https://aseannow.com/rss/44-thailand-news.xml/National and regional news from all around ThailandenMy US account is locked down because I no longer have the USA phone number that I have on file with the bank. My devices used to be "recognized" by the bank's computers, but once by one, those devices were disposed of or they broke. My US drivers license has expired, so I can't authenticate the account that way. I could try calling them, but as I understand it, they don't want people living in Thailand to have accounts. I've never bothered to get a Schwab debit card. Anyway, I don't really need the Social Security money, so transferring it when I do costs me almost nothing, as I only make the transfers to Thailand once in a while. To do that, I can either pay an international wire fee of $35, or I can use Wise.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:31:58 +0000"The incident has triggered widespread criticism online, with social media users questioning why members of the public tried to physically restrained the suspect instead of contacting police to handle the matter through legal procedures." More and more self justice. In European countries we say "Where is the police when you need them?". Maybe this is happening in Thailand aswell? And the criticism... every day they criticize something that happened. I looks like they don't have a live without it. That is what social media is about. Anonymously criticize everything and everybody. We all do this don't we? We are part of the social system and hooken on it by addictionMon, 25 May 2026 08:31:40 +0000Are they talking about seizing land and improvements without any compensation? Fines, forced sales, revocation of visa, maybe even jail time I can understand but I question whether seizing land and improvements without any compensation will stand up in court.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:31:10 +0000Show how that is perleaze?Mon, 25 May 2026 08:31:06 +0000The Thai nominees not having the funds to purchase their stake... The precedent is made here, make a phony/illegal setup and the Thai government will seize your assets and investments. This wouldn't have gotten heavily scrutinized if the Israeli and Swiss hadn't made negative headlines over the last few years.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:28:21 +0000getting more and more nasty and malicious living or visiting ThailandMon, 25 May 2026 08:28:12 +0000Of course, it's not true. The updates are provided directly by the General Register Office to the DWP (and to the ONS). 😄Mon, 25 May 2026 08:27:46 +0000One thing not mentioned in this fascinating thread is the L word. Can Love be a factor that transcends money? I mean that intense, enduring bond that some women develop for their partners. For us men, it's more about Lust, plus a transactional assessment; "she looks hot, I enjoy sex with her, she looks after me and the house, she's my long haired dictionary to translate and manage expat bureaucracy, she doesn't complain too much when I buy another motorbike, I'll keep her". But for some women, the real keepers, it's a deep, primordial bonding that's almost unbreakable. I can be grumpy and unreasonable sometimes, especially when work is stressful, or whenever I'm trying to use a printer, and as the nearest person to me, she gets to hear some choice Anglo Saxon vocabulary. But she'd never leave me for being an angry idiot, and most days we just have a fun and enjoy each others company. She's made her limit clear ..... if I had an affair, she'd leave me. Anything else is forgiven, eventually. She'll stop talking to me, but the supply of delicious food and drinks keeps going, if delivered with an ominous calm. We even have some angry sex, so for me I enjoy the quiet and wait for the storm to pass. She's bonded to me, like a baby duck can bond with the farmer's wellies, or the non judgemental way of a faithful family hound. Yes, building this type of unbreakable bond with an Asian woman needs the man to be a provider, so it's not free of cost. But I see it as an investment, not a cost. I've invested in her education (she now has a degree), invested in her cultural development as an experienced international traveller, invested in her English language skills and her business experience. My ROI is a faithful companion who cares for me, who makes an effort to look great every day, and who I can trust to support me as I get older. For me, that's priceless.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:27:42 +0000Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te Donald Trump’s decision to pause a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan has triggered alarm across Asia, with critics warning the US president is signalling a dangerous willingness to step back from defending key allies in the face of Chinese pressure. The suspension comes after Trump’s high-profile meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping and has fuelled fears that Washington’s long-standing policy of “strategic ambiguity” over Taiwan is rapidly shifting in Beijing’s favour. Arms Pause Sends Shockwaves Through Pacific Allies US Navy secretary Hung Cao confirmed the delay during a Senate hearing, saying Washington was conserving munitions amid the escalating US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Taiwan had been due to receive advanced interceptor missiles and anti-aircraft systems as Chinese military pressure intensified around the island. Instead, the package is now frozen while the White House reassesses military stockpiles. The move has rattled governments across Asia and Australasia, where officials are quietly seeking reassurances that Washington still intends to honour its defence commitments. Trump’s Beijing Remarks Deepen Unease Speaking after his visit to Beijing, Trump openly questioned the logic of defending Taiwan militarily. “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” the president said, adding that the US should not be travelling “9,500 miles to fight a war”. The comments were seized upon by critics as a stark departure from decades of bipartisan US deterrence strategy in the Pacific. For allies already unnerved by Trump’s rhetoric towards NATO members and his suspension of aid to Ukraine, the Taiwan pause has sharpened concerns that America’s security guarantees are becoming conditional. China Watches As US Credibility Frays Beijing has spent years expanding its influence across the Indo-Pacific, from the South China Sea to contested islands claimed by Japan. Taiwan remains the ultimate prize. Analysts warn that any perception of US hesitation could embolden China’s leadership at a moment when regional tensions are already running high. Trump’s opponents argue the administration is effectively signalling that spheres of influence — not alliance systems — now define American foreign policy. Iran Fallout Adds To Strategic Pressure The Taiwan decision also lands as Washington struggles with the fallout from the Iran conflict. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global energy flows and exposed the limits of US military leverage despite months of strikes. Critics say the combination of military overstretch, disrupted supply chains and mixed strategic messaging is undermining confidence in American power abroad. For allies watching from Taipei to Tokyo, the message now looks increasingly stark: under Trump, US backing may no longer be guaranteed when the pressure rises. Trump is doing a Ukraine on Taiwan - exposing a new level of weaknessMon, 25 May 2026 08:27:18 +0000People massively overestimate how representative these stories are of British tourists in Thailand generally. The 'over-proportional' impression is due to a mix of demographics, visibility, media incentives and a genuine subculture effect. A few things are happening at once. First, there are simply a lot of Brits in Thailand. Millions visit over a few years, and there’s also a huge long-stay and expat population. Brits are heavily concentrated in exactly the places where bad behaviour becomes highly visible - Pattaya, Phuket, lower Sukhumvit, Samui, bar districts, nightlife zones etc. If you have a huge population concentrated in high-friction environments, you’re going to generate a lot of incidents in absolute numbers even if the overwhelming majority are perfectly normal. Second, English-language media creates a huge distortion effect. If a Brit gets arrested in Pattaya: Thai English-language media reports it British tabloids pick it up expat forums discuss it Reddit reposts it YouTube channels farm it for outrage clicks Facebook groups circulate it endlessly If the same incident involves a Czech, Korean or Brazilian tourist, most English speakers never hear about it. So people consuming English-language media end up with the impression that Brits are uniquely terrible, when part of what they’re actually seeing is an English-centric reporting ecosystem. There’s also a reporting contagion effect. Once “Brit behaving badly in Thailand” becomes a proven click-generator, the media starts actively looking for those stories because readers engage with them we also see this with other 'stories' that get played out a lot... Russians in Phuket generate lots of local resentment Chinese tour groups have long had complaint stereotypes Israelis in Pai recently became controversial Indian tourists get heavily stereotyped online Scandinavian retirees cause issues too Every new incident reinforces the stereotype, algorithms amplify it, and people start noticing and filming incidents more because they already expect the narrative. It becomes self-perpetuating. That said, there is a real demographic component too. Thailand attracts a certain subgroup of British visitors that’s unusually visible: heavy drinkers nightlife tourists “escape from life” types older men living cheaply abroad people with unresolved personal or financial problems back home long-stay bar culture expats That group is much more publicly disruptive than, say, Japanese family tourists or Korean package groups. And British binge-drinking culture is a genuine thing. Not uniquely British, but definitely more culturally normalised than in many Asian societies. Thailand itself also amplifies this behaviour. Cheap alcohol, permissive nightlife, weak day-to-day enforcement, social deference from service staff, and a feeling of anonymity can make some people behave in ways they never would at home. Add heat, ego, money issues and alcohol, and you get predictable explosions. Another factor is that Thailand has become far less tolerant of “bad foreigners” over the last decade. Social media means locals film incidents instantly, authorities publicise arrests more aggressively, and nationalism has increased post-COVID. Things that might once have stayed local now become international viral stories within hours. But if you consume English-language content, British incidents become disproportionately salient. The important point is that raw story volume tells you almost nothing without context. Even if Brits behaved badly at exactly the same rate as everyone else, a very large British population would still generate a large number of incidents. If 1 million Brits visit Thailand and even 0.05% behave outrageously, that’s still hundreds of highly reportable stories. So the stereotype contains a dash of truth, but it’s hugely magnified by: sheer visitor numbers concentration in nightlife areas English-language media bias social media amplification reporting contagion the visibility of a specific expat/tourist subculture Most British and foreign visitors to Thailand are completely normal. The disruptive minority is just extremely visible and extremely reportable - and heavily commented on and amplified on forums such as this.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:26:14 +0000I appreciate it's painful having your mendacity exposed. Maybe instead of frothing, you might tell me if my FACTS are wrong. Did the left not want high oil prices cuz global warming? Fact check - they v much did/do. Are the fora left wigging out now over high oil prices? Fact check - they v much are. Nuff said😅Mon, 25 May 2026 08:25:40 +0000So the the PM-82 is a floating repair and supply ship! Well that's a good start, I suppose.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:23:36 +0000not yet or no money for investments😄Mon, 25 May 2026 08:23:28 +0000I call BS. Your words: It's not clear where the Jews go where they won't be a pain in the ass.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:23:05 +0000Same. Retirees are certainly not begging for that, just using a pseudo-legal "service" that is on offer. Writing and making laws not followed by strict enforcement, anywhere it happens, is just feeding corruption.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:22:19 +0000British warmongers are bound and determined to spark off WW3. That would sure deflect from 2 Tier's problems. Just like the concurrent story today about an RAF flight near the Russkie border, having signals interfered with. As if they weren't probing Russkie radar defenses. (I'd be disappointed if they weren't) Bunch of nothing burgers.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:21:38 +0000Seize passports and assets, revoke visas. ❗Mon, 25 May 2026 08:19:23 +0000Yeah so what, why the hysterics? Russian ships typically approach within 30-40 nautical miles of the UK.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:18:02 +0000EU citizens dont have to leave. They can stay quite easily by filling in some basic paperwork. Less than you fill in to stay in Thailand assuming you actually live here. They choose to leave because the UK is a becoming a violent cesspit full of illegal immigrants, a failing economy, a 2 tier justice system and a ridiculous cost of living for the privilege.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:17:36 +0000A journalist investigating links between Jeffrey Epstein, intelligence networks and missing scientists says she has been “permanently injured” after what she claims were “direct energy weapon attacks” targeting her over her reporting. Veteran reporter Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez made the explosive allegations in a social media post over the weekend, escalating claims she first made days earlier when she announced she was “fleeing the country” over safety fears. Extraordinary Claims Trigger Alarm — And Scepticism Valdes-Rodriguez alleged she was struck inside her home by what she described as “pulsed energy” attacks designed to inflict pain and illness while making victims appear mentally unstable. “These are the most cowardly weapons ever created,” she wrote, claiming the attacks targeted people “in bed” and were intended to “silence journalists and dissenters”. She did not provide evidence supporting the allegations. The journalist has linked the alleged attacks to her recent investigations into Epstein’s New Mexico ranch, where she has claimed — without official confirmation — that communications systems on the property may have ties to US intelligence infrastructure and surveillance activity near nuclear weapons laboratories. Epstein Investigations Enter Darker Territory Valdes-Rodriguez’s reporting has increasingly focused on theories involving intelligence agencies, missing scientists and alleged military-grade technology connected to Epstein’s Zorro Ranch compound. She previously claimed she was relocating abroad after suffering symptoms she said resembled so-called “Havana Syndrome” incidents, controversial cases involving unexplained neurological symptoms reported by diplomats and intelligence personnel. While directed-energy weapons do exist in military and law enforcement settings, there is no public evidence linking such technology to attacks on the journalist. Online Reaction Splits Between Concern And Doubt The claims have spread rapidly across social media and Epstein-focused online communities, where reactions range from alarm to outright disbelief. The episode underscores how the Epstein saga continues to fuel increasingly volatile claims involving intelligence agencies, political figures and alleged covert operations — with facts, speculation and conspiracy theories now colliding in public view. Epstein reporter says they were 'permanently injured' after alleged 'pulsed energy' attackMon, 25 May 2026 08:17:18 +0000The party ends here, buddy. Acting as a drug kingpin in Thailand will have the local community sick the police on you before you can escape.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:16:02 +0000And that's why blue states account for roughly 2/3 of US GDP! 😀Mon, 25 May 2026 08:15:11 +0000And that is the most frightening thing about the whole issue.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:14:28 +0000I got an endoscope and colonoscopy the same day at Samitivej years ago. I was asleep through the whole process. Didn't even wake up between the 2. No ill effects whatsoever, took a taxi back home that same day and had no issues. I just hope they did the endoscopy first... OP: Have you been tested for H Pylori? That's a lot more common than esophogeal cancer.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:13:59 +0000Very nasty. If somebody is going around stabbing people randomly, the cops need to get the perpetrator locked away asap.Mon, 25 May 2026 08:12:40 +0000