Bruce Mangosteen

Very glad the company was able to weather this. Did you notice any increase in fares?

Submitted the application for retirement benefits online today. Interestingly, they allowed me to select December 2025 as the start date of benefits, which would mean I'll get a check next month. Fingers crossed!

Been there, great show. Hope to catch another one soon, maybe next year.

Thanks for the great pics. Hopefully this upcoming Christmas season will be the last one I spend anywhere but Thailand.

I had to (past tense, did it yesterday) do this because somehow my birth hospital didn't notify the SSA of my birth. That's usually done automatically, accounting for why most people aren't aware that it happens. Interestingly, I found out about this when I tried to make a login for the "my SS" online service a few years ago. I could get to a certain point in the process but no farther. Called the office and the guy said, "Oh, that's because you don't exist!", and fixed it. He told me at the time that all my benefits were secure and there was no problem, but that I'd have to present a

My wife likes the attached wat, and we went/will go there occasionally when we live(d) there.

Yep. I remember people getting hassled for visa violations while doing volunteer relief work after the tsunami! They don't futz around there concerning work permits.

It happens everywhere for reasons we can't control. Whatever you may have, and whatever you may have achieved, was probably not taken away from someone else. You worked for it and earned it fairly, so it needs no other justification. If you were some sort of thief or conman, the foregoing does not apply to you. There are already established, bona fide charities in Thailand. Giving to those will avoid any problems you may have with the authorities, e.g. working without a permit, and will ensure that the aid goes to people who really need it vs. scammers and low lifes, both far

Thanks for the tip.

Well, considering the unfortunate state of our recent interactions, I'm relieved this is the extent of what you were thinking! Thanks for this and also to @forcebwithu for these posts. Just as a quick update, planning for my upcoming retirement has accelerated. I've changed to a different financial advisor who was recommended by a friend as good with retirement money management. I've begun the process of claiming my Social Security retirement benefit, which will require me to turn up at the local office to let them copy my birth certificate (I have the original!). I've also i

This thread has given me a lot of useful input so far, thanks to all who have contributed. Just please keep it in mind, and hit me up with some updates. Cheers!

Agree with the consensus. Go for the non-O/retirement and don't tell anyone your affairs. I also don't see how dabbling in the stock market is any more of a "business" than any other online gambling.

Go on! It's not like you have to tell anybody! IMHO Sunday roast and breakfast are two things the Brits have gotten 100% right. God forbid this should devolve into a "Where's the best full English?" thread though!

What sort of shirts? The t-shirts there are often synthetic and don't wick sweat well. Fortunately I have a butt-ton of them I've bought here.

I'd be interested in how the taste of these compares to, say, B&M.