55Jay

Implicating "the third party in an improper manner". Is that a reference to the bogey man in Dubai?

Looking over the OP's comments, seems to have his shit together but being in the O&G profession, he's thinking about the "what if" scenario. Nothing wrong with that. He already knows what his situation is and like him, I'm also interested from time to time, to read about how others get on here.

With all these similar types of threads, I've noticed a trend in the 50-70k/month range.

Thai Immigration law requires retirees to have 65,000Bt. / month or 800,000Bt in a Thai bank.

Very informative. Thank you, Ed.

How nice of the patronising US Ambassador to find the time to "observe the drought situation' and to point out that KK is considered the capital of the north east, something that everyone else has known for donkey's years.

I'm sure Khon Kaen residents will be eternally grateful.

Yeah but I'll bet you 7 1/2 Baht the UK Ambassador just read this story and face palmed himself.

"Upstaged again by those bloody Yanks! Dam_nit!"

Sorry to be a hall monitor here, but the bringing up of rickshaws was obviously a BAITING attempt to derail this topic into an irrelevant area. We've had plenty of threads over the years where people try to stereotype and insult expats as coming to Asia in a racist/white colonialist way to exploit the poor natives. NOTHING to do with this topic. Please go somewhere else with that kind of inflammatory garbage.

Of course some people took the bait. That's what people posting such diversions are hoping for.

That said, in the early hours of this thread it looked like this topic was destined to be a total DUD and/or trainwreck. It happens. When starting topics, you can't really predict whether there will be resonance or not.

INSTEAD, the response has rather surprised me and there have been many excellent ON TOPIC responses of real value here.

So THANK YOU for those QUALITY posts. Cheers.

Sorry.

There's this trend among younger sets about living the "Thug Life". Perpetuated by the increasingly main stream hard core gangsta rap crowd, it's become the "thing" to emulate across racial and economic lines.

I noticed, moreso in California, that young people use a lot of popular jingles and cliches in conversation. Seems to be more wide-spread now with the internet, Faceplant and the 7/24 media churning out sound bytes for regurgitation by the masses.

Always had homeless people in San Diego, but they did seem more numerous. There's a current issue with younger, more aggressive homeless panhandlers hounding people and getting in their face. I didn't run across this in the areas of Florida we visited recently.

More of a state by state culture shock perhaps, but being from Ca. and having drifted into the atheist/indifferent lane in the past 10 years, I was taken aback with the in-your-face Jesus marketing in Florida. Driving up the Turnpike, there were billboards the size of 747s, that "He" was the solution to whatever ails you, and could also balance your check book. Realize it was probably always like that, but considered the christians could feel threatened by other rising religions and growth of atheist/indifference. A need to remain relevant, and compete for market share, could be driving a more aggressive campaign. Nobody bothered me while we were there, but I did feel like I was in the belly of the beast as churches were as numerous as 7-11s here.

Well, come now....everyone who posts on the internet is a financial genius, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, martial arts expert, Seal Team 6 member, etc etc etc.... surely you have learned that by now???

Yeap, a simple Yes or No from an anonymous keyboard warrior don't always hack the mission....some additional info explaining the Yes or No is needed...and really desired by the person posing the question whether they asked for some details or no.

And sometimes those details given in support will show that keyboard warrior ain't got a clue what they are talking about. Some of the answers to questions seen on the internet, especially related to computers, are simply comical and completely wrong (but usually well intended).

You forget the most represented categories:

• the never happy
• the professional complainers
• the ones who have nothing to say but criticize the previous messages

• The moaners who moan about the moaners moaning about other moaners.

sorry to jump in...

If my deposit interests exceeding 20,000 THB 15% tax is deducted from future interests.

To avoid this the bank recommends to open a new account - transfer the money - and the interest will start by 0 again.

Is this correct?

Yes, this is what I do at Krung Si.

Calendar new year also gives you a fresh start at 0.

This is one of the regular conspiracy stories that comes up every once in a while.

What the guys testimony actually proves is that the IRS has hired some complete idiots.

Here's a Snopes article about it

http://www.snopes.com/business/taxes/voluntary.asp

It gets recycled by doodle brains who think they've stumbled upon a secret, and can't wait to share their unbelievable discovery with the world.

Talk about timely discoveries, the CNBC video clip, lower left, advertises Tim Russert on Meet the Press. Tim passed away in 2008.

" It gets recycled by doodle brains who think they've stumbled upon a secret, "

LOL

on the other hand it could mean that the majority of the sheeple still haven't woken up to the legalities?

in the documentary I referred to in the previous post I would hardly call some of the people that were interviewed or indeed the producer and director of that film a doodle brain

Ok, so you are awake. Endowed with this insight. You are not one of the 'Sheeple'.

Charged with this information, did you pay tax and file a return this year?

If you really want to control pests, the last think you want to do is drive snakes away. They are natural pest control.

Indeed. Controlling other pests, like rats/mice, is an effective strategy to help reduce the chance of a snake hanging around the property for the food source. Frogs are another favorite.

MIL had a big rat problem due to all the big sacks of rice she stores in her kitchen. To their Buddhist shock and horror, I trapped 14 in 2 of those sticky pad things in just one night. They preferred I not do it again.

I was pleased, and so where they but for different reasons, when a soi cat adopted the place a while back, jumping into the kitchen through an open window at will. Within days, rats were thinned out. Eaten or otherwise moved camp due to the threat. Cat found dead out by the back pond a few months ago. Rats are back in force.

You don't sound very credible, your fluff links don't support what you've said, and now you are making assumptions and snarky comments. I'm interested, not looking for a bun fight. What is the relevant "stuff" you've read re: Guam, Singapore and Brunei as "home ports" for nuke carriers? Come on, help this dumb squid out.

55Jay, be carefull when you read stuff from Publicus.

Yes, the links are fluff links, usually opinion posts from whatever websites that cheer on whatever Washington's foreign policy is.

Publicus is constantly putting up posts that bang the drum for America's war machine. Publicus is against the Bush regime (well, that's dead easy to do, who on earth can support the Bush regime after Iraq) but constantly cheers on America's military might. Going on and on in gory detail about America's aircraft carriers and combat jets.

What makes Publicus's posts dangerous is, is that Publicus supports Hillary Clinton of the Democrats (but not Bernie Sanders) and Publicus wants to distance himself from the war-mongering Republicans. But Publicus is all about banging the war drum, as you can see from his posts, it's just that he wants to bang the war drum without the Republican tag. He might as well be in the same ranks as the Republican war-mongers. Actually, he is.

Well, thanks for the warning.

The hawkish drum beat was not lost on me either, but as you can see, I was drawn to other parts of his comment.

Water bottles rolling around down there can spell trouble too.

Have someone wire you some money. Pay them back when you get home.

Man's best friend.

My best (human) friend has never bitten me.

Well you are fortunate, hundreds are killed by dogs worldwide every year, Not such a lovely little pet when they rip your kids throat out are they

http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2015.php

That was the point of the comparison. I think you missed it.

How would you deal with a snake in your garden in Oz? Do you own a gun there for that purpose?

Man's best friend.

My best (human) friend has never bitten me.

Religion has a way of taking credit for the "good" stuff that happens.

The bad stuff is all your fault.

Interesting to see the enthusiasm of presumably US ex-military to make war on both Russia and China. The US has been struggling with pissant countries of late so not sure where that type of confidence comes from.

Seems the old maxim of not making war on two fronts no longer applies. What I've read suggests things may not go as planned, if they ever do. Let's hope we don't end up a smoking pile of irradiated rubble.

Unfortunately, the US was engaged in follies elsewhere, and those who would seek to take advantage of the vacuum, revealed themselves.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Confronting them later will be dicier than calling them out now. Let's hope Publicus' take on "The CCP Boyz" is accurate, and everyone retreats to their respective corners.

Like squeezing a balloon. Crack down on the fake monks on one end, NCPO fakes bubble out on the other.

I seldom agree with anything you write but you are correct that I know nothing of the UK, having never visited. I don’t claim any insights into modern relationships in the US, either, but I do know about life in Thailand both single and married life.

In my youth I noticed that not being from a broken home was a bit unusual but it made me realize one doesn't need to be representative of the norm or follow the herd.

Threads like these are repetitive and predictable.

I'm prone to withdrawing, selfishness in a similar pattern, so it's hard slog to read through all this shit......... because it touches a nerve. I see myself in some of the comments and sometimes do not like what I see.

The upshot, at least for me, is realizing I'm not too far down the miserable old cow lane because I'm still capable of reflection, critical self-analysis, realizing again how we affect each other. Exacerbated in part, by the additional dynamics in a cross-cultural marriage.

But realizing you've been a turd is only half of it. What you do with that stark realization is the harder bit.

Wife came up and plopped down on the sofa a little while ago and it just happened, because I let go and let it happen, slowly letting out some of the consternation and resentment brewing in me about our somewhat stagnating period of life here - of which is through my own design now turning to apathy. It was hard, but after a while, it flowed naturally into refreshed, hopeful ideas about the future, like we used to do. The feeling of relief between us afterward was palpable, and refreshing as a summer thundershower. We kissed and hugged each other, jesus, we were thinking the same things all along and once again, it was mostly me in the way.

It's easy to become stuck, cynical, hardened refusal of the things that make us human in a cruel world. They key is not letting it build up, and that takes a consistent effort, and that's where I often screw up along the way. Of course this is true in any relationship, but for my part, I need to be more mindful.

The flowers were still there, just had to pull a few weeds out to allow them to bloom again.

So thanks, Dr. Phil. LOL. Cheers.

I found your reply very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Contrary to on-line persona, I stump up a decent one now and again. Usually on Monday.

It's 3:16pm.

This is one of the regular conspiracy stories that comes up every once in a while.

What the guys testimony actually proves is that the IRS has hired some complete idiots.

Here's a Snopes article about it

http://www.snopes.com/business/taxes/voluntary.asp

It gets recycled by doodle brains who think they've stumbled upon a secret, and can't wait to share their unbelievable discovery with the world.

Talk about timely discoveries, the CNBC video clip, lower left, advertises Tim Russert on Meet the Press. Tim passed away in 2008.

As a Junta they have license to do what they want. They can employ who they want when they want how they want. If they were working under a democratic system this would be highly unethical and is ironically in a small part why the Junta stepped in. Democracy allowed nepotism to flourish unabated.

Pertinent questions by rational people before commenting would be, Is this person the best person for this position? Does he have the qualifications for this role? How many officers are appointed positions? One, hundreds, thousands? If he is but one officer appointed into 10 000 available positions then this is a non news story.

If it is a position as general of combat forces then it is another story.

With this mindset no relative of any govt official can have any job in Thailand that is govt or military related without it being construed as nepotism.

Of course the doom and gloom media will contort this and omit important and critical facts to suit their means while the gullible will lap it up like new born pups on their mothers teat.

Who are the rationale Thai people who would dare to ask pertinent questions?

And so the meddling do gooders flail around precisely because an aloof junta has the expanding license to do whatever they want.

Power corrupts. Absolute power does so absolutely. It's just a matter of time before it all blows up in their face. If it weren't them, it would be somebody else. Taking sides is merely choosing which flavor of shit you like over another. Nothing to gloat or lecture about. You sound ridiculous every time you do.

The only restraint on the junta is the threat of exposure and accountability via the internet/media.

It must annoy the s**t out of them on a daily basis.

A bit like pointing out 1 race car at F1, is driving fast.

But somebody's gotta be the brave one to challenge the norm. Especially noteworthy doing so in the present situation.