spidermike007

Immigration throughout Thailand is a very toxic organization. I do not think they like foreigners at all. I have stopped doing the marriage visa. I just do not even know what to say about the process. I felt like a street dog by the time I left. After hours of paperwork, copy after copy after copy, each page having to be signed, and then being grilling by the surly officer, I literally felt like a street dog. The level of disrespect that immigration shows married couples here, and foreigners in general, is totally uncalled for, beyond the pale, and inane. The copy woman, the guy sorting our papers, they were all nice. But, the officers? Such sourpusses. The woman who was helping us was so difficult to work with, when she finally rejected us over the tiniest thing she did not like, after nearly an hour of reviewing every document with a microscope, so to speak, and said NO, very loudly, and I responded by saying YES! YES, you are going to do this. YES, you are going to do this right now. YES, you are going to stop saying NO to me right now. This ends now. She looked at me and did not know what to say. I asked for the manager. The top brass came over, and we had it sorted in 30 minutes. Took nearly 3 hours. And as usual, it will be a month, until I have final approval. Is it worth it? NO. It is my last marriage visa. I have gone back to the retirement visa. I would leave the country, before I subjected myself to that abuse one more time.

Any company in Thailand cannot match the customer service of a company like Amazon. Returns are so easy it is astonishing. Anything. Anytime. For any reason. A full, prompt refund. Customer service is diminishing worldwide. But, some still have it wired.

If it were the last investment in the world, I would not buy. I despise big Pharma. Would not help or assist or support them on any level. A man has to have some principals in this life. Plenty of other good investments out there, with companies that are not vampirical, and not sucking the blood of humanity.

Under 200 cases worldwide. And they are already treating it as the new covid. The new pandemic. Many just do not want to let go of the Zombie panic. Perhaps it gives their lives a purpose. Personally, I prefer harmony and peace over worry and panic. But many don't. Apparently.

Nothing will ever be the same. Tourism will rebound. But, not to the extent they are dreaming about. Maybe as many as 5 million tourists a year, a few years from now. 1. They simply got too far behind the curve, as usual. They waited too long. They were too timid. They behaved like scared little children. 2. There is less money to go around, post Covid, for all but the top 10%, who have a dozen good reasons for NOT visiting Thailand. 3. The Thailand pass still exists. Nobody wants to grovel for permission to visit. 4. Thailand is a pale shadow of it's former self. None of the many problems that existed prior to Covid were addressed. None. Not one. And they have made alot of effort to pasteurize and homogenize and puritanize the place. The exact opposite of what most want. They want character. Thailand is NOT Monte Carlo, or Singapore. It never will be. Give up that stupid dream. Preserve the character, cherish the character, don't erase it! 5. They still think Thailand is center of the known universe. No humility has been learned. None.

Embrace the snake!

Thailand was included in the group "because we offer a smile first, and we are the most ready", says Anutin. Wow. Delusion can be a very powerful force. Of all the clowns in leadership positions, he has to be the one who most often leaves us speechless!

Anutin Charnvirakul, the Minister of Public Health, told reporters that there was no timeframe or pressure to rush the government on ending restrictions. This superclown would not know truth, if it bit him on the butt. His daily lies continue. Of course they are feeling the pressure. The economy is decimated. Unemployment is likely 15%. Tourists are barely coming, even with the end of the cowardly quarantine. On Samui right now, and it is very, very quiet. Low season yes. But, few are showing up.

I think some Thais mistake a cell phone for a megaphone, and have a hard time conceiving that their voice is being transmitted electronically, rather than forcefully. And what's up with letting the phone ring 25 times? I like to consider Thailand a distant planet, rather than a foreign country. Helps me to relate with the zaniness of the place. I have also noticed that many Thais seem to find silence uncomfortable.

Asia, and the people of Thailand encourage Prayuth to strive for retirement. Thailand would be potentially better able to move forward into the future without this incredibly toxic man in charge.

Many American cities have police departments which are highly militarized and way over the top. Many have lost the ability to be friendly with their constituents. Some like the LAPD are downright hostile and obnoxious. Is all that necessary? Just another symptom of the rapid decline in the quality of life in the US. I am thrilled to not be living there, and every time I visit I am reminded of the dozen reasons I left.

While no country could over run the US with a likely land invasion, China could bring the US to its knees financially, or with cyber attacks. As easily as Putin was able to influence the election of a proxy Trump govt, through Facebook and other forms of hijacked media, think of how vulnerable the US is to cyber attacks. What would the pentagon be able to do without its satellites?

Better to tell the useless politicians and ministers they can no longer have a 6 car escort. They don't deserve it. And we don't care if anything happens to them.

No. No. No. You get public cooperation by putting a deterrent in place. As usual, you have failed, Prayuth. Simple solution. You provide the budget to get the highway patrol to actually patrol the highways. DUH! Nobody, and I mean nobody takes these guys seriously. There is absolutely nothing in the way of a deterrent here, and both the local governments, the central government, and the police do not take traffic safety seriously. Not even one iota. The safety of the public means less than zero to the small men in charge here. Nothing. They show that on a daily basis. They will not do a thing. Why? They do not care about the people one iota. Not the common people. Not the average pleb. No way. Never have cared, and may never care in the future. It is all about protecting the elite, the super wealthy, those that are connected, and those in power. The rest of the population? They do not matter. The ex-pat community does not matter. And the police will not get involved unless an accident has already occurred. There is no prevention. None. The idea of getting the police more involved, is an interesting one, and it would be an effective one. But, the issue is money. They are grossly underpaid, and until the government steps up, and spends the trillion baht on updating the police equipment, and paying each cop a living wage, it is not going to happen. Until then, they will just work the franchise. The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, prevention, enforcement of the law, or concern toward the prosecution of very reckless drivers.

Absolutely not. Only for those who adore insurance companies or big Pharma. I hate them both.

The fear is a distant meteor could come crashing into earth at any time. Or a maniac like Putin could launch a nuclear war. Do I lay up awake at night fretting over it? I think many simply do not want to let go of Zombie plague consciousness. I find it ridiculous.

Agree. I am now paying an agent and going the retirement route. The less I have to deal with this extremely toxic government, the more I am content to live here. I despise them.

My sense of it is that America is irrevocably broken. I do not see how it can rescue itself, from itself. It is a nearly dysfunction society, and it reminds me alot of the late 5th century Western Roman empire, before the Visigoths, the Huns and Aloric trashed Rome. I think America is finished. It just does not know it yet.

At 1500 they break down all the time. At 4500 baht they break down only once a year. My desktop computer has shut down many times due to this junk not working. Never had an issue with the computer. Only with the UPS junk. Nah. I see a scam.

Oh please. There are 100 cases worldwide, and there is already fear and alarm. I think some people just refuse to let go of the panic. All the while this whole fear mongering is a huge boon for big Pharma. Let it go. Let's get on with life.

Besides the deposit requirements, the marriage visa is harder to get and they continue to ask you to prove you are married, each and every year. It is sheer stupidity and I stopped using one, as my tolerance for abuse seems to be declining. Retirement is the way to go, if you are able to leave some money in the bank. If you can afford an agent, there are no requirements, other than paying the agent their annual fee. Immigration here is more corrupt than the cops.

Good riddens to those ridiculous face diapers. I am in Samui now, and only some Thais are wearing masks. Very few foreigners are engaging in the continued foolishness. Especially outdoors. Follow the science.

We are witnessing an astonishing degree of cowardice on the part of democratic politicians, who are not seizing the moment. The centrist element has been cowed into submission by the so called progressives. This latest fool just walked into a gun store on his 18th birthday, and bought two assault rifles and 350 rounds of ammunition. Something has to be done to restrict the ease with which idiots can buy guns. Some Americans have 20 guns at home. America is #1. In mass shootings and stupidity.

I am finished with the UPS mafia. Would rather have my system shut down every once in a blue moon, than cater to their low quality, over priced products.

The constant nonsense has to stop. Perhaps it is time the students start punishing the teachers. Something I have been advocating since I was 12.