TB doesn't automatically add addresses to your PAB unless PAB has been specified as the target for outgoing addresses in Tools/Options/Composition/Addressing, or you use the add-on that automatically adds incoming addresses to PAB.

To view your PAB in the Write window, press F9 (in the Write window) to show the Contacts sidebar.

Well, my TB is Hebrew version. I need the Hebrew version not for reading the menus, but to be able to reply or compose messages from Right to Left. Would the English version enable it, I'd use it. Apparently the Hebrew version works differently from the English version. Possibly, the translation of the menu options into Hebrew is incorrect, though I have the impression that some menu option are actually different in the Hebrew version. What was marked on my TB was (I'm translating back to English) Tools -> Options -> Composing: Automatic addresses completion, when addressing messages, search for compliant records in: Local address books. Now I ticked it off, though it doesn't make much sense. We'll see if it works. Anyhow, in my version, there is no option to mark, or unmark, concerning "target for outgoing addresses". Also, my TB is/was collecting automatically email addresses from all incoming emails.

You should keep "Local address books" checked unless you don't want TB to autocomplete addresses when you type in the To: box of new messages.

The option for outgoing addresses is just below, and has been present for several years. The current Hebrew version is 24.4, although you may wish to install the BiDi add-on as well (which also works in the Eng. version):

http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/all.html

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/bidi-mail-ui/

Yes, my version is 24.4.0. The option for outgoing messages was unchecked, yet TB still collects incoming email addresses. I'll install the English version over the present one and use the BiDi add on. Yet, TB people may want to look at the peculiar behavior of the Hebrew Version.

Could it be your clicking on show remote content and selecting "show remote content for this sender"? Hence adding the sender to your address book with the show remote content flag set and blaming Thunderbird for collecting the addresses?

Thank you. Is it possible to flag "show remote content for this sender" without the sender's email address being added automatically to my AB?

It's not possible to avoid adding a contact to the address book, although it is possible to allow all remote images or ones from trusted domains (without adding to address book). However, a separate address book can be maintained for remote-content purposes. Remote images can of course be allowed on a message-by-message basis without adding the contact.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Privacy_basics_%28Thunderbird%29

It complicates things. I wish there would be a simpler, or more convenient way. For instance, if the default action would be to add the sender email address to the Collected Addresses.

Another way, maybe not simpler, is instead of clicking "Always allow remote content for this sender", click the white star next to the sender in the header pane, to add the sender to the address book, then click the star (now yellow) again to have it added to Collected Addresses, and click Edit for the contact to make sure the "Allow remote content" box is checked.

http://gsfn.us/t/3f3ih

I would suggest a left field view. Let the PAB be the remote image list, and create another say "Joshua Address book" and put your personal contact there.

In TB 31, due some time this summer, the remote content option is removed from the address book and defined under Options/Privacy. Remote content can be allowed for all messages, or individual senders or websites can be added to an Exceptions list.