Damrongsak

As my Dad (oldest of 11 children who grew up in the Great Depression in the US) used to joke: "Money isn't everything, but it sure helps." But a majority of them worked their way up to very successful careers. My 6 Thai in-laws who I sponsored to come to the USA maybe 10 or so years back did OK. But they got jobs, worked hard and enjoyed life.

It's more a matter of the surface area that allows heat transfer between inside and outside. A long, narrow room will have more surface area than a perfect cube for a given volume. Yes, a high room may have a greater temperature gradient between floor and ceiling unless you stir the air. But with aircon, the heat goes up and the cool stays down, to a degree. Actually heat is the same. (I have a 2 story house - 2nd floor is always hotter.)

Rough town. https://realestate.usnews.com/places/indiana/indianapolis/crime

"Cabinet reshuffle is in the cards under his watch." ... Great line, 555.

Not Italian.

Here is a good use of tattoos. The lady has Vitiligo, a disease that causes loss of skin color (Melanin), usually in patches. (I have it, but nearly 100%.) The second pic is a model who has it.

Learning that our firstborn son was killed in combat in Iraq at age 20. Then having to tell my wife. She screamed and screamed and screamed! Worst thing I've ever had to do. It's been 17 years but I'm shaking just thinking about it.

Back in 1980, I went into an outhouse at the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Loei. The cement floor broke and I landed on my rear end with my legs dangling in the hole. Fortunately it wasn't full. The floor was some bamboo strips with a few cm of cement slathered on top.

Not from the stats I've seen. Homicide rate of Thailand fell gradually from 8.7 cases per 100,000 population in 1998 to 2.6 cases per 100,000 population in 2017. Here are the 10 countries with the highest homicide rates: El Salvador (52.02 per 100k people) Jamaica (43.85 per 100k people) Lesotho (43.56 per 100k people) Honduras (38.93 per 100k people) Belize (37.79 per 100k people) Venezuela (36.69 per 100k people) Saint Vincent And the Grenadines (36.54 per 100k people) South Africa (36.40 per 100k people) Saint Kitts And Nevis (36.09 per 100k people) Nigeria (34.52 per 100k people)

Is he still active enough to keep a self-winding watch going?

The originals were probably snow tires. What month was it built in China?

Moto Guzzi 1946

Hey, she was only 38 when we married. Now she's more like 60. We're talking kilograms here.

Monk Ave in Gladwyne has a few nice houses.

My Thai wife and I are going on 44 years of marriage this fall. No lying, cheating, stealing or asset stripping to date. No, she does more annoying stuff. "Clean up" my shop and throw tools and loose parts into whatever box looks like they belong together. Loans my tools on occasion. Puts away seasonal clothing but doesn't rotate it back out again, etc. Aaaahgh! 555 Oh, and managed to ding up 3 cars we bought for her. 3 out of 3 ain't bad. (She did hit a deer while driving my company car, so that's #4.)

Yeah, I came back in 1980 because I didn't know if I could eke out a living in Thailand for the two of us. Back then in my third year I did make $12K a year plus benefits and per diem. A big step up from $250/mo with the Peace Corps. I never made $100 K a year, maybe 70-80 but that was 15-25 years ago. Invested, it's cushion for the future. My Mom lived to be 92 and was in a nursing home for about 3 years. Her care & etc. was about $65 - $70K per year. But she planned for it and had plenty. She was a bean counter (accountant). So Thailand is/was/can be a lot more fun.

^ Indeed. Always thought I would retire in Thailand, When I came back to the US in 1980 after 3 years, I noted how people seemed crazy, running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Now I'm close to 70, so I prefer a quiet, peaceful life style. We own houses and have relatives in both places, so that's no problem. That said, I'm planning to visit Thailand for 60 days on Sept/Oct. Maybe you'll read about me in the crazy farang news, LOL. Or search for old farang Loei. 555

Well, we were pretty much a nation of immigrants for a long time. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore." and all that.

Perhaps the guy flashed a few bundles of bills and the size/denominations corresponded to what was in the safe.

I like the US in general. Lots of things bug me and the future doesn't look rosy. The Thai relatives that we sponsored to come here 10 or so years ago don't want to go back. All but one are citizens now. Sis-in-law owns/runs a Thai restaurant. Bro-in-law had a little motorcycle repair business in Thailand. Recently he got a mechanic job here at a Honda/Yamaha dealership and he's loving it. He's making up to $950/week with performance incentives.