spidermike007

Those are insane numbers. You are better off in Vegas. I despise insurance companies and their actuary nonsense. Most are nothing more than mafia scammers, with a license.

Very sorry to hear that. Well written books are one of life's incredible delights.

Anyone know any spy/assassin/espionage novelists on the level of Barry Eisler or Vince Flynn? I know that is rarified territory. But, keep reading hacks like Lee Child, Alan First, Stephen Leather, Brad Thor, etc. They can't polish the shoes of either Flynn or Eisler. Victor Wood is decent. So are some of the others. But, hungry for real quality work, that puts you in that time and place. No nazi or soviet stuff. Find that boring.

Trust and respect should never be freely given, and should always be earned, regardless of position or social status. There are good reasons the RTP commands so little, in the way of respect and trust. Many fast food restaurants are owned by franchisees. The position of most members of the RTP, is also that of a franchisee.

I get your point. But we do have a choice whether or not we want to surrender our peace of mind and quality of life to "daily outrage". That is the trivial part of the equation.

What sacrifices are they willing to make to attract foreign investors? Tax breaks? Allow foreign ownership? Are they addressing critical issues, like the air and water quality, traffic safety, public transportation on the southern islands, rapid rail transport, and the lack of law enforcement? No. Nothing, and I mean less than zero is being done. These guys continue to occupy a self entitled dreamworld. Their gazillionaire status insures a total detachment from reality, facts, truth and practical concerns.

Not relevant. Only for children, which I am extremely thankful I don't have. So mandatory vaccines for children is not a big deal for me. Life is complicated enough without kids.

He is as reliable and consistent as Prayuth. Nothing they say can ever be trusted.

Good point. It seemed to be illegal, or immoral, to bring up the connection between the quality of one's diet, and the susceptibility to covid. Or the primary diets of certain groups. Of course, if you eat healthier your body is stronger, and your immune system is better able to ward off infectious disease. Same applied to obesity. It was a conversation that was discouraged. Don't shame the fatties.

Well, that would be a law I would break. No more boosters, masks, or other covid related preventions or paranoia for me. I am more afraid of a common flu.

It appears as of how, that the Wagner guys have backed down and decided not to go to war with Putin. This is a humiliating setback for Putin and makes him appear weak and desperate. He likely offered Prigozhin a billion or so, to go into exile in Belarus and call off the campaign, in addition to access to his fortune, and immunity for all of his men. Would the Russian defense forces have backed down and allowed him to sack Moscow? Is Putin really as dumb as he appears to be? Was the Ukraine campaign as poorly planned as it seems? Is Russia really this weak and pathetic? And what does this mean for the future of the Ukraine war? Will this be a turning point?

It's time to renew and the company that we are with, which is Veriyah, is telling us that our car is worth 180,000 baht less this year. Seems strange. A nearly new Mazda CX-30. And the maximum they're willing to cover it for is considerably less than the car is worth. Fairly typical, but would prefer closer to 90% of value. Does anybody have any recommendations on a reliable car insurance company that pays claims and offers good roadside service? Is Veriyah the best? I saw some rather negative ratings online for AXA, Muang, and MSIG.

I actually had a conversation with my Thai wife today about leaving. First time I have seriously contemplated that, in well over a decade. I was very surprised she felt the same way I do. She shared alot of my disappointments and frustrations. It would be a big move, as we have assets here to consider, and we are both close to her lovely family. And we both love most Thai people, Thai food, and traveling around Thailand and the region. And up until the last year or two, I would say we really love our life here. Some of it might be Covid fatigue. But, alot of it is army fatigue. And what feels like a diminishing quality of life. I am just very, very tired of the goon leaders here, the continued xenophobia from them, and their constant nonsense and lack of leadership. Neither of us see any hope for the future. This is not about Covid. Though the handling of it has sure been disillusioning. It is about the possibility of a future. What will happen to change things and put this nation on a forward path with any kind of promise? Even if they get rid of the most horrible leader they have had in ages, how will they get rid of the highly corrupt and totally compromised 250 proxy senators? And will any of them ever be held to account? The level of toxic corruption and the "above the law" nonsense gets very tiring. And if they cannot figure out a way out of this backwards moving and ever deepening destruction and sabotage, do we want to spend the rest of our lives dealing with such lowlife leaders, moral degradation, and constant threats? And of course, the question is if we leave, where to? Certainly not back to the US. Thinking maybe we will check out Spain for a long vacation. Then we will see. Any thoughts?