KhnomKhnom

They really should plug these leaks.

yes...

although I would be interested in knowing if in these cases, the end really justified the means.

much much information could they extract from captives?

if no useful information can be extracted by torture, would the CIA still do it?

The CIA's own research, published on the Web, shows that actual torture produces nothing. The victim will either clam up totally or spew any number of possible and or wild stories, their research says.

Interestingly, the real way to unlock lips is the THREAT of torture. So play tapes of people screaming in agony in the next call to loosen up folks. So says CIA itself.

I'm always soooooooo eager to hear the news about her.

Haven't heard anything about my other favourite one, her brother, for a short time now and I'm worried.

Is he all right?

Where are terminal old age diseases, especially in Dubai, when the nation so desperately needs them ?

I thought that the real idea for customs charges is to tax incoming items that are duplicates of what a Thai company makes or sells. That is reasonable to try to protect domestic companies from foreign competitors.

HOWEVER, customs is now just another way to grab money. There are items that do not exist anywhere in Thailand, why should importing those things cost extra money?

I know I know....... grab what can...............

I am watching the various crack downs and wonder if foreigners here, with a little more money than the poor, are now beginning to miss the system of "pay a little extra and get your problem solved faster." ?

Didn't we get to like, a little bit, the chance to PAY NOW and get matters DONE ? Here's a red one?

OOOOH, did I say all this ?

Simone said she has no idea.

Yes, but "Simone, elle est bonne !" (Simone, she's hot!)

MTV type videos are exhausted, bankrupt of new ideas. More emptiness, and not the Buddhist kind.

I like Thailand too, but I am not 100% enamored with the place; here's some reasons:

1. In Thailand I cannot earn 4+ million Baht per year in the aerospace profession; the field is non-existent in Thailand.

2. In Thailand, my daughters would grow up to be stupid as a buffalo.

3. Very few Thais in a position of authority respect the law.

4. The Thai cuisine can be boring; same doodoo, different name.

5. Thais drive on the wrong side of the street (no kidding... it doesn't even matter if the law says they should drive on the left, they sometimes drive on the right!).

6. Thais spent too much time worshiping false gods.

.... I could spend all day coming up with other reasons.

Your "false gods" comment is way way out of line. Have you no respect for anything?

You don't even like buffalos. Please move out asp.

The insurance is only for visitors, seems not for one year "resident" and tops out at age 70.

I am very happy if people think it is difficult to retire in Thailand. I personally do not find many old white men much of a plus to this country, especially if they do not take care of their woman and children.

I think it is very fair for a government to want to know the address of its foreign nationals/documented aliens.

I want Thailand to know the address of everyone here so the authorities can find them to arrest them if law breakers.

The usual retirement age does cut the nation off from valuable English speakers who could teach into their old age, and it would be easy to set up a method to license them. That is just too bad for Thailand. They will fix it someday.

I plan to stay here forever and sure hope I can. I know the cremation site and the "bones" niche for me. I am happy here.

Add ....... retirement age AND RETIREMENT STATUS that does........

The insurance is only for visitors, seems not for one year "resident" and tops out at age 70.

I am very happy if people think it is difficult to retire in Thailand. I personally do not find many old white men much of a plus to this country, especially if they do not take care of their woman and children.

I think it is very fair for a government to want to know the address of its foreign nationals/documented aliens.

I want Thailand to know the address of everyone here so the authorities can find them to arrest them if law breakers.

The usual retirement age does cut the nation off from valuable English speakers who could teach into their old age, and it would be easy to set up a method to license them. That is just too bad for Thailand. They will fix it someday.

I plan to stay here forever and sure hope I can. I know the cremation site and the "bones" niche for me. I am happy here.

I turn mine off because I don't think having wifi signals bouncing around all day an night is great for your health. I know I can't avoid them all, but nothing to lose by turning it off when I go to bed.

Yes, WiFi involves radiating RF energy. However, today's environments, except in very remote places, are so rich in RF that the little WiFi is nothing compared to multi kilowatt television transmitters, for example.

Your suburban/urban normal RF environment includes

Television transmitters

AM and FM transmitters

Police and military radio and data

Your cell hand telephone

Gate remote openers

Toy and real walkie-talkies.

Wireless keyboards/mice.

Wireless headphones.

And so much other things that your metal teeth should hum and your metal belt buckle warm up. That does not happen, of course, but do not stand in front of a microwave high power transmit antenna; fries eyeballs.

This list does not include metal things electrified by INDUCTION mostly from power lines.

Harms to human flesh; no one really knows at normal power levels.

Anytime anything electric in topic comes up on TV, out come the ignorant, and some dangerous, opinions. What is it about electric and electronic stuff that makes typists here 'instant experts' of wrong information, often given in great detail?

1. Leaving modem/router on hurts nothing and electric consumed is tiny, about like the pilot light on an "off" tv set.

2. Turning it off occasionally for three minutes (to let the capacitors discharge) is said to reset its address and some think that is a good idea. I do that about once a month when I think about it.

3. Certainly unplugging everything from electric and phone, etc. is the only way to obtain great lightning and power surge protection, it is a huge bother. Also, that provides no protection while in use, plugged up.

3a. Switching OFF the circuit breaker for the sensitive outlets or switching OFF the Main whole-house breaker can provide some protection, too. These breakers are in the main box, usually mounted high on a wall.

3b. See 4d.

4. "Surge protector" electric socket "strips" can provide electric power upward spikes (sudden and brief increases in voltage) protection.

4a. Most cheaper models do not have the devices inside to do this although the advertisement on the box says they do.

4b. Most cheaper models will burn out the protection devices with the FIRST surge. After that, the model is worthless as a protection device but will continue to be ok as an outlet strip. Some blink a light but most show no signs of failure.

4c. Best surge protector socket strips include a fuse that is to blow if the MOV devices inside the strip overheat. The fuse may add more long life to the MOV devices but is not a "cure all."

4d. Socket strips often include a lighted on-off switch; to obtain good protection by switching this OFF, the switch must kill both hot and neutral in Thailand; most socket strips switches only kill one wire by opening the path from supply to sockets (see also 6c). OFF with that switch is better than nothing.

5. Any other claims of "protection" by these electric socket strips can not provide those functions IF the third pin on the wire plug does not go to ground, real earth.

6. There is no other way to obtain a good earth ground except by having a good ground rod deep in the earth, or buried bare wires laid out under the earth, the dirt. Wires from the socket strip third pin must go to that earthing, grounding, system or rod.

6a. Thai two-pin sockets offer NO earthing, grounding.

6b. Some Thai three pin sockets have no ground wire from the third pin to an actual ground/earthing.

6c. The so called "neutral wire" (as opposed to the "hot" wire) is not a source for grounding/earthing in Thailand due to the occasional reversal of these wires connections from the electric company source and other reasons.

7. LOW voltage downward spikes or longer low voltage situations like brown outs, also can provide problems. A very high quality UPS, with a real surge protector either built in or separately installed before the UPS should solve almost all LOW voltage problems.

8. Many socket strips also claim to include EMI/RFI filtering. This refers to all kinds of electromagnetic radiation that can be imposed on sensitive electrical or electronic circuits (stuff inside the tv or computer or stereo). This filtering is usually by a capacitor to ground, but again if there is no ground, there is no filtering action.

The most important message concerns grounding/earthing. A DIY project can install a three pin socket with the hot wire on the shorter flat pin and neutral to the longer flat pin, and a wire, usually #12AWG and coated green plastic, from the third pin to a real ground rod in the earth, dirt. I have done this, but have not connected the neutral (nor the hot) to this ground, IMPORTANT.

I see some knee jerk typists on TV are not aware that the Army stopped and is stopping black shirts/red neck-scarfs private soldiers with war weapons from carrying out civil war-type actions trying to destabilize Thailand .... and justify return to Red-run, Thaksins-owned, crony-infested, former Thailand political machine.

Thailand was/is at a crisis and the importance to stop the Reds goes well beyond the niceties of full free speech. Giving up what I personally have never lost (I never wanted to do what the Army now bans), is very easy ... and should be for all foreign guests here as a tiny 'price' to pay for a rescued nation.

Advise your wife to do what mine did on her own........... Take a list of your medications by name and color photograph of the pills to a PHARMACY and get a quote. Try several pharmacies.

Mine found half price overall.

Compared to Bumrungrad.

Advise your wife to do what mine did on her own........... Take a list of your medications by name and color photograph of the pills to a PHARMACY and get a quote. Try several pharmacies.

Mine found half price overall.

I would guesstimate that the economic offerings from expats is not nearly as much as some people imagine. Given that an expat working here is on a substantially larger wage than a local in the first place, would for me offset their contribution to the economy.

I think the main contribution from expats (in certain areas only) is the transfer of knowledge and probably more important, the transfer of process.

That said, it doesn't make the expat an essential commodity, just a convenience.

IMHO of course.....................

oops........ a small mis spelling above....... it should read...."just an inconvenience."

No noticeable change expected from the NL camp.

Corruption is embedded and enabled by the feudal patronage culture of this country.

I have only caught one of Prayuth's stream of consciousness diatribes "live" but I don't recall him seeking a cultural change in Thailand or reading of such a desire in the variously sycophantic 'translations' of his Word.

On screen translation into English .... he said he felt it may take two or three generations to work Thailand out of its culture of corruption....... this General is smart.

Two general responses here....... "suicides make trouble for ME" and "Thai stats have to be wrong."

Now I see why these type responders live in Thailand; no other place on earth would put up with such selfish, negative, and doubting disparagement of where they live.

Hey, you guys, you had better fix a way to stay in Thailand because you would be kicked out of any less forgiving place.

The problem with your message is it leaves out all of the things the MAN should do in order to have a good marriage. I would list ignorance of or derisive of her belief in Buddhism as tops on HIS list for HIS changes.

The Red Chinese are more fearful because they live under their government that they are genuinely fearful of.

What a naïve question. "Buyer protection" in Thailand is your two or three strong in-law men who can go "discuss" matters with your seller/customer. Works wonders and only costs a few beers for the men.

If you do not have such in-laws, what the heck are you doing living in Thailand ?

Beware of dated advice. The route/road conditions and the relative level of bandit danger changes year by year.

Six years ago, locals warned me of bandits posing as police. For sure do not go alone or only with one woman along with you. Walk and drive only where others have already done that; land mines.

Get some up to the hour advice.

When I got to Thailand years ago, I wanted to have A CAR AND DRIVER. The idea of being chauffeured seemed very luxurious and very "white man enjoying foreign tropics." Then, I realized I have a chauffeured car anytime I want..... IT IS CALLED A TAXI.

You met a woman who was working and keeping herself, perhaps in meager circumstances but nevertheless she was independent.

You've encouraged her to become financially dependent upon you.

It will not end well and she will eventually despise you for the financial control you have over her.

"Independent" is a foreigner's idea. No Thai below HiSo is "independent." In fact, the idea is to BE dependent... on family and friends.... the people who share meals and trade hard times by borrowing a little.

My Thai wife philosophy is "you cook, clean, take care of me" and "I pay for everything." To me it is an even trade and also a loving exchange of loving care. If I could not pay for everything, including an allowance for her, I would not marry a Thai woman. I could not respect myself any other way.

If your woman thinks in terms of "financial control over her" then YOU man have the wrong mind-set and have not talked out your relationship. Put 30000THB in bank in her name... tell her the only way she can use that is to leave you. "Financial control" is over. If the love is right, she will spend that money on your cremation.

Thanks for the replies. I had just about given up on that happening.

I didn't think it would be an easy thing to do without involving more Thai employees than I want. I don't think it would be worth my time in that case. Oh well, that's Pattaya's loss. 555

As for talking about another farangs foreigners business, what is your objection, umbanda? I'm not saying anything very negative about it, only that the lamb donair I got was very tough. It was, but I also pointed out that the guy seems to do a brisk trade, so it seems he has lot of people who like his food. I also gave him the benefit of the doubt that his chicken version is probably better. A lot of people on this forum seem to ride high horses.

what a laff when people here type something about Thailand's loss if their precious idea does not get special treatment or their precious $10/day they spend here will bankrupt the nation if they cant visa run anymore.

These immigration rules are totally retarded by the way. We live in a world where everything is connected like your pc, laptop,... And they expect to see us to come as a tourist with a Mickey mouse t shirt and a Canon camera around your neck.(stereotype of a tourist), but this world has changed a lot since 1977, still immigration rules are based on old rules fixed by old guys who don't understand anything.

I m a digital nomade and I make mega bucks on the Internet (sometimes when I m lucky) . There is no visa for digital nomade except the tourist visa.

Did immigration knows what internet is? When they continue to stamp entrance cards! So instead to modernise the system, they prefer to change their mind all the time. "no back to back visa run , but tomorrow It s ok..., but in 3 days we want people get visa...Bla bla"

See what I mean? , these people at immigration are totally clueless because they still live in an old system.

No mad.......... get an Elite Card and become very quiet.

I would choose a full sized Hummer.

Driving in Thailand is foolish, but driving a "sporty" car here is lunacy. The only places to drive really fast and yet responsibly are a long way from where I would want to live. The rough roads will pound it to pieces. The thieves will target it, strip or steal whole thing. You better have a great stereo in it because that will be your first pleasure, not the car, as you sit stopped in traffic. Park beside of a clunker and get big door dings or those tell tale scrapes on the rear panel when someone pulls out a little too wrong. Then there are the "key it" folks.

My advice is to take pride in the wonderful Thai woman you married, not a thing... a car.