chalawaan

I guess the "Taxi mafia breaking the law" has been put in their "cash cow crime syndicate" basket for now and forever. 

Most news stories must be read in full. 

The boring facts aka the truth, usually starts about ⅔ in. 

In the linked story, the pattern is clear, there's really no need for the concern that the story would at first glance suggest.

As with everything in life, do your homework, read the story critically (especially if it is in your favourite newspaper) and actively watch for the actual facts of the matter to appear very near the end of the piece. Nine times out of ten the facts bear little resemblance to the headline that draws us in. 

32 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Better than to be a member of warmongers by far????

If you think China was ever benign, you're woefully under schooled or a "little pink" keyboard warrior. Actually the two are almost indistinguishable. Peace and love, Comrade! ✌????????

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It's almost as if Americans don't see that they have more than enough problems at home to solve. 

It's almost as if you didn't even read the article. 

Hint: It's not about America at all! 

7 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

The right call.

We don't need foreign military facilities here - especially American.

As an ally of the US I agree with you. We can strike CCP or their proxies, at will and with decisive outcomes, from the assets we already have elsewhere. ????????

Don't really need a US base here, though the USAF was highly visible in Korat during Cobra Gold. 

Advanced technology means US weapons can strike anywhere on the globe with its existing bases, subs or carrier groups. 

IMO the US should never have left Clark AFB or Subic Bay, so it's fantastic to see them back in Subic at last!

Unfortunately China now has several completed bases within PI territorial waters, and aggressively harass harmless subsistence fisherfolk. 

This is what happens when you give an inch in the region. 

17 hours ago, ukrules said:

Read this : https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/travel-restrictions-02202023160935.html

A very comprehensive report from Radio Free Asia, and it's surprising that the CCP seem to finally be cracking down on Triads, but this is only because they're now so out of control, they are damaging CCP's trade interests and political image. 

I'm no friend of the CCP, both myself and my dad served in seperate theatres against them, he was in 1950s Malaya. 

But I have had Chinese friends and and even one Chinese wife, and not every Chinese we see in Thailand is a crude brute product of the PRC Regime. Many are our allies from Taiwan, Singapore, and a host of countries across the globe. 

Having said that, the PRC population in particular, are rabid racists and nationalist fanatics, with atrocious manners. 

The whole thing is a bit depressing in the 21st century, the world should really have moved on from political extremes after the lessons of last century, yet here we are staring down WWIII. 

"Morons. They have morons on their team."

With apologies to Butch and Sundance. 

Also some of the whataboutism in this thread to get a cheap dig at America is brain dead. 

Uncle Sam may not be the tooth fairy, but how does getting put on a plane to China, with a hood on your head, sound? It's an entirely possible outcome for writing the same things about the CCP you just did against the US. 

Thai police are more than happy to accompany the CCP Ministry of State Security to your happy home right now, today.  

Just ask any Chinese stand up comedian about that response to free speech, then think again, and be careful what you wish for.   

51 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

As for the added risks of incurring repeated COVID infections, emerging research suggests successive COVID infections may also increase the risks of bad outcomes -- something to be avoided for sure.

 

Many repeat infections are mild, but some studies suggest people who have been infected with COVID more than once are at a greater risk of severe disease or long COVID

 

...

The first study of health risks from repeat infections was published last November. A team of researchers led by Ziyad Al-Aly, a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University, in St. Louis, and his colleagues concluded that reinfected people are twice as likely to die and three times as likely to be hospitalized with COVID than those infected only once, regardless of their vaccination status."

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-repeat-covid-infections-increase-the-risk-of-severe-disease-or-long-covid/

 

Statistically, since this is a Coronavirus = Common Cold Family of Viruses, then every human on earth will get it, and then will get it more than once.  It's like death and taxes, unavoidable at some point. 

Maybe a mask makes sense on the BTS at rush hour, but we can't go through this life wearing masks for years on end, and I stopped when it was no longer mandatory. 

4 hours ago, 2009 said:

Last time I checked he's the least violent president there's been.

 

How many wars did he fund or countries did he bomb?

Love or hate him, he divided America in a way not seen since the 1863.

I can't believe it's got to the point where the American far right support Russia, and meanwhile Putin claims he's fighting Ukranian Nazis. It makes no sense. And it all started imploding from the day of "the biggest inauguration crowd ever".

So yes, American history is about to get very dark, because as a true Republican once said: "A house divided against itself, cannot stand."

Fun fact. He shot his own eye out. That was the second dumbest thing he's done. 

There's always marriage.

And if the new government were going to become anything like advanced economies in terms of expat visas, the humanity of those marriage visas would evolve, and the annual immigration harassment, (let's call it what it is) would have to end. 

Currently, if your wife dies, and you can't afford the million baht just to park and season B800,000 of that sum, whilst using the remainder to keep yourself afloat (rinse repeat until death or worse) then it's byebye, Khun Widower, the day the annual marriage extension of stay ends.

And by advanced nation standards, that's seen as so very wrong, that there are specific laws to protect spouses set adrift by various twists of fate, such as spousal death, abuse, etc. 

To get back on point, if the cost of visas go up the humanitarian considerations would have to advance to reflect a vastly modernised economic and social services model for ALL who live here. 

Let it go.

If you were meant to be shagadelic after 60 you'd have the nuts for it naturally.

Like blokes who dye their hair, sad and extremely obvious, making it even sadder.