Camelot

I know that some private hospitals insist that older patients spend at least one night in hospital after cataract surgery to guard against complications. My eye doctor said this was hospital policy but didn't tell me the age at which this became mandatory. I would guess around 65.

Now this is in Bangkok, but I suspect it is also practiced in Chiang Mai. It would explain why some patients stay overnight while others don't.

The lawyers, as well as the insurers, will be taking a keen interest in these latest developments.

Just crossed the Suzuki Swift off my wishlist of cars to buy. It sounds as unfriendly and anti-social as a car can get.

Maybe a severe case of acne or, as happened to me once, an allergy to a pet dog or other animal?

Did the clinic come up with a diagnosis?

Aviation authorities have expressed concern many times over the possibility of this happening.

Now that they have finally been proven correct, there should be no further delay in banning these lanterns from flight paths and putting additional safety measures in place to protect the lives of airline passengers.

If it had no permission to fly, why was it allowed to take off from Surabaya last Sunday with 162 people aboard?

Lower air fares to offset the cheaper cost of fuel?

Dream on...

He might have a more promising future if he stays in China. In Thailand he is already 'yesterday's man' and must be getting fed-up with life in the desert.

Another few years and people could well be asking "Thaksin who"??? That's what he's most scared of, hence the constant stream of PR.

I will miss the 80s style big perms coupled with animal skin lamé pants. Farewell to the trend setters.

Plenty of 80s style 'big hair' already being sported by hi-so elements in Thailand, especially khunyings. Certainly enough to stave off nostalgia.

If Russian numbers take a dive, China will surely make up the shortfall.

I think that some of these so-called 'failed expats' were failures long before they became expats.

Four days of abject misery with a strep throat. My wife, who had a persistent cough, blamed both on the change in the weather.

If you are by yourself and begin to choke, the recommendation I was given by a nurse is to throw yourself on the ground, landing hard on your abdomen. This should expel enough air to dislodge the item causing the choking. Repeat if necessary. That is if there is no one to help you.

Some years ago, a New Zealander choked to death on a flight from Bangkok to NZ while his girlfriend looked on in horror. Apparently no one knew what to do and they wasted valuable minutes checking if there was a doctor onboard.

Many choking victims reach for a glass of water. This might work but there is a danger of pushing the blockage further down and worsening the situation.

According to my wife, very few Thai women nowadays want to look like their farang counterparts. The whitening cream is to make them look more Chinese and others use cosmetic tweaks to look fashionably Korean. It used to be Japanese.

The placard-waver is demonstrating both a superiority complex and a lack of cultural understanding. A fashion icon he is not. A control freak, quite possibly.

Melatonin is available here. I've bought it locally and had it shipped from abroad for years. No problems. It is classified as a food supplement or additive and exists in a legal limbo -- neither legal nor illegal.

It is definitely cheaper getting it shipped from the US.

I asked my dentist once about nitrous oxide. He said he could do it but I would have to pay the fee for an anaesthetist which would nearly double the cost. It also has to be arranged well in advance.

Light sedation is the modern way to go and just as painless.

If they itch and you find yourself trying not to scratch them, my money is on prickly heat caused by humidity. Wear loose-fitting clothes and apply liberal doses of St Lukes Prickly Heat powder. It's soothing and should clear up the problem quickly. Use a gentle soap with moisturiser. I use Dove.

If this doesn't help, see a dermatologist who will check for allergies.

Have they worn out their welcome in London?

I watched a fair bit of it on CNN, which, for once, had better coverage than the BBC. One problem, though. Tony Abbott may be PM but he's yet to gain international recognition.

That does not excuse the Atlanta-based American news anchor who referred to him as "Australian Prime Minister Tony Blair." But far, far worse was Anna Coren, 20 minutes later, who also mixed up Abbott and Blair. She is an Aussie and reporting from Sydney, so she must have been very flustered and understandably tired. She didn't correct herself so the interviewer cut in and said "You misspoke" without identifying the mistake. A useless intervention.

That's an observation, not a criticism, but it did show that Tony Abbott needs to embark on a world tour, change his name or hire a PR consultant.

I am genuinely sad at the outcome. The only consolation is that it could have been far, far worse.

Why on earth did an Australian court free on bail a madman convicted of writing poison pen letters to the families of Australian servicemen killed in action and accused of 47 sexual assaults and involvement in stabbing his ex-wife to death and then setting her on fire? Could it have been leniency shown to an ethnic minority? We'll never know.

Duplication. Please ignore.

I was also happy to receive a refund from Amazon (UK) for duty waived by Thai customs on a camcorder accessory that was unavailable here.

Anyone been out there and able to share impressions? Is it worth the (long) trip out to BITEC? My main interest is home theatre. I'd love to see the new LG Oled TV being demoed.

The pace of life was a lot slower in those days. A fascinating reminder of the way we were.