AnotherOneAmerican

it will be great when you are too old to jump thru hoops at the immigration centre where the queue will be even longer and you have age related ailments when you cant wipe your butt and cant get to the ATM machine and have to pay 500 baht to process a withdrawal as by then it will have risen again .

its all downhill in the long term .no wonder stickman is leaving ,i sympathise with him as the jams and polluiton will be even worse in the coming years

you lie awake in bed at night wondering how to get your pension money from the ATM machine as costs keep rising every year and its now mounting up annualy

Most of us that live here have local banks accounts, so no ATM charges.

If you have a foreign sourced pension, one transfer a year is enough.

Pulling 1 or 2 at a sitting seems reasonable,

Pulling 20 at once starts to look negligent.

Nasal washing!

Is this something normal people do?

And if so why?

Just wondering because I've never heard of it before.

In China they use human manure as fertilizer,theres a lot of shit in China,several

other countries do too,and it would be OK if it was processed properly first,but

i cannot see that happening in China or other 3rd world countries,just dig it in.

I think we would starve to death if we really knew half the stuff that going into

our food,at least be off eating for a few days,what chemicals,additives,ect

is added to it,the treatment of livestock,over fishing,mislabeled,adulterated,

in fact just about everything,to make a bigger bottom line,food in last 10 years

has sky rocketed in price,but i don't think the quality has followed.

regards worgeordie

Most sewage treatment plants in the west sell processed human waste for fertilizer.

If you were a farmer, you would know.

pork and eggs are expensive, can't you raise pigs and keep some chicken?

Got pet ducks, eggs are free.

They lay more than I can eat, was only keeping them as pets, didn't expect so many eggs.

Is pork expensive?

Paid 100bht for a joint of pork at the weekend, nice roast will last about 10 meals, doesn't seem expensive.

"When things are going badly, foreigners are usually to blame."

This is the usual government propaganda used in every country of the world throughout history.

Sometimes they replace 'foreigners' with 'racial group' or 'religious group'.

In Thailand, things aren't going too well at the moment, and likely to get worse, it's your fault.

Same as in the UK, USA, Germany, Uganda ...............

Yep, things can be pretty cheap here.

No big surprise though that a chorus of negative nellies have turned up already to tell you that some things are expensive, or that it's all rubbish. Thaivisa never lets us down.

yes/no. Some westerner's food are priced to be unaffordable even to myself with a good US retirement check. Cheese, potatoes, butter, pomelos, and many local fruits I just can't see how they justify those high prices. Beef, salmon,etc. etc.- The markets are a dump and quality of textile is shit. You have to buy middle of the range and for me Body Glove is about the middle. Textile Thai sizes, (even coat hangers) are for midgets. Bring your own hangers from your home country.

yes my friend, keep blabbering your mouth how cheap Thailand is and the merchants keep jacking up the prices on "farangs items" like french bread.

Potatoes are 10bht/Kg at the moment, you find them expensive?

French bread costs 15bht/Kg to make, you can't make it yourself?

im still trying to get over the fact that he actually wears bodyglove (is this 1985?) and cant find a clothes hanger that fits.

Bodyglove underwear is available in Tesco Lotus, 150bht for 3 pair.

If he can't fit in them, he must be massive.

So, lose some weight, get a bit of pride in your appearance.

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Heartless, souless, predatory animals.

I can only presume that you are referring to the punters who exploit the local population and consider arranging an orgy totally acceptable. They are far more heartless, soulless, predatory animals as any working girl .

But of course- in the true fashion of so many TV members who consider that sleeping with prostitutes is an almost every day occurance - you are not referring to the sexpats

I may be wrong?

Exactly, if these guys thought with their big head instead of their little one then they'd not get in trouble. Ironic that sex pats think it's merely a business transaction, even though it's illegal in most countries.

From your comment I will asume your from the US as prostitution is legal in more countries than not. If your one of those religious fanantics that belive sex outside of marriage is a sin don't push your views on others. As long as persons are not being forced to engage in sex , kiddnapped , or abused what 2 adults agree to do should not be a problem.

http://www.paklinks.com/gs/general/488889-countries-that-have-legal-prostitution.html --- Shows how many countires have legal prostitution

In the US prostitution is mainly legal but restrictions do apply.

But a lot of the prudes would like to give the impression it is illegal.

As in Thailand, prostitution is not illegal but subject to restrictions.

Very few countries have prostitution as illegal.

I was talking to my coworker at lunch about this. He is half Thai and half American and has lived here for 4 years. We agreed that Thailand CAN be cheaper, but for both of us it really isn't that cheap.

The main difference I see is that it is much easier to be poor here. Basic necessities like food, shelter, water can be very cheap here. It is warm enough all year round that you can survive without heat so electricity bills can be low. You can buy a cheap motorcycle or take public transport or a taxi almost anywhere.

But for me, I don't fall into any of those categories. I rent a rather modest Honda Jazz that is pretty expensive each month. I spend a lot more on fuel commuting to work. I rent a nice condo that is more expensive than what I rent my house out for in the US. The power bill is more expensive even though I only air condition in the rooms i'm in at my condo. I cook a lot more here and that is expensive as well for the ingredients I buy.

I am not the only one that has come to this conclusion. My coworker's Thai family living in California moved out here last year because they thought it would be nice and less expensive. After a month they went home. It wasn't as cheap as they expected.

For me I don't care if it is more or less expensive here. I am generally pretty happy here and I enjoy being able to spend as I please.

Yeah, but to be fair, you (and co-worker) have been spoilt by the USA, where nobody knows how to do anything for themselves.

Cooking for yourself is very cheap in Thailand, you just have to switch ingredients a bit to take advantage of the differences in availability.

Apart from cheese and cheesecake, I don't believe there is much of anything I can't make cheaper in Thailand.

Yep, things can be pretty cheap here.

No big surprise though that a chorus of negative nellies have turned up already to tell you that some things are expensive, or that it's all rubbish. Thaivisa never lets us down.

yes/no. Some westerner's food are priced to be unaffordable even to myself with a good US retirement check. Cheese, potatoes, butter, pomelos, and many local fruits I just can't see how they justify those high prices. Beef, salmon,etc. etc.- The markets are a dump and quality of textile is shit. You have to buy middle of the range and for me Body Glove is about the middle. Textile Thai sizes, (even coat hangers) are for midgets. Bring your own hangers from your home country.

yes my friend, keep blabbering your mouth how cheap Thailand is and the merchants keep jacking up the prices on "farangs items" like french bread.

Potatoes are 10bht/Kg at the moment, you find them expensive?

French bread costs 15bht/Kg to make, you can't make it yourself?

Heartless, souless, predatory animals.

I can only presume that you are referring to the punters who exploit the local population and consider arranging an orgy totally acceptable. They are far more heartless, soulless, predatory animals as any working girl .

But of course- in the true fashion of so many TV members who consider that sleeping with prostitutes is an almost every day occurance - you are not referring to the sexpats

I may be wrong?

Almost everyone in Thailand considers sleeping with prostitutes a normal daily occurrence.

(except you and Soi Biker)

Why pick on TV members?

in Thailand you can get antibiotic near Tescos and it s cheap. (60 bahts)

In Europe I need to spend 6k bahts for a doc consultation and another 2000 bahts for a box of antibiotic to fix a stupid flu. non refundable by insurance.

While you are wrong about the flu, I do agree that self prescribing is very useful for those that do have a clue.

And at a bargain price too!

Exactly what I said, those retirees aren't really tourists, etc., etc.

So we shouldn't have retirees in Thailand then?

Not on tourist VISAs.

Only 4 weeks in a year is just silly, you meet tons of genuine tourists in Thailand who would be excluded by this. It's so weird how this forum (or maybe Thailand in general? because I see it elsewhere too) is a magnet for farang who adore draconian government actions that would make perfect sense in North Korea.

I'm not white, and I'm not a foreigner.

Is it even possible to abduct someone on the back of your m/c?

Limit entry to 4 weeks in any 1 year would seem the obvious route.

So you would propose that a tourist visa entry that is now 60 days be reduced to 4 weeks and one of them a year is allowed. And you do not think that would reduce tourism.

Or are you confusing visa exempt entries with a tourist visa. Even a 4 week restriction on those would effect tourism.

Legit tourists don't have long holidays in Thailand.

I think that you might well be surprised how many tourist are able to have long holidays. Some people get 6 weeks of vacation a year.

What about the well to do. Retirees with money to spend and spend the cold month here, Etc, Etc, and Etc.

Exactly what I said, those retirees aren't really tourists, etc., etc.

lots of people are dropping ED visa for tourist now.

Personally I would not. Tourist visa is the only one they have not crackdown upon yet, and it could be coming soon, right when everyone is turning away from EdVisa and reverting to tourist

How do you think they could "crack down" on tourist visas without effecting tourists coming here on regular holidays.

It is not going to happen.

Limit entry to 4 weeks in any 1 year would seem the obvious route.

So you would propose that a tourist visa entry that is now 60 days be reduced to 4 weeks and one of them a year is allowed. And you do not think that would reduce tourism.

Or are you confusing visa exempt entries with a tourist visa. Even a 4 week restriction on those would effect tourism.

Legit tourists don't have long holidays in Thailand.

lots of people are dropping ED visa for tourist now.

Personally I would not. Tourist visa is the only one they have not crackdown upon yet, and it could be coming soon, right when everyone is turning away from EdVisa and reverting to tourist

How do you think they could "crack down" on tourist visas without effecting tourists coming here on regular holidays.

It is not going to happen.

Limit entry to 4 weeks in any 1 year would seem the obvious route.

I lived in Don Keo Village, 5k a month, no complaints.

(It must be near but I confess to never having heard of Ban Ping Doi, neither has google)

All I can suggest, is learn to fit in with the Thais around you, they were there first.

Your comment deserves no more than a "rebuff" - if you want to come to the discussion and contribute anything, you need to know what you are talking about - it is apparent from your post that you don't.

If you want to understand my "rebuff" then I suggest you get properly informed on the subject first. It's not for me to educate you here - do it yourself.

No but educate yourself first with the facts sourced by many enquiries into the UK NHS. The most recent government report citing 1000, one thousand, unnecessary deaths a month is an example of the inefficiency of the NHS. As for the scandal of the Bristol,hospital where hundreds of babies were found to have died through inadequate treatment: who answered to the law or to the parents? Nobody. I have been in hospital in the ME, UK and Thailand. The most compassionate and caring and humane was in Thailand. Th most uncaring was the UK NHS. The most efficient and hygienic were in Thailand. The UK NHS hospitals were squalid and dirty. I will not bother to cite countless studies and reports and research into the NHS and its faults, often fatal which demonstrate the untouchability of the doctors, surgeons and consultants who are effectively above the law. If you care enough to make a comment then care enough to be informed by one who knows more than you and has more experience than you.

Been to hospitals around the world,

Care and cleanliness appears random rather than country based (excluding Africa and S. America which are invariably dirty)

Although I would class CM RAM as generally rundown and dirty.

Plenty of dirty hospitals in the UK.

UK Vs Thailand,

Main difference I see is nurses, Thailand hospitals are filled with nurses and assistant nurses, in the UK you're lucky if you see a cleaner, nurses few and far between.

As for treating cuts,

YOU are the only one who can tell if it's infected, upto YOU to take action early.

Red, swollen and painful, you don't need to be a doctor to tell there is a problem.

It's just foolishness and/or laziness on the patient's part.

Oral antibiotics would have been a good idea when the wound was first treated, as anything that size has the chance to get infected and sewing it up will just trap the infection inside.

In a Thai government hospital about 250bht for pain killing injections, washing, stitches, and a course of antibiotics to take home.

Every hospital issues antibiotics when you have road dirt in a wound that needs stitches.

It's so cheap, no need for any insurance claim.

Guessing here,

He didn't take the antibiotics or drank a lot of alcohol (that neutralises the antibiotics).

CM is a big city, just not as big as BK.

Take the 105k.

Dont think I have ever been dual priced at the gas station, when paying the phone bill, electric or water bill, the can insurance is the same price as Thais pay, same for car parts such as tyres and batteries.

7 doesnt appear to have a dual pricing policy, I dont see it on a daily basis where I live in Bkk.

Gas station scam, they don't zero the pump before filling, common in CM, not just tourists but anyone who doesn't get out and watch them.

Phone bill, that's a big company.

Electric bill, plenty of condos overcharging their residents (not if you pay electric company direct).

Water bill, big company.

Car Insurance, big company.

Car parts or garage work? you gotta be joking, foreigners often pay more, and parts you don't need, and labor padded.

Those drive-in motels are a huge help. One near every village in the provinces.

And allegedly 300+ in Chiang Mai.

Do you run into dual pricing on a daily basis? I certainly don't.

Pretty common if you go shopping for food in the markets.