Lacessit

Can't eat cheese due to bile duct sludge. Thai wine is undrinkable, they need to import some cellarmasters to teach them about enzymes and stuck ferments. Wouldn't get work permits, though. Not to mention face.

I stick to Scotch and local beer, relatively cheap.

2 minutes ago, Chazar said:

Isn't the point to  help others  feel better though not ones self?

Yes it is. I'm saying feeling good about oneself through the act of giving is a positive side-effect. The Buddhist tenet of "making merit" is in a similar vein.

It really doesn't matter if the kid in question is genuinely mutilated, or is part of a begging ring or scam. The act of giving, of trying to help someone, makes all of us feel good about ourselves. Just focus on the positive, and don't try to over-analyse what you did.

9 hours ago, sfokevin said:

The mall in Lamphun has a Dukes!!!...

Be still my fluttering heart. American cuisine has arrived. Apologies for the oxymoron.

Some posters seem to be making the assumption an 18 yo Thai is as mature as a Western 18 yo, and therefore they should be able to drink alcohol legally. Given the road toll in Thailand ( 80% on two wheels ) that is a perilous assumption.

The best method by far, to save money anywhere, is celibacy.

On 9/2/2019 at 1:16 AM, NCC1701A said:

and stay off of there, the owner of that forum is trying to give Pattaya a bad name. It is a world class international family tourist destination and some photos of all my girlfriends is not going to change that.  

You publish a photo of a freaking beehive, but no photos of the GF's? We need some titillation.

I am impressed by the powers of divination by various posters on this thread with respect to the amount of damage, based on a single photo. Many seem to be landlords.

There is such a thing as fair wear and tear. I'd suggest waxing or varnishing, if that doesn't work the OP will just have to suck it up.

13 hours ago, legend49 said:

Why you live here then? South Thailand has a high percentage of Muslims!

Yes, they slip over the border every weekend for the drinking and screwing they can't get in Malaysia.

The few times I've been in a Muslim country, it's (a) boring (b) annoying to be woken up at 4 am by the loudspeakers of the local mosque.

6 hours ago, Swiss1960 said:

Declare it anyway!

Better a 10 min delay at customs and being told declaration was not necessary than being caught with undeclared drugs which might be illegal to take into the US and therefore being treated as a drug smuggler...

Good advice. The authorities cannot prosecute for  declared controlled substances, only confiscate them.

Newstart is fence-ringed with a number of obligations, such as applying for jobs and doing a lot of BS paperwork. You are correct in assuming gaining employment as a 55 yo is difficult.

Given the cost of living in Australia is 2-3 times that of Thailand, perhaps you would be better off staying here and budgeting carefully. The only real benefit to you in Australia is the Medicare system. The benefit to your son is better education.

Be aware you have to be in Australia when you become eligible for the Age Pension, otherwise it is two years staying there to qualify.

Good luck with your choice, it's not an easy one.

Apparently it is a fairly common practice to understate the price of a condo, in order to reduce the taxes on the transaction at the Land Office.

Permit me to doubt the Land Office will buy the developer's contention the price cannot be changed.

However, tread carefully - the developer may have nasty friends.

Try bahtsold or TV classifieds.

Pushbike or motor scooter? There's a big secondhand scooter market just past the MacDonalds at Meechok Plaza.

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

If by 'soon' you mean ten years, I'd agree with you.

Many of us came here with thirty plus years of desperation & frustration to overcome.

I don't know whether to use the "like" or "sad" icon, so I'll refrain. A lot of truth in the second sentence.

Inequality in Thailand? Really? Guess I'll add that to my bleeding obvious cupboard.

Perhaps they are running out of warehouses to store the TM30 forms.

I can understand having a record of the main place of residence of a foreigner. I can't understand the purpose of resubmitting that record if I leave said main place for more than 24 hours, if I am still in Thailand.

There is no hard evidence excess alcohol consumption causes rhinophyma or rosacea, although it can exacerbate the condition. Treatment includes dermabrasion, freezing or laser.

58 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Seen quite a few "lardarses over here lately. What's the problem? Built for comfort not speed.

True. However, on percentage a lot lower. No problem, my preference is a cute butt, not one that overflows.

Solutions:

Mandate plastic bags must be biodegradable.

Charge 10 baht to every customer that wants a plastic bag for their shopping.

There are always options and opportunities in problems.

20 hours ago, Ron jeremy said:

Other than financial security, there is no attraction for 20 year old gals to old men. Just like a 20 year old guy being attracted to an old lady. Never seen a young man walking around with a 70 year old Thai woman.  It's ok to enjoy the moment, but dont be dillusional thinking your gal is there for any other reason.

ok, I'm getting my popcorn, this should start a <deleted>storm.

my gals different hahaha.

This week's award for a statement of the bleeding obvious goes to......

On 8/17/2019 at 10:55 AM, thasoss said:

returning to one's homeland after a decade or more away can be difficult not least cos you find the society you originally left has changed as have the people and of course so have you.

 

I returned to australia and felt like a fish out of water.Found the place riddled with drug addicts,selfish people especially baby boomers with a sense of entitlement from the welfare state.Hated the place...nice country if it was devoid of human habitation.

Get 200 km inland from the coastline, and you'll find there aren't too many people to vex you If you stay away from river systems.

6 minutes ago, patongphil said:

They want to save the Ashes

Too late

2 hours ago, rtco said:

I wasn't broke when I moved here. I had a good pension that a so called reputable Financial Adviser suggested I invest in a secure Australian Fund which, after 2-years, went bust and was found to be a Ponzi Scheme + the Financial Adviser was found to be operating illegally here. Still fighting for some kind of recompense after 6-years. So not "utter madness" as you call it but a victim of circumstance. We all have different stories so don't generalise.

I can sympathize with that, lost about quarter of a million (AUD ) to unlisted property trusts during the GFC.

My biggest beef is with ASIC, useless bastards. They continue to be ineffectual regulators, while contributing $800 million in compliance fees to Federal Government coffers.