Gecko123

1. I have never noticed the Indian body odor of which you speak. Ever. 2. I cannot recall reading on this forum about an Indian scam call center being busted in Pattaya. Can anyone? 3. As I said earlier, I think part of the reason why you see Indian men down on Beach Road is not because they are cheap charlies trying to negotiate a gang bang at a discount but because they have been made to feel unwelcome at many of the bar beer establishments, not because they have poor personal hygiene or they are cheapskates. When you see photos and videos of Indian crime victims in Pattaya, most of them appear to enjoy middle class status.

That's a valid point, and cultural differences in the approach to engaging a prostitute probably do play a role.

Not sure if I agree with that assessment. Thirty-forty years ago I would say Thailand seemed to have a childlike naivety about racial differences. You don't think some of the racial animus voiced quite often on this forum has bled through to the local population? A British bar owner (just as an example) explaining to the mama san that 'this is a British bar, most of our customers are British, our customers don't like it when racial minorities come into the bar, so please tell the girls to discourage their patronage.' plays a role? That over time, an attitude that mistreatment of these groups is more likely to be tolerated because many bar owners and clientele are hostile to these groups? I think I've seen that this goes on, and I would also point out that many of those bars are largely racially segregated, meaning they cater exclusively to a given racial clientele. The other factor which might explain these incidents involving racial minorities is that because of the cold reception they often receive in some of the bars, they end up down on Beach Rd where there are more scammers, more people with drug problems, criminal histories, etc. The point I'm really trying to make is that I don't think people should necessarily draw the conclusion that incidents involving racial minority tourists necessarily means those racial minorities are misbehaving and must have done something to instigate the incident. I think we might be in agreement that bias towards racial minorities, setting aside for the moment the question about the root cause, may help explain some of these incidents.

I am becoming increasingly convinced that transgender and female prostitutes alike think that they can get away with targeting Indian, middle-Eastern and other non-white tourists for mistreatment (drugging, rip-offs, price gouging, non-performance, thefts, pickpocketing, verbal abuse, and physical assaults, etc.). I'm not saying there are never any cultural differences which might explain underlying tensions, but I strongly suspect that racial and ethnic prejudices towards these groups voiced by Caucasian bar owners and Caucasian sex tourists that these racial minority groups are less desirable and oftentimes made to feel unwelcome have filtered down to the local population. and may go a long way towards explaining this recurring pattern.

Now this is starting to make sense.

There are requirements that you pass an eye exam, peripheral vision, various reflex tests, get a medical certificate, complete road safety training and be photographed for your new driver's license. Highly doubt you would be able to have an "agent" stand in for you. Edit: I see Safety First's post above. Amazing Thailand. I live out in the countryside. Have to wonder whether that service is doing things totally above board. @HappyExpat57 I don't understand what you mean by "I don't waste my time at a doctor's office." DMV tells you, you need to get a medical certificate from a doctor, how are you gonna get around that?

I'm not 100% sure about this, so mark this down as just my opinion, but... I'm pretty sure that if sin sod is exchanged and the marriage never takes place then there is a legal obligation to return the sin sod that was paid. Regarding the engagement ring, if the engagement is called off, I think a lot would depend on who is calling off the engagement. If it's the guy, probably best to walk away unless there are special circumstances (extremely expense, family heirloom). If it's the girl, morally, even in Thai culture, I would say she has an obligation to return the ring. Legally, however, proving whether it was an "engagement gift" or just a "gift" might get a little dicey, and if no sin sod was paid to the parents, probably best to walk away and count your blessings that you dodged a bullet.

I'm thinking Trump's thinking: 'It's over, I know I'm gonna lose, on top of that probably gonna do time in the big house, Melania, you hang out in NY, look after Baron, I'll honor the prenup, won't say a word if you see someone new, just keep it on the low down until Nov, and let this broken old man have a little fun before I'm thrown in jail, diagnosed with dementia, or kick the bucket, we had a good run, just tell me I made your life a tad bit more interesting, OK sweetie?"

I'm sure JD's wife doesn't appreciate people joking that Usha is Hindi for sexually frustrated wife.

If Trump's decision to not debate Kamala a second time stands, in my opinion, his chances of winning in November are slim to none. One of the most under-reported crippling injuries that Kamala inflicted on Trump during the first debate was her clear articulation of Trump's inability to come to grips with reality. Whether you're talking about his insistence that his 2016 inaugural crowd size was bigger than MLK's Freedom March speech, his continued insistence that he won the 2020 election, his claim that "he had nothing to do" with the January 6th assault on the Capitol, or countless other examples it's obvious that Trump has a less than firm grip on both reality and the truth. In Dosteyvesky's Brothers Karamazov, the dying Elder Zosima says that "the biggest danger about not telling the truth is not that no one will believe you, but that eventually you yourself will no longer be able to tell the difference between truth and untruth." I think that is exactly what is happening to Trump. Without engaging in slinging pop psychology labels around ("he's a malignant narcissist") Kamala effectively articulated in lay terms why Trump is psychologically and cognitively unfit to hold office again. And I really think this was a latent mortal injury for Trump. Trump knows the damage that was inflicted on him during the first debate, and likely is fully aware that the only way to undo the damage would be to successfully engage with her in a second debate. The problem is, having seen what she is capable of, he now knows that he would have a very hard time out-jousting her in a substantive debate over the issues. His only strategy would be to try to engage in bullying and name calling which will only entrench perceptions that he isn't fit for office.

Please listen to The View's Sunny Hostin's comments in the attached clip about Haitian-Americans. Trump's demonization of them shows a horrible ignorance of the community. It's plain and simply naked racism, just as are Trump's constant references to immigrants coming from the "Congo." I have had the pleasure to know several Haitian-Americans over the course of my life. They are generally known for their work ethic, intelligence, and affability. As Sunny Hostin noted in her remarks, they are generally credited for economically revitalizing the Springfield area. A quote from a Vanity Fair article about the infamous NYC police brutality case involving Abner Louima, who happened to be a Haitian immigrant: There was a saying in the neighborhood: "Hire a Haitian off the boat and soon they own the business and have another Haitian working for them." (https://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/1997/12/louima199712)

I absolutely disagree with the complaint that the moderators ganged up on Trump. Trump's supporters seem to have forgotten that a journalist has a duty to deliver factually accurate information. The two biggest fact checks were the question about Haitians eating pet dogs and the legality of post delivery "abortions." The misinformation that Trump was spreading about Haitians did serious damage to the reputation of the Haitian-American community, and the misinformation about post delivery "abortions" grossly distorted what current abortion law in some US states was, in front of not only a national but international viewing audience. These fact checks were warranted due to the reputational damage to Haitians and reputational damage to the US (about abortion law. They went well beyond one candidate misrepresenting the other's policy or taking his/her opponent's record out of context, and the idea that if the moderators didn't fact check Harris an equal number of times, this automatically made them "unfair" is a ludicrous assertion.

Donnie, show me on the doll where Kamala hurt you. Raw News and Politics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyNLcWyLRdU

Trump Media and Technology (DJT) stock down 11.5% in pre-market trading at 7:25 AM

I'm sure Trump's dismissive 'Quiet, please' comment sat well with female voters.

Guess again, tiger. Early flash poll results are starting to come in. Read it and weep. https://www.newsweek.com/debate-results-flash-poll-kamala-harris-donald-trump-1951835

Trump didn't seem to have a debate strategy to broaden his appeal. All he did was repeat the same rhetoric that he spews at his rallies. Kamala was much more effective in broadening her appeal to undecided, swing, and suburban voters. She made forceful arguments in defense of support for Ukraine, reproductive rights and turning the page on the politics of division.

Ecstatic over Kamala's debate performance Had to overcome some stage fright jitters, her voice quavered during initial responses, but once she got her footing, her confidence only grew and grew. Her debate prep really really showed and paid off hugely. In a series of questions after the first intermission she really demolished Trump in a devastating manner. Trump effectively permanently lost the suburban vote when he refused to acknowledge that he lost the 2020 election. There's no question that Kamala won the debate. What a relief. What a joy to behold. Would also give very high marks to the ABC moderation team.

Encouraging people to flit around the globe in order to avoid taxes is not a very environmentally friendly tax policy.

Your inheritance doesn't generate any income?

Thank you for posting this. If those progressive tax rates were ever implemented, this would likely trigger an exodus of higher-income expats. This would have the effect of increasing the percentage of low or lower income expats, the exact opposite of the high income big spending expat profile Thailand has long dreamed of. Another strange aspect is that there doesn't seem to be any consideration for marital status or number of Thai dependants. This straight-off-the-top taxation would have to hit consumption and expenditure stats; seems like it could be a zero-sum game. Where are all these dual taxation, tax treaty, verification of income, and number of days residing in Thailand issues going to be resolved? God help us if the answer is at your local immigration office, especially if you live out in the countryside. This whole thing sounds like yet another classic example of one department coming up with a scheme without thinking through how it will be implemented and unintended side effects. I'm not going to let myself get worked up about this for the time being.

Even if you don't support the Harris/Walz ticket, you've gotta admit their campaign slogans are a lot catchier and engaging then the 'Make America Great Again' slogan which has grown stale over the 9 years it's been around. From what I can tell from watching campaign footage from Harris/Walz rallies and Trump/Vance rallies, the enthusiasm levels for the Harris/Walz ticket is being maintained and may actually be growing. I have a fairly high degree of confidence that Trump is not going to get away with steamrolling Harris with lies during the debates like he did with Biden, and while Vance is fairly quick on his feet, he is still coming across as wooden and lacking in charisma. I think Walz's affability and depth of life experience is going to give him the edge in the debates. We're Not Going Back! New Way Forward! When We Fight, We Win! I Make a Difference! Mind Your Own Business! Freedom! They're Weird!

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Social isolation is cited as a risk factor not only for longevity but for dementia as well, BUT it is important to recognize that these are just statistical averages, and may not necessarily be applicable to any given individual. I have a sibling who from an early age has made longevity his mission in life. He leads a life which mechanically follows the dictates of longevity guidelines: no drink, no smoke, sleep hygiene, exercise, healthy diet, married, social life, etc., but somehow it all seems to lack a joie de vivre, and I'm skeptical that that's necessarily the way to go. I have also often wondered if those statistics about married/unmarried mortality rates are skewed by people who never married because of physical or mental handicaps which prevented them from marrying. Marriage isn't for everyone, and if someone knows it isn't for them, entering into an unhappy marriage just because a longevity website tells you it'll help you live longer will probably increase your chances of premature death rather than decreasing them. Specific to Thailand, I've seen many guys rush into marriage with a Thai woman because they think they need a companion to help interface with Thais on a day to day basis. To the extent that this isolates them from the challenges of interacting more fully with their environment, for example by undermining the need to learn the language, a spouse can actually inhibit social engagement and impede the mental stimulation which comes from interacting more fully with the environment. I was single well into my late 40's, and when I look back, I doubt that many of the mental and academic endeavors that I engaged in I would have been able to accomplish had I been married, much less had the responsibility of raising a family. I will be forever grateful for the freedom my earlier single life afforded me.

Very squirrelly response which ignores the point that in 1929 this same German state voted in a politically extreme party which ended up having devastating consequences for Germany, and 100 years later they are doing the same thing again as if they have forgotten the lessons of history.