AndreasHG

Iran seems destined to become a second North Korea, with a deeply radicalized, staunchly anti-Western, hereditary government (but whose founder was blown up in an American military attack), with 208 to 209 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves and more than ever determined to consolidate the regime with thermonuclear bombs. Imagine how vicious Kim Jong Il would have been if his father, sister, and niece had been blown up by H.S. Truman. What could possibly go wrong?

LOL yes I do, running on a Microsoft Surface! And as far as they have been available, I also used Windows phones (Ericsson and then Nokia Lumia). Then I had to switch to the iPhone. yes, I'm that old, if this is what you mean! 😊

Some are, some are not. For example, Cohibas are exclusively made in Cuba, unless counterfeited. Romeo y Julieta sold in Thailand are both made in Cuba by Habanos S.A., or made mostly in the Dominican Republic by Altadis U.S.A. Below the link to the Cohiba importer in Thailand. https://cigaremperor.com/

Have you ever been to Cuba? What you ignore is that the whole world with the exception of the USA trades with Cuba and the real limit is not the "bloqueo", but the lack of competitive internationally tradable products offered by Cuba. These are some examples. Iberostar has a significant presence in Cuba, operating around 18 four- and five-star hotels across key destinations like Varadero, Havana, Holguín, and Cayo Cruz operated by the Cuban Armed Forces typically in JV with Spanish companies. Cubanacan operates a major chain of hotels, resorts, and villas across Cuba (e.g., Brisas Santa Lucia, Club Amigo Ancon, Hotel Copacabana), usually in JV with Canadian companies. In 2021, Cuba and Mexico created the joint venture IncuBio S.A., located in the Mariel Special Development Zone. The Mexican firm Industrial Expomayab invested in Flexocaribe, a joint venture focused on producing flexible packaging for food and cosmetic products in Cuba. Diageo and Corporación Cuba Ron SA formed a joint venture to distribute Santiago de Cuba rum internationally. Cubana de Aviación, the national airline of Cuba, has operated French-German Airbus aircrafts, specifically the A320 and A330 families, since the mid-1990s to support international routes. Air carriers from all ove the world fly to Cuba: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Air Transat, WestJet, Iberia, Air France, Air Europa, Turkish Airlines, Swiss Air, World2Fly, Iberojet, Copa Airlines (Panama), VivaAerobus (Mexico), Aeromexico (Mexico), Conviasa (Venezuela), InterCaribbean Airways, Sky High Aviation Services, etc.. As most American you believe that the world upholds American laws. That's laughable. Each sovereign country has its own rules. Even Airbus, which sells tons of aircrafts in the USA, can trade with Cuba. And yet, Cuba can't feed its people that are emigrating in scores.

That's exactly my point. Cigars are the only competitive product Cuba currently has to offer. And not because of the "bloqueo".

Go in any Tobacco shop in Europe (and here in Thailand), and find plenty of Cuban cigars. Not all companies deal with the US. Especially national distributors such as supermarkets and importers do not give a dime about US laws. And if they can sell cigars, why not anything else? Whisgars - Thailand’s Pre-Eminent Whiskey and Cigar Bar (https://whisgars23.com/)

Cuba can trade with Mexico, Brasil, Argentina, Chile, Canada, the whole European Union, China, Russia, Belarus, Turkey, the whole Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar), Australia, New Zealand just to mention a few. Where is the beef? At the time of the "revolution" logistic had clear limits. Today tropical fruit is flown from all over the world into Europe. Where is the Cuban tropical fruit? With regards to the lack of evidence "that Cuban doctors are subpar", it's just testimony of how good the Cuban propaganda machine has been so far. It costs hundred thousands of dollars to train a doctor, money that Cuba simply doesn't have. Try to enter into an ordinary hospital for ordinary people in Cuba, if you can.

Cuban doctors? Which Cuban Doctors? Have you ever dealt with Cuban doctors? Cuba doesn't even have the X-rays to operate the hospital X-ray machines. Do you have any idea what kind of training Cuban doctors receive? They study textbooks from the 1950s, only see photographs of medical equipment from the 1950s. and don't do any pre-graduate practical training because Cuba doesn't have a cent to spend on training. The age of the cars you see mostly on Cuban streets is the same as that of the medical equipment seen in ordinary Cuban hospitals for ordinary people. Half of Cuban "doctors" studies involve ideological training, because the regime requires Cuban doctors to be good communists before they can practice any medicine. And don't you dare bring up the story of the American "bloqueo" (blockade), please. Since the communists took power, sanctions or not, Cuba has no longer had anything of value to trade internationally. The communists transformed what was once the thriving "pearl of the Caribbean" into a nation of beggars dependent on international aid for survival. They just need to pragmatically grow their legitimate businesses, starting from oil extraction. If they had to resort to drug dealing for survival, it's because Maduro was giving away their oil for free.

And rightly so. The Maduro government was best known for handing over the Venezuelan people's oil wealth to Cuba for free and at heavily discounted prices to China and Russia, while the Venezuelan people starved and emigrated en masse. Aren't economic mismanagement and corruption a form of oppression? Kudos to the United States and the Trump administration for restoring some economic freedom and commonsense in Venezuela and, hopefully, soon in Iran as well. Regarding political and religious freedoms, it's up to Venezuelans and Iranians to earn them and, above all, defend them day after day. The United States has already done too much. ****Oversized font reset to normal****

We've heard this story before about Iraq, Libya, Syria, Panama, Grenada, Venezuela... ...And the opposite story concerning Ukraine, which was supposed to fall within two weeks. The truth is that it only takes a handful of men to launch missiles around the world, and Iran's supposed "determination" is limited to just that: a handful of men with nothing to lose.

A proficiency test in Thai is also required to get permanent residency in Thailand, and also in most of the European countries, to the best of my knowledge. Certainly, this is the case in my home country.

Alan, let me start by making clear that I am not a fan of Mr. Trump. I am European (continental) and as most (probably >95%) of the Europeans I have a very low opinion of the man. But I am also a freedom lover. And as such I can't but rejoice for the determination with which the Trump administration is going after tyrants around the world. For me, it's not about being anti-Trump at all costs, but about judging his actions on a case-by-case basis. And in this case, I support Trump 100%, no ifs, ands, or buts. In fact, I would like Europeans, my country in particular, to do more to support the United States and Israel at this delicate moment. I am also aware that democracy is never a gift from heaven. If Iranians (and Venezuelans) want to live in a democratic society, they must earn this right and defend it tooth and nail, day after day. If they repeat the mistake of electing a coup-plotting corporal (Chavez in Venezuela) to the presidency, or entrusting government to an extremist mullah (Khomeini in Iran), they already know where they will end up. The United States can't turn a politically illiterate bunch into staunch defenders of the rule of law. I believe that Delcy Rodriguez pragmatic and business-oriented government is better for Venezuela, than Maduro's ideologically zealot and a-priori anti-American government. I therefore expect the United States and Israel to pursue a similar formula in Iran. For Iran, pragmatic businessmen in military uniforms are better suited to solving the country severe problems than dogmatic mullahs seeking martyrdom. As for "boots on the ground," Mr. Trump just released a statement saying he doesn't rule them out. I wholeheartedly hope they aren't necessary. At present, this is just another sword hanging over the head of the Ayatollah regime.

I understand the practical problem of accepting two bank statements. I saw how long it took the immigration officer to add the balances of two bank accounts for just six days. I can't imagine the hours of work required to do this for 365 days. But if the balance of one of the two accounts remains relatively stable and/or the days for which the two balances need to be added are few, it is not a miracle but ordinary administration. With regards t Drjack54's comment, he stubbornly keeps on missreading the situation. I was not lucky because the SP accepted the additional account. As a matter of fact, it was the SP officer herself who told me that if I didn't have an additional account I could not successfully apply for the VISA. That's when I showed her the SCB app on my phone and rushed to the bank to print out the balance and certification letter. And with that, I hope Drjack54 has finished talking nonsense.

Not just Iranians. All freedom-lovers have reason to rejoice.

To be clear, I still got the visa (30 days) on the day of my first visit to the Samut Prakan office. But I was very stubborn and lucky. The problem is that they don't publish a clear list of the documents and information required to successfully apply for the different types of VISA under different circumstances. Not even the staff at the reception knows exactly what the applicants will be asked for once at the counter. The very kind girl at the reception desk told me I needed the old, superseded TM30, but she did not mention the landlord's identity card and phone number. This forces applicants to return again and again and increases the workload for the office, which has to start over every procedure from the beginning every few days. And every time the applicant returns to the office, he/she has to go back to the bank first, to get an updated statement and a new certification letter. Is it possible that no one realizes how ridiculous this situation is, how detrimental it is to the office and burdensome to the applicants? And how easy to implement the solution is?

Surgery always carries a risk and should be performed only when absolutely necessary, not on a whim.

The Revolutionary Guards, at least the faction that controls the cash, are tired of seeing their legitimate business activities hit by sanctions simply because of the mullahs' ideological intransigence and their suicidal mission of "death to America, death to Israel." Trump claims that 48 leaders have been killed in attacks on Iran, including the former president Ahmadinejad. Such a remarkable achievement would not have been possible without dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Iranians government insiders who volunteered information on the whereabouts of their leaders, and planted bugs and GPS trackers all around them. I'm willing to bet that neither the CIA nor the Mossad had to pay a cent for their collaboration. They volunteered solely out of despise for the Ayatollah's regime.

Vlad has good reason to be worried. He's losing his friends one after another. I'm sure he's wondering who'll be next in line.

Indeed, I forgot to mention the insufficient parking. And the young girl on reception not only has been helpful, but she also made clear that Samut Prakan Immigration officers do things differently compared to Bangkok. As for Bangkok, once you understand which documents are needed, they are all available online in PDF format (with the exception of the “บันทึกคำให้การ หมายเลข 3 กก.2 บก.ตม.1”) and all of them can be completed and printed in the comfort of your home. Two years ago, I had a problem. In 2024, I renewed my visa on February 26. In February 2025, when I renewed my visa, my bank printed a bank statement for the last 12 months, from March 1, 2024, to February 24, 2025. This was not accepted by the Immigration Office in Bangkok because the three days from February 27 to 29, 2024, were missing. Bangkok Bank can provide a bank statement covering more than 12 months, including the current one, but it takes three business days to obtain one. But here's the thing. The immigration officer examined my entire stack of documents. She made sure everything else was in order. Then she told me to return to her with the new bank statement, skip the line, and go straight to her desk. When I showed up at her desk three days later, she was busy with an applicant. But she quickly left her cubicle and invited me to join her as soon as she was finished with the person she was assisting. When I finally sat at her desk, she immediately went to check the balance on my bank statement, and my application was approved. To be totally honest, I was so impressed that I tried to give her a 2,000 THB tip, been careful not to be seen by cameras or anyone around us. But she firmly rejected it and stated that she just did her duty. I will miss the Bangkok Immigration Officers. But in Bangkok the parking is possibly even more insufficient than in Samut Prakan.

I'm still waiting for the "inspector." My "inner voice" tells me he might ask me to buy him some tea... ...let's see. But I never liked abuse.

I agree, this is a real possibility. During my day at the office, I chatted with a young European man, who told me that that day was his third attempt to clear the procedure. And with a Singaporean man, in his 60s or 70s, who told me it was a real ordeal getting through the immigration process. He mentioned that the consequences of a formal visa refusal are dire. But I didn't investigate further. A couple of times I also noticed the ease with which the Thai agents, who accompany foreign applicants, access the counters without apparently worrying about the queue.

Two months ago, I moved to Samut Prakan after living for three years in Bangkok. My new home is literally on the Samut Prakan southern side of a street that falls under the Bangkok province on the opposite side. And yet, it seems like a completely different world. In order to extend my Retirement VISA, I recently had to visit the Samut Prakan Immigration Office, where I was greeted with a series of surprises. Let's start by pointing out that the Samut Prakan immigration office's website is entirely in Thai, with a few English captions here and there. Furthermore, the office is much less welcoming, with insufficient seating for all the people crowding the premises, and the staff decidedly rude and unpleasant, all but one exception. The first surprise came when my documents were check at the information desk, a necessary step to obtain the coveted queue number. I learned from a kindhearted woman that not only I needed my current TM30, but also the one issued by my previous landlord in Bangkok, 14 months ago. I did not expect this requirement, and I called my girlfriend out of desperation. And she immediately sent me a copy of the requested TM30 that she happened to have stored on her PC. Problem solved. Second surprise: I printed the old TM30 and returned to the information desk, where the same kind young woman informed me that copies of the relevant pages of my passport were of no use in Samut Prakan. "The immigration office here, unlike Bangkok, requires a copy of every single page of your passport, including blank ones, without exception". And she said it, emphasizing "here, unlike Bangkok." Good to know. I went to the nearby copy shop, then queued for the third time at the information desk, where I finally got my coveted queue number, along with the third surprise: I was handed also several forms, none of which resembled those used by Immigration Division One in Bangkok, except for the TM7. All the forms I downloaded from Division 1 website and filled out on my computer in neat, laser-printed characters ended up in the trash. Handwriting and pen are the order of the day in Samut Prakan. Finally, they called my number, and when I handed over my stack of documents, I really thought it would only take a few minutes before everything was finished. How wrong I was! In fact, what was waiting for me was the fourth surprise. I already had the TM30 from my previous residence in Bangkok. But the clerk at counter 1 pointed out that I was missing a copy of the apartment owner's ID. And without a photocopy of that gentleman's identity card, we couldn't proceed. In desperation, I began to think of a possible solution. I found it in the cloud, attached to a copy of the rental agreement, I signed 14 months ago. I returned to counter 1, showing the file on my phone and offering to print it at the usual copy shop. The clerk grabbed my phone and shared it with two other colleagues. Together, they compared the name shown on the Thai ID with the one printed on the TM30, nodding visibly. And here came the fifth surprise: the clerk appeared at counter 1 and told me peremptorily: "The document is not enough: you must give us also the owner's telephone number." Stunned, I stammered that I'd already obtained the visa three times in Bangkok without ever changing residence, that everything had been checked by Division 1 and everything was in order. I'd never had any contact with the owner, only with the agency. I offered the agent's number. No one in Bangkok ever asked me for the owner's phone number. The clerk's lapidary reply: "Bangkok is Bangkok. And here is Samut Prakan." Rejected. D@mn! I called the agent, who didn't answer, then my girlfriend, who promised to help me by calling the condominium Juristic Person. After half an hour, I finally received the long-awaited piece of this neverending puzzle. I returned to Counter Number 1, with my precious cell phone number and, after a short wait, long enough to see another applicant rejected, I rejoined the game. Unbeknownst to me, another very serious surprise was waiting for me: the sixth surprise. But this time was a surprise of my own making. The employee began checking my documents again. She then consulted with two colleagues (I believe managers of higher levels). Then came the cold shower. In the three months following the issuance of my visa in Bangkok, my bank account balance remained below THB 800,000 for as long as six consecutive days. The maximum difference was approximately THB 55,000 (it was never below 745,000 THB). Furthermore, at the end of those six days (the seventh and eighth), I received two transfers from abroad for a total of THB 2.6 million. In total, last year I invested THB 10.5 million in real estate in Thailand. But the balance remained below THB 800,000 for six days and this was written in stone on my bank statement. I must confess that I remembered the 800,000 THB rule perfectly for the two months preceding the VISA application. But I completely forgot the 800,000 THB rule for the three months following the issuing of the VISA. Luckily, I have a second bank account in Thailand, which I use primarily for Grab purchases. Luckily, as I found out by running to the nearest SCB branch during the immigration office lunch break, I opened it a month before the unfortunate six days. And luckily, the account had enough balance to get me back into the game. The seventh surprise. So, at 2pm I was back in front of the infamous Immigration Counter 1 in Samut Prakan, armed with my second bank statement and more determined than ever to get my coveted VISA. After waiting for yet another applicant to be rejected, the scrutiny of my stack of documents finally began again. First the counter clerk, then a second who, with painstakingly meticulous, exhausting diligence, calculated with a calculator the total balance, noting it in pencil on the bank statement, for each of the six days. Then was the turn of the one who looked like the boss to check my documents. She nodded in a sign of approval. And the Counter 1 clerk promptly invited me to go to Counter B. There another clerk shot a photo of my face, handed me a small black blinking box with a number, and asked me to wait for instructions. After about 20 interminable minutes, the information desk kind employee finally returned my passport. Anxiously, I opened it looking for my VISA. There it is! But wait! This is not the usual one-year extension. It is just a one-month VISA! Back to Counter number 1. "Hey, can you tell me what the hell is going on here?" Clerk, the eight surprise: "After you move to Samut Prakan, we only give you your first visa with a one-month validity. We will send an inspector to verify that you actually live where you say you do. What... ...you say you own the apartment you live in? We don't care. Unlike Bangkok, in Samut Prakan we'll send an inspector to verify your word." "Come back in 30 days and, if everything is okay, you will get your one-year extension". If someone is interested in purchasing an apartment in Samut Prakan, please contact me. I am moving back to Bangkok.

Institution played a major role. But the real force that derailed the attempted coup was the Korean people. It was just after 22:00 in December 2024 when Yoon appeared on television to announce he was imposing martial law. Around midnight, thousands of citizens had already braved the biting cold to gather against a backdrop of chaos – police cars pulsing red and blue lights as officers scrambled to form a barricade around the assembly grounds. This crowd was breaking the law, according to Yoon's decree. But it continued to grow, giving the National Assembly the resolve to vote against the martial law proposal. If people aren't ready to fight to protect their freedom and democracy, no institution can protect them. And I believe the example currently set by Congress, incapable of restraining an executive branch that oversteps its bounds, is a sign of the American people's profound disaffection with their democratic institutions. It was a depressing sight to see Congress hide behind the Supreme Court and leave it up to the justices to limit the executive branch. Just look at the Epstein case and the serious consequences it is having in Europe, and the complete lack of consequences it is having in America, despite America being the epicenter of the pedophile's activities. If no one has even been investigated, it's not just due to the corruption of institutions, starting at the top. It's due to the disinterest of the majority of Americans.

In Europe Ibuprofen is generally an OTC medication and only higher doses (600 up to 800 mg) require a prescription. Regulation varies by country, but generally, dosages of 600 mg or higher are free or reimbursable only for specific chronic or inflammatory pathologies. My experience in two different European countries is that hospital doctors and general practitioners do not dispense medications, but issue prescriptions, which must be returned to the pharmacy to collect the drugs. The cost of lifesaving medications is usually fully covered by the national health system. In many countries, the cost of less essential medications is partially covered by the patient, except in the aforementioned cases of chronic diseases.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Sunday "thanks, but no thanks" to U.S. President Donald Trump's idea of sending a hospital ship to Greenland, a territory that Trump has repeatedly said he wishes to take over. U.S. president Donald Trump announced that the United States will send a hospital ship to Greenland, "to take care of the many people who are sick and not being taken care of there". It is not clear who those "many people" are, since permanent residents of Greenland are entitled to free, taxpayer-funded healthcare at the point of use. The system covers general practitioner visits, hospital stays, specialized treatment, and prescription medicine. Some services, such as dental care and, at times, eyeglasses or prosthetics, may require partial payment. American citizens in Greenland, whether visitors or short-term workers, generally require private insurance or must pay for services out of pocket. But their numbers are so low that they don't justify deploying one of the two hospital ships operated by the United States Navy (the USNS Mercy and the USNS Comfort). Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen defended Denmark's health care system on Sunday, writing on Facebook that she was "happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all. Where it's not insurances and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment." "You have the same approach in Greenland," she said, before adding: "Happy Sunday to you all" in front of a blushing, smiling emoji.