SteveBull

All foreign reserves are US dollars, many many countries wish that wasn't so but it won't be changing in our lifetimes. Cryptos are an example of an assault on the dollar, but if it got even close to competing then the US would just regulate it out of existence. Don't gamble on balloons bursting, the FED are being overly cautious imo, and some believe the inflation peak can already be seen, UK inflation which is already in double figures is predicted to be sub 2% end 2023, though a fair bit of pain to come between now and then. However yes your last paragraph we totally agree on, last time I looked Thailand were about 7th on the planet in terms of dollar reserves, an incredible position when you see some of the huge economies beneath them, so it is a shame to put it mildly, there's not more help for the folk down on their luck. NB Thailand now in 15th place but still ahead of the UK (17th)

I can vouch for HH immigration (go to the new big building) - they've always been super helpful to me. The staff downstairs when you arrive will ask you what the issue is, and if they can't do it themselves, then prep you for when you go upstairs to the movers and the shakers ????

Covid certainly made a lot of people rich, incl eight new billionaires I read. Moderna has now just launched legal action against Pfizer for nicking their ideas incl how the vaccine works to stop the bodies immune system attacking the antidote when it enters the body, something many of the vaccine providers could not replicate, which makes you wonder, if true, how much pfizer helped at all in the whole thing. The numbers Moderna are mentioning re compensation are to say the least 'large' !

I guess that's my English degree trashed then.

I'm here to counsel you again ???? - China has seen the devastation sanctions have delivered to Russia, (though sadly not enough), if you were the Chinese PM, fond of your position, and are about to see your Russian counterpart taken out, and knew the economic consequences, would you invade ? OK try melatonin ???? (I've no idea why that switched to block writing?)

Yep agreed - Thailand seems to produce incredible engineers/architects etc all skills that can benefit Thailand and then go out of their way to keep those skills within, and I've seen the maths and physics stuff they give to 14 year olds and it would blow your mind, it's easily UK A level stuff if not more, yet the overall common sense factor and depressingly the woeful lack of awareness of the world outside Thailand, Geography and History etc is so poor. Infact when I was researching schools for my daughter, I don't think I even saw a school with Geography on their curriculum. So currently my daughter is days away from splitting the atom but can't give me 3 European capitals !!

If you live your life in a state of perpetual paranoia, possibly. (Your first mistake was listening to the 'old, bitter' guys)

Everything in life has the potential to go wrong if your glass is half empty so whats the solution ? everyone do nothing ?

Perhaps word has got around how little he respects them. I see green shoots in various industries here as Covid recedes so perhaps there's hope yet - don't know where you're from but I'm sure properties will become available, now probably being a good time to barter with a landlord ? I would offer to be a customer, but all she'll be doing is painting my head !! ????

I use to do the Myanmar border run, people use to say to me it must be a real pain but I loved it. Easy trip (from PKK), initially I used an agent, but it's so easy there's no need, mostly drive there wait and return, the last two I did you didn't even physically cross the border, they would just take your passport in bulk and bring them back. If you do cross the few hundred metres to the other side. there's a couple of wine 'shops' cheaper than Thai side

Have you just cracked open another bottle ?

If you live in rural Thailand how can you not 'need' a phone (if you're sick) or a motorbike (to get to your job/get food) - you're not thinking this through too well.

If your kids were hungry what would you do ? Give us an alternative that is open to your average rural thai family .....we're all ears.... As for the govt to help, the irony is amazing, here they get next to nothing from the thai govt, no safety nets here if you're on your <deleted>, whereas in the west you're pampered from cradle to grave and paid not to work, paid to have kids, paid to stay at home to take care of your babies - so where are you from ?

You were doing so well (love the broken arms comment) but then you had to ruin it by prioritising ballet over football ! I'm gonna file that under an unintended slip as the rest was good ????

Are you really suggesting give a 17 year old an ATM card to an account with a million baht (so far) in it - seriously ? Do you think she will have the life experience to spot a scammer or a fraud once they know a vulnerable young girl has access to a million baht ? Most girls of that age would be straight to the makeup/clothes shops. Think about it