Loptr

"I imagine this particular seaside town has gotten seedier and scummier, with drugs and prostitution around every corner, and thugs eyeing up tourists like midnight snacks."

Steller reseasch imo

Meh, it's the Huffington Post, what do you expect, objective analysis and commentary?

Why are there so many expats slanging their home country,to me it is worse than Thai bashing.If they did not have the benefit of education and work then they would not be here,or any other country.I find them obnoxious,very quick to condemn Thai basher,but very slow to admit what their nanny states have given them.In my opinion you are worse and traitors to your heritage.

I don't think it is slagging off their home countries, more to do with changing circumstances. I have empathy for those who see political correctness surpassing common sense.

As for the benefit of education and work.................

I am sure there are many like me who didn't go the college/university route. In my case, through choice, as I saw a huge world out there that needed looking at. I spent 23 years in the military doing just that, and believe me, any debt that I may have had to my country was fully paid during that time.

All my qualifications and knowledge, in this ever-changing part of my life, have been acquired without the help of my 'home country'; I am not stuck in the past but live for the future. Have always been like that and not planning to change in the near future.

As to being a traitor to my heritage, dream on and grow up a bit..............................

Political Correctness is a nuisance I can deal with... What is transpiring in the US goes beyond insanity... I love my country, but hate what has happened to it and want no part of what it has become...

typo

I don't think you get it....

We are saying that we can not be forced to return to our country of origin.

Other than being deported, where you are forced to go to your country of origin, there are always other options.

If I were deported, I would return to America and then leave again.

I am American, I have the right not to live there if I so choose!

I would not return to the US either... There are 196 countries on this planet and if forced to leave Thailand I would pick any one of the others to hang my hat...

Easy to kick your brain into neutral living in Thailand and just coast... That's fine for a while as the OP noted, until you get bored... Most of us work the majority of our lives to earn enough to enjoy of nice retirement, then once retired have no idea what to do with the time... Take up a hobby, find interests you can explore regardless of you locale, read, go to the gym, go cycling, travel, write a book on your experiences, learn to cook, laugh, challenge yourself every day...

Attitude is everything...

"Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs"

has relevance to this thread.

All of us aspire for the highest but few achieve it.

How many Thais do you know that have risen to the top of Maslow's pyramid, self-actualization? In my opinion, not many as most are still concerned with survival on a day to day basis...

If you do retrofit your existing MTB, get at least a 1000 watt motor capable of at least 48 volts... Lots of kits online that include batteries... You will be disappointed with anything less...

And political correctness seeks it's way into Thai culture... What a shame...

OP they are prostitutes.

Why are you in Pattaya?

Obviously you know nothing about Thailand, what a statement , "They are prostitutes,"

And me tinks you have never been to Pattaya...

You are right there should be a obligation for indication...something such as yellow star maybe???

You can usually tell them from their big red nose...

Is this actually a treaty or is it some other type of agreement between the involved gov'ts and Iran?

It is an executive action without the sanction of Congress... Unless ratified by Congress, this deal dies when Obama leaves office... Just like the rest of his executive orders...

I was by Promenada this morning and it looks like they have moved some furniture into the new location... Nothing setup, just stacked in the middle of the floor and no one around...

Mexico is a piec of crap nation that is so corrupt that it can not even feed,educate, or supply any basic human needs to its people. Important what the hell have you been smoking.They are drug dealers and drug addicts, And everyone is corrupt its the most dangerous place on earth. Ive been all over that country its a depressing place for any citizen.

So wrong. It is the cultural leader of Latin America. It has the 11th largest economy in the world in purchasing power parity. Also, in ppp the economy is over $2 trillion. The per capita income is nearly $11,000. The people are amazing, smart, creative and industrious. The culture is wonderful.

The drug trade is huge and had created enormous problems. But, it represents a tiny number of their people. And it is far less dangerous than Honduras, El Salvador or Brazil. I have also been all over that country. I know alot of Mexicans. You and I see two completely different countries.

Geez, sort of makes you wonder why so many Mexicans want to leave paradise.

Mexico has one of the largest middle classes in the entire third world. But there is still a lot of poverty. It is the third world. But just barely.

If it's such a great place to live, why do Mexicans make up 17% of US population?

Oh dear, not the "farang" thread re-tread again...

Here's news for you, any descriptive term can hold either a positive, negative or neutral connotation dependent upon the context of it's use... If you still don't get it, read the sentence again, slowly...

I guess those that are offended by the term farang are also incensed by terms like, asian, latin, middle eastern and oriental...

And the worm turns...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-debt-crisis-goldman-sachs-could-be-sued-for-helping-country-hide-debts-when-it-joined-euro-10381926.html

Greek debt crisis: Goldman Sachs could be sued for helping hide debts when it joined euro

Goldman Sachs faces the prospect of potential legal action from Greece over the complex financial deals in 2001 that many blame for its subsequent debt crisis.

A leading adviser to debt-riven countries has offered to help Athens recover some of the vast profits made by the investment bank.

A truly sad individual that is not happy with the decisions he has made, including living in CM... All I can do is wish him good luck on living on $800 per month back in the US, because I have little sympathy for anyone not willing to take responsibility for their own decisions and actions...

I don't think the 'hispanic leaders' are going to get any relief from the GOP, considering that Trump is now at the top of new national polls...

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/247383-trump-leads-gop-presidential-field-in-new-national-poll

I would love to see a debate between Trump and any of the Dem candidates... Hell, I'd pay for it if they put it on PPV...

The survey poll was of only Republican party voters exclusively, nationally.

The poll is NOT of all Americans. The survey is of only Republican party voters only and exclusively.

Trump has only a sliver of the total number of Republican party only voters, 15 percent of Republican party only voters. Yes, Trump is leading at this point, but he has only 15% support among Republicans only.

Trump was the preferred GOP nominee for president

Trump was the preferred GOP nominee for president for 15 percent of respondents — 4 points ahead of former Gov. Jeb Bush (Fla.) and Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), who were tied for second place.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/247383-trump-leads-gop-presidential-field-in-new-national-poll

GOP = Gone Old Party.

Of course the poll was for republicans... Why would Dems pick a GOP candidate in a poll?

It doesn't matter if he won by 1% or 40%, he won the poll...

You partisan folks are so funny, having to get your digs in at every chance... IMO, the country is screwed no matter who gets elected in '16 because both parties serve the same masters... All one has to do is review the GOP rhetoric prior to the '14 mid-terms or Obama during the '08 elections and compare that to their actions once in office.... The game is divide and conquer, pitting the populace against one another while the people pulling the strings profits regardless of an elections outcome... When will you wake up and realize this?

I don't think the 'hispanic leaders' are going to get any relief from the GOP, considering that Trump is now at the top of new national polls...

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/247383-trump-leads-gop-presidential-field-in-new-national-poll

I would love to see a debate between Trump and any of the Dem candidates... Hell, I'd pay for it if they put it on PPV...

For the most part, I quit reading threads that I know are going to piss me off, because I know it will wind up with my posting rights being suspended...

Finally, some wise words on the topic of Greece...

If the US wants to defeat ISIS, they must first stop sending them arms and aid... Seems logical to me, but what do I know...

http://www.globalresearch.ca/u-s-helicopter-delivering-weapons-to-the-islamic-state-isis-shot-down-by-iraqi-popular-forces/5434230

http://21stcenturywire.com/2015/02/18/in-plain-sight-coalition-forces-routinely-air-drop-military-supplies-to-isis-fighters-in-syria/

The truth of the matter is that ISIS is Al Qaeda 2.0, specifically created to take out Assad in Syria... Any other rhetoric on the topic is lip service...

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-05-23/secret-pentagon-report-reveals-us-created-isis-tool-overthrow-syrias-president-assad

I recently acquired one of those android magic-media boxes and get an absurd number of channels via the internet using apps like Mobdro... In scanning the channel list, one of my childhood favorites popped out and I couldn't resist watching a few episodes of Ozzie and Harriet... A trip down memory lane with one of the very first family-oriented sitcoms to ever be produced, set in a time when the greatest worry that parents had for their children was whether they got good grades in school and had a date for the prom...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwSabksHGhw

But the point is: The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.. oh well... my bpen rai.

And as far as country standings....there's 1st and last.... Somebody must be last. Oh well. If ya keep doin what you're doin you'll keep gettin what you're gettin.

Thailand is doing something right if we are to believe the employment statistics... Thailand has the lowest unemployment rate of any nation on the planet... Perhaps more countries should adopt the mai pen rai attitude...

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS

I would have thought that Marilyn Mosby would have been shown the door too, but I guess that feminist black women stick together like glue...

Not surprising that California has by far the greatest welfare spending in the US, at $38.6 billion USD per year... All those Mexicans needs real, working Americans to keep paying their taxes so they can keep beans and rice on the table... And yet securing the borders is not a priority for either political party in the US...

http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/compare_state_welfare_spend

Is this the final, final deadline or the final, final, final deadline. And when is the final, final, final, that's it, absolutely-no-more-deadlines-till-the-next-one deadline?

And when are they going to give everyone's bank account a haircut?

Who gets the haircut is the big question, Germany, Greek depositors, all IMF members, certainly not the banks... Whatever Greece does, the troika will not call it a default as that would trigger the CDS's and take down the derivatives chain... The real fireworks start when France, Spain and Italy all follow suit...

It is somewhat ironic that Mario Draghi is head of the ECB during this fiasco, considering he was vice-chairman and managing director at Goldman Sachs when they cooked the books to get Greece into the EU in the first place... Now he is head of the ECB having to deal with the mess he created in the first place...