John Drake

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

There are real limitations. You cannot change your direct deposit if you live outside the US.

Nothing good or safe outside happens after 1am.

This type question is utterly typical and should be expected on This Week. It's almost a standard closing question over the show, which has been running for almost 45 years. Everybody knows it, including the old coot who threw a temper tantrum.

Prayuth was better. But Prawit is okay.

When I retired from Mahidol, I like you thought I would need to change my visa from Non-B to Non-O. As it ended up, however, when I went to Nakhon Pathom immigration (where Mahidol is located and where university employees were directed for extensions), the immigration officer said not so. She simply wrote a note in my passport underneath the extension that was expiring, issued me a letter, and sent me to Chaengwattana, because I actually live in Bangkok and would henceforth need to do my extensions there. Subsequently, I extended on my Non-B for purposes of retirement at Chaengwattana and have now done so for nine consecutive years.

I'm afraid that once again this shows that Trump really doesn't have a plan or a strategy that is thinking beyond the initial application of tariffs. Personally, I think tariffs are justified in the right situation. But one of the things that could best have illustrated their strategic use would have been to concentrate on one particular region. Southeast Asia deserves that honor. It's a region that puts up its own tariffs on American goods, while providing cover for Chinese companies avoiding US sanctions. The US should hit them hard and demonstrate just how powerful American trade policy could be and how it could reward friends and significantly damage enemies and fence sitters. Access to US markets has always been part of US foreign policy. But if you have a region slipping into the control of a US enemy, China, then there is no reason to allow them to continue to access the US without at least incurring reciprocal tariffs. But here is the one thing you DO NOT DO: don't start off attacking your two closest neighbors and military allies, while all but groveling to Arab states and Russia.

Trump is likely thinking that Carney will continue the destruction that he thinks Trudeau caused and thus in a few years time Canada will split asunder and Trump can make the leavings into new US territory.

Fine. Then stop military pensions and Tricare from going to overseas destinations as well.