unicorn

Another man who can't handle his liquor...

Well, you are being too vague for someone to give you good advice. You need to describe what your primary goals are, what's important for you to avoid (other than "tourist traps"), what month you'd like to travel, and so on. Also one needs to have a better idea of budget, other than being "not cheap." You mention an interest in London and Amsterdam, but those are areas with throngs of tourists (Mexico City is pretty heavily touristed as well). You also mentioned Colombia (I'm assuming you meant Colombia, and not the District of Columbia). Were you aware that the State Department lists the country as Level 3 "Reconsider Travel"? That's probably not the place I'd recommend for an infrequent traveler. In all of South America, only Venezuela is considered more dangerous (Level 4 "Do Not Travel"), and only Guyana is considered as dangerous. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/colombia-travel-advisory.html I've traveled 85% of countries in the Western Hemisphere, all 50 states, all Canadian provinces (including all provincial capitals), and every European country except Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia, Malta, and Moldova, over a dozen Asian countries, and half a dozen African countries. My favorite non-US country to visit is Switzerland (where I've visited every Canton over some 7-8 visits), but it's definitely NOT cheap. I've never gone on a vacation primarily to find sex/escorts, but such places include Puerto Vallarta (close and easy to get to from LAX), Rio de Janeiro, and parts of Thailand. That being said, if you live in or near LA, there are tons of escorts to choose from, so I don't think you'd need to travel for that. Also, all of those places (PV, Rio, Thailand) are heavily touristed. If you tell us in more detail what you're looking for, you can get better advice.

I don't know about Britain, but in the US it's common for the defense lawyers and prosecutors to hammer out a plea deal, wherein the defendant agrees to plead Guilty or No Contest to a lesser charge in order to avoid a trial. That being said, the deal is not usually $$$ in exchange for avoidance of prosecution, although the lesser charge might involve only a fine and probation, rather than prison time. Needless to say, these agreements need to be in writing, preferably with the assistance of one's attorney. I recently saw an episode of the TV show 20/20, which was similar to the murder case by the Spaniard from the other string. The cops told the murderer than they 'might" show leniency at trial if the killer would lead them to the bodies. When the trial came, however, the murderer received the death sentence (in Texas, where those sentences are often carried out). Fortunately, murderers are often also quite stupid. I'm not sure why that stupid Spaniard led the cops to the places where he discarded the body parts. He did not seem to get any leniency in return, and apparently could be eligible for the death penalty. Leading cops to body parts obviously removes any possible doubt one did the deed.

There you go again speaking with the semblance of authority over something you know nothing about. For the record, I'm not at al a fan of the US legal system. Having elected judges, prosecutors, and even sheriffs, mostly bent on seeing a conviction, with verdicts arrived at by ignorant and sometimes downright stupid jurors, who are forced into involuntary servitude, then told they cannot leave until they've "done their job" by coming to a unanimous decision, with no person assigned to actually try to find the truth, is a recipe for disaster. There are entire books filled with examples of wrongfully convicted--even wrongfully executed--due to the US system. When one does not know something, it is best to either keep silent, or at least to admit from the onset one is conjecturing/guessing. I would be surprised to hear of any legal system in which courts do not encourage civil litigants to settle out of court. There's a saying in the US, sometimes attributed to Abraham Lincoln, although I'd be the first to admit that I don't know if he was the one who first said it:

Yeah, what a load of crap. I'm guessing the Spanish murderer won't get his just deserts.

I'm no Thai legal expert, but I think you're factually wrong about that, according to this article written by a Thai attorney: https://www.unpredictableblog.com/blog/thailand "...Similar to other countries‘ courts, the Thai courts encourage mediation and settlement. If a case cannot be settled, trials usually begin within 8-12 months after the initial filing. After trial, appeals and enforcement actions can last anywhere term 3-12 years. Settlement normally occurs in the early stages of a court dispute and prior to trial. However, parties can settle at any time in the court process...". It would have seemed rather insane to me that a legal system would discourage out-of-court settlements. That would be a recipe for disaster.

Are you saying that once a civil suit is filed in Thailand, all cases must go in front of a judge, and that out-of-court settlements are not allowed? I find that very surprising. If that's the case, there must be massive numbers of judges for civil cases. In every other country of which I know, a trial is a threat, but the vast majority of cases are settled prior to trial commencing (sometimes after the jury is seated).

Something may be lost in the translation, but in the US, a lawsuit typically refers to a civil case. Offering money to drop a lawsuit is generally called a settlement, and usually quite legal. In fact, most civil cases end up with a settlement. This is different from offering money in exchange for a promise not to testify in a criminal case (usually called a prosecution, not a lawsuit), which generally is and should be illegal.

Reading more about the murders, the murderer seems like a complete jackass. He actually was filmed on CCTV the day before the murder going to WalMart on the island, buying a knife, saw, large plastic trash containers, and cleaning supplies. 🙄 The two actually had a room booked together. The murderer actually led the police to the various parts of the island where he'd disposed of the body parts, including a trash dump. It seems like a rather open-and-shut case.

Yeah, sounds like a sextortion problem: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12388145/Celebrity-chefs-naked-photos-led-murder-YouTuber-blackmailed-lover-threatened-intimate-images-relationship-ended.html "A celebrity chef who has been charged with murdering his lover in Thailand saw killing him as the only option after he was allegedly blackmailed with intimate images, according to reports. Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, 29, the son of two Spanish film stars, was arrested for the killing and dismemberment of Columbian surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga after Thai police found body parts in a rubbish dump. Before the killing, the YouTuber chef is believed to have wanted to split from Arrieta, 44, which the doctor refused to allow - reportedly threatening to publish pictures of his partner...". It appears his ex-boyfriend had a much shorter haircut:

Any speculation as to the motive? In Thailand, is the application of the death penalty up to the victim's family? Is this thought to be a gay sex thing?

I think it's just an unbridled alcoholic (probably unhappy, as they often are). Sober him up in jail, then let his home country deal with him. 😉

I wonder what they were smoking? Were the Estonians stoned? 😁

Sounded to me like someone who just can't handle his liquor. As for the expat situation, I know there are a lot of Americans who can't afford long-term care, because that's not a covered benefit until you've exhausted all of your funds, in which case you get put in lower-tier nursing homes. I was under the impression that Canadian programs cover long-term care for the long-term disabled. I know that a good number of Americans live in Mexican cities such as Ajijic or San Miguel de Allende because they just need long-term care such as wheelchair transfers, meals, etc. Very few Americans have long-term care insurance. As one of the few who does, I'll attest that it's becoming increasingly unaffordable. Do Canadians not have coverage for assisted living facilities if they're in need? https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/assisted-living/mexico "...Assisted living in Mexico costs approximately $1,650 – $2,450 per month in 2024. Unlike the American model of assisted living where the costs tend to spiral upward as care needs increase, most Mexican assisted living residences charge a flat monthly fee regardless of care requirements. Assisted living in the United States has a national average cost of $4,900 per month in 2024. Yet regional variances within the US mean that persons living on the East or West coasts and in densely populated urban centers tend to pay closer to $5,700 – $7,000 per month...".

At least he didn't didn't attack with a staff... 😉

This one's dues are $3000/mo.... https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/20-W-64th-St-41GH-New-York-NY-10023/343914391_zpid/

Well, if it includes real estate taxes, that's fine. Where I lived in the SF area, real estate taxes were not included, and varied greatly according to how long you've lived there (in California, real estate taxes can only go up by the amount of inflation until the home is sold, then it goes up wildly). Real estate taxes can be really nuts in California, and, because one can only deduct up to a certain amount against one's income taxes, it's actually possible to pay more in taxes than one's net income. That actually happened to me one year. Is this more in line with Manhattan HOA dues at $1448/mo for this tiny place? https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/104-W-70th-St-APT-3D-New-York-NY-10023/31521250_zpid/

Yikes. From what I've seen from looney-tunes HOA fees on NYC condos, they should easily be able to afford concierges. This fairly modest condo has a monthly HOA dues of $3672. If it's not going to pay for staff to service the the residents of the building, I wonder where all of those $$$$ go. I had a larger townhouse in the SF Bay Area, any my homeowner dues were less than 10% of that, and for that our association payed for our private paved roads, multiple tennis courts, 3 swimming pools, extensive landscaping, and a clubhouse. Of course, the staffing in the office was only part-time, 16 hours per week, but no one expected full-time services with those dues. I wonder where those NYC HOA due go. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/24-W-69th-St-2A-New-York-NY-10023/244900964_zpid/

Nor did Russia exist at that time. Russia's had one free election in its entire history. Congratulations.

Google translate is free. I use it even for languages with which I'm quite fluent. It makes it easier for everyone on both sides of the communication. https://translate.google.com/

At least we have a choice! 😉 Yes, our 18th Century system is definitely outdated. When our system was developed, Russians will still ruled by an absolute ruler who had sex with horses.

Because otherwise anyone can spout off any bullshit he wants and claim it's true in the language he invented in his head. That's the reason dictionaries were invented: to settle disputes regarding words' meanings and definitions.

If you think I don't pay dearly for my insurance services, or wine, or whatever, you'd be deeply mistaken. What seems to be new these days is that these companies are eager to take your money, increasing rates more rapidly than inflation, but disappear when it comes to service. Especially insulting was the "wine consultant" who wanted to collect a commission even when she was on vacation and didn't want to answer her phone. "Just give me the money. I don't want to do the work."

On this board, we are communicating in English. We must use standard, accepted language, and not the way we wish the language were expressed, or any other ideas we have in our head. I traveled through Romania a number of years ago, and, indeed, there are people in certain parts of that country who speak only Hungarian, and do not even know how to communicate in Romanian. However, if they have Romanian citizenship, they are Romanian, whatever their culture or language skills--by definition (regardless of how they would "describe" themselves). It is quite possible that Hungary grants citizenship to such people (I don't know), in which case they are both Hungarian and Romanian. This may be analogous to Northern Ireland, whose residents are dual citizens by birth. Culture and nationality are two separate concepts. Americans often celebrate our cultural heritages, but we're still all American. It's a sign of a strong society.

I do find it interesting how infrequently the time of the incident is mentioned in news articles. Most articles do mention the prominent markings the vehicles had on their roofs and sides, but, you're right, I could find no mention of the time other than in the NYT article. Of course, knowing the time does not change the fact that this attack was inexcusable and criminal, and that it shows a malicious pattern. Knowing the time only explains why the markings weren't seen.