Presnock

Well 50 years ago I went to Laos too. The "hotel" I stayed in had folks speaking English - maybe not perfect but I spoke Thai and they are close enough that we could always end up satisfying whatever we needed to know. As an American native, I realize that most native born Americans are not bi-lingual nor do they want to spend the time learning a foreign language. US govt agencies cannot even fill their vacant billets for foreign language speaking Americans (i.e. the US State Department online jobs mentions that several years ago State could fill only 24% of their foreign-language billets. Around 1980 or so, the US High Schools dropped the graduation requirement for studying a foreign language, usually French or Spanish is an example of the Americans not willing to put in the time necessary to learn another language and now with AI there are new APPs that enable folks to "get by" in many different languages. I don't believe one can really understand the cultures of a foreign people unless they can actually converse with them. I have been fortunate enough to study over 10 different languages.

Absolutely not!

Years ago (at least 48, I was assigned to Thailand with my family. There was a radio station that played the English soundtrack for foreign movies, news programs, etc. Prior to that, there were many US bases here in Thailand with 100's of thousand of US military. Yet during those times too, one would think that English would have at least gotten off the ground but TIT and their xenophobia. Instead of fighting those different, they appear to sign treaties with foreigners but only to keep a certain distance from them so that the powers that are can better control the masses. My opinion anyway as I havelived/worked in most of the ASEAN except for Cambodia and yes, over a span of 50 years Thailand always has ranked the lowest on the locals' English speaking. Many can read English but I am not always sure that they understand it. The folks that do speak English usually have gone to schools outside of Thailand and they went to internal schools that probably had a fairly good English program or private tutoring. My younger daughter at first went to elementary schools that had a reputation for English language but we learn fairly quickly (or not so quickly as we changed schools often) but finally found a reasonably affordable international school with a great program - all English except for the Thai classes. And yes, I speak Thai well enough to go anywhere and talk about just about any subject. I make mistakes but we laugh together. This is still paradise to me.

I continue to regularly see questions about the taxation by the Thai govt of US pensions - I queried a foreign tax advisor concerning this question. They informed me that even though the US and Thai governments have a tax agreement, legally the Thai govt could tax the pension funds sent into Thailand. They said that any taxes paid to the Thai government from pension sent into Thailand, then the US will refund the same number of dollars taken out of those funds by the Thais. Previously in this forum someone provided the tax brackets for Thai taxes and it indicated that the lowest tax bracket begins at 150,000 and I think that was in US dollars so if one is on a US pension, they probably would not have to pay any taxes to the Thai government. Until the Thai government comes out with the final approved law on the taxes, we are all wasting time even thinking about it. If they do tax us anyway, it might mean that they are killing the proverbial goose laying the golden eggs. But, since this is TIT...

That is correct! Japan has always had a strict immigration policy, Australia used to be that way too until they realized they needed more workers. Japan has a birthrate of less than 1 per couple. S. Korea now has a birth rate of .8 per couple and by the end of the century, the N. Koreans will just be able to walk over the border unless things change I read the other day. I sure have no idea of the rate in N.Korea but can't imagine that it is very high. The US problem is that there are way too many now pouring into the country. It used to be that shortly after arrival, an immigrant would proclaim to being an American and was accepted as that. They moved to different areas and learned to live in a different society from which they fled. Nowadays, they tend to flock together with their former countrymen, until they can elect the govt people as they outnumber the old residents and then try to change the society of the Stateside local into their old society from which they fled. I don't get it? oh, our government doesn't fight them for the space as we just turn it all over to them. Now Europe is experiencing the same thing.

I have checked with a tax advisory group re pensions being taxed - if a US citizen the country having a tax agreement could still tax the pension but then the US IRS would lower one's tax equal to that taken out by the Thais. I also saw one responder that the tax rate in Thailand would be on any income including pension over 150K US dollars as the very basic tax table so most folks here probably don't get a pension of over 150K USD annually. I do not know what the Thai govt will do, all I can do is wait and then decide what I am going to do. If they do begin taxing every ex-pat pension or otherwise, then I do think they are going to kill the goose-laying the gold eggs. But as we all are well aware, TIT

says it is good in the local area only - what about students? if they are away from the district in school the majority of that time? Just wondering

My recent 90-day reporting experience - got my notice 16 days prior to due date (Monday), on day 15 ((Tuesday I did the on-line report with and sent it in during the morning. I received my new 90-day report date on Thursday morning. Great service and much better than what we used to be required to do. This was with the CM immigration office.

Actually it has been going to crap for a while, it finally hit the level that makes it obvious to almost everyone. I have been seeing folks talk about buying a bag of chips or something else, all markings including weight of product inside are exactly the same except in reality, the product is up to 50 percent less. And since TIT, in order to make more money, they tell you it is on sale but the price is really 10-15 % higher than normal. What a deal they have for all! Probably a lot of the same going on elsewhere as I hear nothing but complaints from friends still in the US.

Well, I have been told by visa officers that the reason many Thais (other ASIANs also, especially not so elderly females, go to other countries and stay longer than they are allowed. I do not know what they do but even my wife was denied a tourist visa, owns her house, car, owned a restaurant, was chief chef and only wanted a tourist visa to take child to US for college. Consular folks said that wasn't enough to guarantee she would return to Thailand. She was married to me a US born citizen! They said that we have to apply for an immigrant visa - took a while for all the paperwork, then had to wait over a year due to immigrant backlog in the US so changed our minds and daughter is in college here.

During my working years, I lived in 14 countries, (Asia, Cent AM, Af, Eu), kept a log of good or bad. I included food, people, acceptance of foreigners, religion, climate. I spent a total of 9 years in Thailand between 1972-2005, 6+years in the PI and when all as said and done, decided to retire in Thailand with the PI a close second. I spoke the local lingo in those countries that I lived and basically got along well with the locals. I loved the PI, golfing, scuba diving, beaches, different islands with different folks, English speaking, cheap BUT, 18-20 typhoons per year, earthquakes up to 9 level, volcanoes active and local food not to my liking so much. The weather was a bit like Thailand but no really big typhoons (though more violent than before), earthquakes but much weaker, local food is great, people accept westerners, especially when one speaks the local lingo, plenty of golf available and though things are getting more expensive, it is still fairly cheap. I hope to spend many more years in retirement here!

Ther isn't anything about colluding - Trump over valued all his assets when applying for the loans and yes they were repaid BUT, by over inflating the assets that is fraud - then, on top of that, when it came to paying tax on those same assets, Trump and co. under valued said assets. The law doesn't state from what I have heard about people having to lose money from the loans but the fact that the values were not even close to being accurate! We are talking 100's of time more valuable as Trump wanted to be high on the Forbes magazine US richest billionaires! All this is from the trial and people under oath. When he is not under oath he lies but when he swears in court he claims the 5th amendment so they can't get him for lying!

wrong! Trump and the MAGAites all question the vote totals...according Trump close office folks, he questioned the totals even before the election was over.

in my opinion, I do think that he won the 2016 election as so many Democrats voted for him instead of Hillary plus all the regular people too coming out hoping to change politics.

And to think he just inherited this "empire" from his dad. This tangerine colored turd has lived with a silver uh make that a gold spoon his entire life, never EVER admitting making a mistake...I read not too long ago that a reporter asked him if he ever apologized to anyone for something and he replied that he never did anything wrong in his life! and so many worship him...scary.

555 equals ha ha ha (sound of Thai speaking 555)

Hey, the under valuation he did when he paid taxes (some years a billionaire and didn't pay tax at all - that too is a CRIME in the USA.

We sent our daughter (moved housing) to find the "better" local Thai schools until 5th grade. We kept moving because all the schools did not meet the goals we had for her. In 5th grade we sent her to a "new" school - fantastic buildings, layout, etc half Thai teachers, rest Farang - though most farang teachers eventually tried to leave as soon as possible as the school was run by the daughter of a Thai univ. and most of the Thai teachers were schools buddies. Anyway prior to the end of the first year, we knew we were leaving - even were offered full scholarship to continue but no way - and by the end of the 3rd year all the original students were gone as well as the farang teachers. We went to an international school (CMIS) - daughter on a US passport so did not have to take Thai classes after 6 grade which the Thai teacher didn't like because she really liked our daughter. She began studying Chinese in 7th grade, then a year later began self-teaching Korean because she like KPOP (by graduation she had passed level 4 of the international Korean test), she continued studying Chinese and even taught basic Chinese at another Thai high school near CMIS, which was broken up by the pandemic, took AP Chinese, did teacher's asst for one year when she had a free hour daily, taught Korean and English to others as part of the community service they needed to graduate. She speaks, reads and writes Thai with no problems. She English (American with me), and Thai exclusively with her mother and most of her friends. She is now a student at the number one Univ in Thailand studying Korean. Your wife must take time to speak Thai with your daughter. Extra classes should help especially in the writing while watching Thai programs (especially news for vocab) or movies should also help her. Good luck!

The case has already been proven! He has been declared guilty of fraud. Now this trial is about how much money he must fork over! No matter how well schooled one may be in law, one must know the laws of the particular court location. He broke those laws of FRAUD, that is why he was found guilty and his business license has been suspended.

Yes, Trump ordered his financial "wizards" to inflate the value of all his properties when he was applying for loans. One example is his Trump Tower apartment - 10,000 square feet but he claimed 30,000 square feet and jacked up the cost even more then. And yes, he always paid the banks in question. But they only have a certain amount of funds to loan and Trump used up most quotas. Then, when tax time rolled around, he deflated the values of his properties- this time TAX fraud too on top of the original fraud. Since so many witnesses provided information to the Attorney General, she ruled him and his companies guilty of fraud. Now they are trying to determine how much damages he should pay plus, his business licenses for New York are no longer valid and he and his family can no longer operate there. He wanted to higher inflated values so that he could be rated higher in the FORBES magazine of richest Americans! He since has dropped out of that magazine as fraudulent valuations aren't included in one's worth! Hopefully he will be as guilty in the other cases - especially now that he stopped funding their lawyers so they got one more concerned with this client instead of Trump dictating what the lawyer should be doing. Most of them immediately are advised to work a plea deal with the prosecution as they have another "open and shut" (for you non-English speakers this means an easy to close case due to sufficient evidence. Imagine how funny it will look as he takes the oath (if he wins of course) wearing prison orange suit!

unfortunately, the US politicians are first of all, POLITICIANS and in my opinion, like in other countries in which I have lived, consider themselves entitled to make as much money for themselves and their families. They may come into an elected office with dreams of "solving" the problems of their nation. Soon though they seem to learn how easy it is to fatten their wallets - corruption is the current word used. Some countries try to pass laws preventing such corruption but the law that is passed if possible, is too weak or watered down because who wants to kill the goose that lays the golden egg so to speak. Now, most western countries are infested with way too many immigrants. Previously, the immigrants into these countries merged into different communities and assimilated into local society, many becoming productive citizens. Nowadays with the hordes pouring in, they tend to stick together, becoming a voting majority in many places and begin to try to change their new country to be more like the one they fled, and in doing so destroy the society of their new country. This is my opinion anyway but I have seen the same thing elsewhere and read stories from other countries and it strikes me as being exactly the same. I recall India had a story years ago, that their parliament had been trying to pass a non-corruption law unsuccessfully for 5 years. My own congress failed to pass an insider trading bill recently without success. Now I am fully aware of salaries, and when almost all the elected officials' families are rich I begin to wonder just how is that possible.

read and article the other day from some doctor - he said the biggest killer of man was "retirement" because they all stopped doing whatever too soon. I agree somewhat, but many people should have changed their lifestyles earlier in life if they wanted to possibly have a healthy retirement. Too many wait until it is too late to really improve one's chance of longer life - that would be healthier too. What is a longer life with rampant disease, paid, hospitalization etc? I am approaching 80, walk 6kms a day, lift weights, do core stretching and exercises regularly. I have very few pains occasionally but I have done this for many year already - though I used to run instead of walking due to the "runners high" which I experienced every day. I have a younger wife and we have a 20-year daughter and I hope to have many more lucid years to follow their lives. I also do not drink alcohol, nor smoke tobacco or other drugs. I have not even had a headache in over 20 years. BP is that of a healthy 45 year old. But, if I were to not wake up tomorrow, THAT"S death. But I enjoy life daily, am happy and have no regrets in my life. Hope all are at least satisfied with their current life - otherwise, try to change it. Be happy! that is easy, after all this is TIT and we choose to be here.

Trump feels he is beyond normal laws

Every campaign stop he asks for huge donations. On top of that he sells his picture on shirts, hats, etc for big $ too and then uses that money for his expenses.

Have read that VN "hates" the Chinese and I have seen numerous stories about how Russians are not favored there either. They seem to be much smarter than the countries immediately surrounding Thailand and what happens to them as they climb into bed with the autocratic rulers.