hbullinger

A train journey many years ago through the English tunnel from London to Paris with the plan to watch Tennis at Roland Garros. We were a party of 4, an elderly ladyfriend of my girlfriend who liked to act as her governance and her male acuaintant (not her boyfriend). My girlfriend's 'governance' booked a hotel for one night for all of us and I found myself with that man in a twin bedroom. As I had no intention to spend the night with that guy, I grabbed my girlfriend for going out with her for exploring Paris.

We found a nice little hotel so we could explore the town in the way one should do it in the town of l'amour. We just made it back to the booked hotel for breakfast with the other two. It turned out to be a rather quiet breakfast. I was so tired that -when we finally made it to Roland Garros- I fell asleep and ended up on the shoulder of a total male stranger next to me. I had no Idea who won the match, but I enjoyed the trip immensely.

The best reply I ever got from a taxi driver was "don't know" after I had asked him why he refused to take me on an easy ride from Sukhumvit 22 to Sukhumvit Hospital near BTS Ekamai.

Go to see my wife. She cuts my hair with a beard trimmer on setting 4. As I have despite my age (77) dense hair growth it looks ok and costs me 100 baht tip.

If your head however looks like a woodland after a tornado, then don't bother.

In our condo we have to pay 9 baht per unit!!

The cost you mention is actually quite low for a Thai private hospital. Room rates are always the least of the charge. A two day hospital stay will never be less than 20,000 baht and usually much, much more.

There will be charges for the IV solution, the IV tubing, use of an IV pump to regulate the rate, for the equipment and supplies used to insert the IV, for all medications given, and doctor fees. Even the disposable thermometer used to take the baby's temperature, will be charged.

As others have said, request a detailed bill to make sure there are no inappropriate charges but at that price do not be surprised if it all checks out.

If the child is Thai, could have receive free care in a government hospital.

Actually I did not expect that.

I remember that I went to Phra Ram 9 hospital.

Seeing the doctor was 400 baht, x-ray, medication ... total loss 1100 baht.

In the original case that I started this topic with we are talking about 6.200 baht extra per day. Even if I take away the 400 for the doctor every day, I am still at 5.800 extra per day.

Don't get me wrong, I believe you. From what I have read here on the forum you obviously know a lot about all this stuff.

But I am still surprised about this amount of money for such minor and common things (in my opinion) like IV solution, tubing etc.

For me it looks a little bit like the electricity bills in Bangkok.

If you choose a condo where you directly pay to the MEA you pay about 3.5 baht a unit.

If you choose the "wrong" condo then you are paying double.

Not sure if that comparision works.

Just a feeling ;-)

It is quite worrying to see that the US seems to favour these two Candidates as future president, Sanders, that old communist fool and the nutcase Trump. Just imagine any of the two really moves into the white House!

God help us all!

I had 2 colonoscopies in 2 different Hospitals. the first one was under a mild sedation. They found a polyp and a sort of an ulcer near the anus. Both were successfully and painfree removed. My second procedure 4 years later was under complete anaesthetics. My colon was clear that time.

I can confirm that by far the worst and messy procedure is the preparation for the colonoscopy.

Summarising, there is nothing to fear about these quite harmless procedures.

I can only confirm DDDDave's good findings at Sukhumvit Hospital with Dr Nevit who I have chosen as my new cardiologist. I changed from Phyathai 1 because of logistic reasons (only a short taxi ride away from my home), but also when I felt that my doctor at Pyathai 1 oversubscribed certain medicines like Atorvastatin without even regularly checking my LDL levels. He fumed when I told him about the intended change of hospital and practically threw me out from his room, which only supported my decision.

Interesting was that afterwards another doctor in Urology who I had to see, told me that I am not the first case of a patient who suffered the same fate with this man. He even suggested to make an official complaint with the Hospital management, but I just felt sorry for the guy and left it at that.

If you blame the junta for falling tourist numbers, then you should extend this blame to the western media who are waffling on about bringing democracy back, without understanding what 'free and fair elections' really mean in Thailand and what type of government would return. I have been an expat for nearly 10 years and I have never felt safer than in the present situation. But if you want a government with a cloned sister of a criminal refugee, who is pulling the strings from outside Thailand, then elections with the North and Northeast running the show based on their larger share of population would be the right thing for you. For me - no thank you!

I think you were going to Salzburg! I hope you ended up in the right place.

Senior member, what would you cake a "civil government"? Maybe a government controlled by the Shinawatra clan?

Let's hope the Junta will keep those criminals out forever.

He should be locked away for good, unless they castrate him before releasing him from prison.

Villagefaang is right when he writes, that most of the class warfare is directed from the bottom up. If it comes from farangs - and there a many of those around - then it is from those who converted to the red shirt movement. It reminds me of people converting to another religion, which usually makes them to the biggest fanatics of their new creed.

The forum on the present government is more and more turning into a platform for red shirt supporters who forget that the Belgians and the French don't elect people like Thaksin and his cloned sister to run their countries when they go to the polls.

Oh yes, I forgot. We want DEMOCRACY back!

What British foods?

You don't need to read Thai Visa posts. Just do a little test. Go along a pavement (if you find one), nod and offer a little smile at anyone you meet. Count the responses from Thai people and Farangs and you will find that about twice as many Thais will respond in a friendly manner whereas most Farangs will either look straight on, ignoring you or even give you a nasty and grumpy look. I feel sorry for all these guys who sit outside bars and cafes, staring at the road and sipping from their drink, often only water.

Maybe they are happy, but it definitely doesn't look like it.

This post is a bit of a joke. Equating Western Food with British Food. Who other than a Brit would miss Britisch food such as Branston Pickle?

It is true that being accompanied by a Thai person doesn't always help. Some time ago I picked up my Thai girlfriend fom the train at Hua Lampong at about 10 pm. One of the stationary taxi drivers wanted 400 baht for the trip to Sukhumvit Soi 16. I said something rude to him and we walked to the nearby main road, waived down a Taxi and paid 80 baht inc a tip.

duckmandon asks:

"Why aren't the government planning for jobs in the north?"

Maybe the reason is that most of the workers - at least the male ones, while their women are working in the rice fields - are more interested in gulping down their Lao Khao then to work in factories.

Standard fish sauce is totally different from the stuff made from rotting fish (Badair or Bara), not sure about the spelling, which is quite revolting. I use ordinary fish sauce a lot, e.g. for pick nam pla with fresh chillis, which makes a pleasant replacement for salt.

Why do expats living in Thailand complain so much about Thai food. There is no need for them to eat it, with Western style food available just about everywhere. Is it due to their general unhappiness? You don't see many smiling faces among farangs unlike with Thai people. A lot of farangs look and behave as if they had to live in an enforced exile. I am a regular in a Thai restaurant who serve nice fish and chips. Maybe they don't have awful British condiments like malt vinegar or brown sauce. Just too bad!

Listening to German news everyday I would have thought the EU has far too many problems of their own to find the time to worry about the political structures in Thailand. When they have solved the refugee problem one day they are welcome to come back and comment on Thailand. Until then they better shut up.

UDD will not join steering committee.

Shouldn't this Jatuporn fellow serve a prison sentence by now, or is that square head simply untouchable?

The photograph of this grumpy old man (mind you, he is possibly younger than I am) sums up the whole problem. Can you imagine to get a smile from this fellow when you come across him in the street, even if you gave him a smile?

Nearly every Thai person would smile or nod back at you even without being addressed with a smile by you. It makes all the difference.Thankfully there are quite a few Farangs in my area around Sukumvit 22 who have adopted a friendly attitude.

It also helps you stay healthy. I once walked into a German Hospital with a racing heart at a pulse rate of 260 when the doctor on duty looked at me in amazement, telling me that I am the first patient ever walking into his place in such a condition. All the others would be on a stretcher or already dead. I explained my "Half Full Philosophy" to him. adding that my glass does only get empty quickly when I enjoy a glass of wine or beer.

Come on - cheer up everybody!

Why ban the BBC.

Perhaps because they have spread biased reports on Thailand for years except when they reported on their friends, the Red Shirts.

As long as they can afford to let you stand by the roadside and drive away empty or ask for a bloated fee I find it difficult to agree to any increase. I also wish farangs would stop going on about the cheap taxi fares in TH compared to places like London and New York. Such singled out comparisons are totally meaningless.

Boy murdered for braking a tablet.

You can hardly be surprised when you watch all the dimwits cuddling their mobile devices, that they put their big loves over the live of a human being. The culprit should be given a life sentence and not be allowed ever to touch a tablet, mobile phoene or similar for the rest of his days. After a while he would possibly beg for the death sentence.