fredwiggy

Everything, in one way or another, from education, food, imports and exports, roads, laws, immigration, schooling, taxes,and much more you don't think of...............https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-amgovernment/chapter/what-is-government/

Everything the government has done all through the years affects everyone.

US politics affects the world, so they are all part of it.

They don't move here to discuss politics but some miss home and are still US citizens, voters and have a say, and would like to see America improve, although it still might not for awhile.

The more you do for a decent, giving, thoughtful woman, the more you'll get in return. But it may not be what you expect because everyone has their own values and ways to say thank you. Some of the best thank you's can be wordless.

That's true in a way but living at poverty level, as millions do, and having a good man that's home everyday, helps around the house, and puts you first, is still a lot better than living with a man that cheats on you that has a lot more money., spends most of his time drinking and watching sports, looking at his wife as a slave or housemaid, or stays away from home the majority of the time and does nothing to help. Many women think more money has them living a better life, and try and find a farang because he's a better catch than locals who do almost nothing but want sex, clean his clothes and house, and pad krapow every day. Many find it doesn't turn out much better, so money isn't the reason you look for a better partner but character. Of course a man should have the ability to take care of his family, and that leaves out the non working population. An educated, wealthy woman might have more things, but still can't find a suitable partner because money doesn't make a man. Yes, they don't want a bum, but a man who's working or retired with enough to get by, and older is still a better find than a younger man with money who will get bored with what he has and look outside, There are plenty of Thai older women that were never bar girls that an older man can find as a suitable partner that would appreciate a decent man. And there are millions of younger, independent women who end up with men who are boys that never grew up so it's always a crap shoot.

US schools still teach the same curriculum as always, with new sciences and new history added. You have to live there or have family or friends there to know what's taught. Here are a few recent scientific inventions.............https://theweek.com/health-and-science/1019386/recent-scientific-breakthroughs...................and others, as humans will never be obsolete...........https://www.cas.org/resources/cas-insights/scientific-breakthroughs-2025-emerging-trends-watch.

When have I claimed to have an invisible friend? I make decisions based on personal experience and doing what I feel is in the best interest of those I take care of, along with my own life. Yes, if it's God you're referring to as my "invisible" friend, I try and do what he wants us to do, although as a human, I make mistakes. It's okay though, when you meet him, you can find out he really was invisible for a reason.He's not a friend but our leader.

I would think living in a much bigger city, away from the main prostitution areas, would give a single expat a much better chance to find a regular woman, with a better job, and have a better assortment of good food and things to do, still being close to the beach areas.

The women I've been with have, besides the wife here, who didn't work while were were together, and only looks at men as givers of cash, before and after me. When married before, all the money we made went towards bills and whatever was needed.

If you look around, most marriages fail, and many more are still together out of fear from something. I don't pay for relationships besides losing some because of bad choices of partners with children involved, but have gotten them because I treat women well. Most relationships end because of different future plans, and aren't anyone's fault, so I see you haven't much life experience besides thinking you deserve gifts from people, although they obviously didn't mean much to you, and they were wrong about their feelings for you. By the way, I'm not 78, and not stuck in Thailand but waiting to re establish back home, which takes time. Might try thinking why you never opened up those gifts. And it wasn't advice but pointing out the obvious.

Again, don't rock the boat. Your first sentences show what's going on, and being content, comfortable, is the most important part of a relationship, even if some believe otherwise, at least for awhile. You be you, she'll be her. If a person doesn't appreciate what they're given, they won't keep it out in the open.

A possibility as one does not usually go running from a resort room at 3 AM. The CCTV might show any followers, and also if she was struck right outside the resort area.

It took me some searching to find a store with more than a couple of cards, and I give them to my girlfriend, and did to my ex wife on special occasions or just for the heck of it. I felt they never received them before, along with the flowers they received from me. My ex said she never got any as did my girlfriend. Someone who really appreciates you , especially if she never saw this before, will think they owe you and can't pay you back, so you have to let them know giving isn't an expect of a return but just because.

I'm sorry but that attitude shows a blatant disregard for the feelings of the gift giver. Maybe in the long run you didn't deserve many if not most of them?

All in the way they grew up. My ex said thank you once, and after knowing her for awhile, I knew it was hard for her as her family are a huge combination of one mental illness or another, greed and back talking, arguments and blame being commonplace. My girlfriend now thanks me for much of what I give her, as I see actual appreciation in her, even if she was also raised in a turbulent environment to this day. I rarely see locals saying thank you to other locals, though some do to foreigners. I'll still take the show of appreciation over words any day though.

Gotta deal with any living parents as long as they live close. Accepting them goes a long way, no matter how they feel about you, you treat them well and they have no ammunition to use against you. Exploding will only bring "I told you he was no good". If something isn't broken you don't fix it. Advice taken from some who aren't happy in their lives and who think dominating over a woman is a man's way, are wrong. A man treats his partner as an equal. A boy treats them as an object. The best way to get anything from a woman you want is being able to listen to her when she needs something from you.

Some people are givers and some aren't, yet give in other ways besides gifts and money. Some find it hard to accept gifts because they were never treated well before and saw little in the way of affection. I've been in relationships where the woman never or rarely saw any good treatment, or were downright abused, and for them to accept different takes a long, long time, especially if they were mistreated by their own fathers. People can get used to anything eventually, living in their own prisons with no thoughts of how to escape. If she treats you well, that's your gift from her. You might like giving small gifts, and her keeping them , especially in the open, shows they means something to her. Everyone is different on how they relate to others, and it all starts watching their parents as children.

Edited

You can post all the opinions you want but reality is the the body needs roughage, fiber, to have the GI system work properly. I didn't start reading up on, and to this day, nutrition, in the 50's. I started in the mid 70's, reading everything I could on the subject of a healthy diet and exercise with weights. To this day, it still rings true. Humans are omnivores, and need a variety of foods to work properly, and again, facts overrule opinions, seeing the longest living humans are from the blue zone areas, who eat carbs daily. Not a good idea to promote something which is only meant, healthily, as a short term diet to lose weight, which it does. Eventually you will be deficient in something. Vitamins C and E, along with some minerals, aren't found in meat. If you incorporate carbs daily, with some form of Vitamin C, you'll have little trouble, but taking away fiber will lead to problems eventually. Following other's opinions because something works temporarily is never a good idea................https://www.health.com/weight-loss/keto-long-term................https://www.bluezones.com/2020/07/blue-zones-diet-food-secrets-of-the-worlds-longest-lived-people/

A passport is in actuality the only thing a minor needs to travel, as it's a signed permission to travel by both parents, but some agents don't see it that way. I've heard of many who just went and showed the passport and were allowed but when I went, I made sure my ex signed a letter, with her phone number, that "allowed" our daughter to travel to the US with me. The lady at Suvarnibhumi asked for one, and after I showed her, asked to call my ex, which she did and it was okay. This shouldn't happen as noted before but with humans you'll get all kinds of different ideas on what's legal or not. Best to just get a signed, and maybe notarized letter from your wife. Those remarks at the bottom seem to be when applying for a passport, where both parents need to be there, as I and my ex, along with my daughter, are going to the US embassy soon to renew our daughter's passport, and if one parent can't attend, has to get a notarized statement allowing permission to grant the passport.

In fact I just came back from Vietnam, and I saw a fruit just like this, and the Pomelo, growing in a few places and temples, and I asked my girlfriend what it was. She named it, and said it was sour and not usually eaten, so this might be what it was. I'll have to ask her when I talk to her later. That Ponderosa Lemon description sounds right. A Pomelo and Citron cross. Edited, yes its a Ponderosa lemon and this is the Thai wording...."เลม่อนพอนเดอโรซา"lemon ponderosa .or....เลม่อนลูกผสม......mixed lemon.

As no one sees but a tiny fraction of what goes on daily anywhere, and only in the tiny fraction of the area in which they live ,the only way to know what truly happens is data, which is easily researched. A lot more goes on here than most realize, as the only way we know of current violence is TV news reports, word of mouth and data which is recorded.............https://ocindex.net/country/thailand

I don't have opinions on real life. I lived in the streets most of my life, in and near New York, San Antonio, Houston, Austin, Dallas and many others. A street fight between two people are anything goes, but 5 to 10 against one isn't a street fight but a bunch of cowards ganging up on the one because they're too afraid to tackle it individually. People use their feet to kick because they don't want to get their hands broken, or don't know how to hit with a hand, period. People who actually know how to use their feet, like I do, use them if needed in a one on one fight where both people are standing facing one another. Quite different than kicking someone when they're on the ground. Thinking all Asians know how to fight using their feet and hands, Muay Thai, Karate, Tae Kwando or any other style is ridiculous. This kind of news only comes out because as foreigners we are the very small minority. 99% of violence here is locals against locals, and the same style, many against 1.

How many acts of violence did you actually see? One, two or many? Exaggerations don't count. I lived near NYC for 30 years, and worked there, visited monthly, and spent a lot of time walking around, and never saw any violence happening. Of course it does, daily, but very few actually see violence a lot unless they live in war zones.