mfd101

Greedy people never know when to stop.

I was attacked a couple of weeks ago by about 10 hornets though not giants, so may be what I would call 'wasps'. They're constantly building nests (encrusted mud) under the eaves of the house and my b/f has to spray them regularly (which is difficult as it's 2 storeys). On this occasion - first ever in my whole life - they came at me as I was checking the washing machine in the washhouse (external door only, as is normal in Thailand). As usual I had nothing on except a pair of shorts. I had to fight my way out and race to the back door a few meters away. Amazingly, only 1 sting (on my naked back). Didn't hurt much, just a bit itchy for the next couple of days. But I'm now a bit neurotic about venturing out the back door, including for doing my morning stretching exercises on the back verandah.

My b/f & I had the experience a few years ago of buying a ticket in the local village lottery (non-govt, theoretically illegal but "What did the guvamint ever do for us?) On the day the draw was to be held at 1400, Cha was rung up at 1100 and told that his number was no longer available or entered in the lottery. He shrugged his shoulders & thought nothing of it. And guess what number drew the winning prize at 1400 ... Psychology behind that: Cha married to rich Falang, his family all looked after, give to someone else.

I use Wise 2 or more times every month to transfer funds (minimum 65K฿ equivalent) from Oz to BKK Bank. Always shows as FTT in my bank book. Note that using other banks or other modes of transfer may show up otherwise.

The Chinese way (and a lot of the empty condo owners are indeed Chinese). Investing at (effectively) negative interest rates does seem a strange thing to do.

Basically, yes. I had everything in storage in Sydney for 15 or so months after we sold up in Canberra. During that time my b/f & I bought a nice piece of land here outside Prasat, on which we built a 2-storey house using plans we bought then modified from BKK. Turned the upstairs plan (1 main bedrm, 2 bathrms, 3 small bedrms) into 1 large bedrm, 1 large bathrm, 1 library & office. Even then there was & remains 'overflow' of print books in the main bedrm & in the large main guest room downstairs. (Sigh) Thank goodness for ebooks! (which I can buy everyday guilt-free).

My library, brought all the way from Oz some years ago and growing weekly - c10,000 print books, c2500 ebooks, 700 classical music CDs, 350 DVDs.

I think the backbone is William & his wife.

Actually, it is very important, especially to Americans who want government-supplied healthcare. This is what happens, and it is not just in Thailand. Take a look around the world. This is another example of the Thai debt system. What do I owe money? Never mind, I don't have to pay my debts. Imagine when the 20 baht system gets in place and the government then says to BTS and MRT, 'Sorry, we are not going to give you the money we promised.' How well will your train run then? Sorry, I was using sarcasm.

Says it all.

Soaring with unity and tradition ... in between bombs.

Not before time.

His mind seems to be in the right place, at least on this. Looking forward to the follow-ups.

Unimportant. No sweat. Only poor people really need it.

So what all the above seems to say is that, for mysterious reasons (at least partly criminal), market forces don't work in the property 'market' in Thailand. The effect is that many many people invest in property with little or no expectation that they'll ever resell or otherwise make a profit out of it. Quite why they would do that is beyond my understanding. And the OP then suggests that the government might intervene to force the market to work better thru taxation! A strange topsy-turvy world Thailand, where nothing quite works properly and government intervention often makes things worse.

Um, so, are prices falling - whether for purchase or for rent?

Well our physicists, cosmologists & mathematicians are all in uproar at the moment as 3I/Atlas hovers nearby and does things (apparently) that our current sciences of all descriptions believe impossible. In the circumstances I think it behoves any rational human being to maintain an open mind on what the cosmos (or multiple cosmoi) has/have to offer that we haven't begun to imagine.

Unpleasant creature edging ever closer to his deservedly unpleasant end.

That sounds ridiculous. To do the one without the other is irrational. Can't last, I should think.

Interesting description. I guess just about ANY political party in ANY country in the world can be called 'populist'. Why would you be in politics otherwise? Which leaves 'neo-conservative' ...

When all these peoples disappear - as they almost certainly will, given the modern world's endless greed - we lose a great part of ourselves, our past, our variety, our cultural richness.

Unclear as usual: 'train' vs 'Skytrain' - same or different? 'Seniors over 60' - Thais only?

Early on no doubt. But once they settle down in their 30s or 40s the record suggests it tends to last for the rest of life (and there can be a reasonable level of tolerance - at least early on - for an occasional bit on the side.)

And then there's same-sex marriages where - I gather - male/male relationships tend to be much longer term than female/female relationships. Certainly that's my personal experience where my b/f & I have been (1) wedded in a village Buddhist ceremony in 2013, not recognized by Thai government but the Khmer peasants regard that as irrelevant in any case (2) civil partnered (pre-gay marriage laws) in Canberra in 2015 (3) currently planning to marry under the new Thai laws here in Surin some time in the next 6 months. And at 40 years older than my partner I think I can safely say It's for life. Meantime my former Kiwi wife has been thru multiple girlfriends since we split in 1979 ...

OP doesn't say where she was from. Heat may have been awful (for anyone) ...