Enzian

I'm in the middle of reading Machiavelli's Discourses On Livy, which is much more wide-ranging than The Prince, and is giving me some ideas about Thailand: for one thing, he points out that a people that have never been really free have a very hard time starting from scratch to rule themselves. He also points out that many apparent democracies are in reality de facto oligarchies, either because that's what works, or because the elites can so easily rig the game. And so on.

I don't know if these guys obstructed traffic as charged, and I don't if know if I'm for or against them (who am I to have an opinion?), but why why why do protestors think that obstructing traffic will help their cause? Because someone who never thought about it before will now think about it and agree? 

6 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Name one?

Massage girls.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I understood that the money has to be in a baht account.

Does not. I do my renewal at Chaeng Wattana with a FCD account in US$, a friend does it with UK pounds. Now, Immigration Offices may vary.

Florida is the gift that keeps on giving. Years ago Dr Drew had a regular segment on his radio show with Adam Carola where some bizarre event would be described and listeners would be invited to guess if it happened "in Germany or Florida", it was always one or the other.

I just started a rereading of Machiavelli's The Prince, and he points out, among a million other things, that it is almost impossible for a people that have never been free to suddenly be on their own and trying to govern themselves. This is a way of understanding the difficulties in the historic push toward western style democracy in countries like Thailand. Remember that before 1932 no one here was "free" in the way we think of it in the west. I've thought for a long time that this country seems ungovernable, in that the people on their own (wherein there are plenty of crooks) never seem able to get it together, leaving the army to step in and restore some semblance of "order", even if it is their own definition. Having said this, I wish I could see a way out, but at this point I don't.

I do think that not accepting the status quo is not the same as not liking one's own country, which seems a better description of what's going on than that of the general. We know the difference, because in the US genuinely and deeply not liking one's country seems almost a requirement in some circles; I know because many of my friends are of that camp.

At the beginning of March I was in Vietnam as a tourist. I had an evisa and a March 11 return flight paid for. Around the 8th or 9th I started getting nervous, but my return was coming right up so I decided not to try to make it sooner. All went OK, but then around the 25th (correct me if I'm wrong) Thailand closed off. With that experience, and reading the sad posts in this thread, I feel extremely lucky to be here, and doubly lucky to be where the virus is not spreading. Everything else in my life (including that it would be impractical and dangerous to travel to my beloved Italy or to CA where there's family) is just details. Good luck to those being kept away.

16 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am not sure if I should mention Nit or Noi in my application. Or maybe Lek? I love them all, an hour at a time.

Hey, Nit is my girlfriend (now). There's only one, right? (Not a joke, unfortunately, just lockdown reality.)

The reason I read a thread like this is to get an idea when I might be able to get back in this country in the event I leave for any reason and then want to return on my retirement visa with multi-entry permit. And this is not looking good. I own an apt in CA but my son gutted it to rebuild it "better", but for now we don't have the funds to do so. So Sukhumvit is the only home I have. I'm insanely glad to be here but I live to travel; that, however, is over until sometime next year at the soonest. But another random plus is that it is a better than ever time to be a renter here; I've never wanted to buy.

I'm not religious, but all of us who are here in LOS and healthy, let's give thanks. The rest is just details. And good luck to those who want to return.

1 hour ago, puipuitom said:

There is no Italy.

Only a Nothern ( Lombardia, + former Austrian provinces), a middle ( Katholic state) and a southern ( in fact Greek) federation. Ask "Mr Selfini", when he was only "preaching" for Liga Nord.

Italy as country, which has been a problem since the state was founded in 1861. The poor, corrupt south versus the prosperous, industrialized north, connected in the middle former Katholic State. By merging the northern areas under Austrian influence with the Ecclesiastical State and the Kingdom of both Sicilies, a country was created that never became a unity. From day one, the cultural and economic differences between the north and the south hampered Italy's development.
All attempts in the last 160 years to reduce the differences between north and south have, on balance, yielded nothing. The south has remained poor and corrupt. Crime syndicates have penetrated into all sections of society and appear to be controlling healthcare. More public money to the south means more income for the mafia, the camorra and the 'ndrangheta.

You've certainly got a grip on the history. The north really is the legacy of the barbarian kingdoms of the 5th to 9th centuries. Lazio and the center is what is left of the Papal States, and the south still exudes the spirit of Magna Graecia, but with a level of corruption that goes beyond anything Greece was noted for. I spent a lot of time in the south last year, and there has been a lot of modernization, but it's true that industrialization seems forever beyond its grasp. But as a selfish visitor I hope the south doesn't change, there is nothing like it in the world. But at the same time I want the country to pull through. And I like Salvini, whatever that makes me.

Pretty good article. The old bridge looked unreal, like an accident waiting to happen, and it was. I'd like to see the new one in person. But with Covid, Italy's public debt has gone from about 132% of annual GDP, to around 160%. And the political system just doesn't make sense in a modern democracy. I guess they will get by, but there is going to be a lot of drama to come, as always in Italy.

I'd like to move into the 25K and over 1-bedroom range when the bang-for-the-buck value becomes irresistible, but I'm guessing that hasn't quite happened yet. I'm only in this studio because it was convenient after a breakup. Of course if I could resume spending 3 months a year in Europe and a month in CA like pre-Covid, I'd be smarter keeping this studio, but that may not happen till the end of 2021 if we're lucky.

People mention disabled is a reason to hire an agent, and I'll just throw in my two cents: a friend of mine's spine and legs are so gone he can hardly walk across a room by himself. So in Chaeng Wattana they loan you a wheelchair (leave an ID for security) and I pushed him around. When the top lady in the area we were sent to saw him in the chair she expedited the process and we were in at 10 and on the way out at 1:15. And none of his 90 day reports had been done for a year and they ignored that. It did help that he's been here for 20 or so years and knew the drill, and has the money in a bank.

Not always safe. I almost got rushed by a bull buffalo once when I came to close to his harem. He stepped forward and glared right at us, we beat a hasty retreat and he stayed.

1 hour ago, Cryingdick said:

Come on man, China isn't out to get us or eat our lunch.

Years ago when I was paying a lot for my son to go to a private school, I one day told him You have get better grades or those asian kids are going to eat your lunch. Being a natural smartass, he said My lunch today wasn't very good anyway. Now he's married to a Vietnamese girl and they have two kids; so those asian kids are going to be eating his breakfast lunch and dinner. And asia is rising. I hope the quote above was sarcastic, or just an imitation of Biden.

I've walked through the "China Town" of Prado and I've never seen an explanation of how the Italians allowed that to develop, nor why they do nothing and allow it to go on. It's actually not a horrible neighborhood, and there is no way of telling who might have documents and who might not, but it is totally egregious. I almost want to say that any country that allows that deserves what they get, and I love the Italians.

I was in Thermae in Bangkok for a few minutes last night. As it opened there were a few over 30 girls, and less than 10 guys. I think only the waiters were wearing masks. I was there to talk to one of them for an old friend who is out of town. But the girls were looking good, albeit a little desperate.