simon43

On my first little hotel build in Phuket, I let my Thai brother-in-law do the blue plastic pipe plumbing for cold water, (the glued type of fixings). He did the work, and then laid down the concrete floor and tiling over the pipes. Of course, months later it all started to leak, because he hadn't bothered to clean the pipe joints before applying the glue.... out with the jackhammer, break up the floors, replace the piping myself.. After that for my next hotels, I made sure that no water pipes went under the floors. I designed the bathrooms so that all water connections for shower, toilet and washbasin came through the outside wall 🙂

Unless of course if you have a very aggressive form of prostate cancer, in which case you might be dead in 6 months....... 🙂

The only sure way (I'm not a doctor), is with a biopsy to withdraw cells from your prostate and then examine them for signs of cancer. A raised PSA can be an indication of prostate cancer, but it doesn't confirm cancer. My PSA value is always about 9, but I don't have cancer. It's raised because of BPH and UTIs. An MRI can detect unusual lumps inside your prostate, but it doesn't confirm cancer. My MRI shows 2 lumps inside my prostate, but they turned out to be benign cancer stones.

I'm no doctor 🙂 (Ask Sheryl). But my understanding of prostate cancer is that it is usually a slow-progressing kind of cancer, and many men who opt for no treatment die WITH prostate cancer, but not BECAUSE of prostate cancer. But then there are the small number of prostate cancer cases which advance rapidly, and which could be slowed by medical treatments. I think the idea that all those who have had prostate cancer treatment have to wear a nappy is far from correct. Bear in mind (with my non-doctor's hat on), that it's bladder control (or lack of it) that leads to urinary incontinence, not issues with your prostate (please check this with Sheryl!). I have perfect bladder control, but my BPH and UTIs mean that I use the toilet many times each day, just to relieve the sensation of wanting to pee. But I can sleep a full night and travel outside for hours without needing to pee - I just need to put that sensation out of my mind. If I were 75 years old and had prostate cancer, I might consider having no medical treatment. But at a younger age, and in otherwise good health, I (personally) would prefer to seek some treatment (and of course there are various options).

Yes, it's important to consider the worst case scenario and what your options are. I went through all of this, allayed my fears, identified a path that I preferred to go down that seemed the best for my future health. It was a big shock (and happy present) when the NHS nurse phoned me late on a Friday evening to say that no cancer cells were found 🙂

A land lease contract for 30+30+30 years is 100% illegal and, from my knowledge of Thai law, the existence of such a written contract actually nullifies the complete contract, including for the first 30 years. Rent!!

Don't assume that it's cancer. I traveled back to the UK 18 months ago after 2 lumps appeared on a Bumrungrad MRI. My PSA was around 14. But my NHS doctor said cancer unlikely, based on his own experience and stats. After 24 biopsy samples, no cancer found, but benign calcium stones found in my prostate! So wait for your biopsy results and good luck! (I was 64 years old at the time).

Different rules for employment of ASEAN nationals.

Link please to the dog kennel story - sounds interesting...

Today is mental health day! Today, we should join together in sympathy for those on this forum who have severe mental health issues. In fact, we can use the following logo to make it more personal...

More likely the locals are sick of foreigners flouting the law......

Jeez! There are a lot of far more important things to stress about than someone checking your till receipt......!

You know this how?

I'm making $$$$ from live-streaming myself eating Kellogg's cornflakes every morning....

Oversize number plate?! That's nowt! I were fined for driving down road near Don Muang Airport, and that road (t' motorway) was only for them Thai folks, not for foreigners - well that's what t' pig said when he demanded 1,000 baht off me..... "Thai folks only on this road, no foreigners, OK?" !

Where's the photo of the buffalo whisperer?

You can live very healthily and happily in Thailand on less than $1,000 USD/month! Granted, I'm not eating imported wago beef... 🙂

I have a locally-bought old Mazda car with a Maserati decal.........

Off-topic, but briefly to clarify.. "..registration, insurance, maintenance and petrol into account?" registration? insurance? Don't know about those things! I just drive to the shops.beach etc 🙂 For my medical insurance, I am somewhat healthy for my age, no statins etc, no high blood pressure etc, so my premium is low and has never risen since I have never claimed. $500 deductible on a claim and only my prostate bph/utis excluded (prostate cancer is fully covered). As for frugal living, I don't consider that I live a frugal life. My rented home was built just a few months ago, so all modern and well-built. I have hearty home-cooked meals every day, swim in the mountain river outside my door every day, go to the beach a few times a week, enjoy my ham radio hobby, teach as a volunteer at the local Burmese school blah blah blah. My stress levels are zilch, nada, non-existent 🙂

In that case, he needs to urgently contact the overseas pensions office in the UK because he is 100% eligible to the annual increase, thanks to the social security agreement between the UK and the PI.

From the report, what exactly is a humiliating haircut? 🙂

- detached studio little house next to a mountain stream - 9,000 baht/month - car (old but reliable), 1,000 baht/month petrol - $1m medical insurance - 5,700 baht/month - Food/drink - 5,000 baht/month 20,700 baht/month. Obviously throw in extras like loo paper etc, but I'm still well-short of my (estimated) 35,000 baht UK state pension. If the PI doesn't appeal, there are other warm climates where the UK pension is linked, such as Mauritius (where I lived for 6 months after Covid). Nice place, nice beaches.

Same here - I was able to top up my NI at the cheap Class 2 rates whilst working in south-east Asia - definitely worthwhile to do.

You would need a PI forwarding mailing address AND a friend in the PI who can post the form back with a PI stamp! I imagine such people exist 🙂 As for me, I'll stay in Thailand after I retire, but I'll move to PI if exchange rates/inflation etc turn me into a pauper...

From what I understand, if you stay in the Philippines for more than 180 days, (with bank account, visa etc to demonstrate your residence in the country), then you can move back to Thailand after 180 days and you will continue to receive that increased pension. Rinse and repeat every 180 days - but I imagine most cannot flit between Thailand and the Philippines every 180 days....