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I don't understand, what does that mean?

Mother of all jokers...

... and in this subject area the Phils. is 200 years behind the times. And still has very overcrowded children's prisons.

Reality...

How does health cover in Japan fit into this story?

Maybe, wouldn't be the first time trump has been involved in conspiracy or lies.

There's certainly a different attitudes to noise / loud noise in the LOS. Here's one example: I was asked to present an all day additional lecture, on competitive advantage at a good university in Hat Yai. The uni put the accommodation and local transport details in he hands of a local agent. I mentioned in the early planning that: - I had been to Hat Yai before and I didn't need / want a tour of the city. - I wanted a room with no outside sound / loud music. - I wanted a basic room with bath, nothing more. I arrived at the airport, agent meets me, she's got 3 staff with her to carry my small suitcase and computer bag. With no discussion we go to a coffee shop in the airport which turns into a nightmare of wrong orders (I asked clearly for hot latte but a luke warm cappuccino arrives. I politely mention that I asked for hoy latte, one minion responds 'but all Americans love cappuccino!' Then a Tuna sandwich arrives (not ordered by me) then a ham and cheese sandwich arrives with som tum on the side. Then a beer arrived, not requested by me. All this has consumed over 1 hr of time and I want to get to the hotel and sleep. Then agent asks if I would like to see / hear a local band. I said 'not tonight thanks'. Response from a minion 'but you're here for only one night so the music / band must be tonight'. We arrive at the hotel at 10:50 pm, the hotel billed as 5 star and I discover contrary to my request the agent has been me into a hotel penthouse suite on the top floor and the land next door is an outdoor bar with very loud live music and in fact there's three live bands all close together. The loud music floating up to my suite is very / extremely loud. I tell the agent that I requested a quiet room. She's in panic 'but it's too late to change your room. 5 minutes go down to the lobby, say nothing except ask for a room on a mid level floor on the opposite side of the hotel to the music / bar area. All done, can hear some music but I get some sleep. Morning; I go downstairs for breakfast but fist do check out and pay for the second room. Agent arrives. I mention strongly 'we need to leave now to get to the Hat Yai uni because I have to set up a presentation'. I pick up my suitcase and compute bag and head towards the van ignoring the agent. I open the van door, minion inside has the van system play rock music full blast. I insisted it be turned off.

Photo added to original post, from Yahoo news.

Photo from Yahoo news.

Seems a new portrait of trump 'raising his right fist, with blood splattered across his face' has been installed in the White House Foyer. I've never before seen 'with blood splattered across his face'. I have seen text indicating that the damage was very superficial. Was it that serious? Or is it trump's lack of honesty?

Seems a new portrait of trump 'raising his right fist, with blood splattered across his face' has been installed in the White House Foyer. I've never before seen 'with blood splattered across his face'. I have seen text indicating that the damage was very superficial. Was it that serious? Or is it trump's lack of honesty?

Yes but Thais including government agencies (and including many farang) are very poor at communicating anything and that includes changes / updates to regulations etc. My Thai daughter in law's mother had a serious heart condition, the local upcountry hospital was very small, head dr, and 1 more doctor. Stubborn head dr. refused to sign and documents for the old lady to be moved to a much bigger much better hospital 100 km away which had a lot of modern equipment and well capable of the heart surgery the old lady needed. Head dr. insisted this was not allowed by the 30Baht regulations. The old lady died. A family member (senior in another ministry) conduced some research and discovered a notice which cancelled the rule the stubborn dr. was quoting several years previously. More investigation and the notice was found buried in one of the big piles of old correspondence on the stubborn dr's desk. Stubborn dr. was reminded that all staff should have been advised about the change of policy. Stubborn old dr. insisted 'they don't need to know'. A team was formed in each majn province tasked to go to every hospital, give briefings and a pack of all notices for the preceding 10 years to all staff. Attendance compulsory. Stubborn old dr. was quickly given early retirement. The lack of communications / not keeping people informed is par for the course for my own Thai family. extended

Good idea. questions welcome (by PM) if more workable.

If you're looking for gay titillation, there's several gay only restaurants in China, been to one in Beijing and one in Shanghai. One senior Chinese staff member in my office in Shanghai has taken me to these restaurants for birthday celebrations for himself and his 2 vey close very very wealthy young fiends who always paid the very big bills. Had to have prior bookings, all guests had a private dining room with locked door. Similar 'activities' at both restaurants Beijing and Shanghai. Walk in, invited to sit in a semi circle then quickly a team of 5 or 6 very good looking, very hot body waiters in tiny G string tight bikinis appeared and stood very close. Captain then invited the invited the quests to fondle the bulge of each waiter then select a waiter to personally serve their first course. Selected waiters then went to the dinner guest who had selected them with a menu and dinner guest asked to tick their soup selection. Ten minutes later all waiters come back in full see through tight g string bikinis. Same process all over again for the second course... select a waiter (2 new boys joined the waiters team). This time when food delivered waiter rubbed his bulge all over the face of the dinner guest. Next course full nude... next course waiter delivers the food then stands right in front off the dinner guest and makes himself hard then puts his erection in the mouth of the dinner guest and <deleted> the mouth of the dinner guest. When all courses served and dishes cleared 2 new nude erect waiters appeared, climbed on the dinner able and did a full gay flip/flop penetration show. The bill came, over US$4,000-, all paid by one of the very young very wealthy Chinese boys. American consultants have told me about similar clubs in the US and even more raunchy clubs in Colombia with very good looking full nude Latino boys with very good very smooth bodies. It happens.

Massage therapists is listed. Many years back I taught several courses at a Thai university. Then in my main job I was asked to form a team of management consultants to conduct an organizational project for one of the major casinos. On day 2 or 3 of being there I ran into one of my old Thai uni students, who could speak good English. We chatted and eventually he asked 'why do you think I am here?' He then revealed he worked in a private club at the casino which had a go go boy show with full nude dancing and full gay sex acts. and they paid very big salaries plus patrons who took the go go boys to their rooms were told they the very high minimum tip. (And also a similar pvt club featuring girls.) My old student asked me 'when I was in your class at uni in Bkk did you suspect I was gay? My response: No. He continued that he had been working at the pvt casino club for several months and had made very big money., often had same casino customers take him to their rooms continuous nights and afternoons. And he planned to stay there another one year and would then have funds to pay cash for a condo in Bkk, and a new car. He invited me to come to the Casino pvt boys club. that evening. I was working with a consulting buddy (actually my boss) from SIngapore who was very macho and gay. Twice before he had asked me to join him to go to gay clubs in China. There was no show and no pressure whatever. At dinner (the evening of the day I had bumped into my old student from Bkk) my S'pore colleague said 'after dinner I'm going to one of the private clubs here in the casino, please join me and we can continue to discuss work progress'. We went to the Casino boys club The go go boys in small bikinis show had started, about 20 boys, 99% Thai or Cambodian. Then followed by full nude parades then asking patrons to select 1 boy to parade for 5 minutes very close to the patron with erection or select 2 boys to do a close up full gay sex show. About 100 customers present.

You mentioned health insurance. This point might be interesting / valuable for other members, can you please share further information. Thanks.

Should be both: - taken into a room at a jail where no beds and not enough floor space for everybody to lie down. And no bathing privacy. - look at 10 dead bodies, each one for 5 minutes, all killed in traffic accident and perhaps 6 or 7 marked to indicate killed by a drunk driver now in jail for 10 years.

But there's ongoing discussion whether gov't based pensions from abroad are 'income'.

From just above "...Thai has the worst business..." Example: Evening flight business class from Bkk to Jakarta, after dinner all finished my 18 yr old Thai son (flying on a fully paid most expensive category of ticket) politely asked the flying waitress for a glass of Coca Cola. Her response without stopping to take his request, she just kept walking "Go and ask in Economy." I and my son had flown several times before in business class on TG and SG and Lufthansa, I can't imagine such a comment from an SG hostess or from any other airline.

I don't disagree.

Agree with that, as always SG shines.

And keep the realities of life of older folks in perspective. Some folks are lucky enough to have a much bigger income at 70 / 80 years old, and some not. Many survive nicely on 40,000Baht every 4 weeks because they plan and don't spend beyond their means - that's the realities of life.

Thanks, I'm well aware of that, but I didn't want to go into all that details Ultimately, in most of these countries the charges paid by the citizen are very small.

Many such instances have been detailed in the media over many years.

Healthcare policies / subsidy levels / quality is country by country, EU is not a country. However it is true that many / most EU countries and GB have national healthcare systems which provide quality comprehensive health care at no charge / close to no charge. Same in China, Taiwan, Singapore, *Australia and New Zealand. (*the Australian National Health care system is 5 star)