dddave

Aww! Too bad, bad move! You're busted. Laos is currently crawling with Chinese police. A lot of both dissidents and Chinese criminal gangs were operating out of Laos so the Chinese just pushed in a whole bunch of cops, just like they did in San Francisco a few years ago. https://search.brave.com/search?q=chinese+police+in+Laos&source=desktop&summary=1&summary_og=68f5b4b91b6028750cf994

"ULTRACET" tablets are 37.5mg tramadol with added acetaminophen. They might be be easier to taper-off with. Available OTC at most pharmacys.

Easy to say but suppose you did have that kind of money. Just how would you, an average Sam go about getting one of those SA passports, all the while trying to stay inconspicuous and unable to fly anywhere on your currant documents. Search on the internet and chances are you'll land on a police sting. One can no longer wander down Koh Sarn Rd getting the best deal on a passport.

Been enjoying novels by Harlan Coban & T. Jefferson Parker. Both excellent writers with strong characters. "1177BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed" has been a fascinating read Finally reading the Hillary Mantel "Wolf Hall" series. Bit of a downer when you know the "endings."

If there are any Indian grocers nearby, check there. I buy my Lipton bags at one close to my Bangkok Apt.

Meant the WiFi choice: 2.4G or 5G

Not to mention "5G" internet connection band vs. "5G" mobile service.

I just checked this link and all 4 selections are listed as "Out of Stock" which may also mean, no longer available.

It's in the heart of Central Pattaya. It's not Wongamat, it's not Pratumnak. Crowds, traffic, higher prices, noise at all hours are what goes with that location. People pay near double the going rates of quieter locations to be there so they must like it. What is "polluted" about it?

A friend rented in VT-6 in 2022, 48 S/m studio, middle floor, sliver of an ocean view. B22,000/m, 1 year contract. He really like the convenience of the location including a lot of shops on the ground level. Not a fitness/pool guy. Last year they raised rent to 30,000+. Nice but not that nice! He moved. IRRC, they also mark the electricity up but I could be wrong.

Reportedly also recruiting in Cuba.

Reboring a single cylinder doesn't get you much plus the added stress to already time-worn components like the crank shaft and bearings may be too much. If the rest of the bike is in very good shape, I wonder how much a brand new engine would be? Pricy, but doesn't Vespa and some of the other Italian scooter manufacturers make higher displacement scooters with a configuration similar to the Filano?

In the past ten years, I have not had directed at me: "Where you go?" "What you do?" "You have other lady?" "You give me BXXXXX for my family me!" "Farang Ba!"

According to another news source, he was kind of prone to bragging about getting away with it. Never a good idea.

I might be remembering it wrong, could have been 2-4-2. Emirates

I haven't flown since before Covid but I understand that since airlines have begun charging higher prices for seats deemed desirable, they have become much stricter about not allowing passengers who haven't paid the premium rate to occupy them. There's been any number of YT videos of angry passengers arguing with FAs about not being allowed to change to a better seat. BTW, Many don't know that on some airlines A380 seat configurations, there's a "secret" small coach section in the rear of the upper deck. On most seat charts, it just shows as the last 16 rows. It is really pretty nice. 2-2-2 seating and so few passengers you hardly ever get jostled. Rarely a wait at the toilet. They are well known now to frequent flyers who book them up pretty quickly but worth asking about at check-in.

Ever tried to dig a 6' X 3' X 6' hole? That's a lot of dirt! Yah, in the movies they get it done in ten minutes but try it in real life and you'll quickly find where the home builders buried the boulders.

Bodies can be a problem, two even more so as they have a way of popping-up and what, with all the CCTV cameras pointed at every crook and cranny, a bit of privacy to deal with the dearly departed is hard to come by. Just finding a nice little plot under which to bury them that won't suddenly sprout a "New Estates Available Soon" sign must be a challenge. Chopping up, if CSI is to be believed leaves a lot of tell-tail splatter and there's always a tooth or something that falls on the floor, waiting to be discovered. You have to give this lady credit for somehow dealing with the smell as you'd think that the place would have reeked on hot days. Remember the Bozo's in Pattaya last year? They murdered the German guy then found themselves on more video clips than a Instagram Madonna: Buying a burner phone, garbage bags, Chain saw and a BIG ice chest which later starred in a street cam clip in the back of their pick-up as they transported the body parts. You think it's easy?

When I flew frequently as an air courier I kept a pillowcase in my carry-on. When encountering this situation, I'd stuff it with some of the clothes and jacket in my carry-on and stuff it into the gap. Even better if I could score an unused blanket as a gap stuffer.

The US Center for Disease Control has recommended persons over 75 get the RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine. Is this vaccine available in Thailand?

Sheryl: I know they have HPV immunization injections for mid-teen girls. What is the current age cut-off for effectiveness?

A friend in Pattaya was diagnosed with Covid 3 weeks ago. He had to drive to Bangkok to get Paxlovid, about B24,000 at Bangkok Hospital. The Paxlovid seemed to work and he began to feel normal in a weeks time, no more fatigue after 2 weeks.

For some, shoplifting is just getting something for nothing, for some it's an obsessive sickness. The now deceased wife of a billionaire NFL team owner was one. The team owner and his company had a charge account with a taxi company I worked for. We would get called to his home: ."See the maid." The maid would hand us shopping bags from the best stores in town: Saks, Bloomingdales, Talbots, etc. which were filled with clothes with tags still attached. We'd always go directly to the store manager who would check the contents, sign the invoice. The family's wealth and prestige saved them from any bad publicity. Every time the wife would enter a store, she'd be followed and an inventory would be kept of whatever she stuffed under her coat. The store would call the husband who would direct the maid to pack the booty back up and we'd be called to take it back, usually about once or twice a month.

Hydroplaning. Going to fast for the conditions. The quickly passing white lines show he was going at a good clip, tires couldn't clear water fast enough.

There are no government standards or licensing for those giving vision tests in most optical shops. Many learn OJT. You can get a competent vision test and prescription at most larger hospitals with an ophthalmology dept. but be sure to specifically ask for a VISION TEST and prescription. If you ask for an EYE EXAM, you get a physical examination of the eyes, not a vision test. For the best, Rutnin Eye Hospital near Asok in Bangkok but that's really overkill for a vision test. In my experience, the term "Varifocal" is often used interchangeably with "Progressive" lenses, If you want bi-focals, be sure to make that clear.