MangoKorat

There are no conspiracy theories here - I am simply taking an overview of how things currently are and have thrown in a few comments which are clearly my opinion. Thailand may like to ride the horse it thinks is most likely to win - even change horses as it has in the past but given the rise of China, it may not be allowed to in any future major conflict.

The subjects that are discussed on AN never fail to amaze me.

In a major conflict, Thailand may have to pick one horse. As I said, China is not the same 'helpless' country it was in WW2.

Ha Ha, I don't think Thailand is under any threat as a nuclear target - more what would your position as a foreigner, possibly from an 'enemy' country be if anything major kicked off?

Yes Crossy but they also risk the punishment those sanctions entail if they choose not to.

Look around the world - I'm simply commenting on how things are.

I don't want to be a scraremonger but I think its fair to say that the world is far closer to all out war than its been since the Cuban Misile Crisis of 1962. There's conflict in the Middle East, Syria, several in Africa and many people (including myself) don't think Putin's appetite will end with Ukraine. Then there's the tension between the US and China - in particular in relation to Taiwan. There is also a general tension between Islamist factions, if not entire nations and the West in general. I'm not a fan of nuclear weapons but I think its fair to say that the deterrent they have provided has almost certainly stopped major conflicts developing until now. I'd like to think that deterrent still exists but we have several lunatic country leaders around the world at the moment. Russia currently holds the world's largest stockpile of nucear warheads (6257) and is controlled by a madman with, in my opinion, designs on rebuilding the Soviet Union. There is also a distinct possibility that another, very unpredictable lunatic will take charge of the holder of the world's second biggest nuclear stockpile (5550), the USA later this year. I believe Putin has major aspirations and has spent a lot of time trying to align himself with various nations including Iran, North Korea and China. I'm not so sure however, that China would support Russia in any expansionist escapades he may embark upon. One thing I think is a distinct possibility is that if Putin takes Ukraine and then moves on to attack another country, in particular a NATO member, that would most likely be the spark that ignites a major world conflict. Thailand likes to ride 'two horses' but if any major conflict kicks off, its geographical position will almost certainly dictate its allegiance - China is not the same 'helpless' country it was during WW2. So, given that so many members here currently live in Thailand and have made major financial and marital committments in the country, how safe do you feel in Thailand at the moment?

I have a Thai friend that lives and works in Phuket - she tells me that there are far more Russians there now than there have ever been. I also have an English friend that works in real estate in Phuket, he tells me condo sales and rentals to Russians have increased massively over the last 2 years. The numbers of Russian tourists may be roughly the same but those figures are simply arrivals. They don't show how many have stayed. Not sure if any figures are available that give the numbers of foreigners that are living in Phuket and their nationalities but they would tell the correct story.

Just point out my obvious mistake - pretty sure most people will have realised that I meant to say 'opposition in Russia' 😁.

When someone makes a comment like that, I'm not even going to begin disproving what you say - why? because I've debated with people like you before. Provide them with facts, they claim the source of the facts is lying. You want to be right so bad, you'll believe anything that appears to be in your favour and absolutely deny anything that's not. However, I'll give you a clue as to why just one of the things you've stated is incorrect - that latest one regarding the amount of support Navalny really had. Carry out some research from trusted and verified sources not from Putin's propaganda machine and learn exactly how much fear Putin spreads in Russia. FEAR is precisely why the actual amount of support Navalny had is unknown. Fear is why Russian people don't want to even appear to listen to the truth about Putin's Russia. Do a little checking into Putin's wealth, the wealth of a former KGB Officer working for communist country. A little background to assist your research: Putin has been preparing for the present situation since 1999. He's systematically dismantled the Russian free media and installed his own in such a way that the Russian people are only fed a diet of 'The West is out to get us, they're anti Russian etc. etc. Everytime something bad happenes in Russia, say a downturn in the economy, Putin blamed it on the West. His lies about Ukraine being run by Nazis are total rubbish, designed to keep the Russian people on side when he began his 'special military operation'. Now, I doubt that all Russian people are stupid and the internet provides other sources of news and facts but even social media is regulated in Russia. However, just as it is in other countries, people believe what they see on TV - Putin's TV! Putin wants the USSR back - he's a meglamaniac as well as a corrupt thug. As I said, he's spent 25 years preparing the Russian people for what's to come, making his rubbish plausible to the Russian people and manufacturing news. Along the way he's encountered some opposition which he's largely disposed of. People have disappeared, been jailed on spurious charges etc. etc. but his greatest nemesis was Alexi Navalany, a Russian lawyer. In reality Navalny had far more support than you give him credit for and Putin feared his popularity was a serious threat to his 'throne'. So the thug set about discrediting Navalny, jailed him on trumped up charges, one failed murder attempt and now a successful one. Along the way Navalny's supporters have been threatened and also locked up - just as is happening now to anyone who shows sympathy publicly. A policy of fear - consistent with the ways of a gangster like Putin. Don't trust what I tell you, do your own reseach but do yourself a favour, conduct your research based on the testimonies of Russians who are outside Russia - decent people that refuse to live in Putin's 'democracy'. Very few people inside Russia would dare to speak against Putin - purely out of fear. Check out trusted, independent news sources. Research the 'mysterious' deaths of exiled Russian dissidents, there have been many - people who I am absolutely certain, were murdered on Putin's orders. Read the evidence against Russian agents who are accused of trying to poison Sergei Skpypal in Salisbury, UK. A clue - if they had nothing to do with the poisoning, why were they traveling on false passports? Look at the timings of their entry and exit from the UK. As I say, I refuse to disprove your claims because there's zero chance of you listening - by far the best chance of you changing your views is to read some factual evidence yourself. You seem caught up in Putin's web of lies but let me remind you - exactly 2 years ago, Putin gave absolute assurances that he had no intention of invading Ukraine. You might also, along the way, come across Putin's speaches where, forgetting himself briefly, he actually admits what his real intentions in Ukraine are.

No, I believe the amps is the one where the initial part of the scale has the wording 'Leak'. I think the 10 50 250 Corresponds to volts - depending on where you have the ACV switch set and the red AC10V on the same scale = just that - if you have the switch set to 10. This should help, sorry no time to read it. https://overseas.sanwa-meter.co.jp/pdf/manual/analog_multitester/YX360TRF_EN.pdf Its clearly the same meter but odd how the name is spelled differently.

Lots of places open very late far up and around Soi 11. Seems to be the 'in place' these days.

Some, if not most of these immigration issues are because of the huge amount of Thai's working illegally in South Korea.

It could be so many things Sheryl to be honest. A decent electrician should find it easily. I found a 'real' electrician by quietly asking if anyone did 'moonlights' at my local PEA office.

I'm no electrician - hopefully Crossy will be along soon and give you some advice. However, Thai' electricians', I use the term lightly, wire houses up very differently to what is generally accepted in other parts of the world. There is rarely any separate lighting, sockets and high ampage circuits. I suspect that your problem is something to do with the water heater and its shorting the live across to the neutral. You might think the lights are on a separate circuit but I doubt the neutrals are separate - hence a neutral fault can give problems in other areas. In my house the lights take their positive from the socket supply in the same room and they all both share the neutrals. Such a fault should flip the trips in your consumer unit - provided of course, that trip has been wired correctly in the first place. Connecting the outgoing live to the incoming live renders the trip completely useless yet that was how a house I rented was wired! I've also found that some Thai fittings and switches 'leak' electricity - I've had readings of 2 to 12v on the plastic parts of a light switch - cured by replacing the switch. I've changed all my sockets to UK ones now but I previously also had a Thai double socket reading around 50v on the plastic! Anyway, electric is a strange beast and I'm just speculating. Hopefully someone with real electrical experience will be able to point you in the right direction

Sorry, on a second look - use the scale (red) that says AC10V but set the meter to 250. I have to say that's probably the most confusingly scaled meter I've seen.

To check the voltage, yes you are using the correct scale DCV250 & ACV250. That scale will read AC voltage up to 250v. Read the voltage registered on that scale. In a Thai domestic situation you should be getting 220 to 230v. However, there are often large variations in Thailand - mostly on the low side. The voltage can drop quite a lot before you'd actually notice in on the lights. The 10V scale is for checking lower voltages more acurrately - its hard to see low voltages on the larger black scale. The black dial is for you to zero the needle - through different types of usage, the needle might not stast where it should. Turn the dial whichever way - to locate the pointer to zero before taking a reading.

Just to add, very few (Russian) people that have criticised or stood up to Putin are still alive.

Another load of hogwash, verging on conspiracy theorist nonsense. I can't speak for others but I've followed the Navalny story for years. It's very clear to me that what's happened to him - imprisonment and now death, has occurred because he posed the nearest thing to a threat that Putin has faced. After all they did to him, he still had the strength to laugh in Putin's face. The TV tells me to do nothing. Unlike Putin's Russia, my country has a free press, one that verifies everything it releases as news or makes a point of stating that an item is unverified. Russia is supposed to have a democracy, and that involves people with differing opinions being allowed to campaign and speak. The simple facts of Putin's democracy (read thuggery) are: No other party that the Russian people even start to listen to will be tolerated. All Russian news and news media shall be governed and managed by the state. The forthcoming election in Russia is a sham - no credible opposition is allowed. What Putin is, is clear to any sane person - he's a shameless thug, he's gulity of an illegal, unprovoked invasion of a neighbour, he's a murderer and a war criminal. You appear to be a supporter, shame on you. As for Assange, again you're wrong - what's happening to him is wrong and I think most people with a balanced mind would think the same. My country is wrong for even considering his extradition. However this thread is about Thai/Russian relations.

Change of title for a rental? No way.

I believe the owner is within their rights to keep your deposit. A more reasonable way though would be for them to market the flat again and if they let it without any loss - refund your deposit. Any losses would be taken from your deposit. I doubt that's going to happen in Thailand though - I think you're going to have to accept you've lost your deposit.

Taking it back to our Putin supporting friend - what I'm suggesting is for clear rubbish such as he posts. I'm not about to dig up the news reports- there is plenty of evidence that tells the truth about what Putin's armies have done in Ukraine - anyone who can make statements such as 'They have conducted the war in the the most moral fashion, scrupulously observing the rules of war and minimising civilian casualties' and state that Putin is a 'humanitarian and a gentleman' is clearly out of order. Decent people don't get arrest warrants from the ICC. The internet is a great source of information but its also full of disinformation. It sounds fair to let everyone have a voice - unfortunately there's a few people out there that should be silenced.

He could be trolling or baiting or it could be worse. There's a lot of reports around at the moment about agents of 'certain countries' posting disinformation in order to cause disruption in elections etc. Some say that they are responsible for the rise of the far right in many countries. As with the 'conspiracy theorists' that spread so much rubbish durig the Covid pandemic - some people believe what these malicious idiots post and to a certain extent, I can understand that. So many people believe everything they read on Social Media or believe there must be something in it. They see something in print on their god, the internet so it has to be true doesn't it? An example: During the pandemic I received a message from a close friend who'd read a fwd'd Whatsapp post that stated the woman who was the first in the UK to have a Covid vaccine had died - so my friend had decided that she wasn't going to have the vaccine. I asked her where she got the information from and she sent me a link to 'news report' from a media company that I'd never heard of. I have to say that the website looked very professional. A simple Google search revealed that the report was a fake - as was the media co. Just about anyone can make a website and post whatever rubbish they want on it - then link to it on Social Media. The above is just one example, I've seen quite a few but recently heard that a foreign country is suspected of spreading disinformation that supported the 'leave side' during the lead up to the Brexit vote. In the interests of balance, I would state that it could be equally possible that the 'remain side' did the same - I'm not interested in opening up that debate again. Stirring up opinion using populist methods used to be the realm of politicians - now the public are joining in and more ominously 'certain countries' have realised that they can create influence both domestically and worldwide. Facebook and other Social media platforms recently reported that they had discovered and removed, thousands of fake accounts being used by 'people' from China, Russia and North Korea to spread disinformation. Although I believe in freedom of speech and democracy etc, I think there's a growing case for limiting that or at least verifying/requesting verification any controversial information posted. Maybe its also time that Social Media platforms, including Asean Now started removing posts that are not just different in their viewpoint but contain clear disinformation and/or make wild accusations. Either that or a clear text, automatically added to each new topic - warning of the dangers of misinformation.

Do we still execute traitors at dawn? Severely provoked my a%&. Ukraine has been evolving into a democracy since the fall of the USSR. The people of Ukraine clearly showed which direction they wanted their future to go in during the Maidam riots. Ukraine has every right to choose which way it leans - they want to join Nato. Nato is a defensive organisation and is no threat to a peaceful country. The current conflict illustrates exactly why they wanted to join Nato. They want to join the EU - that is their right. Putin uses this 'threat' theory to cover his real ambitions - although at times he has made it clear what those ambitions are. 'A humanitarian and a gentelman' - are you sane? Tell that to the families of the thousands of Ukranian and Russian soldiers that have been killed in Putin's 'Special Military Operation'. Tell it to Navalny's wife or the families of all the other members of the opposition in Thailand that are currently serving time in Russian jails on trumped up charges. Look around the world at how many Russian dissidents have been poisoned or killed in some other suspicious way. 'They have conducted the war in the the most moral fashion, scrupulously observing the rules of war and minimising civilian casualties' - oh really? To name just one matter, take a look at what happened in Bucha, Ukraine during the first few weeks of the current conflict. You are a very long way off the mark and although you have a right to your opinion, any true humanitarian will find your comments deeply offensive. You must be either insane or baiting.

I don't disagree with you but I think there's a little more to it - I don't know what that is but there's something and its probably connected to China. I won't go into detail but a couple of years ago I wrote to the Thai Ambassador in London - twice. The subject was serious matter but one without any adverse consequences for Thailand - just a request for information really. In the usual, irritating Thai way when there's nothing in it for them, my letters were completely ignored. I then contacted my MP who was a government minister at the time. I was aware that he had previously had dealings with the Thai Ambassador and thought he might help. He agreed with me that I needed answers but when I asked him to put my question to the Ambassador for me, he refused and went off the phone saying he had an urgent call. I e-mailed him on the matter and his reply, from memory, was something like 'its not my place to dictate policy to the Thai Ambassador. That was extremely puzzling because my request was nothing to do with policy and did not involve any dictating at all - it was quite a bland matter but one of importance to me. Successive e-mails were met with exactly the same response - even when I pointed out his puzzling comments about policy. He clearly did not want to do anything that he thought the Thai Ambassador might not like, not that I could understand what was not to like. I have no idea what it was but there was something amiss. I expected the UK government to be openly critical of Thailand (as they have been with other countries) when they did a deal with Putin to buy some of the oil the West was rejecting - they weren't. Maybe the UK and US etc. think that they have an ally in Thailand and therefore Asia in general so they don't want to do anything that would damage that perceived relationship - with China in mind. If that's their thinking, I believe they are sadly mistaken. Thailand chooses its friends according to what that friend can do for them. Their allegiance changes with their bank account and they do more 'fence sitting' than any other country I know. I seem to remember Thailand was one of the few countries to abstain on UN votes against Russia when it invaded Ukraine.