Patong2021

What has changed? It's the way it has always been.Some unattractive guys or girls are genuinely nice people and alot of fun. In university, one of our hang crew was always spending too much. There were times when we would go out, and he played the room, letting whomever was around to buy him drinks. He had it down to an art, targeting the lonely mediocre looking girls. The opportunity to hang out with a good looking guy even for a bit was worth it for them. He was so good that he good identify multiple marks , swoop in and sometimes dangle 2-3 on a busy night. When he was not scoring with the ladies, he was open to accepting drinks from men. The way some nights ended though could be cruel. There would sometimes someone hovering near the exit waiting to see if they could hook up. Wasn't going to happen. No matter how much of a rogue he was, he was faithful to his girlfriend.

Your arrogance is revealing. Ok, so only you know how credit cards are structured. What exactly was factually incorrect with my statement? You are quick to dismiss the man for his use of a credit card, calling him ignorant, but you did not offer a viable solution. Instead, you offered a smug statement relying on an outdated credit card format that most financial institutions have moved away from in favour of fee for service cards. You completely ignored the need for an understanding of a cumulative costing approach. You also ignored the reality of reward and cash back cards. What may be lost in FX administrative fees might be partly recouped in airline FF miles or in full by the 2-3% annual refund on total transactions that some cards provide. Many people have them now. I do, in addition to my FX credit cards.

The generalizations are under attack. In respect to this comment that was made, I was under the impression that Jomtien was the go to destination for Pattaya region LGBQTS2+ people, like the happening place for older gay men. Why then would there be women in need of care? Has something changed in Jomtien? I have been to Pattaya, but not to Jomtien, so I may very well have the wrong impression. Wow. I find that Hua Hin is as expensive as Bangkok and more so on higher end things. For example, the quality hotel brands like Marriott and Dusit have higher rates than comparable hotels in Bangkok. It is understandable though since they are on the beach. It is all about economy of scale and Bangkok offers that. Bangkok also offers a greater selection of products, the big BUT is you have to know where to go and how to negotiate to get the lowest prices in Bangkok. Cocktails at most decent restaurants in Hua Hin are 120-150 baht. Night life is certainly better in Bangkok. One can go from a string quartet soiree to a ripping good dance club very easily. Not going to happen in Hua Hin or Pattaya. Pattaya tourism targets lower end foreigners and regional convention/seminar clientele. It's pricing reflects that. The silent killer now for Pattaya is the traffic congestion. It is not improving. The congestion has added a cost to staying in Bangkok and it has destroyed Patong. Hua Hin is no better in high season.

What about the population? I see a lot of unemployment/underemployment of young males and that typically results in civil unrest and conflict. BRICS is more like a support group for economies and societies with problems. Brazil - A growing gap between haves and have nots. Violent crime is a way of life and the country is at risk of experiencing a Mexico like drug cartel renaissance. Russia- Its economy is in bad shape because of its war in Ukraine. It is a war economy now with no investment in social infrastructure. India - It has big dreams, yet women are still raped without consequences , raw sewage still flows freely, and it is close to being sanctioned for its direct links to political terrorism in Canada and the USA and to transacting with organized crime. China - it is sitting on a real estate bubble that could burst. It has a lot of unhappy young men who want a better quality of life. South Africa - A screwed up economy run by failed marxists. Iran - A sponsor of international terrorism and at odds with the UAE UAE - At odds with Iran Egypt - A basket case country that teeters on financial collapse on any given day of the week. Threatening to bomb Ethiopia. Ethiopia - Is alleged to be carrying on a clandestine war and genocide. It is in a dispute with Egypt. Does this really look like a powerhouse group?

What regime is in Tel Aviv?

And no evidence to support your claim. If all those unauthorized voters cast votes, why hasn't any one of them been identified. Electoral fraud in the USA is typically something like this; Brian Pritchard, a First Vice Chair of the Republican state party, was sanctioned by the Georgia State Board of Elections for voting at least 9 times while ineligible from 2008 to 2010. Pritchard was convicted of felony check forgery in Pennsylvania in 1996 and was placed on probation for three years, which was extended for various reasons until 2011. In 2008, Pritchard registered to vote in Georgia, despite still being on probation for the felony charges. He voted a total of nine times in primary, general and runoff elections between 2008 and 2010. An administrative law judge found Pritchard had violated Georgia law by voting as a convicted felon who had not finished serving his sentence. The State Election Board approved the judge’s findings and imposed $5,000 in civil penalties (a $500 penalty and $500 for each voting offense), $375.14 in investigative costs, and a public reprimand. He was subsequently removed from his position in the Republican party.

I don't think we will know who the President will be on USA Tuesday night. It may take several days to confirm absentee and advance ballot counts in states like GA and PA. States in the pacific time zones will still be tallying into Wednesday. In the interim, there will be protests and multiple claims of conspiracies. Hopefully, we can get a holiday from such things.

This event occurred in PATONG. Having spent more time in the city than I should have over a decade, I can assure cynics that every negative comment made about the city is understandable. The moto taxi and tuk tuk thugs are a powerful lobby and they operate in a manner that suggests organized crime. Phuket is in the triangle of corruption that is bounded by Nahkon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani and Phuket. Corruption is a way of life here and is heavy duty, the kind where people are seriously beaten or disappear. One need only look at the Patong beach to understand that gangsters run the place. There are some nice places. Despite the problems of the Karon-Patong-Kamala strip please note that Phuket is a large island. It does offer some very beautiful beaches like Surin or Karon. There are some wealthy enclaves, far removed from the filth of Patong. The farangs who live in in Bang Tao, or Kata or other nice areas rarely if ever have to deal with the scum, so they island remains nice for them. Most foreign residents do try to avoid Patong. Yes, Phuket does have that, but they are outside of Patong 😉 You are right. The connection options are poor. It is really unbelievable that Thailand still can't get its train services and schedule to these cities up to the standards of at least 1994. The SRT is still offering 1960's era service and it shows. Connecting the south train lines (and Pattaya) to Bangkok airport by an express train should have been a priority a decade ago.

You do know that Thailand immigration has been using facial recognition for some years now. Why do you think they take your photograph. They also collect your fingerprints. Nothing will happen if the system "breaks" down. What do they do now when the data system is disrupted at immigration? If there is a data system disruption at the gate, the Gate agents will verify passengers themselves by doing what they do now. You will still be issued a boarding pass. Most passengers opt for the electronic boarding passes. However, you will still be able to print a BP at your home or at an airport kiosk. R-e-l-a-x. It will be alright.

Like everything else you claim, this too is misleading and not factually correct. The US average cost of 1 gal regular unleaded is now $3.11 https://gasprices.aaa.com/ The cost of the same gallon of gas in the second to last year of the Obama presidency was $2,52. In the last year of the Obama administration it was $2.25. GASOLINE PRICES INCREASED UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION until Covid. President Obama handed over a booming economy to Trump. Trump's administration saw gas prices increase to $2.53 then 2.81 Because of Covid, gasoline use plummeted and the price decreased. When the economy reopened and the economy started expanding again under the Biden kickstart economic policies, gasoline prices increased.

This isn't about me. You are the one demanding that Thailand verify visitor criminal records, but are unable to provide a viable process in which in can be done. Why keep demanding it if you know it is currently impossible to do? Thailand could not verify foreign visitor criminal records without a time consuming request even if it wanted to.

Typical false information. The funding of foreign assistance and aid is controlled by the US Congress, not the US President. Perhaps one day you will read the US Constitution and its division of powers. Israel does not intentionally bomb children or the sick in hospitals. The Gazans have used hospitals to hold kidnap victims, to operate their command and control centers, to serve as munitions depots and barracks. When hospitals are used for specific hostile military actions they stop being hospitals. The people you describe as children are often active fighters, either carrying arms or transporting ordinance or they are intentionally put in harms way by Gazans as the more unpleasant images that can be produced the greater the propaganda campaign victory, The Gazans have long used children including their schools as shields and as direct military tools. If you are so concerned ask the Gazans to reconsider their tactics. War is brutal. BTW, why have the total reported dead remained relatively constant over the past year? A year ago we were told 40,000 dead. In the past year it is about 42,000 dead. It does indicate that in the past year, israel has gone to extreme lengths to minimize non combatant casualties. If israel was intent on doing the horrifics you claim, the dead should have numbered in excess of 500,000.

Give it a rest. The old jews control the world line is tiresome. If only they did, the violent hate campaigns at US universities and in public venues organized and funded by Iran and other vested foreign interests would have been stopped long ago.

The anti Israel collective came out in full force for this topic, as did the pro Russia group.

What are normal Oil and gas prices? The price of 1 gal regular gas in the USA according to AAA is now at $3.110 https://gasprices.aaa.com/ That's slightly less than what they were in 2007. They were close to $4 for several years back in 2011. Which people want the sanctions against Russians to stop? The sanctions have no impact on the quality of life of US citizens. They certainly do not impact the incomes of the vast majority of US citizens. So just who are these people you reference? Perhaps Russian saboteurs and paid foreign agents., but no, there is no reason for any US citizen to spout your demand. There is no US inflation because of the USA's current Russian foreign policy. Inflation in the USA is at the lowest level in the past 3 years and continues its decline, such that the economists are concerned that there may now not be sufficient inflation. It is now at 2.4%. 60 years ago it was at 3.5% increasing to 6.9% in 1969 under Republican Nixon. In 1974, the Republicans had it up to 12.74%. The inflation today is still less than what it was under Republican Reagan. Your comment is bogus and without merit because everything that you wrote is factually incorrect. It is a false narrative and brings to mind Russian misinformation.

My non UK bank does similar. I understand how they work. It is also about benefits and protections. Credit cards have changed how they treat FX transactions and it is your advice that should be updated. You are assuming that CC usage from a decade ago has remained unchanged and that there is one credit card policy for all international regions. Alot has changed over the past 5 years. Many retailers do not charge fees on CC transactions. I sometimes pay large bills at Lotus with my Credit Card. There is no additional fee. I pay for some large meal bills with a credit card, and the restaurants I patronize do not add the CC fee. Yes, some credit cards do not have high FX supplemental fees. However, these reduced FX charge CCs typically have annual fees and may not necessarily offer the best benefits or extensions. CC issuers may waive FX fees, but they came up with an alternative method of capturing FX transaction fees through the annual fees. Another option is to use DCC terminals. Many credit card terminals are newer versions that use software offering Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). This provides the option to make payments in the foreign currency or in the CC issuer's home currency. It uses a higher exchange rate (ranging from 3-7% higher) than the market rate. The DCC option allows the CC user to avoid the foreign transaction fee and credit card exchange rate markups mentioned. It all comes down to knowing how many transactions one will make and in doing a cost benefit analysis. If one has a Thai bank account, and wishes to use a credit card, having a locally issued credit card is almost always the most cost effective method. A person should not make a credit card selection based upon a small number of purchases.

He certainly does not fit the profile. No cheap and tacky tats, he looks to be in decent shape, and might even wax. Appears to be somewhat short, so definitely not Dutch. 😄 Man is a true idiot though for thinking he could swim away. Now he will be in prison in his wet and soggy clothes and it's going to get worse because he will stay that way for some time. Source Instagram from Reddit from Pattaya News

Not that detailed. I doubt that anyone will be popping over with a bottle of wine intent on sharing a candle light supper eating from Royal Doulton with hand-painted periwinkles.

The message is consistent. VP Harris supports Israel's right to defend itself, but that right does not give Israel carte blanche to whatever it wants to do. Nothing Harris has said deviates from the longstanding position that the USA has had on Israel or the self determination of Palestinians. As for Rashida Tlaib, she was born in the USA. Her political positions may be unpleasant, but she is representing her constituents. She is under no obligation to support Harris, but her district will see the consequences of that at some point. Trump's policies will be not be any friendlier to her Palestinian agenda than Harris'

This would result in delays and additional expense. How would your solution ensure reliability of data? If Thailand does not have access to real time data, how would Thailand verify the document submitted? People submit false documents on a daily basis. The UK offers a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to get a copy of your criminal record. It costs £18. The check will only show convictions that are not ‘spent’, for example some types of caution will disappear after 3 months. It can take usually takes up to 14-30 days to receive a certificate. The US FBI offers a criminal record verification for $18 and requires submission of a fingerprint card and up to 30 days processing. This is just one big hassle. People without criminal records won't put up with it as it shifts the burden of proof to them. Your demand is not viable not cost effective.

Ok, how would you do that. It is easy to criticize. Now try and provide a viable solution. And remember you are demanding that Thailand perform a criminal record verification of all visitors to Thailand. Thailand is projected to have 36 million visitors in 2024. How would Thailand verify all 36 million without causing entry delays and not requiring a processing center staffed by thousands while respecting every international privacy regulation and obtaining access to the criminal records. You do know that access to such files does not even occur in most western countries don't you? Are you planning on microchipping people or setting up an international biometric tracking system?

Fair observation. I have the impression that there is no management of these kids. It is more like promotion and manipulation.The promoters see the fighters as a commodity. They are used and when injured or in need of guidance are discarded. Some training clubs offer mentorship, but it is hit and miss. The foreign fighters come to train and buy the badge of being able to say they trained in Thailand. They often are not the best quality fighters, both physically and mentally. And they typically don't have managers. It is very different from the experience offered in places like South Korea, UK, USA etc. where the kids are trained, and guided and subject to drug testing,

The explanation provided was quite clear. The evidence so far suggests that this was an intentional act, sloppily effected to ensure being discovered so as to undermine the integrity of the PA voting system. I believe you term these sort of events "false flag operations". Election workers noticed irregularities while preparing to process the forms and immediately initiated an investigation. This shows that the election protections work. There has been transparency. The event has similarities to other false flag events. I do notice that you are quiet on the exposed Russian initiated fraud. Federal intelligence agencies determined a widely shared video posted to social media in late October 2024 that reportedly showed mail ballots in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, being ripped up was a fake that was manufactured by Russian operatives seeking to undermine confidence in the November election. “This Russian activity is part of Moscow’s broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions among Americans … In the lead up to election day and in the weeks and months after, the [intelligence community] expects Russia to create and release additional media content that seeks to undermine trust in the integrity of the election and divide Americans.”. The Russian fraud is germane to this event because it shows that there is a concerted effort underway to undermine confidence in the US electoral system. The sabotage is spread, enabled and facilitated by people who rush to spread their claims of imagined conspiracies.

In the civilized world where the rule of law is respected, we have one common belief, a presumption of innocence. The burden of proof is on you to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the man is a "junkie". Your arguments are unfounded and a suggest either intentional trolling or are the imaginings of an ignorant individual. Plausible explanations have been provided, with a possibility that the man was having a mental health episode, or was drugged or had another type of health crisis. You have no idea if the man is a junkie, and yet you label him as one. You call him scantily clad. The man's shorts are no different than what other people wear, and if anything are actually longer. The manner in which he is sitting hiked the pants up, but it is clear that the shorts are appropriate. Yes, the man was in an agitated state. So what? Some manifestations of mental illness, of sugar imbalance, of seizure and stroke can leave a person in a terrible state too. If he had been involuntarily drugged, he might have ended up this way too.