ThailandRyan

Go take a look at there website if your truly interested instead of asking here. Prices vary like anything.

Used 5 Star marine for a few trips in April when my daughters came to visit. Both times made them private charters. Great crew and easy to deal with. Boats were clean and snacks were provided as well as all of the needed equipment for snorkeling etc. Have used a few others in the past, but with Shaun's crew and the ease with booking definitely they have earned the rating given in the OP.

You need to find a mental health specialist to talk with. Medication can be prescribed for depression, anxiety or whatever the treatment may call for. As far as the drinking goes, you might wish to also find a local AA chapter or give one a call. Depending on your own personal medical insurance they may be able to connect you online with a mental health professional who can assist you.

.....entrance

I am sure we will never hear more on the follow-up unless Covid expands in the Area up that away and they want to blame the refugee's. Not much one can do when your fleeing for your life. Whole villages have been destroyed by the Myanmar military.

One only has to understand that many of the Karen refugee's as well as those still in the country of Myanmar were never vaccinated. My GF's family which is still up in the Hlaingbwe area were never provided vaccinations and no treatment was given when Covid swept through the village. The current Military Junta could care less about the ethnic Karens and wishes they were gone. Hence the continued fighting by the KNU and others.

........Olufsen

We shall wait and see if there was any recording of there conversations going on.....

puree

It has nothing to do with the absence of a flag, but the issue being that what Bangkok has done as well as elsewhere shows the support for the community and drives business to them. Being closed minded about inclusivity is being disingenuous and shows a lack of welcoming to the changes in the world as far as openness.

Well if you looked at some of the research done and other articles you would find this information https://communitymarketinginc.com/lgbtq-tourism/ Research confirms: Travel is important to the LGBTQ community; most agree that travel is part of the LGBTQ cultural identity. LGBTQs spend more on travel than the general population, as well as take more trips. LGBTQs are also far more likely to travel internationally. LGBTQ travelers make up 7% to 10% of the travel industry—about $1 billion in the USA alone. Most critically, LGBTQ travel spend goes to suppliers and destinations that recognize their unique buying preferences, and offer them differentiated value. and an older article which will help folks to understand better https://www.businessdestinations.com/relax/chasing-the-rainbow-the-tourism-industry-is-becoming-more-inclusive/ According to research by Out Now Consulting, LGBTQ residents of the US spent $63.1bn on travel in 2018, representing a 1.9 percent average annual growth rate. In Brazil, the total spend was $26.8bn, while the UK’s LGBTQ community spent $11.7bn last year. These figures are set to grow further: according to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), LGBTQ travel is one of the fastest-growing markets in the worldwide travel industry.

Looks like Trump has already violated certain Judges orders, well it is just speculation, but can you really believe Trump would not discuss the case with his Valet and the same done by the Valet as they possibly compared notes. Trump really is Thick. Caught on Camera: Trump Cozies Up to Alleged Classified Documents Co-Conspirator Walt Nauta in Philadelphia — Despite Judge's Order NOT to Discuss Case (msn.com) A personal aide to Donald Trump — who faces prison for allegedly helping him conceal boxes and lying to investigators — remains firmly in the former president’s orbit despite a court order barring him from talking about the landmark case, photos obtained by RadarOnline.com reveal. Walt Nauta, a personal aide to Trump indicted over the alleged mishandling of classified documents alongside the former president, was snapped in South Philadelphia on Friday, where the pair grabbed a cheesesteak at legendary eatery Pat's King of Steaks. Trump was in town for the Moms for Liberty Summit in Center City, attended by other Republican presidential hopefuls, including Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

It was quite obvious what Trump was doing. He even announced it many times. The Durham investigation is just one of the times he used the DOJ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/10/donald-trump-fbi-durham-investigation When the Trump justice department tapped a US attorney to examine the origins of the FBI inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, conservatives and many Republicans hoped it would end the idea Donald Trump’s campaign was boosted by Moscow and back his charges that some FBI officials and others had conspired against him. But instead, as the multi-year investigation winds down, it is ending with accusations that unethical actions by that special counsel – John Durham – and ex-attorney general William Barr “weaponized” the US Department of Justice (DoJ) to help Trump. Former DoJ officials and top Democrats are voicing strong criticism that Durham and Barr acted improperly in the almost four-year-old inquiry, citing an in-depth New York Times story that added to other evidence the inquiry looked politically driven to placate Trump’s anger at an investigation he deemed a “witch-hunt”.

Family and friends were happy to see the inclusiveness for the LGBTQ community. They were also happy to see that in Bangkok many places had decorated, in fact Krungsri banks main office is still decorated appropriately to make folks feel welcome and not singled out.

The tourist areas may be busy but the rest of the country is not. Ran into a wayward tourist out my way, who had gone for a drive to see the sights of PKK. Got to talking and he asked me where all of the tourists and visitors were and why the beaches were empty. I told him it is low season and besides that the beaches' down here are a best kept secret....

Yes there are two opposite opposing views being issued out by the Government. Does the left hand even know what the right hand is doing anymore. There is definitely a lack of cohesiveness from a PR Standpoint. Next up.....the Baht has gained ground on the other currencies and the economy in Thailand is expected to grow by 10%.....the last part is pure sarcasm by the way.

Is there any doubt as to why this year versus last year saw the supposed 539% increase in tourism from January to June. Could it be because the country was technically closed during this period of time? Hi-Season is now over and I would expect only half of the numbers seen so far to be seen in the 2nd half of the year. Recessions are starting to heat up, companies are laying off staff in the US, savings people had are low or non existent as they pay the higher interest on there mortgages, and many other factors are keeping folks home. Of course this is my view only, but the many folks I know that would come at the end of the year, are staying put in the US and trying to find secondary jobs over the holiday periods to help pay for things that had been on hold, like Student Loans that they have not had to pay for the past 2 years. Those loans become due and payable starting in October.

Seems some folks are not real happy with the issue, either here on the forum or in the US. https://www.npr.org/2023/07/01/1185327143/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-reactions Friday's Supreme Court decision striking down President Biden's student loan cancellation plan has left a lot of borrowers wondering: Where do we go from here? "I would say Congress needs to pass this, but that's not going to happen," says Graeme Strickland, a 25-year-old borrower in Raleigh, N.C. "It's become a culture war around this issue. And like, this is my income. This affects the money I'm able to spend on groceries." Strickland attended the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, as an in-state student. In order to attend, he had to take out roughly $30,000 in federal loans, which is on par with the national average for a bachelor's degree from a public institution.

Heres one https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/b-yourhome.html?aid=304142&label=gen173nr-1FCAEoggI46AdIM1gEaIgCiAEBmAExuAEXyAEM2AEB6AEB-AECiAIBqAIDuALi_oOlBsACAdICJGYxYWViNzJjLTNmMTQtNGI2Yi1hOTVhLWJjMzRkOGZmYWMyN9gCBeACAQ&sid=9460d0d9f0f95a4950a313399b37827a&dest_id=1069&dest_type=airport&nflt=mealplan%3D1&room1=A%2CA&group_adults=2&group_children=0&no_rooms=1&checkin=2023-07-10&checkout=2023-07-11&highlighted_blocks=268639004_276580118_2_1_0&atlas_src=sr_iw_title&ucfs=1

The Area around us down south of HH has been in a real-estate boom and have seen many sales. Just in our Mooban alone the last 5 houses available have sold in the past 3 weeks. Across the way they are building 11 new 2 story homes with pools and all 11 have been sold and are going to be completed by the end of the year. Of course this is at a higher price point than many folks are wanting to buy at. Starting price from 9.9 MThb to 25 MThb. Almost all are foreigners from Europe, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany.

The hits just keep coming, and yet the Trump fanatics still believe this is a witch-hunt. Looks like the January 6th issue will be uglier than the classified documents Indictment. 'More chickens coming home to roost': Legal experts pounce on Trump over bombshell Arizona phone call report - Raw Story - Celebrating 19 Years of Independent Journalism A report from the Washington Post that Donald Trump reportedly called then-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) and tried to pressure him to overturn the 2020 presidential election results set off a flurry of commentary on Saturday, with many observers saying the DOJ has another investigation to launch if it hasn't already. According to the the bombshell report, not only did the then-president make a call, he also "repeatedly" attempted to get the Vice President Mike Pence to join in on the pressure campaign and that Pence did call but did not press the issue. The Post reported that a Ducey donor recalled the Arizona GOP lawmaker talking about the call at a luncheon, with the report adding, "The account was confirmed by others aware of the call. Ducey told the donor he was surprised that special counsel Jack Smith’s team had not inquired about his phone calls with Trump and Pence as part of the Justice Department’s investigation into the former president’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, the donor said."

When I had to do this step for the Amphur in Udon Thani, I had the translation company take the translated copies and the notarized original and the copy they made to the MFA for me by using a courier they had in place. It cost me less than wasting a few days traveling down to BKK and going to the MFA myself. I still have a certified and stamped copy of that passport in my files, but I had to do a new one just recently when I transferred my yellow-book and because have a new passport. Lucky I have a place in BKK now so there was no traveling needed except by car from the condo to the MFA.

Seamen

Imagine being retired and paying your kids parent plus loans like I did while they were also paying off loans. My oldest daughter who is a Nurse Practitioner still owes almost 200K in loans and she has been working for 8 years in her profession while doing continued education. If they would reduce the interest rates to a small percentage instead of the 9.8% she is paying the loan servicer then she could make headway. She would not have qualified for the forgiveness plan and she will not qualify for the new one. How does one pay a House mortgage, raise kids and live life while working to pay US Income taxes of 33%, loan interest, and make it to retirement debt free. I know too many doctors and such who are still working at almost 70......

The land of corruption and brown envelopes. How many more are there like this in Thai society, and why can it not be eradicated? No this is not a rhetorical question. Please assist my addled mind in understanding what happens to the ones who try and make things right?