Tom100

Yes. This is what I think too. I rent because I do not see the reason to buy into an oversupplied market. I am also worried about the constantly changing rules imposed on farang.

Dan Bongino is a great man -- dedicated to the USA! He began his career as a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer from 1995 to 1999 before serving as a U.S. Secret Service agent from 1999 to 2011. Why are you Non-US citizens and TOTAL LOSERS posting retarded ignorant opinions? I am a US passport holder and I support Kash & Dan. The FBI was totally corrupted. Read the news!

Corruption thrives where education is weak and countries are not meritocratic, reinforced by systemic inequality and political roadblocks to political/social reforms. Breaking this cycle requires governance that lets educated voices reshape the system. But TiT, so it is not happening. The chart below from the Bangkok Post show that Thai highschool scores are not only far below international averages for developed countries but they have been falling steadily since 2012 (after rising from 2000-2010). I suspect that the falling test scores reflect rising internet/smartphone usage which causes falling attention spans and reduces the ability to learn.

+100 My lefty cat-lady american democrat friend called Trump a threat to democracy. As soon as Trump won in 2024 she claimed that the result was faked and that the election should be challenged. After Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election she wrote a book called "What Happened" claiming that Trump stole the election due to Russian interference and that his election undermined democracy. The enemies of democracy are the radical leltists.

Yes. I think the shift is partly to charge prices that are disproportionately higher than the relative input cost difference. Makes sense given real estate overhead. Same in Canada where more expensive Sushi places displace cheaper Chinese places (although still run by Chinese/Koreans). Grok.com AI provided this response.... Increase Over the Last 20 Years The growth of Japanese restaurants in Bangkok over the past two decades has been remarkable, driven by Thailand’s increasing appetite for Japanese cuisine, a growing Japanese expat community, and tourism. Here’s a breakdown based on available data: 2000s (Early Growth): Jetro and other sources indicate that the popularity of Japanese cuisine in Thailand began to surge around 2000. While exact numbers for Bangkok in 2000 are scarce, the nationwide total was likely in the low hundreds, with Bangkok as the epicenter. A 2017 Jetro report mentions that Japanese restaurants in Thailand had been growing continuously since 2000, suggesting a baseline of perhaps 200–300 nationwide by 2005, with Bangkok likely having 100–150. 2010s (Rapid Expansion): By 2017, Jetro reported 118,000 Japanese restaurants worldwide, with Thailand emerging as a key market in ASEAN. In 2018, Thailand had over 3,000 Japanese restaurants, with Bangkok hosting 1,718 in 2018, rising to 1,993 in 2019 (a 16% increase in one year). This reflects a decade of explosive growth, fueled by Thai consumer demand, health-conscious trends, and the influx of Japanese chains like Fuji, Zen, and Yoshinoya. 2020s (Pandemic and Recovery): The COVID-19 pandemic slowed growth in 2020, with a net decrease of 726 new openings nationwide compared to 2019’s peak. However, provincial areas saw a 21% increase, while Bangkok’s growth was modest at 5.6%. By 2022, the nationwide total hit 5,325, indicating a robust recovery. Bangkok’s share likely grew from 1,993 in 2019 to around 2,600–2,900 by 2022, with a projected rise to 3,000–3,200 by 2025. Estimated Growth Trajectory 2005 Estimate: ~100–150 in Bangkok (extrapolated from early trends). 2015 Estimate: ~1,000–1,200 (based on pre-2018 growth patterns). 2019: 1,993 (Jetro data). 2022: ~2,600–2,900 (estimated from nationwide 5,325 and Bangkok’s historical share). 2025 (Current Estimate): ~3,000–3,200 (assuming continued moderate growth). Over 20 years (2005–2025), this represents an increase of approximately 2,850–3,100 restaurants, or a 20–30-fold rise, aligning with Jetro’s observation of continuous annual growth since 2000 and Thailand’s status as ASEAN’s largest Japanese food market. Factors Driving Growth Cultural Influence: The Japanese expat population in Thailand (over 50,000 in Bangkok alone) and Thai fascination with Japanese culture (e.g., anime, tourism to Japan) have boosted demand. Economic Factors: New retail complexes, franchises, and Thai entrepreneurs entering the market have accelerated expansion. Health Trends: Japanese cuisine’s reputation as healthy has resonated with Thai consumers. In summary, Bangkok likely has around 3,000–3,200 Japanese restaurants as of February 2025, up from an estimated 100–150 in 2005, marking a dramatic increase over the past 20 years fueled by cultural and economic dynamics. For a precise current count, real-time surveys or updated Jetro data would be needed, but this estimate reflects the trajectory based on available evidence.

I have used ChatGPT hundreds of times and find that both are excellent with the right prompts. I gave it a question from a university class I took in 2021 and Chatgpt produced a perfect answer in one minute. It took me a day. My actuary friend asked the paid ChatGPT to write code to solve a complex actuarial database quiry and analysis. No one in the New York office could solve the coding problem. ChatGPT wrote the code that ran in SAS and solved the problem fast. AI is better than most employees and will replace millions.

Before I bought Pacific Cross insurance, they said they would pay hospital claims directly online if I preregistered with hospitals. After I went to a hospital and had a valid claim that was submitted by the hospital online it was automatically DENIED. Pacific Cross told me they did not know who I was. I said I was the person that bought the policy. They required that I prove my identity with THREE COLOR COPIES OF MY PASSPORT. MUST BE MAILED TO COMPANY. NO EMAILS ALLOWED. They misplaced the mail and asked for the tracking number, then said I was at fault. THE PERSON THAT SELLS INSURANCE FOR A COMMISSION IGNORES YOU AFTER YOU PAY. DO NOT TRUST PACIFIC CROSS. Many insurance companies use delaying tactics to avoid paying claims. This is how they manage profitability. They only certainty is self-insurance. If you get cancer, you may be covered for the first year, but your policy the following year could be 5-10 million baht! Your policy price will be increased to recoup your claims and more.

Agreed. In the US, the average claim denial rate is currently 16% See below. Luigi Mangione (who shot the health insurance CEO) wrote the words "delay," "deny," and "depose" on the bullets used in a crime, with each word appearing on a separate bullet casing; this phrase is often used to criticize tactics employed by insurance companies like delaying payments and denying claims. I had Thai insurance with Pacific Cross for 2 years. I only tried to make one claim but they made the process extremely time-consuming, ignored/misplaced the docs I mailed in, refused to accept claim forms in PDF format - mail only, then claimed delay was my fault, then told me that my insurance would go up more than the claim amount. So they promised to punish me for a legitimate claim. I dropped the claim, next year (2025) they increased my annual premium over 40% despite no claims ever. What fraudsters...using the common industry tactics of delay, deny, and depose.

Great news.

This store on Lazada sells high quality cast iron pans. Get the big one. FANTASTIC! Avoid teflon unless you like cancer and replacing every 150 uses.

13 Types of Corruption in Thailand 1. Bribery • Bribery is common for expedited public services and to bypass regulations. • Source: Transparency International - Thailand Overview URL: https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/thailand 2. Nepotism and Cronyism • Favoritism in appointments and public contracts often leads to inefficiencies. • Source: Asia Foundation URL: https://asiafoundation.org/ 3. Political Corruption • Examples include vote-buying and manipulation of policies for personal gain. • Source: Bangkok Post - Thailand Politics URL: https://www.bangkokpost.com/ 4. Judicial Corruption • Corruption in the judiciary includes case manipulation and selective justice. • Source: World Justice Project - Thailand URL: https://worldjusticeproject.org/ 5. Public Procurement Fraud • Government contracts are often overpriced, and ghost vendors are used to embezzle funds. • Source: OECD - Thailand Anti-Corruption URL: https://www.oecd.org/corruption/ 6. Police Corruption • Extortion at checkpoints and collusion in illicit activities are prevalent. • Source: ASEAN Today - Police Corruption URL: https://www.aseantoday.com/ 7. Systemic Corruption • Deeply rooted patronage networks impact governance and prevent reforms. • Source: Transparency International - Thailand Analysis URL: https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/thailand 8. Corruption in Education • Issues include bribery for grades, exam fraud, and misuse of budgets. • Source: The Diplomat - Thailand Education URL: https://thediplomat.com/ 9. Environmental and Land Corruption • Includes illegal logging and unauthorized developments approved through bribery. • Source: Bangkok Post - Environmental Issues URL: https://www.bangkokpost.com/ 10. Corruption in Healthcare • Misallocation of healthcare budgets and favoritism in medical services are common. • Source: WHO - Thailand Healthcar URL: https://www.who.int/ 11. Corruption in Transportation • Bribery is frequent in licensing and inflated costs for infrastructure projects. • Source: Thai PBS - Corruption in Public Works URL: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/ 12. Corruption in Tourism • Tourist scams and unlicensed operators are enabled by local corruption. • Source: ASEAN Today - Tourism Corruption URL: https://www.aseantoday.com/ 13. Military Corruption • Defense budgets and land misappropriations are major concerns. • Source: Asia Times - Thai Military URL: https://asiatimes.com/ These examples illustrate how corruption permeates multiple sectors in Thailand, impeding development and governance.

This law helps the small independent stores that sell openly sell alcohol. There are 4 of the small places minutes away and I prefer to give them my business rather than Big C or Lotus. But I think the law is crazy if it reduces tourism and should be ended... but TIT!

I lived in that area for 2 years until 2024. I hated the noise and traffic! The sidewalks on Soi 24 are also very narrow and broken, especially towards Rama IV. The traffic is impossible when Sukhumvit is jammed up. To each his own!

First, the conservative news sites applaud this correct decision and your source is biased. Second, Gen. Mark Milley deserves to be severely punished for his opposition to Trump while Milley was active-duty and Trump was President: This disloyalty to the Commander in Chief is called treason.

Mr. Pierre website seems down. It is top-rated at 4.8/5.0 . VK is rated at 4.7/5.0