mfd101

17 minutes ago, Chris BKK said:

I see 7 people in the photo, who are the criminals? I see suspicious characters on right and left

The criminals are the slightly fudged faces 2nd & 4th from the right.

Fat Chinese people in beach-going gear! Heavens! what is the world coming to? My grandchildren (if I had any) would be shocked.

2 hours ago, thesetat said:

This type of weaponry should scare everyone. These drones can take out a single individual or thousands at a time. It really surprises me that the US has not already adopted this as their arsenal. 

I think I read somewhere the other day (but I'm getting old) that the US is doing exactly the same as the Chinese - large-scale use of drones from big platforms.

The Ukraine war is making much of 'modern' warfare outdated. Even Oz is now producing drones.

The military not handling the earthquake aftermath too well. Solution: Share the blame.

Seems to be about once a week ...

Wow! No wonder I was never a soldier, or anyone who moved too far from a desk and a pile of books.

Your eyes don't have to deteriorate with age, provided you look after your general health (80% what goes in your mouth - low low sugar, high on vegies & fruits ...) and 20% exercise.

I'm about to turn 76 next month. A year ago I got a new pair of glasses in Thailand, with my first eye check since arriving here permanently in late 2015. My eyes hadn't changed since my last eye test in Canberra in 1998.

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

warning signs will alert residents to avoid the hazardous path.

 

In Western countries the walkway would have been closed off completely so noone could go there. But here it's left to the well-known discretion of the inhabitants ...

Fascinating how the 'big' cases never actually go away in this country.

With each turn of the political screw, a case reopens and the (same?) courts with the (same?) personnel reach new verdicts for new political masters ... Which rather raises the question where the money trails lead.

Oh dear! A world in which people have to make choices! How will we cope?

About a year ago my Oz bank (NAB) froze my (Oz) accounts until I supplied them with a TIN. No argument from me (eg my entire income in Oz was covered by DTA & no Thai income) had any effect.

So I had no choice but to go to the Revenue Office here in Surin & ask for a TIN. Took about an hour out of my life and all done. Apart from supplying it to NAB in Oz I've had no further use for it (no tax return lodged this March & no intention to do so while my income remains 100% compliant as I expect it will till my upcoming death some time later in the century).

I assume that, in any case, for most foreign residents in Thailand the relevant Double Tax Agreement applies so there's nothing to do or worry about.

On 5/17/2025 at 11:18 AM, geovalin said:

local authorities are expected to review safety protocols for future public gatherings at the site.

Gonna stop a lightening bolt, are they?

All on the Myanmar side of the border, in a mountainous area not under control of the incompetent Myanmar dictatorship.

Chinese state capitalism at work. Will be interesting to see what if anything the Thai guvamint can do about it ...

Heading downhill, at least on the books ...

Another fine specimen from Down Under. And appropriately dressed for the occasion too.

Seems to have lost weight too. Both literally & metaphorically.

I'm guessing that a "smarter more sustainable Bangkok" would have to be a very large boat.

One word you never hear in this country is 'productivity'.

Other ranks treated as servants by the officers. Quite common here, and no doubt in many other armed forces all around the world.

8 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

there’s this magical invention called the AccuWeather app. It’ll gleefully vomit up every microscopic weather detail you could possibly want, hour by hour, day by day,

I use them every day, multiple times, but here in the rain shadow that is south Surin, their predictions of rain or thunder storms are almost NEVER even remotely accurate ... often laughably so. eg They tell me we're having a downpour right now or for the next 1 hour but I look out the windows of the house in 4 directions and the sun is shining. Or vice versa.