spidermike007

No question, with the exception of some infrastructure, Thailand has been moving backwards for the past decade. On nearly every level. It did have a good run. Those days are behind it. So much self sabotage has been inflicted on this rather resilient nation, it would be a near impossibility for it to pull itself out of the abyss, shake off the molasses, and move forward. A very dynamic leader like Thanathorn would at least give the nation a chance at having a future. The current creeps do not. Japanese companies are relocating. Despite the.constant lies, foreign investment is way down. Tourism is all but finished. I understand why nearly a million youth are on FB, trying to figure out a way out. The future must look very bleak to them. For many of us, who are fortunate enough to not have a business here, things are simpler, and less complicated. All we have to do is deal with the continuous daily drivel of these goons in charge. This will likely be a five year shake out. The financial devastation to the economy here is far worse than the 1997 crash. And it will be sustained. Massive unemployment. Millions are out of work. With Cha Cha moving the nation backwards, we seem to be moving in the opposite direction of progressive and innovative. Regressive, is more like it. As much as the sabateurs talk about wanting the tourists back, they are not offering much in the way of concessions or sacrifices to get them. Tourism will never be the same again here. My heart goes out to those dependent on the industry.

Note to Cha Cha. You are incorrect, and misstating the facts, for the 1900th time. The emergency decree is still a necessity to combat resistance, to repress the show of dissent, and to prevent 97% of the population from showing their extreme level of disapproval of your staggering incompetence, your stunning failures, and your destruction of the economy. That is all the decree is about.

Have you been able to find a source for good quality pinot noir here? I have not. In California I get very good quality single vineyard Sonoma wines for $50. Here? Difficult to find, and way, way overpriced.

I do not even think this information is close to being correct. If there was a 60% tax in wine, it would be reasonable here. I was told by reliable sources, that is is 360%. Wine prices here are downright stupid, for high quality wine. It is just one of the many, many sacrifices the goon squad needs to make, if there is any chance of attracting affluent tourists. When components of the intermediate inputs and the finished good are at different tariff rates, the effective rate of protection (Ep) is actually different than the advertised rate. This creates a non-transparent environment. Table I Thai wine imports A CIF (per bottle) 6.89 8.09 B Tarrif: A x 60% 0.00 4.85 C Excise Tax: (A+B+C+D) x 60% or 1.7647059(A+B) 12.16 22.84 D Municipal Tax: C x 10% 1.22 2.28 E Health Tax: C x 2% 0.24 0.46 F VAT (A+B+C+D+E) x 7% 1.44 2.70 Total After Tax Cost (A+B+C+D+E+F) 21.94 41.22 Effective Tax Burden 218% 410% https://www.econ.chula.ac.th/public/publication/journal/2015/Jordan French.PDF

One of the most wonderful things about Thailand, is that the judgment level of couples with signifiant differences in age, is not as harsh, as in the west. My wife is quite a bit younger than me too. It works really well for us. When I dated women close to my age back in the US, it rarely ever worked out. Most were very rigid, closed minded, and set in their ways. Plus, many liked to go to bed very early, and behaved as if they were 20 years older than they were. That was not fun. I find younger women to be far more vital, more vigorous, and if you are fortunate to find one, far more open minded and adventurous. I find when we are out in public many men stare at her, as she is still very attractive and fit, and look at me with envy. Women here seem to be fairly neutral. In the US we get some attention. She gets alot of looks, and the guys look at me like they presume I am a centi-millionaire. The gals look at me like I a felon, and have committed a major crime, by refusing to jump over the hurdles prescribed by them, and taking a shortcut to heaven. That is so much fun. It is a wonderful feeling to watch the Western women squirm and to witness their confusion and disapproval.

I think it is safe to say, that a man with self esteem, who feels good about himself, is going to look for the exception, rather than the rule. Sure, there are alot of mediocre women out there, who do not have much in the way of perspective, but is that what we want? I see alot of guys with women who are not very nice to them, or are downright abusive. Why on earth would anyone let themselves get involved with someone like that, when there are so many good options out there? Many of us have been fortunate to find very good women, who brings alot to the table, and has a sense of appreciation, gratitude, and is not too arrogant to say thank you. And visa versa. I never hesitate to praise my gal, and thank her for her kindness, a lovely meal, and other things she does to improve my life. I was fortunate to find a good woman, but I really took my time getting to know her. She is the same lovely woman from one day to the next. She has a smile on her face when she wakes up in the morning. Never experienced that in the states. Some Thais manifest that unbearable lightness of being, that is so delightful to be around. I cannot really get enough of that spirit, and feel so blessed to be around that, and to have found such a well adjusted and delightful creature. I think finding a good woman requires a proper qualification process. Taking a long time to make a determination to see if she is worthy of your time, and devotion, is always a good idea. See what she is made of. See what kind of heart and soul she has. Many women like to push the timetable. It is up to us to push back. There are plenty of very good women here. Take your time finding one, and keep your standards high. You owe that to yourself.

I understand the wearing of a mask in crowded places. But, in areas that are not crowded, on the beach, on your motorbike, while out on your bicycle it serves no function. Nothing. So, let us be reasonable about this. Also, they cannot be sure of the numbers they are quoting, as many predictions have been wrong in the past. And covid seem to be getting milder and milder. I recently got it while in the US. Had the kind of weakness one would associate with a flu for two days, then nasal congestion and a cough for two days, and had my energy back. Then it was gone. I have had worse flus before.

It seems the youth in Japan have many other pursuits in life besides getting sloppy drunk. Perhaps witnessing a generation or two of boring and realtovely unfulfilled salarymen has taught them something about the meaning of life? Kudos to them. Kudos to the youth.

There is nothing surprising about this. They need all the PR they can get. Prayuth has been a horrendous failure, is moving Thailand backwards, has decimated the economy, nearly destroyed tourism and the nightlife and destroyed countless livelihoods. He is despised like never before. His approval rating is likely under 5%. Yet, he hangs on as if his life depended upon it. It is actually a pathetic thing to witness.

Very, very few people will miss him.

Does not matter. It will never get past the joint chiefs, the NSA, and the Pentagon. Biden does not make these decisions, and neither did Trump.

I think it's chances of getting these planes are already less than zero. There is no way the US would trust the Thais to not share military secrets with China. And they don't want the Chinese to get their hands on this technology. No way it will happen. So, participating in this drill will not have any impact on any decision.

Thailand continues to create egg on it's face. They just can't seem to help it. Think of how this looks to the world. And they say they are trying to attract tourism? HELLO! Granted this foreigner was unbelievably dumb to post something like this. It does show the incredible naivety of Gen Z, and their level of hypnotism, regarding social media, and the ensuing desire for media fame at any price. But even worse it demonstrates the draconian tendencies of this administration, and the severe degree to which they are arrogant, and tone deaf. Deport the guy. Game over.

Incoherent and inconsistent messaging is never the fault of the administration. It is always someone else's fault. There is something about this society that does not allow most people to grow up with an understanding of themselves. I think face has something to do with it. The utter refusal to take responsibility for one's actions and the unwillingness to "own" a situation, and man up when you screw up. That propels a man like Cha Cha into the ever deepening direction of denial, refusal to man up, and constant deflection.

They are spending a fortune on submarines and fighter jets. Yet, they have never really had much success addressing the issues that have faced the border provinces. Could this have anything to do with the absolute refusal to address the origins of the issues? A growing number of officials are talking about the need to move beyond conflict management to conflict transformation in order to focus on the root causes of the insurgency. This Malay-speaking region, known as Patani, came under Siam’s control in 1785, following its defeat. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Buddhist-majority Thailand (then Siam) has aggressively pursued a policy of assimilation, which Malays reject as an infringement on their cultural and religious identity. https://www.usip.org/publications/2021/09/thailand-could-one-asias-deadliest-conflicts-be-coming-end “The lack of substantive progress in conflict resolution in the deep south during the Prayut government is not primarily because of its focus on maintaining control in Bangkok,” argued Rungrawee Chalermsripinyorat, a Thai analyst who has studied the insurgency for over a decade. “It is more about the approach that the military government has taken in resolving this conflict.” https://thediplomat.com/2019/07/thailands-quiet-crisis-the-southern-problem/ A Malay Muslim, Maajid said he was tortured and wrongly imprisoned by state security forces four years ago, accused of involvement in a drive-by shooting at a checkpoint near his home. To be Muslim is to be a suspected combatant, he said, repeating a phrase widely shared in his community. “As long as the military is around, it will never end,” he said. https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2020/08/03/Thailand-deep-south-conflict-coronavirus-ceasefire

Better to just book the ticket directly with the airlines. I have done so for at least 10 years now. Usually the same money or less. Travel agents are a thing of the past it would seem.

1. Is Thaksin still relevant? 2. No worries about damaging the reputations of democracy, the PM office, or the judicial system here. It has already been utterly demolished by Cha Cha.

This is a good thing. It is endemic now and we just have to live with it. People are adjusting. The fear campaigns are losing their effect. Hooray.

True that. As savage as we can be sometimes, we are tame compared to alot of the members of the animal kingdom.

It is always an extraordinary thing here, when an active cop gets a prison sentence. A victory for the people, for sure.

The great man is always finding ways to make Thailand safer and spends his days and nights improving the quality of life for all.

Notice how often they crack down after the tragedy happens? Usually for 2 to 4 weeks.

When a relationship is not working out, why not just walk away? That is what well developed adults do. Why all the madness and drama? Perhaps it is impossible for those of us who are rational, and possess a reasonably sound mind, to understand this kind of craziness. And I guess that is a good thing!

Your memory is deceiving you. I said it takes millions to live well there and I said I would live there for 3 years, if I was offered a $3 million a year gig.

In the US I recently paid over $10 with tax, for a chicken sandwich at Carl's Jr. That is crazy. Inflation is insane.