AlexRich

That’s “date rape”.

Thailand is turning into a place that’s great for a few months, but it’s not so attractive anymore for long term stays. All of the beaucracy, the air pollution and the new tax rules headache just put me off. I’m happy to retain a property at home and spend the winter months and a chunk of the Summer in foreign countries, one of which is Thailand. I wouldn’t want to grow old in Thailand unless I was surrounded by trusted family members of my own blood.

As my poorly educated, but very wise Grandmother used to say: "self praise is no praise at all" I've lost count of the many "experts" I've met in my life who turned out to be nothing of the sort. Unless you are on par with Stephen Hawking or Albert Einstein, probably not a good idea to tell the world how smart you are.

A fool and their money are easily parted. I went to my local bank recently in order to make a payment of a few thousand GBP to a third party. I had to jump through numerous hoops and answer endless questions because they wanted to ensure that I hadn’t been scammed. At the end of it all I asked the guy at the bank how often someone comes in and is actually being scammed? His reply was “every day” and it was mostly “romance scams”. So this story is not that unusual.

The "bullet in the luggage" scam was notorious at the airport in Manila, Philippines. The passenger is pressurised to pay a "fine" to avoid getting into trouble. I wonder?

If they are anti-vaxxers, they are already IQ deficient. Thoughts and prayers.

You stated that your multi-entry had expired? If that is true it no longer applies, and all Immigration are left with is a guy who is entering Thailand frequently, so you become a "red flag" when you re-enter. They are dealing with you within their own rules. As you say, "within reason". They want to know what your reason is for re-entering the country. You were not singled out for special treatment, your experience is common amongst people who attempt to visit Thailand frequently. It never used to be like that ... but it has been this way for a long time.

I think these tighter restrictions have been around for a long time now, several years. The days when you could Visa hop are gone. So you have to plan your trips carefully. Perhaps the best way now is to spend a few months in several countries, restricting Thailand to 90 days. That way you won’t have to worry about the tax complication. Not a good option for those who have long term girlfriends, but they are better on a retirement visa whilst being careful on money transfers. It’s a lot more complicated now.

Great timing ... my small amount of BTC has leapt the last week. Not enough to get excited about.

Using LOL in any debate on a serious point is moronic. A nuclear armed country cannot be defeated? You mean like Russia in Afghanistan? Or the USA in Vietnam? If Russia gets pushed out of Ukraine that’s a defeat, one that Putin will not survive. Ukraine is not interested in invading Russia. You either know nothing about Trump and his long relationship with Russian criminal networks (including Government) or you know (or suspect) but don’t want to acknowledge it. If what you are implying is that he has no connection and simply wants to better the lives of Americans then you’re not worthy of debate in view of your mental incapacity. Trump doesn’t care about wasting money, he’s more interested in gaining the level of power in the US that would allow him to steal it. He loves power and money … and authoritarian regimes. When he last met Putin it was as if he’d met his boyhood crush. He came out of that meeting room looking like a guy who was subservient to Putin. He never criticises Putin, believes Putin over his own intelligence services. You never wondered why that is? Why would the Saudi Crown Prince throw $2 billion at Jared Kushner to start a hedge fund, something he knows nothing about? You never wonder why that happened? Or do you just not want to know? Strangely enough I didn’t discuss Myanmar or the plight of Tibetans … because the topic concerned Ukraine? Should I give that a LOL?

She was probably always bisexual. Fed up with boys she gives TomBoys a go. It happens a lot in women’s prisons, but when released they revert to their default position … cock.

Yes, and so you should. But if you put Dick and Van before it, your fine.

My last post with you. But here goes: The war started in 2014, not March 2022. The torture and killing in Bucha took place during the attempt to takeover Kyiv. In every village the Russians took over people were tortured and murdered. Women and girls have been raped and children in their thousands shipped off to Russia. This is how you propose to save Ukrainians? If Belarus has free elections is “debatable”? It is a dictatorship. There is no room for debate. That comment alone illustrates your understanding of this world. And it’s incredibly poor. Belarus is not aligned with the West, but the people of Belarus want to be. They are pretty much ruled by Moscow now, as Lukaschenko wouldn’t survive long without Putin’s help. All opposition have been killed, jailed or exiled. You seem to think that for any country it’s better to be under the Moscow system, with no sovereignty. Most of us don’t want to live as slaves of dictators. I understand for you that’s not an issue. You are an appeaser, I understand that. The war in Ukraine was started by Russia, not the US. It is an attempt by Russia to take over a region of the world that they control. When Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons they signed an agreement with Russia, USA and UK that they would remain a sovereign state in return for protection. Russia broke that agreement. And if the USA support Ukraine it is no more than they have agreed to under the treaty. This war is about the projection of Russian power. And if they get away with it we will see more war in Europe and around the world. You and your fellow “realists” save no one, appeasers never do. Also, you won’t unpack the final point because it exposes your nonsense claim that Russia didn’t intend to takeover Ukraine, as it didn’t have enough troops. The truth is that Russia believed that Ukraine would fold at the first sight of Russian tanks. They thought it would be over in 3 days … we know better now. Russia can be defeated in Ukraine by giving Ukraine support. The Trump GOP are on the Putin team, and are trying to deny Ukraine the support needed. In doing so you condemn a nation to rule by dictators and embolden Russia to attack other countries. It’s called appeasement, and it never makes things better, only worse.

And Van Dyke … is offensive to rug munchers.

Just checked. It was the Pattaya International Hospital. I think Soi 4 or thereabouts.

I went to see a dermatologist at the hospital in North Pattaya. So they have specialists in that area. He was a young guy, but very professional and knowledgeable.

It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who die in Thailand as a result of falling from a tall building. RIP to the poor man from Japan. We are not here forever, but that is a horrible way to go.

Thailand always struck me as a “muddling through” country. Advancing slowly but never leading in anything. But I kind of like that. It’s like they have their priorities right … live life, enjoy, don’t strive too hard.

There is an actor called Dick in a starring role. I rest my case m’lud.

Almost too much nonsense to unpack. Your vacuous answers only dig you into a deeper hole. The torture and killed comment is just hyperbole. The Russians have been doing that since 2014. You’ve never heard of Bucha? That catastrophe was not a one off, people have been killed and tortured in every occupied village and town. That you don’t want to face up to that is telling. Like a keyboard Chamberlain, offering peace in our time, when in fact you are opening the door to wider war. The Belarus comment simply beggars belief. They are a dictatorship now completely under the thumb of Putin. Opposition are either dead, exiled or imprisoned. Is that the world that “realists” want us all to live in? Ukraine fight not to become Belarus. The ability of the US to project power around the world … that’s what it’s all about? Again, more nonsense. An anti-American rant. Would you prefer to live under the Russian and Chinese system? Or maybe under the Ayatollahs, who are interfering more and more in the world. Without US power more and more countries would find themselves invaded and subjugated. If that goes so will democracies. A NATO with a Donald Trump presidency is heading for break up. Europe can’t rely on the US under Trump. Because Trump is in the pro-Putin camp. The well propagandised “Russia hoax” is nothing of the sort. Trump and a core of GOP operators are part of the Russia team. So under Trump Europe is much more vulnerable to attack. And that’s where we are heading should Ukraine be abandoned. With support they can win. Setbacks we are seeing are down to the withdrawal of US support engineered by Trump and his cronies. Russia said they’d be in Kyiv in 3 days, they’ve proved themselves to be inept. But they have weaponry and a steady supply of conscripts. So weight of numbers against a force running out of ammunition condemns Ukraine to defeat. Time for Europe and the US to get behind 🇺🇦 or condemn us all to another European war. The 200,000 troops at the border believed that they could roll into Kiyv, kill the Government and their families in incinerators (that they brought with them) and take over the country. Putin thought it would be a walk in the park. He can be beaten in Ukraine, as long as the Ukrainians are given the tools to do the job. And that’s the only outcome that will put Russia back in their box for decades. Don’t be like Chamberlain … Russian success means more wars, not the end of them. Any agreement signed by Putin is meaningless.

Nonsense. The so-called "realists" would doom millions of Ukrainian's to a life under a dictatorship, many of them would be tortured and killed. Allowing Putin to win this conflict, which appears to be the aim of the Trump wing of the GOP, would not lead to the end of war. It will only embolden Putin to make a move on the Baltics and other countries in the region. A Trump presidency will lead to US withdrawal from NATO, and a war in Europe. Weakness by the US will also embolden their enemies around the world, so expect China to invade Taiwan and Iran to cause chaos in the Middle East. Appeasing dictators never works, they only exploit weakness, but fear strength. Europe needs to prepare for war, because if Putin gets his way in Ukraine, that will be the next step. History doesn't always repeat itself, but it often rhymes. This period feels like the early 1930's. It is time to build our militaries to deter threats, and support Ukraine to the hilt. If the "realists" get their way we are doomed.

Oh, now I understand your message? Thought you were talking about another topic. It is not homophobic to make a joke about ladyboys. You might call it transphobic but even then it’s debatable given that this particular group in Pattaya are known to be troublesome. My first time in Pattaya I had arrived from Europe and was jet lagged, wide awake at 3am. So I went out for a walk along the road side (as opposed to beach side) of Beach Road, in North Pattaya. I was stone cold sober. I heard a bike behind me and next thing I knew a lady boy tried to mug me, thinking I was a drunk farang. Her accomplice drove the getaway bike. She hightailed it once it dawned on her that I was fully aware. So their reputation precedes them. I’ve encountered very pleasant ones working in stores and cafes, but of all Thais they are the ones I’m most wary of. That wariness comes from my own experience, and the widely reported experience of others. If posters single them out it is normally for reasons unrelated to sexuality. Gay Thais are rarely commented on because like every other ordinary Thai they don’t bother anyone.

Gert lush?

The world is changing, and some people are failing to cope with it. I feel sorry for older people who are not up to date on smart phones because they are being digitally excluded. My mother kept buying smartphones and returning them because no one was around to show her what they could do and how she could use them. Now that she knows she uses them all the time, for booking gyms, checking what’s on TV and catching up on Facebook and reading emails. If no one teaches you then you are lost. As for the ops observations, I’m afraid the genie is out of the bottle, and won’t go back. We are responsible for our own actions, not anyone else’s. The survivors adapt to changes and improvise. You don’t want to end up like a Luddite, the workers in England in 1811 who destroyed machinery in cotton and woollen mills because they thought it was threatening their jobs. Better to embrace change, and adapt to it. As the philosopher Yoda said: ” Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering” Don’t be that angry old man.

The Chuckle Brothers?