dddave

Sorry dddave but this just isn't true. Their is no problem renewing your policy after 70. I will be 72 in July and I just got my renewal notice a few days ago. I didn't like the rate increase. Check a thread I started a few days ago for other details, BUPA $$

I did not say "could not renew existing policies", I said persons over 70 have "difficulty" renewing. Huge increases in annual premiums to maintain a policy seems to me to represent a significant difficulty for anybody living on a fixed income.

The Songkran scene in Phra Khanong is much quieter than other parts of the city. It's mostly confined to the street corners of residential sois with few water laden pick-up's prowling around. Enclosing phones, wallets and especially your passport in Zip-lock bags is a good precaution. There is a small Max Value grocery store down the block on the left as you face your hotel where you can buy the zip bags as well as snacks and groceries.

As you have not moved here yet, you should also be considering what kind of environment you will be living in here before making decisions on your audio set-up. Many condos are built with scant attention to sound transmittal. unit to unit. Poured concrete ceilings & floors can carry sounds like a drum head...especially heavy base notes. Houses in a majority of housing estates are also usually crowded together with thin, un-insulated walls. Playing music a levels you are accustomed to in your current listening environment may not be possible here in Thailand without the risk of problems with neighbors.

Certainly, a proper sound room could probably be set up, though at possibly considerable expense but if that were the case, you would want to have the option of tailoring the equipment to the room; far simpler, I would think, than tailoring the room to existing equipment.

I use mine for International purchases with no problems. I have even used it in ATMs in foreign countries. Did you get a card with a chip or without? I'm pretty sure the ones with a chip cannot be used internationally.

The chips work in all modern atms that are equipped to handle them, I had never a problem in eastern Europe or Hong Kong etc

3rd world places like Cambodia or small towns in Indonesia will be a bit more hit and miss as upgrading the atm maybe a few more years there....

Third world place such as the USA as well. US banks have been very slow to adopt debit card chip technology. Before BkB replaced my previous card with a chip card last year, I was always able to withdraw from major bank ATM in the US. When I tried last week at several major bank ATM's in Boston, it was denied every time.

For online purchases using the BkB debit card, I use a Thai based PayPal account and tie the card to that. No need to fund the Paypal account in advance, it debits the account directly at the time of purchase.

Most of us enjoy a lot of the banter which occurs on here

But Posts and responses like these make TV extra worthwhile

I've often wondered what it costs to use fans......we have them running throughout the day....aircon costs would be a bonus too, if anyone knows.....we seldom use them......my electric bill is 4,700 baht a month as it is

Thanks to everyone who contributed ??

mine is thb 800 and i thought i was paying too much.

great post and great replies, thb 7 a 24 hour day for a massive comfort is really good value.

Have you ever been in rooms so hot that the fans blow hot air and make things worse? That starts happening in the 30's (°C) and particularly with high humidity.

I can't see the point in suffering. Even heavy air con use will only cost a couple of thousand baht extra per month. It's worth it to enjoy a nice cool environment... just cool enough not to sweat with help from well positioned fans. I run mine at 26 - 27°C or 25°C when exercising. I didn't come here to suffer.

When I had my new Samsung converter AC installed last year, both the salesman and installer stressed not setting the thermostat for over 25 degrees. "Over 25 degrees not good for unit" both repeated several times but lacked the language skills to explain why. I wondered if it had to do with reduced capability to deal with high humidity but was never able to find a reliable explanation. Has anybody else been told this? I normally set mine at 26 degrees and move the air with fans. It puts out a lot of water, easily a full standard bucket over 12 hours so de-humidification does not seem an issue.

I live in Phra Khanong. Your best option is a taxi. No need to take expressway at noon, Rama-9 does fine, fare somewhere around B250. He can also charge B50 airport fee.

You can also take the Airport Rail Link which has been running fine lately. Go 4 stops to Rhamkhamheng station. After exiting the fare gates do not go downstairs to the street. Walk to the left side and down to the overhead walkway that crosses Rhamkhamheng to the NasaVegas Hotel. Cabs are easily flagged down where you get off the escalator. That is the direction you will need to go. When your taxi turns onto Sukhumvit from Sukhumvit 71, it will need to pass the hotel on the right side and go almost to Ekkamai to make a U-turn to get on the correct side. If you only have a light bag or backpack, you can alight at the BTS stop and cross using the station but it is 50 steps up and 50 back down.

Taking the ARL/Taxi will only save you about B150...not really worth it if you have bags. Taxi all the way better by far.

I tried some clothing exporting to England 10 years ago. A friend had a daughter already in the clothing business and she really liked some items we sent her.

It is really difficult for a number of reasons but three of the biggest are getting a repeat supply of a particular item or style, getting the material you are paying for like 100% cotton (big joke) and getting consistent European sizes.

For the most part, less expensive clothing manufactured here is done on a lot by lot basis. A small factory will get a good price on a run of a particular material and make several lots of a particular design. When the material is gone, the design is done. If your export customers want more, you are stuck trying to source the material which very well might not exist any more and even if you find some, shops will charge you twice as much as you originally paid to replicate the pattern. There is simply no consistency of supply.

Sizes are a huge pain in the posterior. Shops unfailingly cut small and often mix parts. In one shipment of 300 dresses, we had to discard 40% as unsalable.

Material? Unless you have a portable testing lab, you will never be sure you are getting the material you were promised. We could never be sure our content labels were accurate which made it impossible to sell to larger retailers.

Unfortunately, India has a very high rate of hospital acquired infections according to an article in India Medical Times. A bit of Googling confirms this.

With an elective surgery such as knee replacement, hospital acquired infections are a big risk factor and a hospitals infection rate should factor into a prospective patients decision.

As far as surgery goes I have experience replacing a torn ACL and a partially torn PCL in my right knee.

I've had my surgery done back in the states by the Dr. of the New York Giants.

I have been in contact with Dr. Ongart Preuttiphat - a close friend of mine who has just completed his training in America and is now one of the top orthopedic surgeons in Thailand.

It's not cheap at a private hospital, but if you have the right insurance good for you, but for those who need any surgeries in Thailand having the right insurance is very important.

Hope all goes well!

Cheers!

Hardly a need for insurance if you jet off for two hours to a place that is medical tourists number 1 India. Not in the market (yet) for TKR ,swimming was my bag when young,but had op there on knee /leg some 5 years ago when quoted in Thailand at $20000 ,had it done and dusted for $700

Heres one ad ,probably cheaper hospitals doing them,one doing them for £800 but you have to choose and buy the knee joint separately

"The cost of Single Knee Replacement in India 6500 USD in a Single Deluxe Room at GNH Hospitals, Gurgaon, India using FDA approved Zimmer / Stryker Implants

The Cost of Bilateral (Both) Knee Replacement in India is 10000 USD in a Single Deluxe Room at GNH Hospital, Gurgaon, India using FDA approved Zimmer / Stryker Implants"

Imagine that was a pretty bad frickin' way to die, as your gang buddies watch, unwilling to take you to a hospital to save their own skins.

It was probably pretty quick actually. Probably at least an ounce of dope in each condom. More likely a sudden powerful seizure quickly leading to unconsciousness.

There is a MacIntosh outlet in Siam Paragon, B&O and Marantz as well, all close to the Bently/Lamborgini display. No accident there.

There have been previous topics in this forum pointing out reputable and skilled repair shops so they do exist. I seem to recall one being mentioned that was on a side soi close to Fortune Tower...anybody?

Speaking of Fortune Tower....there is at least one shop there selling used hi-end audio gear.

I was given my deceased brother in law's 14" Macbook Pro (circa 2009) and brought it to Bangkok last week. Unfortunately, my checked bag containing it was overfilled and when I opened the laptop, there were hairline cracks along the display edge. When the display is in use, they are barely noticeable but I suspect they will get worse over time and that I probably should not carry it around.

About how much would a replacement screen cost in Bangkok?

I've always been a Windows user so I find the Macbook sometimes baffling. Can someone point me to a good basic tutorial?

The delivery delay indicates it may be a 3rd party vendor rather than Lazada itself: beware the warranty.

Looks more and more like Microsoft is abandoning Windows phones. Just this week an article pointed out that they didn't even mention the platform during a recent major Windows development conference. Guess they just can't handle being #3.

I bought one of the generic 30K mAh power banks from Lazada last year for about B350. I have taken it on a dozen trips to the US and Europe, using it to power my tablet for movie watching in case the aircraft didn't have a working power port, as many don't. It has never failed to deliver enough power for 8 to 10 hours of steady viewing with enough left over to charge my phone and MP3 player. I have never actually discharged it fully while in use. It has one 1.5 amp port and one 1 amp port. My only complaint is the ports aren't labeled.

It may have been cheap and generic but it is certainly no "Piece of Crap" as the know-nothings like to condem anything that doesn't have an expensive brand name attached.

I keep it in my carry-on and it has never been flagged or questioned by security.

I'd suggest you do a search on "Booking.com" to get a pretty good idea of what is available. It looks like most hotels with the facilities you want start at about B40k/mo. You don't specify what time of year you plan on coming and that could be a major factor in your bargaining power. Some pretty good discounts can be had during low season.

I believe the Omni condo on Suk. soi 4 has the facilities you need. A friend rents by the month there in the B20K/mo range for a studio room. For his first month back in October, only a one bedroom was available and that was in the B25k range. People tend to dump on the place because it does have a lot of middle eastern residents but he has never had any issues or problems with them. He uses the pool every day and says it is maintained pretty well.

I'm over 70 and went to BUPA to find what kind of coverage they would offer. Short answer is "0". They would not even consider opening an account for anybody past 70. Even existing accounts have difficulty renewing once past 70.

I remember several years ago, a friend in his early 60's applied for BUPA. In his interview, he mentioned he took a prophylactic dose of Lipitor as a precaution even though his cholesterol levels were within acceptable limits. The BUPA rep immediately declared he would not be covered for ANY cardiac related issues as even the cautionary dose of Lipitor was enough to invoke Pre-existing cardiac conditions.

For the OP, I think the only real option will be travel insurance. Most policies have a six month limit per trip but it might turn out to be cost effective for him to return home, then come back on a new itinerary.

In the USA, the AARP (American Assoc. of Retired Persons) offers a variety of insurance policies. Is there a similar organization in your dad's home country? Might be worth checking out.

At the end of the day, the fact is that insurance companies are in business to make money and actuarial tables do not favor people over 70. Maintaining existing coverage is tough enough, establishing a new policy that is actually worth anything is damn near impossible.

When I replaced my 15++ year old 20,000 BTU AC (50 s/m room) with a new Samsung Inverter 18,000 BTU unit, my power bill went from B5,000-7000 p/m down to B2000-3000.

The old unit was in pretty bad shape at the time so your savings may not be as dramatic but the new unit definitely paid for itself in less than a year. I run it about 18 hrs/day

I used Dr. Wicharn under Sheryl's recommendation for a nerve related issue and found him to be very competent and easy to communicate with. He encourages questions and actually listens.

I got a multi a couple of weeks back no problem (need a photo).

IIRC the service charge has been dropped, fee 3,800.

Does that mean they longer can do the photo at all. For awhile we were getting reports they were having problems doing them at BKK.

I successfully got a "Multi-Entry" permit at Suvarnabhumi a few nights ago: B3800 People without pictures are told they have to exit the security/passport control area and go to the 2nd floor Tourist Police office to have them taken, then return via security. Kind of a P.I.A. but you won't get a EP without one.

Next year I'll know to do my Multi at the airport again where it took only 15 minutes rather than Chang Wattana where it usually takes one to two hours.

Thanks to the OP for a very informative report. St. Louis is looking better and better as a go to facility.

One has to be very careful hiring Filippina, Hatian or really, any uncertified health care aids...and even the certified ones can cause problems. My US girlfriend hired a pair of Filippina sisters to care for her elderly aunt who seemed great until we began to notice hidden bruises...long story short, they were abusing her. We later found out from a social worker that this was not at all uncommon.

A close relative lost most of her inheritance because her father signed all his assets, bit by bit over to his caregiver. Eventually, they had to get a court order just to see him. Still in the courts more than 5 years after his death.

The boomers are hitting their 70's...and their care will become a full blown crisis.

Why be judgmental about a country's citizens? The simple statement of "uncertified health care aid" would have been much better. I have many friends from the PI.

Actually, I agree. I was focusing on a personal experience but you are correct, the problems are not confined to any particular group.

When I was checking out care facilities for my mother, my nose always told me a lot about a place; if it smelled of piss, I'd turn and leave.

I hope when you have some time and are bored that you will write a short novel about your experiences at St. Louis Hosp. It is often mentioned on this forum as a less expensive alternative to the 5 Star for profit facilities that are now beginning to rival Western Hospitals in their billing practices.

It would be a great resource for many on this forum.

Thanks for the replies and helpful info. Glad you mentioned the photo, I might have forgotten to include that.

I renewed my Retirement Extension last week but ran out of time to get my usual Multi-Entry permit.

I need to fly to the USA tonight. I know I can get a single entry at Suvarnabhumi but friend tells me that I can get a Multi there as well.

Can anybody confirm this?

One has to be very careful hiring Filippina, Hatian or really, any uncertified health care aids...and even the certified ones can cause problems. My US girlfriend hired a pair of Filippina sisters to care for her elderly aunt who seemed great until we began to notice hidden bruises...long story short, they were abusing her. We later found out from a social worker that this was not at all uncommon.

A close relative lost most of her inheritance because her father signed all his assets, bit by bit over to his caregiver. Eventually, they had to get a court order just to see him. Still in the courts more than 5 years after his death.

The boomers are hitting their 70's...and their care will become a full blown crisis.

Possible to get pre-exposure rabies vaccine which will decrease the number of injections needed if bitten.

Besides rabies, animal bites carry bacteria that can cause very serious infections, likely what happened in the case of the poster's friend who lost a limb.

About 2 years ago my cat, in a jealous rage because i had taken an injured kitten into the household, slept up on my bed and sank her teeth into my arm, deeply. I was half asleep when it happened and didn't feel like getting up, so foolishly did not wash it or apply antiseptic until the next morning. It was almost Xmas and I was very busy during the day preparing for Xmas dinner and didn't really notice what was happening on my arm until I happened to glance into a mirror and saw a whopping cellulitis on that arm, bright red and very hot to the touch. Had to rush to hospital. Luckily in my case caught it in time.

Brucella

Years ago, I was in my HMO's "Urgent Care" center. My turn came up and just as I was about to enter, a guy was rushed in in holding his hand...so swollen it looked like he was wearing an inflated rubber glove. The Dr. took one look: "Cat bite?" he asked...Yup.

He took the guy right in and later when he saw me, he apologized for taking him out of turn but explained to me that cat bites are among the worst...this guy's was only 3 hours old. Apparently, the teeth are so sharp and smooth that they "self-seal"...usually don't even bleed so the bacteria is trapped inside a perfect incubator.