newnative

Yes, makes it so much harder to fall back on the ridiculously lame 'claim' excuse when confronted with actual facts. ('Well, that's just a claim'. Umm, no it's not, Grasshopper.) The facts are often so easy to locate with Google. Google 'Trump convicted of sexual assault' and there are all the facts right there, in only the time it took to type the query. I sense a lot of grinding teeth. Grrrrrrr! Cursed Google with cursed facts.

Again, not 'claims' at all. They are facts. Facts that are general knowledge. Facts that are general knowledge don't need to be backed up with a link. If I mention in a post that the earth is round, first, it is not a 'claim' and, second, it is general knowledge that does not need a link. Same with these facts. For the record, I did not post the facts regarding Trump. That was another poster. However, when you referred to the facts as 'claims' I felt I needed to respond to set you straight that they are not 'claims' at all, but facts. A big difference. I 'claim' I have a 30-inch waist but . . . Again, for the record, the poster who listed Trump's convictions was being scrupulously fair to Trump when he listed his conviction for sexual assault. The judge in the case said Trump was actually guilty of what is generally considered to be the legal definition of rape, even though the jury opted for 'sexual assault'. You can google it.

I have to disagree. This driving technique at intersections is called 'Be a Train' and it works well in managing traffic where there are no signal lights. Basically, you be a train of cars, following closely together so no gap is left. This allows a number of cars going north ans south to travel through the intersection without the stopping and starting that slows everything down. They go through the intersection like a train. Eventually there will be a gap, and then it's the turn of the traffic going east and west to be a train going through the intersection. It's the best way to manage taking turns with 4 Way Stop not being used. Sometimes, as you say, the traffic does get stopped in the middle of an intersection but it then flows and gets sorted. 'Be a Train' also works well with turns at intersections without signal lights. At our new house on the Darkside, we have to make a right turn against sometimes busy oncoming traffic on Road 3240. When three or four cars have built up waiting to make the right turn, Be a Train allows them all to make the turn because there is no gap left for the waiting traffic to resume. A car not being a train--leaving a big gap that allows the ongoing traffic to move again, fouls up the line of cars waiting to turn. So, be a train when you can--you'll see it helps traffic flow.

All show, nothing more. They need to eliminate all the parking on North Pattaya and enforce the no parking all the time with traffic wardens and stiff fines. The problem is way too long waits at traffic signals because there is simply way too much traffic now for just 2 lanes. Three lanes lets many more cars get thru a signal so the signal cycles can be shorter, helping to eleviate long backups. The markings now are just ludicrous. For example, by Bangkok Bank near Terminal 21, it's all red and white no parking except for a small stretch of yellow and white temporary parking in front of the bank. Yesterday, wasn't there one truck parked in the yellow, making all the cars using the lane have to try to merge into the lane to the right, greatly slowing everything down. So, allowing one car to park fouls everything up for many other cars. Ludicrous. It's the same all down the road on both sides heading east and west--allowing a few parking spaces here and there fouls up the whole flow. True also for most of the other major roads. None of this is brain science or rocket surgery.

Good.

I feel much safer in Thailand than I did in the US.

What's funny? As an American, it's sad that this is the state of American politics these days. Politics being the 'art of compromise' was not doing well before Trump came on the scene and, thanks to Trump, it's now on life support.

They're not 'claims', they're facts. Easily googled. Just google 'Trump convicted for charity fraud', for example, and up it pops. Just google 'Trump convicted for sexual assault', and up it pops. See how easy that is?

If I'm Biden I'd want Trump, too, as my opponent. Two-time loser with the voters in both his presidential runs, and, now, much more negative baggage, with all the criminal indictments and everything else, than he had in the 2020 election.

I think you have at least 2 months; things tend to move slowly with foreclosures. I'd start looking for another place while planning to stay the 2 months. If the landlord wants you out in a month he needs to return the security deposit.

Yaa! He's got my vote . . . if I could vote. Hey, 'No taxation without representation' just popped into my head.

Better still, send the money to someone in Thailand who is not a Thai tax resident, so not required to pay any tax on money remitted to them in Thailand. You should also be in the clear regarding any tax owed as you have not remitted any money to yourself.

USA citizen so exempt via DTA.

I understand I am happier in my safer, more comfortable, air-conditioned car.

I'm not filing in 2024 because all the money I remitted to Thailand in 2023 is shielded, so no need to file. I'm not filing in 2025 because I plan to bring no money into Thailand in 2024, so no need to file. I'm not filing in 2026 because if I bring any money into Thailand in 2024 it will be pre-2024 savings, which are shielded, so no need to file. I will only be filing in the next few years if it becomes a requirement for Immigration.

It's not 54% of the electorate. In this case, it's just 54% of the registered Republican voters, and any unregistered voters who chose to vote Republican in the New Hampshire primary. In yet another of his lies, Trump has claimed that Democrats are voting for Haley in the primary to sabotage him. False, only registered Republicans and independents can vote for a Republican candidate. It's not a great showing when you manage to only capture 54% of mostly just your party's voters. In two presidential runs, Trump never received even 50% of the vote. He lost to Clinton by around 2 million votes and did even worse in 2020, losing by 7 million, even though he was the incumbent with all the perks of running as president. He's a two-time loser with the voters.

My spouse and I use our pool every day, weather permitting, and sometimes twice a day. The fun will never wear off for me.

Keep them all open.

Give her the jail term. The piddling fine is likely loose change in the Bentley's seats.

Separated at birth.

Good for CM. What's his plan for the rest of the country?

I agree. I use mine a lot more than I thought I would. My Thai partner insisted I get one and he did all the work. I initially thought it wasn't worth the trouble but I've since changed my mind. It's come in handy quite a lot, especially when I've needed to show identification and didn't have my passport along. Sometimes I've gotten a discount getting into places using it and have also used it instead of a passport checking into hotels. One time I was able to get onto one of the Sattahip military bases when we were doing a boat trip--I think I would have been turned away in that instance with just a passport.

Another day, another idiot.

The Darkside is the area east of Sukhumvit. It's a large area offering many different housing projects, as well as more rural areas. Lots of choice for about whatever you are looking for in an area outside of town. You are right that there are 'lots of good people too'. My spouse and I have been fortunate to meet and become friends with some of them. Pattaya is a big city with a very diverse population, including lots of expats of all economic strata. There are a number of distinct neighborhoods to choose from, each with its own vibe. My partner and I like the Darkside, although we also enjoyed living in Jomtien, Wong Amat, North Pattaya, and several other parts of town. We like being able to afford to live in a nice pool villa in this part of town and getting to the malls, hospitals, big box retail, etc., is an easy drive on the Motorway from the Lake Mabprachan part of the Darkside. Pattaya has been changing quite a bit in the last half dozen or so years. A number of very nice new hotels have been built, along with Terminal 21, and several water parks and other attractions oriented towards families. This development is continuing, with an Icon Siam on the horizon and a number of other new projects getting started. It now attracts a lot of weekenders from Bangkok. We have no interaction with the bar scene, which is just a small part of greater Pattaya. It's there for those who want it, but also very easy to avoid if you don't. It's no problem to live our ordinary lives, doing our everyday things, and not be in those specific parts of town. We like being in a beach town and we hire a boat and do snorkeling every now and then from Sattahip. We like the now easy drive to Bangkok and the international airport being about 1.5 hours away. Worth a look, I think.

It's as it always is with road work in Pattaya--not good. The southbound roadwork on Sukhumvit by the North Pattaya intersection has blocked several lanes near the exit to the Motorway, making a right turn from North Pattaya much slower and more difficult for traffic. Partner and I were on North Pattaya going east early afternoon on Friday and east-bound traffic was backed up probably to T21 or Dolphin Circle--we sat for a long time and we were stopped at the Banchak gas station so I know it backed up a lot behind where we were during all that time we were not moving. I would avoid that area Friday afternoons thru the weekend. Going north on Sukhumvit past the North Pattaya intersection there is also roadwork, in the median area of the road, also blocking a lane. This roadwork isn't as bad for traffic as the above work, at least at the times we have been on it during the day.