Enzian

Just watched a clip of troopers in Portland driving away rioters from entering the federal courthouse that has been in contention. Either it is true that without those troopers the building would be burned down, or it is not true. One way to find out would be to remove the troops. But then if the building was burned down, what would be proved or accomplished? The mayor would not take responsibility in that event. And speaking of peaceful protests, in a crowd of 100 protestors, it only takes one determined arsonist to change the narrative. But apologists will keep saying they all are "mostly peaceful". So what?

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

How about ThaiFriendly?

I was on ThaiFriendly for a while during my recent lull between relationships. Sadly, the main thing I learned was the complex of reasons why many Thai women do have a problem finding a partner. 

My Foreign Currency Deposit account has the "advantage" that things can only be done in person, the magnetic ID card is only good in a branch handed to an employee. So any money gone would have to be an inside job. The downside is that there is not deposit insurance for such accounts; but  the chances of that bank failing are extremely small.

I was living on the back part of soi 23 when Suthep's thousands blocked the intersection of Asoke and Sukhumvit, for how long was it? At that point I decided that the country is essentially ungovernable, which is NOT the same as saying it needs a military style government, it's rather a statement about the culture. If the young of Bangkok who aspire to membership in a modern middle class society got the pure democracy they seem to want, they would end up working for the farmers in Issan, and they would discover that the new boss is the same as the old boss, maybe even worse. In the US folks are fond of saying that people get the government they deserve, and boy is it true here in LOS, right now. It could be better, it could be worse.

Are those bottles of Scotch on the table to his left? They need it.

56 minutes ago, Old Dissenter said:

I was told the fine would be ฿5,000 if I failed to report next time.

I don't give a s**t about any fine, I can afford it. But if they throw me out of the country and I have to go back to California (my nominal home) I might die from Covid at my advanced age. But my present plan is to report in person 90 days from the one I skipped during the window of amnesty.

I guess for now I'll go with what UJ says in post #64 and plan to go (or send someone) out to Chaeng Wattana 90 days from the one I skipped on June 8, which will be Sept. 6. However, that is a Sunday, so assuming they are not open on Sundays, do I go the Friday before or the Monday after?

And if there is a fine I couldn't care less. 

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

on line or by post? 

That # 2 says if you were supposed to do it in that window they name, your choices are only in person at the Immigration office or to authorize someone else. These two you name seem to be excluded in my case for some reason. Thanks again.

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

If you actually have to go to Immigration, a 90 days report normally takes less than 15 minutes. at least it does in Jomtien IO?  

But Chaeng Wattana is an hour drive from me here in Bangkok. But thanks.

Just now, Pilotman said:

They have changed their tune, as we suspected that they would, foreseeing the congestion that is inevitable when the amnesty is lifted.  It justifies the actions of many of us who continued to report on our due date, despite being told that it was not necessary.  Necessary and sensible are sometimes different things. 

But I'm still wondering what's the worst that can happen? A $60 or $100 fine doesn't bother me at all. Why can't I wait till the next one rolls round from my missed June 8 and do it then and just pay the fine if they ask for it? 

I've been here for years and because I would almost always take the occasion to travel somewhere interesting before the 90 days hit, I only did one such report in all that time, by mail.

However, I live in the Trendy building now so I guess if I wanted to let go of my passport for a few days there are plenty of reputable services downstairs I could authorize for me. There is also that well known one on soi 24 I believe.

I'm on "retirement" visa till Dec. "Non O". My reporting date should have been June 8 and I ignored it so I suppose I fit into #2 in the first cartoon. Is the information in the article really an official state notice, or for a certain region, or what? I don't want to go in person, and to authorize another person I have to let my passport out of my hands for a few days, right? Is there anywhere to find out for sure what they want and expect?

I have a friend who ignored all his 90 days reports in the year before his Non O renewal in March, and the issue was never raised nor was he fined when he successfully renewed in March. So is the worst just a 1900 fine, if they even bother?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Technically the Russians are no longer communists, but hey! what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine, so let's share!

5 million is nothing these days. i have a "friend" who is worth 5 mil, and he's poor.

The urban middle class may indeed be a work in progress in the sense that its ultimate loyalties are still up for grabs. I know most on this forum don't much like Prayuth, but there is this strange evidence that the Bangkok middle class does like him on the whole. My theory is that while they don't ascribe to all of his agenda, he and his administration provide a buffer between them and the remaining Taksin style rural extreme left, left-over communists if you will, who still have the numbers in their favor (thus the need to pack the government). But even while many of them are also (like the elite) Chinese-Thai, would they support a complete turn toward China? Personally I doubt it. 

24 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Qatar would be the healthiest, far higher than America who comes only at #10.

The problem with such lists/rankings, is that those above the US are all relatively much smaller in total population, which gives them the advantage they enjoy. The US is indeed a rich country, would that that wealth were put to better uses.

Infrastructure is one thing, but my fantasy has always been that the powers that be including some that cannot be named would pay the unemployed to clean up all the trash that the "virtuous poor" have thrown by the wayside throughout the country. And at the same time institute a massive and threatening campaign that they JUST STOP DOING THAT. In the present situation such a program would be possible, the people at the top have the money, or access to it. And the tourists who finally arrive would love it. We would be world famous, third world (I know, a misnomer) without the third world.

Is it the case that all public begging in Bangkok is illegal (but the law not enforced)? Women with a child sitting begging on the sidewalk by the Asoke station is the thing that most brings out in me almost racist rage at asian customs that are not addressed by effective public policy. They shouldn't be allowed there for a minute.

50 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

Sure Anitifa. So small in numbers that they're almost imaginary. This is the same kind of prejudice that the civil right movement experienced during the 50's and the 60's. Then it was communists who were blamed for inciting black americans.

Yes, I just imagined all that burning and looting, sitting here in peaceful Thailand. And as a matter of historical fact the CPUSA did co-opt the civil rights movement starting in the 30s and right on basically to present, and to some degree the political right in America deserved it, but it has left a very difficult legacy.