USEpat

How does one show progress but no results?

No. Not at about US$2050/oz.

Sleep well......................... I am sure. Sleep well; I'm sure.

I'm pretty sure that the Nimitz air group (CAG17) flies only F/A-18s of different varieties as their fighter/attack squadrons - no F-35s.

Yep, delivering hundreds of thousands of undocumented, illegals and delivering for the Chinese and Ukrainians, after of course The Bidens. For his own country, not so much.

18 Billion, 23 Billion............................just silly.

That's it? A singing and dancing violation? With every bit of chicanery indulged in to retain power by this military coup leader and authoritarian strongman with no respect for law, Thai people or anything else that doesn't line his pockets and those of his cronies and he gets a singing and dancing violation. That should right the ship for sure.

I think you're right. My dentists in Thailand have all been women.

Nah. Trump and the Post are in a symbiotic relationship with the same objective - gaining ears and eyeballs. Trump is first and foremost a showman, playing to the crowd - any crowd - with evocative teasers - anything to keep the camera/NY Post focused on him.

Trump is a smart insider who knows how the political game is played. He was part of it, contributing to both sides as a real estate developer and solicited by both sides for support. He knows what can be bought and influenced. As a result, Trump scares the <deleted> out of all the politicians and hangers on who feed at the government trough and who have for decades. He's an existential threat. So, the threatened worked to take him out from the get-go with made up accusations, innuendo and false claims - many of which were created or amplified by government agencies and agents. The opposed didn't launch a "loyal opposition," but a "resistance." They didn't offer alternatives or compromise, but literally tore up his proposals and opinions. Is Trump a showman who deals in hyperbole? Sure. Is he a little paranoid and defensive? Sure. Does he do everything by-the-book? Nope. Is Trump a paragon of morality? Nope, but neither were Roosevelt, Kennedy, Clinton or most other powerful, monied men. Is Trump being constantly attacked with <deleted> by an entrenched bureaucracy scared of losing their power, money and influence? You bet. Two observations: In New York City, in the 1980s when Trump was a mere developer, the City could not get the Wollman and Lasker ice skating rinks in Central Park fixed it seemed forever. Trump stepped in and got them fixed in weeks. I've worked for CEOs of Fortune 200 companies. Their personalities and approach is strikingly similar to Trump. Partly for effect and partly from supercharged egos that fuel their success. I never liked all the aspects of a CEO's personality or supported everything they did, but they knew how to get things done. I kinda liked low unemployment, particularly for blacks and browns, low inflation, less BS and more decisiveness (albeit with a wee bit too much "me, me, me"). Ever tried to get a visa for someone or go through the legitimate U.S. Immigration process? I have. And after those experiences, watching tens of thousands walking across the U.S. border with no checks and with consequence whatsoever kinda pisses me off. Violent rhetoric, outrageous personal attacks and baseless lies aren't unique in American politics, but the kind of nonsense being seen now hasn't been common for more than 150 years. Have a nice day.

Been using Thai dentists exclusively for twelve years. A third or less than U.S. prices. Quick, the latest technology, easy access.

I recently read an older post on a travel site where the poster compared the Pattaya Beach to Jomtien. Neither fared well. Not much seems to have changed. Having been fortunate to see a lot of top ocean beaches from the States to the Caribbean, to Hawaii, Vietnam, Phi Phi, Kho Phayam, Koh Larn, Koh Phai and Abu Dhabi, I know a good ocean beach when I see one. One wonders if the local authorities have ever actually ever been to the really best beaches/seaside resort towns among which high rollers can choose. Course sand, opaque water and occasional reports of turds floating around aren't helping our "seaside resort" that publicly touts it's beaches as a major attraction, while in private many people think it must be the loose women. Does anyone regularly report on the chemistry of the ocean water of the Pattaya or Jomtien beaches? Say from 40 or fifty meters off shore? "Face" being what it is, one wonders if publishing the bacteria counts once a week might be illuminating if not motivating. I know publicly publishing the daily chlorine and PH levels of hotel swimming pools keeps everyone attentive. There must be independent engineering firms who do this sort of stuff. Maybe "Asean Now" could publish the data.

Thanks for the insight. Covid likely did less damage to the local businesses and neighborhood than this travesty. Is Civil Engineering one of those professions reserved for Thais only?

Soi 15 runs between Second Road and Soi Buakhao, behind "Avenue." Construction to put in new six foot diameter piping and junction boxes has been going on since before Thanksgiving (November 2022). Virtually no work has been done since before Christmas with about half the Soi finished, about a quarter of it in dirt/dust/mud with iron plates all over. The part from Soi Buakhao isn't touched yet. The dirt and dust is astounding, turning to mud and puddles when it rains or when local businesses throw water on the Soi to try to keep the dust down. Traffic can be held up for a long time. Anyone know the story? I know, TIT, but geez....................

I don't know about your bank of choice, but Bangkok Bank has dollar denominated accounts so you can stash a chunk of the cash proceeds in dollars and play the exchange rate game as appropriate. I've used it for almost four year with no problem, Set up at the Central Branch here in Pattaya.

Civil engineering either in drainage or in road design are not particularly strong suits for many Thai people holding those jobs, particularly in Chonburi Province..

I was just in Chiang Rai for four days, three of which had steady rain, sometimes torrential. Plenty of curbs, plenty of streets, no flooding whatsoever. Pattaya is weird, torential rain for an hour or less (not three days) and the place is rivers and lakes. Go figure.

Sad story. COPD/Emphysema are very debilitating illnesses. And they are preventable illnesses. I lost a friend who had COPD who made it to 94, but was tethered to an Oxygen tank for her last fifteen years or so. She quit smoking in her forties, but the effects finally settled in thirty years later. I'm 77 and healthy thank God; I'm not sure there's a "Use By Date" for people and sure hope this fellow recovers. For the fellow who want to hang it up after a "full life" of sixty or seventy years, Godspeed. The speculation about this fellow's financial and insurance situation is silly and a little cruel. Something is going to kill me, I'm sure of that, so while I have insurance, my plan is to not fight nature and take my licks.

Thanks for that information. It was before 2016. A pity, seemed like a quick and easy solution at the time.

I had this issue in China and the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai added blanks pages to my then current passport. Not sure what the U.S. Consulate in Bangkok might do.