Lacessit

How Russia fakes it.......... https://www.abc.net.au/news/ 683701501_ABCNews(AustralianBroadcastingCorporation).mp4

I have a massage nearly every day, but it is a half-hour. One hour massage once a week. For the one hour, I take along my Bluetooth earbuds and my smartphone with about 400 music tracks on it. IMO it's important to find someone who knows what they are doing, and also your comfort level. I had to fire one massage woman who was quite competent, but would not back off on the pressure and positioning she used. I used to have 2-hour massages when I was younger, but now I think that might do more harm than good. It's a no-brainer the older women are more skilled, the young ones are usually trying to upsell.

He lives in New Zealand, enough said.

I would say good luck with that, most landlords in the CM and CR cities are dropping rents to try to retain tenants. A contract is a legally-binding document, any tenant can claim breach of contract if the landlord tries to raise the rent, unless some provision for rent increases exists in the contract. If the OP has a reliable tenant who pays on time, and looks after the property, I would say the OP should be grateful for what he has.

About 10 years ago, I bought a Yamaha TTX with 8000 km on the odometer for 23,000 baht. 28,000 clicks now, spent 3000 baht on it recently for an overhaul. Has never missed a beat. Hondas are the most popular brand in Thailand, to me the Yamaha is just as good. If the OP is only going short distances, renting or buying secondhand IMO is the best option. For long distance travel, either flog the guts out of a rental, or buy new.

I don't know how many went broke, or how many were successful. IMO trying to own a business of any kind in Thailand is financial suicide for most foreigners. A minimum requirement would be complete fluency in Thai, well connected, and successful in the same type of business in their home country.

That's a no brainer, not too many other places in the world where a woman 40 years younger than me would be asking to hook up with me.

Golf courses and food.

IMO it boils down to three factors - male-female relationships break down over sex, infidelity, or money. Maybe that's an oversimplification. A lawyer once told me money brings out the worst in people. In Thailand, it is possible for women to be on a similar financial footing as a foreign retiree; however, I would say it's extremely rare. Such women can pick and choose among Thai men, which would make the probability of engaging with a foreigner even lower. It's enjoyable to be able to play the field of beautiful women here, been there, done that. However, when I met a woman who was ticking a lot of boxes, my situation changed. I read the price tag very carefully. There's also a price tag in one-night stands, either wear protection or run the risk of potentially life-threatening STD's. Plus the risk of meeting a complete nutter. As one poster said, nowadays I pay them to leave. Relationships develop over time, what started out as a straightforward sex/money contract developed into warmth, affection and commitment. How many people have been as successful as me? I don't know. On the basis bad news sells, I'd say there are a lot more than appear on ASEAN threads talking about how she did me wrong. Likewise, I can't say how many relationships go from commercial to loving. I'm saying the price tag you are facing is loneliness, and having no-one to care for you in extremis except professionals. To them, you are just another slab of meat. I suggest you read "Nicholas Nickleby" by Charles Dickens. It's a pretty good description of the fate of people whose sole focus is money.

He's certainly not bright enough to realize if one surrounds themselves with sycophants, they will always be told what they want to hear, not facts. It's been reported the Russian Defence Minister has suffered a massive non-accidental heart attack, and about 50 generals have been purged. Given the opaqueness of Russian news media, that is difficult to verify. If true, it's a sign of Putin's deepening paranoia, although the evidence of that is already there with his long table. The sinking of the Moskva is an example of how Putin's kleptocracy has come back to bite Russia. Either it was caught napping by Ukrainian missiles, having skimped on air defence systems, or an "accidental" explosion of ammunition aboard occurred, which speaks to either shoddy maintenance or sabotage. He assuredly did not have enough military nous to realize a 50 km column of vehicles in single file was a recipe for a turkey shoot. The Ukrainians probably could not have believed their good luck.

Everyone is different, I like to split my time between the city and the village. I'd find the village too boring for a long stretch. I'm not married, for reasons outside Thailand. I may as well be, in terms of the relationship I have with my Thai GF. I don't regard our de facto situation as hard work. I don't get drunk, I think any man who hits a woman is a moral coward, and I am sensibly generous with my money. Compared to my GF's former husband, I must look pretty good. I respect her beliefs, and would not think of trying to change them. As you sow, so shall you reap says it all.

IMO one gets what they pay for, unless corruption has taken hold. Denmark and Sweden have very high tax rates, but the age pension a Dane or Swede gets is the subject of envy. Most Thais have an income of less than 150,000 baht per year, which is exempt. Even up to 300,000 baht baht/year they are only taxed at 5%. That shows up in the age pension they get.

What a gift to the tin hat brigade this thread is going to be, now they have proof.

Actually, Russian living standards are not stagnant. The minimum wage has gone backwards by 20%, which is the biggest decline of any country. The average wage of the countries surrounding Russia - Baltic states, Poland etc. is 3 - 4 times that of Russia, so it's no wonder they don't want to go back to the Russian fold. In the aftermath of WWII, Russian looting of the sector of Germany under their control got to a stage where toilets were being shipped back to Moscow under the guise of war reparations. There's no reason to think that would not happen again if Putin wins, theft is in his genetic coding.

My timing must be s##t then, I always seem to sell out at a profit about 50% below peak. Yup, off topic again.

Look at my avatar, it describes how I live. I agree, if the flow of money stopped, things would be different. But why would I do that? I have a woman who is devoted to looking after me until I die. My memory will stay with her as long as she lives. I certainly have not ploughed all my money into the relationship, 70% of my assets are back in Australia, where they will pass to my son. Is it worthwhile to live and die alone, uncared for, and in the hands of strangers, for the sake of money? Sorry, that's as shallow as a mud puddle.

All it takes is political will to re-establish supply chains internally. For example, China produces 60% of the world's rare earths. It was more than 90% several years ago. Australia has extensive rare earth deposits that are higher in grade than what the Chinese dig up by a factor of 20 to 1. The Pentagon has already moved to lock in supply from several Australian miners, as has Germany. I can't think of anything the Chinese produce that cannot be replicated elsewhere, except giant pandas. Apologies, we are getting off topic.

Quite correct, I was talking about the armaments Russia was hoping to sell to China in the future, after the pact Putin and Xi made a few months ago. Which is reminiscent of the Molotov - Ribbentrop pact, because China has always had its eyes on the riches of Siberia.

Thailand

I was having a discussion with my Thai GF a couple of hours ago. She is going to the temple tomorrow to pray to Buddha for her father, who died a month ago, age 88. I asked her whether she would do the same for me after I died. She said of course. Family. So yes, I know how the OP feels.

I do consider myself fortunate, although I would not say I am wealthy. Compared to a rural Thai, maybe, but I'd be living in a tent in Australia. If you are trying to send me on a guilt trip, I got off a few bus stops ago.

I've never had an STD in Thailand, basically because I always used condoms. There are only two women I have had unprotected sex with here, and that was after getting to know them very well in protected mode. IIRC, a couple of your mates have died from HIV. Your choice if you want to dice with death.

The Chinese are patient, I doubt that can be said of Putin. IMO they are taking very careful note of what has happened with Ukraine, not just from the viewpoint of what sanctions are doing to the Russian economy, but also how advanced Western weaponry is humiliating an army that was thought to be all-powerful. It may deter the CCP from launching a similar invasion of Taiwan. I'd say prospective Russian sales of military equipment to China are dead in the water. Who would want to buy tanks or helicopters that can be destroyed by a foot soldier? China is actually a winner, they can buy Russian oil and gas at a discount to the world price.

Putin is a murderer, thief and poisoner and the best you can do is say he is not a nice man? How do you know how many people he has had killed as a KGB officer, or since he took power in 1999? I suppose Idi Amin is not a nice man either, he killed less than a million people so that's OK.

the Russian know exactly what the purpose of missiles and bombs on civilian targets is - to create terror. I suppose that is the next step, designating Russia as a terrorist organization.