maybefitz

One important element in Thailand, is finding a beach without sandfleas. My last visit to Koh Samet, I got eaten alive. I thought it was mosquitoes; but no - it's almost invisible

sand fleas. I personally do like Cha-Am beach, I'll use that in future.

I have always preferred Cha-Am, 20 k or so north of Hua Hin. Much better beach direct off the coast road, good hotels and restaurants. Check it out.

You can't go wrong with flowers. Spend as little or as much as you think is appropriate.

A nice lead crystal vase would complete the gift if you're feeling generous.

I reckon "Chickenslegs" has "nailed it" with the flowers and the quality vase. You probably won't find Birthday cards in every "corner store" but most of the bigger places like Robinson etc., will have them.

Enjoy!!!

Yep, my wife and I have found that a nice display of artificial flowers meets the bill = they last longer than real flowers. We use this for birthdays, house-warmings and graduation parties; usually about 300 - 400 baht for a reasonable one. They do these well I think, in Thailand. For weddings, yes, 1,000 baht in an envelope is pretty standard .

My wife and I have developed the habit of bringing a display of artificial flowers - for birthdays, house-warming or graduation celebrations. A good display is 300 to 400 baht. As has been

suggested, weddings are different - the standard is cash in an envelope, 1,000 baht usually.

As a retired caterer, with a master chefs certificate, (now defunct, haven't made the annual payments) - I cook all my own food, farang style. A big favourite is steak and kidney pie, which, incidentally the Thais in our extended family also like. The secret for me is a good 5 drawer freezer. I have up to 40 meals frozen down at any time.The big one that Thais like is English Chips, so I blanche them off and in the freezer, 3 kilo at a time. Lasagna, Pasta Sauces, braised steak, chicken and mushroom pie, chicken a la king, roast pork, chicken, beef. Braised kidney and braised liver.Steak and kidney pudding (the pudding mix is the Thai Sala Bow - works well).Thais also like fish and chips, but not the mushy peas. I've just worked out my own ham and bacon curing, so that's being developed as I go along. Steamed puddings , date, lemon etc, all in the freezer.

My wife is quite happy for me to cook for myself. The one who gets slightly miffed is M in L - she's old school and nags my wife for not looking after her husband. I have my own kitchen, and good I don't have to share with M in L, she cooks in the adjacent rice house - good job too, as the smells that come from there are reminiscent of gorrilla fart.

I changed 5 years ago, on the advice of a very friendly immigration lady officer in Chiang Mai. Without doubt, it's much easier and can be done with the minimum of fuss. I use the income method, certified by the UK consulate, last year immigation wanted to double check the income figures that I'd submitted to the Consulate. I had them with me, so 5 minutes checking, big smile - all was in order. I've always found CM Immigration very pleasant to deal with despite the cramped conditions. This should ease when they have a new office opened near the Changwat centre offices on the Mai Rim road - a complete new building; so let's hope someone has thought it through and it's built for the job.

My wife is a school teacher. I don't have whatever card people are talking about, but she gets a refund of every baht I pay to a government hospital.

You don't get a card. But you can register yourself at government hospitals. When you do that, takes about 1 month, you or your wife no longer have to pay first at that hospital and get the money back later. The hopsital will than get the money directly from the government.

I am registered in that way at 3 hospitals, including outside my province.

My experience is the same as Mario's. I have a health service number, that matches my 'yellow book" house-papers. This is registered at my local hospital in Phrao, CM. It is an excellent little hospital; and I have had 1st class care. I have to check every 3 months for high blood pressure and lipid profile. I get free care and medicine. If I am referred to a 'higher ' hospital, it would be NakornPing hospital in CM. I am assured that as I am registered, I am covered for any medical requirements.. As others have said, at the age of 75 it would be impossible to get any insurance. The only thing I can think of is that if the Govt. really stick to this one, they will have to bring in a govt. insurance scheme - no private company would touch it. I have lived here now 13 years and have had no bad experiences with medical attention.

Just to give my own preference, just up the coast (20 K or so) is Cha - Am. The thing I like (similar to Jomtien/Pattaya) the beach road runs direct access to the beach; which is the missing element in Hua-Hin.

Reasonable hotels covering the full range, some good restaurants but best to ask around. Night life needs some digging out, but as a beach resort town, beats HH.

Fortunately, my wife has a knack of building, and has not only done our houses - but built 3 houses for farang friends. The big thing she does is split the job up and get a fixed price for each job.

She does her own design on a piece of A4 paper, and the builder seems to be able to work to this without an architect. She knows which hardware shop to go to in Chiang Mai for different materials.

1 Clear the land and prepare the site. (Backhoe and bulldozer)

2. Foundations.

3 Up-rights and support beams, (framework)

4. Roof (yes, the N. Thai style is roof before the walls)

5.2nd floor and staircase

6. Walls and window/door frames.(never seen a damp course yet)

7, Electrics and plumbing.

8. Finish off, drive, garden etc.

Local builder everytime - and the big issue, get a fixed price for each stage - never pay a day-rate. They can be very clever at slowing down to extend the days if on a day rate.

Note, all Thai builders are multi=taskers. Tiling, Plastering etc done by same group. Electrics and backhoe are the only sub-contracts. Use local labour for gardening too.

I have already told my wife " a Thai farewell, but no wailing or crying, just a bloody big party to celebrate my life and it's living; knowing that I did my best.

Just approaching Ban Pa Mai on the way to Phrao, the car in front suddenly screeched to a halt; the driver jumped out and was chasing an 8ft Python up the road. I asked my wife "what's he up to?" - she replied, "If he catches it, it will feed a village for a week".

One that hasn't been mentioned is military service. I did 'P' company in the UK - the fitness assessment and then parachute training to join the Parachute Brigade.

That was really tough. I understand from 'Pegasus' (the para's old comrades) that we old farts think even today's young Para's have it soft. One good thing, I

knew when to draw the line, = the run-through for the S.A.S. in the Brecon Beacons was way over my level - I have every respect for those that survived that one.

2 pints a day is healthy

Maybe so; for possibly 95% of the population. However, up to 5% cannot biologically handle alcohol at all - abstinence is the only way. Despite this, behind heart disease and cancer, arguably the 3rd killer on the list is alcoholism, not AIDS, or pulmonary disease or any other ailment. Unfortunately, there is no test for this, apart from the obvious symptoms - only when the sufferer cries 'Help'. Many die before they get there. Alcoholism is no respecter of age, education, job, social standing, sex or any other criteria - it affects across the board. If you want to drink, that's up to you - but if you want to stop and can't - seek help.

If you subscribe to one theory (I do), alcoholism is a progressive disease that continues to progress even after a person quits drinking.

So if I were to start drinking again after 24 years without, my body would pick up as if I had been drinking those 24 years, and not as a 24 year old that never did drink.

That's not to claim you are an alcoholic, because only you can figure that one out. And it's just a theory that's accepted by the largest group of people who have successfully quit drinking and stayed quit.

I am with Impulse. I stopped drinking at age 30, (nearly 45 years ago), when I dried out in hospital. I found out from a group of similar people that it's the first drink that causes the problem; because pyschologically, I want 'more'. One drink is one too many, and 1,000 not enough. I have now a 12 step program, that is very important to me, so stopping drinking introduced me to a complete re-assessment of what's important in life. The hard reality is, that having stepped over the line from 'social' (whatever that is) to compulsive drinking - there's no way back. One cannot 'unlearn' the process that created the problem drinker. In essence - what have I given up? Just the misery, fear, guilt, shame and resentments of compulsive drinking. I don't want that back, so if it means I don't drink - accept the thing I cannot change. It's as basic at that. Suggest OP makes some effort to meet people who've been there and done that - he'll find he's not alone.

You could also post a house number and/or name tag at the entrance of your acces way....

Sorry, even the Thais don't get the hang of house and Soi numbers. I once spent an hour looking for a house that wasn't even on the

Soi, it actually backed on to it and the entrance was on the main road. Also, house numbers in 'the sticks' don't follow the sequence on the

road - it's when the house was built !! Our house is number 19 - one of the first families in the village, some 70 years ago. A recent house my wife

built for a UK friend is numbered 252, so that's the number of houses in the village. Only the post-lady knows the house numbers, lol.

There is no way I could afford or even get - medical insurance cover at the age of 75. However, my wife (an ex nurse) has negotiated on my

behalf membership of the Thai basic medical cover - I have a card to prove it. This gives me basic cover for accident or immediate health problem,

like heart attack, stroke, whatever. Of course, if I need some other medical procedure, (hip replacement etc) I'd have to pay. I have an emergency fund

of 500,000 bt to cover any kind of emergency, at my age it's not if - it's when. The only downside with this, my emergency fund keeps being raided for

capital cover of odd projects that crop up, new bit of land, house extension etc, so if push came to shove I'd have to sell a car or two.

I have tried horseradish which grew almost as pest in a garden in England; once it gets going, it will take over a garden ! However, tried 4 roots in Chiang Mai - and 2 are still alive, (just) and the chances of getting the makings of a horseradish sauce from them look pretty remote at the moment. Maybe they will get stronger when it cools down and the rains come.

maybefitz, on 29 Apr 2013 - 12:39, said:

I live 70k north of Chiang Mai, on the way to Phrao. I have lived here for 12 years and it's perfect. The air pollution nowhere near as bad as CM city.

I sincerely doubt it. Unless that area is somehow different from everywhere else in the North that has air quality monitoring stations, (Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Lamphun, Lampang, Chiang Mai) or people making personal observations (Mae Taeng, Pai).

You could really see the surrounding mountains clearly in late March?

Indeed, Winnie - I could see Doi Luang, and had to cross the adjacent mountain pass on route 1001 on the way to CM city. It was noticeable that the nearer one got to the city, the less one could see of Doi Suthep - so yes, in my opinion the air in the Long Khod valley was better. Please don't get me wrong, it was still a bit murky and probably difficult for someone with breathing problems - but I survived.It's now completely clear following a drop of rain 2 days ago.

^^^^^^

I'm not an expert on such matters, but how did you marry in the UK when you were already married?

Did you notify The Registrar in the UK that you were already married?

Yes, No problem with the Registrar in Louth, Lincs.

Why not do as I did>? Married at the Amphur office in Chiang Mai, 8 years ago. My wife accompanied me to UK for 4 months the following year; and we had another marriage at a Registry Office in UK, So now we both hold double marriage certificates.

The advantage for my wife is that she has a much easier access to claim UK widow's pension rights on my occupational pension, in the event of my demise. This has already been notified to my occupational pension authority by sending them our UK

marriage certificate; and they have acknowledged her rights. I add, I live in Thailand now, and have no intention of returning to the UK, ever. I intend to delay the event of her claiming widow's pension for as long as possible - I suggest that my life here

in Thailand is contributing to this delaying of the inevitable....

Wedding bookings seebelow -AECIP83/03 states:

"A reminder has now issued to all our offices overseas (under referenceAECIP 83/03). The relevant section of this AECIP reads as follows:

"1. there has been some confusion over whether ECOs [Entry ClearanceOfficers] should be asking for confirmation of wedding bookings at a registryoffice. This should not be happening. Registrars cannot make arrangements untilthe foreign national has arrived in the UK.

"2. ECMs [Managers] are therefore asked to re-acquaint themselves andtheir staff with the procedures outlined in DSP 13.9".

The ECO is aware you cannot book a wedding the fact you have enquired already demonstrates you are making tentative enquiries.

By paying 42500 baht I would class that as a tentative enquiry also .