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I did previously say advanced nations of which Thailand is not one.

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/^DJI Trump was president when the market bottomed out in 2020. Biden is president now when the stock market is at record heights. People's pensions depend on stock market performance. Remember that. Oh, yeah: "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." So, if you're a Trump follower, you will ignore the data.

if you moved more towards the Detroit side of the freeway there were options for around that. I can only imagine the nightlife. Now I just drive straight through to the UP even if it takes me ten hours from home. Yeah maybe out west you wouldn't find a decent Airbnb for that price. I live in a cheaper region. So I find it can be a better value if more than a motel more comfortable. I have a travel trailer be using the Hipcamp site to find cheap places when I travel these days. The nomadic lifestyle in the USA seems to be dying the place has become so crowded after Covid.

... or that the damaged/degraded battery has transformed their EV into a ticking time bomb.

Incorrect statement.

And Thailand at the national level right now appears to have NO national COVID vaccine policy (unless being absent is a policy). So, obviously, each country makes their own choices about what they think is best / most affordable / etc.

If you believe those two statements are blatantly false then you need to provide evidence in the form of a link to support your claims

it is almost impossible to prove him guilty.

Brutal... But when cutting through some of the 'generalisation and assumption, your comments are not wrong.. It is possible to tell within a relatively short period of time whether another persons a clown or not !!!

Are you intoxicated? You seem confused and you are plain wrong in your assertion If you want to educate yourself look up TripAdvisor koh Chang the truth has no bearing but these actions can have unexpected consequences for the hard of thinking Thai hi so.....

Lot of Thai are adverse to wearing seatbelts, my ex never used to wear one unless forced to by a taxi driver or such. Passenger space intact but bodies thrown around inside.

Isn't heat and issue ?... In Bangkok whenever I walk more than 500m I'm already sweating at an uncomfortable level. Its not about the exercise, I play 2 hrs of football (2x per week)... and don't mind the heat so much then.. Pattaya is only 'quite walkable' for those living in a very central location... but then in other threads I read of complaints of the noise when living in central areas (walkable)...

Yikes!!! Were there any decent, clean, modest hotel options available there in the $100 to $200 range? I'm thinking there had to have been. As I mentioned above, I checked out AirBNB and VRBO prior to my U.S. (L.A.) trip last year, and didn't find anything in any area / setting I'd want to stay for anything close to the $100 per night hotel rate I ended up booking.

No one else does. It's a targeted vaccine within populations.

Because the U.S.'s past experience with the level of COVID illness among young people there, sometimes serious, who often haven't been vaccinated, makes them feel that the reward-risk balance favors vaccination.

Which shows a true understanding of an average Pattaya retiree living on a pension..

No ammunition and no weapons? They may have been running low in recent weeks but they've already started receiving the promised new arms shipments from the US (and others). https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/03/us/politics/ukraine-weapons-us.html

SarsCov2 is not a cold virus and neither is the flu. Not sure how many times this needs to be posted but covid, the flu and the common cold are not the same. May have very similar symptoms but all three are different viruses.

The places I was staying in for $100 a night a couple years ago now go for $200 a night. I was looking to book a simple airbnb in Ann Arbor recently, which is midway up to my lake place. A couple years ago I had a decent spot in the center of town for around $100 all in. The last time I looked I couldn't find anything in the center and what was on the fringes was a little over $200.

I've noticed the same thing around the L.A. area... The typical motel clientele seems to have taken a big downward turn, and a lot of the properties are old and show little signs of any upkeep and improvements, making them a somewhat sketchy short-term accommodation option.

There are many people for whom the Long Term Residence visa is not appropriate for. It is after called a Long Term Residence Visa. Note the word "RESIDENCE" in LTR? People who only want to come to Thailand for 4 months of the year clearly will NOT be residents. BoI designed this visa for those who wish to be Long Term Residents who meet certain financial situations. Again - note the word "residents". Why would someone who does NOT plan to be a resident, apply for a resident Visa? ?????? Thailand has many different Visas, and it makes sence that foreigners should apply for the Visa that is most suitable for their individual situation. I've pointed it out before, and I will once again. Go to the BoI website, and one will read that as of end-April-2024 there were 7,322 applicants for the LTR visa. Clearly those applicants do NOT believe the visa is useless, as they would not apply for such if they considered it useless. Rather THEY see it useful. Likely those 7,322 applicants looked at what the LTR visa had to offer, and they see advantages for THEIR situations. As noted , others will have different situations with regard to Thailand, and those others should apply for Thailand Visas that are appropriate for them. No one on this thread is claiming everyone should apply for an LTR - JUST THE OPPOSITE. This thread is for those who are interested in the LTR to share their knowledge (on qualification maintenance). I dare say the vast majority of expats to Thailand will find the LTR visa is not suitable for them, ... and that is perfectly fine. They should look for and find other Visas. But for the 7,322 LTR Visa applicants, if they meet the requirements, I hope their application is successful, as the LTR visa does have its advantages.

You said you don't find value in that above... e.g. $100 a night in the suburbs... But then you mention that places you consider "pretty decent" are going for $200 per night or higher lately.... I'm not following???

the extended stays I saw where located around some mundane place like Land O' Lakes corporate headquarters or some other dull place. Price sounds about right, they didn't seem to offer much if any discount for extended stays. I guess they think that is cheap enough already. is it just me or have motels become way worse than I remember them as a kid? I remember when people would go on road trips and vacation in them. Free HBO!!!!!! the last few motels I have used I refused to undress to sleep on the bed and kept above the blankets. It amazes me also how crackheads seem to pop up even in the most unlikely motel parking lots. More and more they seem to be making trade off the homeless and all that goes with that.

Pattaya is quite walkable and many expats look like they could use the exercise. On the odd occasion that one needs to venture farther than their feet will carry them, Grab and Bolt are fine budget-wise.

I was always told that all mushrooms are edible. At least once. Sorry, I'll get my coat.