dddave

I was playing a lot of golf, walking the course wearing walking shoes, not specific golf shoes. I got a painful case of Plantar Fasciitis and consulted a podiatrist. (This was in the USA) He said "walking shoes" are not really stiff enough and do not support the arch well enough when walking long distances and on hilly terrain. He said walking shoes were more about comfort, light weight, soft, shock absorbing heels and soles, Custom made insoles were very expensive but he guided me to insoles sold at larger sports stores. Sorry, I forget the brand but they worked very well and my symptoms faded quickly. They were quite rigid and had very specific arch and heel support. Maybe worth checking Decathlon Sports here in Thailand for good insoles.

Ahh...So you're advocating every automobile passenger wear a high-speed impact rated helmet, 5 point harness with head restraint, fireproof coveralls with impact padding, sit in a molded seat surrounded by titanium cage and roll-bar?

The buses are one thing but the most critical issue is drivers driving extended hours and either falling asleep at the wheel or making poor decisions. Many countries have driver apps that keep track of their driving hours. The buses are equipped with code readers and must be signed into before they will operate. Thailand needs such a system for buses and trucks as well.

How is he playing the victim here? He just wants to be left alone and make his own decisions.

Chonburi DLT allowed maximum 30 days. My CoR was 5 weeks old and was refused. This was for driving license. BTW: Same 30 day limit also applies to the medical certificate.

Tourist Visa's are for tourists You are clearly not a "tourist" by your own admission. Your luck ran out. Get the proper visa.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – An American citizen living in Thailand pleaded guilty Wednesday to threatening to kill United States Senator Thom Tillis and his staff. Eric Charles Welton, 53, pled guilty to one count of threatening a federal official on account of his duties. According to court documents and information presented in court, Welton made multiple harassing and intimidating calls to the offices of Republican elected officials and GOP organizations in the United States. Welton claimed he made the threatening calls because he was angry about the large number of unsolicited political emails he received. In September of 2021, Welton spoke with a staff member at the Senator’s Raleigh office and threatened to show up and “put a bullet through each of [their] heads.” Welton also threatened to come to North Carolina and “mow…down” the “whole [expletive] state,” and find the person who emailed him and cut off his hands. “Threatening to kill a public official and his staff is not only despicable, but also an affront to our democratic system of government,” Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar stated today. “Our office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute threats or intimidation against public officials, so they can properly carry out their important duties.” “It is unacceptable to make violent threats against anyone. But when threats are directed at elected officials, it can impact their ability to effectively serve their constituents and their country. The FBI will not tolerate this type of intimidation for any reason especially when it comes to those who help run our democracy,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the Special Agent in Charge of FBI in North Carolina. Welton pleaded guilty to violating 18 U.S.C. § 115(a)(1)(B) and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison when sentenced in July. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-192-M-RN. ### Updated April 10, 2025

Colombian house breaking gangs are not a new thing in Thailand. Over the last 15 years, several such gangs were busted in the Pattaya area. They scope-out housing estates, earmarking houses where the owners are away for extended periods, then show up with trucks and fake documents authorizing the "move" and literally clean the houses out of everything. It seems there is a huge market for used household goods in Central and South America. The stolen goods go directly from truck to container to S. America.

I had a severe staff infection in my foot a few years ago. The municipal hospital I was initially at didn't stock any of the very powerful antibiotics needed for such an infection. They tried to trick me into authorizing amputation. Fortunately, a Thai friend helped me get out of that hospital. It took a precious day and dozens of phone calls but we finally found a hospital that had VANCOMYCIN in their pharmacy. Vancomycin is one of the most powerful and effective antibiotics against Staff infection. It was touch and go but after 4 days of IV treatment, the infection receded and I was able to keep my foot.

Worth noting: Last time I was there. the Re-Entry Stamp office at DMK shares space with the overstay office. Be sure to let them know you are there for a Re-entry stamp. They tend to assume that everybody who comes in and sits down is there for overstay. It can be a long wait.

If you can't find a regular sulfur soap, many dandruff shampoos have sulfur compounds as the primary active ingredient. there is nothing wrong with using shampoo as a body soap if it helps solve the problem.

Pattaya Muay hai gyms are packed with over 30's, even many over 40's trying to prove how ough they are.

Like most AI enhanced "journalism", this article hysterically overstates the risks of Sildenafil based ED medications. eg: Viagra, Kamagra, Sidegra Warnings are very clear that persons taking nitrate based heart medications are at risk, also persons with chronic low blood pressure as Sildenafil is a blood pressure lowering drug. A prominent risk of sildenafil is dizziness when standing up quickly, a risk of low blood pressure.

My US DL expired during covid and could only be renewed in person. Because it had been expired for more than 2 years, I was not granted any exemptions in the Thai driving license process. I had to start from square one. I checked out agencies and driving schools but was quoted B8000 to B12,000. The more I looked at it the clearer it seemed that all I really got for that amount was hand-holding. I was still going to have to attend the full day video class and the next day computer and road test. It didn't seem worth it. A foreigner can not make an appointment on the DLT website . One is invited to fill out the online form but when one enters a passport number instead of a Thai ID number, it just sits, doing nothing. The online equivalent of "Mai dai!" I went to Chonburi DLT on my own, 2nd floor and got an appointment that was 6 weeks hence, in middle March. Maybe an advantage of an agency is earlier appointments. I was quoted 2 weeks. As the date got closer, I studied as many online and YouTube driving test tutorials as I could find. This was really useful as there are many questions even an experienced driver would not know the answer to, for instance, how many days in advance should you notify DLT before painting a motorbike a new color? (7). I also realized how important it is to carefully read the wording of questions. There are 50 test questions and you must get at least 45 right so not a wide margin of error. Even with the practice tests, be careful as some have a few wrong answers. I also carefully studied road signs and Thai rules of the road. One week before my appointment date I went to Jomtien Immigration and applied for the "Certificate of Residency" required and picked it up the next day.(B300) I then went to the Jomtien Medical Clinic on Traphaya Rd for the medical certificate (B150). I made sure I had copies of passport, visa and all other documents. On March 17, I was at DLT Chonburi by 0730. Foreigners wait under a white canopy at the building entrance. They started processing applicants and giving queue numbers at 0815, then directed to 2nd floor classroom. We were first given color blind tests and reaction time tests. Then to the classroom where videos were played on a relatively small TV with very hard to read subtitles. The room is large and loud so not easy to concentrate. Several videos in a row, then a one hour lunch break at noon. Several more videos from 1pm to 3:30pm. Attendance was taken and 2 who skipped out after lunch were not allowed to take the test the next day. One may not think they are keeping track but they do. We were told to return the next day at 1pm. Next day, 1pm, after 30 minute wait, ushered into computer testing room, logged into the machine and commenced the 50 question test. I was one of the first to finish and after a short wait, was told I had passed. Then directed to the driving test area in the rear of the building. Rental cars (B300) and motorbikes (B100) are available. The rental guy will approach people in the waiting area. The car was a small Honda Jazz. The test was simple. The tester does not accompany you. You drive to a stop sign. It is super important to observe "stop lines". One then negotiates a curve, then is directed to parallel park between posts not touching the curb. Next is backing up in a straight line. That's it. I was given a document that I had passed and returned to the 2nd floor and was given a queue number. After a short wait, picture taken (B200 IIRC). Another 20 minute wait and license issued. 2 year validity. It's a long, boring process but I personally can see no advantage paying B8000++ to an agency when you still have to do everything, except perhaps for an earlier test date. Most of the agents I saw in action simply herded their people from place to place, nothing more.

Off topic but I've noticed the Asean Now news feed gets an inordinate amount of local stories from Lampang, usually at least one a day but not so much from other provinces. Is there a specific reason for this?