JimHuaHin

Agreed. Buying a good quality house/villa in Hua Hin is almost as expensive as buying a similar dwelling in the main "tropical" and "sub-tropical" tourist areas in Australia, eg Cairns or the Gold Coast.

Correct - I cannot recall coming across any academic articles over the past 4-5 decades which show that pro-natalists policies have any significant impact on declining fertility rates. Even countries which have introduced policies to encouraged the immigration of young couples (from high fertility countries, mainly in "developing" Africa and Asia) have failed to slow the decline of national fertility rates.

"Principal Winyu Mektrirat has provided clarification, asserting that the two British women are not hired teachers but are, in fact, volunteers contributing to a cultural exchange program ..." Do they have the required visa?

With respect to some of the pool villa developments in Hua Hin, I cannot but agree. I visited one "luxury" estate in south Hua Hin about a decade ago when it was being built - looked great, and was considering buying a villa. I asked the sales person if the group building the estate had built any other estates recently. She did not know, so I decided to wait a few years - my old practice of inspecting the previous work of a builder before buying a new building by the builder. Fast forward to now. I rented one of the above mentioned "luxury" villas last year. Nothing but problems - leaking roof and water leaking through some walls in heavy rain, rusting fixtures, corners not square, swimming pool problems (leakage), cheap China-made pool pumps breaking down, some electrical compents failing (and then replacements failing due to I am guessing electrical current surges), and numerous external and internal cracks appearing in the building walls (poor foundations?). Buyer beware!!! Check out the previous construction work of any builder. In the past, I had designed and had built 3 good quality houses back home over three decades (I moved jobs in different cities). Over those 3 decades I had only two problems - a hot water system died (which they do at times) and a flexible hose in a bathroom failed (small <deleted> happens).

Yes, and how many more decades for construction is complete?

Unfortunately, Thailand has a long history of outspoken anti-establishment people meeting premature death.

I do not know about now, but 10 years ago I used Allied Pickford to move from Cairns to Hua Hin - no stress. Competitive pricing. Had to go to their Bangkok office with passport and "tax" money. Shipped about 90 boxes and 5 suitcases, and a few paintings - everything arrived undamaged and nothing broken (even glass art works).

I sent a letter from Hua Hin to Adelaide about 6 weeks ago. It took 2 weeks to arrive in Australia - no problems with online tracking, I checked every few days and knew when it left Thailand, and when it was delivered in Ozland.

Keeping financial assets in Australia in different banks is a wise move, and probably provides greater security than having large amounts of money Thai banks.

This does not only happen in Thailand. In Australia in 1986 my mother died; I asked my supervisor for a week off to attend the funeral and get my mother's "affairs in order" (my father had died in 1976, I was their only child; my mother lived about 800 km away from where I was working). My supervisor said we were very very busy at work and I could have a day off. I went to see the staff at my office's personnel section (now probably human resource management), explained my situation to the head of the section. Two hours later I was granted a week's leave.

I think some clarfication is required here. There are two types of Herpes Simplex Virus - HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 used to be (see below) generally found around only the mouth area (and thus generally called oral herpes) and an estimated two-thirds of the global population carry this virus. HSV-2 is generally called genital herpes and is usually found around the anal-genital area, with an estimated about 15% of people aged 15+ having this virus. However, over the last 2 decades or so, an increasing number of cases of HSV-1 have been reported in the genital area amongst people of do not have HSV-2. A person can have HSV, but no symptoms (eg cold sores) but still transmit the virus, called asystomatic transmission.

Thainess is essentially an ideology created decades ago - and subsequently altered and manipulated to deal with contemporary "crises" - by Thailand's power elite in order to enhance a sense of nationality so as to manipulate and control the Thai "masses" (as Emperor Xi is currently doing in China with respect to China's population). While the Thai "masses" are expected to exhibit Thainess, the Thai power elite are the antithesis of Thainess, ie selfish, greedy, corrupt, etc.

Going to China to pay "tribute" to the Chinese overlords?

Possible, I did it. Family moved from Hamilton to Ballarat, Victoria, in the early-mid 1960s. The nearest Catholic school (which had both some primary levels (4-6) and secondary levels) was about 300 metres from home; the next nearest Catholic primary school was about 3-4 kms away. At the time Grade 4 had only 5 students (for memory), and was run in conjuction with Grade 5. Just before I finished Grade 5, parents of the students were informed that Grade 6 would not be offered at the school in the following year - parents had the choice of sending thier children to the other Catholic school (3-4 kms away), or thier children would be put up into Form 1; all parents, including my own, decided on the latter course. Thus, essentially I skipped to 2 levels of primary school, and finished high school just before my 17th birthday. Started university just after I turned 17, and finished all 3rd year exams and got my results before turning 20. But at that time, graduation ceremonies at the university were held in April the year after completion, I had to formally graduate when I was just 20.

This is progress?

He can start by looking in a mirror.

Yes, Prime Minister. With one convicted international drug smuggler in cabinet, several others with various "connections" to Thai marfia families, and still a few others who were charged with serious crimes, but amazingly never convicted (some evidence "disappeared"), we believe you.

Probably an issue of concern for the Royal Thai Army generals, is how much support can they expect from the rank and file soldiers? Just after the election, several media reports noted that in many locations, it appears that the majority of Thai soldiers voted Move Forward. Looking at the social media posts of friends in the Thai military, I also noted that there was a large amount of support for Move Forward. Going back to the immediate post 2014 coup, many soldiers expressed anger with the actions of the Prayut Junta, and some career soldiers I know left the army in disgust.

Correct on all accounts. About a decade ago, I was having lunch with a long-time Thai friend who was at the time amiddle level official in the local provincial administration. She informed me that a new provincial governor had arrived the previous week. His first "meeting", after meeting his new staff, was with the local marfia boss.

I see this problem almost every day in Hua Hin - especially involving people driving luxury cars who seem to think they have a right to park anywhere.. And a few times I have seen cases similiar to the picture above. Some times the worst offenders are farangs. Last year, I parked in a disabled space; I was having problems with walking, and was using a walking stick. A middle aged farang pulled into the space next to me as I was walking to the mall entrance. He easily exited his vehicle with his 20+ something gf/wife, and briskly followed me to mall the entrance. I greeted him, how are you going. "I'm great" was the reply. I responed, "Then why the <deleted> are you parking the disabled area?" "Because, I can, <deleted> off" was the reply.

"Western" logic does not apply in Thailand (except possible amongst Westerners). Thai "thinking" is at odds with "Western thinking". Read Professor Peter A. Jackson's "Capitalism Magic Thailand: Modernity With Enchantment", ISEAS, Singapore, 2022, for an excellent, although at times academically heavy, discussion on this topic (avoid the theoretical chapters if necessary).

The new "elected" Prime Minister has thus far proven that he is a parasitic politician rather than an intelligent businesspeson - the latter appoints the right people to the right position for the benefit of the organisation, the former plays political games to stay in power.

Leave Thailand, stay out of Thai politics - problem solved.

As a foreigner, to do any academic research in Thailand you need to submit a research application (see here https://foreignresearcher.nrct.go.th/index.php?lang=en&mod=home&op=index). However, in my experience, a foreigner who is a member of a local Thai research group, one does not have to seek approval, but technically you need a work permit if in Thailand.

I had minor surgery at King Chulalongkorn University Hospital about 5 years ago - the surgery cost about Baht 20 K. Excellent result and service. But, you certainly need a Thai speaker to help you navigate the system.