Cat Boy

Good for them. Definitely a growth experience, both for the parents and the children. Completely changes ones outlook and perception to break free from old patterns and lifestyle and some illusional, ethereal feeling of being a part of something, there, just because you were born there, and got stuck into a national identity (that somehow is worth giving one's life to) that in the end is meaningless. Good for them. I'm delighted they've seen the light, and can begin this journey, first here to Thailand, and in due course, here or elsewhere. The journey starts with this one small step (research and deciding) , then actually shedding the material things that don't matter, whittling down to a few suitcases, followed by the big step (getting on that jet plane).

Completely correct. Invest in your health : Financial by saving and investing with money Physically and mentally through a healthy lifestyle of nutrition, exercise, stress reduction and proper sleep. Therein you'll guarantee your security in the event of ill health or accident - a not having an insurance company automatically denying your claim, second guessing your doctor and your own prudent judgment of whatever is best for you, not the insurance company's profit margins.

Storm in a tea cup. This is just common sense, and shouldn't spur viral "Henny Penny" social media hysteria, though that seems inevitable.

REDRUM REDRUM

No I'm saying Thailand is both a broken democracy and a failed dictatorship. There is a parliamentary, constitutional monarchical system and there are also, naturally, invisible forces both intentionally circuitous and byzantine

One is reminding of the expression : " If you don't like Scottish weather, wait 30 minutes, and it is likely to change." Raymond Bonner The same can be said about news of changes in Thai law

One can only presume this question is 1) rhetorical and 2) satirically absurd. Its not an easy, nor bloodless, path to attain the status of more military coups against democratically elected governments than any other country in the world 🌍

Birds of a feather: "UnitedHealth secretly paid nursing homes to cut hospital care, Guardian reports" https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/unitedhealth-secretly-paid-nursing-homes-to-cut-hospital-care-guardian-reports-052125.html Healthcare Insurance companies, where universal healthcare does not exist, are motivated solely by profit derived by payment then doing everything possible to deny coverage or, in this case, eliminate liability (the elderly).

The short answer is "no", health insurance is not worth it for a long term stay in Thailand. The long answer has already been covered in previous identical posts. Namly,: 1) Denial of claims based on either pre-existing conditions (note, chronic conditions acquired whilst under coverage will subsequently be considered as pre-existing resulting in termination and non-renewal. 2) Insurance puts a non-medical third party into the decision process for proper care between patients and doctors. That third party is solely motivated by profit, read: denial, or delay of treatment or minimizing to substandard inadequate treatment 3) Aging out, at a certain age the cost of health is becomes expensive for the insured while the insurer will seek any possible way to get out from coverage and or cancel coverage. The only sure method to insure coverage is to take charge oneself, save and invest the money otherwise thrown away on insurance and provide your own safety network.

Am I missing something? How is this change? How is this "tightening" or "restricting"? 11-14:00 and 17-24:00 was already the law of the land, except on Buddhist holidays and Election days.

The Swede was neither guilty nor a victim, he made poor choices, but perhaps even that was a choice, we'll never know. But, yes, had he been wearing horns, befitting his Viking heritage, the whole story would have been ever so much more interesting an exit, and well worthy of relating to the grandchildren of how grandpa went that-a-way. https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fichef.bbci.co.uk%2Face%2Fws%2F660%2Fcpsprodpb%2F392D%2Fproduction%2F_116373641_gettyimages-1294932124.jpg.webp&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=1515bfa852357c8d47141f83ed982393548e68d9c72e0c8211665dcf320e430d

In all due respect, you've either not reviewed, or misinterpreted the context within which my comment was made. The original comment by another person to which my response to was directed, "Then they should remove as many Thais from the roads as possible. They are the ones who can't drive". That is NOT showing respect, assimilation or empathy for our Thai brethren of which we reside in their country as guests. That's just racist xenophobia, plain and simple. My comment was NOT intended to invalidate others opinions or comments wherein they suggest positive change, such as improving driver training, or testing prior to licensure, or improving enforcement of existing laws, my comment was here rather, to push back, on those who condemn all Thai as somehow inferior and incapable of driving safely or adhering to laws established, again, that's not assimilation or empathy, quite the opposite, its armchair bitterness, and anger aimed to incite hatred of Thai, and thus inspire similar in reverse. That I cannot abide.

No one here is an apologist or apologizing for dangerous behavior. There is a huge difference between offering an explanation and and a justification or excuse. Thailand's traffic mortality rate is at or near the top globally, there is no excuse or justification for that. An explanation is poor or entirely absent law enforcement, poor or non-existent drivers training, leaving Thai drivers, however wrongly, to believe that, since they're not going to get caught, fined or penalized in any way, anything goes. Again, that's an explanation, NOT an excuse, NOT a justification, NOT an apology. Given your self-proclaimed hatred of everyone equally, try dialing it back a bit, to propose solutions rather than generalized, broad-based condemnations of an entire society that leads nowhere. Clearly law enforcement and driver training is warranted, plain and simple, to begin and improve better compliance to existing statutes in the general population.

Absolutely hilarious and in a large measure why I avoid social media and farang in general, endless bitterness and complaining. That I inspired hate by some little comment you disagree with says more about you than it does me. Take your meds, or you'll have an aneurism.

True enough. There was none of that. It was a closed course. Kinda artificial situation. In the US it was on the actual streets and roads. The US is actually a bad example for leniency. I'm to understand that the UK by contrast is quite strict, with many nationals choosing not to drive, and foreigners giving up. Both standards are better than presently in place in Thailand, particularly where motorbikes are concerned - the primary cause of vehicular accident and fatalities.