impulse

My A/Cs in Thailand both plugged into the wall.

The question isn't whether they can, It's whether any do. If tourists want to dump their tourist money on bird watching, and there are no Thai people offering bird watching, is it better for Thailand that they spend their bird watching money in Malaysia? That's hotels, meals, trinket shopping and $$ thousands lost to Thai people. Because they don't want to see a foreign expert leading a tour. I can think of dozens of tourist bonanzas that Thailand misses out on simply because they don't offer the experience. And the people who could kick start the market (because they have the experience) won't risk it because of WP issues. And that's a shame, because once the market gets kick started, Thai people can learn the ropes and take them mainstream. But someone has to start the ball rolling, and most Thai folk can't because they aren't born with the knowledge. They have to learn it somewhere, and that's not Thailand because... It's a vicious circle. So you end up with 100,000 coffee shops and no bird watching tours.

Like Crossy, I don't pretend to be an attorney, licensed to practice in Laos. My knowledge limits are a few years as a real estate agent in the USA. (Which is a snakepit when it comes to ethics, but that's a whole different thread) The biggest pitfall I see with the OP is the thought of taking the land rent free. If you do decide to go that way, I'd suggest a nominal rent fee, just to make it legal. I think the law guys call it "consideration", without which you may not have an enforceable contract. Of course, that's subject to the vagaries of doing any business in SEA. But that's balanced by a nice cost of living...

That's the problem. He had a permit. Years ago, some of my foreign workmates also had gun permits. Apparently, those permits shouldn't have been issued. But I hardly blame the guys who had them. I'd look into who issued them.

Gotta be honest, as long as they're not hurting me or mine (or anybody for that matter), I have no animus toward these culprits. What business is it of mine whether Trudy dropped off a couple of guests at the airport? Nobody got hurt. The resort probably employs locals and generates tourism $$ for Thailand. Same with bloggers making their nugget bopping around Thailand. They're not hurting anyone, much less me or mine. I don't understand the contempt here.

They're a little expensive, hard to find in Thailand and there is a learning curve, but I found a recording voltmeter to be quite handy to diagnose electrical issues when I lived in Bangkok. I think I had a Uni-T 71D in Thailand and I use a Victor 86E here in China. Of course, Fluke makes them, too. But dang they're expensive. I see them occasionally on Lazada and at the Amorn electronic stores around Bangkok. But I bought my UT71D at a specialty shop in the electronics section of the Ban Mo audiophile market near the new-ish Sam Yot Chinatown MRT stop. Plug them into a laptop and let them record the voltage over time... They catch transients and voltage dips I never saw while sitting there watching a voltmeter. I made my own cable with a 2 prong plug on one end so I didn't have to mess around with alligator clips. Check the box to make sure you get a recording voltmeter because there's a lot of Uni-T models that have almost the same number. I've had good luck with Uni-T equipment in China, Thailand and the USA.

Does Thailand have 'possums? Had a similar issue back home and found this poor guy...

Have a look at your property tax bill and see how much is allocated to solid waste management. That will 'splain a lot.

Get'cha one of these power meters and run the comparison. https://www.lazada.co.th/products/benetech-gm86-wattmeter-monitor-a-watt-220v-10a2200w-i2473860264.html Or one of the many other choices available on Lazada. Back home (Texas), I used the AC if I wanted to drop the temperature, and the dehumidifier if all I wanted to do was knock down the humidity. Especially if I was going to be gone for awhile. Otherwise the place would get musty. I have no firm data, because there were so many other loads when I was home that I didn't have while away, but I'd bet $$$ that the dehumidifier was cheaper to run. Just based on the amount of noise the A/C made and the dehumidifier didn't make. Please post back with your results.

I know it doesn't matter, but I wonder what the story is behind the nursery? Did a few expats get together and decide to share the child care, with others seeing them and asking to participate? Or did she just start up a nursery and sign up 20+/- kids and hire some help? Shame, really. Being American, I think the Treaty of Amity would have allowed her to do the business legally. But there are still formalities, especially related to caring for other people's kids. (At least there should be...) Things like safety inspections, background checks, making sure the kitchen is sanitary, etc. I don't know the lady from Eve, but I hope she can get on the straight and narrow, because expat child care can make or break an overseas posting for a lot of families.

Yeah, we don't even need bad apples to make things worse. As easy as it is to start a Thai bashing dogpile here on TVF AN, I can't help but wonder how much of that contempt bleeds out during the course of a day. They say that contempt is the most relationship killing emotion , and the hardest to hide. I often wonder how some members tolerate living in Thailand if that's the way they feel about Thais.

I wonder what the fine is. And which member will rat him out... In the photo, it looks like 2 snakes, possibly one eating the other?

How do you 'splain the fact that they exist on the ultra regulated markets back in the nanny states? My heart actually goes out to meter taxis all over the world who paid big bucks for their hack shields, only to find out they're pretty much worthless in the age of Uber, Grab and the like.

I'd have sworn the SOTU address was an outdoor affair, the way Biden was yelling at clouds. But in fairness, I only caught a few minutes of it so far. Saving the rest for later...

Who's going to clean the bird poop off the camera lenses?

I said the same thing, tongue in cheek. But I can't count the number of times I've been in a Thai eatery/bar where there's been a white guy sitting in the corner who actually owns the place, but takes great pains to not look like he's working there. Still, I hope they have more on the guy than "recommending drinks to customers".

I hope they have more than that... Though I don't frequent bars, I've occasionally recommended dishes to customers at restaurants.

Just the baggage that goes along with admitting failure by dropping out. She could have stayed in it and made nice, campaigning right alongside Trump at minimal to no expense. Even acted disappointed when/if he gets taken out... Which is still a real possibility. Plus, it would help her chances in 2028 even if Trump goes the distance in 2024.

I'm not a Nikki fan at all, but she was dumb to drop out. She could have stopped spending and been honest that she's the backup candidate in case Trump gets taken out by lawfare. She could have even come out in support of Trump and stayed in it as the backup. That said, I'd make the same claim about DeSantis, because if Trump is taken out by lawfare, most of his voters wouldn't have gone to Haley. Most of them would have gone to DeSantis. But not as long as Trump was still in it. In a 3 way race, DeSantis would have been #3. But in a 2 way race with no Trump, DeSantis would beat Haley.

Unfortunately she isn't legally married to him And it's a rental anyway. Reading yesterday that the guy has had his visa revoked, but has an extension to stay and face charges, I'd bet dollars to donuts he'll still be in Thailand a year from now after things calm down a little and restitution is made to all parties.

As it turns out, it seems I already have a solution with my Nikon D5500. What threw me was searching for "lapse" (as in time lapse) in the Nikon PDF manual for the camera. The search didn't turn up any hits. But this article says that time lapse is a feature for the D5500. https://cameraanalyzer.com/nikon-dslr-camera-timelapse-and-self-timer-settings/ Delving further, it seems this article isn't 100% definitive, because several other camera reviews show that the D3300 doesn't support time lapse, but the D5500 does. Sadly, the camera is in the USA and I'm not. I probably won't see it for months. Next time I'm in BKK, I may look for a 2nd hand D5500, though I already have enough DSLR's and lenses, with lenses being the reason I'd prefer to stick with Nikon. They're pretty spendy. I had already bought a Canon Vixia HF62 camcorder (2nd hand and fixed zoom lens) from EBay, but I also had it sent to my home in the USA where I won't see it for months. It's also advertised as time lapse capable and has huge zoom. Looking forward to trying it out off the back deck over Galveston Bay, which is my favorite time lapse experiment in the USA. I've also got some great time lapse videos from hotel balconies in Thailand, shot with the SJCams.

Who's suggesting listening to Tucker? I listen to the people he's interviewing. In this case, the Chief of the Capitol police on the day. Who has quite the story to tell, backed up by copious notes he took about what happened when and who was involved and who was conspicuously absent. If you have anything that refutes what the guy says, please, do tell. But I'd bet you didn't even listen to the interview. Lack of curiosity isn't a virtue.

I agree that I wouldn't wish the "retirement visa" process on anyone who isn't planning to actually retire to Thailand, or at least spend half a year or more. If it were me (67 YO American), I'd fly in visa exempt for 30 days, extend at the immigration office for 30 days (1900baht), then fly out (or a land border crossing), come back in and repeat, for up to 120 days. There's a slight risk of being denied on the re-entry, but that's the case even if he does start out with a tourist visa. Just dress nice, brush your teeth, and smile. Related question: If he does get a tourist visa, is he better off using that for his first arrival, or fly in visa exempt and keep the visa for his subsequent arrival? Either way, he's going to have to leave for a visa refresh. Will they allow him to hold the visa in reserve for later? Good news for the OP is that for Americans there's plenty of options, even if Plan A doesn't happen because, do they accept mail orders in 2024?

I know I'll open myself up to some ridicule, but I'd point out that the symptoms you described happen to me with too much MSG. Which is common in "less expensive" Thai eateries.

I think you'll have better luck trying to get your refund through your Aus bank. That's where I'd start. Be honest. Explain what happened and why you want to reverse the charges. Then post back and let us know...