jayboy

I wonder what you mean by extreme transphobia.Undoubtedly it does exist but I'm not sure how large a group profess and more importantly act on their hatred.I must say as a NYT reading Brit, I'm always astonished how many on the liberal/left in the US regard someone like JK Rowling as a extreme transphobic to the point of seeking to cancel her (they wish). On our side of the Atlantic something of this lunacy exists - for example Daniel Radcliffe - but not to the same extent.

It was better in 1986 and even better in 1966.For one thing there was virtually nobody with ugly regional accents, tattoos, obesity issues and obnoxious behavior - and I'm just talking about the bar girls.

The special relationship is not particularly abusive in my view but I agree it is very one sided.The Brits are largely responsible for this in that they have exaggerated the bonds between the two countries and lost sight of their own national interests.The Americans follow their own national interests in an utterly ruthless way.As Charles de Gaulle once said, " The State is a cold monster.The British used to pursue their national interests equally ruthlessly but this instinct has faded over the years - culminating in our current policy of conducting our affairs through the prism of fanatical human rights lawyers. Your reference to a number of European politicians backing Trump's excesses is unclear.Who are they and are they major figures and what are they saying? Or have you just made his up?

Don't be silly.I was responding to your comment that we would have to wait and see whether some of Trump's "British fans" would support his disgraceful remarks.I pointed out that no Brit to my knowledge would do so, and as far as I know not one has.So your speculation was misplaced. i have no idea why you think I should have explicitly blamed Trump - though of course I do - when my post made my position very clear.

Though in fairness to Trump he had at least a point of sorts relating to the German contingent.The Germans did lose 59 men and as might be expected their military is very professional.However for historical reasons on the orders of the German government they were generally kept away from the front line.This is no reflection on the courage and commitment of German soldiers but it does reflect the weight of history which hangs heavily over them.

Find me one Brit who would defend Trump's remarks.You can't.

I wouldn't describe it as a nice friendly place.However it had some great strengths before that well known businessman from Pattaya ran it into the ground. With one or two exceptions the grownups have left the room.

If you wanted an example of the stupidity, malice and sheer ghastliness of the British far left, take a look at this tweet from Zarah Sultana MP https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1220077084984344576/xYLp_MPN_x96.jpg Zarah Sultana MP @zarahsultana The images of body bags leave no doubt about the brutality of Iran’s repression, and a communications blackout is indefensible. Across the country, Iranians are protesting real economic hardship, much of it deepened by US sanctions. From the UK, genuine solidarity means opposing those sanctions and the imperial strategies and aspirations behind them. At the same time, this unrest is being cynically exploited by Netanyahu’s genocidal government as a pretext for military intervention and regime change — a path that must be firmly rejected. It must be clear: only the Iranian people have the right to decide their own future. No outside power should dictate or interfere. Any serious politics requires holding all of these truths together.

It's a completely relevant question.In the UK for instance what might be called the Corbynite left might not have any sympathy for the Iranian authorities but they are distinctly uncomfortable in being vocal for a cause which is embraced by Israel and Trump.They are fools and hypocrites.Sometimes the oddest of partners need to take up arms against wickedness.Churchill, Stalin and FDR knew that.

I don't think this is true, at least so far as the rural poor - the vast majority - are concerned.

Just AI slop.Easy to identify and in this case riddled with errors.

What does the UN have to do with the application of British law? Actually it doesn't much matter what they are called: their actions including violent attacks speak for themselves.They are however on remand and have not been found guilty of any charge yet.Yes, I tend to agree the overreach point but I don't think this has had the adverse consequences you suggest. The sensible approach would, having made their point, to abandon their hunger strike and continue their campaign peacefully.

I doubt it very much.In fact the government's non interference and strict application of the law with regard to these terrorists has undoubtedly shored Starmer's position up - not that this will save him.

You confuse class with wealth.Houses are expensive in London as they are in other capital cities.Every Tom, Dick and Harry has a degree of some sort - it's far from being indicator of culture and civilization.I have never denied the UK currently has major problems and this is reflected in the rise of Reform and the Greens, and the loss of faith in the traditional ruling parties - including the present one.The current mood of disillusion is however very different from hating the country.In fact love of country is at the heart of what drives the current mood of disappointment at how the country has been run in the last few decades.So I don't deny the anger and to some extent share it.When people say Britain is broken , they don't mean they hate it.They mean they dislike the politicians who have caused its problems. Returning to the Pattaya expatriate/visitor population, I am sure there are some decent enough people but the majority are ...let us say not exactly the cream of civilization.It's essentially a brothel town with a few golf courses bolted on.

Your post firmly seems to place you in the particular category of people I associate with Pattaya,Are you British? Tell us a little about yourself.

This fellow by referencing Harry Enfield's famous sketch simply underlines his lack of comprehension of the point being made.It's not about being wealthy, much rather a matter of class/education.Class and wealth can overlap but they are very far from being the same thing.There are plenty of people living in/visiting Pattaya very similar to Enfield's "considerably richer than you" character.The whole point of the sketch is that he is a ludicrous nouveau riche idiot with an ugly regional accent and absurd wife.For those who think I am being unfair on our British friends in Pattaya, just name a few with genuine class.

Translation: when I come across someone who is of a higher social class and better educated than me, I call them a hi-so snob even though I don't understand the meaning of hi-so and I am the one making the class envy comment.

Do you know what hi-so means. I suspect you mean educated middle class.When you say "running his countrymen down", you mean someone pointing out that British foreigners resident/holidaying in Pattaya are almost uniformly chavs. In over 30 years in Thailand I have never met anyone Pattaya based - though some were rich - who were not naff and uncultured The only exceptions I can recall were at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club.I don't say all Pattaya Brits are bad people - just dead common.

This is the common refrain of losers who have ended up in Thailand attracted by cheap booze and sex, but have burnt their boats in the UK.The UK obviously has its problems but the hardworking and well educated do very well, and have an excellent life.That's why incidentally cultured and well off Thais send their children to English public schools. If you read on this forum of some description of the UK as a hell hole or similar, it variably says more about the poster than it does about the UK.Even those Brits who have been settled here for decades and have no reason to be attached to it, hold the country in affectionate if sometimes disappointed regard.It's only the uneducated trash that hate it.

A very confused post.The comparison with the IRA hunger strikers is misplaced since the latter , in their eyes anyway, were fighting a war for independence with the British state.The current set of jokers are starving themselves on the ludicrous grounds that the British government is complicit with alleged genocide. No serious person believes this and that's why other than within the lunatic leftist fringes, they have no public support at all. It's a lie by the way that the mainstream media have not covered Palestinian Action's antics.; it's been extensively reported. I note however this account doesn't mention the group"s attack on a police officer with sledgehammers, breaking her spine. Anyway these creeps can end their ordeal anytime they like by tucking into some prison grub.As one of the less famous IRA hunger strikers, finally conceded, "OI tink oi'll have a bit of that Christmas puddin' after all."

On a recent trip back from the UK I started chatting on the plane with a very pleasant English black girl about 25 years old who was on a one way journey to Bangkok to start a long term "digital life" in Thailand.I said to her , "that's the TikTok dream isn't it?" She laughed and replied , "very much so".I wouldn't be surprised if she made a go of it given that she was intelligent, young and personable.I presume she doesn't have a lot to lose if things don't work out, and can always return. I began however to ponder the various Thailand based British influencers who pop up on my social media timelines trying to persuade losers in the UK to find a new life in Thailand.They are in my view uniformly gruesome with their message that the UK is broken and that the best policy is to start a new life in Thailand.They claim that one can live on a state pension and a reasonable monthly income of Baht 65000 is often bandied around as being perfectly adequate.They never seem to talk much about the difficulties of health insurance or the need to keep money for an emergency.They often skate over the need to retain Baht 800,000 for some visa purposes.Everything is dragged down to the lowest common denominator.They profess love for Thailand but it is all deeply superficial.My particular dislike is a weaselly guy called George Newman who peppers his many but boring posts with "you know" and "mate", and sounds off tediously on the most mundane topics.Another sadder case is the younger tattooed guy who wanders aimlessly around the Hua Hin area with his wife/kids , often doing guides of the <deleted>ty estate houses these people are drawn to.Presumably they are making some money from their online activity, but I doubt whether it's that much.The horrifying aspect is that some vulnerable UK middle aged people take these characters seriously.Why do I bother and what's it got to do with me? I don't know and nothing at all are the answers to those two questions.

ok i get it,tks

My recent experience was that the immigration officer at Suvanabhumi was not in the slightest bit interested in whether I had completed a TDAC form or not.He didn't ask to see it and I didn't offer to show it.It's possible he was able to check on his computer.I don't know.

Yes that's correct. However as a general observation - and I think that's what onthemoon is suggesting, it's absurd that an exit/re-entry permission required at all - as is the very minor and illogical inconvenience of having to obtain a TDAC. Compared to permanent residence status in other countries, it's a very miserly position to hold in Thailand conveying very few rights and privileges of the citizen, whereas in other countries it conveys almost all of them.To make it even more inequitable, other groups of foreign immigrants (eg birds of passage like the mostly not very "wealthy pensioners" of BOI's LTR scheme) are given tax privileges denied to PRs. I'm grateful for having PR and very much value it, and I fully understand why it has emerged in its current form over time.But what is needed is some radical reform, though I'm betting this is not even on the agenda.Still it provides security and that's very much worth having despite the annoying aspects.

within half an hour if clued up