chilli42

So they think that they can somehow legislate sensible alcohol consumption? This is a fools errand. Alcohol consumption is an individuals choice. As long as it’s available there will be abusers. It’s about how many there are. The best a government can do is ensure rigorous enforcement of existing laws (eg road safety, DUI etc) and create awareness for the physical and mental cost of alcohol abuse. A tall order I know for a ‘live for today’ society.

There is no enforcement of the road safety laws at all as far as I can see. Many think it’s about driver education. Sure that will help a bit but it’s not a solution. People respect what you inspect. A diligent focus on enforcement of the existing laws will get driver attention and compliance. I have no clue what the the police here do (beyond directing traffic) if it’s not about enforcing the law.

- The plan aligns with a broader policy outlined by Chinese President Xi Jinping, aiming to establish China as a global leader in tourism. - …positioning Thailand as a central tourism hub. Is it just me or do these two statements seem contradictory?

Well she is right about he food. Philippine food has to be among the worst in Asia. As for fast women, I have indulged in more than my fair share of Philippine women o we the years. Here is a generalization for her … in the end all woman are the same, they are driven to control their men … it’s an overwhelming urge they can’t escape and it spoils everything good that they do.

Mystical insight to the unknowable fluctuations of currency. Truly a giant of economic thought.

Seriously? The court system would come to a stand still.

All Thai roofs leak. Don't worry, this is not a flaw. It's a design feature. If it were a flaw it would have been fixed years ago. Nobody knows better how to design a roof than a Thai builder.

Must be butt ugly.

Low dose Mushrooms and LSD are the two most known and effective treatments for PTSD. They are serious game changers for people with this condition. Much better than the garbage the Pharma companies and Dr’s prescribe for the same condition.

Especially since the ex con was a pal of Taksin’s. You can bet the unwitting Srethai was told by Taksin to make the appointment … Taksin knowing of course it would cause a <deleted> storm. I wonder … who does the Constitutional Court work for?

57 million people played like a fiddle again. I have to give it to Taksin he has been working devilishly hard the last 6 months getting things aligned and doling out favors and positions to bring this to pass.

I have no dog in this hunt but I wonder what upside Trump could obtain by debating the VP? She is a proven light weight … look what Tulsi Gabbard did to her in the last election debate, Kamala was destroyed. Every speaking opportunity Kamala has had since she has embarrassed herself. So if Trump trounces her in a debate that would be the expected outcome and he gains nothing. However if she unexpectedly gets in a few good licks the she gains a lot. I’m not a Trump fanboy but he is pragmatic. Finally, has anyone considered the possibility that the Dem elites pull the plug on Kamala at the Dem convention and replace her with a new option … Newsome, Whitmer etc? If I were Trump I would wait until the cards are in the table before I consider debating anyone.

There are things that serious countries can do that unserious countries can’t. Being a financial center is not for unserious countries like Thailand. The effort would be better put into education/language skills, streamlining banking regulations, etc. This would at least make things tolerable for the existing users.

Say what you will about Thailand, I have likely said it all myself, the people here are for the most part happy. It has nothing at all to do with their totally useless government. I find Thai’s ready with a smile, a laugh or “mai pen rai”. It’s what makes living in Thailand tolerable for me. Global survey or not, the Thai people are happy and good to be around.

This is sad. Radio is on its last legs everywhere. Such as it is, Radio works best when it is providing a highly local service of entertainment, news and editorial. I can’t think of a way to accelerate the demise of radio than this ill considered plan. The best service government can provide to the public is less government.

Might this characterization of the social media background noise be a bit exaggerated?

Yes, that was certainly my experience as well. Perhaps they have become more zealous in verifying that what’s inside is the same as what is claimed in the shipping document. Of course this only happened on 3 packages so far … maybe an outlier event.

Nonsense, of course it has started. UPS and DHL never charged for envelopes and/or items below 1,500. It started in January and it was confirmed to me in person by the friendly customs staff of the change in January as they collected their fees.

So far, in my experience, they are opening all packages … even A4 size envelopes.

Very timely reporting … this change to the law has been in effect since January. At first, all packages had to be picked up and duty/tax paid at customs or post office … depending on the shipment method. I made 3-4 trips to get my packages released and I am done with all importing. They were letting small packages (large envelopes) through until this month. Now even items with a $20 value are being assessed tax, duty and handling. As an example I had to pay $10 for tax, duty and handling to DHL for a $20 item. UPS and DHL have taken a bit of the pain out of this by allowing you to pay for tax and duty online before delivery. I travel a good deal so now I just have packages delivered to an address in the USA that I then bring back with me.

Can you imagine where this money would go once it’s collected? If you think it will be spent on improving infrastructure in anything but a token way with “friends” then you are mistaken.

With all respect to you … how long has it been since America was a democracy?

This is already well underway and is to include Japan, Korea, Philippines etc. The Empire is building its counter alliance to China/Russia. Good luck getting Thailand to commit to a military alliance that is a thinly veiled counter to China.

Riding scooters anywhere is a bad idea, they are high risk particularly if you are not an experienced rider. That said, insurance companies suck … and the lawyers that write those obtuse contracts.

I completely disagree … it’s the 5th best tourist destination in the world within 150 km of Bangkok.