Lacessit

When did paying more if one used cash happen? IME, laying down cash 5-10% less than the price asked on the table was quite a successful strategy when buying something.

If push came to shove, I would prefer a card over a smartphone. Mainly because, provided one uses a Faraday cage, it's hard to skim a card. IMO anything goes with a phone, can you imagine how many hackers are out there trying to break in? Cash will always be king for me, out of the reach of nosy governments. One can only lose as much cash as they are carrying.

MB has a long record of throwing its customers under a bus, just another example of the bean counters ruling the roost. BMW has a much better reputation in the German makes. The only reason people buy these brands is for the cachet of ownership, the Japanese and Koreans can make autos just as good.

Cheerful chap, aren't you? First it was the AUD crashing, now a change in the 800K. Excuse me if I take your predictions with a pinch of salt. https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=AUD&To=THB

I get rather fed up waiting at checkouts while people faff about on their smart?phones, when I get change in about 30 seconds flat for my cash. The Romans said it first. "Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" Who shall guard the guardians? IMO anyone who trusts any government not to use the data of a cashless society, in ways never anticipated by a participant, is a complete moron.

Par for the course.

Islam was one of the drivers in my rejection of Indonesia and Malaysia as retirement destinations. Too many nutters.

It's easy to keep a straight face when one is paid handsomely to fudge, they just laugh all the way to the bank instead.

Perhaps your software does not enable an ability to cancel the pop-up, mine does. Summary for you: Change of Immigration law there means if a retiree does not cough up USD 200,000 on deposit in an Indonesian bank, they are required to leave after 180 days. I quote: "The real catch causing uproar among existing and prospective expat retirees is that the new visa is supposed to replace the current retirement visa – the KITAS (KITAP for longer term). The retirement visas have been in place for years, allowing people over 55 to use their home nation’s pension or savings to settle in Bali, get a long-term home lease and hire staff to service it. The only caveat is that you have to show proof of having the money to sustain yourself, have health insurance and a guarantor, usually organised by a local visa agent. KITAS/KITAP holders also cannot work or earn income in Indonesia. Although it allows holders to work, the new Second Home Visa has other restrictions. To qualify, a deposit of approx. $200,000 is required to be made into an Indonesian bank, and to remain there for the duration of the visa (five or ten years). Alternatively, a “luxury home” may replace the bank deposit as surety. The definition of “luxury home” is unclear, and it only applies to certain types of leases. There are also many restrictions on foreigners owning property in Indonesia."

The Russians are good at war when defending Mother Russia. They are also good at sacrificing their troops in the pursuit of overwhelming by numbers. Immediately the current war started, Ukraine mobilized everyone. Men of military age were forbidden to leave the country. Since the Crimea annexation, Ukraine has been equipping and training their military for the next conflict. The results are there for the world to see. Russians don't really know what they are fighting for, Ukrainians do. Russian morale is at rock bottom, the partial mobilization resulted in hundreds of thousands of Russians leaving to avoid conscription. The Ukrainians have exposed how weak Russia really is. Equipment that gets blown up or left behind on the battlefield. Is there any country that would buy a Russian tank or helicopter now? The Ukrainians disrupted logistics wholesale, leaving Russian tanks without fuel, and soldiers without food. They have fought far more cleverly than the Russians, whose only remaining strategy is to target energy infrastructure and civilians. They used to say General Winter was Russia's best general. Ukrainians are just as used to winter as the Russians. Your post is disconnected from reality.

I don't pay anything. The website solicits donations. Why? I would have thought a sweeping change in immigration law in one of the ASEAN members, seriously affecting thousands of retirees of limited means, would be of interest to most on this social media site.

I put money into Peer-to-Peer platforms in Australia. No guarantee; however, the track record of the three I am in has been solid for about ten years. If they were dodgy, IMO the bubble would have burst by now. As with everything else, the higher the return, the higher the risk. I lean towards conservative returns.

I support activists who are campaigning on the basis of facts and sound science. I don't support activists who are vocal with a belief.

You are a guy in the know? Think you'll have to produce some facts first. Triggered left is a new one on me. Please supply a definition. If Trump's records reveal only prudent tax management, why has he fought so long and hard to prevent scrutiny?

Testing Trump's moral character would be like using a Rockwell hardness meter to measure Jello.

Let us all hope Thailand does not copy this brain fart by the Indonesians. https://michaelwest.com.au/digital-nomads-preferred-australian-retirees-in-bali-being-told-to-pay-up-or-move-out/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2022-11-23&utm_campaign=Michael+West+Media+Weekly+Update

I am not sure what medications are available in Thailand for palliative care, perhaps you could PM Sheryl to ask. There is a network of retired nurses in Thailand who are happy to earn 10K - 15K baht/month for full-time care. Assisted dying is available in more enlightened countries.

The term "organic" always amuses me. Fruit and veg that has been doused in pesticides is just as organic as the food which has not. AFAIK the only fruit and veg here that is specifically labelled organic/pesticide free is at Rimping supermarket in Chiang MAI. Rather a long haul for fresh produce. Personally, I don't worry about it. I just boil vegetables with plenty of water, and peel or wash fruit. At a guess, that gets rid of 90% of any pesticides present.

Obviously. But how many people can identify a foreign language as Russian when they hear it spoken? Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Czech, Yugoslav would all sound similar.

Have you asked them to send you a copy of the contract BEFORE you go to Bangkok?

I don't think I would want to get close enough to complete strangers with my phone, to hear and translate what they are saying.

While I agree there are many Russians who don't want to become poorly trained cannon fodder, I am interested in how you know these young males are Russian.

I only considered the places I had worked in when I decided to retire to Asia. Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. I researched them all for 6 months before making a decision. I have since traveled to Myanmar, Hong Kong, Laos and Vietnam. I chose Thailand, and have no regrets about my choice. It still ticks more boxes than any of the other places I have been.

Conditioning for obesity and Types 1 and 2 diabetes, wonderful advice.

Pre- COVID, I flew VietJet from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, also domestically to Hanoi and Dalat. Can't recall any problems. OTOH, I have had a couple of poor experiences with Air Asia, consequently I am never flying with them again.