Presnock

I agree with your comments. As an American military/civil service retiree, 78 years old, I realized a long time ago that I was born at the right time to enjoy a wonderful life. I noticed the change beginning in the VN war - 2 years there and then when I returned to the US, not everyone had changed but many had - i.e. Trump and his heel spurs so he could avoid the draft - rich kid, but played all the major sports in college so guess those heel spurs didn't reall affect him. Then in my civilain status, I lived and worked in many countries around the world and only went back temporarily to the US so the change crept up on me. By the time I retired in earl 2000 period, the change was complete. I noticed that everyone being selected for candidacy of government offices was chosen by the superPacs. Yeah there were two different parties but both sets of candidates were fed monies by the rich and powerful. Now look at the Trump govt - the agency heads are worth over 450 BILLION USD, more than 172 countries' GDP. Once elected, they quickly learn the ways to become rich off a govt salary and it isn't easy for honest folks! They then immediately begin collecitng money from the superPacs to fund their re-election campaign chest. Since they are selected by the rich, they then cater to them to garner additional funds no reall separtion along party lines. I realized that the golden age is over for the US and it is still being destroyed even further by the policies of the rich so that they can control more and more ot the funds of the country. I left, being used to living overseas and liked Thailand the best with the Philippines a close second. I have had a great life and still enjoying it greatly in Paradise! I do hope the best for America in the end and all the rest of the world too.

I think a lot of that "only around foreigners" is because of the intenational travel on planes and thus being exposed to people possibly traveling through many different countries, and thus possibly exposed to some disease!

I don't see in your original that the septic was emptied a month ago, but they may have clogged up the drains there

you should understand that it is full of crap! that is why...someone just had to tell you I guess. If your house has a cess pool, might need pumped out and draining. If in a condo, somewhere along the drain might be being clogged up and will probably only get worse unless cleaned out.

Yeah and the headline earlier had Trump saying "yeah, guess the Chinese tariff should be around 80%. IMHO, since the Chinese indicated for weeks that they wouldn't talk unless Trump dropped the 145% tariff...hmm smells like another reversal by Trump's as he said not dropping at all!

Yessir I agree. Yesterday he makes this big announcement about the "first deal done!" with the UK - which BTW was one of the few trade deals that the US sold more to the UK than the UK sold to the US. Then after he announces 20 times or so how great a deal this new one with the UK is great for both countries, we learn that well nothing is written yet! it may take a few weeks for the written version to come about so still negotiating I guess. What a total IDIOT! Then he talks about when he was a kid riding around NYC in his dad's Rolls Royce so says will not tarif that as he wants Americans to buy that luxury car - now how many Americans can even afford to buy any new car right now especially a RR! So what is the latest - American automobile manufacturers, dealers, etc screaming that here Trump will let RR in without the tariff while American cars will only increase in prices! Every day something new and not pretty for Trump nor his Magaites. Wonder how long it is going to take for them to realize they have been sold down the proverbial path to poverty? Oh yeah meanwhile the Trump family in the 3 wonths of this term have increased their wealth by almost 3 billion dollars with deals on high-rises in Qatar and Saudi and whatever coin they are buying today!

basically, comes down to common sense. I haven't seen any additional required wearing of a mask but have noted more people are aware of the lurking diseases so see more masks. I have no problem with that as it is a personal thing and not something I disdain others of doing like so many people on this forum it seems to me (IMHO).

but, if someone continuously promises after day one he will accomplish numerous new rules and regulations that will take effect immediately. Everyone will have a well paying job and happy! Even if new manufacturing plants are built, they will house ROBOTS and not all those folks fired from their jobs and no pay at all . IMHO there are going to be some really unhappy people SOON! Congress still has to pass that "great big beautiful budget bill" with 680 billion US dollars found somewhere and they are still looking at medicafre and medicade plus other benefit programs that the rich never use so feel that they are useless and willing to make the poor and hungry suffer even more. I am not so sure that DJT will even be around in a couple of years - he seems to me to be fading just like ol' Biden was.

Yeah latest I heard was Biden is still responsible for the 90-sec dead air at Newark airport this week, plus the education system too, plus the market drop earlier was Biden;'s fault too, pretty soon folks might cease to blame Biden for everything Trump and the rich ones (450+ billions of US dollars together and more than 172 countries' GDP) in his cabinet. BTW FAA says someone at the pentagon earlier caused two commercial air passenger jets to abort their landing because some general using a helicopter for local travel.

Already spent two years plus there, yeah different world then but yeah, if they have a vise with benefits like the LTR then I would be there ASAP! Nice beaches but I recall the small planes patrolling with explosives to keep the sharks away from the beach. Liked a lot of the people I did meet there and worked with quite a few though those fled to the US.

But, as long as folks recognize where the comments are coming from, it does prove interesting at times. Plus I do notice that some people here do know what they are talking about acurately IMHO anyway.

one sure thing about the forum here, one doesn't need any credentials to be an expert at anything especially opinions.

Yep, I have read/often heard that since parents stopped babies/youngsters from eating DIRT, they miss out on certain antibodies within their system. If in doubt of experts, just look at the new Health Secretary in the US. I wonder what he would recommend.

well as temperatures are warm to very warm most of the time, it is safest to put food away in a fridge or elsewhere. Besides the temperature, there are a lot of bugs around always. Plus, those perservatives in many prepared foods here are not so healthy either but a different subject I guess.

I just made my wife and daughter as co-account holders, w/wife getting a portion of my pension until she passes and which will still be posted from OPM to the bank.

and you forgot that even after swearing twice on a Bible the oat to protect the US Constitution, he has no idea what that means and even admitted to that fact on "Meet the Press" show. Also providing offices to the super rich (riches total over 450Billion USD, reportedly more than the GDP of 172 countries in the world) with promises to even lower the taxes of these rich folk while he drives the US economy to a recession that doesn't affect the rich, only his MAGgots. IMHO anyway!

The bank sends the money the same dayvia the online banking platform if the wire transfer is received by 8AM bank time (EST) and thus it arrives here the following date as the bank is behind us in time. It is the standard international fee of 35 USD for the amount I send and the WISE cost is really not that much difference on the amount I send each month so even though the bank adertises the WISE transfer as being cheaper, I continue to forward via the bank and in five years have not had any problems with them at all.

The State Department Federal Credit Union (sdfcu.org) offers a full bank account with credit cards, etc with a foreign address. When BOA closed my acct of 50+ years as I no longer had a US address nor phone number,, I was able to open my sdfcu acct just by joing one of about 30 different organizations (I joined American Citizens Abroad) and once you open the bank account I don't think you have to remain a member of whatever organization. One does not need to be a govt employee, military or anything like that to open an account there. I have been a member for over 5 years and have had no problems whatsoever with the bank. My pension check goes to that bank too and then I have them forward money to Thailand. The SDFCU also advertises that one can use a WISE account for forwarding of money instead of the bank forwarding as it might be a tad cheaper but I have always used the bank forwarding .

You come lately complainers don't know how it has improved over the years! In years past, some people even got in a queue for the queue numbers inside and in order to insure getting one early on, some people got in line even at midnight but most like me began showing up at 4 AM and I was never even close to being first to get a queue ticket. Before there was no call in for a reservation for anything, no online 90-day reports, and the yearly visit always took more time than in the more recent years. My last yearly for retirement O was a breeze, no appointment yet less than 90 minutes total from check-in outside to leaving with next years stamp. I got my LTR upon reading about that visa as it gives me the most benefits for the least money. In addition, the CM immigration also has an office at the Central Festival Mall but I think has some restrictions on what can be accomplished there.In addition, if one arrives prior to the 8:30 opening, one can have documents checked prior to even going inside to insure all is proper and necessary which also saves one some time. Having done the yearly so many times, I knew what I needed, with banking documents, the two forms they give you at the tent area, etc and i thought based on what it used to look like, was a pretty good improvement. Obviously some of you might want to move to Bangkok and go to Chang Wattana instead of CM immigration. Better yet, get an LTR and you can miss out altogether for most actions. IMHO the best.

Well, as an American who enjoys many Thai dishes for more than half my life of 78 years, and having eaten Thai dishes in many Thai restaurants in the US, I am a witness to a multitude of Americans enjoying those Thai dishes too. And, folks here get to eat those thai dishes as a much lower price than those prices charged in the US restaurants yet they are always crowded!

especially the rich pharma industry - already rich off of diet poison sold by the US food industry IMHO

former Republican, then former independent never considered Democrats but Trump has now taken the presidential oath of allegience to the US Constitution TWICE! But I heard him say he doesn't believe in the US Constitution and that he doesn't need to follow what he doesn''t believe in and that he has a lot of lawyers who can help him understand it. It is obvious IMHO that he doesn't really care about the regular non-rich citizens of the world and will do whatever to win the praise of the rich. The richer the more he respects them IMHO again. The world would imho be a safer place once he is gone for good!

depends on the country of course and in the US depends on the states and their population...some states fewer folks, but even so, the northern states have to buy electricity from Canada. US produces cars for domestic market of over 11 million vehicles a year - these are gasoline use and to change all to electric would take a hell of a lot of electricity. At the same time they are trying to rid the US of coal based electric companies - folks don't want nuke so that is a lot of wind farms. Some rivers are already running dry so water power won't be the answer either. a lot of this is common sense. IMHO anyway.

And note, this is one of the best experts on the visa activity in Thailand!