dddave

I use paracetamol "PM" tablets from time to time for a sleep aid and they seem to work well. No drowsy after effect. I did just read a report a few weeks ago that the mild sedative added to many "PM" formulated OTC medications is suspected of possibly contributing to cognitive decline in older people. Suspected but not yet proven.

A friend was talking to the manager of a Krung Thai branch in Phuket last Friday. They are reducing the number of ATMs nationwide and especially in resort areas. He told her resort area ATMs are damaged far more often than non-resort areas. Tourists get frustrated when their home bank won't perform a transaction on a local ATM and punish the ATM.

Take note. At Rutnin and at most hospitals an "Eye Examination" is very different from a "Vision test". Often, an eye exam does not include a vision test unless you specifically request it and even then, they may tell you you have to schedule a separate vision test. The Eye Examination at Rutnin focuses on eye disease detection and eye deterioration. It is a very complete examination. If you request a vision test, make sure to make it known you want a prescription for glasses and that you want the PD included if you plan on getting progressive lenses.

I've been wearing Zenni glasses for years now and they last as good as anybody's.

Yes, but you must initiate the process with no less than 15 days permission of stay remaining on that visa exempt entry. You will apply for a change in visa status to a 90 day Non-Immigrant "O". They will give you a specific date to return for the approved "O". Once you have the 90 day "O", you can apply for the retirement extension. Sometimes you can do that the same day but more often, you have to return a 3rd time. BTW, unless there is no line, don't worry about getting the Multiple Entry stamp at that time. You can get a multiple entry re-entry permit at the airport any time you depart at Passport Control. Usually much faster than doing it at an Immigration office. same price: B3900. Only worth it if you plan to leave the country more than 3 times in the year.

They certainly have made Thepprasit Rd a hairier place to ride. That new center divider is going to kill a lot more people than it saves. Almost no gaps for U-turns which means bikes and cars bunch up at the few available. Soi 17 used to be a great back route from Jomtien to Pattaya, quick right onto Thepprasit then left at that tall, empty condo. Now, must turn left on Thepprasit, only U-Turn opportunity is a pedestrian gap almost all the way to Trapphaya. Two years of construction for what?

See if you can rent the model you are thinking of buying for a week or so. That should give you enough clues whether or not it's right for you. I rent a 10 year old Fino for around Jomtien. Never a long ride on a highway, just around town. It has a 34 liter top box which holds a surprisingly large load of groceries. Doesn't seem to effect handling at the under 60 kph speeds though I try to be aware that it's top heavy when loaded. Only one major hill in Jomtien and it's ok as I don't drive 2-up. I did rent a Click 125 in Phuket once and it had a hard time with some of the steep hills there. Downhill could be scary as well as very little engine breaking assistance.

My building handyman had his expensive Bosch drill rebuilt at a local professional tools shop on Sukhumvit 71 in Bangkok, lower end, near Soi 41. He said he had the drill for 20 years and this was his 2nd rebuild. I have a cheap, B400 knock-off cordless drill from Lazada. It's about 5 years old and has been fine for the small jobs I have around my condo. Never any heavy-duty work. The 12v batteries just died last week. I was able to buy replacements on Lazada for B80 each. Probably will give me another 5 years.

Thanks..so relieved to know that. 10 to 14 days has always been the norm for me.

I bought a TCL 8000btu unit at Thai Watsadu on Sukhumvit, Jomtien for a friends 29 s/m condo in Pattaya. Installation was included, B500 extra to remove the old unit. Installers showed-up on time and all was finished in an afternoon. This was 5 years ago and it's still operating without any issue. I don't recall the exact amount but less than B10,000 all-in

I have been getting progressive lenses with frames from Zenni for more than 6 years and have been very satisfied. I just had a friend measure the PD using their instructions and it was fine. Last time, just for a spare pair I ordered cheaper lenses and frames...total of $65 for progressives. I've been wearing them full time for the last year, they are amazingly comfortable and very sturdy. I have bought more than 20 pair of glasses from Zenni including sunglasses and reading glasses, one pair specifically for TV viewing distance. I only had one pair arrive that were incorrect. They immediately sent a new pair and told me not to bother returning the bad pair. I had read on this forum several months ago that Zenni was no longer shipping to Thailand. I hope this is untrue.

Isn't LAZADA now owned by Alibaba? I think purchased about 4 years ago.

It wasn't until after I had posted that I realized that the topic was 3 years old so my info was indeed a bit dated. I'll let it stand as it does at least reinforce the reality that you get what you pay for.

Four years ago, I bought a cheap (B12,000) Thai E-Bike. It was kind of a parts-bin special, all generic Chinese components assembled by a short-lived Thai distributor: Empire E-Bike. It had 16" wheels and looked more like a kids bicycle. It folded for transport and storage but it folded awkwardly, was 35kg and was very difficult to move around. The battery was removable for charging. Wheel rims were garbage and tires were constantly flat. It rode ok, went up hills without effort but I could not go more than 1km without a flat tire. It was stored outside and the weather got to the control unit pretty quickly. I was unable to find a matching replacement and I ended-up giving it away to my condo security guard. A couple of take-aways: -Lot's of places selling E-Bikes, very few places skilled at fixing them. Sourcing specific parts very difficult. -My E-Bike looked like a bicycle and I never drew any notice from police even though no registration. A neighbor in my condo had one that looked like a motorbike and he did draw the attention of police several times who noted the lack of registration plate. Always cost him to get out of it. -I originally rode mine in Bangkok traffic and found it very scary and dangerous. It was too slow when I had to turn right out of my soi, across 2 lanes of traffic and it was difficult to keep up with traffic flow. It was not as bad when I moved to Jomtien but I was never comfortable with it's slow response.

The largest reseller of electronics, cameras and a lot of other stuff, mostly originating from Japan is LUCKY HOME, Samrong. It's a huge, 3 warehouse 2nd hand store about 1km from Samrong BTS. All the moto drivers know it. They are the most likely place to find what you want. Their premium warehouse, selling top grade items is only open on Sundays. Don't expect dirt cheap prices..they know what things are worth but for the persistent, there are deals to be had, BTW, the warehouses can get really hot. Best to go early in the day. Also, They have a testing area and allow you to test items before you buy because there are no returns accepted. https://lucky-home-samrong.business.site/

Thanks Sheryl for the specific answers. I will pass it all along. Tough choices all around.

Two, similar, one pricier than the other. "Khin Lom Chom Saphan" Beautiful location near the Rama VIII bridge, on the river. Decent and reasonably priced Thai food, very good seafood. Book ahead and ask for a waterfront table. Very crowded weekends. Most taxis know it. https://www.facebook.com/Khinlomchomsaphan "Baan Klang Nam-1" On the riverside also, beautiful views from riverside tables. More upscale and expensive Thai menu, seafood a specialty. Booking ahead a good idea for a nice table, especially weekends. https://www.wongnai.com/restaurants/2431EL-บ้านกลางน้ำ-สาขา-1

Hello Sheryl. I believe my friend is in stage 4. He has been receiving treatment in both Bangkok (Bangkok Christian Hosp.) and the US for the last 3 years. He was able to renew his Thai Insurance last year but doubts that he will be successful this year. I believe he is only looking for maintenance care: periodic fluid drainage from lungs and appropriate medication and not aggressive procedures such as radiation or chemo. He has funds but not unlimited.

As I clearly wrote, the office that issues the Re-Entry permits at Don Muang is the same office that processes overstays. When I entered one time, they assumed I was there for an overstay. Only after I spoke up, was I directed to the Re-Entry permit desk. I also have never waited more than 20 minutes at either DMK or BKK and never suggested that I had. As to my 5 year old post that you term "nonsense", at that time, Immigration had introduced a system that filled out the TM7 by their own system and printed it with photos that they took for which they charged B200. One could opt out and provide photos if one wished. If you are going to amuse yourself by pointing out what you perceive to be inaccuracies by others, at least be accurate in doing so.

A friend has lung cancer. He hopes to finish out his days in Thailand. I understand Government hospitals often concentrate treatment for different conditions in different hospitals. A friend who recently had a stroke was taken to Lerdsin Hospital, near Sephan Taksin. I had never heard of this hospital but it turns out, it has a specific department for the treatment of strokes and his treatment there has been excellent. Is there a specific Bangkok Government hospital that concentrates on Lung Cancer or Cancers in General?

The Re-Entry permit office at Don Muang shares space with the "Overstay Payment" office. Important to let the staff know when you enter that you are there for a re-entry permit, otherwise they may direct you to wait with the overstayers, which could be a much longer wait.

Looks like "LUCKY HOME" in Samrong, about 1km from the Samrong BTS. Three huge warehouses crammed with pretty much everything brought by container load from Japan. Some asking prices stupidly high, some very low...really not a lot of sense to it but smart resellers prowl the place all the time. They often have promotions with big markdowns on everything. There is one warehouse open Sundays only that sells higher quality, the really good stuff. One could find a pretty good stereo system for pretty cheap money. They do have testing tables so you can check things out before you buy.

This is a very sticky issue and don't trust Bangkok Bangkok bank employees to give accurate information. My deceased friends brother who is handling the estate has found it to be very complex and time consuming to have any access to his brother's BKB account. The moment you die, your bank accounts become part of the estate and legally a deceased person's wife can not access the account, even if it is a joint account. My friends brother has to have power of attorney in Thailand which can only be approved by a Thai court. he had to get notarized and legally translated statements from his other siblings renouncing any claim to the estate and he's still not done. There was no will in Thailand and that has created huge issues.

The batteries (2) are pretty cheesy but so far they have worked well. I've never used them for more than 15 minutes at a stretch so I don't know how long they actually last from a full charge. Lazada has quite a few models at a variety of prices so worth checking for one with better reviews.

It's surprisingly strong. It wont cut steel but dried pigeon poop comes off quickly. Mine came with 3 different nozzles for different uses. It can be set to continuous stream or machine gun type. I've had mine for about 4 months and have used it about 10 times on two balconies. No problems yet. It comes in a carrying case. It does have a cheap feel and probably wont last a long time but at my age, product longevity is less an issue.