mfd101

I'm looking forward to the Move Forward mob winning an absolute majority next time. And forming government accordingly. Should stave off a military coup for at least 6 months.

I just juggle my 90-day reporting dates thru the year so the 4th one coincides with my annual renewal date. Both types of date have some juggle room (any time beforehand & 1 week after) so not hard to do.

Hamas haven't lost control of the Palestinians in Gaza ...

The Indian IT specialist might have a choice. But unskilled laborer from Thailand? The pressure is big to escape the poor life here. I agree. But there are still choices besides Israel that an agricultural worker can make - Oz, Finland, US? (at least pre-Trump), Canada?

No indication of how many further Thai hostages (if any) there are yet to be released. Lesson for Thai workers interested in making money in other countries: Choose your other country carefully!

Medical cert. is required every year at renewal in Surin.

The new Parliament is unworkable (noone has or can organize a majority). And this in a country which has lost (since 1958) the art of negotiation & doing deals between competing political forces. Only two possible solutions: (1) Hold another Parliamentary election, with no guarantee of a different outcome, or (2) Macron resigns (only 2 years in to his second 5-year term) and the focus shifts to a battle for the Presidency with unknown consequences for a future new Parliament.

The last picture above says it all really, the difference between West & East. To the advantage of the latter.

If I'd been her I would have been busy getting out of Thailand as fast as possible.

Still normal amongst the peasants here in Isaan.

Yes, all the cultural histories of all human tribes everywhere for thousands of years are based on what the naked eye can see looking up at the stars ... And it was less than 100 years ago that we (Hubble) realized that the Milky Way (our local galaxy) is NOT the cosmos, just a small part of it. And the more we learn the teensier that bit gets. Our self-centered egotism is becoming more and more laughable as we stretch back now all the way to the Big Bang (which - we now think - was probably NOT the beginning of everything).

No, I take in water, followed by 2 more mouthfuls of water-only.

Very difficult - watching all the stuff on Facebook etc - to work out what's interesting & what's rubbish from fruitcakes. Scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson are useful. Life on other planets in our galaxy (100-400 billions of stars) is likely because life on earth has evolved using the most common elements present throughout the cosmos (oxygen, hydrogen, carbon ... ). But show me the evidence of any of them here on earth. Hundreds of millions of people carry high-quality cameras with them all day every day in their iphones, but the only UFO pictures we ever get are blurred blobs ... And Richard Dawkins is interesting. Not even worth discussing the existence of alien civilizations. It is 99.9% certain they must exist, given the (possible infinite) size of the cosmos/multiverse. So - as with God - an intelligent layperson should remain open-minded but sceptical. Show me the testable evidence.

I take ACV twice a day before a meal, particularly if the meal will have notable sugar content. Washed down quickly with water to protect the teeth ...

Yawn, so the sub surfaces near the Russian spy vessel. The Russians wave cheerfully and carry on. The sub waves back and does nothing. Brave Little Britain. Can't actually do anything as long as the Russians are in international waters UNLESS (I assume) they catch them red-handed in the act and therefore (I assume) breaking international laws ... Got to have good grounds for acting BEFORE you act. Russians surveying the cables but not damaging them is not actionable, I shouid think.

Prasat Hospital. You can check it out on Google maps.

Unlikely. He had to request his younger brother to verify the win at the bank ... Just as in The West, big winnings are mostly all gone after a couple of years and nothing much to show for it. 'Happiness' is short-term.

Well, just as well General Klayplotphuk was in charge.

So she wasn't protesting Thaksin's policies or continuing participation in political life ... just that she didn't get payed to attend as promised.

One day it will all happen and Thailand will begin to look like a modern democracy. But probably not in our lifetimes.

Sob! sob! Let's have another coup.

Yes, every few months I buy descaler powder (for the main machine - Minimex) and tablets for the (never used) coffee powder function. Both from Bon Cafe here in Muaeng Surin and very cheap.

Hasn't stopped them in the past! My MIL (c6 or 7 years older than me) grew up in poverty & has produced c11 children in 3 marriages. My b/f is the youngest (age 35). Her children have produced between 0 and 3 kids each, none yet reproducing. So there is clearly a cultural change over the generations (mobile phones & TV changing expectations) but poverty alone doesn't seem to play a role. I suspect this is no different from every other developing country in the C21st.

In my observation, I seldom see anyone obese here at the edge of the jungle. Mainly (not entirely) a city and 'middle class' problem.

Anutin doing a tit for tat!