spidermike007

Well not only the fluency in English but the fact that they're highly educated means that they're likely more open-minded and the exposure to higher education has encouraged them to be more curious about people and about the world.

I watched that video a few days ago and though I think the guy is well spoken and has a lot to say, I didn't find anything particularly revealing when it comes to making friends with Thai men. I've been here a long time, I'm a friendly guy, I'm open and easy to be around and though I've made quite a few acquaintances I've made very few Thai friends over the years. I think a lot of that has to do with a dramatically low level of curosity on the part of Thais, when it comes to foreigners. And perhaps a sense that we don't have much in common. I could see where some sort of club or professional affiliation might help with that.

He is the epitome of a bully, he always has been, and unfortunate now he has a position where he can use his power in a toxic and nonproductive manner.

He won't, because he can't. The intellectual capacity is missing. He loves slogans and one liners. That all he has.

Not needed. I can assure you that I'm quite healthy psychologically, but I do use every opportunity I can get to criticize the circus clown, and his ridiculous regressive policies. That's what open-minded, independent thinkers do. A critical mind can be a wonderful thing. Total obedience and fealty is not.

The police nor the highway patrol have ever been particularly concerned with traffic safety. I only see them after the scene of an accident or at a traffic stop. I very rarely ever see anyone pulled over while driving and doing something reckless. It is almost unheard of.

They are both insane so trying to figure out which one is more unhinged is a rather difficult task, the issue with Trump is that in addition to being insane he's also semi senile, relatively incoherent, and seems to represent the deep state, with rather heinous intentions. The last group in the world that he represents are the American people, he cares not one iota for people without great wealth.

And the economic destruction from his insane policies is just starting.

No. Saint Donald. Total revisionist history, a complete reformation of his entire career, and a total erasure of his past crimes, moral terpitude, and a total and complete willingness to overlook a lifetime of moral bankruptcy.

Trump is destroying the US economy one step at a time. It could be intentional. It could be diabolical. Nobody knows. He could simply be unhinged or following the dictates of a very sinister cabal. One thing is certain. He is accomplishing very little, he will NOT bring manufacturing back to America, which is stupid over priced (I am here now and inflation is raging at 20% or higher right now), he is causing alot of pain, he is losing support, destroying businesses, and consumer confidence, he does not have a coherent plan, and he is a destructive nimwit. He's engaging in nothing but massive destruction of the economy, the environment, the land, the seas, the air, the national lands, the wilderness areas, our alliance with close friends and long term allies, aligning himself with dictators and serial killing despots, and tearing down everything that's good about the world. That is just who Trump is. Globalization made the world great, the manufacturing ecosystems within globalization and low tariffs allowed the US economy to thrive for decades, and he's never going to bring back much manufacturing to the US. End of story, just a slogan. The fact that so many people are buying into his nonsense and destruction, is what is truly sad. I don’t think he has a coherent value structure as most of us understand it. I think we’re seeing a president who’s operating without anything any of us would recognize as a conscience. Truly. It is about showing what he can get away with. It’s about showing his enemies that what they support, he can tear down. It is all about displays of brute strength. He gets off on that, and in that sense, it seems not so much an autocracy but a flexocracy. Let me show you how I can flex my bicep as I use it to power my fist coming into your face. It’s not about any coherent values. It’s not about any North Star. It’s about showing that you can turn the boat 180 degrees around and that you can do whatever you want and you can bring the people who opposed you to their knees.

This may be a good idea. Based on its history, Burma in its present form appears unsustainable. Anything that can be done to weaken the genocidal, serial killing, gem smuggling, heroin dealing, morally bankrupt junta, and it's cadre of multi billionaire generals would be a great thing for humanity.

Thailand is waiting for a Cambodian leader who is not a nepo baby from a serial killing, money grubbing, crime syndicate family.

If she is removed from her position who will handle the puppet shows? We must maintain the cultural standards!

In the history of the world has there ever been a man who is less tolerant of disagreement and criticism than Donald Trump? He diminishes himself every time he acts out like a petulant child when somebody disagrees with him. This is not the behavior of a real man, this is the sign of an ignorant punk bully. Musk is absolutely correct in making his feelings known about the big ugly bill, it was an absolute monstrosity.

One of the least significant figures on the contemporary music scene today is complaining about musicians standing up and speaking their mind, when he never had the guts to speak out about any worthy causes other than himself.

Now he finally makes a substantive statement, miracle of all miracles. If only you would apply just a tiny bit of that intellect to your normal replies the forum would be less dull. Vitriolic hatred and personal demonization does not make a stimulating reply. You are easily amongst the five or ten least substantial members of this forum, and everybody reading this knows who they are.

If you really want to liberalize the booze market here in Thailand knock the wine taxes down to 20% total for all imported wines, and the same with liquor. That's liberalization, changing the hours to purchase doesn't mean much. But Thailand has been deluding itself for decades now by doing things that don't mean much and pretending that they are significant changes to the law. Lowering duty on higher end wines would also serve to attract more affluent tourists, as rich tourists who are accustomed to spending $100 or so on a bottle of wine for dinner, will not spend $500 or $600 for that same bottle here in Thailand, presuming they can even find a good wine with bottle age here. The same applies the luxury goods. I know some rich folks, who spend $100,000 on a 10-day vacation and the wife always gets $15,000 to spend on goodies, and the most common complaint I hear is that she can't go shopping here because she won't pay $11,500 for that same handbag that's $4600 in most other big cities around the world. The Thai authorities like to presume that rich tourists are dumb, but there's a reason why they're rich.

Very true and the sad part of all this is that Trump is pushing countries to find replacements for the US, and it will happen. Canada has some of the best lumber in the world that comes from their Boreal forests, and they will find a replacement easily for the US. America is going to miss out on some of the highest quality lumber as a result of policies that are way beyond the level of stupidity. Donald Trump. MALR. Making America less relevant by the day.

Your doubts are your greatest ally and you absolutely must listen to them. If you think she's taking advantage she is, and I don't care how young or beautiful she is, she's not worth it. Sounds like it's time to move on and find somebody who's truly worthy of your devotion. It's about self-esteem at this point, if you don't do it you're going to hate yourself for it.

Correct. But since the man does not have a compassionate bone in his body, and he only thinks about himself, poor people around the world dying or starving to death never enters even the periphery of his small mind. The ugly bull just passed is a great example of that. Rogue capitalism is what we have with Trump & his Project 2025 band of robber barrons. They will feed on the people, robbing them of even life’s essentials and then they will turn on each other because they are predators and don’t know any other way to be in the world. Why? Because they are ruled by ego and it’s greed. But, we will NOT forget how they voted to throw grandma out of the nursing home, deny a newborn and it’s mother any health care under Medicaid, rip away health insurance from up to 17 million Americans and put the burden of paying for their health care needs on us! the payees of employment health care benefits because our premiums WILL go up. That’s not even to mention the $3.3 TRILLION the OMB has calculated this horrendous monstrosity will swell the national debt.

There's been a lot of debate about that but if you send it to your Thai woman or to a Thai friend you can trust, according to attorneys I've spoken with it's a pretty effective work around.

Well you happen to be in one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country, during the busiest month of the year, so that's not a particularly objective barometer. The numbers show otherwise, tourism in the US is down dramatically and billions upon billions are being lost because of one man's hatred, division, vitriol, arrogance, and his inability to keep his ridiculous mouth shut.

So says one the least substantial and perhaps one of the least intelligent members of this forum, your replies always amount to a simple sentence or a slogan, with absolutely no content.

No you could not be more wrong, I live a very good life, a delightful life actually. Trump causes me very little turmoil, however I do disapprove of him, and I do dislike him deeply, and I express my opinion of him frequently as you can tell. This is something that you are forbidden to do, because you are an obedient MAGA supporter, and criticism is not tolerated on any level.

From a rational Canadian. This is how the world views us now. A truly horrendous fall for a nation people used to respect.