Middle Aged Grouch

An iPad will have a longer "life span" then the iphone scam. Not that the iphones break but after 3 or 4 years of normal use and misuse !!...on the iPhone, the battrery charge will dwindle and often not finish the entire day. Web or app browsing will slow and there will be glitches. iPad is nice but the iPhone is a real scam and seems to be programmed not to last after a couple of iOS updates. Also never buy an iphone outside your country of residence as the warranty or Apple Care is drafted on a tricky basis that makes it valid only in one's country of residence.

They should be asking all the Chinese and Russians entering for police checks and stop harassing the decent people.

In some food courts food deserves to be handed back over the counter but not for the reasons considered here. It deserves to be sent back due to the new trend in serving miserably small portions and I am far from being a big belly bald glutton. The food court in the Market Village Basement in Hua Hin is one of the worst I ever used in Thailand. The price and food was ok, but the portions served in the plate were a pure scam.

You have a point. I know this Thai lady a popular beach town with a Danish boyfriend who bought her a tailor shop and a restaurant. When the chap is not around, the tailor shop is rarely open, the work poorly done and service is average. When he is around sitting inside the shop keeping an eye on things, the work is done seriously and in time, the shop is open as she is not recovering from the previous night's party hangover or even boumboum who knows.

The problem in Thailand is that even when a westerner is with a decent Thai lady, society will look on them and think the lady is a rent-a-week or a rent-a-year compagnon.

For 50 bucks you get a hassle free 3 month tourist visa to Vietnam, with no hassles compared to all the fuss on the LTR. Many retirees from the west who look for a winter stay in Asia, come to Thailand who only gives 2 months visa waiver then apply for the 3 month hassle free, multi entry visa to Vietnam. Far better then going through all the hassle Thailand loves to make on foreigners. No problem. well will spend the money in Vietnam.

Be it property or your bedtime partner...in Thailand you never buy...just rent...by the hour, by the week, by the month or by the year...

LTR is a global flop. One needs to re qualify annualy and go to part of the immigration hassle process each year. Really not worth as it really does not make it much simple. You send them what they ask and then they come back a week later asking again for some absurd document or health coverage.

Macron should rather focus on his own country France that is on the bench to be under EU guardianship due to the French debt that is an alarming 3'300 billion...yes 3'300 that is about 99% of their own GDP. Talk about a country being bankrupt and you got it. But he is right is saying that the EU is doomed. With the trillions given to Ukraine, with their total submission to America and NATO and their absurd woke policy on migrants and refugees who are living a better life in Europe at government expense, then the locals....not surprising why the far right is unfortunately progressing all over Europe.

I do not give any laundry to the shops as I got fed up in giving a L or XL sized shirt and getting it back all freshly neatly washed and pressed and transformed to a size S. Far cheaper to get a clothes washing maching and to iron at home if necessary.

For example this model from Boonthavorn, porcelain wood imitation tiles. They have many more that can surely meet your choice and standards. It's in Thai so use Google translate to get the clear description. Good luck on your tile-hunt. https://www.boonthavorn.com/boonplus-1145730?page=1

America is creating trouble all over the world between it's sanctions to Russia and in supporting and supplying arms for a Genocide with daily war crimes in the Gaza region. Nobody is conned anymore on the games the Biden administration is playing, much to the joy of the American arms lobby.

This tragedy reflects the general tendency in Thailand regarding poor vehicle maintenance. In the past it was the break failure issues but this time it went a step further and ended in a very tragic and unacceptable manner. Even if new vehicle maintenance laws were implemented, with all the current corruption in the administration or the Police, small chance that things will change in a close future.

For my place, I used tiles that perfectly imitate the look of wood floor paneling. Far more easy to clean and will not deteriorate with the humidity and will not attract termites. And it looks just like wood.

Britain seems to need and scrape all the money it can as the UK is giving billions of dollars to Ukraine, to the American led coalition wars in the Middle East and so on. Like many western nations, England prefers to spend money all over but not for it's own.

The law must change and all foreigners who have leased their houses must be allowed to buy the plot of the land. Until this happens, foreigners are well aware never to buy a house on leasehold in Thailand. Lot's of revenue that is getting lost for Thailand. Westerners are buying in other countries in Asia now for retirement and even in India.

Thai male jealousy leading them to form gangs to beat up foreign tourists who have money for booze and local pussy. Apparently they seem to have connections with the Police who turn a blind eye to these criminals freely attacking tourists in Bangkok.

Ukraine just the war (crimes) led by Israel (and America) are a salvation to their respective leaders. As both the israeli and the ukrainian,. were due to show up in court on various charges of corruption and political wrongdoing before the war started.

Did they cheat the foreigners on the bill, as many restaurants in Thailand do with overcharging foreigners and tourists ?

Behind the scenes America is already backing Iran as iranian oil has been going out for a moment now very discreetly and with america's knowledge. Same for Russia as america is still buying lots of fertilizers and the entire Europe is still buying russian gas and crude oil, via China, India or other countries of the ex Soviet bloc that have no oil fields but strangely have become no 1 exporters of refined oil. Funny isn't it ? As for those who are now opposing the current iranian dictators, their parents were the same who were whinging to oust the Shah of Iran in the 70ies and always remember that Europe gave Khomeny a safe haven in France. So it may be a bit more complex then the usual sports bar cleavage saying this one is Bad and this one is good. When it comes to business and buying oil. America eats in the plate of everybody. Sorry.

Very true and a big difference with those american airliners with those granny ages ladies still trudging at their ages and serving drinks with a grouchy face. In fact I was shocked to see ladies of such old age still flying to survive and pay the bills. I felt sorry for them to be in such a country that spends trillions and distributes it all over to generate and maintain wars, but has not yet something more civilised for it's elderly people.

I will only fly the airliner where those cabin girlies wear swimsuits or those very tight shorts. If not, might as well hire a car and ask for a girlie driver 🤪

There are now 2 different standards for cabin luggage size, that is free of any extra charge. The usual standard size that major international airlines allow a (55x38x22 cm) but the weight is usually limited to 7kgs and those f#348ss@rs can also make surprise weight checks at the gate on boarding. But be wary of the new imposed downsizing of free cabin bag format with carriers like RyanAir, EasyJet etc. that is now 45x36x20 but they can allow upto 15 kg weight.

Between the tax doubts on foreign pensions or income, the overcharged Bhat, those who can, are leaving Thailand for other more western friendly countries in the region. Even places like Malta or Spain offer a decent quality of life, good healthcare, great girls, cheap food and booze, for those on a pension budget. And with far less xenophobia and immigration hassles compared to Thailand. Cyprus, Malta or Spain guys,....check it out.

The US support to Israel and Ukraine will be the political doom for Harris and mark the return of the Donald. Like it or not, like him or not.