jingjai9

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.

I think she is just posing

Any stories from people who have already filed their Thai taxes? Any warnings we should know about? Any useful information to pass on? I read numerous lists of what is being taxed, but all that I have read and videos I have watched here on ASEAN Now seem to be laced with uncertainty. I want to know if anyone has been taxed on the money they keep in their bank account that is mandated by Thai law for their visa, e.g. marriage or retirement. Has anyone been surprised at what was or was not taxed? Do employees at the tax office appear to be comfortable, knowledgeable and certain about what they are doing? How long did it take for the Department of Revenue to process you tax forms and give you a receipt? Did you have to retrieve documents you didn't bring with you which you had no idea you needed?

Many doctors want to start a practice and choose an area of specialization. They may choose a field of practice where a need exists, perhaps accelerating the time needed to establish a reputable practice. To comment on their character or motives seems juvenile. Is a male gynecologist a pervert because he sees women naked? I think not. As for the question as to why there are so few female proctologists, my research suggests it is a difficult area for women to enter.

I am glad to hear things have changed for the better. I was there a long time ago and I imagine the tourist industry has changed after all these years. Thank you for your reply.

Can't resist. Did the lions get arrested for having no license?

Maybe the pot is calling the kettle black - Elon Musk is always honking his horn how the federal government is not cost efficient and so on. If Deepseek can develop the AI so much cheaper, perhaps old Elon, Mark and the rest of the tech geniuses should check their own recipes.

I can see it now.,,, the students play games on the computers while the teacher plays on his/her phone. This happens all too often and it is a shame, perhaps an expensive shame.

I worked in Danang for one year back in 2004-2005. Two complaints I had about the country: They seem to enjoy overcharging foreigners for goods and services When spending time on the beach or in other tourist areas, the vendors could be quite aggressive; they will not take "no" for answer, they stay put. Many tourists would stay at hotels with private beaches because vendors were barred from private beaches. There were security personnel to enforce the rule. I would like to go back to VN again. Have either of these two problems gotten any better? I would be surprised if Fredwiggy does not like VN.

I am becoming more convinced that there needs to be some kind of gauge on the strength of THC. As one poster said, the weed is more potent nowadays. Of course the weed could have been treated with something, or a myriad of other variables could be possible. I am hearing much too often about irrational behavior on weed and not only in Thailand. Is anyone here aware of any research being conducted to determine the potency of THC and its behavioral effects?

I had this happen to me, that is, getting charged more at a hospital because I was a foreigner. I was told the government hospitals charge by the type of visa you hold. For example someone with a work visa will pay less than someone with a retirement visa. I think the logic is if you work in Thailand you are contributing to society so your medical fees are less at government hospitals. I had surgery at a government hospital in 2016 and they had me put down a deposit when I checked into the hospital. I believe they base the amount of the deposit on the usual and customary fee for the surgery you are going to receive. I ended up getting a rebate because the amount of my deposit exceeded the costs of my hospital stay.

The Unholy Alliance by Paul L. Williams. It is a history of an alliance consisting of the Vatican, the Mafia and the CIA. The book is nonfiction and so far all of my fact checking has lent credence to the author's claims. There is a podcast of some of this book. The name of the podcast is Eyes Wide Open. LBJ biography by Robert Caro.

Non Asian tourists most often do not have an adequate perception of elephants in many cases. They are often not portrayed realistically in western media or Hollywood or even western newscasts. I think sharing living space with monkeys or elephants is a great mistake, for the people and animals alike. These tropical animals living in semi captivity is most dangerous. Not every animal can adapt as well as dogs to a domestic setting. Even kittens with a domesticated mother will act feral if they are born in the woods. Imagine letting wolves or wild boars run around in or near your community just because it looks cool or some opportunistic businessman found a way to make a few bucks exploiting wildlife.