GinBoy2

I think the Brits, especially the younger ones, with their NHS kinda forget that in most countries it's not a totally free system and there is a price to pay. I feel so sorry for the family, but the tales of youngsters in Thailand, little reckless, in a country renown for terrible traffic accidents are so common, and the subsequent 'GoFundme' accounts someone needs to set up a serious ad campaign before these guys get on a plane to tell them the risks

I don't want to rehash the usual travel insurance stuff, which is pretty relevant. But in the article is states 'brain function is now minimal' Does that mean he's essentially brain dead?

I think that's quite attractive and kinda sexy. But. Add a couple of kids and 20-30 years not so sure how it looks at that point!

There are many 'agents' who would like to help you, but often they know nothing, and don't let any of them tell you they have special access. Any one them that tell you that RUN! Now the whole K1 process is different to real immigration, ie a CR1 or CR2 You'll need to prove intent to marry and that will be within 90 days. As part of the process you will ned to provide financial responsibly for the fiance and you'll be on the hook for that. When in the US you apply for an adjustment of status. It's only after that is approved she can work, get a drivers license etc My wife has a friend who has been here for four years and didn't do all the upfront due diligence still doesn't have her green card

You cant use future SSI as income. You can use last years tax return or use fixed assets such as houses or cars to meet the requirement. I'm trying to recall but something tells me I needed to provide 3 years of back tax transcripts

So we all appreciate airfares have increased for a myriad of reasons. But as an airline employee I have these words of caution. Use the comparison websites to figure out your best deal. But, ultimately book directly with the airline. The Expedia's Travelocity's may save you a couple of bucks but that's about it. The problem is when things go wrong. I cannot tell you how many times I've dealt with irate customers, when a flight gets cancelled, or something is wrong with their ticket and I tell them there is nothing I can do, they need to contact the third party who booked the ticket. These third parties almost never have a phone contact number, and good luck getting them to answer an email when you are at the airport trying to deal with an issue and your flight is supposed to be leaving in 50 minutes

The food thing in restaurants is funny It appears the lower you are the less likely you are to say 'Box it up, I'll take it home' The HiSo's have no problem with this. My wife straddles the two, low so birth birth but ended up as a teenager in the US, and experienced the lack of the nonsense of Krang Jai culture She'll happily box up leftovers to take home. As she's says "I paid for it, I'll eat it where I want"

Misogyny I don't think so. Both my daughters and my son have tattoo's and I hate them equally. Against my better advice they all did it, but hey their bodies they can do want they want, they're all adults. But did I treat my daughters differently to my son, No

Well said. Ultimately you get what you pay for. Unfortunately folks have got this weird thought in their head, that you want to pay for a pack of peanuts, yet deserve Filet Mignon At the end of the day it's a few hours out of your life, it'll get you where you want to be, you're not being waterborded so it ain't that bad

Well social norms have changed. Back in my youth, it was only sailors and women of 'ill repute' who had tattoo's. Today I often joke that I'm about half a dozen men on the planet that doesn't have a tattoo!

I must have lost the plot somewhere; Her House Her Mortgage Just walk away, lick your wounds and move on

I always told my kids. I look at pictures of me in the 70's wearing clothing which at the time I thought were pretty cool. Today I'd look like an idiot. Tattoo's however unlike clothes last a lifetime. What may look good on a 20 year old body, maybe not so much on that 50 year old body!

So just canvassing thoughts here. But do you think a woman 30 years your junior would be interested in you? I'm very sure you are a Hansum Man, as are we all, but really gotta think about why any woman young enough to be your daughter has any true sexual interest in you

Well this happens all the time. I'm totally fluent in Thai and Lao, yet I can talk to some shop girl, and if my wife is with me the response is always directly to her. I think this sorta explains it!

So again I am not British, and Brit's can comment more on specifics. Generally for tourist visas Western countries don't do background checks, but be aware the UK and the US are tough for single women, especially if young. So you can tick that box for no criminal convictions if you want. And lets not conflate a traffic offense with a felony and jail time. Then you get down the line should you get to it, wanting to take your tillack back to the UK as a bride. Thats when things get tricky. Thai's often think that emigration to mystical magical farang land only requires the MFA clearance they get when they go work overseas. I 'think' any convictions for that are expunged after a few years. And again, I can only speak for the US, but emigration visas require that Police report, where nothing is expunged. Maybe the UK is different

Well never having heard of this woman, of course I followed the well trodden path to Google. Quite the train wreak, although her relationship with her son does seem a pretty redeeming feature among all the rest of the trailer trash nonsense https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-61813593

I think you have that a***ss backwards. Most of us do our level best to take care of our passengers. But people lose their mind when they walk into an airport. I've been screamed at, cursed at , threatened with physical violence, puked on the list goes on. We don't run the airline we just work for it. "I need to be in xxx by tonight, get me on a plane right now you a*hole" Well madam look outside there is a blizzard no planes are landing. The days of 60's and 70's are gone. The airlines have changed, but I'd suggest the traveling public have definitely 'downgraded' also. And newsflash, contrary to popular myth, we don't have a secret hanger full of reserve aircraft just ready to service you

I can't really comment on Jetstar, never been on one of their flights, however been on plenty of other LCC's. Trouble is we all got what we wanted price/mile in real terms has plummeted over the past few decades. The airline industry is brutal, margins are really tight, basically invest millions in hardware to make pennies. The industry is littered with airlines that went to the wall Richard Branson has a great quote; "The fastest way to make a Millionaire is to be a Billionaire and buy an airline" I work for an airline, so if you think the passengers have it bad, try being an employee! But at the end of the day millions more people can now afford to fly half way across the world without taking out a second mortgage. At the end of the day, it's a few hours of your life, nobody dies, maybe your seat is uncomfortable, or you get delayed, but it was cheap. So suck it up

I think the bigger issue is if ever they want to move to the UK. I'm American, but I'm sure the UK immigration system isn't much different, where you have to obtain a police report as part of the process. For us at least, you have to list previous tourist applications. If you lie on the tourist stuff, it'll come back to bite you

The myth of cheap quality medical care in Thailand is rapidly imploding. Yes if push comes to shove you get treatment in the local Nakorn Backofbeyond government hospital it might be cheap, but cross your fingers you'll come out alive. If you're talking about any Western style hospital care, you'd probably be better off at home As for dentistry, I had two crowns which failed after 20 years replaced by a top ranked dentist in Thonglor, Both failed within 24 months. My US dentist who replaced them wasn't exactly complementary on the quality of the work I had received!

I rather like having a working spouse. Gives us something other than mundane sh*&*t to talk about over dinner. In many ways when we were in Thailand full time, and I couldn't work her work stories helped keep me sane through the boredom

On a somewhat serious note, I do worry about the effect of pornography today, but not for men, more for boys. I don't think it's a stretch to say that for many of us sex ed was rooting through Dad's sock draw for his porn stash. Thing was back then it was a lot more vanilla and for a lot of it even the teenage male brain could tell it was staged. Not so sure about that today, and I fear that what a lot of what those boys watch online gives them a very misleading idea of what is regular sex versus fantasy. It's not that I would want to restrict porn, I think as an adult I can distinguish reality and fantasy, but not so sure a 15 year old boy can make that distinction

I think that majority of those that settle in Pattaya are well aware it's one huge brothel. You certainly don't go there for the pristine beaches, so cheap sex, boys or girls, your choice i would suggest is the driving factor

That boy is in for a rude awakening! lol

Well male/female relationships are always complicated. My American wife was half Jamaican, so with my Thai wife I guess my predilection is obviously for dusky maidens. Are there major differences between them, I don't think so. Both strong willed women, both ruled our kids with iron, made them the men and women they are today, ruled me with a rod of iron! Major difference between the two, my Thai wife screams louder!!