BoganInParasite

My best guesstimate would be 2Q 2025, and it will not be the current PM that gets ousted.

The wife purchased several hundred pieces during direct visits to Indra Outlet at Lampang and a couple of times online for use in her homestay. Middle of the market quality and price but outstanding customer service. There was a six month gap between her first and second physical visits but at least two staff remembered her name and the crockery pattern she purchased the first time when she visited the second time. Doubt anything similar would happen at places selling knock-offs from China.

Well I suppose it's possible but unlikely to be because things have got better in Bangkok. They've just been overtaken.

I'm going to apply for the annual extension next month but I think next year I'll have a good look at the best options to enjoy just under half a year in Thailand and the rest back in Australia. Want to see the new visa exempt rules settle a little before relying on them.

Don't hate the RTP but have no respect for them and am very wary on any dealings, thankfully very few to date. As for my home country police, Australia, I view most of the state and Federal police forces as politically, ethically and morally corrupt as institutions. However I believe the bulk of the individual police are honest, hard working and effective. But clearly things change on the way up the greasy pole.

World-wide there has not been much success in removing an invasive fish completely once it is in a watershed. Containment strategies within a watershed are also likely to be difficult in Thailand. Stopping them getting into the Mekong via Mekong connected watersheds should be a high priority.

An app of some type displays weather warnings for my location on the navigation bar of my laptop. Over the last four months I'd say that at least every third day it displays 'Near record' at least once a day and on several occasions it has displayed 'Record temp' (I think, or something similar). The messages are generally displayed mid-afternoon but I have seen some around breakfast where the overnight minimum has been high. Last year I'd say these warnings were maybe displayed closer to every tenth day, this year every third.

Can only speak from the perspective of direct personal experience...my Thai wife wanted a relationship with a non-Thai after a long relationship with a Thai who was secretly seeing other women during most of their relationship. She considers farangs more faithful but I can assure you she was very very cautious when starting out to find a non-Thai partner. Would love to meet her ex and thank him...16 years together now and going strong.

Never attended for last five years.

Come to realize I may have been somewhat blessed in 2009-11. Had 8, 13 & 19 visa exempt entries by air in those years as I lived and worked in Singapore and the Thai wife lived and worked in Bangkok. Only once was there a 'friendly' comment on it by a BKK IO. I matter of factly explained the living/working arrangements and the fact my Thai wife also flew to Singapore approximately once a month as well and got a friendly wave through. EDIT: Had 16 in 2012 as well.

Makro currently sells a pack of three Brooks Baked Beans for 210 baht. Good enough for the English breakfast at the wife's homestay.

500 baht at my IO. No attempt by them to hide the payment. First couple of times was next day pickup but last two times were immediate service and handover. (Presumably because someone senior was there to sign it...but that is very much a guess by me.)

Didn't watch it but reading several and varied commentaries seems to suggest the biggest loser was the US, and in fact a few said as much.

Honestly opened this thread expecting some form of humour.

When you're happily with the cream, why worry about the skim milk.

Uniquely stained....from the inside.

Perhaps mandate the foreigner must live on land they are permitted to purchase would go some way to alleviating the concern that too much land would become foreign owned.

We're happy to compete with the birds since there is generally more than enough fruit on the single tree. Used to have two but removed one to get some more space. Was only four years old but an absolute monster effort required to dig out the trunk and major roots. Never again.

Went to a chiropractor once back in the early 1980s. Literally used my hands to help crawl up the stairs to their practice and less than an hour later walked down them. He found and fixed the mid-back problem and even commented on an old sports related injury in my lower back that I hadn't mentioned to him. Have not had the need since back then.

Absolutely. But at the same time I think where there is a butch side in a lesbian relationship, she is far more butch than western counterparts.

Have not heard of this scam previously. A decade ago in Bangkok I encountered the fake meter scam with the real meter covered up. Driver tried to get close to 300 baht for a 3-4 kilometer ride. When we arrived at my regular hotel I took photos of the fake meter, the uncovered (by me) real meter, the driver and taxi. Then had the bellhop explain to the driver he had two choices, take the 300 baht and get reported or leave without any payment. He left with no payment and the bellhop got what I estimated to be the real fare in addition to his normal luggage tip.

A factor to this decision was also the method of collection. The airlines and more importantly the air travel industry associations had clearly told the govt there was no reliable way to differentiate between Thai and non-Thai pax at the time of booking and they were not inclined to even try. I have good contacts inside one of these associations and I have written the above way more politely than the message the govt received. Once you cannot collect at time of booking there are no other non onerous methods available.

Seen a ton of hot Thai women with Thai men....and occasionally with other hot Thai women.

I was last in paid employment at 58. Thai wife and I decided to come to Thailand and build on our land and start a hobby business the wife could run. That all went well but COVID came along and ended my hope of working another 2-4 years as an senior level organizational change manager. I miss it...a lot...but at close to 66 it is likely too late now.

Half my career was in the airline industry and had/have friends and relatives in it as well but they were tech and cabin crew. Some of them had first hand knowledge of sims, line checks and upgrades being passed through means not generally requiring proficiency and competency. There are several SE Asian airlines I would never ever fly on.