Kinnock

Tap water. I have a water filter system installed at home. Thailand is not good at managing plastic waste, so I don't want to add to the problem. 99% of bottled water in Thailand is just filtered tap water anyway.

Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB)

The UN is an utterly useless organisation, but why should Russia avoid paying into this parasitic bureaucracy?

So the newer version has more censorship.

I agree. It's an innovative interface for a search engine but it also makes stuff up in the interest of sounding like a conversation, which can be misleading. For example, I asked if a book was good, and it gave a waffling answer that included the line "this book has had mixed reviews, so you need to read it yourself and decide". But the book in question is newly published and only has 5 reviews in total, all 5 star and positive. So it made up the 'mixed reviews' part just to provide a natural sounding answer. If it was a person, we'd call him a b#ll-sh!++er.

Surely other countries get smoke from burning fields in Thailand? Trans-boundary is a two way flow. Need to sort out our own back yard too.

Looks like the lacquer on the wheels is breaking down and allowing the alloy to corrode. Common on much older cars, and ones that have been driven regularly through seawater. On older cars you just remove the lacquer and polish the wheels. Unusual on a new car though. I see in the news that nine owners of defective Mazda 2's had to complain to the Consumer Protection department, and eventually Mazda were forced to pay compensation and recall all effected models. Looks like you may have to make a formal complaint?

Good advice ....

Isn't there a limit on the number of questions you can ask via the open ai website? Unlike the Hong Kong Rugby 7's, which has unlimited access to their ads via Aseannow.

Kawasaki Thailand said they would be unveiling three new bikes at the Motorshow ...... a sportsbike, a cruiser and an adventure bike. I had a faint hope the adv bike would be a Versys X400 - which I think would be the perfect bike for Thailand. But while the Ninja 400R and Eliminator were new and look great, the 'new' adv bike turned out to be a Versys 650 with new dash and stickers ???? But looking on the bright side, my X300 is still a current model. I also heard a rumour of a Z400 RS 4 cylinder retro ..... now that would be a wonderful machine!

The 110 is fine, the 125 is better as it has a bit more power, and extra lights. It also has marginally more vibration than the 110. But if you can stretch to the 125 Trail or 125 Supercub, they have ABS, which could be very valuable.

The curse of the Hong Kong 7's is still present. It's been popping up constantly for a week now. Several closed threads, several promises, but it's still popping up with every click on a mobile.

Yes .... the far left is very risky. It's the 'stop suddenly because you spot a 7-11' lane. It's also the kill zone for Bangkok buses. And my vote for most disliked bikers .... riding the wrong way on a highway because they can't be bothered doing a u-turn.

A new full screen ad now blocks the whole screen. And I close it, another apprears. This is what ot looks like on Android ...

Thai TV news is for in-depth coverage of some guys Missus giving him a slap for having a mistress. It's not for depressing news about tourists having sccidents or anything trivial like wars or earthquakes.

The problem of stray dogs will only be taken seriously when a Chinese tourist gets mauled.

Homepro (and probably the other diy stores) sell white nylon netting specifically for bird protection. I put a row of hooks to support the net. Doesn't look as bad as darker netting, and wirks well

If I was going for a low cost Lazada option, I think I'd go for a basic stick arc welder with non digital control knob. For TIG/MIG I'd look at the options in Homepro .... they have a decent range and come with a guarantee. I think the brand names are of little significance, as they're all made in China and appear under multiple brands?

Came here on an ex-pat posting, stayed for the people. Despite significant hardship, the vast majority of people here are happy, kind and remarkably honest. Just think what UK, US or Western Europe would be like if there was a totally ineffective police force? And image if in any of those countries, you protected the stock in your little fashion store during your lunch break - by hanging a string across the entrance.

Thank you both for the valuable replies! Being frozen at the 2023 rate is not too bad, as there's a significant increase this year, but we all know the system is wrong for us ex-pats. Luckily, I also have a private pension, although that's currently being eaten away by the scheme fees and dodgy investments .... but that's another story.

Just consulting the collective Aseannow wisdom .... I turn 66 later this year, and looking at the DWP info it says that my State Pension will be frozen at the level it was when I left the UK. I moved to Thailand in 2008, so does that mean I get the 2008 pension amount? Or does it start at this year's rate, and stays frozen going forward? Supplementary question: I've maintained a UK address, so what if I moved back to the UK around the time of 66th birthday, claimed the pension from there, then moved back here, informing them I left the UK this year. Would my pension now be frozen at the 2023 rate, which got a reasonable inflation hike? Thanks for any info.

..... and then started again during COVID. Now it's back to plastic bags plus 5 plastic spoons and 23 plastic straws.

Happened to see this on Shoppee .... new ADV 350 for 230,000 THB ???? Profiteering? That's more than a new CB500X. Anyone managed to get one yet? Any initial riding impressions?

Old riverside warehouses converted into a covered market and restaurants. Was popular with tourists pre-covid, now half of the units are closed. You've probably seen the ferris wheel in Bangkok. Next month there will be a Disney/Star wars exhibition there to try to attract more tourists. Next year it will be replaced by a high rise condo (apparently another tallest building in Thailand), as Bangkok has a desperate shortage of high rise condos.

Yes ..... we seem to have a worldwide absence of good leaders at the very time we need good leadership.