spidermike007

I agree with the first half of your sentiment, but the latter half I believe will change. I do believe that the youth will eventually kick out the dinosaurs, they are not needed, they are not required, they bring absolutely nothing to the table, they are obnoxious, they are arrogant, they are ignorant, and they are all empty suits. Perhaps the time has come for them to move on, they can spend their billions overseas in exile. Just wait and see.

Nah. The decline simply cannot be arrested, after all they are manufacturing overseas for a reason. The US does not have the capability to be a competitive manufacturing base. Everything is overpriced. Everything is over inflated. Everything is out of control. Including Trump and Musk.

Few of the ASEAN powers seem to be all that concerned about what's going on in Burma, though now it looks like the Burmese government is about to be taken down by the resistance, and now all of a sudden they're expressing concern. Makes one wonder.

Nothing this man says should ever be acknowledged, though he does seem to continue to hold positions of power, he is one of the least knowledgeable and least informed people in Thailand. He definitely reminds me of another leader elsewhere, just kind of a hapless fool.

One thing that really never gets discussed much here is that the Thai government simply does not want us here. They tolerate us, but they don't not see any benefit to us, they do not acknowledge the fact that we bring in two to five times as much money per month as the average Thai person earns, and they do not consider us to be a plus for their nation, on any level. So one does have to wonder if things will change in the future.

He has always adored dictators, and despots. They have the kind of unfettered power he dreams of. He lacks the moral compass to know any better. This makes him very dangerous. Time will demonstrate to what extent. He showed his contempt for the rest of the world, and for Americans, by selecting hugely unqualified candidates for secretary of state, and other very important appointments and positions. He is eroding US influence by the day. The world is both laughing and crying. And his supporters will be doing the same, soon enough. Just. Give them time to realize who he really is.

This process will take some time, many did not realize that he was using Marxist propaganda to get elected, and that he is the world's greatest circus huckster. They got fooled into believing that he's a man that he claimed to be, but I in reality is not on any level. It's going to take a while until people realize that, and see it with their own eyes and understand that they elected an incredibly reckless and dangerous man with very little skill and intelligence, who will diminish the US daily, rather than improve it. Don the wrecking machine is in full swing mode. So is Elon the fool.

He does not get it. But, he will eventually. US influence is not what it used to be. And they will pay a huge price for his isolationism, ignorance, arrogance, tariffs (tax hikes), environmental recklessness, and unwillingness to abide by the law. Already the US is declining rapidly. This clip starkly shows the difference in improvements in infrastructure between the lowly US, and their Chinese counterpart. Not world class. Not by a long shot. Woe is America. Such massive delusion and hubris. China VS the US. https://youtu.be/rSgvI1ELfqQ?si=ZdVepEu0gxzhWXjb

The harmony is being disrupted and the moral fabric of society is being torn apart by evil foreigners. There is a chance the locals might get corrupted. They might be engaging in behavior and immorality never before seen on these pure and pristine shores. Oh my. Those pesky foreigners and spoiling the nation. They are to blame for most of the nations woes. Bad, bad boys.

What would be utterly shocking is if there wasn't vote rigging, and the weren't bribes being paid for election results. Sums up the recent history of Thailand. And the super toxic and useless, power hungry army.

If this is indeed true it is certainly a step in the right direction. I have never in two decades seen either a policeman or the highway patrol pull over a driver for reckless driving, this would be a first. It would be a rare demonstration of law enforcement.

Yes, absolutely. In its present form, without regulation, without authority, without legality, and with a man leading it who has a design on increasing his power and his authority. I'm absolutely against it and so is most of America.

Very well said, and that is exactly my point. Many of us would agree with the fundamental reasons behind trying to clean up the government and trying to eliminate waste, but Trump is a rather dull bull in a China closet, and he's a ridiculously dangerous man. So is Musk the fool. It's going to take quite some time for his followers to start learning more about the man, and realize that he is not the man that they elected, not by a long shot. There's nothing about the man that is for the people, it is all about big money and corporations.

10,000 people? Why has Thailand done nothing about it up until now? How did those people get abducted? Surely people don't travel to Burma for a job offer.

Shocked companions? What is that all about? What were their companions doing as the train was hurtling toward their friends? Why didn't they say anything, why didn't they pull them off the tracks? There are so many unanswered questions here, but there's one thing that's for sure, you never want to get in the way of an oncoming train, under any circumstances. It would appear these guys lacked high quality survival instincts. They are necessary to thrive in this world.

Companionship can be found in Pattaya, but it is of the paid variety, and if you're lucky you'll find someone who has a good attitude and is fun to hang out with for a few days. Nothing really beats the companionship of a woman who has your back all the time, is fun to be around, and is a dear friend. That is a very satisfying and fulfilling dream to live out. It is very unlikely you will find that kind of gal in Pattaya.

This is simply a completely ridiculous abuse of power. There are a very limited number of homegrown jazz musicians in Thailand, and foreign musicians should be honored, celebrated and welcome with open arms. At what point are we going to finally see some adults in the room who have the power to make these decisions?

So far. That will change dramatically as his followers realize who he truly is, what his agenda is, and how he's not working for their welfare at all.

Increase the requirements for visas, screen all Chinese and Russians, and stop the utter desperation for ever higher tourists arrival numbers. Problem solved.

How many times will the mods allow one goon to change his name. Bragging is not merely designed to impress. Bragging is designed to produce envy and assert superiority. It is, therefore, an act of hostility. Bragging is also a transparent ploy. It reveals your lack of self-confidence. "I am not enough," you feel. So you resort to showering me with your "achievements," in order to mask your perceived deficiencies.

The more money he has amassed, the more ignorant and completely out of control the man has become. Trump will live to regret giving him this position, as Trump's own popularity will decline the more this man continues with his madness. It will take a while for Trump supporters to realize how bad a decision this was, and how little Musk is doing to improve the lives of the average American. 1984 here we come. Orwell was right. Trump was the guy he spoke of.

Correct. And the US is interfering in European politics so they become relevant by virtue of Vance's and Hegseth’s spectacularly ignorant intervention and dumbed down statements.

Trump, Vance, Hegseth and Patel are proving that daily. Musk might be the smartest among them, but his ignorance, foolishness, and hubris outweighs his intelligence every day. America is dumb and it's getting dumber by the day.

I would recommend doing a deep search and looking within for the source of your problems. If I were very wealthy I would likely only spend two or three months of the year in Thailand but since I'm not I'm here 3/4 of the year and I enjoy everyday I'm here. I used to have more issues than I do now. I worked on my attitude, which was getting in the way of appreciating Thailand for what it is, and was clouding my experience here. Used to stress over stupid stuff, as you can see from some of my past posts. Used to allow the politics to make me angry. Now it is not something I take seriously, just something I comment on, without anger or an emotional investment. Now, I just tend to laugh it off. Spent some real time outside of Thailand recently, and it allowed some clarity and perspective, that I am very grateful for. Now, I just chuckle at most of the nonsense. Water off a duck's back, so to speak. I was in the US recently and the prices and inflation are mind blowing. The cheapest lunch we have found was $30 for two. That is 1,000 baht, anytime you want something basic. A bag of groceries is 3,000 baht and up. A friend of mine is looking for an apartment to move to in LA, and really small, simple places are 70,000 baht per month. Nice two bedrooms are closer to 100,000 baht. Decent homes start at 125,000 baht per month. The cost of nearly everything has gone up dramatically. Runaway inflation? Thailand is still reasonable. It used to be cheap. Has not been cheap for a long time. But, it is still reasonable. I know people who pay 10,000 baht a month for newer 3 bedroom houses in nice towns. In major cities in the US? $2000-3800 a month. That is 120,000 baht! Friends of mine, who are single, enjoy the company of a young, beautiful woman for a couple of hours, for 2500 baht. In the US? $800 an hour and up, now for a beauty, with alot of attitude. I could go on and on, all day long. I live at a level here, that I would never be able to live at, in the US, in most of Europe, in Oz, or Canada. ,

One can’t understand the global system underpinning extremism without surveying the pivotal role played by the Saudi government as well as private organizations and individuals within the kingdom. In recent decades, the Saudis have spent up to an estimated $100 billion spreading Wahhabism and perpetuating the notion that they are Islam’s caretaker. Their methods to persuade and influence run the gamut and include the funding of mosques, schools, textbooks, imams, imam learning centers and exchanges, cultural institutions around the world. The Saudis don’t simply want their extreme form of religious practice and belief to prevail. Religious forces in the kingdom, backed by the ruling family, want to destroy other, local traditions within Islam. To that end, they are rewriting history, erasing evidence of the past to favor their own narrative—a move that ideologically aligned extremists in many parts of the world have since copied. The relationship between the Saudis and extremism is not merely one of affinity. The Saudi government and Saudi individuals have directly supported terrorist groups in the Middle East and beyond. I like this idea it makes complete sense if you talking about the security of a Nation you need to be able to keep track of troublemakers and while they're at it they should definitely ban the the niqab and burqa. Both are offensive, and both show a deliberate unwillingness to assimilate. It might work back in your home nation, and it might have worked 700 years ago, but it doesn't work today not in the West. I believe immigration policy should be reformed to the point where it should be staged, and all Muslim families should show a willingness to assimilate. I also believe that families with Muslim daughters who are teenagers can start by proving that they have participated in a bikini contest, and for teenage boys they must show a burden of proof that they're not affiliated with any of the local madrasas. Are we serious about keeping our nation's safe from extremists, or not?