TallGuyJohninBKK

From what I'm reading here, you need to start with the critical comment in the full OP article that the whole policy being announced supposedly WILL NOT apply to citizens of numerous countries with whom Thailand has double taxation agreements..... And those include Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States, among others.

The streaming providers I mentioned are legal, and you're paying the providers for their content with the U.S. address and payment method that they require. As opposed to the gray market providers being illegal and not legally entitled to be distributing the content at all, in the UK or anywhere else.

That part is true as far as it goes... although, she also was breaking the law by both a) vaping inside a theater in the seating area where it's not allowed by Colorado state law; and b] videotaping a theater performance presumably in violation of its copyright protections.

I wasn't complaining about the prior poster's @essex boys comment regarding his 55 pounds per year subscription... Just asking WHO he was subscribing with... to try to understand whether it is some legal subscription or, charitably, a "gray market" one. But being an American, when it comes to sports, I'm more inclined to ESPN, Fox Sports, NFL+, etc etc... all of which are available on the Fire TV devices as legal and legit apps and subscriptions, provided you're using the appropriate VPN. I don't know whether there are comparable legal options available for UK sports streaming services or not, assuming the person is capable of setting up a VPN connection.

I've got some older spare Fire devices at home, like the regular Fire Stick 4K (non-Max). And so for some time now, whenever I'm traveling INSIDE Thailand with a hotel stay or back to the home country for that matter, I take along one of my spares, plug it into the HDMI port on the hotel TV, and bingo, with a VPN app installed, it's just like my setup at home.... And much better than what the Thai hotels typically offer thru their local cable subscriptions. [Depending on the hotel, sometimes I need to take along a power strip extension cord or a micro-USB extension cord, because sometimes the hotels don't have an available AC outlet close to their TVs... Although technically, you often can just power the Fire sticks using only the micro USB port on the TV... as long as you're not going to do OS updates that require restarts... In that latter case, you need an actual AC power connection in order for the OS updates to work properly.]

What (and with whom) exactly are you subscribing to for 55 pounds per year on your UK Firestick? I'm guessing it's one of the UK-oriented "gray market" streaming services?

I agree. The Max stick is the sweet spot among Amazon devices in terms of price vs. capability...including because it comes with Wifi 6/AX capability. Although the Max only comes with 8 GB of device storage, about half of which is used up by the OS and related apps, it's not that difficult to expand its storage with a USB thumb drive that ends up being formatted as internal storage for the device. However, Amazon supposedly is going to be announcing its new update of Fire devices in the coming days, and the Fire followers are predicting one of the soon to be announced devices will be a new version of the Max stick... So stay tuned for that.

With all the publicity this case is attracting, I wonder if the Denver City Attorney's office will cite Boebert for violating the state's law against indoor public space vaping? "We prosecute persons charged with municipal crimes including domestic violence, assault, shoplifting, trespassing, and traffic violations. We handle nuisance abatement cases and licensing violations." https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/City-Attorneys-Office

I'm not surprised by any means... But just wanted to point out, all these folks mentioned above are part of (or affiliated with parties belonging to) the current Pheu Thai-led coalition government. Led by a former prime minister convict who's currently NOT serving his now-reduced one-year prison sentence for corruption in an actual prison. And so it goes.....

By the way, it also appears to be technically illegal to be filming a stage presentation without explicit permission (which is also what Boebert was doing), due to copyright and other laws: "Theater officials later removed Boebert and her date after Boebert was caught illegally videotaping the performance. ... The video shows Boebert almost constantly in motion, talking and shifting in her seat, with the theater camera picking up regular flashes as she uses both a vape and her phone. ... About 10 seconds later on the video, theater officials show up to help Boebert find the way to the exit, but not without an extended argument." https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/15/2193433/-Lauren-Boebert-s-already-sketchy-reputation-goes-up-in-smoke

Lauren Boebert’s claims go up in smoke as new video emerges ... "it is illegal to vape indoors except in businesses that hold a “marijuana hospitality” license. The Buell Theater explicitly prohibits vaping except in designated areas. And then Boebert, through her spokesperson, lied about it." https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/15/2193433/-Lauren-Boebert-s-already-sketchy-reputation-goes-up-in-smoke

Indeed, indoor vaping in public areas is illegal in Colorado: Coloradans Can’t Vape In Public Indoor Spaces Anymore — And Smokers Outside Have To Be Farther From Doors · Jul. 1, 2019, 4:00 am "Colorado lawmakers have told vapers and e-cigarette users to take it outside. A change to the Colorado Indoor Clean Air Act, effective on July 1, adds vaping to the longstanding prohibition of traditional smoking in most indoor public spaces." https://www.cpr.org/2019/07/01/vaping-law-colorado-indoor-clean-air-act-smoking/

This may seem strange, and the news reports don't seem to say much about it, but at least one source I'm reading says vaping in indoor public areas is illegal in Colorado. Current status as of 2023 "Colorado’s vaping laws continue evolving but include strict regulations as of 2023: ... Indoor vaping bans for nicotine products in all public spaces, workplaces, transit, etc." Fines and Penalties in Colorado Colorado has implemented fines and penalties for violating vaping laws: ... "Public vaping in prohibited indoor areas results in fines around $500 per infraction." https://www.coloradoclassic.com/are-vapes-legal-in-colorado/ So, if the above is correct, what Boebert and her date were doing wasn't just rude and inconsiderate (ignoring the complaints of a pregnant woman sitting nearby), but also in violation of Colorado law. "Surveillance video captured during the "Beetlejuice" musical in Denver appears to show Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) vaping inside the theater, which contradicts her claim that the smoke was emitted from fog machines." https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/09/16/lauren-boebert-vape-theater-beetlejuice-ebof-vpx.cnn

Boebert -- Republican Party MAGA poster woman: --arrested and charged multiple times for minor criminal offenses prior to running for office. --pregnant at age 18 and a high school dropout. --Now a 36-year-old grandmother Lauren Boebert is now a 36-year-old grandmother after her teenage son fathered a boy with his girlfriend ""Now my son, when I approached him and told him, 'Tyler, I'm going to be a 36-year-old grandmother,' he said, 'Well, didn't you make Granny a 36-year-old granny?' 'I said, 'Yes, I did.' He said, 'Well then, it's hereditary.'" https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-boebert-grandmother-son-baby-2023-6

Sounds like an upcoming Republican campaign slogan.... "Vote for us. We're brainless boobs who love Trump." But we're definitely NOT trashy.... Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene calls fellow Republican Lauren Boebert a ‘little bitch’ during heated argument on House floor: report Published June 21, 2023 https://nypost.com/2023/06/21/marjorie-taylor-greene-calls-lauren-boebert-little-bitch-on-house-floor/ Sounds like it's well past time for voters to sweep out the trash here.

Boebert's on the market again now...for any MAGA types here who swing in her direction. Perhaps that's part of the reason behind the theater fondling episode: Lauren Boebert's divorce is likely to be finalized next month, and it's unclear if her husband is cooperating "Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert appears to be on track to have her divorce finalized next month, ushering in a new chapter for the conservative Republican who is never far from the headlines in Washington. According to the court docket, Boebert and Jayson Boebert have a non-contested hearing scheduled for October 10. After nearly two decades of marriage, the congresswoman filed for separation in May." https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-boebert-divorce-is-likely-to-finalized-next-month-2023-9

I'd vouch for that position... Yes, voters should not be electing "trash" to run their governments, make laws, set policies, etc etc.

The really weird part of this federal court lawsuit is it's NOT Boebert suing the group that accused her of having been an escort and having had abortions for defamation. Instead, it's just the opposite -- it's the group that accused Boebert suing HER for defamation after she went on a very public campaign trashing them in the wake of their public allegations against her. As the following Colorado news report from June 8, 2023 recounts: "Wheeler stands by his main allegations against Boebert, and the lawsuit notably asserts that “Boebert was aware that she had” worked as a paid escort, had two abortions, and used illegal drugs, even as she accused Wheeler and Muckrakers of publishing “false statements knowing they were completely fabricated,” characterized the statements as “defamation,” and said she was “moving forward with a lawsuit.” Boebert never followed through with her threat to sue Wheeler and Muckrakers." https://coloradonewsline.com/2023/06/08/lauren-boebert-sued-for-defamation-in-federal-court-by-activist/ Hmmm.... wonder why???

The escort and abortion claims re Boebert remain unproven... But the other charges below involving Boebert are proven: Congressional candidate Lauren Boebert has a history of minor arrests, court no-shows Rifle Republican has been arrested and summonsed four times in the past decade August 27, 2020 "Congressional candidate Lauren Boebert — who often espouses a pro-police, law-and-order message on the campaign trail — has been arrested and summonsed at least four times over the past decade, records show. ... While she was being handcuffed for disorderly conduct, Boebert tried to twist away from police, according to deputies’ reports. She allegedly shouted that her arrest was unconstitutional, that “she had friends at Fox News and that the arrest would be national news.” https://www.denverpost.com/2020/08/27/lauren-boebert-arrests-colorado-3rd-mitsch-bush/

Hypocrite!!! Please, let's not have an arch-right-wing Republican congresswoman sexualizing the environment of family friendly musicals!!! And according to The Advocate report above, out on a fondling date with a bar owner whose venue has previously hosted drag shows, which the congresswoman supposedly abhors. Hypocrite!

Lauren Boebert Caught Fondling Date’s Genitals During Family-Friendly Musical: Video "Newly released security camera footage appears to show Rep. Lauren Boebert, the far-right Republican congresswoman known for her strong stance against drag queens and transgender people, claiming their mere existence “sexualizes” spaces, engaging in inappropriate behavior during a family-friendly musical at a packed theater. ... In the video, Boebert's companion, identified by multiple news sources as 46-year-old Quinn Gallagher (a Democrat who owns a bar at which drag shows have occurred), is seen touching Boebert's chest during the show. Boebert, in response, appears to place her hand near his crotch and whispers something to him, Mediaite reports." https://www.advocate.com/politics/lauren-boebert

In this case, it seems like it's quite the family affair... the husband deputy Interior Ministry, his wife, the accused ex mayor of Nakhon Ubon Ratchathani, and the current mayor the wife of their son. "The current mayor of the Nakhon Ubon Ratchathani Municipality is the wife of Worasit Kantinan, a Pheu Thai MP candidate for Ubon Ratchathani and Kriang’s [the deputy Interior Minister's] son, Bangkok Post reported." The new government is hardly out of the gate, and the corruption cases are already piling up against a variety of figures, apart from the previously convicted heroin dealer/ politician earlier named to the Cabinet. "Another returnee is Thammanat Prompao, who had served as deputy agriculture minister despite being convicted and jailed in Australia in 1994 in connection with heroin smuggling. He is the new agriculture minister." https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/thailands-new-government-takes-office-cabinet-members-oath-102924049 And now add to the list: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-education-ministers-appointment-in-question-over-red-bull-heir-scandal "The recent appointment of Education Minister, Police General Permpoon Chidchob, has been challenged by the Move Forward Party (MFP), following allegations of his involvement in aiding Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, the heir to the Red Bull fortune, to evade prosecution."

A very good source for learning what Fire device users can do outside of the Amazon ecosystem is a UK based YouTube site called TechDoctorUK. The guy behind the site does an excellent job of posting easy to follow, step-by-step instruction tutorials to do all kinds of things with the Fire devices. https://www.youtube.com/@TechDoctorUK

So-called "jailbreaking" a Fire device is pretty much nothing more than just installing the "Downloader" app from the Fire device's built-in app store that is the vehicle you use to then download stuff from sources other than Amazon, and then enabling downloads from 3rd party sources such as the Downloader app in the Fire device's Settings / Developer options menu, so it functions properly.

Ohh Lord... not the TM30 debacle again... Some of this stuff is simply a nonsensical mystery... as with the following example: I've made one and only one TM30 report in Thailand to BKK CW back in 2019 or so when Immigration launched their campaign about that, and began refusing to do extensions of stay without a valid TM30... So I managed to successfully do one back then, and have had the slip in my passport ever since. Since then, I've renewed my retirement extension multiple times over, and had numerous brief domestic Thai hotel stays before returning back to my same home in BKK... And then earlier this year, also had an international trip abroad before returning back to my BKK home... Then came time last month to once again do my annual retirement extension at BKK CW, and they were perfectly fine once again to accept my original 2019 TM30 slip as part of my extension paperwork, despite all the domestic overnighters and recent international trip as well that followed my original TM30 report. Which makes me wonder, do I really need to do another TM30 now just because of their new system? And if I don't, will BKK CW Immigration suddenly balk next August when the time rolls around again for another retirement extension, suddenly declaring that my 2019 report for my one and only ever home in BKK that was OK for all these prior years now suddenly isn't anymore?