pedro01

No. Chamchurri square 18th floor is BOI - been there before - lotsa queues. The office in the pic above - that's the LTR section.

No queues for a start. No visit to Chaengwattana. No 90 day reports. I mean - just look @ how busy it is in the LTR section...

My times worth more than the 50k!

Wait - there was free candy? Shèeeeeet. And I dont go back for 5 years

Yeah - you feel scared of relapsing

Yes - now on LTR 'P' for pensioner! I'm only 54. Not sure I like 'pensioner'

I know your current state of mind is one of constant fear of relapse. I know you associate with addicts - and you repeat the AA/NA mantra. These are things I learned from you. In turn - what I taught you, is that there is a different path. That (for example) - you can be an ex-alcoholic, that goes to a pub with drinkers and doesn't drink because "they hate that <deleted>".

The people you know are brainwashed into believing they are on a tipping point. It's an ancient and cruel belief that is propagated by AA/NA and it's "sponsors" - it's plain as day what "community" you are in. Bottom line - one of us is happy with something that's in the past and will stay there, the other is in a constant state of fear of relapse. Guess which of us is happier?

You did say this: "Trump abusing his presidential powers to pardon criminals should never have meant it's OK for Biden to pardon his" Just out of interest. How is it abusing presidential power to pardon criminals???? Being a criminal is pretty much the only prerequisite for getting pardoned!

No - why would you think that? Are you telling me that through this discussion- the approach you are defending is the only one you know? You think the only alternative is willpower? FFS

The "addict forever" mindset isn't the bulletproof shield some claim. Studies show 40-60% of AA participants relapse in the first year—hardly a ringing endorsement. Why? Fear and self-doubt are baked into the model. Contrast that with self-empowered recovery: lower relapse rates, a focus on rebuilding, and slips seen as setbacks, not catastrophic failures. Believing you're recovered isn’t arrogance; it’s reclaiming control. Sure, relapse is always a risk—but shackling yourself to an "addict" identity forever? That’s no guarantee of success, just a recipe for living in fear. Recovery should be freedom, not a life sentence.

Cost was 50k for govt and 50k for the lawyer. A good deal IMO

Mmmmmm mmmmmmmmm mmmmmm Love desert

Mmmmmmmm - tasted exquisite

I sympathise. First, let's state the obvious - this is NOT a decent, well-balanced person. She's an idiot - but I sympathise in that she's a brainwashed idiot. I sympathise with her friends and family, not her.

Why the constant references to relapse? Recovery is about building habits and understanding one's triggers, not about being permanently defined by past behaviors. The idea that an ex-addict will necessarily return to addiction oversimplifies human psychology. If someone who has recovered from addiction truly understands the damage it caused, why would they risk returning to it? They wouldn't - they are over it. Ex addicts aren't like you - you've been brainwashed to think your life is a razors edge.

Just got my LTR visa - thought I'd give my experience on it. I applied via an agency as I don't have much luck navigating this stuff myself. But - unlike others reported - it really took very little time and documentation. I had to supply - passport - Bank account showing dividend payment - company resolutions for the dividend And that's it. The process was delayed by me going to Samui for a month - but we booked an appointment today. That was the first time I met the lawyers rep and the first trip to BOI. There's a 'posh' LTR visa section where I waited about 20 mins - and I got the visa there and then. The agency hasn't even billed me yet - which is cool of them. I'm really stoked about this. It was waaaaay easier than my usual retirement visa. Now no taxes and no 90 day reports. It's a wonderful day to be an expat!

Because the Dems internal polling showed them the huge loss they'd suffer - not a single county flipped red to blue. They used fake polling to fundraise - never telling donors they were set to lose. That's dishonest at best, fraud likely

So? Doesn't prove your point. Addicts do dumb <deleted>. Many die. Many move on. Some like being addicts and stay in AA forever. Whatever gets you through the night.

Never said that. Never implied it. Wasn't even on my mind. You see - YOU have been trained to see the addiction boogeyman around every corner as per your post above. Some people are past it, not thinking about their poison, no chance of them doing the above either. Why would an EX-Addict go back to the thing that caused them pain? They don't want it any more, aren't addicted to it or thinking about it. The AA Cult is strong!

So only non-criminals should be pardoned? Think about that for a second...

We don't use that. Grok is ok - but not a serious tool yet - not for marketing and development ChatGPT is good - BUT - you should NOT use the free version of any AI. Free versions use your data for training the AI - it's an intellectual property nightmare. We pay for GPT and let it learn within our area - but it wont teach anyone else what we taught it.

X is a social media platform. It is not moderated the way other social media platforms are. It is moderated to stay in line with the law. That means - all comments are within the law for the country you are reading them in. That means - all comments are legal and within the law. If the law changes, so will X. What the other social media platforms do is police speech above and beyond the law. They police it to prevent hurt feelings or to keep comments in line with the governments version of the truth - ala COVID. Given that X is within the law. That misinformation is protected. What is the problem? And if there is a problem - what could be done to prevent it other than completely arbitrary rules that are not within the law?

This is a good point. I think 99% of people would pardon their son. For stuff they did, stuff they've been convicted of or investigated. Stuff that is known. But this blanket pardon for 10 years - that seems designed to raise hackles. Is Joe not done taking the party down?

You keep telling yourself that - and you'll be absolutely right. The idea that addiction is a lifelong condition can really hold people back. It locks them into this permanent "addict" identity, which isn't exactly inspiring when you're trying to move forward. It can make them feel like they're stuck in this battle forever, reliant on programs like AA, and if they relapse, it’s seen as this huge failure rather than just part of the process. Plus, it ignores the fact that not everyone’s journey is the same—some people do move past addiction without needing lifelong abstinence or constant support. It’s like a one-size-fits-all label that doesn’t really fit anyone properly. This comes across in your writings. I am not saying you can go back to casual use of your poison. I am saying that the state of "post addiction" exists. You can get there. It's nothing to do with going back and casually using - it's about being past addiction, past rehab, past thinking about your poison all the time. It's growing out of it.