soalbundy

What woke you?

He seemed like a nice boy.

That might be a tad foolish since they could then demand payment for oil in say Euros instead of dollars, that would end the dollars might as a 'go to reserve currency' which considering the enormous debt that America has would lead to its collapse, China, Japan and Europe would quickly unload their dollar bonds (at a huge loss) and Americans would have to start producing things instead of being a net importer and living off debt.

As Twain once said, "If voting made a difference they wouldn't let us do it"

All three of them should never even have been considered for high office, especially Trump, his rise is just unexplainable. It is unfortunate that this seems the best that America can do. Obama was the last decent president since Kennedy. They seem to pull them from the psychiatric or geriatric wards these days.

Weak, hypocritical, lacking true life experience but wanting to stay relevant.

Since one must still go to the IO for the sticker it would be better to stick to the old procedure and do the extension in person and save yourself 500 Baht......or is the new system compulsory? It seems to complicate things as they will have two systems running side by side.

Whereas the UK government is a beacon of stability, I'd take Germany any day.

He was acting irrationally, he was a danger to himself and others, the police in Germany wouldn't have acted differently. The man obviously has mental issues and wasn't open to a peaceful settlement. He chose to overstay and is now suffering the consequences.

Human behaviour is what it is, the death penalty doesn't stop murders, strict laws, controls and harsh punishments doesn't stop drink driving in the west, general knowledge regarding the futility of war doesn't mean the world is peaceful. Human beings are an enigma, selfish, caring, loving, hateful, logical, irrational, spiritual, materialistic, greedy and generous, it's what we are, we aren't in control, causality is.

So this doesn't happen in falangland? No it can't be stopped, that is how it is, you can't control everything.

Usually a wedding, 3 days at the most, usually 2. Don't bother complaining, remember, you are the odd one out, it is as it is.

He's not even an American

This morning I went to immigration to get my 18th visa extension in their swanky new building, it was the first time I had been in it. To my surprise my normal officers with whom I have friendly relationships were nowhere to be seen. During the course of signing a 100 documents a woman officer pulled my wife aside and asked where I work ;- Wife "He doesn't work, he's retired" IO "How can he possibly get so much money each month from a pension" wife "He does, it is verified by the German embassy, you have the letter" IO "It just seems suspicious, an Englishman getting a large German pension, where did he work" wife " We have explained this in the past, we've been coming here for 17 years without problems, where are the usual officers?" IO "Since we have had the new big boss (big joke?) all officers get moved around to different IO offices to prevent familiarity which could lead to corruption" wife (haunches up and claws out) "Are you accusing us of corruption" IO " No, no, no, of course not, it's just that these days we have to be very careful that we aren't lied to" wife "check your computer and you will see how long we have been coming here" IO "No need for that, sorry, didn't mean to cause offence, the visa will be ready in 10 minutes" So, looks like stricter times so dot the 'i's' and cross the 't's' but this being Thailand it's probably a flash in the pan, a new broom sweeps clean until tea break.

You can't blame refugees (or economic migrants) for trying to get a better life (although if that is their goal the UK is the wrong place) The fault lies in the system.

If those are working in the UK then they are paying taxes and providing a (usually) high quality service, those who are a nuisance can be refused a residents permit, the laws are in place, they just have to be applied.

A Schroedinger's cat question.

He was having a panic attack, not quite the adventurous person willing to take the world by storm...he was attacked by diversity, threatened by adverts and scammed by packaging. ????

Nostalgia isn't as good as it used to be.

Like, drunk in charge of a lawn mower?

If they knew all about me it would bore them to death

Reminds me of some humorous banter one can have with a falang. In Chiang mai I often ate at a small road side cafe tucked away in a small soi. The owner and cook was an Englishman. One day he made a very good meal and I congratulated him ;- Me "well, you're certainly improving" Cook "I'm glad you enjoyed it" Me "But I didn't enjoy it, however you are getting better at it" That would have been pistols at dawn instead of laughter if he had been a Thai, I do miss the funny dark humour and sarcasm of England. Thais don't do sarcasm, even my Thai/British 15 year old son who speaks perfect English doesn't understand it, it just annoys him.

Yeah, to hell with the mortgage, let's max out our credit cards on a holiday in Thailand, to hell with the interest rates.

There is also a big difference in 'attitude', you can make a Thai lose face without meaning to so easily that social interactions can be a mine field, you have to be very careful with friendly banter. I have a Thai neighbour, he is about 50 years old so younger than me, we had a very easy going friendly relationship. He offered to help me paint the outside of my house, he started mixing one bucket of paint with too much water so I stopped him and jokingly pointed to the instructions, "it says here one to four not half and half", he blushed profusely and turned his face away, I then suddenly realized through his response that he couldn't read Thai and I as a falang could, it was a huge loss of face. Nothing was said openly about him being illiterate but we both understood, it was the end of our easy going relationship, still friendly but distant. I had simply assumed that, like Europe, everybody could read, my bad.

How much did she rip you off ?