DrPhibes

If you came here when the baht was 45 to the USD and you have not increased your wealth, just depositing a fixed pension, ya I can see where you feel like things are going backward from a purchasing point of view. Also, if you came her in the 90's, heading off to tropical islands with pretty young women willing to play with you for a pittance, Thailand has grown up from there. Now the girls are not just looking at it like play for pay, it's just now pay. The playfulness and friendly flirting of the girls is basically gone. The attracting more flies with honey is gone. I miss those old days... They were sweet and much more satisfying!

Geeze! I have falang friends that have both traveled recently out to Issan in the rural areas telling me 14 and 15yr olds are throwing themselves at them and they are both about 50!! Economy must really be bad!

I'll look it up at Duke’s next session. Been here years and have not made any effort to make friends as we kept saying maybe next year heading back to US. Given the circumstances in the US and the world, we have decided to lay down roots about a year ago. Time to find some buddies.

So BKK to LAX is gonna be Bangkok to KL to Japan to Hawaii to LAX?

Is this Dukes meeting at lunch and about what time? I literally live across the street from it and have been curious about the expats club. How do I make a reservation? Thanks in advance!

Ya, just like taxing worldwide income, hahahaha!!

Wife is from Issan, cannabis is used in a couple of dishes there as a normal thing. Helps with digestion and indigestion. I worked in Shanghai in '87 and came down with serious stomach pains, cannabis dried and rolled up tight into a spherical pill was what was given to me. Fixed me right up without any real psychotropic side effects.

Ya, me too! I spent Jan - end of April on Lamai Beach (absolutely deserted) right on the beach at Pearl of Lamai (my big window looked right at the little island with the outdoor "gym" on it) during the height of COVID (country was basically closed to get in). Was the only guy in the resort for almost all of my stay, $500 USD per month for their only 2 bdrm place (they just needed to keep the lights on) with a 7/11 right next door and a Family Mart across the road. By the end of Feb, the 7/11 closed as well as almost all of the restaurants nearby. If it was not for New Hut (been there forever!), Tropical Toe-nees (thanks again you guys!), Tips Tacos, Live India (been there forever!) and a few other restaurants, would have been a very poor experience. Have to say, walking from the north of Lamai down to Grandmother and Grandfather Rock without running into another living sole most days was surreal.

Making the 11th Dr. still.... very envious.

I would say, more like Bi-Faithful 😉

Agree, I just got back 3 weeks ago (go back every year to work for 3 months) and have to say, even those well off financially are somewhat depressed. Some of that comes as the America they grew up with and loved is being morphed into something where a kid can't just walk alone or bike blocks away to a friends house without someone wanting to call child services on the parents. The idea a kid should never get hurt physically from playing or having to deal emotionally when your friends don't like you one day (but are back being friends 2 days later) or that a kid should never cry. Crying as a kid means their upset about something but does not always mean something is wrong. There is less socializing as people are more and more glued to screens in all forms, creating real emotional isolation and I think people subconsciously are aware of it leading to a mild type of depression. It is also the 1st time in American history that the generations coming up will generally be worse off than their parents and grandparents unless handed generational wealth. Lastly, there is also the gut feeling that now we, the US, are the bad guys in the world right now when we used to stand up for what was right. Pretty much summed up here.

Is there a link in the CM forum for the current paperwork requirements for Non-O Marriage extension renewal. This will be my 2nd one. Re-entered on a multiple reentry permit mid-May. Current extension expires Aug 23rd. Will have the money in for more than 2 months in a week. Any guidance would be helpful. AN word search looking specifically at CM requirements was unsuccessful. Thanks in advance!

So, as I get older, my nose is going out over my septum causing back pressure that is closing the opening between the nostril and the nasal cavity. This needs rhinoplasty to fix. Wife's suggestion is that if your going to do that, might as well do a face lift along with that. Admit, excess eye skin is becoming an irritant also. Question from the audience is if there are equitable medical facilities in CM for such or do I need to go to BKK to have this done. Any direction on this would be appreciated. As always, thanks in advance!

I know someone who was swindled out of $850,000 USD in exactly this way. Very embarrassing.

Agree, brought over our living expenses for the rest of the year a week ago from our account that only accumulates US Social Security so not taxable to Thailand. Have only seen more degradation of the dollar since.