20 minutes ago, drogon said:

Are you now retired or do you still go around the world?

After Madrid / sorting the shit out in Thailand, I did a few months work in the UK, mainly to be around for my Fathers 80th Birthday which I am glad of since he passed away a couple of years back just short of 90.

Then I had a good 6 years spell working in Vietnam, not Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh,  a a city  in the North called Thai Binh just South of Hai Phong and Halong Bay, enjoyed my time there best country I have ever worked in, and there have been many.

Been taking it easy the past 4 years or so, keeping head down during Covid as well as recovering from a major illness, probably start looking for work again in a few months, still learning to walk again muscles tend to turn to shit when stuck in bed for a few years 555.

Retired, I wish, still only in my 50’s (just, I turn 60 in 3 weeks time) a few years of work left in me yet and need to make up for the “Lost Years”

I stopped using Bangkok Bank 12 years ago, I found there customer service between non existent and downright criminal

i.e. a Branch Manager refusing to give historical statements unless I purchased a health insurance premium from them    (Which she would get commission from naturally), the Judge who issued the Court Order for the Statements wasn’t best pleased and Bangkok Bank (The Bank not the individual) ended up in the dock.

Not only did I no longer wish to be a customer with them after such, I very mush doubt they would welcome my custom anymore 555.

Kasikorn  are OK, amazing how the perception of KBank changed amongst foreigners when it changed from Thai Farmers Bank in 2003 even though Kasikorn is an old Thai word for “Farmer”. When I was working for an MNC in Thailand my local payments were made into a company opened KBank account. KBank was voted best domestic bank in Thailand 2023

I prefer Siam Commercial Bank, voted best bank in Thailand for digital solutions 2023 I find it serves my needs better. Many of the services offered by / why voted best, by KBank are not available to foreigners and SCB being better online bank puts it above KBank IMHO and for what I use it for.

But opinions are just like arseholes, everyone has one and other peoples usually stink 😜

2 hours ago, Old Hippie said:

On the flight over to Bangkok, I watched the film “Dumb Money.”

Not seen that, but in a similar vein there was the Netflix mini series called “Eat the Rich” pretty weak IMHO, didn’t really touch in Short Selling which was the basis behind the sting. That said good to see a bunch of nerds give it to the man.

On 2/19/2024 at 6:07 PM, drogon said:

Hi, yeah I am still alive

Long time no see mare, last I remember you was when you had to take a rain check on hooking up in Madrid (The City in Spain not the old bar in Patpong) due to an incident with a car resulting in a broken leg if I remember correctly .

May I suggest if you have a question on Legal and Visa issues that you post in the Legal and Visa Forum rather than the Food forum.

Sloshed, plastered and gazeboed: why Britons have 546 words for drunkenness

Link

It shut nearly 3 years ago

Link

15 minutes ago, Palatkik said:

What starts off as a run of the mill war film ends in the TV studios of That’s Life when the story took on a new life. Strong performances makes this very watchable.

Spoiler Alert

The British Schindler

I remember that circa 1988 if not mistaken, one week Ester Ranrzen broke the story, the following week Winton was a guest in the studio audience. At the end of the show Rantzen asked if anyone in the audience had neeen saved by or was a descendent of anyone saved by Winton and the whole audience stood up

On 2/14/2024 at 9:12 AM, Mekong said:

Released from Hospital, I bet you a pound to piece of shit he has a miraculous recovery now.

It took 4 days wow, longer than expected   … I didn’t need my crystal ball for this forecast

1 hour ago, bust said:

Blame Piers Morgan for that 5555

Despite not breaking broadcasting rules, Piers Morgan is still a proper twat, according to media regulator Ofcom.

With news emerging earlier that ITV has been cleared by Ofcom for complaints about the host’s criticism of the Duchess of Sussex mental health claims, the regulator has quickly moved to clarify that despite their ruling on this particular matter, the overwhelming evidence does show that he is still a massive twat.

A Spokesperson for Ofcom revealed, “Yes, he’s still a massive twat. That’s just a clear fact.
 

Source

On 5/14/2019 at 6:03 AM, BelgianBoy said:

if you have a yellow book, no need for embassy or even immigration letter....

Just noticed this line in an old BB post

Yellow Book is Tabien Baan issued to foreigners, Thai one is Blue

4 hours ago, bust said:

Still blame the UK

The USA adapted the British Bill of Rights and leaves out the most important caveat about requirements and laws, yet somehow it is the fault of the British.

Only an Ozzy will full blown Anglophobia could come to that conclusion 🤪

It was the sarcastic “Thanks England” remark that made it appear that you blamed Britain for the USA playing cowboys and Indians 

Adopted means choose to take up, follow, or use, the word you were looking for was Adapted which is make (something) suitable for a new use or purpose; modify.

America Adapted British Bill of Rights they did not Adopt it, two words with completely different meanings.

41 minutes ago, bust said:

"AMENDMENT" The process of altering or amending a law or document.

Right to Bear Arms was adopted from the British Bill of Rights.....Thanks England.

Although I haven't really studied the American Constitution I was under the belief that it was widely embraced during the Civil War. So given the current political climate in Amerika could become relevant once more 😃

Incorrect the 1688 UK Bill of Rights states.

Subjects’ Arms.

That the Subjects which are Protestants may have Arms for their Defence suitable to their Conditions and as allowed by Law

This differs from the Second amendment in 2 ways

1. Suitable to their Condition
2. As allowed by Law

So a Flintlock Pistol would be “Suitable” but an AR wouldn’t, and the allowed by law clause allowed the tightening of gun control post Dunblane without infringement of the Bill of Rights.

UK Bill of Rights

The Americans, for reasons only know to themselves, removed this caveat when they wrote the Second and make a stick for their own back.

I know you harbour anti-British sentiments, but try and get your facts right before blaming the British 😀

If the American population is so up in arms ( pun intended) about the Second Amendment, what are we not hearing noises about the ban on Switchblades, Gravity Knives, Butterfly Knives, Disguised Knives (Cane, Belt Buckle etc) Knuckledusters and other such “Arms” being unconstitutional After all the Second applies to ALL arms not just fire arms. Seems rather silly to me that they can ban Switchblades but not Automatic weapons.

Also look at the actual wording of the second “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”  What is the derinition of militia?
When the Second was written the definition was “a body of citizens trained to military duty, who may be called out in certain cases, but may not be kept on service like standing armies, in times of peace”

 An example of “Organised Militia” would be e National Guard or State Defense Forces.

I don’t think that Billy Bob with his AR15 sat on his porch drinking beer and shooting bottles is not doing such as part of a “Well Regulated Militia” If there was a Will they could easily have gun control by modifying  the Militia Law , which has previously been modified on many occasions. This will not change the Second Amendment per se, therefore would not infringe on the  Bill of Rights

Questions are now being asked about the validity of holding the Football World Cup 2026 in the USA. If US citizens who are used to gun violence are caught out by a shooter what chance do 100’s of Thousands of foreign football supporters have. Link

9 hours ago, dean said:

It’s to the point that enough Americans have to be victims of gun violence, or know someone who was a victim, to get to a point that real pressure can be put on politicians. We haven’t reached that point yet.

In the UK in 1996 there was the Dunblane Massacre, within a year firearms laws had been tightened Dunblane

 6 weeks later In Australia in 1996 there was the Port Aurtur Massacre, the firearms laws were tightened Port Moresby

Both Government reacted to public opinion, you know like a government should, and govern for the people. What the UK and Australia has is tightly regulated lobbying,  which in the USA does is outright bribery of Politicians thinly disguised under the concept of “Lobbying”. Lobbying my arse, it is outright bribery and corruption and the two biggest culprits are the NRA and the Health Insurance Industry.

Until “Lobbying” is restricted / controlled in the USA politicians will not be in office for the good of the people but for lining their own pockets and the good of their bank accounts 

Australia may be younger than the USA, but a hell of a lot more mature. I don’t think it is any coincidence that nations which retained ties with Britain, such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand are, in my opinion, far more civilised than the petulant one.

One dead and more than 20 injured in Super Bowl parade shooting

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-us-canada-68300903

Jan 46 Mass Shootings, 98 Dead, 121 Injured

Feb 14 Mass Shootings, 23 Dead, 76 Injured

So in 45 days there have been 60 Mass hooting leaving 121 dead and 197 injured.

Meanwhile in the UK there have been 28 Mass Shootings since year 2000 leaving 26 dead and 85 Injured, last incident was 13 months ago

In Australia 18 Mass Shootings, leaving 48 dead and 95 injured, last incident 14 months ago

New Zealand 2 Mass Shootings leaving 54* dead, unknown injured, last incident 7 months ago (*51 were Christchurch terrorist attack using an AR)

So a combined population of 98 Million has had a total of 48 Mass Shootings leaving 128 dead and 180 injured

The USA population 332 Million or 3.4 times the rest of the English speaking world has more mass shootings similar deaths and more injuries in 45 days compared to over 20 years.

Australia,  New Zealand and UK have sensible gun laws, NOT BANNED, CONTROLLED, and the USA doesn’t, and still the NRA of USA claims “Guns Don’t Kill People, People Kill People”

So 1.5 Months to 240 Months (20 years) is a ratio of 30:1.

Extrapolating USA Figures 

1800 Mass Shootings, 3630 Deaths and 5910 injured

Divided by the 3.4 Population Ratio 

529 Mass Shootings, 1068 Deaths and 1738 injured.

So Population balanced USA has 11 times more mass shootings resulting in 8.25 times more deaths and 9.65 times more injuries 

I am not a Maths Major, but even I can clearly see that it is Guns that kill people and not people. And this is only Mass Shootings. The USA Gun homicide rate is 30 times greater than “The Real World”

And you still wanna play Cowboys and Indians, fucking Grow Up America.

Bangkok Pat makes some really good Videos, his latest offering

The Message not the Messenger 

7 hours ago, Coss said:

Thailand’s jailed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to be freed

Link

Released from Hospital, I bet you a pound to piece of shit he has a miraculous recovery now.

1 hour ago, dean said:

I live in Kansas City and know Travis Kelse enough that it’s unlikely that he is a liberal Democrat.

But is Trumps little world Republicans don’t have relationships with Democrats, Much like Protestants and Catholics or Coloured and Caucasians.

So he is inviting Russia to invade Canada then