JimHuaHin

I have had GERD issues for about 35-40 years. Over time I have found that different medications, diets and lifestyle factors have "worked" then later "not worked". It is a matter of "experimenting" with different meds and diets to discover what works for you.

Why did you leave Australia ? - Too difficult to live there on the pension. What year did you arrive here ? - First time 1974; to retire a decade ago. Any regrets ? - Not many. How has it turned out in the time you have been here ? - Not as well as I had hoped, but I have survived. Are you on the age pension or self fund your retirement ? - Super. Do you go back for a holiday/break ? - Never; no reason to; no family, most friends are dead. Would you ever return ? - Unlikely.

From my limited general reading of the global economic and financial literature throughout this year, I cannot but agree with soulbundy - hard times ahead. From English language Thai media reports, one has to ponder whether Thailand's economic and financial leaders and Thai politicians are either making false statements or whether they are just ignorant of what is happening locally and globally. In any case, 2024 (or more correctly 2567) will be a difficult year for Thailand, made worse by the proposed enforcement of existing revenue laws taxing foreign incomes brought into Thailand.

Biden, reread the final part of LBJ's 31 March, 1968 speech; and repeat it on national TV. Your pandering to the far right US Jewish lobby is a disgrace, and out of touch with what many expat Jews and Israelis feel about Netanyahu and his actions.

Time for Biden to step down, or at least step aside. He has lost the plot. May I suggest he go on TV and repeat the final part of LBJ's 31 March, 1968 speech.

Clearly Srettha has be adopted into the Shinawatra clan, or is now an honory Shinawatra. Will be be working to bring back "Boss Boy" also?

So many current and former TAT officials seem to have zero comprehension of what is happening in the world. What is next week's plan - boost tourisim from Palestine?

Will long-term expats living in Thailand be able to get one? Time will tell.

LOL.

I have designed and had built by good quality builders (not luxury quality) 3 houses in Australia - Canberra 1984, Townsville 1994 and Cairns 2000. The only problem I had in all those years was one broken flexible hose/pipe in a vanity unit in a bathroom in Cairns. While I was living in Cairns, 2 Category 5 cyclones hit - no water leaking, not one tile on the roof moved. Excellent construction. In Thailand, I have lived in (rented) two "luxury" houses. Luxury? 5 5 5 . Water leaking through ceiling and walls, cracks in internal and external walls, land subsistance, pool pump breaking down every 6 months, internal corners not square, 2-3 mm gaps between window/door frames and walls, etc., etc.

I am in Hua Hin, not Pattaya, but I will give you my experience. I had to call for an ambulance (at about 10 am), 1669, about a month ago for a very sick Thai friend. Call was answered within about 15 seconds; the first person I spoke with had some English, but not much; she then put on another person who spoke very good Englsih. The second person was able to understand the medical problem and the directions to my residence. The ambulance arrived about 15 minutes later. The ambulance driver asked if I spoke Thai, no. But the paramedic said she understood some English (she was being modest - her English was good). Patient quickly and safely dispatched to Hua Hin Hospital.

Thank you for this reply, and your later replies. When I received my new computer with Windows 11 (earlier this year?); I did do a Google search. but only found "shells" for Windows 10. Again, thank you for your replies and help.

OG Optician, a 5 minute walk from BTS Udom Suk. Excellent service.

Moved here about 10 years ago, with a plan to stay to the end. No family and only a few friends back in Australia - only planned to go back for friends' funerals, if I could (COVID-19 prevented one trip). As long as I can stay here legally, and the Thai government does not force me out, this is where I shall finish my life. No country is perfect, but at this time Thailand is the best option for the rest of my life.

When I was in my early 20s (almost 68 now), I picked up a saying "Life is terminal". One of my high school best friend's father (in mid his 50s) died when we were in high school (my own father followed 5 years later when he was 67, and I 21). My first high school class mate died in a car accident when I was 20-21. In the late 1980s, I learnt that about 15-20% of my fellow students in high school in the late 1960s - early 1970s had already died in accidents or of health conditions. Most of my good friends since the early 1980s have been 10-20 years older than me; the only one still alive will be 85 early next year; her only daughter died in December last year, aged 59. The point - when you time comes, it comes, and most of us do not know when that date will arrive.

As posted above, your nearest government public hospital should be able to help. I had my 10-yearly tetanus booster at Hua Hin Hospital a few years ago, fast efficient and not expensive. I did not need any rabies shots, but I know the hospital had the vaccine at the time, as well as some snake anti-venmons.

When one takes a close look around the planet, the biggest threat is the human race.

I have waded through 50-odd pages of comments here, thus far, and been impressed with some of the detailed posts, as well an the large number of confused/contradictory posts. I have a couple of questions, which I am not sure have been covered yet. Firstly, when the Thai Revenue Department refers to foreign income from the current year, are they referring to the Thai tax year (1 October to 30 September), a calendar year (eg 2023), a 12-month period, or the foreign tax year (in my case, from Australia, 1 June to 31 July)? Secondly, when the Thai Revenue Department refers to income, are they referring to "total income" or "taxable income"? In many countries, including Australia and Thailand, tax payers are able to claim certain tax deductions/offsets (for, example personal deductions (supporting a spouse, elderly parents, children attending educational institutions, etc) and work related deductions (travel, computer/phone, work-related books/journals, home office, etc.)). The value of these deductations are substracted from your "total income" to arrive at a figure of your "taxable income". Finally, the big unknown, precisely what data with your home country, or the foreign country where you pay tax, be providing to the Thai Revenue Department? Ones full tax report/return, or just "total income" and/or "taxable income" and how much tax one paid? Many thanks in advance.

May I ask, please, where did you get the Windows Shell Experince from? I am in the same boat - Used Windows 7 for deacdes, and love it, foced to Windows 11 with new computer. Bought 3 Windows 11 manuals to attempt to "understand" the system. But, not all is explained!!!

I guess TAT will be asking for a few billion Baht extra for global jaunts, sorry global marketing campaign.

Correct - I cannot recall coming across any academic articles over the past 4-5 decades which show that pro-natalists policies have any significant impact on declining fertility rates. Even countries which have introduced policies to encouraged the immigration of young couples (from high fertility countries, mainly in "developing" Africa and Asia) have failed to slow the decline of national fertility rates.

With respect to some of the pool villa developments in Hua Hin, I cannot but agree. I visited one "luxury" estate in south Hua Hin about a decade ago when it was being built - looked great, and was considering buying a villa. I asked the sales person if the group building the estate had built any other estates recently. She did not know, so I decided to wait a few years - my old practice of inspecting the previous work of a builder before buying a new building by the builder. Fast forward to now. I rented one of the above mentioned "luxury" villas last year. Nothing but problems - leaking roof and water leaking through some walls in heavy rain, rusting fixtures, corners not square, swimming pool problems (leakage), cheap China-made pool pumps breaking down, some electrical compents failing (and then replacements failing due to I am guessing electrical current surges), and numerous external and internal cracks appearing in the building walls (poor foundations?). Buyer beware!!! Check out the previous construction work of any builder. In the past, I had designed and had built 3 good quality houses back home over three decades (I moved jobs in different cities). Over those 3 decades I had only two problems - a hot water system died (which they do at times) and a flexible hose in a bathroom failed (small <deleted> happens).

Unfortunately, Thailand has a long history of outspoken anti-establishment people meeting premature death.

I do not know about now, but 10 years ago I used Allied Pickford to move from Cairns to Hua Hin - no stress. Competitive pricing. Had to go to their Bangkok office with passport and "tax" money. Shipped about 90 boxes and 5 suitcases, and a few paintings - everything arrived undamaged and nothing broken (even glass art works).

I sent a letter from Hua Hin to Adelaide about 6 weeks ago. It took 2 weeks to arrive in Australia - no problems with online tracking, I checked every few days and knew when it left Thailand, and when it was delivered in Ozland.