JensenZ

They claim the current population of Thailand is only 66 million, whereas recent estimates are as follows: The current population of Thailand is 71,845,250 as of Sunday, January 7, 2024, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data. The population was 66 million in about 2005, 18 years ago. Can they not do even the most basic research? A surprising statistic was the median age of the population, which was only 20 in 1985, and just over 40 now in 2024.

It's a hard pill to swallow for a lot of expats, but a majority of Filipino women prefer love from Filipino men while foreigners are sponsoring them. They are very good at disguising their inner desires. I've made a lot of mistakes myself in good old PI. A young friend of mine married a Filipino, set her up in Missouri, and after she had permanent residence she got pregnant to a Filipino living in the US. That was a bit sad as he did love her.

Good luck in the Philippines. They are much better at the long con as they are more skilled at pretending to be in love with you. You're better off in Thailand. You're also much better off staying single.

I suggest you study the numbers. The biggest gains were 2020 to 2021, and 2022 to 2023 - gains obviously for life getting back to normal after Covid. The huge jump from 2020 to 2021 is 100% covid related. The 2nd biggest jump was 2023, as tourism was getting back to normal.

I too frequent Starbucks for the coffee and the relaxing atmosphere. I've never considered it to be a place to be "scene" and often it's quite empty in the late evenings when I tend to go. There's an extreme level of shaming going on in this thread, suggesting we need to apologize for going there. We're called muppets by some, dishwater drinkers by others, and straight-out idiots by more direct shamers as if spending an extra 50 - 100 baht is a matter of great concern compared to coffee procured at the local food court or 7Eleven. I wish I could tell you those members exactly where they can go. I will educate these people about one of the major reasons many prefer Starbucks over many of the other coffee shops. It's the self-help ordering system. You can grab a coffee and hog a table for hours without being disturbed. No one is going to ask you to order again. This is great for my wife as she doesn't always order coffee, but can still sit without a drink without any pressure to buy.

These profit jumps are likely due to people getting out again after extended lockdowns and fear of contracting Covid in public places. It would be more interesting to see the yearly profit increases in the pre-covid years.

After all this chatter about Starbucks, I felt the need for one this evening. I made an error in pricing in an earlier post. A 20 oz (600ml) cappuccino is 145 baht now, not 135 as I had previously stated. I think that is about a 15-baht increase over 10 years. Shocking!

Not True! You can easily buy validity up to 365 days for the TrueMove H SIM using the True iService App. Maximum total validity is 365 days: Validity 180 days - 14.02 THB (including tax). These are the conditions as stated in the App: "Customers must activate TrueMove H service for at least 90 days or have accumulative top-up since activation of at least 200 THB" So top up 200 baht and buy validity in the App. 180 days at a time. DTac is the same, but you only need to top-up at least 150 baht before you can buy validity.

I think you're still living in the dark ages. You talk about a "typical Western woman" being more needy than poor Thai wives with families. In my whole life, all the women I met and had relationships with were independent and I didn't need to support her or her family. The needs of a poor Thai wife and family will eclipse any financial responsibilities back at home for most expats.

Maybe drinking all that dishwater ruined your tastebuds.

Thanks for clearing that up. I had no idea that your "100s of times" were over 40 years and included food items. I find Starbucks coffee more than drinkable - I buy it because I enjoy it. I would not pay that much for coffee I don't enjoy. I usually buy a latte or cappuccino. These days I drink too much coffee at home so I stay out of coffee shops if I can help it.

That's a dumb comparison. We're discussing coffee at coffee shops, not the price of milk. I can buy 5000ml of milk for 205 baht and drink coffee at home too.

You've bought coffee at Starbucks hundreds of times despite finding the coffee weak and insipid? Surely after a few lousy cups you'd stop buying? Assuming 200 purchases, that's about 30,000 baht (with extra shots) you spent on coffee you don't like.

The muppets at Amazon and 7Eleven don't realize that coffee at Starbucks comes in many varieties and sizes. The biggest size is venti which is 20 ounces or 600 ml. The last time I bought one it was about 135 baht, which is probably twice the size of what the muppets at Amazon are paying half the price for. A 5 baht increase is not even worth discussing. In all my years in Thailand, I've never had a coffee at Amazon. I would always be one of the muppets the Amazon muppets are watching in Starbucks LOL.

To even comment on your successful relationship, we'd need to know the age gap, and how old you and your wife were when you got married. In this discussion, age makes a big difference.

You are delusional. You're no more a prize than a meal is for a cockroach. The good advice is to stay single and hold onto your money if you have any.

It doesn't seem to be working out too well in a country where mass shootings are so commonplace these days that we hardly even flinch when they are reported. The problem in the USA is the ease of getting hold of a gun where there are 120.5 firearms in civilian possession for every 100 residents. It's not difficult for children to get their hands on guns.

Most expats here are well aware that people are not currently being executed in Thailand. My comment was not intended to be taken literally... even so, your information was incorrect. You stated that no one has been executed in Thailand for 2 decades demonstrating you don't know what you're talking about. The last execution was undertaken in June 2018. Even if you're not a smarta@%, you certainly were ignorant. If you try to correct someone for a perceived error, at least provide accurate information.

We are very fortunate that you are not a lawmaker, in any country.

I won't be around long enough to see a repeat.

And your reply is an overreaction to hyperbole, used to make a point. He wasn't 12, but they are calling for 12 years to be criminally liable. I knew some smarta@% was going to mention that no one is being executed in Thailand - thanks for the info.

This is an absurd overreaction to an isolated incident that won't happen again. A 14-year-old kills 3 in a tragic shooting, so now they want to start executing 12-year-olds. Why stop at 12 and make all children criminally responsible, of any age?

There are DNA labs in Thailand? Thanks for the info. You've been watching too much TV. The person who beat up a guy who spat on him is not going down to a DNA lab to get some dried-up spit tested, and even if he did, it wouldn't absolve him of the crime of assault and battery. He would also have to get the court to order a DNA sample from the "spitter" to prove it was his. Apart from that, mucus does go flying when people cough and sneeze so there can be reasonable excuses for the transfer of mucus. You're talking about a punch. How do you know the OP will stop at one punch? How do you know how hard the OP can punch? You can cause a lot of damage with one punch. You can break someone's jaw, remove teeth, break a nose, knock someone unconscious, and so on... the list of possible damage is long.

A bit more than a "mark against you" if you are convicted of assault which is a criminal charge. Spit is hard to prove, but physical damage to another person is not. Any foreigner convicted of a criminal charge will have his visa canceled and sent packing after paying the appropriate penalties (fine and/or prison time). They will have to turn in their passport after being charged so they cannot leave. I would not advise punching anyone who spat on you. Edit: I should have mentioned that even if the police don't press charges, the person you punch can start criminal proceedings against you in court. He has 90 days to do this. The result will be the same, but it will take a long time (6 months or more) and after you post bail your visa is canceled. In this case, there is always the possibility of negotiating with the victim to drop charges. An apology (for punching him) and some cash will normally do it.

Yes, that's my interpretation of your ignorant response to an obvious transposition of 2 letters which most intelligent members here understood despite the error... and further misunderstanding of the term "Grammar Nazi" which covers the habitual correction of perceived language errors, not only grammar. What was it about your first day of the year that you decided to start baiting members for no reason? Did you resolve to get off to an early start for 2024? You might be pleased to note that the original spelling error has been corrected - to prevent any further similarly ignorant responses.