itsadryheat

all of the above and Galactic Civlizations II. I stumbled on it a few months ago. Big fun. Take over the universe one turn at a time.

I'm too old and slow to play shooters with twitchy youths these days, but I love the turn based strat games the most.

I can't count the number of games I've owned over the decades, but sim city was never one of them.

Never played Galactic civ 2,but the games is known for "the best AI ever in games".,Is that true?

I have no idea about it being the best. it's a lot of fun though and very tough at anything past average difficulty.

It's a different strategy than playing the land based war games like civ or total war.

For $20 it's a good deal. Many hours of gameplay to waste the day away.

all of the above and Galactic Civlizations II. I stumbled on it a few months ago. Big fun. Take over the universe one turn at a time.

I'm too old and slow to play shooters with twitchy youths these days, but I love the turn based strat games the most.

I can't count the number of games I've owned over the decades, but sim city was never one of them.

Nice.

I didn't know II was out. I was playing rome total war, shogun II and medieval II in the last 2 months. i'm not sure which one I like the best.

I have so many indie games to work though. Steam can be a pain in the butt.

I've yet to buy civ 5. I'm still having fun with IV.

I love the total war series, but my all time favorite is civilization. pick one, they are all good.

Age of empires was big fun playing with a clan.

the Europa Universalis series is fun.

galactic civilizations II for taking over the known universe.

I forgot about the red alert games. they were excellent but that real time action might get tricky for me these days. i'll have to find a place to download it.

I was trying to figure out if I could access my steam account once I get to Thailand, it seems I can.

I am drunk and its happening to me as well.

Luckily I'm not shy....

me shy? lol

I lost my shyness in udon in 1975.

I just didn't want it to look like I was logged in 24/7 instead of a couple of hours.

Thanks neversure. i'll give that a try.

when you log in, bellow your password's space you have a choice to tick "remember me"...should you ticked that, the site will do, that is, to remember you, ie. auto log you in.

Oh good. thank you tingtong.

It's an odd feature as I always click remember me on other sites too and it doesn't happen.

I shall unclick!

edit: nope. that didn't work. curiouser and curiouser.

This is the oddest thing.

A few days ago, I kept noticing that I would be signed in after surfing this site for 1/2 hour or so. I was sure I had signed out but ok, mai pen rai.

I've "tested" this 3 times in the last 2 days. I will sign in, read a bit and sign out and surf elsewhere. I'll come back to the site in a few minutes and it will indicate that I am indeed not signed in.

Well, I don't drink booze, etc. and it happens again and again.

I signed in and out 1/2 hour or so ago as an experiment. Just now, I opened up a few TV threads, hung around for 15 minutes or so, and i'll be darned if i'm not signed in again.

This has never happened at any other place. Is it just me? Any ideas what may be going on to log me back in when i'm 100% positive that I did not log in?

It's a kind of amusing but i'm confused.

seriously, no booze at all and i'm reasonably sane for a Canadian/american.

Good info guys.

I was diagnosed with type 2, four years ago.

about 4 months ago, I got on nutrisystem for diabetics (i'm still in the states), lost 30 pounds and now i'm prediabetic. I no longer shoot insulin once at night. I gained most of the weight after I retired a few years ago. now I know that if you continue to eat the same, and you are 80% less active, fat happens.

i'm going to lose another 20 or so before I come over for a year or 3.

I was wondering what I could find to keep the blood sugar at a reasonable level. now I know.

take it easy folks.

I landed at Udorn Royal Thai Airbase in dec of 1975. I was 20.

I had a friend there already so I moved downtown the next day.

Let's just say we partied a lot and then we partied some more.

I gave up on the devil weed and the crown royal, but still smile when I think of that amazing thai stick.

A year later the American part of the base was in full shut down mode. Only skeleton crews were left.

It got a bit weird with many Thais happy we were leaving and many others being upset that all the money we put into the economy was going away.

I've got some pictures somewhere.

I loved the area and did a lot of site seeing on my trusty 10 speed and we took a trip to Chiang Mai for a couple weeks.

I've traveled to a few places but Thailand has always been the one place I really wanted to go back to. I loved the experience. 38 years later, i'm almost on my way back for a year or 3. I got busy.

I didn't realize Udorn had a large CIA contingent until years later when I got online. That certainly explains a few things.

I was stationed close to the runway and the F-4s would leave in bunches of 3 to 5 jets at a time. One right after the other. Man was that loud. All conversations would come to a halt for a bit.

Hitting the ho chi minh trial.

the greens at the cheap golf course are lookin' good, too. I'm diggin' the cooler weather up here, too. Got some meds for my back at the Mall; 42 thb, would have cost me about 15,000 in the States; 250 office visit at Orthopedic Doctor, and 200 for x-rays, and 50 for a 'script. I'll give the lady behind the counter an "8." with high marks for intelligence and beauty. They seem to be real happy with farang, who can speak a little thai, but relieved my be a better word.

I did a quick search but as you mentioned meds, I have a question. I have a few scrips for this and that. As the veterans admin won't send meds out of the country, how do I get my scrips filled in Thailand? Do I just take my script bottles to the hospital and get them filled? None of them are narcotic type drugs. Just high BP/cholesterol stuff.

thank you for any input and sorry if this is off topic.

This is a familiar site these days. Lots of cloud cover but only localized rain.

Such a beautiful picture.

I've lived in the Phoenix, AZ area for too long. I crave dark clouds and monsoon rains slamming into me.

Unless the gods get annoyed with me, I'll be in Chiang Rai around April. I'll bring plenty of respiratory masks.

Thank you. I spent much of my childhood in Tempe before moving to the islands, so I can understand where you are coming from.

I'm using this picture as my computer's background.

it's a great motivator.

Tempe is a good place to live. It's much bigger now though.

I get a monthly retirement check that meets the Thai government's monetary requirements for a retirement visa.

I've done a bunch of reading and have a fairly good idea of how much things will cost, so I figure I'll show up and work things out from there. A few weeks in a hotel, find a quiet, decent place for 12 to 15000 baht a month, rent for a few months and if I like it, I'll stay longer.

I'm wondering if I might score a better bungalow if I rent during the smokey season. I'm planning on coming in late March, early april.

I'm thinking I will love Chiang Rai but if not, there are a bunch of other places to try.

It's good to be retired.

You are not coming at the best time of year but if you can cope with CR at her worst then the rest of the year should be a breeze. Your planning sounds good and I like your wait and see attitude.

Even while you are settling in here, it might be a good idea to travel around Northern Thailand to get a feel for this part of the country. After all it isnt the town so much which attracts us, but the nature that surrounds the town and the easy access to it.

I have been sitting in my house for the last 5 years basically doing nothing. I'm looking forward to floating down the Mae KoK and just cruising around. I'm too nervous to drive in Thailand though so I'll be at the mercy of others, but with Baht, many things are possible.

When I realized I was about to enter the country during the burning season, I thought I'd wait until May but then I thought, If I'm going to make the Rai my home away from home, It would be a good idea to check out the bad season before I was all settled in.

Worse case scenario, I head south for a month in August.

I appreciate the input.

krup khun mac

Our friend has apparently met too many ugly americans, brits etc.

I get that.

The good news is, I doubt most farangs think they will ever know much about Thailand and her ways, and are just here to enjoy the place and the people.

I married a Thai (now divorced) and I'm more confused than ever.

This might help. FMP web site for the VA http://www.va.gov/hac/forbeneficiaries/fmp/fmp.asp

Nice. That saved me some time.

I asked the question and will see what they have to say.

I'm getting it in writing just in case.

Do you have Tricare?

Sent from my traveling tab.

Hi.

I'm not retired military. I was only in for 4 years (well, 3 years, 9 months and 14 days but who is counting ) plus 6 years full time national guard.

THank you all for your replies, I have some research to do.

Hopefully, I will be able to jet to guam or somewhere around here. I have no desire to fly across the ocean any more than I have to.

I don't think the price of rental accommodation is effected by seasonal issues.

You should get something nice for that price though.

Congratulations on your retirement and we look forward to you being part of our Chiang Rai community.

howdy sceadugenga.

It's the old procurement/contracts guy in me coming out. It never hurts to ask. []

Definitely bad news when the house girl looks at you in the shower and laughs....

lol

I mean HEY!

Hello.

I'm going to move to Thailand in a few months. Probably on a retirement visa.

I currently go to the VA for my health care. Non combat related so I know that I will need health insurance when I get to Thailand.

I just read that if you don't go see the VA medical people at least once in a year, that you can't just show up and get help. As in, if i'm in Thailand for 1.5 years, get something serious and go back to the states, I can't go to a VA hospital and get right in as I would now.

Am I reading this wrong?

Is there a place closer than the U.S. where I could fulfill this need?

I'm going to get with the VA and see what they have to say but I'd like to hear a real life experience regarding such things. I used to work for the government and well...

Thank you!

Regarding the smoke season; If you have a decent place to stay, is closing the doors and windows enough or do you use extra air filters? I'm fine with mostly hanging out in the house for a couple months. It's what I'm doing now in the U.S. at twice the cost and 1/2 the beauty.

I used to work for an Environmental Quality Department and when I told the Air quality folks what the PM 10 was during the season, they were stunned. More stunned that i'll probably be moving to Chiang Rai in April.

Just curious how you guys handle things when it's bad.

I have been searching though the forums but any input would be appreciated.

I saw my first cobra while about to step into the shower in Udon.

It was a baby. The housegirl looked in, laughed at me, got a broom and swept it outside.

That was the last time I went barefoot in the yard.

We have a lot of rattle snakes around here. At least they let you know when they are annoyed by making a noise.

I get a monthly retirement check that meets the Thai government's monetary requirements for a retirement visa.

I've done a bunch of reading and have a fairly good idea of how much things will cost, so I figure I'll show up and work things out from there. A few weeks in a hotel, find a quiet, decent place for 12 to 15000 baht a month, rent for a few months and if I like it, I'll stay longer.

I'm wondering if I might score a better bungalow if I rent during the smokey season. I'm planning on coming in late March, early april.

I'm thinking I will love Chiang Rai but if not, there are a bunch of other places to try.

It's good to be retired.

This is a familiar site these days. Lots of cloud cover but only localized rain.

Such a beautiful picture.

I've lived in the Phoenix, AZ area for too long. I crave dark clouds and monsoon rains slamming into me.

Unless the gods get annoyed with me, I'll be in Chiang Rai around April. I'll bring plenty of respiratory masks.

I first came because I begged Uncle Sam to station me in Thailand.

This next trip will be because I love the culture, the people and I'm looking forward to those great views.

Howdy.

I'm 59 and retired in the Phoenix, AZ area. I got bored sitting around the house and decided to move out of country for a year or 10. One last adventure.

I was stationed at Udorn air base in 1975. I never lived on base. Too many annoying farongs.

I was thinking Mexico, Costa Rica, Uruguay and then, I stumbled on a youtube for Chiang Mai and a light went off. I visited for 2 weeks and really loved the place. It's grown a bit.

I've thought about it for a month and have become a bit obsessed with the idea.

After deciding on Chiang Mai, I kept seeing references tor Chiang Rai and there went that light again. I'm looking for a reasonably quite and peaceful place and Chiang Rai seems about right.

I'm married and divorced from a thai so I'm reasonably familiar with what's what. I am brushing up on my very basic thai and will start on my paperwork for a retirement visa in a couple of weeks.

My goal was to be in Chiang Rai in late march, early April, which unfortunately is the burning season. My first thought was that I may be able to score a decent bungalow in the off season. My second was that I should bring a bunch of masks. We shall see.

I've been reading posts here and It's been very helpful.

Thanks to all the posters.