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7 hours ago, Thorgal said:

Why calling him a rebel commander if everybody knows that he's an AQ franchise product...


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Actually that is not the case. If it were AQ member or a "franchise" as you put it, he would have been incarcerated in Guantanamo.

Instead, a dirty deal was done with that funder and promoter of terrorism, Ghaddafi, as UK and USA wanted him on their side at the time.

If he were an AQ franchise, do you think that a) the Supreme Court in the UK would have upheld his case and why do you think that the UK is fighting this all the way to the supreme court - they clearly have something to hide

On 15/1/2017 at 7:54 AM, snowgard said:

 

It give a lot of cases where it is 100% clear. Like the last iphone murder in BKK. And for clear cases like this DEATH PENALTY!!!
And done it in the next days and not after 20 years.
 

And what if the person is found to be insane and therefore not guilty?

A bit surprised to hear that so many children in Thailand have intestinal parasites until I recognised the town as a place in Cambodia!

I know about the hostility towards falang women among resident falang men in Thailand and although some/many/all of these men have issues with former falang wives who apparently fleeced them in divorces I never understood their attitude towards all falang women. And I am a man who has spent plenty of time in various places in Thailand.

Your labelling yourself in the eyes of these men as an intellectual whore I just don't understand at all. Yes, I understand that some falang men in Thailand miss intellectual conversation as they get very little from their Thai partners or their falang drinking/golfing buddies. They will naturally latch onto someone who has good conversational skills and who is interesting, whether female or male. This may of course mean that they will block out anyone who might be interested in you sexually but I am sure that someone with your well-honed social skills would be able to manage that. 

The question you have to ask yourself is what you really want in Thailand. Thailand no longer has the monopoly in SE Asia on retirement opportunities although its retirement visa is probably more straightforward than the others. The fact is that Thailand is not for everyone, male or female. And there are many kinds of Thailand - there is the kind you find in Chiang Mai, or the islands like Samui, or Isaan towns like Khon Kaen - all are quite different.

But chances are that most of the foreigners you will meet will be men and most men will either have Thai partners or will be sex-pats (although that is less likely in Chiang Mai, I guess). Perhaps you are looking for something that just does not exist, which is a single male expat. 

But, as I said, Thailand does not have a monopoly on retirement in SE Asia anymore and therefore you can always decamp to another country nearby. In these neighbouring countries, there are other Western females and none of this hostility. But prepared for plenty of men and women who will want to be your friend if you are interesting!

If you want to persevere with Chiang Mai, perhaps it is the case that you are just not meeting the right kind of falang  Perhaps you should look around at the volunteering side of things. Also, when I lived in Chiang Mai, there used to be a place called the Writer's Club which seemed to attract a more educated kind of bar fly. There are plenty of foreigners who just do not do the bar thing any more or prefer not to get into it with the usual falang scene. Sometimes a sports club like a tennis club brings them out.

8 hours ago, piersbeckett said:

Personally I only use recommended, certificated masseuses.

Even the certified masseuses may offer hand relief in Thailand. I don't think they see it as a sexual service as they are not having sex with the man involved.

If you really do not want even to be offered it, then either do one or more of the following:

- find a place where the women are old (although this does not guarantee it)

- avoid oil/lotion massage

- make it clear at the outset that you want only massage

- bring your girlfriend/wife and let her sit with you or have a massage on the next table with the curtain open. This one guarantees that you will get no offer or hint of anything other than maybe a cup of herbal tea at the end.

Those Trump supporters should be careful for what they wish for. Given their demographic (having lost out on economic upturns, they tend to be poorer than the usual middle class), getting rid of the various trade agreements will raise prices for the stuff they spend most of their money on (e.g. Walmart).

But here is something to bargain with Russia about. Did you know, my dear American friends, that your nuclear weapons are on the highest state of alert? And have been so during the rule of many presidents? Take them off that highest state of alert and maybe replace some of their aging electronics (or whatever they were using back in the 1970s).

That would be something that all of us could agree on.

4 hours ago, possum1931 said:

The death penalty is only justified if guilt is 100% certain, you cannot execute anybody because the prosecuting lawyer is a lot better and experienced than the defence lawyer, is there any way that any court can be 100% certain of an alleged killers guilt? If a terrorist is caught in the act by more than one person, or by someones DNA, is that 100% certain of guilt? If it is then I say yes, execute them.

You cannot be ever 100% certain of guilt. That is the problem. Any sentence involving imprisonment can be rescinded but clearly once carried out the death sentence cannot.

Yet another headline that states the completely obvious. Of course there are huge risks if someone running an organisation refuses to engage with the folks providing the intel. If this were a publicly quoted company, the shareholders could call for an extraordinary shareholders meeting and try to have the CEO thrown off the board for such nonsense. But unfortunately we are talking about one of the largest economies on the globe that claims to be democratic and this is just not possible.

Instead we have to wait for the vestal virgins over in Congress to decide whether to impeach him and then those other paragons of virtue at the Senate to decide whether they want to throw him out or keep his nonsense. Everyone involved is thinking of only one thing - whats in it for me?

8 hours ago, jimmyyy said:

Hope the Irish government lodges a protest only way they will catch the culprits


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If they were from Belfast, it should be the British government

On 12/1/2017 at 6:42 AM, muzmurray said:

Nothing needs to be stapled in your passport to be legal.

 

All that needs to be in your passport is a valid permission to stay - nothing else.

I think that immigration like to see the departure section of the form you get when you arrive. There was a time when this would be stapled onto a page in your passport but no more. But was never sure that this was mandatory.

The last thing that was a problem when travelling between Phnom Penh and Saigon was the length of time it took to actually drive. It was the amount of time it took to get across the border that was the huge delay. 

13 hours ago, simple1 said:

 

Should the same apply to Orthodox Jews who refuse to shake hands with female teachers due to their religious beliefs?

 

http://www.eurojewcong.org/switzerland/15240-swiss-jews-oppose-fining-children-who-refuse-to-shake-teachers-hands.html

In fairness, not shaking hands with the teacher of your child is hardly going to impact on your child's education and welfare. Denying sports will.

The fact remains that even in Muslim majority countries, children of both sexes play together in beach wear at the beach and swimming pools so this should be no biggie for anyone.

If you want a biggie, how about countries like Saudi Arabia that denies everyone but Muslims the right to worship?

On 10/1/2017 at 4:01 PM, anotheruser said:

The visa really isn't that big of a deal. If you are a digital nomad and earn even somewhat decent money you should be able to afford a 5 year TE assuming you aren't over 50. The 100,000 a year is a small cost of doing business as everything else is so cheap according to the article. 

 

If you don't earn enough to lay out for a visa whatever kind it is to live here then you are a digital refugee not a digital nomad. 

 

 

Digital nomads tend to be young people who have not yet grown out of that narcissistic phase - invariably they are still living off a trust fund set up by the bank of daddy and mommy but pretend that they have coded their way into their life style. Most grow out of this phase by the time they are 50, even if it is because they realise the impossibility of making real money that way.

4 hours ago, Black arab said:

Bought a Mazda pro 50 last june very pleased so far no problems very comfortable, leather interior the mrs got a decent deal at 777 ,000

Is this the Mazda BT 50? This is close to the Ranger in engine and spec and manufactured in Thailand

7 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Try weighing your baggage before you go to the airport! I rather doubt that the check-in attendant was ecstatic at the extra work you had caused her.

Perhaps she was not ecstatic about the extra work but she would be ecstatic about the extra commission she earned by catching you with more KG.

If you think that Air Asia is bad, you should try Ryanair next time you happen to be in Europe. They make Air Asia on a bad day look really good!

8 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

There's also Beer Lao Dark (black).

 

I buy both and always mix it 50/50, wonderful, but of course personal taste.

Other beers are also brewed in Laos, including Black Rice Beer, LaneXang, Carlsberg (locally brewed as I understand), Tuborg (brewed in Laos) and a few others. But the best country for beers is Vietnam where you can get some of the best crisp pilsners around, not to mention some of those microbreweries in Hanoi where they brew up a Czech "blond" and "black" beers. They also have something unique called Bia Hoi which translates as "Fresh Beer" which is low alcohol (usually!) and so you can scoff huge quantities while eating some gorgeous exotic local delicacies while sitting precariously on a low plastic stool.

9 hours ago, CaptHaddock said:

 

Not exactly true.  He can only renounce his US citizenship if he already holds citizenship in another country.  Were he to choose US citizenship exclusively at age 18, to avoid the Thai draft, for instance, then he would somehow have to secure Thai or some other citizenship before he could renounce US citizenship (after paying the penalty for doing so.)  The US will not allow its citizens to make themselves stateless.

I was working on the basis that he is currently a Green Card holder and therefore a citizen of another country. Therefore he could, were he in the meantime to adopt US citizenship in addition to his current citizenship, relinquish his US citizenship at some point in the future without making himself stateless.

And this story is about CAMBODIA too!

And this is the drug war in CAMBODIA - not that the headline would even give you a hint!

On 3/12/2016 at 1:01 PM, skatewash said:

 

Really?  The US has citizenship-based taxation rather than residence-based taxation.  The only country in the world to do so (except for Eritrea, which is a complicated situation).  Therefore, if he obtains and keeps US citizenship or keeps his Green Card status he will be liable for filing and paying US taxes for the rest of his life, not just when he is residing in the US.  As a US citizen he will also be responsible under FATCA for annually reporting any financial accounts located outside the US to the US government (under very Draconian penalties for failing to do so).  A Green Card holder who is a tax resident of a country outside the US would not necessarily have to report these accounts.  Finally, should he wish to do so, it is becoming more difficult to renounce US citizenship, more difficult than simply to give up Green Card status.  So there are some negative consequences of being a US citizen or green card holder.  Whether they would negatively affect the OP's son depends on what he wants or plans to do.

 

While everything you (Skatewash) say is true, it is also the case that he can relinquish his green card or US citizenship at any time in the future and therefore get rid of such tax liabilities and onerous reporting responsibilities. This choice will be his but he needs to be aware of it. In the meantime, he can take advantage of the benefits of green card and or citizenship in relation to school and scholarship options.

Subject to a call to a lawyer to straighten out any questions you may have and subject to a clear answer regarding whether it is more beneficial to have a green card or be a citizen when applying for schools or scholarships (there will be an organisation representing USA universities in Thailand - I am sure the embassy will be happy to put you in touch and they will answer your questions), only then will you be able to know whether citizenship will give him the edge.

While I  am sympathetic for those like you who live in Vientiane and look forward to their regular shopping trips to Udon etc, there are also quite a number of expats in Laos who face a much bigger problem for various reasons need to renew their entry permit every 28 days - this can be because there is some bureaucratic reason that is holding up their work permit/resident permit that is beyond their ability to fix on their own or are waiting for marriage visa or some other issue. In such cases, expats in Vientiane just go to the bridge, book out of Laos and into Thailand (sometimes for only a few minutes, sometimes for the day to go to Tesco Lotus) and then go back into Laos and home in Vientiane.

Yes, there are alternatives but they are more bureaucratic and more expensive - you can fly out of Laos to another country, including Thailand! But that is going to cost at least $200 on a cheap airline plus most likely a hotel/guesthouse overnight and takes a day as opposed to a couple of hours. The expat can also go to Lao immigration but this takes time and costs per day for an extension. I am not sure but I guess there are limits to how many times or how much extension you can get whereas there does not seem to be any limits to the bridge solution.

This headline is a bit redundant. With the many hundreds of thousands of thousands locked in forced labour camps and gulags, you can be sure that there will always be someone dying because of the regime in North Korea during even the shortest performance of any girl band

9 hours ago, Kerryd said:

While it is possible to cut your own throat (literally, according to the research I just did) it is a rare way to go.

 

In a diving suit, with a backpack, tied to a pole in a salt water location ?

 

It sounds a lot more like he went out on a diving trip, met an unfortunate (pre-arranged ?) fate and was tied to the pole to ensure the body would be found (for insurance and alibi purposes) with the perpetrators long gone. They should be checking if he had a life insurance policy (follow the money) and check the wife's phone/messaging service to see if there's a trail of messages arranging the whole affair.

 

The part I don't understand about the suicide theory is why use a pile if you are an expert diver - you would use some extra weights on your weight belt.

Cutting your own throat is a hard way to go in cold water, even with the sharpest of knives. At least an expert in such matters should look into this, into the angle the knife was used, whether a knife was found and, mysteries of mysteries, how the hell did the guy get to where his concrete pole was? - was there a boat that brought him there? Where was the boat?

I am not saying that it is not suicide but you would need much more expertise and info at hand to be able to come to that determination with any degree of certainty!

If you are in Bangkok, go to Emporium mall to the floor where they have the household stuff (4th floor?) - they sell high-quality pillows, including expensive feather/down-filled pillows. Note - I am referring to the mall, not to the department store.