connda

"In a storm the mighty oak tree breaks and cracks, but the supple sapling bends and bounces back." Unfortunately for Pita, if his stance remains rigid like "the mighty oak?" Well...... The young Pita should emulate the supple sapling in his affairs. If he does, perhaps he will weather the storm.

Ok. I value everyone's opinion whether I agree with them or not. I'm not out to change your mind. Cheers!

Speaking of "meddling in the goings on of other countries?" The figure that the US government has around 750 bases in 80 countries is a estimate that can be corroborated from multiple sources on the Internet. I like graphics. Source: Aljazeera Do I think Russia and China are "bad?" I believe that Russia and China are just like Henry Kissinger's quote regarding the Untied States. “America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests” I'd posit that Russia and China work primarily in their own interests. So I could change Kissinger's quote as such to fit this looming multi-polar world: "Large, nuclear-capable nations are neither good nor bad, but only a reflection of their own global interests." That applies to the US, Russia, China, and EU post-colonial states. The only difference? The Sun is setting in the West and rising in the East. Like it or not. Good or bad? <shrugs> It depends on the color of your personal "reality goggles" I guess. I see war, economic and kinetic, as bad. I see international cooperation and trade as good. That's how my personal "reality goggles" are focused.

"Conspiracy Theory" is a pejorative used by individuals who don't have the necessary acumen to form a counter argument worthy of debate. You fling the term 'conspiracy theory' at another forum member and smugly pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for being somehow an intellectual powerhouse. You took my statement out of context and turned it into an ad-hominid attack, sir. That sucks. Attacking someone's character as opposed to the debating the merits of the subject at hand is - well, lazy and disingenuous. For your edification and to support my contention that you have just disrespected me personally - for no good reason - here is complete paragraph with the key concepts highlighted: That IS what I actually said. ???? I never stated that "Pita is a Western asset and a Trojan Horse." That's a huge difference. I have a pretty good grip on Thai defamation laws, so I wouldn't make a statement like that. Thai prison doesn't appeal to me. I personally consider your statement to be a troll as you misconstrued what I actually stated and then labelled me a 'conspiracy theorist.' I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you did so in the passion of the moment and it was not deliberate. Here's your chance to atone for the disrespectful comment: Why don't you come up with a counter argument as to why a Western educated, wealthy Thai would never, ever work in the interests of Western stakeholders at the expense of the Thai public? In 'a very general sort of way' that is devoid of personal character attacks? Can you articulate your position in a civil manner? A debate!

Read guys like Brzezinski, Kissinger, and McKindred and then you'll have a better understanding. Start here: https://sci-hub.hkvisa.net/10.2307/20048199

The anti-cannabis brigade are attracted to this forum like a moth to a candle flame. <laughs> ????️ If you don't like it, don't use it. Simple. Easy-Breezy. Live and let live. Nobody is twisting your arms. Heck, my grandfather ran alcohol from Canada to the States during US Prohibition. My lack of empathy or understanding for the Temperance Union prohibition-types out there probably flows in my veins. Then I always wonder what their personal addictions are. ????

"Experts" often have no actual experience. A true cannabis "Expert" is someone who has used it for a few years or decades and understands exactly what effect it has. I smoked very often in my teens and 20s. Sometimes every day. My use was situational. Pretty much everyone I associate with in the late 60s and in the 70s smoked pot. Often. But true addiction cause physiological changes to your body where when you stop the addictive substance it causes physical withdrawal, so in order to not experience withdrawal you go back to taking the substance. Caffeine is physically addictive. Alcohol in addictive (for some people) Opioids are highly physically addictive. Benzodiazapines are highly physically addictive. Nicotine is more physically addictive then any of the above, and it has a profound habitual component to it as well in a very Operant Conditioning, positive reinforcement manner. Quitting a smoking habit is three days of withdrawal and months or years of breaking the habitual Operant Conditioning. Start again you probably will not stop - That's addictive. Cannabis is not physically addictive. You can quit any time and never go through a withdrawal with physical cravings. However, like smoking cigarettes (nicotine), there may be a habitual conditioning component in some people - a system of self-reinforcing positive rewards when you get stoned. So if you use every day - yeah, you can develop a habitual operant conditioned response that takes some will power to break. Is that 'addictive.' Semantics. To me? "No." I used cannabis to break my smoking habit decades ago. I could pair a cannabis 'smoke' reward to not having a cigarette. I'm clean from Nicotine, but...... "Hi. I'm Connda and I'm a Nicotine addict." If they had Nicotine Anonymous <laughs>. Is your mobile phone 'addictive?' No. You don't get physically hooked to your cell phone and go through physical withdrawals when you stop using it. (Maybe - I could play Devil's Advocate and argue a case that it does). However - the habitual operant conditioning response to continuous dompimine hits may make it almost impossible for some people to put down, especially younger people who grew up playing Angry Birds as a toddler. Try taking their phone away from them! Or try taking a Smart Phone away from a toddler who is thoroughly hooked to gaming on one! ???? Cannabis is not addictive. You yourself could smoke it every day for a month, put it down, and walk away. If you take opioids every day for a month, you are not going to 'put it down and walk away.' Not by a long shot. Or if you're a non-smoker, smoke cigarettes for a month and trying stepping away from them. Try it. Then you'll be an 'expert' too.

Just go for 100% Whipping Cream.

<Gag> I drank that swill on long sea deployments. ????

I agree. Can't find cottage cheese anywhere. I should buy some raw milk locally and make my own 'curdle and whey.'

The Western "super-clean" germaphobic mindset actually creates the situation for most Westerner's having a rather weak and unchallenged immune system. I'd say most Westerners suffer from GI issues after a short stay in Thailand due to their body's not having ever been challenged by a broad spectrum of bacteria. A good example is in James Herriot's books where he talks about the "knacker's kids" being some of the healthiest kids in his village. Why? Constantly around animal carcasses which is a bacteria-rich environment. I drank raw milk in England as a kid back in the 50s. My guess is that my immune system has already imprinted most of the microbes found in milk. It's not that raw milk is inherently dangerous, it's that a Western lifestyle where everything is so freaking processed and bacteria free that over a life-time a Westerner's body never builds immunity to the types of bacteria that their ancestors where constantly exposed to. Hence, you travel to a third-world country and spend half your visit sitting on the loo.

Cannabis is not addictive.

Interesting. I worked in Korat and changed to an extension based on marriage when I quit work My wife's Tabien Baan was in Lamphun and she didn't work. Maybe things have changed. We've also renewed in Chiang Mai where we lived after I quit work permanently prior to moving to Lamphun Province <cue the theme to Green Acres>

Yep!

The United States should worry about the United States. Unfortunately US Foreign Policy is based on the Nosey-Neighbor and "Do-As-We-Say-And-Not-How-We-Do policies. This is why the BRICS+ are gaining Geo-political traction. The BRICS+ model is trade internationally, develop economic and security pacts, and stay the hell out of the domestic politics of member countries. Now I'll hear: "China bad, Russia bad, BRICS is a joke," and so on.... <--- "Nosey-Neighbor." However, I'll estimate that the BRICS nations will represent a majority of the non-Western world as well as a significant majority of the world's population, especially the Middle East, Asia, and the Global South by the end of the decade as most countries don't want Big Daddy Warbucks and the Western "Golden Billion" meddling in their domestic affairs.

One of the things to look for is sun damage to the sidewalls. You may have tread left, but it doesn't do you any good sun-damaged sidewall blows. If you have high mileage tires do take time to check the condition of the side walls too. Be safe! I run Michelins on my bike and Bridgestones or Dunlap on my cars. Those are the tires I've had on my cars here in Thailand. But any good, name-brand, premium quality tire will do. I don't go cheap on tires. Your life can depend on them.

Well, if push comes to shove, I'll just buy it from a local dairy farmer. We have bunches out where I live. I don't find fresh milk to be scary like most Westerners.

Exactly - Happy Campers abound!

How do you conduct banking without a passport when your passport is sent off for renewal? The US Embassy requires that you mail them your passport for renewal, a process that can take 2 weeks or more. Without a passport, you no longer have valid identification for the purposes of banking, immigration, or any other activity that requires a passport. So - what do you do?

I stand corrected. Which means that any 25 MP can put their own candidate up for the top spot.

In other words, somebody the West can manipulate to the detriment of Thailand and the Thai citizenry. The West has a nasty habit of working to enrich the political elite in their client states and then convincing the now well compensated leaders to take up unnecessary IMF debt and the to privatize public assets to Western stakeholders while the country's citizen's standard of living goes through the floor. Btw - I've no dog in this fight. But I do understand how the world functions, like it or not. Wifey and family are all Thai and they would like to see Pita as PM. I can understand why, however - be careful what you wish for. This is still a 'developing nation' with all of the pitfalls of corruption and malfeasance that tend to plague 'developing nations.' The one thing Thailand has going for it is public nationalism and a healthy distrust of foreigners. That could be brought down by an Ivy League Trojan Horse who covets wealth and decides to work against the best interests of the Thai public. Just saying in a very general sort of way. Examples of this abound historically worldwide.

The voters did not vote Pita into office as a PM, no more than UK voters voted Rishi Sunak in as PM - just as an international comparison. Move Forward did get a large number of votes, but nowhere near the amount to make a Parliamentary majority. They have to form a coalition government by joining parties. And it's a parliamentary majority that puts up a candidate for PM under the current Constitutional rules. As well, there was a clear law on the books about holding media shares prior to the election. Pita could have divested those shares before running - but he chose not to. "We don't like the rules so we'll riot if Pita isn't made PM." Check out how well that worked in the US on Jan 6th 2021. Riot and the same will happen in Thailand. This is what happens when you chose not to play by the rules. Don't like the rules? Gain power and change them.

Have You Turned into Your Dad? Pretty much. Look up "Entropy."

You should relabel the subject line. Yes - you can buy electronics and appliances online - or - at a physical store. And yes - you may get better deals online, although if you shop around you may get better deals 'on sale' at a physical store. The key word here is being a thrifty consumer who is willing to seek out the best prices. Try printing out the Lazada prices and taking them to a retailer and challenge them to beat the price online. Sometimes you can get a bargain. Sometimes you can't.

I've had it as short as a couple of days and as late as three weeks after it was due. In that case I took it to immigration on the last day of the 7 day grace period and did it in person. Two weeks later the approved form showed up in my inbox. Go figure. To do my next 90 day I had to use the due date on the form submitted in person as I now had two approved forms with different dates on them. So the answer is....Only God knows. Best of luck. Expect the unexpected.