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The Ice Man has left the pattern for the final time. RIP.

20 year Elite Visa? Then "she does not have go back". I have heard this phrase many times "my forever home"? That is until your next visa extension at Immigration. One is not guaranteed a long term stay in LOS. It could end early so plan accordingly.

Then why are they still conducting bombing operations? Their allies are China and Russia and any other countiy that does not criticize them. This is fact and not "diatribe". Why would I do myself a favor based upon what you said? Even in this tme of desperate need the government of Myanmmar says one thing in public but will do the opposite. Do you really think a US Air Force C-17 will be landing in Napiyadaw anytime soon? The US Military has a history and tradition of going anywhere in the world that needs emergency aid as long as the host country lets them in. The US Military has significant assets in Japan and S. Korea and can mobilize quickly because this is part of their global response mission. However they will not enter Burmese airspace unless they are assured of safe entry and exit. This is just common sense. This type of assurances might take time to negotiate. China and Russia do not have to be concerned about these things.

Does anyone think the Myanmmar government wants US rescue workers flooding int?

These alert systems fail more often then succeed. It's not just Thailand. Recently in LA during the height of the wildfires two false evacuation alerts were sent. It's not the system but the people who run the system that determines the accuracy and timeliness of the alerts.

I was back in LA in Feb and a dozen eggs at Wal Mart was $9.99. Went out for breakfast and one of the local diners had an egg surcharge. Good to hear prices are back to normal.

I was back in LA in Feb and a dozen eggs at Wal Mart was $9.99. Went out for breakfast and one of the local diners had an egg surcharge. Good to hear prices are back to normal.

True but I have seen many old foreigners in wheelchairs and some using walkers. I hope many do not live in high rise condos.

It would be over quick.

How many of us on this forum live on the 20th or even on the 30th floor of a high rise in Thailand? I do not and never have. I have lived on the 4th and now on the 3rd floor of an old apartment building in CNX. From the begining I have had and continue to have doubts about evacuating from a high rise or being rescued from such heights from the local fire department. Can anyone imagine walking down 20 or 30 flights of stairs in the event of disaster or electrical power outage? This lastest EQ should give all of us time to ponder these questions. Everytime I go to BKK my choices of hotels means I have to stay on a high floor(usually 20 or higher) and I have just a little bit of doubt but I carry on. On my next trip to BKK I might look for an alternative type of stay. Does the term "seismic retrofit" apply in Thaialnd?

EQ rescue operation even for LAFD USAR(Urban Search and Rescue) is slow, difficult and saves very few people. The building in BKK that collpased looks like it was under construction (I saw a crane on the roof) and hopefully number of deceaseda and injured is low.

A sincere attempt to save SS would require a combination of raising FICA contribution rates, raising the retirement ages from 62 to 64 and 67 to 69, reduced benefits for new applicants and placing SSDI in a different type of fund. But none of his is happening under the Tesla Guy or DOGE.

I had just walkd out of the US Consulate and I thought "why is the ground rolling"? Then I went back to my memories of life back in Earthquake Land (Los Angeles) and realized this was a rolling earthquake. The rolling motion lasted under 30 seconds. I thought this was a moderate quake (initial estimate was 4.9 in Thailand). I read it was a magnitude 7.4 in Myanmar. 7.4 is huge and the most powerful quake I lived and worked hrough was a 6.7 in 1994. All of us in LOS should expect aftershocks later today or possibly tomorrow. Lastly we should all have an escape/evacuation plan just in case. I have always maintained a "bug out bag". All US embassies and consulates are supposed to have a NEO (Noncombatan Evacuation Operations Plan) but I'm not sure if CNX consulate or BKK embassy has these plans or not? Stay safe, take the stairs and be on the lookout for possible falling glass.

I think actually getting rid of the SSA would take more than one POTUS term. More likely the actual purpose could be to have fewer people receiving benefits or reduced benefits across all lines of SSA (SS retirment, SSDI and SS survirvors). Somethiing like this can be done in under 4 years. I believe most pension plans in the US and possibly in the world fear people living longer and more people collecting benefits for more years than they had planned for. Even my CA state pension agency did a lame attempt at "are you still living" letter initiative for those who are over 100 and living overseas. It was a lame attempt because they sent my letter which required a notairzed response to an old address in Southern California even though they had my address in Chiang Mai. It took three loud and angry phone calls to Sacramento CA to undo their lame attempt to cut me off. Dealing wtih SSA over the phone of course will be more challgenging and getting more challenging as each day passes. I expect things get even more turbulent.

SS benefits can be deoposited into foreign bank accounts. Could this be the next move for the Tesla Guy and DOGE? This could force many overseas Americans to make a big change? My CA state retirement pay can only be deposited into a US bank account. I know some CA retirees who liive overseas and they actually have a check mailed to them from Sacramento, CA. Sometimes the check can "be in the mail for a long time".