allanos

The US has to project military might around the world, and fight any wars it deems necessary, in order to maintain and bolster dollar strength as the world's reserve currency, a position it is not going to give up readily. Something like 40% of the world's trade is conducted in USD, whilst the USA itself only accounts for around 10% of international trade. Protecting dollar strength is one means of restraining galloping inflation at home, which is already at its highest in forty years. If the mighty dollar were to fall, its purchasing power falls too. The consequences domestically are enormous. Mr Biden and the Dems have already figured this out. He wants a second term. He can kiss it goodbye if inflation gets out of control.

I see tardiness in others as a form of abuse. If one is kept waiting when others are late, you are being robbed of one of the most precious things in life - your time! It is the height of bad manners, and totally disrespectful!

In any case, there would have to be an extradition treaty in place between the country where he is, let's say detained, and Thailand, in order for extradition to take place. It is not as straightforward as some appear to believe.

First, you need to have a life, not an existence!

There is no one size fits all or blanket answer to the OP's question, surely, unless lawyers acting on a contingency basis are prohibited from doing so under Thai law? Sure, it may not be the norm, but if a case is big enough, with a potentially large pay-off to a lawyer who takes it, and he thinks it is win-able, then why not? His costs are marginal, with the possibility of an above-average return. The OP needs to dip his toe in the water, and see what may be out there, IMO.

The lady in question doesn't sound to be a rank amateur if she was able to eject the magazine, place the live round in it, replace the magazine in the pistol, jack the bullet up into the chamber, and fire it. In my view, it makes her conduct even more puzzling. It is possible that the instructor died from the shock of sudden blood loss.

There is investing, trading, and speculating. One has to understand the differences yet none of these is for the faint of heart. If you don't understand what you are doing, stay away and put your money where you are most comfortable. Be aware that low risk equals low reward, however. Not all crypto's are the same and it is important to do the homework before entering the market space. Only a few have real value propositions (use cases). Although called a cryptocurrency, Bitcoin is a tier-one long-term store of value, much like gold has proven to be over a vastly-longer period. However, tier-two protocols have come along, or are being developed, like the Lightning Network, which allow greater speeds and functionality, and are allowing Bitcoin to be used as money. Broadly speaking, Bitcoin is correlated to the S & P, and Nasdaq, although it will de-couple in time, and will be a stand-alone asset. Volatility is a given, how else has it wildly out-performed other risk assets since its inception? It may be likened to the early days of the internet, which, don't forget, was once written-off as a non-starter. Just look at it today, though. Where would we be without it? Bitcoin adoption is growing twice as fast as the internet did. Essentially, it is the internet of money. For those who recognise this, the long-term rewards are enormous. It is easy, however, to bark and disparage it from the sidelines, largely by those who have not made the effort to understand its true value. Time will tell! A case in point: Amazon was hugely volatile in its formative years, even dropping as much as 90%. For those who kept the faith, their money has multiplied by thousands of a percent. Expect Bitcoin to do the same.

It would appear to me that the deckchair/ coconut vendor was simply setting out the ground rules of his particular, individual operation, and in the manner peculiar to his culture. This affronted the OP's Eurocentric and delicate sensibilities, and who will never darken the vendor's doorstep again! Lol

At Jomtien, I can look at the sea from the comfort of the open restaurant area of the EuroStar Hotel, sit at a table in a cozy chair, and sip coconut juice for as long as I like for around 45b a pop. Why would I go through the repeated "ordeals" of the OP? Lol

National inflation numbers are massaged or manipulated. Anyone who believes government-published inflation figures is living in a fool's paradise. Regular trips to the grocery store tell you all you need to know. Individually, our personal inflation rates are highly skewed one way or the other from those produced by governments. What if you don't own a car? No gas/ petrol, maintenance costs. What if you live in a home which has been fully paid for? No rent to pay, etc. ACTUAL inflation numbers, those in the REAL WORLD, are 1.5 to 2 times what governments are telling you. Lastly, keeping your money in the bank is not a smart move. Simplistically, if inflation is running at 10% and the bank is paying you 2% interest annually, it is costing you 8% each year to keep your money in the bank. After around 6 years, the TRUE value of your money is around a half of that you had when you started.

There is an interesting "take" on Karma, if one believes that time is on a loop - a continuum - as posited by Albert Einstein. This means that the future may have already happened. Thus, is one paying for a bad deed done in the past, or paying forward for a bad deed done in the "future"?

Exceptionally well-argued and explained!

I cannot remember the source, now, but I once read that The London Rubber Company, then makers of the "Durex" brand condoms, had to make a smaller size than normal for the German market!

No problems at all at Doha! I came through Heathrow on 8th March. The immigration queue was not an issue and moved along quite rapidly. I encountered a slight delay using the automated (British) passport-reader, and had to ask for help from a "boundary-rider". She advised that I remove my passport cover before inserting the passport in the scanner, and my problem was immediately resolved.

Upper implants I received twenty-five years ago eventually worked loose and came out. Two years ago I researched the costs of having the work re-done, either in Thailand or India. Indian prices were far cheaper than those of the dentists in Thailand. The dental practice I corresponded with most in India was also prepared to negotiate on price, Thailand practices less-so.

"That thought, analysis and planning was deficient, because Putin had surrounded himself with yes-men. He did not have anyone in his inner circle of advisers to say this is a bad idea". Do you have intimate knowledge of this, or is it simply conjecture on your part? Are you privy to the strategic inputs of Soviet central command? "Russia does not have undisputed control of Ukrainian airspace". No, but they could have, if they wanted it, and was my point which you have overlooked.

What Putin and his troops are doing in Ukraine is abhorrent, no question. Thailand's stance in all of this is a side-show, not to be even a footnote in history. Aside from the hysterical chants that he is a psychopath or a megalomaniac, what does a reasoned analysis of the bigger picture say? The man is an ex-KGB major, after all, and no doubt has an above-average appreciation of geopolitics. He did not wake up one morning and say, "I think I will invade Ukraine today"; a lot of thought, analysis and planning would have gone into making the decision. It is also true to say that he has only wrought a small percentage of Russia's overall might upon Ukraine; he could have used the vast Soviet air-power to quickly bring the whole of Ukraine to its figurative knees. But he hasn't done so. What is the game-plan? What too, is the endgame? Mr Putin will surely have one in mind. We have yet to see it play out. And to the poster who said wars are all about money, I agree wholeheartedly. There are bankers and middlemen no doubt rubbing their grubby little hands with glee, for, no matter the outcome, they will exit far richer than when they went into the war.

"I am doing my best to minimize contact with others by coming Q suites with Qatar". I don't think this will help much if you are flying banjo class with QR, as I did recently. An Arab gentleman, sitting next to me, coughed and spluttered the whole of my journey to Doha, where, thankfully, he disembarked. Similarly, many of the other pax around me were coughing, the whole of that leg. I picked up a serious cold (not covid) from my particular flight nearly a month ago, and it is still with me. My advice is to fly business or first class to avoid close contact with others.

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The OP states that his forex broker is "listed" on the MT5 platform, which is quite incorrect. The broker has simply purchased the rights to use the MT5 platform to allow his clients to trade. MT5 is not endorsing the broker in any way, which is a totally different thing. It is clear that the OP did not perform any due diligence before involving himself with this particular broker. The important warning, "caveat emptor", applies in all such dealings. Nevertheless, it occurs to me that rather than being a scam, the broker may have certain parameters in place which do not allow a swift withdrawal of trading funds; there may be a delay in place. Such parameters may be detailed in the fine print of the contract the OP entered into at the outset. It may be worthwhile taking a closer look at the agreement. Something else: how was the account originally funded? If by a credit/debit card, then it is possible any loss by way of a "scam" may be clawed back from the card issuer. It may be worth a look.

Is the broker licensed, registered with a particular Authority? Start there!

Until recently, "climate change" was called "global warming" by alarmists, until it was shown that the globe ain't warming. So another narrative had to be introduced to feed the sheeple, and further enrich the powerful elites. Nonetheless, it cannot be gainsaid that the climate is changing, as it has done for millennia and longer. What is contentious is how much anthropomorphic (man-made) activity has contributed to it in modern times, which cannot be proven. Furthermore, do the doomsayers believe, (if they have thought about it), that reducing egregious human consumption, pollutants and harmful gases to some kind of "net-zero" will actually impact, much less reverse, climate change? The argument is tenuous, to say the least. Not to say that curbing large-scale, industrial waste and pollution is a bad thing, of course. But we shouldn't overlook the advances that have been brought to human civilisation because of industrialisation. For example, plastics have brought life-changing benefits to mankind; it's disposal leaving much to be desired, however. This latter "side-effect", or unintended consequence, is something which can be improved, even eradicated, given sufficient will. My instinct is that an immense amount of the supposed impending perils wrought by climate change are invoked by vested interests; primarily, a case of "follow the money". Much of the disaster scenario timelines painted by Al Gore in the misleadingly titled, "An Inconvenient Truth", did not eventuate and have proven to be a crock of faeces. Those leading scientists who attempt to portray a different reality are ignored, sidelined, shouted down, or have their funding cut off. At this stage, the bandwagon would appear to be unstoppable, as politics, and vast sums of money being made by those with an eye on the main chance, are the main drivers, no matter the truths or absence thereof behind the move.

Silver, although a precious metal, largely falls into the category of being a "commodity", for all of the industrial uses, including solar panels, which it has. If the world plunges into recession, as some predict, the price of silver will go into a tail-spin again. Is cash in a bank truly protected? Look at the "bail-in" which occurred with Cypriot banks a number of years ago, where customers' money over a certain level was seized (and presided over by the Eurozone monetary authorities). It can happen anywhere. The rule-of-thumb that 10% of one's assets should be held in gold remains true. In my humble opinion, a larger percentage should also be held in its modern equivalent, Bitcoin, which is digital gold. Bitcoin and gold are not immune to market corrections; they are strongly correlated to the stock market. But, following an initial tumble in line with shares, will likely hold their values better, and rebound more quickly, and soar to new ATH's when the dust settles. Be aware that central banks are busy inflating your present notional wealth away. Recognise that even the "official" inflation rate of around 7-8% per annum (and only if you are naive enough to believe such official nonsense), is making you pretty well that much poorer every year. Your liquid wealth today will be worth less than half as much in ten years time. You will have nothing, but you will be happy - officially!

Back when Zimbabwe was called Rhodesia, and South Africa was employing a domestic policy known as Apartheid, what the OP is suggesting, (trans-shipping etc) was called "sanctions busting"! If Thailand sows the wind, it may reap the whirlwind!

I have a much more relaxed view of this situation than the OP, having lived in Africa for most of my life. Johannesburg Home Affairs offices (for passports, ID documents, birth certificates, etc) are incredibly busy. Jam-packed each and every day. I won't go into the many reasons why, but let's say it ain't gonna change anytime soon. Queues (note the spelling) are invariably out the door and down the street. Many local "courier" companies will have one of their employees queue on one's behalf, and relinquish the particular spot in the queue to their customer when close to the front desk or counter, and who happily pays them for the privilege. This service can save the customer countless hours of non-productive time. It is an accepted practice and everyone goes with the flow. No one gets his or her knickers in a knot over the matter. It is seen as a commercial issue and worth paying for as a time-saving device. Moreover, it provides employment for the "queuers", who may otherwise be on the streets, destitute. Rather than be affronted, I think many of the posters here might take a fresh look at what is not exactly a serious "crime", but a bit of Thai-style enterprise taking place. Try to see it more as a Thai would, and not through a Westerner's eyes.