soalbundy

Sounds a bit more complicated than 4 years ago when I last renewed mine in Surin, e-learning? whatever next. We just watched a boring film, no appointment, did the colour blind and brake test and that was it. I shall see next year.

If he can get in anybody can

You can't rebuild a system immediately because the teachers have also been taught 'the Thai way' one would have to start with a new influx of teacher training college students. The system is nothing without the people using it, a new system with the old guard is next to useless. This may have come about because of the demonstrations concerning 'you know who', the geriatrics in parliament consider that the status quo must be maintained.

Isn't their system somewhat different? You pay into their bank account from your home country's bank and then receive your money from a Thai bank to your Thai bank account, it is a transparent system.

Like a group of cats talking about their 'operation'

Or what's left of it.

You are dear to my heart.

I said yes, I am old in years but I don't let that define me, once you do that you are finished. As for 40 well; I worked in a design office for BMW, full of serious dedicated engineers, all around 40 then, like myself. We had to wear a BMW pass on our suits, attached by a plastic clip. Mine broke so I fashioned a new one from a paper clip. When I entered a different office to my own to consult with an electronics engineer he had a look of horror on his face, his eyes continually transfixed on my paper clip, he gave me the information that I needed and as I left the office his eyes followed me in disbelief....he was already 80 in my opinion.

"The time has come," the Walrus said "To talk of many things, of shoes and ships and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings and why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings.''

In years yes but I am a lot younger than many 40 year olds regarding the attitudes to life. Age is serenity not senility, although not necessarily of course. I've been there, done that, I've made my mistakes and have learnt from them without dwelling on them. Wisdom cloaks the years served on earth and opens doors closed to the young, although if beards meant wisdom then goats could preach. The study of Eastern philosophies and meditation really does keep the mind sharp and dampens arrogance (I have a problem with that, photos of me in primary school show the face of a boy who should have been born 'Lord Clive of India' and not a member of the working class). I have made progress, I am a better person than I was and when this avatar called 'me' drops out of the game the consciousness that plays it will be ready for another shot at it with a new avatar, hopefully a better one next time, something with more flair and better at maths.

Yes, I can see your problem already.

You don't go to bars for an intelligent conversation but for a laugh, bar girls are brilliant entertainers, I go with the missus to one in a nearby town sometimes when the kids allow us out.

I agree, whatever country you are in you should learn the language. It took me 3 years to be fluent in German where I spent most of my working life and before retiring to Thailand I spent 2 years learning to read and write Thai (a prerequisite for speaking the tones correctly) I then read all the Harry Potter books in Thai that I could get my hands on. I am now in a village in Isaan where the local dialect is Khmern but no matter they can all speak Thai. Apart from my missus my two step daughters and my son I wouldn't say that I have close Thai friends but I do have good relationships with the villagers, some I would regard as bordering on friendship. That is enough for me as I am comfortable with my own company and the relationships that I have here. I am genetically blessed with good health, at 73 I have false teeth and glasses but that is about all, I climb on the roof of my house to clean the rain gutters and help with the rice harvest. Whether you are old or not is a matter of your own attitude to life, if you think you are old then you are old, can I run a marathon, no, but I wouldn't try to, I know my limits but that doesn't make me old. I keep mentally active with the internet, reading and dealing with my sometimes petulant teenage son and the babblings of my two step granddaughters. I understand that some may need the company of falang from their own country but that would make me old after having met many with closed minds, ill health and a desire to dress comfortably, ie shorts and vest with elastic stockings for their varicose veins, you become the company you keep.

I did my retirement extension yesterday, all very easy. I arrived just before opening time, handed in my documents and had to wait outside the office (covid). All the necessary forms were filled out by the staff and brought out for me to sign, after 1 hour it was done and dusted.

If you've got paddy that's all you have, paddy. Rice is a staple diet in Asia, the price shouldn't be this low.

Yes.

Well some people still regard a Rolls Royce car as being the 'best of British'

Apparently it is being talked about in the UK (talk being the operative word)

You mean they put on a good show for the money

That was "News speak" what she meant was 'The weather in London is cold'

Funny you should ask that said the hotelier rubbing his hands

He needs the money for his court case......after which he is going bankrupt, TIT, Trust In Thailand.

and expensive quarantine hotels for foreigners

I doubt that, long haul holidays require some planning in advance not a few weeks before the Christmas season, if they haven't got their <deleted> together now then the main holiday season is dead already. Add to that that the financial situation of many westerners (especially the Brits with higher taxation and higher mortgages and rents in the offing) will deter many from taking a winter holiday at all.

The panels will get nicked like the batteries on the floating tsunami warning stations.