jingjai9

Vietnam bars and clubs closer earlier and they do not have the number of bargirls Thailand employs. When I was there they did not know how to treat tourists and they were endlessly overcharging foreigners with a smile as they did it. That was years ago and i assume that situation has improved. If Vietnam is threatening Thailand as THE place to go for tourists in southeast Asia, perhaps Thailand will have to take a look inward and reflect. If tourists are flocking to Vietnam, which does not have open bars until 4 in the morning and troops of sex workers, this could suggest Vietnam will get the cream of the crop from Thailand's tourism industry while the rowdies and sex tourists will perhaps make up a larger percentage visitors.

Satire or no satire, whether or not Trump is angel or evil will be argued by the opposing sides of the divided house. However, what is most likely to happen is power will pass from oligarchs on one side of the culture wars to oligarchs on the other side of the culture wars - out with Soros and in with Musk. So it goes.

I think many adults are addicted to smartphones as well as kids. This invention has certainly changed human behavior. Many critics of smartphones tell us companies like Apple and Facebook created their product with the intent of keeping users engaged for as long as possible, in other words addiction was a goal. Also, critics opine that the profit motive is the reason social media apps are free - the user is the product because their data is collected and sold. Other critics such as academics and journalists have testified to legislative investigators that the US government influences social media companies to ban users or minimize the visibility of users who it deems as inflammatory. Also, can anyone explain why user agreements for apps are so long and appear to be written deliberately wordy and confusing? I have had many of my students over the years tell me at their homes cellphone use is not allowed during meals. However, when I follow that up by asking, "Do your parents use their phones during meals?" More than 50% of the time the answer is yes. These smartphone devices and the social media they deliver have changed human behavior PERIOD! More for the good or bad ?????????????????????

I think this is an accurate account of the situation. When you think how many tourists come to Thailand each year and then figure the time they spend here is free time so they are out and about. Next, how many of them speak Thai and how many are schooled in Thai culture? I think more than a few tourists get consumed by the the party atmosphere and then anything goes. People probably get more intoxicated than usual and find it harder to contain themselves. One problem I have experienced is that when drinking in Thailand with a few people at a table, the staff keep topping off the beer glasses and if you are talking and having fun, it becomes difficult to enumerate how much you have had to drink. I think in some western countries the bar owners would be held complicit. Next factor is how many mishaps other countries that are tourist destinations have and then extrapolate whether or not the incidents reported in ASEANOW are are unusually high for the volume of people that cross the Thai border each year. I enjoy reading ASEANOW but I must question a matter of sensationalism at work. I recently answered a survey upon request by ASEANOW and I commented that there were too many crime stories. That is why I find Jesimps post to be (if you don't mind a Yank borrowing a Brit/Aussie phrase) SPOT ON.

Could we actually be seeing a faint trace of democracy here or will the billionaire class squash this too?

May I ask, how much did it cost for one person?

If you want to have a fresh look at freedom, I suggest reading Henry David Thoreau's book - Walden. It is a myth that Thoreau built a house in the woods and lived as a hermit without seeing other people. Thoreau started his life in the woods in the mid 1840s with the statement: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. This book is not an easy read, but it does truly offer an alternative way to view our existence. Many of you who have retired would have the time to take a look. It is easy to find this publication online. It was also Thoreau who said: "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation" This suggests "many people live uneventful lives filled with boredom and unfulfilled desires, often conforming to societal expectations rather than pursuing their true passions." (Think of "You can't fight City Hall.") Almost 200 years after it was written there is still a lot of food for thought in Thoreau's words. You may have heard other quotes from Thoreau like: "Everyone marches to the beat of a different drum" In many editions of Thoreau's - Walden, his essay on Civil Disobedience is included. This essay inspired both Mahatma Gandhi and Marling Luther King.

Thank you for these responses. Now I know I need to separate LASIK surgery from Cataract surgery.

Here it is 2025 and I was wondering if LASIK aka laser vision surgery has gotten better and/or cheaper over the last 5 years. The two things I am most concerned about is the cost and possible negative effects. I have friends who had the surgery and they tell me they can generally see better but they complain about night vision with issues such as halos or glare. Has anyone here experienced problems with the surgery that will effect their vision for years to come? Can anyone report on their experience with laser surgery since 2020. Is Bangkok the cheapest and most professional? Are there any forum members who would not recommend this kind of surgery and if not, why? Personally, I do not have cataracts. I am 72 and want to get rid of my glasses and improve my vision. I am bothered by corrective lenses especially when getting out of an air conditioned car and experiencing the old fog up or when it rains having the lenses get wet. Do you still need reading glasses after laser vision surgery?

Just chalk it up to experience and you will be better prepared for the next time.

I got this message too and went to the KTB. I am American and Thailand has an agreement with The United States to manage This Department of Treasury form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification). It is for FACTA or the Foreign Account Tax Compliant Act). It is to update information about your Thai bank account. If you are a citizen of the US and hold a foreign bank account, you need to file this form (Social Security number is required) to identify your filing status and determine whether or not your income in the foreign bank account is taxable. The form asks if you are an individual, have a business or partnership, etc. They ask about backup withholding "which requires a payer to withhold tax from payments not otherwise subject to withholding. You may be subject to backup withholding if you fail to provide a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) when required or if you fail to report interest, dividend, or patronage dividend income." Hope this helps. When you fill this out, ask the bank for a copy.

"If your not catching any fish, change the bait or the location." I think this post contained some good advice. I spent a lot of time on Thai Friendly and found someone whom I married. I met many nice ladies on this site and established some online friendships. Start out as if you are seeking friendship. Don't jump to a serious relationship quickly. Get to know the person, ask questions and answer questions when you are asked. If you think about friendship you are on the track to establishing a good rapport. Let it jell slowly. When you find people willing to chat in more than one or two sentence posts, nurture it. Be interested in learning about the lady. With the translation programs available you can establish a decent line of communication even if the lady is not fluent in English. This worked for me. However it took time. If you are serious about finding someone, make this a priority and try to ease up on the money chase. Allow yourself more free time. Don't set physical or age restrictions in stone. Ask your self, would you rather have a nice lady with perhaps a few extra pounds here or there or a hot chick who you feel tacitly obligated to entertain? You are not old. You are just not as young as you used to be - THAT IS NOT OLD> One final note: If you hired people to do online chats for you for romance, you need to reflect upon this - You're commingling business with romance. Think about that.

"If your not catching any fish, change the bait or the location." I think this post contained some good advice. I spent a lot of time on Thai Friendly and found someone whom I married. I met many nice ladies on this site and established some online friendships. Start out as if you are seeking friendship. Don't jump to a serious relationship quickly. Get to know the person, ask questions and answer questions when you are asked. If you think about friendship you are on the track to establishing a good rapport. Let it jell slowly. When you find people willing to chat in more than one or two sentence posts, nurture it. Be interested in learning about the lady. With the translation programs available you can establish a decent line of communication even if the lady is not fluent in English. This worked for me. However it took time. If you are serious about finding someone, make this a priority and try to ease up on the money chase. Allow yourself more free time. Don't set physical or age restrictions in stone. Ask your self, would you rather have a nice lady with perhaps a few extra pounds here or there or a hot chick who you feel tacitly obligated to entertain? You are not old. You are just not as young as you used to be - THAT IS NOT OLD> One final note: If you hired people to do online chats for you for romance, you need to reflect upon this - You're commingling business with romance. Think about that.

"If your not catching any fish, change the bait or the location." I think this post contained some good advice. I spent a lot of time on Thai Friendly and found someone whom I married. I met many nice ladies on this site and established some online friendships. Start out as if you are seeking friendship. Don't jump to a serious relationship quickly. Get to know the person, ask questions and answer questions when you are asked. If you think about friendship you are on the track to establishing a good rapport. Let it jell slowly. When you find people willing to chat in more than one or two sentence posts, nurture it. Be interested in learning about the lady. With the translation programs available you can establish a decent line of communication even if the lady is not fluent in English. This worked for me. However it took time. If you are serious about finding someone, make this a priority and try to ease up on the money chase. Allow yourself more free time. Don't set physical or age restrictions in stone. Ask your self, would you rather have a nice lady with perhaps a few extra pounds here or there or a hot chick who you feel tacitly obligated to entertain? You are not old. You are just not as young as you used to be - THAT IS NOT OLD> One final note: If you hired people to do online chats for you for romance, you need to reflect upon this - You're commingling business with romance. Think about that.

"If your not catching any fish, change the bait or the location." I think this post contained some good advice. I spent a lot of time on Thai Friendly and found someone whom I married. I met many nice ladies on this site and established some online friendships. Start out as if you are seeking friendship. Don't jump to a serious relationship quickly. Get to know the person, ask questions and answer questions when you are asked. If you think about friendship you are on the track to establishing a good rapport. Let it jell slowly. When you find people willing to chat in more than one or two sentence posts, nurture it. Be interested in learning about the lady. With the translation programs available you can establish a decent line of communication even if the lady is not fluent in English. This worked for me. However it took time. If you are serious about finding someone, make this a priority and try to ease up on the money chase. Allow yourself more free time. Don't set physical or age restrictions in stone. Ask your self, would you rather have a nice lady with perhaps a few extra pounds here or there or a hot chick who you feel tacitly obligated to entertain? You are not old. You are just not as young as you used to be - THAT IS NOT OLD> One final note: If you hired people to do online chats for you for romance, you need to reflect upon this - You're commingling business with romance. Think about that.