John Drake

He still doesn't know what he's going to do. Talking up 20 percent "blanket tariff" now, which would be the worst of all worlds.

He'll fold on the tariffs tomorrow. It'll be a squeak, not a roar.

No, I just feel 125

It does make me wonder. This wasn't the Immigration building, I gather, but had it been . . . ? What if an emergency evacuation had occurred in the Immigration building while you were waiting for Immigration to return your bank book and passport???

Was this then a pilot project, with many more Chinese projects to come? Or are there several completed already?

I realize you haven't got much to do with your life other than hang out on this forum and try to pick fights, but be aware at least that the term, "tofu" applied to Chinese construction, comes from the Chinese themselves. In fact, it was a former Chinese premier who coined it.

Oh, and Mr. Genius, how many high rises in Bangkok have been built by the Chinese? Maybe the other buildings are still standing because the Chinese didn't have a hand in their construction.

Trying to sell your condos, eh?

Tofu building techniques have now come to Thailand.

Saw lots of hospital evacuations on Twitter/X with patients rolled out into the 38 degree streets. My house only got hit by rolling waves of tremors for maybe 45 seconds to a minute. Maybe it was more. Don't know. But no damage and no damage in my village. This is out on Phutthamonthon Sai 3. So it looks like the really bad stuff was among the big towers and condos. Keep thinking that someone could have been washed over the side of the building in one of those condo/hotel pools I saw that were turned into waterfalls.

I think we're about to find out just how well built are all these new condos put up in the past ten years.

First did the flood in 2011 and now this pretty big earthquake in far western Bangkok.

China will probably endorse this idea. I doubt the PRC likes too many of their people spending too much time and money abroad. BTW, didn't I read a year or two ago that Chinese visas for Thailand, extensions and such, had to be passed through the PRC embassy first?

Elon Musk putting a chip in your brain.

I hope the Chinese embassy doesn't demand this guy get kicked out of Thailand.

Probably a lot of people like me. I login to My Social Security just about every other day to make sure my account is still listed as active and the next payment is still scheduled.

You never know.

It seems like every day there is another crackpot development. It's exhausting. It's only been two months and it feels like four years.

The one thing I might add that could be important is that when I retired from Mahidol they also gave me a letter certifying the retirement. Nakhon Pathom immigration wanted and kept the letter before writing the sentence notation below my expiring work extension and sending me over to Chaengwattana.

About one year ago. February 2024 in the headliner in Phuket. And in March 2024 in Trang, when a Swissie kicked around an older Thai woman in a supermarket. Then, there's this one just a few days ago; another Swiss kicker--https://www.pattayamail.com/news/from-road-rage-to-arrest-swiss-tourist-dropkicks-thai-man-after-motorcycle-collision-in-pattaya-494323

The British can be pretty bad, but I thought it was the Swiss who went around kicking women.

Ronald Reagan's illegal alien amnesty was a thousand times more stupid.

This apparently means that as of 29 March, those of us in Thailand will need to make an appointment at the nearest SSA office, which is in Manila, if we want to change our direct deposit.

As of 29 March, you must change direct deposit information on the website or in a SSA office. Musk has ordered the shut down of changing banking info by phone.

I just checked their page. When you go to your profile and then click banking, you get "contact us." You click on "contact us" and it has a link for living outside the US. You click on that and on page 4 at the bottom it says: Some services are not available outside of the United States. Changing your address (if you are not a US Citizen). Changing your direct deposit. Requesting a replacement Social Security card. Here is the direct link: https://www.ssa.gov/foreign/index.html