Lacessit

IME land always appreciates in value, there are very few places on the planet where they make more of it. There may be some fluctuations, based on interest rate settings, but the trend is always up longer term.

I understand Thai nurses in government hospitals are compulsorily retired at age 45, with a modest pension. They then find employment as carers with wealthier Thai families. Apparently the going rate is 10K - 15K baht/month. Alternatively, look for a Thai lady in their 40's at a massage shop. They are going to be strong enough for most tasks. They don't earn much, and probably would jump at any salary more than 10K/month, although there may be more trust issues. Obviously, the OP's capabilities in terms of communicating in Thai need to be considered.

It's quite possible every male in the vicinity was turned off as soon as she opened her mouth, due to the American accent. US women do have a reputation for being gold-diggers.

I suggest you walk into any rural pub in Australia, and broadcast that statement. Wear body armor and a helmet when you do.

Labeling someone is straight out of Trump's playbook, no surprise there. I'd much rather have that label than that of a right-wing fascist. Fascism is based on the proposition one leader or elite knows better than anyone else, in itself a logical absurdity.

Comparing gold to bitcoin IMO is utterly ridiculous. Bitcoin is a stream of electrons in cyberspace. It is akin to a religion, in that it can't be touched, seen or felt. No-one can say that about physical gold. Gold does fluctuate in value. However, its variation has nothing on bitcoin, which at several stages has lost about 80% of its value, the most recent being late 2022. I'd agree property is a good investment, although as I type there are quite a few mortgage holders in Australia under extreme stress.

If Tapper wants to give Glenn Kessler credit for this retraction, he should also, in the interest of balance, note Kessler's fact checking of Trump records he lied on average 21 times a day, for every day of his Presidency.

Speaking of underdogs.....

I am reasonably proficient in verbal Thai. Not fluent, but I can converse with most Thais adequately. Written Thai is a much more difficult dimension, particularly when the words are all strung together.

Gold is not an investment. It's a currency hedge, and with governments world-wide busy printing money, quite a good one. I have never lost money buying and selling gold, although I must say your wife has out-performed me considerably. She's a keeper.

One thing I have learned about kidneys is their vulnerability to medication, and high blood pressure. For example, commonly used anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen and diclofenac are quite detrimental. eGFR is one measure used by doctors for kidney function. Mine got as low as 58, I am now back up to 80 with diet and exercise.

Carcharodonophobia. The carcharias variety.

Last one was in 1939. Over 80 years ago. Just as significant are the wildfires in Canada. Perhaps the Siberian taiga is next.

There's a saying among con artists, you can't cheat an honest man. If people did not have greed as a driver, scammers would find life a lot more difficult.

Tipping is not expected in Thailand. I usually tip people who I know are not making much, such as cleaning staff and massage ladies.

Beef has fat marbling in layers. Buffalo fat seems to be in the form of pinheads distributed evenly but randomly throughout the steak. Why don't you plant a mix of mango and avocado trees? They would shade out any grass below. Or olives, to add to your pizzas and martinis.

Thank you for the offer. I had enough compelled study of scripture in my schooldays.

Water buffalo is different meat to beef. When I visited Timor, still a colony of Portugal in 1969, water buffalo steak fried in coconut oil was the island staple for hotels. Quite tasty.

Nobody is forcing you to buy a VPN, it's your decision whether you want one or not. If you want to download from torrenting/streaming sites, and their price of entry is purchasing a VPN from them, seems fair enough to me. There's so much free stuff around on YouTube I don't bother.

Betting website. Why would anyone gamble with an organization which might be based anywhere on the planet? A fool and his money are soon parted.

See a doctor.

If he keeps it under cover, maybe. A Dulux paint chemist told me red is bad for fading, because said color absorbs more solar radiation than other colors, leading to breakdown of the binder.

I've seen big wasps on a golf course in Chiang Mai. The nest was only about half a dozen of them. The guy I was playing with had been in Thailand a long time, and said just 2 or 3 stings could be fatal.

Worst possible color in terms of fading.

It's very common to use salt licks for sheep and cattle in Australia. Maybe that's why Thai beef is so terrible.