3 minutes ago, elgenon said:

What's to stop Russia and China from annexing anything they want?

Going on history? ....absolutely nothing

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

The elephant in the room is if China decides to play copycat with Taiwan. The U.S. won't/can't get directly involved in Ukraine but arguably has an obligation to defend Taiwan. This has the makings of a potential WW3. Obviously hopefully not.

If the  proverbial **** does hit the fan, China will try to expand. I wonder if North Korea, would feel emboldened as well.

with hypersonic weapons making conventional warfare obsolete and China backing Russia all we are going to see is Saber rattling like we have never seen before.

10 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

Au contraire Thailand may be a good place to ride out any global instability.

Thailand is definitely not a place to ride this out for people on fixed income like state pensions. Russia is one of the biggest mineral and food exporters, if the price of oil and wheat continues to climb, higher inflation may follow.

 

If the pensions are not indexed appropriately the teeraks may eventually boot out the incumbents and look for better deal.

"Peacekeeping functions".....is that the new "Police peacekeeping functions" like in the Vietnam War?

Edited February 23, 20224 yr by wombat

If all international trade comes to a halt due to this war in Europe, I will have to resign myself to eating only (mama) every day, it would be good to have a good supply.

Just now, BE88 said:

If all international trade comes to a halt due to this war in Europe, I will have to resign myself to eating only (mama) every day, it would be good to have a good supply.

Yep, better to stockpile along with toilet rolls, unless you still got a larder full from early 2020. 

As the rise in oil prices takes effect Thailand will feel the pain along with many other countries.

5 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Thailand is definitely not a place to ride this out for people on fixed income like state pensions. Russia is one of the biggest mineral and food exporters, if the price of oil and wheat continues to climb, higher inflation may follow.

 

If the pensions are not indexed appropriately the teeraks may eventually boot out the incumbents and look for better deal.

From NY Times Updated Feb. 22, 2022, 3:29 a.m. ET

 

 But unlike China, which is a manufacturing powerhouse and intimately woven into intricate supply chains, Russia is a minor player in the global economy.

Italy, with half the people and fewer natural resources, has an economy that is twice the size and  Poland exports more goods to the European Union than Russia.

“Russia is incredibly unimportant in the global economy except for oil and gas,” 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/21/business/economy/ukraine-russia-economy.html

4 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

As the EU & USA started to impose sanctions on Russia, this will start to affect tourists from the block visiting Thailand and mainly Phuket 

Good

 

7 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Yep, better to stockpile along with toilet rolls, unless you still got a larder full from early 2020. 

I already bought toilet paper rolls for three years, so if a nuclear war breaks out, I can always stay in the bathroom to dry myself quietly

10 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Thailand is definitely not a place to ride this out for people on fixed income like state pensions. Russia is one of the biggest mineral and food exporters, if the price of oil and wheat continues to climb, higher inflation may follow.

 

If the pensions are not indexed appropriately the teeraks may eventually boot out the incumbents and look for better deal.

And who might give them a better deal?  Chinese farangs?  Russian farangs?

A post with a misquote in it has been removed.

 

4 hours ago, garyk said:

You retiree's better set aside some funds for a rapid departure.

?  You think I am heading back to Russia before my Phuket holiday is over?

I’m feeling it personally.  A small percentage of my investments portfolio  is in the stock market. Which has lost money. 

2 hours ago, NanaSomchai said:

They should have already left.

 

They have had two years to do so with the so-called COVID-19 extensions. But of course people abused said visa extensions and saw this was a new way to maintain themselves longer in the Kingdom than they should already have.

 

When sh*t finally hits the fan for good in Thailand... you don't want to be there, trust me.

The only people that should of left are the people who constantly complain, bitch and moan about everything Thai. For the rest of us life is great here. ????????

3 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

China play a big part in what is happening in Ukraine right now.

Ha ha ha .... what utter nonsense 

5 hours ago, garyk said:

You retiree's better set aside some funds for a rapid departure.

What for? here is one of the best and safest place to be

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

In the short term Russia will win but as time goes by more and more countries will be against Russia for invading Ukraine. No one country can stand alone in this world today, just look at Chine losing more and more friends.

I don't buy that. China has plenty of friends now. Russia doesn't. But Russia has made a deal with China and that's ominous for the west and democracies.

5 hours ago, garyk said:

You retiree's better set aside some funds for a rapid departure.

 

... I would say even more strongly - if you still there, use the funds right away to get a ticket immediately and fly to Thailand...weather much better, and Russians bother less here... 

3 hours ago, NanaSomchai said:

When sh*t finally hits the fan for good in Thailand... you don't want to be there, trust me.

Ok, let's say I trust you. So why don't I want to be here? Whats going to happen here thats not going to happen elsewhere?

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

None.

Well, I agree but then ... my retirement funds are taking a hit ...

 

1 hour ago, phetphet said:

If the  proverbial **** does hit the fan, China will try to expand. I wonder if North Korea, would feel emboldened as well.

China has already unilaterally claimed and fortified the South China Sea.

On 2/23/2022 at 9:20 AM, wombat said:

this gets funnier by the moment as saber rattling reaches new levels...now we have degrees of sanctions.
from Oz media...

 

It's not really funny at all. The recognition of these two new fake countries by Russia included borders of lots of land the rebels don't control. 

A couple of thoughts based on the OP, and subsequent diversions..

- I expect little impact here in Thailand from the Ukraine crisis. Maybe some tourist visit impacts, gas prices, minor supply chain issues for a few products. I'm more depressed by the thought of not having as many scantily clad Russian bikini babes about.

- Fair and interesting read on US, NATO, and Russian thinking about NATO post cold war expansion. 

https://www.vox.com/22900113/nato-ukraine-russia-crisis-clinton-expansion

- China is bifurcated about Ukraine. On the one hand it wants to try and support Russia (its new friend) BUT instability is not in its economic interests and territorial integrity is central to its thinking. Creating and declaring "independent" provinces in the Ukraine can be seen as treasonous if the declaration was applied to Taiwan. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Isaan sailor said:

And who might give them a better deal?  Chinese farangs?  Russian farangs?

People from countries with substantial pensions which get properly indexed...and people with substantial investment income which rises with the inflation.

18 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It's not really funny at all. The recognition of these two new fake countries by Russia included borders of lots of land the rebels don't control. 

Absolutely correct.  The rebels may hold those two locations but the locations are still part of Ukraine and they have been fighting there for the last 8 years.  Putin wants to reunite all of the former soviet union back into a new and remade USSR.  His land grab is just the first of many more to come I fear.

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

The elephant in the room is if China decides to play copycat with Taiwan. The U.S. won't/can't get directly involved in Ukraine but arguably has an obligation to defend Taiwan. This has the makings of a potential WW3. Obviously hopefully not.

I've read on military websites that Taiwan was more than able to defend itself though.

2 minutes ago, JackGats said:

I've read on military websites that Taiwan was more than able to defend itself though.

I doubt it. 

Troll post and meme has been removed