GarryP

I had some workers in my house when I played that. 55555

Had a bit of rain on Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning here in north Kalasin. Nothing to scream about but still appreciated, especially as my garden is rock solid and we can't plant much until the rain arrives. Reduced the garden dust though. To give you an idea of how dry the ground is:

A quick change of subject, but linked to this thread. When I read about Owl and his daughter solving the Rubik's cube, I thought I'd give it a go. So I found a decent set of videos on YouTube and after a month (yes, a whole <deleted> month - must be my short term memory going down the bog as I age), can now solve it without having to refer to notes. Never realized I had so much time to kill unitil I moved upcountry just over a month ago. Anyway, thanks Owl. What is your next puzzle adventure?

I think I'd better stop following your thread for my own mental health. ???? You'll be picking out all the things that I should have called the builder out on, but because I wasn't on site and even if I was, know nothing about building, would have missed anyway.

Just rechecked the www.gov.uk website and it says they have extended the usual deadline of 5 April for voluntary contributions (for 2016-17) to 31 July this year so I should be okay. I'll give them another week or so and then follow up.

I submitted the CF83 form 2 months ago and still not heard back from them. When I actually requested my NI number (I had forgotten mine), it took them 7 weeks to get back to me.

Posts like this just show me how little I have seen of Thailand despite having lived here for decades. Never been to Koh Chang, and only got to Krabi for the first time last year. Think I am going to have to start traveling a bit more now I'm retired, and will put Koh Chang on my to visit places.

Well so much for summer storms. Not so much as a storm in a tea cup let alone a fart in a jam jar here in Kham Muang.

Summer storms have been forecast for Udon on Sunday and Monday.

VPN Unlimited.

I think he misunderstood what his farang friends meant when they said they beat off.

I quit teaching English 30 years ago. At that time I was earning Baht 35k/month. Salaries have stagnated in that profession for years in Thailand. Luckily I changed profession, otherwise I would never have been able to save for a decent retirement.

I'm the same as you. Lived here for 40 years so no longer any real ties back to the UK. A no brainer really.

A language school where I was working got raided by both immigration and the labor department. Luckily, I wasn't caught working so they only got me for not having a visa (I actually didn't have a passport either as that had been sold off by my ex, who by that time was in prison). Fortunately, the immigration law wasn't quite as strict back then.

Took me quite a while to get there too. I stayed at the one on Suan Plu for a couple of weeks or so about 36 years ago. Hope they've upgraded the accomodation since then.

Ewe wouldn't like it.

I'm 60 and got my license just over 3 1/2 years ago. I have certainly made some bad decisions when driving (luckily not been in an accident yet although one very close call - entirely my fault) and would definitely not say I am a good driver. What I have noticed in the short time that I have been upcountry is that there are far more pickups on the road and some of the pickup drivers are a bit boy racerish. I felt much safer driving in Bangkok.

Interesting article. Thanks for posting.

It's official. My home is now known by all and sundry as "Bahn Falang". That didn't take long as I only moved in four days ago. Would seem that there aren't that many of us in town, but makes it much easier to give directions to delivery services - Bahn falang just past the school worked fine ????.

Not noticed any mango orchards. It all seems to be jujube orchards, rubber tree plantations, sugarcane and cassava, with the normal rice fields thrown in for good measure. Weather has been very welcoming though, if only the PM2.5 was under control.

Finally done it. Moved out of Bangkok and now located in the northern region of Kalasin so not too far away from Owl and many of the other posters on this thread. Won't be going the farming route though. Once I'm settled, I'll get a dog too but probably not a ridgeback. More likely to be a Kalasin mongrel. Looking forward to exploring the area in the next few months. If only the lovely cool weather could hold, but that is never going to happen.

Youv'e got me studying how to solve the Rubik's cube now. But I'd better go out and buy a cube. No idea where though.

At my local 7/11 you'll see the staff sit by the side of the shop chatting and vaping daily. I live down near the end of a soi where not many foreigners venture. Just back from the middle of nowhere in Kalasin and seen people vaping there too (admittedly not many but then the number of ciggy smokers has dropped considerably over the years even out in the boondocks). Yaba does seem to have gained popularity though.

Sister-in-law has taken "possession" of a few large plots of land on the hills between Kalasin, Udon and Sakhon Nakorn all of which are planted with rubber trees and about 80 percent is productive. On the other 20 percent the trees are not quite mature enough for scraping/cutting and collecting rubber. The land is under the purview of the Agricultural Land Reform Office (Sor Por Kor). You are not supposed to be able to transfer title to/sell such land, but it still changes hands quite regularly, which involves a matter of trust between the parties concerned. Like you say, you are not allowed to build any permanent buildings on such land and ultimately the land could be reclaimed by the government. That is, you do not have title to the land but rather documents showing your entitlement to use the land for agricultural purposes. "The tenant will be given a SorPorKor Land 4-01 document issued by the Agricultural Land Reform Office, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives showing their right to make use of in the land reform area." I had a wander round one of the sister in laws plots and loved it. Access is only by 4 wheel drive, motorcycle or shanks's pony. Had to cross a lot of rocky terrain in the hills to get there. Only a couple of weeks or so away from moving up that way permanently after living in Bangkok for 40 years. Not going to become a farmer though. Cycling, fishing and chilling is going to be my thing, while still working on contract 3 days a week from home.

Got my son his first UK passport at about 15 months. Renewed it twice without any problem. He'll be 34 next month and the last time he went to the UK he was 18 months old. Only detention I've had is by Thai immigration in 1986. Long story but ultimately my own fault. Kicked out and back 6 months later. I was young and gullible then.