StandardIssue

LOL, someone has drank the Kool Aid, bought more, and began using two packages and double the sugar. You really believe that GOP hyperbolic rhetoric? Wow. Someone got fooled by the propaganda.

Yes, only the best people. That really helped him in Pennsylvania at that campaign rally. His best people allowed some kid to get on top of a shed and take a few shots at him. At the Bitcoin conference he also said Kamala Harris is a "very low IQ person". That she is going to allow, after birth, execution of babies and lifting the social security age. Truly outrageous falsehoods. He goes on and repeatedly stoops to play ground name calling. His use of the English language never really goes any higher than the vocabulary of a 12 year old. Truly mind boggling he ever made it to the highest US public office. It really doesn't reflect well on the intelligence of the American public in my humble opinion. How people can go along with his outlandish rhetoric and blatant lies baffles me.

I'll bet there are still external CD/DVD reader drives out their that can be connected to a modern laptop via USB port. Apple still produces those from what I have seen. Probably $20 on Lazada. Or, better yet, don't throw away your old laptop just yet and copy all the CD/DVD data to USB thumb drives. They are cheap and have loads of storage space..much more than DVD's and CD's.

AI is just another advance of technology that has always gradually changed the performing of services and making goods. AI is just another of the many advances of technology changing how human labor is involved .. this is nothing new. Ever heard of the Industrial Revolution? Come on.. You may be to young or never heard about this but for example.. there used to be legions of people that worked for the phone company. (mostly women) They were called "operators" They connected phone line to phone line and gave out phone numbers if you needed one. They were replaced by computers from about the 1970's on. Geez, technology will always change "labor" .. the world adjusts. AI and Robots won't "take over'. The onslaught of obesity in the world is not a problem that AI can be blamed for. AI might actually fix it. IMHO It is corporate greed and food corporations willing to sell crappy food to their costumers despite well knowing it is unhealthy and may well shorten their lives. My opinion is it is fast food, candy, uber processed food and government regulation being very liniment on the production of crappy food abd drinks which is the problem. This kind of food is almost like cigarettes and liquor. IMHO there ought to be a warning. Many people in countries were education is low don't understand that drinking sugar soda and eating fast good is very bad for health. They simply don't know any better. There is a push in some western progressive governments to put warning labels say on Coke/Pepsi and fast food. Because it is very unhealthy to consume. Much like cigarettes are known to produce cancer and excessive liquor consumption can lead to addiction and health problems.

Thank you for the "thanks" reactions. It's my experience that there are a lot more promises than what some people in AA meetings call the "12 promises". Those are in actuality the 9th step promises. There are promises for every one of the 12 steps in AA and my blog post points some of those out. I have had the benefit of good sponsorship from men who really studied the AA approved literature thoroughly and passed their knowledge on to me. IMHO -- This is why it's a good idea to read (even better to study) the AA book Alcoholics Anonymous and also go to meetings for any alcoholic looking to get recovery from the fatal illness. My advice is to stick with official AA literature. It is time tested and works. There are many authors seeking to profit from publishing their own recovery books that, in my experience, are a distortion of the true program outlined in the good old AA basic texts. Some meetings have many people with good intentions but many of them don't take the time to really study the literature of the fellowship. The book "Alcoholics Anonymous" and the book "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions". The best thing that ever happened to me is I stumbled upon a man who was in a meeting of AA when I was floundering in recovery. I was not drinking but not very happy.. I had no sponsor so I asked this fellow to sponsor me. His sharing was no nonsense and was different than the usual. He bought me a a large text AA book and told me that if I wanted his help that we were going to study it. It was a huge turning point in my life; all for the better. We studied that book sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph. I thought I was a smart guy but I learned something humbling. That I missed a lot just reading the book. In fact I missed most of it! Until I studied it with this man, who gave his time freely, I never really knew the true program of AA. Now I understand just how much of a blessing I was given. I'm not religious but it changed my life spiritually. Life really took on a new meaning and, better yet, I was now able to help other alcoholics in a way I never knew I could. So I pass this message along to anyone looking for recovery from alcoholism. AA has a way. It may not be the only way but is sure worked well for me so far.

It's not any different than multiple life sentences given to say, Americans convicted of multiple homicides. How long have you been living in Thailand? I've not been here long and I think the answer to your second "real" question is pretty obvious at this point. That being said. Be careful when f&#kin6 about in Thailand. Tread lightly and keep a low profile if you intend to try to skate the rules or commit any crimes. Or even worse cross so called "officials" that are involved in graft or other things. Look, let's be plain. Look what goes on in Pattaya. You think even the highest officials there are going by the book? Be careful, keep a low profile, don't cross anyone and you can enjoy a nice retirement in Thailand. Try to act like an entitled Westerner or a self righteous activist and guarantee you'll regret it.

Yes, as an American I'm not proud to say I'm fairly sure a lot of it has to do with American fast food and crap 7-11 food.

Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Krispy Kreme, Pizza Hut, Dominos, 7-11 fast food. Is anyone surprised? I have been traveling here for over 20 years. There are more overweight Thai's now than before. Same as USA. Lot's of rolly polly humans waddling around the supermarkets and sitting in their cars at the McDonalds drive in. I'm American but I'll be the first to admit that fast food brought into other countries is USA corporate encroachment. The USA bringing crap food fast food chains into theses markets is ruining the health of the world population as well as it's own. IMHO it's very similar to the sale and use of tobacco products.

If the you think the budget US airlines I bad and can't imagine what it's like to fly on a budget Indian airline. Gawd!!! They age of budget airlines is upon us and wow, what a crappy way to fly. Charges for everything... if you'd like a meal that will be extra... flying with baggage? Well that will cost you buddy! Next they will be weighing everybody. Mark my words... I believe there will be weight class ticketing and scales at check in. Please step on the scale sir to verify your weight class. Ah sir you gained a few pounds since you bought your ticket... too fat sir that will be an extra 50 Bob.

If anyone with a drinking problem or thinks they may be alcoholic is interested there is a book available at https://aa.org titled "Alcoholics Anonymous" The first portion of this book contains the AA 12 step program for recovery from alcoholism. Within that text are a number of promises given for following the instructions. I maintain an AA discussion blog. If anyone is interested in some highlights of the hopeful message it has given to millions of recovered alcoholics world wide I invite you to read my post which extracts all the promises corresponding to each one of the steps. Cheers and I hope anyone with a drinking problem or may think they have alcoholism might find some hope with AA. The promises associated with each step as found in the book Alcoholics Anonymous

That's great, by AA's definition you are not an alcoholic. You stopped and moderate on your own will power and discipline. Very good you were able to take care of the matter on your own. I could not, so I sought help in AA and did the 12 step program.

Other helpful links which give some explanation of the AA program of recovery: Simple explanation of how the 12 step program of AA works.

I should also add that there are no requirements to attend an AA meeting. All that is suggested is a desire to stop drinking. Anyone who believes they might have a drinking problem and may have a desire to stop drinking are welcome in meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. In open meetings of AA people anyone is invited to attend such as medical professionals curious to learn about the fellowship and the 12 step program. Also friends and family of people with drinking problems who want to learn more about AA are welcome in open meetings of AA. thank you, SI

If anyone visiting this forum has a drinking problem and thinks they might be alcoholic AA is available to help. The first thing to do would be to attend an AA meeting. AA meetings can be found online and you don't even have to leave your living room to attend one. Online meetings are happening around the clock 24/7 most using the Zoom app available for smart phone, Windows and Mac. go to https://aa-intergroup.org/ If you are already in Thailand you can also visit in person AA meetings. Two websites to visit: https://aathailand.info and https://aathailand.org. Also https://aa.org is the official website of AA. Visit it to read the AA basic texts. The AA 12 step program for recovery from alcoholism is outlined and described in the Book "Alcoholics Anonymous" and it's companion text "The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions". These books were painstakingly written to be as accurate as possible in communicating the simple and practical AA 12 step program of action. They were written to save the lives of alcoholics willing enough to do the 12 step program described in them. Alcoholism is a serious illness and most alcoholics left untreated die early deaths. The original authors understood this and wrote a historic text which is the first 164 pages of the AA book. They wrote it as thoroughly and as accurately as possible to describe the program they had found which gave them recovery from alcoholism. This portion of the AA book has not been changed since it's first publication in 1939. It is a piece of history and is considered as such. Therefore, it is recommended in most good AA meetings that anyone looking for a solution to their alcoholism thoroughly study this literature. Anyone with alcoholism who studies the program contained in the AA book can recover from alcoholism using the simple program contained inside.

For anyone who has read through this thread please understand this about the AA 12 step program. The AA 12 step program for recovery from alcoholism is outlined and described in the Book "Alcoholics Anonymous" and it's companion text "The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions". These books were painstakingly written to be as accurate as possible in communicating the simple and practical AA 12 step program of action. They were written to save the lives of alcoholics willing enough to do the 12 step program described in them. Alcoholism is a serious illness and most alcoholics left untreated die early deaths. The original authors understood this and wrote a historic text which is the first 164 pages of the AA book. They wrote it as thoroughly and as accurately as possible to describe the program they had found which gave them recovery from alcoholism. This portion of the AA book has not been changed since it's first publication in 1939. It is a piece of history and is considered as such. Therefore, it is recommended in most good AA meetings that anyone looking for a solution to their alcoholism thoroughly study this literature. Anyone with alcoholism who studies the program contained in the AA book can recover from alcoholism using the simple program contained inside.

There is no other type of AA other than AA. In my opinion these so called secular or agnostic AA's have adopted the AA name and portions of it's program in an effort to promote their misunderstanding and prejudice toward AA's fundamental principle of relying on the individual alcoholics own experience and understanding of a Higher Power, God, Power Greater or Spirit of the Universe or whatever they choose to call it. Secular AA and Agnostic AA IMHO has been and is a wasted effort formed out of simple laziness to study and understand the true AA program as outlined in AA approved literature. Kind of tragic really as it causes disunity within the fellowship of AA. On Page 17 of the AA book they all agree they found a common solution. All this secular AA or agnostic AA is divisive.

What you talk about is not completely isolated to Thailand. But I have lived here on and off for over 12 years.. I know what you are talking about. But something to consider is quite a few elders men tend to be disgruntled and complain a lot anyway from what I know.. For whatever the reason Thailand and what it offers seems to attract a few narrow "demographics". People who engage in vices to be one. A friend of mine and I (when I used to live in Pattaya) used to call some of the odd ball types the "Pattaya Strange". Another of those demographics is the "Pay to Play" crowd of men who lust after women and have no problems paying for sex. These kinds of men have their own set of identifiable characteristics and it seems, through scientific social studies that narcissism tends to be one of them. You are not wrong. This is definitely true. The very fact that there is so much graft going on here also makes it easy for unscrupulous types to get on with their criminal activities. One example. There have been many Indian scam call centers set up and taken down based in Pattaya. Entire teams of Indians calling USA, UK and perpetrating romance, refund and other types of scams on the unsuspecting victims abroad. Saw a news item on this and one of the scam centers was having their victims make wire transfers to a famous Thai bank. So yea, if one has a desire to live here then plan on meeting a few individuals with personalities a bit of left of center to be polite. I've personally run into quite a few odd ones that are totally preoccupied with conspiracy theories. US government faked the moon landings, US elections are rigged blah blah etc etc.

I don't drink any more... big problem for me so had to stop and started doing the AA 12 step program. I would probably be close to death and one of those incoherent Turkeys complaining about how the world is going to hell and explaining to everybody how it really should be :-). I want to live the rest of my days fully awake and not anesthetized with that crude drug alcohol until my last day. What a waste that would be.

Satisfied with your answer here. Thank you I appreciate it.

OK. this makes some sense.. But, if the owner of the domicile where I stay in Pattaya does it via the online TM30 immigration site I'd bring the receipt given to me from the domicile owner to immigration at the time of submitting the TM47. What else would be needed and why?

Forgive me but your instructions are not clear. Why would I need to "do" the TM30. That is for the owner of the domicile to do. What I would "do" is what I call "submit" my TM47 at Chonburi immigration for a 90 check IF this is allowed when changing to a different province etc.

probably the 5th time they have replaced drain pipes on Jomtien beach road. Was walking Dong Tan beach the other day. Clearly the so called "upgrade" done several years ago had little to no effect and actually magnified the problem in sections where the water now gathers to a clear channel and streams focused directly in two places completely washing away the 50 foot sections of beach! Who's Hi-so nephew who cheated on his engineering exams got the contract ??

I'm thinking of moving from Bangkok to Pattaya soon. I have a Non O retirement visa with one year permission to stay. Issued at Division 1 CW. No agent was involved. What immigration business is necessary at Chonburi? Of course a TM30 issued by owner of domicile but anything else? 90 day check in in person? My CW 90 day check in will be due mid June. Chonburi is rogue so what do they want these days for this? please only those with experience need answer. Let's not clutter with guesses or heresay please shall we?

How do you know what he already knows? A medical exam and suggested tests from a good reputable Doctor could very well find a lot of other issues that could be addressed to help the man live longer.. WTF?

Not sure why you are asking this kind of question here. But my two cents is use common sense. Go see a Doctor!! If you have not had regular common annual health checks then might as well start now ... unless you don't care about your health. My advice... don't play Doctor and also avoid all the so called "advice" here. No place to be asking serious medical questions. even some of the replies here are just comical to the point of disturbing. Here may well be the last place you want to ask for serious medical advice unless you looking for experience with particular procedures from particular Thai institutions. That can be helpful here. I'd ask the moderators to move this topic to the appropriate forum too. This is the I drink to much forum. Seems the OP is concerning general health. Drinking and Smoking too much... well that is obviously frowned on by the medical community at large and asking here just seems to be a form of procrastination. Get up from the desk, go outside, take a car, bus or other mode of transport and get yourself to a reputable hospital for a general physical exam. From there a good doctor will suggest further particular tests based on their findings etc. It could be an MRI, CT scan, ultrasound depending... more than likely a full panel of blood tests and xrays etc..