newnative

I don't know about ACH transfers with Schwab. I always use Wise to transfer from my USA bank account, not Schwab. I use Schwab strictly for my stock portfolio.

I have a Schwab international account to trade stocks. I don't use any of the other banking features such as debit cards, etc. I can't remember what I used as proof of address here in Thailand. I've been very pleased with their service.

Neck brace??? Pathetic! Look! I'm sick! Look at the neck brace I'm wearing!!! Boggles the mind that they think the public is that gullible.

Good.

Sad.

If he's locked up, he'll eventually be paroled. That's rehabilitation enough, in my book. Someone going 'beserk' on a plane and endangering several hundred lives does not deserve to fly.

My definination of 'farang' is a foreigner, someone who is not a Thai citizen. One definition I saw on the internet was: 'A European or other foreigner'. 'European' is not a race, neither is 'foreigner'. So, still not racial. Certainly it could be seen as discriminating against non-Thai citizens but it's not racial discrimination unless specific races are singled out and treated differently. A foreign runner who comes in first but receives no prize money might be considered to be discriminated against, but not because of race, but rather because he or she is not a Thai citizen, and does not qualify for prize money. One caveat: Should the race organizers define 'farang' in your above rule to mean only white or Black runners, that would be racist. Amateurs competing in PGA golf tournaments do not collect any prize money if they win a tournament. Only professional golfers qualify for prize money. Is that racist? No. 'Amateur' is not a race. Is it possibly discriminating against amateurs? Maybe--but those are the rules. Pretty much the same thing for the Thai race--those are the rules.

Thought this only happened in Pattaya.

Add cars to the metro trains. They are so over-crowded, even at non-rush hour times.

Ban him from ever flying again on any airline.

Blah. Blah. Blah. Stay tuned for a similar announcement several months from now and then periodically after that as far as you can see--as has been the case for years now. What we have is no visible progress.

Basically here as a penniless beggar.

I've never heard of a different charge for condo units on higher floors, all other things being equal. Makes no sense to me. Some of the View Talay condo projects in Pattaya used to charge a flat rate, regardless of the size of the unit. When we lived at View Talay 3 years ago, I believe it was 6000 baht a year for maintenance, whether you were in a 48 sqm studio or one of the larger units. At some point, I don't remember when, that was changed to a sqm charge and I think that is the case now for most if not all of the VTs.

Thai is not a race. Neither is foreigner. You are confusing nationality with race. Prize money is reserved for Thai citizens. I see nothing wrong with that--it's nice they are letting foreigners compete, in my opinion. If it bothers you, don't compete.

Certainly, it's what you are comfortable with and what suits best. My spouse and I like being homeowners and having our own space to do with what we want. For others, renting can be a better option.

As it should.

Guy's walking a fine line. He's way too sick to be in prison. But, he's way too well to be in hospital--once he gets paroled.

Yes, here--but I could certainly do it on my own--and I know a number of single farang who have. I'm married to a Thai and we choose the properties we buy together. If single, I would be making the choice. I'm in charge of transferring the money in with the proper documentation for buying property and securing the bank paperwork. I'm mostly in charge of the selling, which involves taking photos, putting together an email package that contains good photos and a detailed description of the property, and then sending out the email to as many of the agencies as possible. Then checking the agency websites to see if our property got listed, and sometimes sending a follow-up email. Also listing the property on Facebook, Craigslist, etc. We work together showing the property, with me being in charge of staging. We also work together with both the buy and sell contracts but I could do those on my own. Were I here without my spouse, I could certainly search for a property for sale and use a real estate agency to facilitate the buy and assist at the Land Office. Ditto for selling. It's not that different here from the eight or so properties I bought and sold on my own in the US--and far easier with regard to paperwork, inspections, appraisals, mortgage loans, proof of finances, etc. With renovations, I would likely use the services of stores more than we do now, but I have some single farang friends who have used local contractors with house and condo projects.

I suppose a personal preference but I, myself, would not like to carry my garbage out, down 20some floors on the elevator and then to wherever the garbage is collected. Nor would I like to be in a crowded elevator with someone else carrying out their sometimes stinky garbage. Spouse and I ruled out from the get-go one project that did not have a garbage room on each condo floor hallway. In at least a dozen condos where we've owned at, we never had a problem with the garbage room being somewhere on the condo floor. But, as I said, our preference.

Nonsense. See my earlier post.

Who says you need to spend '25 years in the same place'? Spouse and I arrived in Thailand in 2010. Bought one condo in Rayong and then moved to a second one we bought there. Decided we wanted to live in Pattaya and sold the second Rayong condo and moved to a condo we bought on Dongtan beach. From then until around 2020 we moved, if I've counted right, nine different times from one condo we owned and then sold to another condo we bought. We've lived about everywhere from south Jomtien to Wong Amat. It's been fun living in a number of the different neighborhoods of Pattaya. At this same time, we bought a getaway condo in Bangkok, decided after a year it was too small, sold it, and bought a bigger condo down the street closer to the subway. Around 2020, we decided to switch from condo living to living in a house. We are now on our third, on the Darkside, another part of Pattaya, and enjoying both our house and this area. We have never lost a penny on any property we purchased, condo or house, here in Thailand. We have found buyers for each property we put up for sale. Some properties sold quickly, others took longer, but they all sold, at a profit. The notion that if you own a property you lose your mobility is just not true.

Correction. Thaksin to walk free from hospital on Sunday.

As you said in your earlier post, the popular vote likely would not have changed much, with or without the EC. I doubt a change of tactics would have gained Trump 2.5 million more votes in 2016 or 7 million more votes in 2020. 'Best' is subjective but In 2000 and 2016, the voters, themselves, did choose the candidate that they preferred to be president of the choices running, and that preferred candidate did win the popular vote in both of the elections. In both cases, that 'best candidate' was not Bush or Trump.

Absolutely--especially if the GOP nominee is Trump.

Yes, likely a 'non-issue'--for Republicans. George W. Bush and Trump both lost the popular vote. Trump by over 2.5 million in 2016 and 7 million in 2020. If he is the GOP nominee in 2024 he will in all likelyhood lose the popular vote once again, but could win the cursed EC. The voters could, as in 2016 and 2000, once again be denied their choice for president. The Republicans love the cursed EC.