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I took a gamble on a bottle of Thai wine at Big C for 199 Baht. It was awful. Never again. I do not believe it was aged properly in a barrel? It tasted like rotten grape juice.

Just finished a bottle of Charles Strong Red. Been lucky because a local Lotus market sells it for 319 Baht. I consider this a great price for a half way decent bottle of wine in LOS. When I am back in the USA I usually buy Charles Shaw (Red or White) for $2.49 at a local Trader Joe's. I prefer wine over beer but if the cost of a cheap bottle of wine in LOS is equivalent to $9.00 then I can accept it and carry on(that is after my wine nap).

What does Ex;pedia. Booking, Hotels.com or Kayak say about this?

Unfortunately i am a veteran of Gastro visits. I have had 3 endoscopies and 2 colonoscopies in the last 10 years. The actual endoscopy/colonoscopy are diagnostic procedures. Therefore, if the total cost of the combo(endoscopy and colonoscopy) is 36,000 Baht then it is a fair price. My last Endo/Colo in Chiang Mai was 36,000 Baht. What comes after is a separate matter. In my case a small Polyp was found during the colonoscopy and and it was benign. The 36,000 Baht included the doctors fee, the center fee and the pathology fee. So a separate charge to analyze any polyp(s) is new to me. I have had this procedures done in both the US and in Chiang Mai and in both cases there was no separate charge for polyp removal and analysis. But in my case only one small polyp was found. It could be a different matter if multiple polyps are found.

Just because S. Korea used K-POP, Korean Dramas, Samsung Phones etc etc as it’s “Soft Power” does not mean “lightning will strike twice”.

Iherb.com. 1) Bangkok Bank Debit card has been accepted without problems 2) Last order arrived in 15 days from California.

I did both at Chiang Mai Ram and total cost was 36,000 in April 2021. Pathology report came back a week later. I believe a similar priced package is currently being offered at Ram.

Do you have a BofA account? Otherwise: bankofamerica.com? If you do not have an account with BofA then I really can't see them being very helpful to you. I closed all of my BofA accounts more than 10 years ago due to poor service.

The federal agency I fear the most is the IRS. About 10 years ago I got an IRS demand letter for more money. This was based upon on a tax return I had filed 3 years earlier and I had filed an amended return for the same year because of a missing 1099. The CPA told me in many cases an amended return results in a new and deeper look at a return. . I feared the worst and this is why I have had a CPA do my taxes for over 35 years. The CPA went to war on my behalf and won. It was months of back and forth but in the end I paid ZERO. Since then let’s just say my deductions have been on the conservative side. I do not believe for a second that only the rich and corporations will be scrutinized by the IRS that is now more funded. As for inflation reduction, reduction in prescription drug prices and of course the environment, the probability of me benefiting it in my lifetime is very small. I was born in the early 1960’s and I live on a fixed state government pension, currently not taking any medications and never owned an electric vehicle or lived in a home with solar panels. I live in reality but it seems some in the Senate live in the world of idealism.

If it was Tom Jones I would consider it.

So this is what a “Digital Nomad” is?

In the last few days I have noticed a slight increase in Grab fares and the wait times have gotten a few minutes longer. The latest was a one way from Central Festival to Orchid Hotel. Last week it was 115 Baht in the early afternoon. Yesterday it was 129 Baht. Also, when I look at the available drivers in my area on the app it looks like fewer drivers waiting for fares. This is understandable because of the cost of gasoline. As usual the service was safe, dependable and the drivers were courteous.

No it would not be ironic. I am an American and even I know the F-35 is not well suited for Thailand or any other less developed nation. It is simply too expensive to operate. It’s like a middle income guy buying a Ferrari. Would it be ironic if you were not American?

OMG. The most advanced fight currently available and Thailand has a need for it? Why? F-35 are an offensive weapon and not ideal for Air Defense. But TIT. Even though the per unit cost is now under $100 Million it’s operating costs are still staggering: Latest estimate is over $30,000 per hour to operate the F-35.

Same lead actor in this one "The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil". I liked it.

Your case is the first I ever heard of. I know many people who have had colonoscopies in the USA and none have ever mentioned the need for a chest x-ray or blood tests. Yes I have not have the Versed and Demerol Drip and have never felt during or after the procedures.

As an American this will be the first and only time I ever say this: Nancy Pelosi was right. She can visit anywhere she wants to. Too bad PRC. What are you gonna do? Either take back Taiwan(or as they refer to it as “the breakaway republic”) or be quiet. Last time I was in Taiwan it looked and sounded like an actual country. Taiwanese people actually have passports as well. I have taken several flights with EVA(a Taiwanese Airline) so am I escalating “tensions” as well?

Never had an x-ray or blood test prior to a colonoscopy or endoscopy either in Thailand or the USA. Also, I have never had pain meds for these procedures so based upon my experience it is not “everywhere in the world”.

This could happen at any airport. But if one lives in a city with an airport with a single runway(like in CNX where I am located) then one will not be able to fly out for at least two days. Day one is for the crash investigation and aircraft removal 2) Also, if the runway is not severely damaged then runway repairs can be made. On Day 3 normal operations can resume. This is why I never fly from CNX to BKK on the same day that I have an international departure from BKK.

The F-35 is mostly an offensive weapon(strike deep into enemy territory without being detected by Radar). The F-16 or the Mirage are more suited for Homeland Air Defense and/or Air Space Defense mission. Bu the F-35 is the shiny, new and very expensive toy that many countries want. I can’t blame any Air Force for wanting the F-35 but at what cost.

Could have been Wind Shear. In that kind of weather a headwind can turn into a tailwind quickly. I almost “bought the farm” many years ago trying land with a tailwind. Thankfully I was piloting a small airplane and the runway was long(7000 feet).

1. The Old Man. Starring Jeff Bridges as a retied CIA agent who is now battling new enemies. Very interesting show available on Disney Hotstar in Thailand and on FX elsewhere. it also stars John Lithgow. 2. The Orrville with Seth Macfarlane. This is also available on Disney Hotstar 3. Trigger Point from the producer of Line of Duty. It is about a British Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit. This is available on Peacock streaming and probably available on ITV(that is if you can it in LOS?).

I'm in Chiang Mai and I do see more tourists. But lot of them appear to be the backpacker crowd that stay at hostels. Some of the hostels seem really full. Who knows maybe some of these backpackers are "big spenders". I have stayed at a couple of the higher end hotels in Chiang Mai in the last several months and these hotels are definitely not full and not crowded.

Here is the problem when using USD for in this case. Presently 3.5 Million Baht is just over $96K, I have a 3.5 Million Baht health insurance policy with Pacific Cross. Technically my policy would not qualify for a new OA or renewal of an OA. It would be better to stick with Baht in terms of policy requirements. But what do I know because this is TIT.

X-ray? I've had a Colonoscopy in the US and two in Thailand, never needed an X-ray before the procedure. In 2021 a hospital administered ATK test was the only thing required a day before the procedure at Ram.