spidermike007

Mexico, and many other places are far more welcoming and far more gracious with retirees, than Thailand is. Their governments have enough vision to see the value, and are infinitely less arrogant, myopic and xenophobic.

Total hogwash. If they were the slightest bit serious, the government would offer incentives, for the farmers to switch crops. This is 2023. Rice and sugar worked in previous centuries. Now, they do not make any sense. Too labor intensive, too much degradation of the land, water, air, roads, and resources. Let's get with the times. Let us move forward. They shut down the economy due to covid. But, burning cane is ok. Can't they see the effect it is having on the air? Do they care one iota? Don't the leaders live here too? Why are they MIA? Why don't the "do nothing guys" do something for a change? When the crop burning starts to kill the population, and lowers the quality of life for those of us who don't die, isn't it time to take action? We just don't need the sugar. Shut down this toxic, heinous industry. Lock up the farmers. Sieze their land. Do whatever it takes. The problem is not only the politicians, but also the people, a large part of the population, which does not care: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/12/how-chiang-mai-became-the-worlds-most-polluted-city Great article. At least they state the truth. It is field burning and predatory agricultural practices, more than wildfires, that is to blame. And the army and the govt. won't touch the giant growers. Perhaps a more creative and far more drastic approach would work? The smoke will die down when the dinosaurs are replaced with young and progressive leaders, who care about the health, welfare and well being of the nation, and the environment. The current crop do not have any initiative, nor any ideas. Dinosaurs are cursed with small brains.

Such fealty. I guess one could have expected Sretta to bow down to big business. China is NOT the one you want to get closer to. The CCP are nothing but trouble, their intentions are heinous, and they do not wear their power with a shred of grace. Sretta is too worried about being loyal to his masters.

If only the drought wiped out the entire sugar cane industry. It is a plague. Such a horrific crop. The burning causes countless hospitalizations, lung disease and horrific air for months on end. The trucks result in the local roads getting torn up each year. Thailand would be better off without this horrendous industry, and farmers should be assisted and encouraged to switch to crops that are less heinous. As far as the corporations who create the sugar, who cares?

Don't get me started on the future. Frankly, it doesn't look good for the next Gen.

I used to really love Mexico, but it's not cheap anymore and you're always having to look over your shoulders. In addition to that you really can't do much traveling on the road because you're then subject to the whims of the cartels, which is not a position I would want to be in.

He had alot of talent worked hard, played very well, and is beloved by many. Did he waste some of that talent? Maybe. I think the real question is how would most of us handle that kind of intense scrutiny? The constant paparazzi, the need to always be up and chipper and ready for the cameras, the mobs of fans, the women throwing themselves at you. For me fortune would be fun, but fame would be a huge burden, quite horrific and not something I would deal with well, most likely.

Yikes. And it will be over in a flash. And what did he have to say for it? Why not seek out a far more fulfilling and adventurous life? Thailand ticks many of the boxes for me. Is it perfect? No. Do I have some complaints? Yes. Am I fulfilled? Absolutely. I love the life and feel very blessed to have had the courage to make the move away from the US. The land of the bitter, unfulfilled, malcontent, humorless, violent and social misfits.

My friend of mine who was recently visiting from India constantly was remarking on how good the roads were here especially the highways (not really taking into account the congestion or the traffic), it was the quality of the infrastructure. Pattaya, Samui, and some other towns and areas in particular have the unique problem of a mayor who resembles a Hoover vacuum, with local funds.

Americans are much more comfortable being close to home. Not me. But many.

Personally I think if you take into account all the additional expenses that one has to factor in when you have a girlfriend it's not double, it's more like 1.3 times more than what you would spend if you were single. Face creams, moisturizers, doctors, dentists, clothing, the dishes she orders that you wouldn't, the list literally goes on and on and on. 20 to 30,000 Baht is a realistic budget for having a woman regardless of whether or not you're giving her a generous allowance, just basic expenses.

It is called a wasted life. I have a friend who is planning on retiring in Thailand he finally retired after 10 years of planning he decided to stay in Los Angeles what an incredible mistake all because his brother had a nice house that he could stay in for free and likely some fear factor too. He is miserable there.

Total nonsense. I could say the opposite of older folks who stay in their home nation. Unless they are already married, their prospects for romance are under 1%. It is mostly fear. I know many guys who would love to leave but don't.

Perhaps in his lakefront villa in Switzerland, that he bought with payoffs from his cronies, who where the only ones not required to shut down during covid?

I don't need to support institutional corruption, lies and deceptions. When was the last time this government was honest with you, anyway?

There is a vast difference between defamation (which are laws written by cowards, for cowards), and blatant corruption and a mass theft of the treasury.

In the absence of official statistics, direct, firsthand knowledge is always second best.

Everyone knows why this guy was appointed and who he knows. How about investigating Prayuth? I doubt the man is clean. Who knows what crimes the army got away with during those "9 lost years"?

It is beyond rational, that Thailand has not done this already. For the movement of cargo, if nothing else. The highways are clogged with trucks of all sizes, due to a lack of planning. And the trains here are quite an embarrassment. Even if you decide to travel by train here on the antique cars, you have to deal with consistent delays of 30 minutes to 3 hours. I gave up using them. Thailand desperately needs high speed rail, for people and cargo. The lack of planning is an abomination. The rail projects should be accelerated. Thailand is 40-50 years behind the curve, when it comes to public transportation, with the exception of Bangkok. The railway here is sickening. I recently tried public transportation, from Hua Hin to Samui. Took a 5 hour express train from HH to Surat. All good. Except the train was 3.5 hours late between a 2.5 hour delay in arriving, and an additional hour added, on the way. Unacceptable. Then I took a VIP bus back from Samui. Left the pier at 6:45pm. Arrived in HH at 4:00am. Even at 11pm, the traffic was a parking lot, due to the main north south artery for the nation, reduced to one lane, due to road construction. One hour spent going 5 kph. Unacceptable. It is so much easier, and more efficient to use the rail. Typically, the average person spends at least 3 additional hours with a domestic flight, when you factor in travel to the airport, waiting, security, delays, etc. And time at the destination airport too. Any nation that wants to call itself developed, needs high speed rail. The US being the exception to that rule, as the vision, and will was never there to get it done. 45 minutes from BKK to Pattaya? Brilliant. Which airline runs that route? How about Bangkok to Hua Hin, or Chumporn? Right now, it is a nightmare journey by road, unless you leave Bangkok at 5am, which I usually do, to get past the insane road work in Samut Sakorn. How about getting into Bangkok, from the north, or the south, during the day? I have spent three hours just traveling from Saraburi to BKK. Any flights?

Will they also disclose the overseas assets of all 2,200 generals and members of the Prayuth administration? Penthouses in NY, Swiss lakefront chalets, overseas bank and investment accounts? How about some real investigative reporting?

This guy is really turning out to be quite a genius. Shortly, he will solve every problem the nation faces.

Very intrusive. I think I would start saying NO to the airlines who engage in this policy. See ya!

What many of us know, is that it likely includes every single business visa issued since the beginning of the year, every single ex-pat that has gone back and forth and who knows what else that figure includes? One thing that is for sure it that this is not an accurate representation of the current state of tourism, nor the correct arrival numbers.

Just blast your own music on your phone, if he did not respond to a request to change or turn off the music. My pet peeve are the ridiculous commercials. I don't watch or listen to commercials. They don't pay me. Why should I listen or watch?

No poll of 100 people could ever be taken seriously. And what were the questions, how leading were the questions, how scientific were the questions, which agency did the polling? how credible are their results? There are so many unanswered questions one has to just shake their head and say what a bunch of nonsense this is.