WDSmart

I agree, but isn't this EXACTLY what the Israelis are doing in Gaza right now? 😮

What I refer to as "positive racism" is discriminating FOR a group that, in the past, has been discriminated AGAINST. I do support that. not only as concerns race, but as concerns all characteristics such as gender, transgender, country of origin (or origin of ancestors), native language, handicapped, physical defects, etc. Affirmative Action was, and DEI is, not "revenge politics," but rather "redemptive social actions." These are used today to help right wrongs of the past. If someone attacks your mother, you should try to find out why they did that and then attempt to correct or at least ameliorate the situation so it will not happen again, whether that is concerning them, your mother, or both. That is the civilized and empathetic approach. I'm disappointed in 2025 people do not want to try to correct the results of discriminatory actions of the past.

Affirmative Action of the past and today's DEI are indeed racist, but they are racist in a positive sense. They are meant to right the wrongs of the negative racist actions of the past. Anyone who supports them is trying to right a past wrong. I'm actually pretty shocked that in 2025, people are prepared to deny the positive rationale behind these programs.

The actions of both the driver and the crowd were appalling.

Thanks for your post, and I agree with the message of your last statement above. I'm a US citizen, and the US has a history different from Great Britain's. I don't know the details there, but in the US, people who were non-White were harshly discriminated against, a discrimination which, although it has lessened, exists even today. DEI and its predecessor, Affirmative Action, were put into place to try to resolve or at least lessen some of the inequities that exist today because of that prior (and in some areas, current) discrimination. In the example given of Yorkshire, with an approximately 25% minority population, DEI and Affirmative action would be used when the workforce of a particular agency or business had a lesser percentage of minorities than that, in an attempt to increase the percentage to something close to that of the local public. But, as I wrote earlier, it should never be used to EXCLUDE an applicant; it would only be used as one of the many factors used when considering the applicant for employment.

I do not support the US making any rulings on anyone for their views, BUT... if there were actual threats involved, I do support rulings in that case.

The US "market" has "plunged" three times now and "surged" twice in the past couple of weeks (as of the time I'm writing this). I'm sure a few people (Trump insiders) have made a lot of money on this. But, of course, that should not be a surprise to anyone. That's what Trump is all about. 😡

This sounds like DEI in the USA, which I firmly support. HOWEVER, no one should be PROHIBITED from applying. Everyone should be allowed to apply, and then, in this case, ethnicity can be one of the factors considered during the hiring process.

No, I've lived in Thailand for over 20 years on an O visa and, at times, have filed for a one-year extension using either marriage or retirement qualifications (I've flipped back and forth several times). I currently have a retirement-based extension. I have never had the problems you've described, although I when getting a one-year extension on my retirement visa, I am asked to provide my Thia wife's ID. I don't know why that is, except that before, I did extend based on marriage requirements. Anyway, everything has gone well. Sorry to hear about your problems. I don't know where you live, but you might want to consider going to a different Immigration Office for your next one-year extension.

You'll to have to do better than that. Which friends, which shares? How much, when did they sell and when did they buy back? You're also assuming it was his plan all along when the media is casting it all as a panic, knee jerk response. Facebook...

Shouldn't that be "gearing down for landing"? 😉

OMG! It looks like they set themselves on FIRE!!!!! 😱

Yes, I heard about this more than a week ago. Trump's billionaire friends sold their stock before the tariffs were put in place, and then bought them back when the stocks were down. Now, the stocks are up, and they've made a big profit. That's what Trump's all about.

Its strange then that the Israeli Jews gave Palestinians Muslims full equal citizenship with Israeli passports , then isn't it . It's also strange to me that Israeli Jews are not persecuting and taking homes away from the Palestinian Muslim "full citizens" in the West Bank, and that over the past 70 years, Israel has taken (by force) much of the land in Palestine that was not given to it by the UN.

Nope, those days have gone . The days of talking and negotiating have gone . Palestinians need to be expelled for the land . That is the only way to have peace in the future . Sounds like genocide to me, which is precisely what the Jews have wanted to do to the Palestinian Muslims for over 70 years... 😞

The hostages are the only "bargaining chips" the Palestinians have. I expect they will not ALL be released until: - Israel agrees to a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of troops; - Israel agrees to quit harassing. killing Palestinians and stealing their property in the West Bank; - Israel agrees to begin talks on a two-state solution.

I do...

I'm very surprised by this article for two reasons. 1. That Western media is reporting on this, and; 2. ASEANForums is allowing it to be posted here.

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...and, I hope he loses BIG TIME! 😡

What about citizens who are pretending to be pedophiles online to lure children who are susceptible to these types of online offers to a site where the children can be identified to their parents, so they can be taught not to do that?

I renewed my US passport online, but I ultimately had to send my current passport by mail to the US Embassy in Bangkok. There, they voided it and sent it back to me with a new passport.

Read Project 2025 for the answer...

I only hope this is true, but for Trump to really have a "downfall," many US citizens will have to give up their support of him, and that will be hard for them to do. To do that would mean they would have to admit, at least to themselves, that they were wrong about him. That's going to be a real challenge for them. And then there are some who actually have the same values. They won't quit supporting him. But, I do hope he and his supporters do have a complete "downfall, " and that happens very, very soon.

I've lived in Thailand for over 20 years, and have a Non-Imm Visa Type O. I extend my one-year stay using Retirment qualifications. I've answered your questions below: 1. Yes, for initial stay extension. 2. Yes, every year. 3. No, you only have to have the THB 800 K in your account for 2 months before and 3 months after you apply for the one-year extension. Your account cannot dip below THB 400 K. 4. Yes, and you have to turn in that map every year, but they only visit you the first time unless you move. 5. I've never been asked to leave my passport at Immigration and would not want to, but if that's what they've told you to do, I'd go ahead and do it. First, take photos of your passport and all the important pages.