KhunLA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Thailand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yingluck_Shinawatra#2013/14_Opposition_protests,_supreme_court_impeachment_and_coup

Followed by the inevitable coup.

What does a locked door have to do with him, being an idiot and falling off the balcony. First it's the railing, now it's locked doors making people fall off balconies. Note to idiots: STAY OFF BALCONIES

Don't follow the royals much, but what I have seen and read, Harry seems like the most normal, grounded one of the lot. Only plus about growing up and living in that family, household, was not being poor. Aside from that, reads like hell. Father is total waank, brother is a bigoted snob, uncle is a perv, and to top it all off, your mother kraps out early when you're only 12 yrs old. Tell me he at least had a dog to talk to. Talk about being all alone. Good for him, and for having a best seller. Kind of shuts up all the royal worshippers who state 'he's nothing, and nobody cares' ????

Thankfully a 1 car accident, and they didn't take an 'innocents' with them. Can't fix stupid

At 27, yea, you can never have enough, as that's a long uncertain future. I was in that tax bracket, and quit investing partly for that reason, after I had enough $$$ at 50 yrs old. Why am I risking my money, and gov't taking 40%. That's just too frustrating. Wouldn't mind paying taxes, if they spent wisely, and stopped giving it away to foreign countries that hate us.

I don't think people realize, how much living; work, family, kids, actually involve in the consumption of time. Once retired, if not doing the family thing 'again', and no time consuming hobby, then they have way too much time on their hands. Boredom would set in real fast, especially after a year of playing sexpat. Once you did that/done that, it really can't be that special. Married 4 times, and playing single was great in between, but gets old. Then being married (to wrong person), after couple years got old. Even now, without photo hobby and dog to talk to, I'd go nuts. I simply enjoy driving around, seeing new things, so wife & myself, have to balance that. She could easily 'live for the house', spend all her time tending to the house itself & gardening. I want to use as a base, so drag her away, hire someone to water garden. When away, she appreciates it, but happy to get back to tending to her babies ???? Me, I'm planning the next O&A, while exploring every local nook & cranny ... again. My only issue with TH, it's a really small country (relative coming from USA), and I've been around it, more than a few times. But still find interesting things, when weather, surf, AQI is cooperating. Why I say, a nomadic life would be easy for me, as I simply enjoy being O&A, doing nothing. I'm easily self entertained. Others need more, activity, social setting, and new location doesn't always supply that after a year or 2. If you're an introvert, then you're really screwed. ???? Then definitely book the 1st floor when O&A ????

If you have 2 mill 'liquid', I don't find TH unique at all. No taxes, as no income tax, that's the same most everywhere. No RE Tax (1) in TH, and that's a big plus, IF, you own. High crime is in the MSM & usually BS, and beautiful nature is everywhere, worldwide. TH has decent infrastructure (2) for 3rd world country, and yes, it is 3rd world. Better than it's neighbors, (Cambo, Laos, Nam) and why I don't think of living there. Along with inexpensive & accessible healthcare. (3) But if you got 2 mill in the bank, those 3 items are a bit irrelevant. Especially at retirement age, as would have a hard time spending 2 mill if not frivolous. Could easily afford excellent health insurance, which at a certain age, is hard to impossible to get in TH. Unless having a health issue, the premiums would be more than and minor care needed.

Last bill was ฿4.56 per unit ... ???? ฿50 ... talk about inflation ... ????

Does keep the riff raff (they're fine IF they behave) away from our neighborhood. Win win all around.

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.????