AlexRich

Thailand is no place for someone with poor health, unless they are surrounded by family who can help them. Most 63 year olds are reasonably fit and healthy, he was very young to die. RIP Mr Harold John Milligan. 

Sounds suspicious to me, and a bit far fetched. Who benefits? Sadly, if there is foul play the Thai Police won't pursue it. 

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. 

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?

6 hours ago, shdmn said:

But the rules say I can come and go as much as I want on a multi-entry within 6 months.  They also say you can come and go from airports as much as you want on waiver on arrival, within reason.  If those are not the rules then change them.  The uncertainly of what random immigration agents decide to do, depending how they feel that day, even if you do everything by the book, is the problem.

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.

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Sooooo, a nuclear armed country can be "defeated", LOL.

 

Your little rant about Trump only serves to regard anything you say as of little relevance.

If they are intending to deny Ukraine support that IMO isn't because they want Russia to take over the world, but because it's a waste of money better spent improving the lives of the Americans that provided the money being wasted in Ukraine.

 

In case you hadn't noticed, much of the planet is run by unpleasant men, and you are not advocating removing them from their positions of power, are you? So why is Ukraine of so much more importance to you than Burma, or Tibet? Do you live there?

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? 

6 hours ago, sirineou said:

More nonsense and faulty reasoning.  Busha did or did not happen after the war started,

 

what beggars belief id your level of misunderstanding 

Again faulty reasoning and Hyperbole . if Belarus has free elections is debatable , but that was not the point of my comment . Any way you look at it , Belarus is better of  than Ukraine having not tried to align themselves with the US and been invaded by Russia, 

More nonsense and attempt to distract. Or perhaps a comedy ratine. If the latter . then my appologies . Very funny indeed 

First you say :" The ability of the US to project power around the world … that’s what it’s all about?"

and then you continue to try and explain what it is all about 

Not in support of trump and even greater nonsense, simply against what happened to  Ukraine and the Ukrainian people which seems to you seen to think was worth it. 

Will not even attempt to unpack the above rant

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. 

5 minutes ago, Martin71 said:

I'm offended by that word Dick, it has traumatised me....(sarcasm intended)

And Van Dyke … is offensive to rug munchers.