simon43

Very interesting, but alas apparently discontinued...

I use my computer to write in English, Thai, Lao and Burmese. I can switch between each software language by clicking on the tool bar relevant button and selecting the language that I want to type in. But how to remember where the characters are on the keyboard?! My Thai laptop shows both English and Thai characters on each key, but what about the other 2 languages? I can't really add stickers on each key because they will obscure the Thai characters. Any ideas? Thanks

I lived in Laos on an annual business visa, no money in the bank required. I wasn't working (well, teaching online), so my business visa was simply stamped with 'work not allowed' 🙂

Go on, don't hold back! Let it all out... 🙂

No land or home ownership. No requirement for 800k bank deposit, no retirement visa but annual work visas (without the need to work) issued by agents for about $600 USD.

Haven't had a free weekend for at least 6 years, nor any other day free (too many online students to teach!). Roll on retirement next year...

A single shot from a rifle would sort out some of this problem.... Then 6 more shots for the dogs..

Applying 'Thai logic', the attempted violence against the 3 Romanians would not have occurred if they hadn't been in the UK......

I have private medical insurance with WR Life, but according to other posts, they have stopped paying direct to hospitals and require the 'patient' to pay first and them claim back. That could be a financial problem for me if the amount is large, (ie more than 200 baht LoL!). So I saw a FB post from an insurance agent called SBC where they offered an insurance policy for emergency/accident cover, with the insurance company paying direct to the hospital. So this policy doesn't cover chronic/long-term illnesses (cancer etc), but does offer up to $25,000 USD (lowest premium) direct payment to cover accidents and emergency treatment etc (heart attack, stroke etc). The annual premium at 65 years old is 948 euros. Does anyone have knowledge or experience of this policy? I'm tempted to take out cover with them because of the chance (not sure high or low chance), that I have a stroke or whatever, and the hospital refuses to treat me because WR Life will only pay out after treatment (ie I have to pay first). I would still keep my WR Life policy, but would add this SBS policy as a separate cover.

I would give what you can, but as a gift, not a loan. When my Thai niece died a few years ago, her p*ss-poor family had no funds for the funeral. I gave what I could (about 30,000 baht) and they were able to have a simple Buddhist funeral. I would normally never give my little hard-earned cash, but sometimes you need to have sympathy...

One of my earliest memories (nightmares), is being forced to eat swede at kindergarten..... I still can't look at a swede without getting the shudders, (but Frankfurters and other Germans don't have the same effect!).

I use LINE for contact with Thai users, WeChat for my contacts in China and WhatsApp for contact with 'farangs' in any country. Personally, I prefer using WeChat for ease of use etc.

Of course not! My medical insurance covers everything (including prostate cancer), but not my pre-existing condition (BPH and UTIs). That is absolutely to be expected. @Lorry, I gave up trying to obtain carbapenems because of the cost, and also because my UTI is symptomatic, ie - it's always present but causes me few problems, usually no stinging when I pee etc. But lab tests always show the presence of this E.Coli. I just live with it 🙂

Well, that doesn't necessarily mean that the boy is her blood son, and 'some' infers that it's the opinion of others, not a statement of fact. But whatever, it's probably the case that this is her blood child 🙂

I can't see from the article that the son is actually the Thai woman's son, and it doesn't say how long the Russian man has been living in Thailand. Perhaps he came from Russia with his young son a few years ago.

Xylophone, thanks for your kind words. Both ex'es have offered me space to live, but their locations (and your suggestion of Nanai Road) don't fit into my requirements to accommodate my ham radio hobby! I like to live in rural locations, so will drive over next week and leisurely look around in Phang Nga for suitable accommodation. Note that I'm not 'on the bread line', but it's wise to find lower-cost accommodation, since my future income is likely to reduce, not increase...

IMHO, you should never close this thread Xylophone! It's very interesting to read about the changes (good and bad, mostly bad it seems), in Patong and on Phuket Island. I left Phuket some years ago and have been bouncing around mostly in Burma and Laos for some years. But as I approach my UK retirement age next year (66), I have been trying to find somewhere to live in Thailand that I can afford, and which is beneficial for my health. As we get older, realistically it's all downhill as far as health is concerned. I was forced to visit the UK last February for some cancer tests, and I did seriously consider returning to live in the UK. However, my pension income would only allow me to rent some dingy room, and I would be condemned to 'waiting to die' in said room. Since my bad luck (if you can call it that), would see me living to 99 years old, the thought of 33 years in that room put me right off returning to the UK! I have been sounding out living in Krabi and currently am in Koh Lanta. But both locations have very high humidity levels ('cos the clouds from the sea can't get over the hills behind the coast). So it's not very nice (for me). I can't afford to rent in Phuket, but perhaps next week I'll drive over to Takua Pa or north Khao Lak and see what I can rent. The sea breeze in those locations makes for a pleasant temperature. My ex-wife #3 is still managing her small airport hotel, but it makes no profit to speak off, mainly because of the competition from other hotels and guesthouses (which didn't exist when I built it in 2012). We are very good friends, and it maybe that she throws in the towel and comes to live with me and perhaps opens a small food business/stall. Note that #3 ex is the sane one, #2 ex who is completely mad has offered for me to live with her again in Phuket, but I would rather slit my wrists!! I hope you get over your accident and fever Xylophone. If you need any help getting off the loo, then I can send mad ex #3 over to help.... 🙂

Nope! But since I've almost hit retirement age and have spare time, I may go back/forth from Ranong to teach English (and Thai) at the school in Kawthaung. This will mean that I need to get a re-entry permit each time that I leave Ranong. It seems from your linked post that I can stay in Kawthaung up to 14 days, which is fine since the Thai mobile networks have coverage in Kawthaung. Perhaps of concern is whether the Burmese authorities will let me in! In 2022, I was barred from entering Myanmar after a weekend trip to Bangkok (I was teaching at an international school in Yangon at the time). This was blanket ban on all British nationals (the British government froze the junta bank accounts in London..). I think the generals have calmed down by now and I should be able to enter the country again.

This is not for a visa run. (I have a 'retirement' visa in Thailand). Years ago, I used to go across from Ranong and stay in Kawthaung for a few days, teaching English as a volunteer at the local orphanage. I wondered whether this border is currently open, in light of the current unrest in Myanmar. I used to pay 100 baht for the trip across the river mouth in a small boat 🙂

I was married to a Thai, 2 different women (not at the same time!). Did my head in.... now happily divorced for more than 10 years and life is so much better for it!

Many years ago I recall having to drive the family (none of them could drive), from Phuket and all the way to Sakhon Nakhon, stopping for a few hours in Bangkok for me to rest. It took about 19 hours and I kept myself awake with copious amounts of M150. When we finally reached home in the back of Isaan, I was halhucinating after M150 overdose....

Now if your wife had said that the driver was a foreigner, the chap at the end of the phone would probably jumped into action double-quick! 🙂

Mods, please move this trash to the political forum. Thanks

Yesterday there was another terrible crime - a young girl and a woman brutally stabbed in broad daylight in the heart of London. GB News covered this story extensively, but unlike the stabbing of the 3 young girls 2 weeks ago, news of this recent stabbing has been 'buried' by the MSM newspapers. No major headline, no reporting - just a few sentences buried in the small print. It's the same for all UK MSM newspapers, and I don't believe that this is a coincidence. Starmer trying to bury bad news? Certainly looks like it to me.....

As I have posted before, absolutely top chap Elon Musk is, and all power to him calling out more of these 'brown' racists.....