mfd101

So, why is noone in Thailand surprised?

Here in Surin province we're just about to pay this morning our h&c insurance with our BKK Bank branch (BKK Insurance Public Company). Have been with them since we built our house in 2016. 11.5M฿ cover, 20฿ annually. Never a problem.

Vietnam moving steadily on & up ... Will be surging past Thailand in most things over the next decade.

Yes. My b/f and I had a village wedding in 2013. Not recognized legally but recognized by family and the whole village, which was all that mattered to everyone concerned. I had previously inquired whether the proposed wedding would be acceptable in pre-gay-marriage Thailand. The answer from the village elders came back: Marriage is for two people who love each other.

Tell that to Putin!

Transparency is the last thing the EC and associated entities will provide. Anyone who complains is liable to prosecution, as PP and its predecessors regularly rediscover.

Golly, so stressful. Some people should just stay in bed.

I'm not silly enough to keep my 35 million baht in a safe. Stupid thing to do. I keep them in a plastic bag under my bed.

As an elderly male homosexual I must say I've never understood the 'attraction' of ladyboys. I've only ever a few times over the years seen them up close at 1000 in the morning down Nana way and dressed as if they were going to a ball. Just ridiculous in my eyes.

At least something's heading in the right direction.

That Newsom could say such a thing to a (I assume) poorer or less educated or lower class audience is simply astonishing. Condescending in the extreme. It's difficult to think that any politician in the English-speaking world (as opposed to Usofa) could speak like that. Clearly unsuitable for high office.

The list of names appearing in the Epstein Papers (however designated) is mind-bogglingly long. And astonishing. I shook the hand of one of them listed (perhaps he is entirely innocent) many years ago when he was Chief of the Israeli Defence Force en visite to Australia. Never mind, I've been scrubbing my hands carefully all day.

As an inhabitant of south Surin it would be nice to know just where in Surin this incident took place ...

New guvamint. Announcement of BIG export growth. Miraculous!

She - and others - should try for Oz. At least she'ld get a decent & sympathetic hearing and a law-abiding decision.

Well, I fell in love with a young man on my first-ever visit in late 2011. Still together - first in Oz, mostly in Thailand - 14 years later.

As any Brit should know, the sovereign does not 'rule' ie have actual power to do anything of moment. He or she 'reigns' ie symbolizes the State in his or her person but has no power of action on anything that matters without the government's explicit advice. It's on the basis of the difference between 'Head of State' and 'Head of Government' that most modern democracies work. The former is (theoretically) what you would like to see if you looked in the mirror ie reflecting the nation at its best. The latter is the one whose party you voted for or against in the last election. As we see when we look at Trump's Usofa, confounding the 2 functions leads to no end of trouble.

The C of E heading steadily down the gurgler, at least in the UK. Many many former congregation members including one bishop have made the trip to Rome. The English Reformation fading in to history.

Could be interesting. Seem to have been a lot of (retired) military officers & scientists giving evidence to Congressional committees lately. I assume they're not all loonies.

I don't think Starmer has any say in what the police & other law enforcement entities decide to pursue and prosecute. That's rather the point of modern democratic legal systems, is it not? (which of course excludes - or should exclude - the USofA).

Here amongst the Khmer peasants, they think it's all great fun. They take the cash in hand then vote whatever way they were going to anyway. I expect that's the general pattern across the whole country. Which means that the pollies - in the main - are just wasting their dough.

Queues soon to form across the nation as people produce wads of notes to pay back ... Government debt to disappear.

The arrest - as first presented a day or so ago - related (or was said to relate) to his transmitting government trade information to Epstein, NOT matters sexual. Probably sensible for people to keep the 2 issues separate in their minds. They have potentially very different legal implications.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Never had a problem with BKK Bank here in Prasat Surin, over 9 years. Always friendly, we know a couple of the girls and can ring them up for advice. Instant service most times, even when there's a queue (somewhat to my embarrasment). As to the rules re the annual print out & other items, you just accept what's possible and organize yourself accordingly. No sweat.