Presnock

well reading the pay back for tariffs from our friends seems to me that Trump has gone over to the dark side and looks like our used to be friends are now not so friendly. Will Trump blame the idiot that signed the NAFTA agreement? yeah laugh since it was he himself that negotiated and signed that agreement with our friendy neighbors, now not so friendly as Trump today reportedly dropped some of the sanctions on the Russians yet they still claim they want more sanctions lifted before any ceasefire - and this just for the very limited ceasefire - doesn't sound much like a real ceasefire to me unless it would mean killing would stop but since it won', the Russians just keep pounding away and Trump keeps giving up more and more as usual in his negotiating skills.

Yeah headlines indicate today that Trump also lifted some of the sanctions on the Russians/Putin but also notice that Putin want a lot more lifted in order for a ceasefire on energy producing targets - what kind of ceasefire is that, is it a ceasefire in reality - are folks still being killed? war is war and none of it is pretty IMHO. Trump seems to be negotiating like he normally does, keeps giving away benefits for the other side while giving up everything on his (supposedly) side.

this from what I have read is available for anyone that wants it! that is why it is not really considered to be secure in the classified info world. Maybe it is more secure than an open telephone for joe citizen but for anything of importance, the intel of unfriendly countries can read all of that talk!

well who negotiated the taliban back into power? before Biden who was then stuck with the negotiated deal to let the Taliban resume their reign!

actually makes me wonder how often these "less than professional" heads of US govt agencies use personal phones and communications that our intel people advise them that their private comms are probably being monitored by those less friendly folks that have installations around the Washington DC area. To think that this use of personal comms equipment was only revealed because someone inadvertantly added the editor to their chat group! Should all lost their clearances and yet now we hear the fake stories being made up by the bosses who failed to adhere to the proper handling of classified material! And here too on this forum the True Trumpers are already phoo phooing this blatant violation!!

can't even admit that they made a mistake, now tomorrow all the Trump Magaites will be saying the whole story was a fake one done by the Atlantic! In a "normal" govt, heads would roll!

you forgot that in any normal government security breech at this level, heads would roll but you actually know that NOTHING will happen to anyone above a PFC or GS 1.

Yeah that retreat was set up with the world's best negotiator in negotiations with the Taliban and Donald Trump!

don't need to lick any thai boots, didn do and won't do for 10 years any tax return here, and no 90-day reports and I don't go anywhere near nana nor can I remotely sound like stewart! But if I didn't like a country very much, I sure wouldn't move there! Also I am not a favorite of COLD weather and snow so wouldn't go to Canada.

when the US quit verifying the income, I just provided the IO with the bangkok bank statement of 12 monthly deposits. that was in Chiang Mai and it was the only way I did it for 5 years until I got my LTR and just had to get two bank letters of course and then provide a copy of every page in my bank book.

can't foils the locals with logic so why try

I personally know a vet, 78 years old that does get his disability pay from medicaid - total disability AO affected. google medicade and vets - they indicate that vets can get the higher of medicade or VA benefits.

I am one retiree here started 20+ years ago and still could afford to live in the US but then I couldn't have the weather we have here. jus abou everywhere in the US has some horrible weather which is not only horrible but very dangerous. The cost of housing if I had stayed there wouid have been negligible as I owned my house, only yearly property taxes but then again besides the fed tax that I still have to pay, I would have had to pay again to the State. Food based on what I eat because fruits of all kinds are available in both countries but more expernsive in the US. I am not a drinker of alcohol so that is of no consequence as is smoking legal or illegal. TRansportation would be cheaper in the US depending on what kind of vehicle I had. basically, the weather which I am familiar with in Thailand was more to my liking and the main reason but then I married a Thai and we have a beautiful and intelligent young lady.

yeah IMHO you and your fellow demonstrators were just like the movement after floyd died that escaped prisons as the woke society changed the laws that they broke to misdemeaners and not charges or penalties which led to gang raids on department stores so then the wokers change the crime to less than 900 or 1000 dollars or so, which led to own recognizance for most crimes as the woke didn't want to jail them as they felt that they were part of the team against all organized government. Then your group elected official after officials - all with that criminal mind IMO that then induced them to commit fraud and abuse of the system to get rich. Now one of you is the leader of the USA and well on his way to destroying the economy. IMHO you are one of his main followers, though I really have no idea what your poliical persuasion is today. WE each are entitled to our opinion so I will respect yours too no matter what it is but I sure don't hve to agree with you life experiences.

Yeah I missed those proests too 'cause I was in VN

Yes they did and got kicked out at Dien Bien Phu in 1954

Tricare is the medical care for all retired military and after 65 they can also be eligible for medicade and the tricare is two parts A and b bu believe the vet has to pay the part B - tricare is available no matter the residence of the vet.

yeah but many of the vets still must have that aid. I have HS friends, went to VN too, wounded/suffering from Agent Orange cancers and other problems which also affected at least one child. These guys draw their income from medicaid and are on disability due to their wounds/AO exposure. I am sure that there are thousands like these, now add the burn pit vets who have finally been granted by the VA for funding. On top of that, 30% of federal workers are government employees - I too am a VN vet and retired civil servent so if anything, if many of those vets lose their jobs, I begin to wonder how long before they get together as a fighting force with experience. Trump's disdain for American vets, particularly those wounded/killed he seems to feel that their sacrifices were dumb. I know how I feel about him and what a real loser he is though he may be rich, but to me he is still a loser. Missed the draft due to heel spurs but they didn't stop him from playing all the sports in college - I too had and have had heel spurs during that time but it sure didn't keep me out of the military or VN.

Yeah at least for the expats, I feel it hasn't changed all that much since the early 70's - yeah, getting around Bangkok is much easier with the trains but pollution still sucks.

yeah they continued teaching/training kids to come out of school and go to the factories which disappeared many years ago. Locally all continued to expand govt offices and taxes but the average joe couldn't afford even buying a house anymore. Sad for sure.

negative last I heard and also a restriction on immigration

well I retired here after being assigned to the Embassy 4 different times (1st in1972-73, final 2003-2005) My first wife died of breast cancer, had no reason to get married again and me my wife who had a restaurant - we have a college girl now - If one has a child here, I recommend an international school ( daughter graduated knowing well 4 differen languages Chinese, Korean, Thai and English) that sends grads to the home country of whatever dual nationality. Our daughter had scholarships and accepance in the US but wife's visa was delayed so daughter opted for the #1 university in Thailand and is doing well. She was selected to participate in an exchange program with a top Korean University for her Junior year. She is very mature, spent term breaks from university here taking classes at top Korean universities for the same degree and plans on her masters in Korea. She is also a computer wizzard and is taking online courses from Korean universities while going to school here. My only real complaint about life here is the pollution but being very familiar witl life in S. Asia for most of my adult life, I know that Thailand alond can't solve this problem as it means a societal change among all the S. Asian countries. Just look at the NASA satellite showing fires and south Asia is mostly read with hardly any green! But with air purifiers, my daughter's school in CM also had them and we have them in every room of the house plus we wear masks. I have my own moniter - today at 4:30AM when I turned it on outside in less than 5 seconds it was flashing "red" reading over 150. I watched the morning news and saw where 63 of the provinces are experiencing above the safe WHO limit and expect summer storms in many places today! I used to exercise outside every day but thunderstorms prevent that so now I spend evenings doing walking aerobics for an hour/6 kilometers. Food availability at all health levels is another plus with every kind of fruit available and prices are fairly cheap. My wife and daughter seem very happy all the time (except when daughter wants to purchase a particular seat for an upcoming concert such as yesterday). But I retired here over 20 years ago and have no plans to leave except maybe as ash if that should occur too. I do wish only the best for all here, as they may not like my opinions but I do respect that they might have one different from mine as we have had different life experiences.

just like this forum, we alll have an opinion, that is based on our own life experiences and ages. I do not believe that Trump cares one iota for the US but only for himself. This is my opinion and I basically have stated it many times, even long before this latest election of Trump. You have you opinion, I respect that and we both will just have to sit back and see what happens. Good luck to you.

Just I do hope that continues but with the current leadership ignoring legal means to do things,anything goes, the same with medicaide for VETs and in many cases are for a particular state. If they go after medicaide then I wonder what the vets will do?