Spike1938

Colin, I live in pretty much the same situation. In 2006 I had a spinal operation that ultimately resulted in a lack of balance so I use a walker. My wife has developed Parkinson's so we hardly go anywhere. Not that there is that many places to go in Kamphaeng Phet province. So we usually only leave the house with our daughter to go grocery shopping.

BTW- I am 80

2 hours ago, Estrada said:

FACT: There is NO Trade Deficit against the United States, the US does not take into account all those huge US companies who manufacture overseas and only send their profits back to the the US, if forced to do so. For instance, if US companies manufactured all their products such as Apple, Nike etc, in the US, then perhaps a Trillions more Dollars would be added to the US Export figures. However, companies manufacturing overseas only return profits but add to the US Import bill 100% of the wholesale or intercompany price.

In the United States, the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures and defines the trade deficit. It defines U.S. imports as goods and services produced in a foreign country and bought by U.S. residents. It includes all goods shipped to the United States, even if produced by an American-owned company. If a product crosses U.S. Customs and is intended to be sold in America, it is an import. This is unfair as illustrated by the Trump's manufacturing Trump products in China using low cost labour and materials and then shipping them back to the US. for Instance Trump's "Make America Great Again" red caps and ties, Ivanka's products. Apple were able to takeover the world mobile phone market from Nokia by Manufacturing in China. This is what Trump calls "Fair Trade"

 

Brilliant!! Thanks for explaining those details to me and anyone who will listen. However, try and explain it to a Trump supporter and all you get is an uneducated blank stare and a wave of the hand. Please don't confuse them with facts.

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Iran can be trusted as far as you can throw them, their brutal expenditures  ambambitions in to many countries around the region and sleeper terror cells and many other countries are well known, Iran uses mercenary proxy army of other nations recruits to do their dirty job, Iran finance and support Hezbollah and Hamas, both terrorist entities, Iran does not recognize Israel right to exist and call for it's destruction and total annihilations and such mad bunch of zalot Mullahs should not possess nukes....

And a country that unilaterally drops out of a negotiated deal can be trusted? Trump and his corrupt coterie cannot be trusted as far as he can jump.

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...As a party, the ideology of the junta is that of stability, national security and anti-corruption. Never mind if stability is ersatz and sustained through repression and restriction of rights to free assembly – or if anti-corruption doesn’t necessarily mean equal scrutiny on part of the junta and the armed forces..."

 

There is a great deal of truth in the quote above regarding ideology; it is worth having a closer look at what the military stands for.

 

Anti-corruption. This is a remarkable idea that the Thai military is anti-corruption when every major and/or minor incident that I can recall in the last few years has been investigated by the military itself. And, you are not going to believe this; every time they were not guilty! Every time! Thailand is sooooooo lucky that it has such an upright, corrupt-free military.

 

National security. If ever there was a political response to the old saw "if all you have is a hammer, then every problem is a nail". In the last four years, it could easily be argued that the military's response to almost everything has been more control, more oppression, more taking of rights, more surveillance, more repression, more etc etc etc.

 

Stability. This is, in my view, the key element but perhaps a better word might be "wet-blanketism". This policy of smothering Thailand and Thai society with the ever-present TV appearances from Prayut, the ever-present stacking of all institutions with military personnel (serving or retired), the ever-present forces out on the street, the ever-present presence in all aspects of life (Children's day, anyone?) is like a wet blanket smothering the life out of the country. The Thai people have a beautiful gift of lively-ness, humor, spontaneity and desire for fun. The military is smothering that out slowly.

 

Thailand needs to regain its element of "joie-de-vivre", its element of joy, its element of creativity. It cannot do that while being smothered.

 

The 'ideology' of the military, while perhaps appropriate for its base function, is not appropriate to a nation, but it is the only thing military people know. Thailand as a nation does not and cannot function as a military organization, yet the military is trying to force just that. And it does not work.

 

This ideology has terrible consequences for the country and needs to be removed asap.

 

You are exactly right. As Ben Franklin famously said: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

That covers the argument I hear most often from the Thais who defend the junta that it has provided stability. Usually they are persons of some means who don't want any changes that might help the general population. But in these situations there is always an undercurrent of unrest that eventually manifests itself.

The whole police force should be charged with negligent homicide as accomplices.

I am aware of some government fund embezzling in the are where I live.

How do I report it?

I get mine from USA Embassy in Bangkok and they notarise it right there. Have never had to have ministry involved.

I take it to my local immigration office in Kamphaeng Phet and they accept it.

He's just jealous.

I don't care if it was only going to be 15 minutes. You don't know the schedule of the person you are blocking.

If you cannot find a spot then you keep looking until one opens.

As a disabled person (I have limited mobility but can drive) I also get upset when I arrive and find all the disabled person slots taken by non-disabled persons. I find that often they are taken by persons just because they are usually closer to the entrances.

If you often drive someone who is disabled but you are not just get a disabled placard that you can insert into your windshield when you do.

22 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Right.

Who is the 'source'?

Sounds like more disinformation and deflection coming from the Democrats due to the soon-to-be exposed FBI meddling in the last election. 

This has thoroughly been debunked. You and other Trump supporters can twist and spin but in the end all that will happen is you will get dizzy. There are enough incidents, starting with Trump's own admission that he fired Comey because of Russian investigation, to show attempts at obstruction. Whether there will be enough hard evidence to prove obstruction we will have to wait for Mueller's investigation to end. As I heard someone once say: "only the good Lord knows the facts, I would like to give you some evidence."

Since the government is now growing its' own in anticipation of legalisation they don't want any competition.

Of course there is no surprise here.

The surprise. will come when the people have had enough and then there will be blood in the streets when the military uses force to "keep the peace".

The source of their excess income is very probably kick backs from the purchase of unneeded weapons.

 For example is Thailand really in imminent danger of a naval attack? Why then buy submarines?

Just one example.

When I first moved to Koh Samui I was like a kid in a candy store.

I was at the girly bars at least 4 nights/week and usually went home with one of those. Thai babies (I was 64).

It did finally get old and also the realisation hit me that they were in it for the money (of course). So when my friends mother-in-law (he was married to a Thai) said she new a good woman from her village in Kamphaeng Phet province. 

I agreed to meet her. 

She turned out to be a wonderful wife and we are now together 16 years. 

She is 30 years younger than me.

Amazing how much effort they are putting into finding this political "criminal" while that rich little punk "Boss" murderer of a policeman just can't be found in plain sight.

22 hours ago, ELVIS123456 said:

Is it also for your wife? Or just yourself?  Best idea is to try and get a local massage girl to come and visit.  Unless you want just a rub a dub and happy ending, then look for reputable shop nearby and ask for a girl with formal qualifications (a certificate). As part of their training (for real Thai massage) they are taught therapeutic massage (Thai style). If you find one/two then have a massage there and see if you like them. If good, then speak to the boss and ask for 'home delivery' services for you (and wife). Most of them have a bike, and for a little extra they can ride to your home, as long as they feel they are safe. Take your wife with you when you go to check them out. And get the same girl if you can, so she can learn about your (and wife?) issues and problems. PS - slip the girl and extra 100 or 200 baht each time (and dont tell shop Boss) and you will have no trouble getting them back.

 

I am looking for a trained physical therapist not masseuse or the like. We both need help with movement therapy.

I am looking for a physical therapist who can visit our home in Khui Ban One (Kamphaeng Phet province. Aumpher Phran Kratai) 3 or 4 times a week. 

I am old (79) and need help maintaining physical condition. My wife (49) has Parkinson's.

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

And not a moment too soon, what other country will allow a TV station to set up base and broadcast items that are detrimental to the security of that country coupled with half truth and bias, one sided reporting of the so called 'News'? and not even in the name of democracy and the right for a free speech.... not even other Arab country like Al Jazeera's agendas....

The USA. They allow Fox News to promulgate lies and distortions by the likes of Hannity and others. No thought of shutting them down.

I am a 79 y.o. retiree living in Kamphaeng Phet province (Aumpher Phran Kratai). I have limited mobility but want to exercise to keep healthy. I have assembled a complete gym here at my home.

I am looking for a personal trainer who can. visit my house 3-4 times a week and help me work out - mostly with motivation. A work out buddy would be okay too.

I'll bet his family knows where he is and if they refuse to tell, that is called obstruction of justice.

But never mind - this is Thailand.

I know the problems are manifold. It bothers me when I see a ten year old driving a motorbike or a couple with a baby on her lap and then the wrong way drivers etc. And I realize that the first two are sometimes a matter of economic necessity when one can't afford a car. So, in the end, it is easy to identify the problems but not so easy to find a solution.

Interesting that in the same issue of Thai Visa there is an article that there is no money to pay nurses, who do deserve a raise, but an exorbitant amount of money for a totally unneeded weapon. 

I want to know which threat the paranoia of the military is worried about?