dhream

To answer a specific question, no... the HIV test isn't included in any of the packages, but you can certainly request adding it into the testing.

Slightly off topic, but I tend to do this sort of thing separate to the normal battery of tests for various reasons.

The CM Red Cross station between the US Embassy and the thai river market area, on the river road itself,

is excellent for this, it's quiet, quick, discreet, CHEAP, they speak decent English, it's well under THB 1000 but can't remember the exact cost now, as happily I have not needed it for some time,

there's no price discrimination, and you can get all the other nasties checked for as well.

Another thing well worth mentioning is you get given a dated 'certificate' to wave at your new, or current, sweetheart,

and you can opt to have this printed with your full name or just initials, gender and age.

The 'de-identified" one is a few baht cheaper, for some odd reason

I don't insure for dental. Check ups here are dirt cheap anyway. I tried the University for a dental check up prior, it was very cheaper, but I was unimpressed, i like feedback from my providers,

I may as well have been a corpse! Sometimes price is not a consideration.

Back on topic, I have access to a 'free' medical checkup as part of a new "wellness package" with Cigna,

but I'm ditching the add-on, as I suspected, you always seem to pay more than the exam over the course of the annual premium

(Wellness $ 22.51 x12 = $270.12 the payout is capped at $225 huh?)

The policy is brand new, so I'm invoking the 'cooling off' period immediately, to get them to re-write the damn thing!

Same price, same procedures available at McCormick Hospital. Helpful, caring staff, no BS. It's wonderful that we have so many choices. Another reason to love Chiang Mai.

For a minute I thought you were the 'other' famous Frank James, now that was a gunslinger!

Thanks for a helpful post. I have clicked on the link but it is unclear to me if the test includes a digital rectal exam of the prostate?

Wasn't that the "Thumbs Up" in OP title?

But he was confused by the fact that the doctor had a hand on each shoulder.

Steady Lad... steadyy... but in all seriousness thanks to Folk Guitar for this and the info about Lanna which I have visited for dental (they helpfully did my blood pressure too -a first at a dentist!)

My Thai consort cost THB 800 (govt.) and mine was THB 1900 out of pocket I don't insure for dental. I tried the University for a dental check up prior, it was cheaper, but I was unimpressed, i like feedback from my providers, I may as well have been a corpse! Sometimes price is not a consideration.

Before jumping on a plane to Hong Kong, be aware that Honk Kong banks have become much more difficult when it comes to account opening, especially for non-residents (and for business accounts).

That may well be true, I'd call them first.

If it's looking difficult try Singapore.

Their banks are relatively high fee compared to HKG, but, the convenience... Panama, even now, is still worth a look. A bit far, but if you're just a 'small fry' in the scheme of things, I hear it's easy.

Also if you're a US Citizen , well, expect drama everywhere -thanks to that IRS FBAR or whatever they call it...

Also Peter Schiff of Bloomberg fame, has a private bank in the Caribbean, with local reps, google that.

Our own homeboy Marc Faber also works with clients, not a bank per se, and not sure if he's only taking on high net worth clients... just options if you get really in a jam.

Just drop them, I'd try HSBC in Hong Kong, account can be sub-divided into various sub accounts and you can transfer between currencies within your currency sub accounts, online or at an ATM, it's great. fly in with all your paperwork, and they'll gladly have you, it'll take less than an hour, you'll get a card on the spot.

For any bank o/s insist they send cards and security dongles via DHL. I have had three cards go missing here in as many years, registered or not.

Pay for DHL if you have to, but most banks will oblige, especially AFTER the first card never arrives.

Damn damn damn!

This year has just SUCKED!

Why the musicians and funny people?

Why not those arsehats in suits who politic and send kids to die on this suffering planet?

This is just horrible news.

RIP you beautiful dude.

Happy it's not REAGAN!

In this image she comes off rather gender ambiguous.

tubman.jpg

Changing times.

Live with it.

It could have been Pee Wee Herman.

I don't have any problem with it.

Pee Wee Herman is OK with me.

A guy rubs one out in a cinema and suddenly he's as popular as Ted Cruz, no, wait, something wrong with that somehow... Ted Cruz I mean.

6 pages on this...

glad, you are also dissapointed ben's exploits have barely been recognised by the media.

ben deserves cult status, he dined where mere mortals fear.

in another age of history, his exploits would be the stuff of songs and poetry.

Make that seven pages.

He's a legend in this age, just that the prudes own the interwebs by day...

But to paraphrase Billy Joel: we 'perverts' rule the night, and always will.

A Thai friend phoned me to tell me about this story. It is apparently all over the Thai language media. Songkran is a religious festival too. What the behavior by the farang here does is further fuel the stereotype-typical view held by many Thais about the disrespectful and disgusting way foreigners behave here in Thailand.

It is such behavior that causes the police and immigration and other officialdom to make more stringent and difficult rules for farangs to get visa's and renewals etc.

You talking about "disgusting Farang" Well there was a Thai girl involved too Does this not reflect on Thais as well .

Maybe you are a racist

Please read my post properly.

I said the behavior of the farang fuels the view held by many Thais that farangs behave disgustingly. And the result of that is that things are made more difficult for all farangs here.

I've now read both your posts. Both nonsense, to varying degrees.

Agreed, those Thais who matter don't mind and those who mind, don't matter.

I used to be all PC here, but learned that the Thais that dislike us are gonna hate, no matter how hard you suck up.

Besides killing yourself riding drunk is a far greater affront to the gods on Songkran than a little sexy time, but where's the uproar about that? Hypocrites!

It makes my skin crawl when I see a obsequious farang Wai any copper at Immigration, they are there to serve you! A nod and a thin smile is the best I can manage now, respect works both ways.

The 'infamous scandalous' all you can eat buffet that this place is

lurches from the pathetic to the ridiculous and back on an hourly basis.

But you know, when every spinner with a grudge, or no brains, and a smartphone, is a potential news breaker,

well, good dirty fun goes bad...

When I read the headline I thought he was some rapist "Oral Sex Offender?" What?

Some moralistic bonehead whose likely hard up sexually themselves, went running to the BIB like the greasy prepubescent sibling we used to hate...

If I was a judge I'd throw it out, stern warning (with a sly grin) no conviction recorded.

Hypocritical and a total waste of BIB resources -such as they are.

I truly hope they go easy on the lad, and her.

Meanwhile in Soi Cowboy...

This is getting dangerous.

He might have landed on a passer by.

you got that right , seems like its raining foreigners these days...... RIP dude

And one day it's likely a copycat jumper here will splatter some innocent, another reason to give these stories a long rest.

This thrown over the balcony to look like a suicide theory I keep hearing is not impossible, but it is highly improbable.

The BIB are a joke, but so are some of the cockamaime theories on here every time some poor sod jumps.

If the tinfoil hat brigade would educate themselves on freshman criminology, instead of crappy CSI cable, they might get a clue.

There is a podcast called 'freakonomics' which looks into social issues.

They did a cast on suicide.

What the experts know (from survivors) is that suicide is very impulsive, the ultimate decision and the act are frequently FIVE SECONDS apart and rarely more than an hour, although ideation (thinking about it generally) can go on for years.

Another finding (are you listening mods?) is that reporting on suicide leads to copycat suicide, which explains a lot here.

Apart from celebs, where else do you read about suicide every day in the papers? Incidentally, this was first noticed in suicide statistics spiking the year immediately after Marilyn Monroe died, so even suicidal celebs should be played down.

It happens, a lot. BUT the editors are responsible people, and agree to withhold almost all these stories for the overriding public good. I'm no fan of censorship, I just want the horror to be less accessible to the susceptible.

Not expecting the mods to alert the editors and owners to consider this, but who knows, maybe some farang lives will be saved if we stopped printing this grim dreck.

It serves zero purpose but ghoul porn, and encourages unstable people to imitate other unstable people, who destroy healthy people left alive back home, just saying.

The reason foreign suicides are reported alot in Thailand is because some suicides are suspicious and might be staged to look like suicide. Crime stories are always popular. In this case the deceased seems to have commited suicide but in other cases over the years people have cast doubt over whether it was rather murder, than suicide. Just saying.

And judging by the KT island miscarriage, for example, fat lot of good it does anyone, so your line of reasoning does not justify publication, because, it's of no value other than public speculation, unless you can pinpoint a single case where some keyboard Jack Regan solved it and the RTP gave them a medal. My critique of this whole ugly Thai farang press 'tradition' that draws the usual human houseflies, along with the morbidly curious, stands.

Death and destruction are always great fun when someone else is dying. Suicide is the one area where research proves that staying stum saves lives, and the blowback of that on the living, if you must get your daily death fix, any number of wars, wrecks, and whackings are only too happy to oblige.

She knew he was going to jump?

He told her he was going to jump ?

She rushed over from where ?

she had time to call police/ management ?

open questions

R.I P.

The keyboard cops are on the case

Doo Daa Doo Daa

Tinfoil hat and sniffer cat

Oh m'Doo Daa Daaay

Another case my 'posthumous suicide tax' idea might have prevented. If you know your next of kin will be penalised, it should at least make you stop and think.

I heard they do this in Japan. Something like $100,000 for people jumping in front of trains.

Suicide is selfish, 31? If he'd stuck around he'd have very likely gone off the gf after a week or two. As to the Japanese and their penalty, good for them! I knew a train driver in the UK who, after his second 'jumper', had a severe nervous breakdown and had to be treated for PTSD. He was never the same again.

People should give pause and think about how their actions impact others but most don't, too bloody selfish.

I can see the reason to send a bill in some cases. When somebody jumps in front of a train the disruption to service would but probably around that. If they didn't cost anybody money I am not so sure that it is such a great idea. I have conflicting views on this one I guess. When I rode the trains in Japan it was not uncommon to see the words human incident or some such wording which was a nice way to say jumper.

There is no case at all where you could justify sending a bill to the family, ever.

I'm sure you'd squeal blue murder if someone sent you a bill for your son or daughter or whoever, or even tried to ransack their personal account.

So please, do think this through.

Suicides are not rational, I presume you are.

Suicide tax?

Yes, well when the person you love, or loved, the the most with every fiber in your being hypothetically tops themselves,

and we come to collect, which unexpectedly impoverishes grief stricken you, because the person who died didn't care enough

about their own life, much less your financial health,

you might actually get some compassion in your heart,

and sense in your head, or maybe not.

There is a podcast called 'freakonomics' which looks into social issues.

They did a cast on suicide.

What the experts know (from survivors) is that suicide is very impulsive, the ultimate decision and the act are frequently FIVE SECONDS apart and rarely more than an hour, although ideation (thinking about it generally) can go on for years.

Another finding (are you listening mods?) is that reporting on suicide leads to copycat suicide, which explains a lot here.

Apart from celebs, where else do you read about suicide every day in the papers? Incidentally, this was first noticed in suicide statistics spiking the year immediately after Marilyn Monroe died, so even suicidal celebs should be played down.

It happens, a lot. BUT the editors are responsible people, and agree to withhold almost all these stories for the overriding public good. I'm no fan of censorship, I just want the horror to be less accessible to the susceptible.

Not expecting the mods to alert the editors and owners to consider this, but who knows, maybe some farang lives will be saved if we stopped printing this grim dreck.

It serves zero purpose but ghoul porn, and encourages unstable people to imitate other unstable people, who destroy healthy people left alive back home, just saying.

Naughty or nice...

Who were the last people to wear uniforms as government officials? The Nazis.

Who are the only nation on earth who use Hitlers image commercially in a non-ridiculing way? Thailand.

Which civilian Airport inexplicably boasts a Luftwaffe Stuka dive-bomber hanging from the ceiling? Don Muang

I'm surprised the current Reichs Chancellor has ditched all the gongs and gold braid for a nice Sukhumvit suit.

Already overworked, under an avalanche of paper they don't need, and will never use again.

Bank statement copies AND a bank letter? In the name of Satan, Why?

90 day reports for geriatrics.

Annual visa extension that could be done online, totally.

And now this...

On top of being on the verge of a social and/or class cataclysm that will make the original Reds thing look tame.

There really is no hope for them at all.

Thaksin = The lesser of two 'weevils'.

Who is your provider?

I Use Sinet. In Chiang Mai

I bought a THB 9000 Linksys WRT based on rave reviews only to find there were OTHER reviews that curse Linksys as a shadow of its former self.

After being deservedly berated by my missus, we went and paid for the 'stock' Sinet 'Netis WF2780' was about THB 1800 as part of the package, as our main router, and got Sinet tech called out again, just to to 'program' the Linksys upstairs. As I was going mental with it. The Netis worked for me out the box!

The tech was great, and after a month of frustration Ib gladly tipped him THB 100.

Now I dont splash cash, as much as it may seem that way, the linksys was settled on in blind optimism to 'future proof' the house, and I'm hoping at some stage to upgrade the firmware. It's a great built and powerful router, just has firware issues that 'may be fixed' by Linksys, and the fanbois are all starting to whinge too on various sites.

The point is: Maybe your provider can help.

One other thing, note your router settings, a brown-out reset the Linksys to factory state and I'm back to square one, but just running the Netis for now, sigh!

Giving wrong information helps no body.

Please resist.

Will you please just clarify why I am wrong, it is unhelpful to everyone if you start an argument, just because you have some unknown need to be seen to be right.

I am more than willing to stand down if you can provide the information I have asked you for everal times.

Where is it?

Have a look at post number 5 which contains the correct information to obtain a twelve month extension based on retirement in Thailand.

This is what you did.

The op clearly states that he would prefer to get a Non Imm O-A Visa which he can only obtain in his country of residence.

The official rule for retirement extensions.

2.22 In the case of retirement:

Each permission shall be granted for no more than one year.

The alien:

(1) Must have been granted a non-immigrant visa (NON-IM).

(2) Must be 50 years of age or over.

(3) Must have evidence of having income of no less than Baht 65,000 per month: or

(4) On the filing date, the applicant must have funds deposited in a bank in Thailand of no less than Baht 800,000 for the past three months. For the first year only, the applicant must have proof of a deposit account in which said amount of funds has been maintained for no less than 60 days prior to the filing date: or

(5) Must have an annual earning and fluids deposited with a bank totaling no less than Baht 800,0000 as of the filing date.

You are correct, wouldn't it have been simpler and more pleasant for everyone just to have gotten right to the point?

I was too eager to help, and did miss the important O-A vs O request.

I also checked my passport, and I have a O visa not an O-A visa, so I was wrong out the gate as well. I'm willing to eat crow on that, lesson learned.

It's a deeper concern for me because I've been doing that a lot lately, glossing over details and jumping to conclusions. And, getting riled over little things...

I apologise for my mis-reading leading to confusion, and for jumping in 'pot calling the kettle black', have a nice evening.

If you are talking about an O-A versus an straight O visa, and the difference is not having to do an extension -which is all of one morning at immigration, for one extra year, and you think it is worth it, then that's OK.

I did miss that distinction, in the original post, but that does not make me outright wrong.

Nonetheless, I will apologise for not reading carefully the first time.

Just bear in mind you'll be adding way more expense and way more time up front than the benefits you'll get by 'skipping' one extension in your first two years.

Since Eclipse would not clarify that at time of posting, I thought I would.

Why are you going through all that BS? If you come here on a 30 day visa and apply for you non O-A internally, NO Police checks and NO medicals. Its crazy, but it's a fact. I'm surprised nobody said as much already.

If you're worried you'll be somehow rejected, you can send for your shipped stuff (if any) later after youre in. It takes about 90 days from arrival to Visa granted, There are better sites for this info ironically...

Some guys may have done one bad thing in their youth and turned the page, it would be a shame to miss out on a visa because of something that happened years ago (BTW I'm squeaky clean, in fact an ex cop -with a liberal attitude!) plus they're getting snarky about all sorts of minutiae here so, best just show up asap and do it internally.

Finally, no matter what your record says, you'll pay handsomely for the exact same service in Canada you get here.

Hopefully some kinder soul on here will support these statements for your peace of mind. Caveat! I arrived 3 years ago, things MAY have changed, but I'd still chance it from here, too much at stake not to risk the airfare.

You will (from memory) have to stay here for the initial 90 days of course, but you can get an inexpensive short-term condo, vs tourist hotel, learn some thai, sort out your bank account, decide if it's REALLY for you, and so forth. PM me for the exact step by step details I posted on another site when I did my O-A.

I have read of people arriving at immigration at 3am and 4am.

I decided not to 'reply' to those posters, as I don't wish to get into a flame war.

Besides, I'm irritated by the method, not the individual choice to participate in the earlybird madness. If it floats your boat, go for it!

Having said that, this is a classic response to a dysfunctional system!

What if everybody swallowed their fear of 'missing out' -on what exactly? A 'deli' number!

Show up at 8am or thereafter, and force the authorities to concede that this method is unworkable, instead of working with the dysfunction.

I am about to do my 3rd report. I will never get there before 7am and if it means going back the next day (never had to, and always finished by 1pm latest with passport in hand) then so be it. By that I mean if they ask me to come back at 3pm, I will come back the next day. No skin off my nose, and I have better use of my time than lose an entire day, rather make it two morning segments.

I will also try the Airport, as my bank letter is out that way anyway, and report back on whether that's still a going concern