over the past couple of centuries. And there lies the foundational racist issue. White people should be able to settle anywhere without restriction, brown and black should be put through torturous hell for the right to live in the UK. Add to that a wee bit of religious hatred and you have the perfect combustible mix. This forum is a prime example. The number of people here who growl about simple immigration requirements o Thailand then go wild at their home countries allowing immigration is beyond belief. Quite simply, low-IQ racism.

The mood music looks positive, however, it's been around 15 years since there was a variation in financial qualification. It would be surprising if they reduced the level as that doesn't suit the recent policy announcements of trying to attract a "better" quality of long term stayer. The realistic best most people can hope for is no change.

A bit harsh but you can't truly believe that middle class and elite Thais are going to make it easy for a rice farmers bed-bouncing daughter, eh? No one is that stupid.

why are you all assuming it's one baht per kilo? If it's 2 baht per kilo then she's 60kg

"- Adjusting the criteria and conditions for the Long Stay visa for elderly people who wish to spend their retirement in Thailand, starting in September 2024." Oooft - here we go. So where do they go with this? Raising the 65,000 baht monthly qualifier or 800,000 baht in bank? Let the speculation begin.

I was in that general area for four months. When PV was too hot I went to Guadalajara which was cooler due to it's elevation. I loved Guadalajara, between it's historical areas, general topography and being situated near Bar Girl Heaven ( the town of Tequila ) I found it to be a vibrant and excellent place. However, it's not a well-known tourists destination and while I believe there is a substantial gay community there's very few Westerners. As this is the gay forum, I think anyone aiming to live around the American Consulate/Chapultepec Avenue area would have a great life and there was a large gay nightclub along from the hotel I used. Living further out would be difficult for anyone. A gay guy I knew in Chiang Mai moved to the burbs and hated it. So if PV is too obvious - Guadalajara is my dark horse recommendation.

Puerto Vallarta, Pacific coast, Mexico, is a busy retirement and vacation area for the North American gay community.

I was talking to my brother-in-law yesterday, a former HMS Raleigh trainer. He discussed at length the potential discipline related problems but accepted that military discipline had to be imposed otherwise it would be a shambles. He added that military discipline would need to overarch the entire service period, so fighting in a pub = civilian police handing you over to the MP's. I agree. However, he/we liked the idea of modular training. Youngsters could be put through driving courses, electrical, plumbing, first aid, carpentry, cookery schooling etc. The list is endless and with a bit of wit would not be a dire interruption to their career. Those that chose the military path could go through HGV courses, parachute training, yachting etc All recruits with a sporting or musical pedigree could be streamed to elite programmes. There's far too much concentration on the concept of this being a punishment. And if it were mandatory one-year military service I'd agree. On the other hand, it could and should be a life-changing and life-enhancing event for many. A chance to give them experiences and opportunities they'd never get otherwise in many cases, especially kids from a poor background. Will it ever happen? No. If the Tories were serious they'd have floated this years ago. It's an electoral gimmick when it should have been a reality.

Correct - too many people regard the concept as a form of punishment. Your points are excellent. Loads of people would sign up for a years worth of modules including the issues you mentioned.

How about 90 days military training followed by nine months in Thailand as a classroom assistant. Would you have signed up for that aged 18?

I've been in favour of this for years with some provisos. 1. Male and female service. If its men only, I'm against it. 2. 90 day mandatory military training followed by voluntary streaming into either civic or military service. 3. A complete ban on front line service. No one on national service should be sent to a war zone under any circumstances. The civic service possibilities are endless. From assisting in British and foreign hospitals, to streaming trainee teachers into overseas posts. The 90 day military training is essential to codify discipline. And I accept many will find that punishing. However, once that period is over it could be/should be an enjoyable life enhancing experience.

I'm not a boomer. You forgot to answer: "Please explain to the forum why Mexico's balance of trade with the USA is surging." - I gave you a clue already. In years past we used to have three hundred plus comments on threads like this where people of intelligence and experience argued excellent points to death. These days we're reduced to the ramblings of Dunning-Kruger incompetents. At this point you'll be googling "Dunning-Kruger" to find out what it means which just adds to the hilarity.

I'm not American. And you've just exhausted my idiot quota for the day. Off with you.

IMO, Singapore Airlines will cover all medical bills in Bangkok. The potential reputational damage for a few million dollars for not doing so would be too high. IMO, there is zero chance that they will allow any passenger to go to the newspapers saying "I'm stuck in a Thai hospital until I pay a $200,000 bill."

The tragedy is you actually believe that. You believe that with the power of a thousand burning suns. And it's rank stupidity. A machine in Shanghai doesn't know it's a machine in Shanghai. A machine in Chicago is exactly the same. If you are thick enough to believe that China has labour market supremacy over the US then you are only proving your ignorance. China is already on the road to demographic catastrophe. But - and due to the fact I have a daily ration for engaging with idiots and luckily I have one left today- I'll raise the stakes. Please explain to the forum why Mexico's balance of trade with the USA is surging. This will be entertaining as it will involve actual thought.

37 year old - DVT, after returning from a Florida flight. Maggies dad - Canadian - devastating stroke rendering him vegetative then dying after his retirement flight Big Davie - DVT then stroke after returning from Thailand in 2022, died in the December after a lengthy coma. P - CM legend - six months in BKK hospital after a devastating stroke, retirement flight from the USA, lived with horrendous realities that I won't name, no dead. J Small - collapsed and died on the runway - stroke. LR - stroke, rendered comatose, dead six weeks later ( Heathrow ) JT - stroke, Nigeria, oil and gas worker relocating from Brazil Let me add, I diagnosed and prevented J Small from dying from a heart attack way before his stroke. People that know me from CM know exactly who I am talking about re Big Davie, P, and Maggies dad. I couldn't believe I was looking at my thirty-seven year olds friend in his open coffin. My first stint as an ex pat was in 1970. Nine people died associated with the iron or mine my father worked on in the first year. International travel and expatriate lifestyles are dangerous way beyond the norm. Too many people take far too much for granted.