newnative

For me, it's the 1980s, at least for American people, with these remarks from an American who went through his 30s in the 1980s. People, I think, were just more civil back then, in many ways. As others have mentioned, things did move slower. You leisurely read a newspaper in the morning and in the evening you watched a 30 minute news program on one of the networks to see what went on that day around the world. No instant news, real or fake, from multiple sources bombarding you all the time. Likely just one or two tvs in the household and there was more family viewing then of the much more limited choice of programs. The tv show Dynasty averaged 21 million viewers a week in 1985. These days, most network tv shows only attract 3 or 4 million viewers, and some less. Everybody individually off doing their own thing now, with less family time together. I think people behaved themselves more then. Politicians being more civil then to members of opposing parties, with a more willingness to compromise on legislation. Fewer people acting up and behaving badly on airplanes, in restaurants, schools, movie theaters, public places in general. People don't seem to care now about making an ass of themselves in public. More people now seem to want to be famous for their 15 minutes--even if it's more likely they end up infamous, instead. Were people more discreet in the 1980s? I think so, and possibly that was a good thing. In 1989, Laura Bush was not yet First Lady--that would come in 2001--but her father-in-law was President of the US and she was in the public eye. Can anyone imagine her going on national tv in 1989 and announcing that she was not wearing any underwear? Not in a million years, I suspect. Yet, her daughter, Jenna Bush, did just that not too long ago. Is that something she needed to share with the public? No. Is it information I needed to know? No. Is it the first thing I think of when I hear her name? Yes--and maybe that's something you might not want to be your claim to fame. Pop quiz: When did the phrase 'too much information' become widely popular? Hint: It wasn't the 1980s. In the 1980s, the year with the most mass shootings in the US was 1984, with 5. The other years there were 1 to 4. In 2022, there were 30 mass shootings. 30! This year already 23, with the year far from over. Why are people now doing these mass shootings so much more? From 5 to 30 is a huge difference. Also, I think there was less law-breaking then with things like shoplifting--now such a problem in the US that it is having a big impact on the bottom line of stores like Home Depot, Target, and Wal-Mart. The CEO of Home Depot spoke out on it recently. Retailers have started to pull out of some communities altogether, throwing in the towel on trying to make a profit when so much merchandise is being stolen, including by organized shoplifting gangs that swarm into a store and ransack it, overwhelming the security. Walgreen's is redesigning some stores with most of the merchandise locked up. My brother-in-law manages a CVS drug store and the police have told him not to even think of calling for any stealing that is less than $150--they cannot be bothered to respond. Sad that is now the state of affairs--and his store is in one of the wealthiest counties in America. Did any losing presidential candidates--let alone a sitting president--plot to overthrow the government in the 1980s? No. Two losing candidates in other decades actually had legitimate claims, Nixon in 1960 and Gore much more so in 2000, when the Supreme Court ordered the Florida vote recount halted and awarded George W. Bush the presidency in a very close 5-4 vote. Neither of those two acted like spoiled, crybaby, serial lying, criminal Trump, the poster boy for people behaving very badly, with zero regard for others. To end on a brighter note, of course some things changed for the better. In the 1980s, the majority of people in America, and many other places, were against gay marriage. In 1988, only 11% of Americans were in favor of it. Living in conservative Virginia, I never thought that gay marriage would one day become legal in my life time. From 11%, people's attitudes have changed and support for gay marriage now stands at 71%, according to Gallup data.

2000 baht. OUCH! That's gonna hurt and hurt BAD! Not.

Is this #20 or #21? Either one, I am, of course shocked, I tell you. Shocked that he is not coming. Who'd have thunk it? And I was all ready to greet him at the airport like those other poor souls coming from the boonies!

Hundreds of Thai legal scholars knew right from the get-go that the decision to block a candidate having a second vote for PM was unconstitutional. Absolutely no reason that the Constitution Court, for heaven's sake, should also not know this immediately. Their needing two more weeks--to do lord knows what, twiddle their thumbs counter-clockwise instead of clockwise?--on top of all the time they have already had, is just nuts. In the weeks before the very first vote for PM, there were stories about how many times Pita's name would be submitted to be voted on. First it was thought to be two, then three times was mentioned, and I think there was talk about not setting a specific number. Why didn't anyone, especially all those Constitution legal scholars, step up then and say, hey, he can only be voted for once? Nobody stepped up because it's clear that is not the case. Delay, delay, delay for no reason.

Sweet!

We always try to buy in foreign quota and, normally, we would not break the rule. But, sometimes you can get away with it and not end up with the 'booby prize'. A desirable project is a desirable project. The last Pattaya condo my partner and I owned was at Northshore. Foreign quota at Northshore is long gone but the project remains desirable and in demand. Location, location, location, with very little in the way of competition from other seaview condo projects at that prime area. We wanted to live there so we bought in Thai name. When we decided to switch gears a couple years later and buy a house on the Darkside, we were able to find a buyer and make a profit on the condo. Foreign quota condos do generally sell for higher prices at Northshore, and other projects where FQ is full, but we got a lower price when we initially bought because our condo was not in foreign quota and needed some work, so we were still able to make a profit.

Absolutely. Document everything and have the landlord sign the documents before signing any rental contract. If he won't, move on. You are in the driver's seat before a contract is signed. After you sign, you lose all your power. Get everything you want in the contract while you are still in the driver's seat.

PT instruction manual. Get into bed and have a one-night-stand with whomever you need to in order to win the PM. Get elected PM by your one-night-stand. Kick your one-night-stand out of bed and get back together with your main squeeze, MF. Hope MF will have you back or you may find yourself impotent in the next election.

I think that depends on whether foreign quota is still available or not.

There is no such thing as 'Thai quota'. Thais can own 100% of a project. The condo mentioned is likely in Thai name, meaning registered at the Land Office to a Thai owner. Foreign quota could or could not still be available, one cannot tell this from a particular condo being in Thai name.

You hit it. My partner and I like it for most of the same reasons.

One ray of hope to keep in mind. Those 70 million Trump supporters you mention (actually 74 million and change) who voted for Trump in Nov. 2020, were voting for a sitting president who, at that point, had not done any of the criminal things he is now being charged with, including these latest charges and also the criminal mishandling of highly classified documents. Plus, Georgia indictments still to come. Being an optimistic, glass half-full guy, I can only hope that there are still some Republicans with a functioning brain who now have enough overwhelming evidence to finally, finally turn away from Trump. I certainly hope he does not still have 74 million Americans who would, at this point, have to be brain-dead, who would vote for him again.

Or, grow a pair and select another nominee in the first place, one that hasn't plotted to commit treason and overthrow the government, among other things. Maybe select someone who won't tell his or her vice president that they are 'too honest'. No chance of that with serial liar Trump.

Deport them and ban them.

The MF party should publicly announce, as loudly as possible, that they will be voting for Settha as PM, since he has stated that he, too, is in favor of reforming Article 112. Throw the ball into the Senator's court and force them, along with the junta House members, to make the painful choice to be seen as voting in agreement with the MF party, or to be seen as voting, once again, against both the will of the voters and the forming of a government.

Partner and I noticed all the earthmoving the other day and also wondered what is going to be built there.

They should. But countries, not just Thailand, seem to have their own way of doing things. I was given a 10-year visa for China, my Thai partner was given just a year. Go figure.

I find myself curious about what your city has to offer that Pattaya doesn't have. Shopping centers? Pattaya has 2 major ones, with Icon Siam in the works. Golf courses? Plenty, including one that hosts the Honda LPGA tournament. Hospitals? At least 4 big ones, with a major new one under construction in association with Thammasat University. Movie theaters in English? Several to choose from. Restaurants? A huge variety, of about every kind of food imaginable, including some nice beachfront ones on the various beaches. Upscale resorts? A number of them, including Cape Dara, Centre Point Space, and Centara Grand. Car dealerships? Most of the major makes available in Thailand can be found in Pattaya. International schools? About a dozen, including Regents. Housing? Huge amount of choice, from inexpensive condos to beachfront penthouses to large villas in the 150 million baht range. Waterparks? At least three, including the newly refreshed Columbia Pictures Aquaverse. Recreation? Besides golf, there's a number of badminton facilities, scuba, snorkeling, jet skiing, parasailing, bowling, horseback riding, off-road tracks, bike and walking trails around Lake Mabprachan, and more, Other attractions? The very beautiful Nong Nooch Gardens. Area temples. Nearby islands to visit. Underwater World. The Dolphinarium. Silver Lake. Sanctuary of Truth. The Singha D'Luck Theater. Pattaya Floating Market. The Open Zoo. Old Town Naklua, Tiger Park, and more. I'm wondering if you've ever actually been to Pattaya--and why any of the above is 'hell' for you.

Boo hoo.

Blame the Senators for the delay.

What interests me is not important; focus on what your interests are, other than the bars. But since you asked, here's some of what my partner and I do. We have a gym membership at a resort on the beach and 3 times a week we drive into town and spend the morning there, then have lunch at a restaurant and do errands. We like going to the movies. We like trying new restaurants, sometimes with friends we know. We like to take drives around the Pattaya area, seeing new things--and there is always something new. We like having family visit us and spending time with them. We like to travel--our last trip was to Spain and Portugal and we hope to do a Fall trip. We like finding interesting shops to discover, especially ones with Asian art and antiques and items from Japan, one of our favorite countries. About once a month we spend time in Bangkok--nice to have a big city less than 2 hours away by a good 4-lane motorway. My partner is still working and I will sometimes assist him with his work. I like to read and enjoy mysteries and suspense novels. We are currently building a new house with a project developer and that has been taking a lot of our time this year. It's been both fun and challenging as we've been in charge of the garden and the interior, selecting floor and wall tiles, drapes, designing the kitchen and built-ins, shopping for furniture, appliances, plants, etc. A typical evening might be dinner out at one of the many restaurants Pattaya has on offer, followed by a swim when we get home. Then, maybe a Netflix movie or one of the entertaining Korean dramas--I recommend The Penthouse and The Glory as two we enjoyed. So far, I don't think we have hit a temple this year--but it's only August. Perhaps a life that many would say is not their cup of tea--and that's all to the good. Which brings me back to my first comment. It's not what interests me, focus on your interests. If you find you don't have enough, develop some.

"...I'm just drinking and doing the same old thing each time." Your quote. I don't think it's Pattaya that's the problem, I think it's you. How would living anywhere else be any different, I wonder. My partner and I used to also live in central Pattaya and we found plenty to do--and none of it involved drinking at a bar every night. We were never bored with our lives living there. Ditto for when we lived in south and central Jomtien, Pratamnak, and Wong Amat. We are now living on the Darkside and its the same--we find plenty to do every day and are never bored. In your rather short post you mention 'bars' four times, and nothing else. If your life is a bar, oops, a bore, perhaps look to yourself and not the city you are in.

As my dear old Dad used to say, don't spend it all in one place.

That's what I worry about, the cursed Electoral College. Even though Biden won by over 7 million votes, Trump could have actually won in 2020 had he embraced early voting by mail, as Biden did, rather than urging his voters to wait until Election Day to vote. Had he also started early, he may have gotten enough extra votes cast early to swing the states that he narrowly lost. Will he be just as stupid in 2024? One can only hope.

Thought the exact same thing. 600 baht a month???