dddave

Since you mention eyesight issues, an e-reader will be easier on your eyes than a tablet in the long run. The tablet screen cycles 50 times a second and though you may be consciously unaware of it, your eyes aren't. E-reader displays are static, they don't cycle and thus are easier on the eyes. Additional advantages are smaller size, lighter weight and longer battery duration.

I usually read a book a week, usually on a Kindle but if I see a stack of books for sale or loan, I may pull a few out. To those of you with Amazon Kindle, if you don't know about "BOOK BUB" (https://www.bookbub.com/) check it out and sign-up for their daily newsletter. Always about 10 different books listed every day, usually no more than US$3, some 99 cents, some free. Usually a pretty good variety and some well known authors. I've been enjoying T. Jefferson Parker and Harlan Coban novels lately. Great writers.

Kerr is one of my all time favorites. I hated finishing his last book as he had passed away a few years ago so there will be no more. "Berlin Babylon" a Netflix series is very similar to the Kerr books. If you like really literate espionage books set in that period, may I suggest Alan Furst. Not his last 4 though, just going through the motions but "Night Solders", "The Polish Officer", "Dark Voyage" and "The Foreign Correspondent" are all excellent.

Really helpful. Thank you.

Reminds me of the Thai diplomat who was in Japan for some conference about ten years ago. He was arrested at the airport for stealing paintings off the wall of the conference center. Had them in his bag, claimed he was only "borrowing" them.

This report fails to say whether or not the Thai defendants have been held in custody since the initial arrest in 2021 nor does it say if the ship was also impounded and has been sitting in a Nigerian port since then. That would be pretty costly for the owners. Sitting in a Nigerian lock-up for 4 years awaiting trial not much of a holiday either.

Title says it all.

Your new TV's will almost certainly have built-in tuners and will scan and remember any broadcast channels. Juristic should be able to tell you if the in-house antennae system is functioning and if there is an additional charge for it. Often the in-house systems also have a bunch of international cable channels available as well. If no in-house system, it's really about location. I use a small, portable antenna but if has to be near my balcony doors to get a good signal so I have to run a long cord along the floor. https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pdp-i5200153470-s22097047662.html? If the signal is not strong or has building interference then this type is more effective. Can often be mounted inside or outside. No as large as it may seem in the attached picture. https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pdp-i5107160524-s21543816109.html? You can share signal from a single antenna to two TV's using a "splitter" but that means running cable between them. You also have the option today of running your TV directly off your phone using Chromecast.

Thanks, Sheryl. Cardio check-up Friday at BCH, appointment a bit delayed because of the Monday holiday.

My nitroglycerine tablets, provided to me 9 years ago after by-pass surgery in the USA are probably well past their usefulness. Can they be purchased OTC in Thailand or do I need a hospital pharmacy with a Doctors prescription? I've been experiencing a few slight symptoms of angina recently so I plan a cardiac check up very soon but would like to have fresh nitro, just in case it's needed.

The reality is that the girls/other than girls working the beach are no different than street-walkers anywhere. They come from the fringes of society and desperate circumstances. More often than not, drugs are involved somewhere, whether themselves or a partner they're supporting. They are not having sex with strangers for fun, it's all for money and if a customer is dumb enough to leave a bundle of cash in place for an easy grab, then a harsh lesson learned. Buying sex is not the same as buying a shirt.

I fear for Bang Krachao, sometimes called "Bangkok's Green Lung" just across the river. Though not a totally undeveloped area, it is still as close to a rural, non-urban space as one is likely to find anywhere around Bangkok.

The video of this killing shown on the TV news clearly shows the perps running across the street to attack the victim. "Self-defense" doesn't hold water.

The REDDIT "Thailand Tourism" and "Thailand" forums draw a much younger crowd than this forum. Questions about ADHD and other drugs like those for depression are common there. The advice usually given is to get a prescription on the approved international form and only bring enough for the limit of the visit. I believe 90 days supply is maximum. There are Psychiatric hospitals in Thailand that can prescribe some meds, at least ones approved for use in Thailand but many common meds are not allowed.

Interesting to me as Sunday night, actually around 0300-0330 Monday, I awoke to go to the bathroom, then stepped out onto my balcony in Jomtien. I noticed a distinct but not very strong odor of diesel fuel. I wondered if there had been a fuel leak somewhere close, maybe an accident involving a tanker truck. This explains it. Dropping fuel off Samut Sarkon around mid afternoon would have allowed the evaporated fuel fumes to widely disperse in the atmosphere. By morning, the scent of fuel was gone.

Brawls like this in Pattaya used to be rarer than virgins in a beer-bar. The recent influx of the MMA/MuayThai wanna-be's seems to have kicked the testosterone level of Pattaya sois up a couple of levels.

Perhaps, but for all we know he could also be an abusive SOB. We have no clue and no basis to judge.

About 10 years ago, I was in Vientiane. There is a large arch on a boulevard in the city and I sat down on a nearby bench to take a rest and people watch. Another man, middle aged was sitting on the same bench, his children playing nearby. We began to chat; his English was perfect. It turned out he was a Hmong and had lived in Michigan for nearly 20 years. This was his first visit to Laos since departing as a refugee. We had a pleasant conversation. He did say he had to be careful as the Laotian authorities really don't like Hmong and persecute them. His kids said they were hungry so he and his kids departed. I was about to depart as well when three men in casual clothes approached me and flashed police badges. They sat me back down on the bench and started interrogating me about "my friend". They wanted to know exactly what he had said to me. They really pressed me as to whether if I had ever seen him before or if anybody had arranged me to meet him. It was really spooky. They were finally satisfied it was a chance meeting and let me go but from that point, I always had the sense I was being watched. I have no doubt this was because he was an visiting Hmong refugee.

I was on a golf course once when without any warning, a lightning bolt hit a large oak tree about 50 feet away. The tree literally exploded, sending large wood splinters like shrapnel from a bomb. In my group we were uninjured but definitely in shock. A fellow in a nearby group had a large, nearly foot long splinter lodged in his thigh and had to be helicoptered to a hospital as they were concerned it might be close to the artery.

My home city of Boston (USA) is a good example. NOBODY used to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. The fine was like $20. Then, after a couple of needless deaths got the attention of the media, new, stricter crosswalk regulations were passed including a $250 fine. Every crosswalk got large cones with the $250 fine for not stopping prominently displayed. Word got around quickly that the new rules were being enforced and drivers began to stop. It actually worked.

When I was recently studying for the Thai Driving license exam, I was surprised to learn that the maximum fine for blocking or not giving way an emergency vehicle was shockingly low, like under B1000

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.