TallGuyJohninBKK

Sources that I consider NON-credible are those who have been repeatedly found to have presented false and misleading info (and info that I myself can examine and find false and misleading by looking at the raw info they're relying on), regardless of what their views are... Fortunately, in your case, virtually all of the sources you present and rely on are either A] serial COVID and vaccine misinformers, or B] nobodies from the gutters of the internet who have no standing or experience to render credible opinions of the subjects at hand....

I guess Nate will be needing some of those tissues, now that he's apparently newly single again.... 🙂

@Presnock, when you talk about using SDFCU to transfer your funds to Thailand, what exact method are they (you) using -- an international wire transfer initiated from within SDFCU's online banking platform (if so, what's their fee for that)? Or some other route? TIA!

That's correct.... I don't believe Schwab International accounts allow POD beneficiaries... But, one thing a person supposedly could do -- which is something I'm exploring -- is have the Thai spouse open a Schwab international account in her name and based in Thailand. And then, the U.S. person with a Schwab account can name the Thai spouse as their POD beneficiary... And as I understand it, if the U.S. person dies in that scenario, Schwab would follow the U.S. account POD instructions and would move/transfer the U.S. person's Schwab accounts to the beneficiary Thai wife's Schwab international account, all done via an internal Schwab process.

In scientific and medical/public health fields, it's relatively easy for total misinformation peddling nutjobs like RFK Jr., Peter McCullough and Steve Kirsch, among others, to SOUND at first blush like they're making persuasive, cogent arguments -- at least to the typical lay audience. That's why it's important to have their key claims vetted by various credible, expert sources -- non-partisan fact checkers, major mainstream media outlets, public health/medical experts on topics like COVID and vaccines... And then see how those sources -- who know the detailed ins and outs of these kinds of topic -- to judge the key claims being made by the nutjobers and explain how they've misrepresented data or used data that isn't credible in the first place.... And then see what to make of the nutjobers' claims. I don't rely on any single source for assessing the veracity (or non-veracity) of their claims... But fortunately in the case of people like RFK Jr., Peter McCullough and Steve Kirsch et. al. on vaccine issues, pretty much, you're not going to find ANY credible source / institution that has supported their anti-vax nonsense or has found them credible... They're truly in an anti-vax nutjob world of their own.

Kirsch is simply a well-documented and serial (chronic) vaccine misinformer, period. Wikipedia was just the quickest and easiest reference to document Kirsch's patent nonsense. But for anyone who doesn't like or trust Wikipedia, there are plenty of other sources documenting Kirsch's patent anti-vax nonsense. Among them: https://science.feedback.org/?s=Steve+Kirsch https://www.factcheck.org/person/steve-kirsch/ https://www.respectfulinsolence.com/tag/Steve-Kirsch/

Steve Kirsch is another in your long roster of nutjob anti-vaxer sources with nearly as many fact-check repudiations of his nonsense claims as you have anti-vax posts here!!! "Steven Todd Kirsch (born 1956 in Los Angeles[1]) is an American entrepreneur. ... Kirsch has been both a philanthropic supporter of medical research, and a promoter of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. [emphasis added] Vaccine misinformation In May 2021, Kirsch posted an article online claiming that COVID-19 vaccines affect fertility, while also underplaying the vaccines' ability to prevent illness and death, both statements criticized by fact checkers as being inaccurate and misleading.[16] In September 2021, speaking at an FDA meeting and identifying himself as CETF's executive director, Kirsch claimed that the vaccines "kill twice as many as they save"; the FDA responded that Kirsch had misinterpreted data and that there was no evidence his statement was true.[12][17] Reuters assessed the claim as false.[17] In March 2023 Kirsch reported that he'd offered a woman sitting next to him on a first class Delta flight $100,000 to remove her mask for the entire flight. She refused.[18] [emphasis added] In October 2021, Kirsch founded the anti-vaccine group Vaccine Safety Research Foundation (VSRF),[19] which created ads depicting deaths the group attributed to vaccines.[20][21] Foundation advisors include Robert Malone, Peter McCullough, and Stephanie Seneff. Before this, in June 2021, Kirsch had appeared with Malone on the Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying podcast, which according to MIT Technical Review "introduced Kirsch to followers of the 'intellectual dark web'" and allowed him to access a "large and receptive audience to his claims about a fluvoxamine conspiracy".[12][15]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Kirsch

Yes, understand what you're saying. In my case, the account that holds my 800K has automatic transactions recorded every month, those being the deposit of interest by my bank (this account pays monthly interest, not the more typical twice a year) and then the bank's corresponding deduction for Thai tax withholding. So over the course of the year, each and every month shows those activities in my account, and all I need to do is remember to update my passbook every 3+ months or so (to make sure to avoid consolidated bank book entry prints. And thus far at least, those self-provided bankbook photocopies of mine with monthly activity showing have satisfied them. Krungsri, the bank that handles my account, is weird. To get an official statement from them, they seemingly can't / wont print an annual statement, but instead print out 12 separate monthly statements, if I make a statements request at the branch... But bizarrely, I can go online with them and request to have them email me a 12-month single official account statement in PDF format... But in my experience, BKK CW seems to like the bank book photocopies more than the emailed PDF statement....

Maybe you can clarify exactly what you mean by "bank statements" in connection with retirement extension applications based on 800K THB bank deposits. In MANY years of processing retirement extensions at BKK CW, I've always brought my own photocopies of my bank book pages covering the prior year. And those have always been accepted by Immigration, along with presenting the original bankbook and the standard bank deposit confirmation letter. Separate from self-provided bank book photocopies, there also are the bank-provided account printouts or statements (the bank that has my deposit only issues monthly statements of their own). The only time I was ever asked for a bank-provided statement was once when there was a gap in my chronological bank book entries because of getting a new bankbook mid-year. So on that one instance, the officer wanted the bank-issued statements separate from the photocopies. But other than that, BKK CW has always accepted just my own self-provided bank book photocopies covering the prior year and nothing directly from the bank, other than the standard deposit verification letter and presenting my original bank book for inspection.

Ain't no way!!! This guy and his family are super rich, even by Thai standards. Dunno how or where it will come from... But somehow, he'll end up walking away from all this with something far less than the OP report says. PS - FWIW, the family involved here is the main Thai business entity behind both the Pizza Hut and Taco Bell operations in Thailand. https://www.thoresen.com/en/about-tta/business-overview/food-beverage https://www.businessinsider.com/r-taco-bells-first-thailand-outlet-to-serve-spicy-fare-and-local-beer-2019-1

I believe the BMA was publicly talking a couple weeks back about expecting to finish clearing the debris by the end of April. From the OP report above, it seems pretty clear that deadline will have come and gone unmet. Collapsed building expected to be cleared out by the end of April: BMA WEDNESDAY, APRIL 09, 2025 https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/bangkok/40048525

I have no "outrage" over the Ghost Tower or idiot farangs who trespass and break other Thai laws at their own peril. Perhaps a bit of "dismay." However, I DO have "outrage," over the probable 100 or so workers who will end up being declared dead in the collapse of the State Audit Office Building in BKK, and probably no one to end up facing serious legal consequence for that. That's something to legitimately get "outraged" over....

And each and every time as with the latest case, the authorities say an INVESTIGATION will be launched... But AFAIK, we've never heard what the actual findings were from any of the prior fatalities/investigations there.... And we certainly haven't heard of anyone actually being held responsible for the myriad of failings/deaths there.

Thailand's own Deaths Highway!

As I mentioned above, I was told by SCB that they were working from Thai government list(s) of non-complying names -- those where the mobile phone registration info didn't/doesn't match the mobile banking registration info. AFAIK, the Thai banks don't have direct access to mobile phone provider registration data.. But apparently, the Thai government does.

Or, there's another possibility that what RFK Jr. is selling is somewhat less than it's being hyped to be. Note the key sentence from the OP report above: "Despite this, Kennedy is moving forward with a campaign that urges food manufacturers to voluntarily transition away from artificial coloring. [emphasis added]. Let's repeat that for emphasis... "a campaign that urges food manufacturers to voluntarily transition away from artificial coloring." Per the usually very reliable blog "Your Local Epidemiologist" by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina: "Red dye #3 is already out the door [prior to Trump taking office], and the new HHS administration is trying to phase out the rest. Last Tuesday, HHS announced the initiative. What actually happened: Only two rarely-used colors—Citrus Red 2 and Orange B—were officially revoked. For the remaining six, which are more widely used, it will be entirely up to the food industry under a voluntary “understanding”—not a formal ban. [emphasis added] Response from industry members so far has been mixed; some have pledged support, while others are maintaining their safety. Some key context: Contrary to popular belief, five of these six colors are allowed in Europe whose regulatory body follows a more cautionary hazard-based approach to food safety. They just use different names on their food labels. Dr. Andrea Love created a great table (see below)." [emphasis added] https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/novavax-confusion-food-dyes-measles Personally, I'm not advocating for or against all of the above RFK Jr. stuff... The science and evidence appears to remain largely up in the air... As the OP report noted: "Critics point to research linking synthetic food dyes to hyperactivity and neurobehavioral issues in children, though the scientific consensus remains debated." But for the time being, just saying, there's arguably a lot more "urging" going on here than actual rule-making or enforcement. As Jetelina concluded: "What does this mean for you? It’s unclear at this point. The impact on you as a consumer will depend on how—and whether—the industry chooses to shift. But again, let’s not lose the forest for the trees. For real progress to make America healthier, we need a number of systematic changes that tackle root causes"

I guess it depends on how well read a person is: Per the Associated Press tonight: "the authorities in Spain have yet to provide further explanations for what caused one of the most serious blackouts to ever take place in Europe. ... Spain’s meteorological agency, AEMET, said that it had not detected any “unusual meteorological or atmospheric phenomena” on Monday, and no sudden temperature fluctuations were recorded at their weather stations. Portugal’s National Cybersecurity Center on Monday dismissed speculation about foul play, saying there was no sign that the outage resulted from a cyber attack." https://apnews.com/article/spain-portugal-power-outage-electicity-533832bb4ceae92eaa68c23dc0b5db18

There's also a substantial thread running on the same topic right now in the Thailand News section:

What time of the day did you go rolling into BKK CW this year? Time of day can make a difference on the time needed to complete the process.

Perhaps knowing the standard provision of the Thai legal system that admitting your guilt prior to actual sentencing typically gets you a half reduction in the length of one's sentence.

It's all about Trump and RFK Jr's campaign to Make America (and the World) UNhealthy Again (MAUNHA)!!! Just like the tub of lard president and the worm-eaten brain HHS secretary he appointed.

From what SCB reps told me recently, the Thai government's digital ministry issued a list (or lists) to Thai banks earlier this year identifying people whose mobile phone name registrations didn't/don't match their bank account name registrations.

The full headline that got curtailed in the OP post in fact read -- "Constitutional Crisis" From the OP news report: Trump has signed 124 orders in less than 100 days. Scholars warn this is a constitutional crisis 23 April 2025 "As Donald Trump nears the end of his first 100 days in office, he has issued a record-breaking high of 124 executive orders, while signing a record-breaking low of just five new bills into law, and caused concerns among constitutional scholars. [emphasis added] “These orders are extraordinary, not just in their number, but in their breadth,” said Rory Little, a law professor at the University of California- San Francisco said at a recent panel discussion. “The current state of affairs can be characterized I think with no exaggeration as a crisis, a challenge to the rule of the law in the United States.” [emphasis added] ... “While some may legitimately applaud the policy goals that underlie some of these actions, I hope we can all agree these policy goals should be pursued lawfully, lest we end up living in the type of system envisioned by the president, where he is the only law,” fellow professor Jodi Short said. [emphasis added] (more) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-executive-orders-constitution-law-b2738186.html That's what a dictator is and does... attempts to rule unilaterally without feeling the need for governing via laws promulgated and enacted by the elected legislators, in the case of the U.S., those being Congress.

2 American Children Were Sent to Honduras With Their Undocumented Mother The children, 4 and 7, were put on a plane with their mother, who was deported. The family’s lawyer said the mother was given no choice but to take her children, which the Trump administration denied. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/27/us/politics/us-citizen-children-deported-honduras-trump.html U.S. citizen children, including 4-year-old with cancer, taken to Honduras on mother's deportation flight, legal advocates say Two siblings, ages 4 and 7, were flown out of the U.S. on their mother’s deportation flight before attorneys could reach them, according to the National Immigration Project. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/two-children-us-citizens-4-and-7-year-old-deported-honduras-rcna203208 "The White House is digging in on its refusal to bring back a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, viewing the controversial fight as a political winner that keeps the focus on an issue of strength for President Trump. Democrats and civil rights groups have been in an uproar about the removal of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the Trump administration acknowledged in a court filing had been sent to a notorious El Salvador prison by mistake. Abrego Garcia is a 29-year-old Salvadoran national who fled that country as a teenager to escape gang violence. He was protected from deportation by an immigration judge in 2019, a fact courts this year have underscored in calling on the administration to bring him back to the United States. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5252735-trump-administration-refuses-bring-back/ 'Homegrowns are next': Trump hopes to deport and jail U.S. citizens abroad April 16, 202511:56 AM ET President Trump says his administration is actively exploring a proposal to detain U.S. citizens and send them to prisons in El Salvador. Speaking Monday, minutes before a press briefing alongside El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, Trump could be heard embracing the concept. ... The proposal has drawn condemnation from some legal scholars, who said it would represent an unprecedented encroachment on the civil liberties of U.S. citizens. ... "It's obviously unconstitutional, obviously illegal. There's no authority in any U.S. law to deport U.S. citizens and certainly not to imprison them in a foreign country," said David Bier of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank based in Washington, D.C. https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/nx-s1-5366178/trump-deport-jail-u-s-citizens-homegrowns-el-salvador All of the above are hallmarks of a would-be American dictator who believes himself to be above the laws and not constrained by federal court rulings or the actual Constitution.

The Biden era moratorium was hardly some crazy illegal scheme.... It was considered by and even endorsed by Congress at one point, was arguably supported by a prior law, and later one version of the moratorium was upheld by a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling involving the Trump era court, as the NYT article below recounts. But later, a divided high court shifted its opinion and their ultimate ruling brought the moratorium to an end... And that's the way the legal and government systems are supposed to work -- unlike the nonsense with Trump and his administration's open defiance of court rulings. Supreme Court Ends Biden’s Eviction Moratorium The ruling followed political and legal maneuvering by the administration to retain protections for tenants. It puts hundreds of thousands at risk of being put out of their homes. Published Aug. 26, 2021Updated Nov. 7, 2021 WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the Biden administration’s latest moratorium on evictions, ending a political and legal dispute during a public health crisis in which the administration’s shifting positions had subjected it to criticism from adversaries and allies alike. ... The administration’s legal maneuvering might have failed, but it bought some time for tenants threatened with eviction. In unusually candid remarks this month, President Biden said that was part of his calculus in deciding to proceed with the new moratorium, which was set to expire Oct. 3. ... Many states and localities, including New York and California, have extended their own moratoriums, providing another layer of protection for some renters. In some places, judges, aware of the potential for large numbers of people to be put out on the street even as the pandemic intensifies again, have said they would slow-walk cases and make greater use of eviction diversion programs. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/26/us/eviction-moratorium-ends.html PS - A national measure to protect tenants from COVID era evictions hardly belongs in the same discussion or category as leading an attempted U.S. government insurrection to overrturn a lawfully decided presidential election, or wrongfully deporting people with legal standing to remain in the U.S. at the time to foreign countries and/or foreign prisons.