JimHuaHin

Many many decades ago, when I was a teenager at a Roman Catholic school, the Christian Brothers taught us that every person is deserving of respect. In senior high school, a youngish Catholic priest came to our religious knowledge class, and basically said the same thing. But, he added, respect must also be earned; those who do good for others and the community derserve a higher level of respect than those who harm others. Most of the youth protestors are showing their moral maturity over those political figures who are showing their selfish greed.

Interesting - the red shirt party, which is really a yellowish shirt party, jumps into bed with the 'criminal'/marfia party (which has more connections to organised crime organisations in provincial Thailand than the "Godfather").

Not really surprised. Most of the old Red Shirt leadership of the past 1-2 decades have resigned as the Parties have changed direction. The Pheu Thai Party now is not loner Red Shirt, but Yellow Shirt.

Ummm ... some young angry Thai hackers who voted for the MFP?

Sad news. She is one of the greatest actors alive today.

So the Marfia/Criminal Party joins with the Big Business Party - any surprises there?

I also had to go through the same process. Passport accepted, but birth certicicate extract not (it was issued in 1987). Went back to the page to try driver's licence, but the site had locked me out. Ended up having to get authorised copies of passport and birth certificate, cost Baht 2,000, and then Baht 1,200 postage. I agree with you last statement/question.

Westpac?

Water for the EEC, but what about Thai farmers?

Same in Hua Hin.

A couple of weeks ago I sent a letter to Adelaide from Hua Hin (EMS, registered express?), it took 12 days to be delivered.

Please, pray tell, what other alternative by-pass routes are available (especially for large or heavy vehicles)? I know of no inland routes that are suitable for most vehicles, unless you want to take a 1 hour detour via Pran Buri Dam. Driving down Hua Hin Soi 105 to near Pak Nam Pran, and then driving back to the highway south of Pran Buri is possible, but slow. For almost every year over the past decade there have been these road works in Pran Buri - from generally the By Pass road down to Pran Buri Markets. Some one is making big money from this stupidity. One day all of this area will have a reinforced concrte road, but probably not in my life time.

I arrived in Thailand 10 years ago tomorrow on an Non Immi O-A "Retirement" visa. I am in Hua Hin, and every year that the compulsory Thai health insurance policy have been required, an immigration officer checks that I have a valid policy letter in Thai before I am permitted to enter the office to apply for an extension. When I see the Immigration Officer inside and present all the required documentation and photocopies, he/she gets up, goes to another computer at the back of the office, and checks that my policy is valid.

About 15 years ago in Australia I had severe chest pains. I did not think it was a heart attack, but I was concerned and felt well enough to drive myself, slowly, the 10-15 minutes drive (through light traffic) to my nearest government hospital. After some tests the ER staff, declared it was not a heart attack, but they wanted to keep me in hospital overnight for observation and a heart stress test the following morning. (I did not have a mobile phone, so I asked the staff if I could use a phone to call a colleague and inform her that I could not teach my 8.00 am class the following morning). The heart stress test went ok, no problems, heart very strong, discharged. The following week, after my Nursing student class finished at about 9.50 am, two of my students (they were Enrolled Nurses rather than Registered Nurses, thus they were studying for a Nursing degree) came up and told me the story of a similar patient who two weeks earlier under went a similiar heart stress test at the hospital, passed, was discharded, walk out of the hospital, and while waiting for a taxi had a fatal heart attack. One never knows.

But, if you happen to have an appointment or operation at a government hospital/clinic on Monday, that appointment will now be cancelled/postponed. I imagine many Thai public hospital/clinic staff will spend today and tomorrow on phones telling patients not to come to hospital/clinic on Monday and trying to reschedule appointments/operations.

I know that this is a bit off-topic, but ... I use an Android phone to call a bank in Australia 2 weeks ago. "Your call will be answered by the new available customer assistant." Call was finally answered after 45 minutes; was transferred to 3 customer assistantd. Total call time was about 85 minutes, cost Baht 210.

As some earlier posts have hinted, "... Kirida Bhaopichitr ... Director for the Economic Intelligence Service at the Thailand Development Research Institute ..." seems to have a very distorted view of what is happening with the Thai economy. Numerous publications since the begiing of this year from the Australian National University-based "East Asian Forum" have noted the failing state of the current Chinese economy, including Emperor Xi forcing a focus on domestic rather than foreign consumption and China being unable to meet promised BRI foreign funding.

Unfortunately, Thailand does not publish much demographic data (compared to some of its neighbours) , expecially data from its population censuses (which seem to be related to national security concerns). Probably Mahidol University library at the Salaya campus maybe the best source of Thai demographic data, as the Institute of Population and Social Research is located there.

Yes.

A "manufactured" surge so a few Thai billionaires could transfer some money OS?

What are the Thai police going to do if a few million Thais take to the streets of the major cities of Thailand? Remember October 1973? It is interesting to look at the social media posts of young Thai military and police personnel - the vast majority that I have seen show support for "the orange shirt" movement.

Spot on target.

The web site has been down since about 7.00 am this morning.

I had a similar experience a few weeks ago in Hua Hin. It was about two weeks after I had extended my Non Imm O-A Retirement Visa. Two immigration police arrive unannounced at home mid-afternoon while I was sitting outside reading. I rushed inside to put on a mask, shirt and trousers. They had a copy of my latest retirement extension application, and just wanted to take two pictures of me at the front door and in front of the house next to the house number. Nothing to sign. Smilies and wais, and good-bye. No problems.

During my first couple of years in Thailand I saw Dr Niyom at Bumrungrad Skin Center, and he is very good. However, one year he was away, and I saw Dr. Nicha instead, and she is excellent - takes pictures of any moles which maybe potential problems and checks the original pictures when I have my six-month follow-up check. Cost is usually about Baht 2,000, without meds or treatments. I have yet to find a competent skin cancer dermatologist in Hua Hin.