johnnybangkok

He's not. See my post above.

For all you naysayers out there, I know Dave very well and he's a lovely bloke. He made his fortune by selling his cider making factory in China to one of the big guys (might be Bulmers but can't quite remember). He's super intelligent with a heart to match the size of his brain. He spends all his time (and money) these days on investing (he's big into Bitcoin) and charity with ALL THE MONEY from the book going to children's charities. The title of this article is a bit misleading as the book is really aimed more at people looking to retire in Thailand and just gives a no-frills account of what to expect and what he personally went through. It's certainly worth the read and at only $5.99 (with again, all proceeds going to charity) a bit of a bargain.

The US elected itself as the global leader. After WW2, it was the only country to come out on top, emerging as the only real global economic superpower, with a strong industrial base and a large consumer market ready to spend after years of wartime restriction. This continues to this day with a $30 trillion economy, which is some $10 trillion more than China and dwarves all other countries. They have used this power and money to initially keep Russia 'in check' (and lately China), building bases throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and The Middle East. Currently the US has 171,736 active-duty troops deployed across 178 countries. To now say 'it's not our responsibility any more' is just pure madness as you can't have it both ways - if you've declared YOURSELF the 'leader of the free world' then you can't all of a sudden declare yourself 'America only' as Trump and his idiot brigade of sycophants are now trying to do. So who fills the gap if Trump gets his way? Well the obvious answer would be China who have for years through their belt and road initiative been trying to garner influence but who now have an even clearer path to world influence and eventual dominance. But because ol' Donny has the attention span of an over-excited spaniel, he cannot fathom world economics never mind the consequences of his actions, which includes killing millions of people throughout the world by gutting US Aid. Cheerio America. It's been nice having you around for as long as we have, now can you please hurry and move over whilst China takes over.

A work permit is issued by the company that employs you or you can get one from setting up a company (but you need a lot more such as THB 2 million in fully paid-up capital, VAT registered, and you hire Thai employees). You cannot just 'get' a WP for yourself and most of us working here on WP do so through our companies. To get the WP, you need an offer letter and employment contract from your employer and you need to apply for a Non-Immigrant B visa BEFORE you arrive in the country on the back of the offer. Once you are in the country, your employer (not you) applies for the WP.

I appreciate you taking the time to put together a reasoned argument. It's a rarity on this site so it's good to see. I'm sorry that you feel so jaded about the media these days but I will also say that media bias has been around since the dawn of media so I'm not sure why you think it's getting any worse but I think you've hit the nail on the head when you mention 'Objective stuff can be found, but takes a bit of effort'. I personally still find lots of 'objective media' but I do realise it can sometimes be drowned out by the hysteria of blatantly unbiased media. The areas though I want to pick up on are when you mention the following:- 1. People now of the left persuasion are convinced they are more humane, caring while Conservatives are viewed as capitalist, environmentally blind and inherently evil - this is probably the case as it's objectively true although I would substitute 'conservative' with right-wing as I think 'proper' conservatism has been slowly but surely eroded by right-wing doctrine that is absolutely less humane, less caring, completely focused on capitalism, doesn't give a hoot about the environment and when all added up, is hard to argue is NOT evil. 2. People of the left often have very strong views, but struggle to engage with the other side about them. They tend to hit back at the source, rather than the content and are fond of cancelling those with whom they disagree with. Sad. - don't agree with this at all. The 'struggle' you talk about is because the far-right (and I will stick to just them) disregard facts and figures in favour of identity politics and blind devotion. They disregard evidence, logic and reason in favour of bias, xenophobia and downright racism to the point they now wear their prejudices like some sort of badge of honour. They feel emboldened to spout their nonsense after they see a bunch of billionaires with an obvious agenda get voted into office by standardising their inherent fear of others that don't look like them with a very obvious 'look over there, not over here' slight of hand. They don't want to engage in any meaningful way and certainly don't want to be hampered by silly facts and figures which continually prove them wrong. They also have a tenuous grasp of history and seem to conveniently forget that we have seen much of what's going on by the far-right before, with disastrous consequences, conveniently forgetting that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Anyway. I appreciate your thoughts.

Isn't it just amazing how all of the papers you quoted (don't know much about The Sydney Morning Herald though but I'm assuming it's of the same ilk) were very recently the bastion of great journalism until Trump and the far-right started with all the 'fake-news' BS. It's like something straight out of Lawrence Britt's, 'Fascism, Anyone?' written in 2003 - Powerful and Continuing Nationalism Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause Supremacy of the Military Rampant Sexism Controlled Mass Media Obsession with National Security Religion and Government are Intertwined Corporate Power is Protected Labor Power is Suppressed Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts Obsession with Crime and Punishment Rampant Cronyism and Corruption Fraudulent Elections Maybe you show learn your history before snidingly remarking on someone's intelligence. But let me guess, we're all just sheeple and you guys are the only one's with your eye's truly open? That about right?

Some of them are. Others are not. I don't think I've denied this and in fact said in one of my posts 'No one denying there are 'economic migrants' but those should be assessed and deported asap but with a wait list of 91,000 (the real problem), that's not happening nearly quick enough.' If this was your big 'gotcha' moment then I'm happy to disappoint.

I'll let AI answer that for you:- Asylum seekers may choose to leave France for the UK due to a combination of factors including the perception of better economic opportunities, family connections, language, and cultural ties, despite France receiving more asylum applications and refugees overall. While some may find conditions in northern France difficult, the UK also faces challenges in managing its asylum system and providing adequate support, with some asylum seekers facing destitution and inadequate living conditions. Here's a more detailed breakdown: Factors influencing the decision to leave France for the UK: Economic Opportunities: The UK is perceived as having a larger "shadow economy" and more opportunities for informal work, even if poorly paid, than France. Family and Community Ties: Many asylum seekers have family members or strong connections within the UK's large diaspora and ethnic minority communities. Language: English is more widely spoken in the UK than French, making it a more appealing destination for those who have learned English. Cultural and Historical Factors: Some asylum seekers may have pre-existing ties to the UK due to historical connections, such as former British colonies.

Powell made THAT speech in 1968 so 57 years later his 'prophecy' still hasn't come true and I seriously doubt it ever will. And whilst we are on the subject of predictable nonsense, you assert that it's 'voting rights - and that is the only reason they support them coming' as being the major reason this is happening (nonsense of course) so would you consider the Tories to be 'woke liberal left-wing politicians' as out of those 57 years , the Tories have been in power for 36 of them. This includes 14 years up to the end of 2024. So are the Tories now 'woke liberal left-wing politicians?'

You have nothing other than anecdotal observations and your ill-informed right-wing bias to try and 'summarise' a VERY complex matter. Often asylum seekers send the husband first as it costs less, he is more able to make the journey and has less chance of being raped and/or human trafficked. Once he is granted asylum, he can then apply for a family reunion visa which is for partners and children of those granted protection. The initial granting of asylum is what the investigations are basically about and the family reunion visa requires another investigation. No one denying there are 'economic migrants' but those should be assessed and deported asap but with a wait list of 91,000 (the real problem), that's not happening nearly quick enough. And just for your own information as you seem to be completely ill-informed on this subject, in 2024, 40,000 asylum seekers (slightly more than a third) arrived in the UK on a valid visa before then claiming asylum. About the same number arrived via small boats and the rest came through applying in advance or through safe and legal routes for resettlement, such as the Afghan resettlement program (which resettled 7,800 refugees in 2024)

There are 54 million adults in the UK. I still reckon (but it's anecdotal) there are far more decent people than there are 'xenophobes, closeted bigots, and pro-Brexitiers.' Especially now that Brexit has been show to be the complete disaster we all told them it would be and DIDN'T do a single thing to stop the boats and the illegal immigrants from OUTSIDE the EU. Lot of buyer remorse amongst many of them.

How can they 'bypass any legal formalities'? Are you conflating asylum seekers with illegal immigrants?

Well that's certainly a better response than your first one. I don't disagree that 'Those uneducated idiots are the most easily turned to violence', manipulated by far-right dog whistles and click-bait nonsense such as this article, but I do have faith that most DECENT Brits can see through a lot of this nonsense and any violence will be isolated and quickly dealt with. It's the oldest trick in the book though, perpetuated by idiot politicians like Farage - your problems aren't because of those in power - it's because of that brown guy down the road who although just trying to do the same as you and look after himself and his family is somehow the reason there's not enough council houses or why the NHS is struggling. Right-wing, sensationalist and VERY obvious nonsense. NB - for any of our American or Australian or other nationalities who don't know what the Daily Mail is (where this 'article' comes from) it is rated 'biased right' with 'a sensationalist, tabloid bent, often choosing to highlight individual stories that elicit shock or heightened emotions.' https://www.allsides.com/news-source/daily-mail

Don't be such a drama queen. This is Britain after all. Apart from a few uneducated idiots, the VAST majority of the UK understands the problem and although getting impatient for a solution, will not be resorting to any 'race wars' any time soon.

Wrong. See my post above.