Lacessit

I think you'll find there are many Western men who appreciate Thai law is a lot fairer than legal systems that extract their wallets via their genitals, irrespective of how much they supported their female partner, or how long the relationship lasted.

A shame I don't like durian. The short Thai in the third picture does not need a ladder. He looks very happy where he is, getting a good eyeful.

Point taken re an expanding population/electric cars. Better burners and scrubbers remove fly ash and sulphur. They do nothing to remove CO2. Natural gas producers strip CO2 out of extracted gas by scrubbing with towers of diethanolamine. They then have to put the stripped CO2 somewhere. It's a process which is impractical for electricity generators. The Second Law of Thermodynamics. In terms of CO2 emissions in comparison to kW generated, lignite sits at the bottom of the totem pole w.r.to efficiency.

Mae Moh power station near Lampang in north-west Thailand is arguably the dirtiest electricity generator on the planet. It is fuelled by a lignite mine nearby which has proven reserves for the next 70 years, on current consumption. If Thailand is shifting to renewables, perhaps some kind soul in public relations can explain why Mae Moh is upgrading and expanding its electricity generating capacity. I need a large shaker of salt to take with this news.

How many offices do you want listed before you accept it's a potential problem? IIRC, IO's have absolute discretion over the granting of extensions. Citing the law to an IO regarding 90 day bank book requirements is poking the bear. Bad advice.

There are posts on other threads, which state IO's in some offices are demanding to see bank books on the first 90 day report after an extension. I haven't had that experience in Chiang Rai. You might think a 90 day report is not connected, apparently some IO's do.

The friend may have become confused. If the 800K is drawn down to less in the 2 months/3 months period, depending on the office, it is picked up by an IO either at the next 90 day report, or the next yearly extension. Then he would be denied the extension. Maybe it was just a friendly warning from an IO or bank officer.

IMO you are starting to splutter, I think you meant to say "I want you to tell me". So how would the Chinese retaliate? Possibly by mining San Francisco and Los Angeles ports, that's only half American ports. It has an eastern seaboard, China has no western ports. I haven't seen any reports of Chinese submarines lurking off SF or LA. As I said before, the US has the numbers in quantity and quality. You still fail to understand the concept of sea power and its projection, or perhaps you just don't want to because it interferes with your argument. The Chinese could retaliate with nukes, we all know how that ends.

You are expecting the Russian army as guests? The GH I had built is 36 sqm, ample room for a Western couple or Thai family. I suggest you check the orientation of the beds, power points and other fixtures carefully at your local temple, as the monks may decline to bless it if it is out of kilter with their requirements. It won't upset you; however, if your wife is Thai.................

You are obviously not a student of history, and the US did not have stealth aircraft then. https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/no-free-navigation-why-the-u-s-navy-dropped-11-000-mines-across-north-vietnamese-ports-50-years-ago

Interesting to know, thanks. On that basis, I am wondering if another poster is a Centrelink shill.

Professional businesses offer callers the option of being called back if the operators are busy, and also tell the caller their positioning in the call queue. I have not heard the first option on the 132300 number. As a test of the system while posting this, I called 132300 and was told the estimated wait time was more than 40 minutes. Your experiences differ from others. I understand the callback option is offered on the Jobseeker and Youth Allowance numbers, the only problem with that being Centrelink does not call back. Meantime, all Centrelink clients in those categories are expected to chew up their phone credit waiting for an operator to answer. This really matters when someone is attempting to live on $50 a day. Our Treasurer admits he couldn't do it. I have found the Financial Services Officers of Centrelink to be professional and unbiased, front line desk staff less so. Several were as dumb as a can of soup.

Why are you so confident the Labor government will? There's a political process called flying kites. Either by leaks or direct contact with affected parties, politicians put policy ideas out to gauge public reaction. Depending on the response in terms of potential votes, the idea either gets implemented, or quietly shelved.

So you are saying you resolve your issue through that line, how do you negotiate the transition from a complaint about wait times to the real purpose of your call? I would suggest not doing it too often, otherwise you could be blacklisted.

I've given you the numbers. If you don't like them, too bad. I never said the South China Sea could be mined, I said Chinese ports could be mined. A deflection of yours. You don't seem to understand China is far more dependent on America to keep its economy going, than vice versa.

You have a link to prove that ridiculous statement?

Perhaps you have been asleep while the Koreans have been taking over the mass market from the Japanese. The figures say brands such as Honda, Nissan and Subaru are being supplanted by Hyundai and Kia. Aston Martin is very much a niche luxury brand.

He can expect a wait time of 1-2 hours in Australia on the phone, maybe it is different for an international call.

In terms of the AUD, gold was 500/ounce in 1999. It's now 3000/ounce, a better capital growth than most stock markets. Gold is not an investment, which earn income. It's a currency hedge. As far as I am concerned, it is always a good time to buy precious metals. I have lost money in the sharemarket, never on gold, silver or platinum.

I'm Australian, I avoid drunk Brits and Australians. Too many thugs in the bars nowadays, I can't be bothered going there.

Centrelink requires anyone receiving the OAP to notify them when going overseas. It's another example of bureaucratic dumbf##kery, as Border Force informs them anyway. In his case, it is a grey area, because his pension is not approved yet. Ask them.

Interdicting maritime trade routes calls for the projection of sea power. While China has the largest navy, it's far from the right mix. The USA has 64 nuclear submarines, China has 6. America has 11 aircraft carriers, China has 3. The Comte de Bussy-Rabutin said God is on the side of the big battalions. Voltaire said God is on the side of the best shots. I suspect the US meets both criteria. India's advantage consists of proximity.

If a seminal thought ever appeared in your posts, it would be a clear case of promiscuity.

Wrong again. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-02/philip-lowe-rba-board-dinner-interest-rates/102294090

The probability of that is extremely low. Look at a map, it is a simple matter for either the US or India to entirely choke off trade and the flow of goods in the Malacca Strait. Or mine China's ports. It would destroy the Chinese economy, the Chinese know it. They are ten years away from getting a supply chain via Russia. Sure, there will be some sabre rattling. That's all it will amount to.