simon43

20th May 2025: For today's weather map, I grabbed the image from NOAA-19 that shows the rain intensity (darker color means more intense rain). So no rain over Thailand, but some intense rain storms in the sea east of Vietnam.

Well, trying to keep this thread on an interesting topic - (the health of young Thais): My niece died a couple of years ago from TB at 18 years old My hotel cook died at 28 years old from Aids My hotel odd-job guy died at 18 years old after his GF's secret boyfriend shot him... Nowadays most young Thais (men and women) seem to be obese How much are they concerned by their health? The Thai government provides 30 baht treatment when you get sick - my ex-wife got TB but luckily was diagnosed and received free medication for about a year until she was clean from this illness. Is it all about karma (if you get sick and die, that's because you were meant to get sick and die, because you're a bad person...) ??

Hey! I wear a mask most days. I have a lung illness and need to protect my lungs from the polluted air. Many Thais also want to protect their lungs from the air pollution, or when riding a motorbike etc. I have lived here for more than 23 years and mask-wearing to protect one's lungs from air pollution is almost the norm - it has nothing to do with sheep, vaccinations, brain-washing etc. It's simply common sense! You simply have no idea of what you're talking about. PS - why do you keep calling a face mask a 'muzzle'. Your whole attitude is tin-hat delusion.

I reported this a few days ago, but wasn't able to get email confirmation from a close friend of his. So I asked the Mods to lock the topic until I had more news, (which as yet I don't - whether good or bad 'cos I'm still waiting on the email...)

"Severe allergic reactions following vaccination are rare..." .. and that sums it up for most vaccinations. For the vast majority of people who are vaccinated, there is no severe allergic reaction. Unfortunately, no vaccination is 100% safe - there will always be a small % of people who will have an adverse reaction.

18th May 2025: Weather image received from Russian satellite Meteor M2-3, as it passed over south-east Asia just now: Hazy clouds over north Thailand, south Thailand looks nice clear weather 🙂

Cock-a-doodle-DOOOOOOOO!

"Local authorities have pledged to take additional steps to ensure the safety of residents. " It's not the residents that need to be concerned...

^^^ Lol, how can someone give a thumbs-down emoji to a visa question, especially since there are not even any answers or follow-ups from me! 🙂 Weird!

I have an O visa in Thailand, extended for retirement. I maintain this visa, although I make regular trips by air from Bangkok to/from Burma (Yangon, Mandalay etc), obtaining a re-entry permit when leaving Bangkok Airport. Years ago, I would visit Kawtaung and stay a few days to help at the orphanage. I would stamp out at Ranong Fish Bridge immigration, take a small boat across the river, leave my passport at Kawtaung immigration (as required), be issued with a short-stay permit paper, and stay at a hotel on the hill that had a licence to accommodate foreigners. This all worked fine. Now that I will start to receive my UK state pension, I will have enough income not to require an employment teaching income (I have an online income). Therefore, I have plans to return to Burma to teach as a volunteer. Obviously, the requirements/paperwork in Burma to do this legally is my responsibility 🙂 I can't return to Mandalay/Yangon because the polluted air is not good for my lungs, and teaching again in those cities would be a liability/risk. I need clean, sea air, exactly what I have now at my rented home in south Thailand. So it occurred to me that I could teach as a volunteer in Kawtaung, returning back to Thailand every few weeks. So... my question is: Does anyone know if Ranong immigration will allow me to stamp out (with a re-entry permit), and then return perhaps 1 week later?

I'll try to keep this weather thread going by posting images that I receive from the USA (NOAA) and Meteor (Russia) weather satellies 🙂 16th May 2025: This is an image received at my home at Khanom Beach from NOAA-15: Some hazy clouds in North Thailand and near Bangkok, but otherwise pretty clear. Cambodia and Vietnam nice and sunny!

Lol, don't follow the rules = fine/deportation. Up to you......

[quote] Don’t want to shave? Mask. Hate making small talk? Mask. Want to signal that you're morally superior and scientifically enlightened? MASK. ... [/quote] You forgot other benefits: * Don't want to breath in polluted city air - mask * Don't want to swallow a fly while riding your motorcycle - mask * Don't want to breath in nasty germs when in confined space (lifts, planes etc) - mask * Don't want to make your lung illness worse - mask There are many reasons why it's beneficial to wear a mask 🙂

"Vaccine-induced polio: By the 1980s, 100% of U.S. polio cases were caused by the vaccine itself" Not true - there were some imported cases from overseas. Between 1980 - 1994, there were 133 cases of Polio caused by the vaccine, less than 9 cases per year. Between 1951-1955, before the polio vaccine was introduced, there were 15,822 cases of polio in the USA. Which do you prefer? 15,822 cases over 4 years or 133 cases over 15 years??

Better that celebratory kids are brought up in an orphanage, away from their neurotic, limelight-greedy parents. That way, they have more chance of growing up 'normal'. (Waiting for the flames....)

Yes very true. But in 66 years on this earth I've never had to fight, not as a schoolkid and not as an adult. I could go and learn Kung Fu etc etc to protect myself in case of a fight, but the risk of encountering agression is minimal. I do have a massive chopper in my bedroom (the steel metal kind!), which I would not hesitate to use if someone breaks in....

I did once carry a full-size silicone sex-doll across Thai borders without any problems.....

Some of us do not need to rely on them.... Because some of us NEVER get in a fight - we use our brains rather than brawn I never had to 'fight' aggressive drunken Russians when I was a tourist police officer, because I used my brain to calm the situation 🙂

Although I supported Brexit, I think at the time of the vote, neither the general public nor government figures actually had thought through the consequences of a leave vote. Had they considered all aspects of what would be affected by a leave vote, I think the public would have voted to remain. IMHO, the reason why the UK fails or has a negative outcome for some many things is quite simple - we are too honest and we stick to the rules. Other countries pick and choose only those requirements or laws that will benefit them, and 'fudge' or simply ignore the rules that won't benefit them. The UK blindly follows each and every requirement, seemingly ignorant that other countries pick and choose. Oh for another Maggie who stood up to EEC officials and stuck to her guns for the benefit of the UK!

My condo is a useful place to store items. Most of the time, I am 500 metres from this deserted beach in south Thailand. I rent a detached house for 7k baht/month 🙂

Here's a rather scratchy image from the NOAA-15 weather satellite that I received yesterday. I'm at the yellow cross (centre) where there are no clouds overhead, but Bangkok seems to be cloudy.....

I am on the top (15th) floor of this building, so I can have access to the flat roof for my radio ham antennas. Unfortunately, all 14 floors below me sit on their balconies and smoke pot, so the smell wafts up...

Mostly great replies to my post, but I've clearly touched on a sensitive subject with a few posters lol! (I won't say who in case it sets you off...) In my Jomtien condo, most people are Russian/Eastern European, and almost all of them are pot-heads. In my country abode in south Thailand, there are very few foreigners. I'm staying there for most of my time (I can't stand the smell of cannabis smoke, so I might 'drop' the Jomtien condo soon)

Asking those who live in Thailand.... The last time that I spoke with a 'farang' was about 4 weeks ago when I said 'thank-you' to a young Russian guy who held the lift for me in my Jomtien condo building. I don't go out of my way to socialise with foreigners in Thailand because most seem to be pot-heads, 'hidden' nutters (who seem quite sociable at first, but then reveal themselves as totally mad), or those many grumpy old men who seem to be suffering from dementia. Otherwise, I seem only to interact with Thais 🙂on a daily basis. None seem to be pot-heads, the nutters are quite vocal and easily avoided, and I always get a smile from the old folk when I give them a cheery 'sawadee kap'. How about you. Do you live in a farang bubble? Or a Thai bubble for that matter?

Lol of course not. But actions have consequences. Did she really think that the owner would not report the damage?