KhunLA

What would his ailment be ... PTSD from running over and killing someone

So a privileged lad, living on mommy & daddy's quid. Do parents no longer teach their kids to be responsible. "While still living with his parents in Brent, London, Riyan realised he couldn’t afford to rent a place of his own in the UK, prompting him to explore other options. Having visited Thailand thrice before, Riyan developed a deep affection for the country and bought a one-way ticket from Heathrow for £500 (22,750 baht)." So this child, has taken 3 international holidays (at least) to TH, before he has met the responsibilities of living on his own. I think having your own place, starting a career and building equity, instead of holidaying while living with mommy & daddy would be a priority. Guessing he doesn't have a partner, male or female, as if he met someone, where would they go. "I still live with mommy" No mention of being in Uni to better himself, and working a part time job, a real dreamer ... WTF I guess this is holiday #4 in TH, on mommy's quid. Must be nice. Wait till they find out he can't get a long term visa to stay here. There goes there hope of finally getting rid of him

You trying to say nanny states don't have air or water pollution I know USA issues advisories / closes beaches when the fecal count is too high, and you've obviously never been at north New Jersey, near EWR airport, as the air is rank due to chem factories. I have to tolerate a couple months of not the best air in cool season here, as opposed to staying inside during the wet & cold season of say, the UK. Which would be more enjoyable during those months ... hmm. Inside our house the air is not polluted. The PM2.5 where I live now, isn't much different from where I lived in the USA Granted, I couldn't live north of where we live, year round, but I also don't need to.

it was ... not now, I edited previous post

If you haven't tried, then you wouldn't know. 50 yrs ago, not sure if you can do with today's cars, and that car was 10 yrs old to start with. "You see, back in the day, some of the first automatics had the pump at the rear of the transmission – and those you can push start. All automatic cars through 1958 and some into the mid 1960s were push startable, some examples are GM’s hydramatic through 1958" "Used to be you actually could push-start an automatic. Some of them, anyway (mid-60's and earlier Torqueflites that I know of for certain, and at least one other make). But when tranny rear oil pumps went the way of the dinosaur, so did the ability to push-start automatics."

It is possible, as I've done it, and correct, a few people pushing won't get it going fast enough. On topic ... the only manual shift vehicles I had by choice, were my work trucks. Any car, and it was because it was cheaper or, it loss too much power being an AT, so MT was preferred. I never owned a stick, for the pleasure of the 'driving experience', though fun to beat the hell out of one at times, I prefer to relax when driving, and shifting, especially in rush hour, city traffic, is not relaxing.

'Us' don't have nothing to do with keeping the population uneducated. And trust me, they are far from uneducated. Maybe not as book smart or well informed with all the useless and unimportant information that we possess, though if taking some AN members as examples of, then 'educated' is a stretch. Maybe it's the west that is just overpriced, and silly labor cost/salaries, are part of that problem, though doubtful the main problem. More like price gouging, because they can. Labor unions priced themselves out of jobs, and why most manufacturing is done outside the USA. Flipping burgers at $15-20 an hour now considered a skilled job. Don't cry about your $10-15 burger. That's an entry level (teen work experience), supplement retirement income job, not a career. That the USA (my only reference) charges silly prices for some things vs TH has nothing to do with us, or being educated. Should an EKG cost <$6 here/TH, but start at $525 where I used to live in USA. Same machine & education to administer.

As I stated, and obviously true, some charge and some don't. Lucky you that they didn't. I've had 3 transferred, 2 free, 1 charged / 500 and issued a proper receipt.

Too many to list, and really don't remember paying for most national parks when first visiting them in the early years here. Also don't remember any of them actually being worth paying for. Some had entrance 'guard' shacks, some didn't. Most were unkept, and nothing special, maybe a viewpoint or a waterfall. But nothing more interesting, usually less so than surrounding are or view from balcony of the bungalow we were staying at. Remember first time I actually paid ฿100 entrance fee + parking free for a waterfall, at Nakhon Nayok, and thought, this should be nice, better be nice. It was nothing but a slight downhill stream, with a 1 meter drop, and I think I'm being generous. Nothing more than a creek behind the house where I grew up at, and thought WTF. That was with present wife, so 2006 and onward. Prior to that I don't remember ever paying, with exception of Phang-Nga Bay boat tour, which included the 'fee' in ticket price, and was a joke, since I chose not to get off at Ko Khao Phing Kan (James Bond island) or Koh Panyi. Scratch that up to one of the most overpriced tourist traps in TH. On waterfalls, I've seen better, a local ones in Udon Thani, and many other places, roadside or just off the roadside, that were nice, quite nice. One at Ranong, was a regular nice break 2X a year (when going to Phuket), chicken & rice vendor there, and here in TH, considered huge waterfall, free for years, although now charges ฿100. Though don't know why anyone would pay, and didn't see anyone paying, as can still see the same from roadside. Being 50 meters closer isn't going to give you a better photo. That was strange last time I passed through, and just last year. Maybe some fake guard in uniform with nice official looking signage up, just collecting money from idiots. After a few parks, where I did actually pay, the Thai price, and always disappointed, I simply stopped thinking about entering any of them in the future, and that was years ago, when ฿200 was the 'high' farang price. Seen much more impressive things just driving around. Why we enjoy our O&As so much, not that staying home doesn't have great views, but see it everyday.

I'm finding that very hard to believe, that he was administered 7 shots per month on average. Yet they can only seem to confirm 130 of them, still a silly number. What professional would administer that many,. Doesn't speak well of the distribution system, and wreaks of a system ripe for billing fraud. Do people not need ID to get the shots & boosters. If standard 2 shot/3 booster regiment, that would mean he needed 40+ fake IDs / registrations ... hmm And was he really buying the vaccine, or someone pulling a scam on him and giving him a saline shot. Why would he have frozen blood samples stored anywhere ... all sounding a bit suspicious to me.

Now who's cherry picking ? I picked 2 peaks, you pick one of the lowest valleys. I'm surprised you didn't pick Jan 2024 Just like now, older, unhealthy people dying of respiratory infections. Low valley before vaccines: Low valley (yours) after vaccines

Hua Hin does give you a receipt for the transfer/500 baht

If you actually put your cursor over the graph, the labels/info will appear. I simply took screenshot, of 2 of the peeks, and put them side by side for easy comparison. No deception. You can pick any corresponding points you want, on those 2 years, before and after vaccines were given, and I doubt if your numbers would show much of a difference. Less deaths per 100k before the vaccines were distributed. All things being equal, you'd expect the opposite, since weakened variants, and better knowledge how to treat the virus. Yet higher deaths per 100k after being vaccinated. Now who's cherry picking ?

RENT

Best beaches I've ever been at, on & in: ... many of Phukets ... BUT ... during the pandemic they were clean & empty (now-I wouldn't bother) ... Ko Chang, Ranong (at high tide, 20 yrs ago) ... Southern FL, USA, from Boca Raton down to Key West ... Puerto Rico (west coast) ... Bimini, Bahamas (best, but 35 yrs ago) ... Walker's Kay, Bahamas, and a few others ... Cozumel, Mexico ... Yucatan beaches ... Grand Caymans ... St Martins

I didn't cherry pick anything. Picked 2 graphs, one before vaccines were available, and the virus was more of an issue, along with less known how to treat it. The 2nd, after vaccines & boosters administered, during a weaker variant, after they knew how better to treat, and death per 100k increased, some age groups dramatically. As you say, science doesn't lie ........ neither do the numbers. Just accept the truth is finally coming out, and people have woken up to the BS ... IMHO Have a nice day. BYE BYE

I'm not surprised at all... No surprise the cases went up, and to be expected, but the 'Deaths per 100k" in some age groups a considerable amount, even 50% in one.

I was expecting the MG ZS to go an sale again, since Atto 3 got discounted. Seems the ZS goes on sale every other month.

It hasn't been 'officially free' for years, more than 10 at least. As stated, most charge about 500.

Lazy Piece of Sh!t

If you can't be happy here / TH, chances are, changing location isn't going to help.

Life is boring without hobbies, retired or not, especially if you didn't have kids prior to retirement. Which I didn't, as never really had a partner I thought was 'mother' material. And a bit too selfish, with my time and money to raise kids. That sure did change with retirement, and raising the daughter has be a highlight of my life. Plenty of time & money surely made that a lot more enjoyable, than attempting that with someone you don't like living with, and working at the same time. Actually commend people that can pull that one off. Hobbies hasn't change, added one, drones, perfected another, photography, sort of. Rest is the same, O&As, scooter rides, though no more long distances, scuba diving, though not much here, as the diving is mediocre, and I'm being kind. I excel at being a LPOS ... so all good.

Hell NO ... I couldn't wait to retire. I would have retired earlier, but I worked for an airlines, and really enjoyed all the travelling on the cheap. I knew that would come to a grinding halt when I retired, left, as no way would I pay to fly first class anywhere, and flying economy, just didn't work for me. Talk about spoiled for ever. I was actually having a bit of fun the last 13 yrs working, well, last 10 years, as rarely at work. Everything I did was geared to retiring early, though slow pace, so could enjoy the moment, and not stress myself out. Just wish I learned my investment strategies a bit earlier, as I would have had retired at least 10 years earlier. I can't imagine working another 20 yrs till I hit USA Soc Sec retirement age (66), and company retirement at 65. Past 20+ yrs have been some of the best, though TBH, can't really complain about any time after I became self employed, and investing. Working a salary job only, both boring & low pay, and I would have had to work till 65/66, and not be as financially comfy. Far from rich, but comfy enough, and that's just fine. Seems I might be round for another 10 yrs, since my check up this week was better than expected. A couple more years, and I will have lived here longer than my adult working years in the USA. Retirement has been anything but boring, and don't need friends or a routine.

Apparently Tesla is back at the table chit chatting again. ... other source quoting a Reuters news-blip