theblether

Bring the other half of your wit the next time you comment.

The question was answered immediately - 10 million baht. One of my Thai mates spent three months in a kidney-related coma, eventually dying. The private hospital billed his family almost 4 million baht. So that begs the question for the OP - can he guarantee that he will be in a fit condition to decide on treatment? He'll be far from the first farang found unconscious and transported to a private hospital. Have you thought about that, OP?

That's not what I said. I clearly said maximise travel insurance and if not available, don't bother. However, lie screaming in pain as your broken hip grinds every time you move on your festering bed. Rely upon strangers to wipe your ass as you cry tears of humiliation and agony. No ambulance will collect you as no hospital will take you, You can't fly home as you can't bear the agony of getting out of your bed never mind a twelve hour flight to your home medical service. How about the guy I know who flew to Thailand to celebrate beating cancer - fell off a motorbike, was rendered immobile for six weeks and, goddammit, his cancer came back. Uninsured, broke, we raised his travel money home with a gofundme. Or maybe you'd prefer a rapid onset brain tunour. Faculties destroyed, a gibbering wreck, no airline will certificate you to travel. An issue that a certain coterie of clowns, likely you are one, have never thought about. Denied boarding - sent to the medical centre at Suvarnabhumi and the doctors certify you unfit. How about falling off the back of a motorcycle taxi, unaware that the rider was drunk. Broken back, paralysis in one leg. Oh, how about the guys I know ( more than one ) wandering around with untreated SYPHILLiS - that most ancient of diseases, caught from unprotected sex with a random pin-cushion bar girl. Or would you prefer a run-in with Dengue fever? Maybe just a wee broken ankle, or a head smashed when you slipped in the shower. No, you're right. It's always the wise thing to do. Travel 10,000km with uninsurable conditions and wander around a fundamentally unsafe foreign environment full of weird viruses without medical cover. Do us all a favour and be quiet.

There's no such thing as self-insurance. If you can't get coverage due to existing conditions don't move to Thailand on a permanent basis. Maximise travel insurance if available, and if its not available, forget it. Far too many horror stories.

I don't want to be controversial but - have you ever seen how quickly violence flares in the UK and USA? I can understand some Europeans ( Germans in particular ) not being used to violent flare ups but dear me, try making someone "lose face" in the above mentioned countries and a hospital visit is on the cards. Or maybe the morgue.

If you ever get a chance, mid - September to start November is a great time to visit, with the Independence Day celebrations, The Procession of the Virgin Mary ( incredible ) Hallow'een, and Day of the Dead including the Day of the Dead ball and parade. Add to that day trips to Tequila ( bar girl heaven ) and several other great locations, it's well worth a visit.

I'm not daft. I can see why people settle in Thailand. The demented aspect is growling over their shoulder for years thereafter about their home country. To me it shows a fundamental weakness and unhappiness, akin to the guys still going about ancient divorces. Grow up. Tonight, no doubt to the amusement of some Brits, I'll take my mother to the bingo and will watch a movie with my dad. Tomorrow, grandkids to the cinema, followed by a visit to Edinburgh area to see old pals and we'll have a Bank Holiday two day drinking session. Paris next, followed by Stockholm, then going to plan, Thailand, and the Singapore Grand Prix. I've got a good life, not trapped by anyone or by circumstance. If I were American, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and San Miguel de Allende would be go to retirement places. San Miguel has a feel of Chiang Mai to it. Guadalajara was exceptional. I'd avoid Rio like the plague but I could easily live in Montevideo, Uruguay. I see Medillin ( Colombia ) locals are turning against "passport bros" with some serious demonstrations taking place. Even the Spanish are taking to the streets to protest tourism. We are in the Overrunning Age. Every decent location is bursting at the seams and with greater numbers there's always greater potential conflict. We see that with Thailand now, a lot of the incidents causing comment here are minor but they cause a meltdown among the giant brigade of pontificating balloons. This thread a prime example - KGB, Stasi, UN charters etc. Get a grip, It's Mad Hatter level absurdity.

I can't be bothered.

And now you have reduced your "lovely lady boss" to a prop in a pitiful Internet exchange. Well done, classy post of the day.

Your comment is accurate in every way. My first stint as an expat was in 1970. Throughout my multiple expat stints I've encountered this type. They justify their decision to move by demonising their homeland. As for CM. It will be a cold day in he'll when I subject myself voluntarily to another smoky season. I love the place, my village life is exceptional, but like many CM based people - March arrives, we leave.

I always check in early so I can use the business class lounge. Thats usually 3 hours before añd fast track immigration takes very little time.

Your rebuttal is worthless. I have an excellent life in Thailand, and a superb life in Glasgow. That's because I'm not a social incompetent and I value my Scottish family life. Thailand is overrun by bitter and twisted Western rejects spouting inane garbage. Your reply is a prime example. The tragedy is - you thought it was clever.

You don't have freedom of speech in Thailand. Get over it.

I suggest some of you reread this thread as a black comedy. Stasi, KGB, international reputation, UN Charter blah blah blah. Get a grip on yourselves, the number of people ranting like delirious fools is beyond belief. No one cares. And for those of you that sincerely believe yourselves to be correct in said pompous protestations - Explain why you choose to live in such an "oppressive" country.

Dear me. Aye, the UN is going to send peacekeepers to Thailand cos a YouTuber was questioned for being an idiot. Very good.

Go to seatguru.com Input your flight details The website lists seats to select and avoid by colour. Also, look at the passengers reviews of the seats. What some people hate you may enjoy. For example, I flew to Rio and the one of the two seats at the back of economy was slated as you couldn't lean against the window to sleep. They forgot to mention ( one wise passenger did ) that you had enough room around that seat to stand, stretch, and go to the galley or WC without disturbing anyone. That seat was excellent. The premium economy seat from Santiago, Chile to Madrid was not as good. A wee bit of research goes a long way, so use seatguru.com

I agree. The breed of dog was never ascertained. We don't have natural predators capable of this type of damage and its a mystery why the aggressor locked on their faces. Also a mystery why people can see a photo like that and wonder why the dog can't just be rehoused. #justsayin'

No farmer would allow a dog that attacks livestock to live. It's an instant death sentence.

Ridiculous comment - no one that keeps livestock would allow an aggressive dog to run riot. The idiot brigade that thinks it's a wee shame for the dog would weep when they see the damage done to literally defenceless animals. Here's the result of a dog attack in Scotland. If you think Noem is mental then there's something wrong with you.

Snakes don't bother me unless they are in my pond. I don't see cobras that often ( never in my pond ), but I do see rat snakes and banded kraits on a regular basis - and I've seen both in my pond.

Great photos. I'm always amazed at how comfortable many Thais are handling these guys. A juvenile cobra found its way into the kitchen at my local pub and one of the rescue service guys just walked in and picked it up. The Thai ladies with me set a new land speed record when he offered them a closer look.

Not a chance it would still be drawing breath after biting me three times. And its capable of biting you mind your conscience when it rag dolls a five year old kid. Put it down.

Yes, I have and the rescue dog was young enough to be retrained. Unfortunately I had top put it down as it developed premature arthritis due to being overfed as a pup, causing immense stress to its developing skeletal structure. Noem was not wrong to shoot a dog that worries livestock. I was brought up on farms and with the hunting fraternity. They would have no hesitation in shooting problematic dogs, especially dogs they owned. Some dogs are born mental, certain collies are born defective with a condition called NCL5. This can turn them aggressive. As soon as its noticed they will be shot without hesitation. ps - your boast about the English being 1000% more humane ( utter garbage ). What do you think happened to all the racing greyhounds? Dredge the rivers and ponds and you'll find thousands of skeletal remains.

The OP mentions that age group - no one reading that OP cares about people that age. They know they are going to have their pension frozen.

ps - I should add - some of you will remember a few years ago that the Thai government requested the UK government validated your income for retirement visa reasons. The UK government flat out refused, they weren't prepared to share that info with another country. It would have been a catastrophe for many pensioners. First, for those who were cooking the figures to qualify - second, those who were claiming they were resident in the UK. So while some of you spend all day growling like bulldogs chewing a wasp, never forget how close you were to being dragged under the radar by Thai government policy. And who knows what the unintended consequences of the new tax policy will be.