Back in the USA

[Jingthing]

11 hours ago, KhunLA said:

...

 

Millions trying to get in, and not many leaving ... nuff said.

Not true.

Just try to get an appointment at any Mexican consulate in the US for a permanent or temporary residence application interview. They are swamped!

 

International Living reports a 1676% increase in interest on their information about how to leave the U.S.

 

Not only for retirees either. 

 

The reasons are obvious.

 

The cost of living especially for housing. 

The low quality of life except for the wealthy.

The toxic environment from cold civil war style political divisions.

 

Some were attracted to more lax Covid policies. 

Edited March 7, 2022 by Jingthing

[habanero]

On 3/5/2022 at 9:44 PM, JerseytoBKK said:

What Florida county? I've spent the last 3 years commuting between Indian River county and Bangkok. Trying to convince my fiancee to leave her job and join me in dividing time between Thailand, Florida and some additional time in bucket list destination places.

 

While there are Thai restaurants in most towns, I wasn't aware of Thai grocery stores. Where do you think is the most Thai centric place in FL?

I would have to say, Fort Walton Beach.

 

[habanero]

15 hours ago, LarrySR said:

FBI & DHS crimes statistics report hate crimes have quadrupled in the USA since 2017. Blacks, Asians & immigrants are the target demographic, most attributed to white supremacist types. (274 reported incidents targeting Asians in 2021 compared with 62 in 2020)

If you plan to relocate with your Thai spouse, you'd be wise to avoid the 'red states.'

 

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Society/Anti-Asian-hate-crimes-quadrupled-in-U.S.-last-year

 

 

Red states are the safe one's. I would never live in a Blue state. They are the one's demanding defunding the police.

[Jingthing]

15 hours ago, LarrySR said:

FBI & DHS crimes statistics report hate crimes have quadrupled in the USA since 2017. Blacks, Asians & immigrants are the target demographic, most attributed to white supremacist types. (274 reported incidents targeting Asians in 2021 compared with 62 in 2020)

If you plan to relocate with your Thai spouse, you'd be wise to avoid the 'red states.'

 

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Society/Anti-Asian-hate-crimes-quadrupled-in-U.S.-last-year

 

 

Jews are actually the number one target (relative to population) of white supremacist hate crimes in the U.S. But a lot of people (oddly particularly left wingers) don't register Jews as a minority group in that way.

 

A book about this blindness:

 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, habanero said:

Red states are the safe one's. I would never live in a Blue state. They are the one's demanding defunding the police.

No they're not. That's a red herring. 

[habanero]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

No they're not. That's a red herring. 

 

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

No they're not. That's a red herring. 

Since I live near an area where I can witness it myself and you do not. I think I will go with the truth. Your version is not the truth.

[Jingthing]

9 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Well that's just fear mongering nonsense.

 

As terrible as it was for those 274 people, that's 274 out of a Asian American population of 18.6 Million.

 

As for the red state thing.

I'm a bleeding heart liberal, but we live in a redder than red State (South Dakota), and my wife has never once encountered anything approaching animosity, let alone hate crime due to her race from the native gun toting rednecks. 

Surely you're smart enough to know that reported hate crimes are only the tip of the iceberg! The vast majority are of course never reported.

I can speak to that from personal experience. Often going to the police makes it worse as the police are quite likely not to be at all sympathetic. 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, habanero said:

 

Since I live near an area where I can witness it myself and you do not. I think I will go with the truth. Your version is not the truth.

Where have the police actually been defunded? That's a made up issue. It's just right wingers distorting a left wing suggestion to funnel some police funding to social services such as for domestic disputes. 

[habanero]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Where have the police actually been defunded? That's a made up issue. It's just right wingers distorting a left wing suggestion to funnel some police funding to social services such as for domestic disputes. 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/07/us-cities-defund-police-transferring-money-community

 

I don't care to get into a  pissing contest with you. I live in (Red) state where a lot of the population is armed, legally. Both male and female. So I don't worry about crime that much. There is never any talk about defunding the police. On that note, there is also never any talk about sending a social worker to a domestic violence call either.  That is just ridiculous. But, I do hear "the Squad" talking about such stupid things as that.

Edited March 7, 2022 by habanero

[GinBoy2]

Crime stats are such a minefield and horribly confusing.

 

Here in South Dakota, and much of the midwest the stats gets murky, since if crime is committed on tribal lands, it's outside of the local jurisdiction, and has to be Federal.

 

There is a huge problem on the tribal lands of crime going unsolved especially violence against women. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 hours ago, habanero said:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/07/us-cities-defund-police-transferring-money-community

 

Quite an endorsement in that article:

 

"Local lawmakers largely ignored activists’ pleas, and police spending has tripled over the last 40 years, helping to make the US a world leader in incarceration and police killings. Even as cities have faced financial shortfalls, local governments consistently spent an increasing share of their general funds on police (despite repeated research showing that increasing police funding does not correlate to reduced crime)."

 

 

[GinBoy2]

48 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Surely you're smart enough to know that reported hate crimes are only the tip of the iceberg! The vast majority are of course never reported.

I can speak to that from personal experience. Often going to the police makes it worse as the police are quite likely not to be at all sympathetic. 

But that is true of many crimes

 

If you think assaults against Asian's is the tip of the iceberg, I'd suggest rape is the tip of the tip of the iceberg.

 

And whatever that tip of the iceberg is for Asian hate crime, it's still a tiny fraction of all crime in the US

[jerrymahoney]

3 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

Why is that Jerry? What is the reason?

Age discrepancy and she wouldn't want to go anyways.

[jerrymahoney]

3 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

Sorry friend. I don't habituate high end malls.

JC Penney is about the most upscale I get.

 

 

How about Home Depot and Best Buy?

 

https://fortune.com/2021/12/04/flash-mob-robberies-organized-crime-nordstrom-best-buy-retail/

 

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/four-suspects-arrested-in-beverly-hills-identified-booked-for-home-depot-flash-mob-burglary/2767972/

 

But I guess what really put me on edge is when you said that there are lots of over 55 communities in Florida. As I noted I lived in Florida for 15 years so I am well  acquainted with such planed existence communities. Thank you.

 

And no rare occurrence statistic is rare when it happens to yu.

 

 

Edited March 7, 2022 by jerrymahoney

[jerrymahoney]

19 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

Just taking it one day at a time until we get our feet under us.

I like to take it 2 ore 3 days at a time and then I can take a day off.

[jerrymahoney]

20 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

That I think is quite often the catalyst for a move

 

My wifes parents also died within 2 years of each other, and her three sisters and brother were farmed out to other family members

( referring to Sirineou's post above about both Thai wife's parent's recently deceased) 

 

That is interesting to contemplate especially when both Thai wife's parents are quite a bit younger than the American husband.

Edited March 7, 2022 by jerrymahoney

[sqwakvfr]

Hopefully I won’t be coming back to the USA anytime soon:  

 

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Hopefully I won’t be coming back to the USA anytime soon:  

 

"The average price of a gallon of gas reached $4.009 on Sunday, according to AAA, a 57-cent increase from a month ago. The all-time high was in July 2008, when the average price hit $4.114 a gallon. (When factoring inflation, that would be equivalent to $5.25 a gallon today.) "

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/business/gas-prices-4-dollars-per-gallon.html

 

https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Thailand/gasoline_prices/

 

[GinBoy2]

11 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Hopefully I won’t be coming back to the USA anytime soon:  

 

Nicely photoshopped.

 

Not denying gas prices are through the roof, blame Putin for that. 

 

But as previously stated average gas prices is $4/gal.

 

I paid $3.69/gal this morning

 

[jerrymahoney]

1 minute ago, GinBoy2 said:

Nicely photoshopped.

 

Not denying gas prices are through the roof, blame Putin for that. 

 

But as previously stated average gas prices is $4/gal.

 

I paid $3.69/gal this morning

 

Yes and yesterday I paid roughly the same per liter price for 95 octane and 100 baht to fill up my 100 cc Honda Wave which is all I need to get around on a daily basis. 

[LarrySR]

5 hours ago, habanero said:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/07/us-cities-defund-police-transferring-money-community

 

I don't care to get into a  pissing contest with you. I live in (Red) state where a lot of the population is armed, legally. Both male and female. So I don't worry about crime that much. There is never any talk about defunding the police. On that note, there is also never any talk about sending a social worker to a domestic violence call either.  That is just ridiculous. But, I do hear "the Squad" talking about such stupid things as that.

Let me guess. You have Fox on the cable TV. 

They are not a news organization. Their mission statement is to persuade viewers to vote Republican (by hating Democrats).

They do that by triggering the empty headed windup shells with a 24/7 drip feed of lies, hate and fear. 

 

Edited March 7, 2022 by LarrySR

[LarrySR]

5 hours ago, habanero said:

Red states are the safe one's. I would never live in a Blue state. They are the one's demanding defunding the police.

Nonsense post.

Can always spot the Fox viewers in the comments.

[meechai]

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I can speak to that from personal experience. Often going to the police makes it worse as the police are quite likely not to be at all sympathetic. 

Oh come on now....In what decade are you referring to your "personal Experience" In what decade did you last LIVE in the USA??

If ever a need for "Peer Review" existed it is in anything you claim about life in the USA

Truth is you have a wealth of no valid Actual First Hand experience in recent decades

Edited March 7, 2022 by meechai

[LarrySR]

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Where have the police actually been defunded? That's a made up issue. It's just right wingers distorting a left wing suggestion to funnel some police funding to social services such as for domestic disputes. 

Exactly. 25% of the people the police gun down have mental problems... when a health care worker can deescalate the situation instead of police showing up, ramping up the tension & blasting them.

[LarrySR]

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Often going to the police makes it worse as the police are quite likely not to be at all sympathetic. 

Sadly, many of the police force fit into the 'deplorable' demographic.

[sirineou]

20 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Nicely photoshopped.

 

Not denying gas prices are through the roof, blame Putin for that. 

 

But as previously stated average gas prices is $4/gal.

 

I paid $3.69/gal this morning

 

Not only are fuel prices the same or lower in the US as compared to Thailand but wages are much higher in the US,  making them a much smaller proportion of one's income.  

Edited March 7, 2022 by sirineou

[jerrymahoney]

3 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Not only are fuel prices the same or lower in the US as compared to Thailand but wages are much higher making them a much smaller proportion of once's income.  

Sure but a large component of the Thai population regularly uses a motorbike for what those in the US of A normally use a car or a guzzler SUV.

[Dan747]

If you have Family still in Thailand-You'll "BE BACK!" That is why we spend 6 months in Issan at Ubon and 6 months in Orlando. "Good Luck and Enjoy!"

[jerrymahoney]

44 minutes ago, Dan747 said:

If you have Family still in Thailand-You'll "BE BACK!" That is why we spend 6 months in Issan at Ubon and 6 months in Orlando. "Good Luck and Enjoy!"

Well you mention Orlando. This past weekend was the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. I served for 3 years as the electric ambulance driver for the paramedics because -- while not a golfer myself -- I knew the whole course layout and how to expeditiously get from here to there with 20,000 or so spectators on hand.

 

These are my last 2 volunteer badges and just to show that I was well ensconced during my time in Florida.

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by jerrymahoney

[bbko]

7 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

Well you have a very good point there.

 

My wife and I just had lunch at a Thai restaurant here. Lunch portions.

 

1 Masaman Pork

1 Pad Thai

1 Papaya Salad

1 Coke

 

US $48 dollars = 1,488 baht plus tip!

 

We both had a darn good laugh compared to the price in Thailand!

When I travel back to the US, I rarely eat in Thai restaurants, I find it overpriced and not as good as food in Thailand, when I asked a Thai lady working in a Thai restaurant in Phoenix AZ why, she said it's because they can't get the same ingredients.