KhunLA

Yep. Her hobby, gardening/farming ? is more expensive than my fancy cameras & drones. Required buying the lot across from us, since the one the house sits on, 1/4 rai, is full up with the house & carport. Now she's building a greenhouse on that 1/4 rai ???? I think the ROI of fruits & veggies might take a while. But a happy wife = happy life ????

I'm shooting for 1 unit this month. Last meter reading 121, today 121 and 20 days in. Going to use 1 kW/unit, just for the hell of it, before the 28th.

That mirrors my/our existence here. On a retirement visa (monthly SS DD), and we seriously have a hard time spending it. When daughter was in Uni, she got the better half of the 65k month, and we still had change left over at the end of the month, even while renting with utility bills. Small investment (that's relative), house, solar, EV, and we've eliminated the larger monthly bills (aside from food); rent/electric/petrol - 6k/3+k/3k a month respectfully. Now reduced to only: internet 631, phone <1000, water 500+, electric 100 +/- (next PEA bill 40 baht, conx fee) and the daughter graduated and is self sufficient. Oh happy days. Of course that does take a 'trusting' partner. But adding 10k for rent & utilities shouldn't break anyone's wallet. No large freezer (2 very small ones ????), and we do dine in mostly, simply because we do it better.

Yep, worldwide, and sadly... it seems ... you can't fix stupid ????

How many did you ask ?

I like him even more now. Aside from shaking up the ICE auto industry ... "EVs ... it can't be ???? done" He's joining Trump, Snowden, Assange, Manning in exposing the Deep State with his Twitter files releases. Paying a heavy price for it, but he doesn't care ???? Seems all those 3 letter acronyms are corrupt as ever. Exposing the criminals is always the correct thing to do.

That depends on who's asking. When I first got here, if asked, I'd say "United States' ... and get a blank stare. They'd look at the wife or whoever Thai I was with, and she'd say 'America' ... then the 'ah, dee mak' and smile would follow. Showing the same ignorance as the thread title. If a foreigner asked me, I'd say 'Philadelphia, USA', and still got blank stares. Follow up with, 'between NYC & DC' ... 'ah, OK, got it'. Now, when asked ... 'Prachuap'

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1386522762174601

So the UK was invited into Iraq & Afghanistan ... ... my mistake ???? The Ilois folks are still waiting to be allowed back to their homes on the Chagos Archipelago islands that were stolen from them. Shameful ... the list is endless.

Have the invaded and or occupied any countries this century alone, let alone in the past, without cause ? That's rhetorical

Phuket Old Town on weekend for Sunday Night Market. That was quite nice. ... Kamala Beach ... N side where PoPo station is. Few beachfront restaurants quite nice. We munched at Lillo Island. Actually stayed in one of the rooms (very basic) in the back. Not much open during Covid, though may have chose them anyway, as just too convenient a location: https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/Lillo+Island+Restaurant+%26+Bar/@7.9557588,98.2826817,19z/data=!4m16!1m7!3m6!1s0x30503a3b6645b1a7:0x8af77c32a71c5ed8!2sKamala+Beach!3b1!8m2!3d7.9569221!4d98.2830983!3m7!1s0x30503a23a107313d:0x3008989d59d900a7!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d7.9557588!4d98.2830522 KataMama Seafood for a munch, on S end of beach. Consistently good, well priced. We stayed at Kata Ibis, since open & pet friendly. It's an ibis, so no surprises, and our 'go to' chain. Like Yanui & Nai Ham beaches, having some quaint restaurants back in that area. If you haven't, I think driving around the Cape is mandatory, it is for us, every visit. Bang Tao ... obviously a higher end traveller than us. Pop into Surin Beach on the way down, as you'll be driving by anyway on 4030. One of the few with a bunch a vendor handy surfside. Kata Beach has a 'street food' area, on SW corner of Club Med monstrosity. Some tasty stuff there ... https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/Kata+street+food/@7.8171726,98.2986578,17.65z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x3050383fc9d867f5:0x9e9dd81435aeb525!2sBang+Tao+Beach,+Choeng+Thale,+Thalang+District,+Phuket!3b1!8m2!3d7.9979979!4d98.2987681!3m4!1s0x30502514edaa78e5:0xc0d650934d78074d!8m2!3d7.816363!4d98.2993633 I'd give Patong a pass, or just 1 night if curious what all the Bangla rd hubbub is about. Wasted time IMHO. Instead of Patong, stay on N end of Kamala Beach, as a few higher end comfy places there.

I did a long winter 'temp' at DTW when working for NWA, now DL. Brutal winter, though upgraded my work classification, and lots of overtime. Actually wasn't bad at all. Loved Ann Arbor & GreekTown. On Topic ... all about neighborhoods. Old Town Phuket is great. Some of the beaches, maybe, even during high season, though can't verify, as never been, aside from deserted covid times.

Only met 2 that I know of, and both turned out to be a-holes. Oh well ... better luck in the future, if ever ???? Check that ... 3 ... though didn't know the other that well, but did have a 'superiority' complex. Thought his "Phantom 200cc commanded respect on the highway" ... his words. What a POS, the scooter, as he seemed nice enough.

Better angle of "Common Flameback" above:

OK ... if you died, how much would your estate get. Not counting assets to be paid off in the event of your death, such as a mortgage. Agree the chart is nonsense, as most average & medium charts are, when involving demographics of diverse disparity. Especially when say 15% of USA population now live under the poverty line. Only takes 1 or 2 billionaires to balance that average out.????

Net worth is present assets vs liabilities. Not income. If you sold all your assets, at market price, and paid all your debts/bills/loans, what is left, is your Net Worth. You have a 1 mill house with a 800k mortgage, your net worth is 200k... ... etc etc etc

very few do, per capita. Not until 9/11 did many have passports, as not necessary when traveling in most of the Americas, where most Americans holiday. I only went to Europe once, and to visit my niece. If she didn't live there, the trip would have never happened. If I didn't work for an airlines, and had timeshare weeks to burn, I would have never went to Phuket, the first time, and that was geared toward a diving holiday. I found no reason to leave the Americas to holiday. Hop up to Canada, and I do know all the provinces ????, down to Mexico, and more than a few islands in the Caribbean. No reason to leave, and have yet to have a better holiday in either EU or TH. If not for an occasional earthquake and extreme weather in those holiday areas, I wouldn't be here.

The chart is kind of irrelevant. As an example, I made more than the medium in one year, 1 market trade in this bracket. I do tend to spend money on my smile. So net worth now is less than the chart, 'average' for my present age, 68, I think, but I also have basically no mandatory monthly bills, besides food, and more income than I can realistically spend. If my income stopped, I wouldn't have any financial worries for the rest of life. Having more than I need, or what wife & kid should need for the rest of their lives, living in TH, is enough. Friends ask why I stopped making money ... because money for me, is not a priority. Having more than enough, and my smile is my priority. Bigger bank account or more assets don't do anything for me. Having time to enjoy what I have is more important. I got off the hamster wheel 23 years ago. Not that I actually spent much time on it. Work smarter, not harder or longer.

Reading these replies ... ... there really is no need to ask why I'm Anti-social toward expats and avoid them regularly. The level of arrogance, ignorance & prejudice is simply mind boggling.

He was born in Iran. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. You get caught helping terrorist nations kill someone, in Iran, you die. As it should be.

Lived in Beckley, WV (1979/80) ... was lovely. My first airline job, AeroMech, use to commute for Allegheny, now US Airways. 3 Beechcraft 99s a day to PIT as AeroMech ???? Went belly up in 83. On Topic, WV, check off, didn't buy the t-shirt. I could easily live on Phuket, but probably no Patong, or even visit if I did live on Phuket. Was excellent 2020/21, but now back to a tourist ghetto.

Over 500 million people speaking Spanish in the Americas. Less than 400 million speak English / American, as first language.

Yes, as the breaker box on the wall inside house is the grounding, to earthing rod. We have a breaker on the inside of the perimeter wall, about 2 meter length of wire from the PEA meter. That's where I turn off the grid. Then on the breaker box, it has the lead in for grid and solar, with their own breakers, incase you wish to turn one off. Some folks without solar, will dedicate the other breaker to an external generator. With that, the house should be grounded, hopefully avoid any electrocutions from appliance. Though all bets off, if house hit by lightening. Not a whole lot will protect you from that, except luck. If so, hopefully not too much gets fried, component wise. ESSs for us, igniting, would be the biggest issue, as they are located indoors, in the entrance foyer ????

Only seen 1 'The Gambler', from the OP, and never heard of probably 95% of the rest, if that many. Top List for me: Matrix V for Vendetta Equilibrium Platoon Casualties of War Saving Private Ryan The Falcon and the Snowman Leon, the Professional Fifth Element Gladiator The Vikings (original, Douglas & Curtis) Lesser known B movie: Serenity Original/prequel/sequel runs, though some a bit weak: Terminator Matrix Star Wars Harry Potter Aliens Predator

2. All movies are Americans ... target audience in USA alone, 300+ million, make sense now. 3. All music is American ... British invasion, covering USA blues songwriters ... hmm 4. Best schools, America ... far from it, though a few do shine, as in most 1st world countries. 5. Strongest Military ... untested, thankfully ... and yet, can't seem to win a conflict, since 1783, and only with the help of the French, indirectly. OK, Japan/WWII with a bit of help from some friends. 6. Best Athletes (Top 1%, Olympics, etc......usually American). ... not even close. Olympics don't count, as selective, and some paid professionals. 7. Most expensive everything ... and yet, most things sell for less in USA, except healthcare. 8. Lives in a place that's massive, can see mountains, beaches, whatever......all in America ... NO argument, it is massive, why most Yanks don't waste their time traveling out of the Americas. Why bother 9. 100 million people apply to live there every year ... again true, seems top spot people want to go. That Land of Opportunity, and can't argue that. Very true, if apply yourself. 10. The ONLY country that can save Ukraine ... defense contractors make money, don't save anyone 11. The ONLY country that can solve world hunger ... that's obviously failed, and the UN should be ashamed of itself, long with every G20 country. 12. The ONLY country that every other country listens to, worships, and is afraid of. ... you can't fix stupid ????