John Drake

Didn't Trump endorse Carney over the other guy in the election? There is no reasoning behind most Trump actions. I think that in the next month or two, they (whoever they are) are going to have to drag Trump kicking and screaming from the White House to a mental asylum.

That Bloomberg link comes up empty. I'm prone to believe that Trump would do something like this, but I need to see a link that is more than somebody says Trump said this.

They were. Trump not only dithered, here, but did so back in June when he failed to take out Khamenei and the entire top echelon of the Revolutionary Guard. Trump pulled back then, because he was chasing international peace prizes and posing as the president of peace. He created a fiasco simply to try and get a peace trophy.

The EU might well side with China, now. They were already inclined to do so. Canada already has.

How did this Greenland talk come about? Yeah, Trump first made mention of it in 2019 but then it faded from discussion. Completely. And now? Two months ago, Greenland wasn't on anybody's mind. Then, Trump gets a bug up his ass out of nowhere. Nobody discussed this in the presidential campaign. Nobody for the past year has made mention of it. If Trump is going to start World War III shouldn't it at least have got an airing among the American public before Trump goes off the deep end? This is just more chaos. Everything Trump does is incoherent and often at cross purposes.

Think there is enough room in the new ballroom for all of them?

SpaceX's Starship with it reusable components and heavier lift capacity is thoroughly better than this Boeing made boondogle that is cobbled together with leftover parts of the Space Shuttle. There is a lot to dislike about Elon, but when it comes to rockets, he's a visionary and nobody matches him.

When I was 12 or 13 years old, I got an award for newspaper boy of the month from my route manager. Got to go down to the Belo building in downtown Dallas for a dinner and to receive the award, one of those cheap little plastic pieces colored in bronze. I wish I still had it. I would send it to Donny, who apparently somewhere along the age of 5 or 6 didn't get adequate approval from daddy, in the vain hope no doubt it might avert World War III. I urge all Americans to do likewise. Dig around for any award, plaque, or acknowledgment you might have laying around the house and send them to the White House.

Yes, AOC is an opportunistic narcissist as well. But put her up against Trump and she looks like Thomas Jefferson. I supported DeSantis and later came to endorse first Biden and then Harris, because I think Trump is corrupt and incompetent. Frankly, if Harris were in office, right now those of us in Thailand would be getting 35 or 36 or maybe even 37 baht to the dollar. She would have made my life tangibly better.

What's going on? Trump is bat<deleted> crazy.

That had to be one of the cringiest moments in American history. What sort of person grins and preens over being given someone else's prize?

I said on this forum right after Trump was elected that I feared he would mess things up so badly that AOC would be elected president in 2028. And sure enough it looks like Trump's only legacy, because all of his executive orders will be reversed on day one of a new administration, is the election of someone like AOC. Happy now, Trump voters? Could have had sane, long term reconstruction of the country with someone like DeSantis.

Why isn't he concerned about China not giving Thais immigrant visas, as in almost zero over the past 22 years? Yet he doesn't question the PRC about it? And meanwhile, Thailand is buying up arms and letting tens of thousands of Chinese run wild in Thailand, with many of them involved in crime networks. But all this guy is worried about is if the US continues to issue 6000 to 10,000 Permanent residency approvals yearly for Thais while Thailand gives out less than 10 yearly to Americans.

K-1 visa? And it is not effected by the current suspension. https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-of-us-citizens/visas-for-fiancees-of-us-citizens

AI came up with this: Based on available data from official reports, news articles, surveys, and public discussions (including social media sentiments from locals and expats in Thailand), here's a ranked list of foreign nationalities often cited as the most associated with violent incidents, criminal activities (e.g., drugs, scams, theft), troublesome behavior (e.g., rudeness, illegal work, overstaying), and obnoxious conduct (e.g., disrespecting local customs, littering, harassment). This is compiled from sources like Thai police statistics, tourism authority reports, and community feedback, focusing on patterns in popular areas like Phuket, Bangkok, Pattaya, and Pai. Note that these are generalizations drawn from reported incidents and perceptions—not all individuals from these groups behave this way, and Thailand welcomes millions of respectful visitors annually. Rankings start with the most frequently mentioned as "worst" based on volume of complaints and arrests. Rank Nationality Key Issues Cited 1 Russians Top the list for crimes in Phuket (e.g., theft, drug-related offenses, illegal work as tour guides). Locals report "colonizing" behaviors like dominating areas, rude interactions, and terrorizing communities. Surge in visa overstays and draft-dodging expats. High involvement in violent incidents and burglaries. 2 Israelis Recent backlash for inappropriate behavior (e.g., loud partying, theft from temples, harassment). "No Israel" signs in establishments; petitions to shut down illegal Israeli-run businesses. Reports of aggressive haggling, cultural insensitivity, and exploiting visa rules in places like Pai. 3 Chinese Often ranked as the "worst tourists" in SE Asia surveys for loudness, littering, and group disruptions. Involved in zero-dollar tours, scams, and occasional violent altercations. High numbers in Phuket generate revenue but also complaints about rudeness and overcrowding. 4 Nigerians Linked to romance scams, fraud networks (e.g., "Operation Black Horse Down" with 50M+ THB damages), and drug distribution to tourists. Multiple arrests in sting operations; seen as troublesome due to organized crime ties. 5 Indians Complaints about messy behavior (e.g., littering beaches with wrappers and cans), haggling aggressively, and inappropriate public conduct. Some surveys call them "ugly tourists"; involved in scams and overcrowding in Pattaya. 6 British High arrest rates for drugs, assaults, and theft (third in Phuket crimes). "Passport bros" and rowdy tourists cited for drunken violence, sexual assaults, and disrespect. Common in full-moon party incidents on Koh Phangan. 7 French Second in Phuket crime stats (e.g., motorcycle gangs disturbing locals, theft). Reports of violent altercations and illegal activities; seen as obnoxious in tourist hubs. 8 Australians Involved in bar fights, assaults, and drug offenses. Perceived as loud and aggressive, especially in Pattaya and Phuket; some expat complaints about racism and entitlement. 9 Americans "Passport bros" accused of harassing trans women, secret recordings, and exploitative behavior. Involved in assaults, DUIs, and occasional homicides; complaints about cultural insensitivity and "flag-jacking" (pretending to be Canadian). 10 Myanmar/Burmese Migrant workers linked to petty crimes, theft, and occasional violence. High deportation numbers for overstays and illegal work; some homicide convictions noted. This ranking prioritizes recent (2023–2026) data from sources like Bangkok Post, Thai police reports, and local petitions. For context, overall foreign crime in Thailand is low relative to tourist volume (e.g., 181 arrests in Phuket in early 2023, mostly non-violent), but spikes in drug-related and behavioral issues have fueled perceptions. If you're planning a trip or living there, focus on respecting local laws to avoid issues.

BTW, the issue of kidney dialysis in Thailand interested me--about 20 years ago I took care of my mother in her scheduled dialysis treatments. Anyway, what I discovered over the past few minutes is that Thailand indeed does have excellent coverage for kidney dialysis, regardless of a person's ability to pay. And it covers remote impoverished areas thoroughly. The default treatment, however, is peritoneal dialysis, especially for people in remote areas who cannot get to clinics. So those patients are set up for home dialysis. The problem there, of course, is that an elderly Thai with a 6th grade education living in a hot humid sometimes decrepit home is going to have problems with PD. Not the least of which is contamination due to lack of sterile conditions and hygiene issues--not to mention help needed in doing in-home PD. In short, in home treatment usually lasts only for a year before switching to clinic bound hemodialysis. Mortality rates are high as well. And the old and poor still need some way to get to the clinics. The situation is far better than I thought it was, although it still has big drawbacks. It's good to see Thailand invest in something like that. This means that kidney dialysis is not a reason for Thais to try and immigrate to the US.

I agree that hospitals and insurance companies are modern day pirates. I think Medicare for all would be the right policy. I'm just pointing out that Thai nationals, even in the US illegally, will get medical care if they require emergency care. Use the example above of kidney dialysis. I don't know how available kidney dialysis is throughout Thailand. Can poor Thais receive it? I do know if they go to the US, they will receive it. Granted, it mostly is only on an emergency basis, which means after treatment they must wait for another build up in bodily toxins until the emergency becomes an emergency. But if that is more than Thailand provides, which I don't know, that would be a reason for Thais to go to the US, illegally or not. BTW, California, New York, Illinois, and Colorado even provide expanded and regularly scheduled outpatient care for illegals who then need not wait for emergency conditions.

US law does require any hospital that takes Medicare payments (which is just about all of them) to provide emergency medical care to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay. It is for emergencies and the patient must be treated in hospital emergency wings and the hospital of course can bill the patient afterwards. Of course, if you can't pay, you can't pay. Hospitals may not refuse patients, dump them at other hospitals, or otherwise deny them care until they are stabilized. This includes things such as ongoing kidney dialysis.

Is there a US policy to evict Thais from the US? Meanwhile, Thailand already evicts Americans (and other nationalities) when they are caught violating Thai immigration law.

And as for PR and citizenship for Thais in China, since 2004, according to AI, the total numbers are between 0 and 10. But that hasn't led to any questions from Thailand's MFA and subsequently allowing PRC Chinese to run rampant crime rings all throughout Thailand. So what does all this indicate? The US has provided the most generous PR and citizenship processes for Thais than any other nation, despite all the hostility, anger, and insults being thrown towards Americans from nationals of other countries who don't do even fractionally as much as the US in allowing Thais to immigrate.

BTW I asked AI to generate similar figures for the UK and Australia and how many Thais received PR and then citizenship there. Here is the response: UK : Thai nationals are not among the top nationalities for grants of permanent residency (Indefinite Leave to Remain or settlement) or citizenship in the UK, based on Home Office data. This suggests the numbers are relatively low compared to leading countries like India, Pakistan, and Nigeria. Specific breakdowns for Thailand are not prominently featured in summary statistics, indicating grants are likely below 1,000 annually for each category. Estimates based on historical trends (e.g., early 2000s data showing small numbers of naturalizations, mostly through marriage) suggest: Category Estimated Annual Grants (Recent Years, e.g., 2024-2025) Permanent Residency Fewer than 500 (not in top 20 nationalities, where lowest is ~1,000-2,000) gov.uk +1 Citizenship Fewer than 1,000 (not in top 10 nationalities, where lowest is ~5,000-7,000) gov.uk +1 Australia: Data for Thai nationals is more available, though recent comprehensive breakdowns are limited to certain streams. Permanent residency grants (total Migration Program places) have varied, with recent figures focused on the Family stream. Citizenship conferrals (by conferral) are also low relative to top nationalities like India and New Zealand but show consistent numbers. Category Annual Grants (Selected Recent Years) Permanent Residency 2023-24: ~1,762 (Family stream only; total likely 2,000-3,000 including Skill stream) homeaffairs.gov.au ; 2022-23: 1,862 (Family) homeaffairs.gov.au ; 2020-21: 4,002 (total) homeaffairs.gov.au ; 2019-20: 1,979 (total) homeaffairs.gov.au . Average ~2,500 in pre-2022 years. Citizenship Not in top 10 for 2024-25 (lowest top-10 ~5,000; likely <5,000) homeaffairs.gov.au ; 2021-22: 2,091 homeaffairs.gov.au ; 2020-21 partial: 1,085 aph.gov.au . Average ~1,500-2,000 in recent years.

An estimated 55,000 Thais have received US citizenship over the past ten years. During that same time, less than 100 Americans have received Thai citizenship. Thailand only allocates around 100 applications per year for each separate nationality to apply for permanent residence. The number receiving PR, however, is in the single digits for applicants. In recent years between 6000 and 10,000 Thais have been granted PR (Green Cards) in the US. So what is this guy complaining about? Would he like it if it became standard US policy to only give as many green cards to Thais as the number of PR received by Americans in Thailand?

I heard the very same words used to describe the impact of digital nomads in Mexico City in the early 2020s. The result has been rents have gone up 60 percent and priced mexican citizens out of their longtime homes and neighborhoods. There also Dnomads avoid taxes with short term rentals and manipulation of mexican visa laws. They strain public infrastructure and resources without contributing to their maintenance and operations. Longtime community networks and social harmony have also been severely undercut and in some cases entirely obliterated. Wherever they go, digital nomads end up causing a crisis in affordability for the native inhabitants.

Trump left the job unfinished last June. He let Khameini survive and didn't finish off the IRGC leadership sufficiently. And, now, Trump's indecision will doom this uprising along with all the others.

Looking at that photo, you know something? He really does have tiny hands.