expat_4_life

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

What else would he say? What else could he say?

If he admits that he led Ukraine into stalemate which benefits Russia he's doomed, IMO.

 

he conceded that Kyiv had yet to achieve any major successes in its counteroffensive.

How big of him to admit that it's all been propaganda and all those men died for what?

No major success is code for "we achieved sod all".

 

Now that Europe hasn't been able to send him as many shells as promised ( link in a different thread ), and the US is sending theirs to israel instead, it can't be looking good for his prospects of leading his victorious troops into the Kremlin.

 

 

Good Post by the way IMO ... plenty of points are bang on.

Zelensky is hanging on by a thread, everyone in his admin is starting to turn on him, finger pointing on the wars failure - notice I used the word failure, nobody currently in power is going to go quite that far, but the writing is on the wall.

Russian military forces have increased by a factor of at least 2-3x, while Ukraine is struggling to recruit/conscript, Russian military production has increased accordingly. This war has transformed the old broken down Soviet military into a huge army (soon to eclipse 1 million men) and probably stronger than any force they have fielded since the 1980's.

In a war of attrition I just don't see any way that Ukraine can win, they are out manned.

Only question is how this will all end - I have the suspicion that the non-western US led part of the world (the global majority) will see this as a defeat. We're in for a global political realignment, going to be a tumultuous decade ahead.
 

11 hours ago, HauptmannUK said:

Its not impossible. I paid just over ฿1000 for 120km (2 hours) Grab ride from just north of Saraburi to BKK. Few months ago.

@JessieDog I don't find this particularly unusual or unbelievable ... often trips originate from Bangkok to the provinces and are priced assuming that they return without a passenger.

Any driver is happy to get someone returning to the Bangkok area at reduced fares.

Also consider, that if u ask, drivers will quote you ~2000 for an 8 hour day.

10 minutes ago, bob smith said:

Ken is long gone now.

Ken was certainly an inquisitive guy ... much like Homer Simpson

 

I would say my order of preference is something more suburban than CBD.

By this I mean, any location that has not been totally upended by gentrification.

I like the ability to get out onto the street and find food vendors, a local fresh market and restaurant/entertainment options.  This is becoming increasingly difficult along the Sukhumvit corridor, condos, hotels, malls, and municipal policy have pretty much destroyed the local neighborhoods.

We do a lot more cooking at home and spend less time out for an evening than in the past, as so many "local" options have vanished. Mind you, the Mrs loves her close proximity to the skytrain - always tradeoffs. 

I see her in front of the EMquartier, Emporium and soon to open Emsphere sign.

Suhhumvit already a mess even with Emsphere not as yet open.

For purely selfish reasons I hope they don't extend shopping hours, it already 10pm.

Also wouldn't hurt my feelings if they don't open any more of them.

From the full article (NOTE: not exactly formally approved yet)

"The extension will undergo a final review at the next Cabinet meeting. Subsequently, the Minister of Interior will endorse the initiative before it is published in the Royal Gazette.

Some members of Thai Parliament have urged stricter laws and more study before any extensions take place, however."

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

I pay by direct debit no scam there either. I rarely even check the paper  bill. My wife gets an SMS from PEA but she never bothers to tell me.

This is the way I do it too, never a chance to forget, no concern about delayed receipt of the bill, no need to go pay, and you can be away from home without a care or thought. 👍

6 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

Okay here's how that works out, The officer is 100% correct, you do not 90 day report..

you have to be ON a visa/extension for the same reason at least 90 days.

Coming in visa exempt was 30, <- as a tourist, then you changed reasons and got a 60 day visit thai family extension, you don't add those days together as they were for different reasons.. Then you got a 90 day Non-O visa <- but that visa doesn't let you stay IN thailand long enough on it's own to do a 90 day report.

When you get the first yearly extension, they will put a small paper in your passport telling you WHEN you file your first 90 day report <- and it will be 90 days AFTER the date you apply for the first yearly extension

The paper looks like this

@TPDHThis is 100% correct, at least at CW (as the attached image illustrates).

Friend of mine went through the same process less than a year ago, when I inquired at the time, they informed him that they would affix a "90 day reporting notification" when he successfully got his annual extension - it played out as they said and he got the same thing stapled into his passport.

No need to be concerned. Good luck on your extension.

 

@Keirachiangmaitry searching in google with the thai name
for example "buy african gray chiang Mai" - ซื้อ นกแอฟริกันเกรย์ เชียงใหม่

Here is one result, translated to english (says they have what you're looking for)
https://petz--world--chiang--mai-business-site.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=th&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

good luck

1 hour ago, Morch said:

 

Also - Putin, Xi and MBS in one week? What is this...Dictator Special?

You seem very confused, it's President Putin, Chairman Xi, and Crown Prince MBS.

4 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Well <deleted> me Thai's expecting others to pay again, how many billionaires in Thailand? let them pay, 

Not sure what you're on about, no mention of anyone paying for anything in the article - yet you're mumbling about Thai billionaires.

4 hours ago, Robbkk said:

Guns are already banned in Thailand. Have you ever seen any gun shops?

This is false, guns are not banned. Never having been a gun owner myself (and a foreigner that cannot own a gun here) I'm not familiar with the regulations, but there are many.

There is a gun "market" area near to China Town in Bangkok.

 

I'm a US citizen retired here, my gf has had 3 visas (B1/B2) to the US. First time around she got a single entry, 2nd time they gave her a 10 year which she renewed a couple of years ago.

These days the application is online, they will advise if they want an in-person interview. Most recent visa she got took around 2 weeks, no interview required.

Main things I can think of that were requested were employment and bank letters and travel history.