TroubleandGrumpy

In addition to all the others - Makes my Thai wife happy to live here Travelling is cheap and not always looking at speedo (SFA cameras and fine not ludicrous) OK to have a few drinks (not drunk) and drive home Movies are cheap Golf is great (but not cheap) Can travel cheaply to a fantastic beachside resort when they offer a special deal on short notice

And there is the virtue signaling woke left-wing fool.

Good point - indeed they are just like religious fanatics.

Why is it that ideologues always brand those disagreeing or questioning their beliefs, to be 'haters'. Wait on - now I remember - because they are woke and they will 'cancel' any other opinion. I dont hate EVs - but I will not be buying one anytime soon - and if/when I get one it will be a Tesla. What I do dislike is self-serving virtue-signalers who drive EVs to 'save the planet', and who ridicule and abuse others who disagree with their delusional reasoning.

The reality is that those stats are a statistical manipulation. More EVs burn than ICE - but there are so many more ICE vehicles that the total numbers are incomparable. But the fact is that EVs (L-I batteries) burn far hotter, far longer, and emit far more toxic smoke - the damage from an EV fire is vastly more than a fire in an ICE vehicle. I will never take a long ferry ride with my vehicle in Thailand or anywhere else. A short trip is OK, but an over-nighter with a potential EV fire than can sink the ship, is a genuine concern. Especially when Somchai can and does install things himself to 'make it better'. EVs are early days and I am sure over time they will develop a solution to the fires issue - but I also know that there is a concerted (if misguided) push to get everyone to buy EVs to 'save the planet' - which means negatives like this about EVs will not be 'publicised' as much as they should. The PR should be greater, both to warn people, and to also make the developers solve the problem quickly.

Get registered at the local Hospital you want to be taken to if you have an emergency/accident. Ask them how to call an ambulance that will bring you here if ever needed. If you live in Bangkok then you will have a problem in traffic - know exactly where the closest Hospital is - and register there. If the 'ambulance' is not from the hospital and is a 'private contractor', do not let them take you to a private hospital - the charges will be horrendous, and they take you there because the private hospital will pay them a lot more than the local Thai ones. Good to see some Expats thinking ahead about medical problems, that will happen as they get older - it happens to us all. Living in a remote village or on a nice island has it ups, but the downside is a medical emergency. I reckon Shane Warne would still be alive if he had that heart attack in a city location and they were able to get him there quickly.

Same reason why so many Expats here are left wingers and support Labor in Aust/UK, Dems in USA, and Woke Libs in Europe. And I also notice a lot more Expats here support Ukraine and Hamas/Gaza. The reason is they are mostly 'life's losers' (not all, but many) and as you said many have a 'dubious' past. The fact of life is that if you go to the lowest GDP area in any modern city anywhere in the world, the majority of people there vote left wing, and if you go to the affluent areas they vote right wing. That is not to say that all Expats living here are the troubled ones, and a lot depends on where you are when observing them - it varies depending on where you are looking.

Get a life mate. I read the first OP and responded. Sure the guy advised 3 posts later that he did not want a laptop - but I had already replied. BESIDES his 'User Specs' were - quote "I mostly use it for downloading movies, Google searches and emails, no gaming, etc etc" On that basis I do recommend a laptop that he can move around the house/flat and even take it somewhere with him - DUH - he aint a gamer. Buy a name brand machine already configured and setup - and make it a laptop - that is my advice.

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) predicts .................. another load of total khrapp. Just like TAT counting border crossings with Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos as 'visitors'. Russian tourism will drop a lot this year because the war will be ended soon. Sth Koreans dont view Thailand like they used to, and the countries are in dispute over Thais being blocked from entering Sth Korea. India - fair enough - they are growing big time as world travelers. But the reality is that those Indians with money go to Dubai, Singapore, Europe etc. Those with less money come to Thailand and Vietnam - but not many come back twice - except those visiting Pattaya. China will continue to be the dominant source of tourists - but are they true 'quality' tourists coming now/future. Plus of course there were two places that Chinese escaped Mao - Taiwan and Thailand. There are a LOT of Chinese people entering Thailand every year for business and to visit family and friends, but TAT counts them all as 'visitors' - same as all the Malays doing the same down south. IMO if TAT could count all the illegals entering Thailand, they would also count them as visitors - maybe they do?

You are a grumpy old man Bob - and getting grumpier - and more trolling. Leave and go to The Philippines - give it a go for a while - and give us a break. Dont call me - I will call you.

What the debate and how people have reacted afterwards, has yet again showed me is that those supporting the Dems are truly 'committed' to their cause. Despite all the negatives of the last 4 years, and Biden being obviously incompetent as a POTUS, and that he is also incapable of coherent thoughts and debate, the left will still support their man as they run like lemmings over the political cliff 😆 As with many right wingers, I grew up one day and realised my 'University attitude' to life and politics, was totally wrong and completely irrational. As they said - if you vote right when young, you have a hard heart, but if you vote left when mature, then you have a soft head. There are a lot of soft-headed people these days and they are incapable of rational thinking - and those showing support for Biden are clearly 'lost'. Congrats to those that know and have said Biden should go - you may be left wing, but you have a rational mind - it is obvious Biden is not going to be elected. The best thing you can do is hold back (dont vote) and wait for the inevitable 'righting of the ship' as those in control of the Dems (Clintons, Pelosi, etc.) are removed from leadership and the Party takes a new direction, after the massive defeat that is coming their way. That lady who left the Dems said it best - she said she is leaving because the Dem Party has been taken over by radical far-left activists and is being manipulated by those who want power and whose supporters profit from wars.

Good for you - now p-off to Pattaya/Jomtien. Only there will an old monger Sexpat looking for young girls not get dirty looks.

Seems to me that there are two very possible scenarios. There is one senior cop that is totally corrupt and all the rest of them are clean and are trying to get rid of him before he becomes the top dog. OR One cop is trying to clean out the police system that is endemically corrupt, and they are trying to get rid of him before he becomes the top dog. Based on my observations since 2012, the Police system is endemically corrupt and always has been corrupt. Therefore, logic states that it is one cop trying to clean out the dirty cops, who are trying to get rid of him before he becomes their boss. Obviously.

I did - because unlike most lefty loonies who think they are, quote :- "a more intelligent superior opponent" - I actually have a life. Looks like my attempts to cure your ailment has failed - obviously it was not worth the effort.

All good - but up to the OP how he does it - as a self-confessed IT luddite he is better off buying brand model as is.

Go to Pattaya/Jomtien where you belong, and where 18-20 year olds are available at a price. If/when you settle down, then maybe go to Hua Hin and find a nice older woman (ideally without any kids).

Sorry if it took you a while to write those posts - I just laughed at them very quickly - you proved my points. We agree that we disagree - OK then - on with the day ahead.

I have used Wise to transfer money from Australia into Thailand for years – they are good, quick and usually the best price. They recently changed their login ‘security’ options for laptops, and this is for those who may have had the same problems I had. I access all financial and government organisations in Australia using my safe and secure laptop with VPN, with the 2nd level security being an SMS sent to my Aust mobile. In Thailand my Aust service is ‘roaming’ and connects to the AIS mobile network – I have data services off, so only SMS and calls are available. Whenever I need to login I have the Aust SIM in a spare phone and I get the SMS codes that way (it is always off until needed). Wise Australia decided to force all Users to download and use their App for all 2nd level verification when logging in using a laptop. For the last few weeks when logging in, a popup said I must install the App - but I just skipped that, and then I would get an SMS. Meanwhile I was emailing Wise, asking if there is another way to verify my logins besides the App, as I was overseas. After many to’s and fro’s via emails (their only method to talk now), it was clear that the Wise ‘person’ did not read/understand my issue (AI Help?). All the numbers I had to call (and used before) were closed and a recorded message on all of them said ‘login for help’. It took a while but eventually I found their new Call Centre number for SEAsia (+61 1800 549 837) which is in India/Malaysia I think. Once I was finally able to get the message through that I did not want to use my mobile phone, but preferred my laptrop and SMS, I was given a ‘solution’. The only ‘solution’ is to download and use the App to login, and then remove the App as a login method (ridiculous but it is all they have). Download and install the App on a smartphone. Login using the App – you will need the SMS code for the first time. Logout. Here is the ridiculous thing about this ‘security’ rubbish using the App. After doing that above, all I needed to login on the phone was the App and name/password – no 2nd level verification. But the laptop still required an SMS plus App verification (3 levels). How the hell is the App more secure?? The app was loaded onto my Thai phone using a Thai network – it could be done anywhere in the world. The next step is to log back in using the App – name and password only needed ☹ Go to settings in the App and delete the App as the 2nd level verification. Logout from App. Delete the App and all data. Login using the Laptop – you will again need an SMS code after entering name/password. Once logged in on the Laptop, go to settings and confirm SMS is the default 2nd level verification. Logout - all is Done. There are millions of mobile phones stolen every day – and many end up in the hands of hackers and scammers. There is no way I want my phone to have details of all my financial and banking logins – especially in Thailand. Sure many of the stolen ones are blown away and resold - but the security risk is real and it does happen. And here in Thailand the banking organisations will not usually refund your money – because they don’t have to (unlike in the west). Apparently, your stolen phone is just the start of your problems. - ASEAN NOW Community Pub - Thailand News, Travel & Forum - ASEAN NOW

It is always a hit and miss operation using the booking sites for airlines and hotels. They all have good deals and bad deals at different times, and they all 'cheat' to get the business - but I must say I found Agoda the biggest 'cheaters'. They keep your IP and when you go back again they often put their pricing up. I once had the same hotel on the same day open, using the big three booking sites each in their own tab, using 3 separate devices all using different IP addresses - they all had different pricing. There is no answer as to when to book - they all use their algorithms to change their pricing all the time, because we all try to get their best deal. There is no best time or best day anymore - you get lucky or you dont. I use one mob for hotels and they give me deals and discounts for being loyal. I use skyscanner and momodo to compare airline rates and then book direct.

Or maybe something worse - dementia is digging itself in deeper and deeper?? Either way - not interested in reading its rubbish.

They got sick of the ridiculous rates being charged by AOT?

IMO - due to the very slack consumer laws in Thailand - you should buy a brand laptop from an approved certified supplier of the brand. If you get a lemon and things go wrong, Somchai in the mall shop may help you, but he may not. Buy from a dealer/store and you have warranty. Never throw away the box it came in - assume it is going to break down and buy with that in mind. Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer seem to be around in Thailand. Pick a model that fits your needs and that they can supply direct (and support).

Golf Umbrellas are the best. They are built strong and can handle the wind with vents built in - and they also protect against the sun. This is not for the OP - for others thinking the same about umbrellas.

And next month Srettha will announce that Thailand is going to build a Space Station platform that both NASA and SpaceX will use 🤣

Woke liberal thinking means your cognitive bias demands absolute proof that anything against your believed narrative is wrong. And yet you quote dubious sources like NPR as 'proof' of your own beliefs - which I easily debunked in your last post with 2 mins research. Musk has done all that I stated - facts - research is the open mind's best method to find the truth - try it beyond NPR and CNN etc.