Lacessit

How is Russia fighting this war? By targeting the electricity grid and agriculture in Ukraine. Freezing or starving Ukrainians is trying to finish the job Stalin started. Go easy on his fellow Slavs my aching butt. Wars are theft writ large. Putin has all the traits of a kleptomaniac, ask any of his oligarchs who are still alive. Portraying him as a victim is ridiculous. NATO is a defensive treaty. There is nothing in its charter to say it will attack anybody without first being attacked itself. Every nation in Europe wanted to join it because Putin has repeatedly said he wants to restore the USSR to its former glory. There's not a nation in Europe who wants to be under the Soviet yoke again. IMO Putin would have done much better to shore up defenses in eastern Siberia, which is rich in resources the Chinese have coveted for decades. He was making billions selling oil and gas to Europe. Please name the nations who are running to BRICS, AFAIK the American dollar is still the world reserve currency, and who wants rubles, yuan, and rupees? On topic, Thais have repeatedly proven themselves as world-class fence sitters.

I am responding to your post with facts. If you don't like them, I have others. On ignore. If you can't disagree without abuse, you're in the bin.

The Ukrainian language and alphabet differ from Russian. Under the USSR, the Russian language was compulsory in schools, to assist the process of Russification. Russian speakers in Ukraine are only there because they were transplanted from Russia in the 1930's. After the Holodomor, in which Stalin killed an estimated 6 million Ukrainians by mass starvation. Portraying Ukrainians as Nazis is a lie promoted by Putin. True, the Ukrainians welcomed the Germans as liberators during WWII. They quickly learned there was no difference between a Nazi or a Communist jackboot. Putin signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, which guaranteed Ukraine's sovereignty and security in return for Ukraine surrendering its nuclear arsenal. Yeah right. I don't know what is more disturbing about your post, its abject ignorance of Ukrainian history, or the parroting of Kremlin propaganda.

Mike, you said tax returns ( correct me if I am wrong ) are filed after June 30. Anyone who is tax resident ( >180 days ) should leave Thailand June 27. If I have entered Thailand on two occasions - September 2023, March 2024 does that not mean I don't have to file a tax return? The 2023 entry was after 8 months out of Thailand.

Banks in Thailand pay 1-2% in interest, then lend the depositor's money out at 6-7%. It's a sweet deal for the banks. I use peer-to-peer lending in Australia for a decent interest rate. Or buy shares in good dividend stocks there. Perhaps the OP should investigate the dividends Thai banks pay to their shareholders.

There seems to be nothing in the budget just brought down by Chalmers which mentions overseas pensioners. From what I have read in the link, more people will become eligible for the Age Pension.

Incorrect, perhaps you are thinking of UK pensions. The Australian pension consists of a base rate, and supplements such as rent assistance and energy bills. One loses the supplements payments after 6 weeks overseas. Increases are in either budgets or cost-of-living indexation, I am yet to miss out on one of those after 12 years here.

I meant the married couple ( foreigner and Thai ) are cut more slack by way of concessions/allowances, the taxation starts at a higher threshold. I am not part of the gifting discussion.

I pay if needed. A hundred baht or so is not worth arguing over.

Try posting facts, belief is not good enough. There is evidence of cocaine use when Trump occupied the White House. Trump is as mad as a cut snake, and he is getting worse every day. I doubt he'll make it to the debate, let alone November.

In Thai culture, complaining is the same as insulting the person. Obviously the OP is unaware of this cultural difference. The reactions he gets from the people he is complaining to are entirely predictable. My strategy when I get poor service of any kind is simple. I say nothing. I walk out, and I never go back. I must say such occurrences for me are extremely rare. But then, if I wanted a cheeseburger I'd go to McDonald's.

I am not even sure Trump will turn up for a debate. The latest modification to the agreed 2 debates by the Trump camp - they want one hosted by Fox News. Trump said only mobsters take the Fifth, then used it 400 times. Trump said he will take the witness stand in the hush money case. No doubt his lawyers don't want him to. Biden wiped the floor with Trump in their last debates. Calling names, lying, and shouting is all Trump's got in terms of debating skills

Immunotherapy has the medical profession's interest, due to its effectiveness. I was diagnosed with bladder cancer 18 years ago. I was treated with BCG infusion, which introduces live tuberculosis into the bladder over a period of six weeks. AFAIK it was the first successful immunotherapy, although apparently it is still a bit of a mystery how the treatment activates one's immune system. I was told by my urologist at the time BCG treatment is better than 90% effective in achieving full remission. There was a time surgery for cancer was like tossing a coin, 50% effective.

Put all his photos on a thumb drive. Plenty of second-hand clothing stores in Thailand. All he really needs is decent underwear. Bring a laptop. He can buy monitors and desktops here. https://www-knightvisasuratthani-com. Don't put more money into Thailand than he can afford to lose.

Given Trump's history, he would probably find a way to fudge it.

I have had four different types of cancer, in different organs. One more, and I'm applying to the Guinness Book of Records. I am in full remission from all of them, doctors never use the word cured. I am a fatalist. The only thing I fear is a prolonged agonizing death, not death itself.

I have no problem with Biden being drug tested, provided Trump has one too.

The spelling of GRAMMAR and SUIT reminds me people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

Er - I thought Biden got 81 million votes, Trump 74 million in 2020. Current polls mean nothing, it's November that counts. IIRC, GDP under Trump also went considerably backwards in 2019-2020.

The poster you quote has a history of animus towards Thailand, IIRC he has even published a book detailing Thailand's defects. Most of which can be handled by people with a few brain cells. Most people in Australia anywhere near a major city are millionaires by definition if they own their house, it's insane. In Thailand, there's the house I gave my GF, and my condo. Two cars, two scooters. My son's internet is about 4 times the cost here, inferior speed. His car registration is 7 times mine. If I lived in Australia, more than half my pension would be going in rent. A basic pub meal is about 2-3 times what it costs in Thailand. People who move here to escape high living costs and political correctness IMO should be applauded, not derided. At least they had the guts to embrace change.

Good point, thanks. My GF knows what cash I have - in Thailand. She also knows the longer I live, the better off she will be when I eventually cark it.

You may be right. However, IMO it does depend on the amount of cash brought in. If I was to have AUD 50K on my person, exchanging that to 1.2 million baht with a money exchanger would IMO definitely draw attention. However, I doubt AUD 5 K would raise any eyebrows. Money exchangers and banks see transactions at that level by the hundreds.

I give out small cash gifts to my GF's family at Christmas. They have never asked me for money. I am sharing the cost of putting my GF's grand-daughter through university.

I have always walked on the side where I can see traffic coming towards me, and can step aside if necessary.. IMO having traffic behind me, particularly in Thailand, is akin to having a death wish.

So you spend your time with HiSo's exclusively, who respond to your manipulation. Apologize. My BS meter is totally destroyed.