Letseng

I detest garlic, don't like fish sauce,

sugar and MSG in every dish, oily/greasy food, and my system can't handle spicy food. There is not much left for me. On top of the above comes hygiene at street food stalls. I used to be able to watch them from the apt. I stayed in when I arrived many years ago. 

I cook myself and I don't suffer from allergy attacks.

Reason for retirement in Thailand was not Thai "cuisine".

On 8/27/2019 at 3:15 PM, watcharacters said:

 

I have a dry eye condition and will be going to above hospital for fourth visit next month.

 

Would you please briefly describe your symptoms?

 

Who gave you your diagnosis?

 

 

 

Just to answer your question which I just read again: diagnosis comes from 3 specialists in Europe. But any standard opthalmologist can give you the diagnosis.

When your eye tears and tears don't drain off  and after a while you get an infection i.e. your eye lashes are crusted in the morning, you feel you look through a haze all the time. the tearduct is blocked.

When the eye surgeon irrigates the tearduct, and the saline solution doesn't run down the back of your throat but down your face instead, then there is an obstruction somewhere. And yes,  you may well have dry eyes as well which trigger excessive tearing. And dry eyes can have many causes.

Btw, Dr Paradorn at St Louis eye clinic is good at cleaning out the tearduct should you have such a problem. 

2 hours ago, madmen said:

I  would say no for departures since your still fresh as opposed to dead tired after a long flight and just want to get in a cab asap

It is always worth it if you can find a service. It has become restricted to premium pax. 

32 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

This doctor at Bumrungrad specializes in it and is very well qualified - did a fellowship at  Harvadr/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and has published in itnernatiomnal peer reviewed journals

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Keerati-Pungpapong

Many thanks Sheryl. I will go and see him. Having the op done here would be so much more convenient than back in Europe.

1 hour ago, watcharacters said:

 

I have a dry eye condition and will be going to above hospital for fourth visit next month.

 

Would you please briefly describe your symptoms?

 

Who gave you your diagnosis?

 

 

 

I don't have dry eye condition but blocked tearduct. And yes, this has been confirmed. 

Is there a member out there who had surgery done in Thailand for this problem?

I saw 2 so called specialists at Rutnin. Neither of these 2 ladies impressed me. 

Does anybody have a recommendation for a surgeon?

I have insurance. 

Chula has several specialists but Chula doesn't deal with insurance.

10 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

I hunted out the "senior" gate, but in true Swampy style there was no-one manning it. What a pathetic excuse for a modern airport ????

There is no specific senior gate. It is fasttrack in general which is always open. Never seen a closed one ever.

18 hours ago, canerandagio said:

EU Passport, he is in Bangkok. Obviously the cheapest option is best. He prefers to go by land but can fly if required, but only to a neighbouring country. I updated the original post to include all answers to your questions.

EU p.port means nothing. Some EU citizens do not get 30 visa waiver.

Go and check online if he is entitled to one.

1 hour ago, ThaiBunny said:

I use the "seniors" queue adjacent to the SQ check-in counters and never have to wait, if I'm not traveling Business Class

Doesn't help if OP isn't a senior.

On 8/23/2019 at 2:45 PM, kenk24 said:

I never have a problem at check points in northern and central Thailand... the police are friendly. 

 

But, I would say that in many countries around the world, immigrants are having problems... 

Even in my home country I'm supposed to carry an ID.  When I visit the neighboring country which is just across the bridge I have to carry an ID despite free movement within EU. 

19 hours ago, keith101 said:

It was the developer not the UK Government that demolished the building so take it up with them , once the building was sold they are responsible for all actions taken .

Brits sold because they needed money, and they couldn't care less about the history. I'm surprised they didn't sell Queen Vic to the smelter for cash. 

3 weeks ago 2 of us returned from Europe. We stood in the same queue in fasttrack. Hubby got fingerprinted, I didn't. We both hadn't been f'printed in the past. 

39 minutes ago, Danthai said:

I Have not been fingerprinted yet because I haven't gone anywhere since fingerprinting started. When I leave and/or come back, what is the procedure I should follow so I don't double Queue coming or 

18 hours ago, sup3r1or said:

Out of how many that are forbidden everywhere else? AS  far as I remember the report said over 30 currently banned pesticides and chemicals are still in use in Thailand while they are banned in other parts of the world. 

Look at EU. You can sue the company in the US for millions, in EU the stuff is considered safe. Talking about glyphosphate. 

Some EU countries have tried to ban it. But Brussels says they can't.

15 hours ago, livram said:

"Gave me back one of each passport and visa copy, and the printed Tax ID.  I signed his register"

 

When they printed the "TAX ID" were you handed a card or a piece of paper? I am trying to stop withholding tax at my bank and although I have previously filed and received a refund the bank manager would not accept the Tax ID number from my refund paperwork.  He says I need to go to the tax office and get an tax ID CARD but I never remember getting a card when I filed for a tax number 3 years ago.

 

You should get a card when you apply. Got one in Tax Office in Bkk, Pathumwan.

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

What is so difficult about live and let live?

I understand if there is a small sidewalk which has only place for one person that the person won't go on the street because a motorcycle is on the sidewalk.

But this is not the case here. Her only purpose for standing there is to block motorcycles. Why? Does she feel better when she demands that other people do what she wants?

I drive motorcycle and often people, mostly tourist, walk in the middle of small sois even if those sois have a sidewalk. Do I run them over because the street is for vehicles and not for pedestrians? No. I drive around them. Problem solved.

I drive very seldom on a sidewalk but it happens, i.e. if I want to stop in front of an ATM for 5 minutes. If I do this I make sure I don't harass pedestrians. If there are pedestrians I make sure they can walk without problem. They can walk, I can drive on the sidewalk for a few meters, no problem for anybody.

Relax, take it easy!

At least the motorbikes go slow. I have no problem with them. They are more considerate than any of the cyclists in my home country.

2 hours ago, legend49 said:

So its the taxi color that identifies the issue not the driver. LOL

 

You get good and bad with every colour. 

In 15 yrs in Bangkok I had very few bad ones - less than 10. Nothing to worry about and not worth any hassle for a few Baht.

9 minutes ago, Rampant20 said:

Yes agreed the baggage system needs an overhaul too.

What's wrong with baggage system?

My priority bags comes as priority in Bkk while back in Europe it comes last. My in comparison small arrival airport in Europe takes min. 20 mins. for bags to start, Bkk is fast.

6 hours ago, andre47 said:

There are priority lanes processing people aged?

I never saw them. How old you have to be to use them and are they also for farang?

These lanes are for all passengers but you need to be min. 70.

6 hours ago, TooBigToFit said:

These stories have been coming out endlessly and now its daily. Thailand needs major action now. The government needs major planning and investment in what it and its people do with rubbish. Everyone creates waste but no one knows where it goes. All that stuff from Bangkok disappears somewhere but we rarely hear about where. It's the same across the country in all the towns and cities. Where is it all going? A lot seems to make it into the sea still. A lot is dumped in areas because the government doesn't have any program to deal with it. I see that up in Esarn at my wife's home. There is no real leadership in waste management.

Dumping trash is not unique to Thailand. Go to anywhere in Europe and you find trash wherever you walk, go hiking. 

I hope you bring your cotton bag when you go shopping? I see mostly farangs still getting their goods packed in plastic carriers.

19 hours ago, madmen said:

BS. had a friend just die after a month coma in ubon without insurance

They kept him for a month without paying a at all?

18 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

I don't have any issue with the mandatory insurance, I have had to have it for other countries as well. 

 

BIG question though is will you be able to choose your plan and provider and not be limited to the current Thai based provider/schemes like on the O-X. 

Big question is will you find an insurer to cover you once you passed the 65 mark?

6 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

In all the hospitals I have been in, there was no chance to just walk out. One is chaperoned to the cashier. Although on a couple instances they did leave while I waited to be called to the window which could have been a chance to do a runner. But that never entered my mind. 

I spent 4 days in hospital. They had the guarantee of payment from the insurance. I could not leave until money was in the hospital account. There was no way to get past the nurses station. How do others do it?

3 hours ago, MartiniMan said:

As a farmer let me put my 2 cents in

 

All our produce is checked with the depot 

All royal project is checked and requires HAACP

The reasons there are no 'chemicals' is that natural substances exist and are cheaper to use then using monsanto and bayer etc so many farmers are infact not using these products at all in Thailand

The main product of use would be ripening and I dont see you mention that at all. Maybe you should go down the real rabbit hole here - mango ripened with calcium carbonate and all street vegetables that are cut open but never age to air? How strange - huge amount of bleach used you can just look on youtube for many hidden camera videos of how street food is prepared

To regulate they enforce HAACP and organic grow rules - so there cannot be any substances even present on the farm. We are checked every 6 months. You are just a little confused maybe on agricultural processes in this country

All hydroponic veg is grown in chemicals and may use pesticides but that doesn't mean they are dangerous - although urea nitrogen is banned in HAACP it is just urine and really is a silly ban but that is how serious organic setup is

The street food is where you should be up in arms as they actually soak it in bleach and do many underhand things to ensure they make a large profit margin such as using vitamin c tablets in syrup to make fake orange juice. If they have any chinese links they will be doing all this underhand tactics as chinese are the kings of this! Just look online you will see chinese make fake plastic rice and plastic eggs all kinds of terrible things because they are really very strange morally.

Although Thais can be led into disgraceful places I honestly have never met one that would do such foul play on the large scal e- and they all know about chinese scams. The street food is one area that is covered in foul play and often by immigrant workers who dont have any love for their fellow man

The actual farm produce will have HAACP certification and be good,organic pesticide usage has always prevailed in thailand as it existed before chemical and all the farms use these 'old mixtures' of garlic, lemongrass, essential oils and even soap to keep out pests because its dirt cheap (or free in some cases) so why lose profit spending out on expensive chemicals

Now look over the microwave food and especially CP, its FULL of crap. Lets hear a reason for why you cannot buy a raisin in thailand that isnt covered in sodium benzoate! Only lemon farm has fully organic produce and makro has one line - people need to start supporting lemon farm and the royal lines so it can capitalise over the tarnished produce - more money in these companies banks the larger expansion can run

CP / 7 11 is the real elephant in the room, check that out

Good comment.

I would never buy CP products of any kind or support 7/11 with more than a phone top up.

"Mostlycertificate for export to Japan and Taiwan. Surprising is in 99% of the samples there is no detection of residue at all. "

Don't think for one sec that Japanese don't do their own testing of imports. If there are falsely certified products this would result in stopping further imports. 

I know how Japanese check gemstone imports. They don't rely on exporters document. They retest the tiniest stones. God help the seller if there is a wrong one amongst the hundreds. Would be no different with farm produce.