GreasyFingers

My GP back in Oz was exceptionally good at picking patients with heart problems. That did not stop him from having a good whiskey though. There are more serious problems in life than wanting to live to 100.

I understand your thinking in looking after her but when you are dead you are not going to worry about it. I am in a similar situation and will be leaving her cash and gold in small quantities, and real estate. I know her family will be after her when I am gone (they are doing it already) but she will have to make her own decisions and I only hope she takes regard to what I tell her now.

Your friend needs to check his Australian bank rate. I have been using OFX for years because they have have always had a better rate than the banks. As of a month ago the CBA has dropped their exchange fee and offer a better rate than OFX. Do not know how long this will continue or if the other banks are the same but check them first. An added bonus the money arrives with no fees from my Thai banks but through OFX there was a small fee from them.

I watch the royal TV session on most nights and am amazed at the number graduating from universities (the degree handing out takes up most of the time). My step daughter is at university in Bangkok and is studying, in her own words, Humanities. I asked what job she would do after getting her degree and she could not answer as she did not know.

Ah ha, a child in adult clothing.

I might be a miserable old git but do like to see people enjoy themselves but have never understood the need for modified noisy exhausts except at a race track. Actually they annoyed my wife more than me and it is the older ones that come up here to sing karaoke at the resorts with full volume speakers that annoy me more.

At your place, thank you.

Only use the "smart phone" to make telephone calls or SMS. I know what my family and friends look like so do not need to look at them while talking.

The posters here have no idea of what went on this weekend. Literally thousands of small but loud bikes mostly ridden by kids but also some in the older group. We live on a small road, the pavement is only 5 metres wide at best and they were roaring up and down the road all weekend into the early hours of the mornings. I have no idea where they were going as we are on a small road. They do not ride the small bikes from Bangkok or wherever but send them up in trucks or modified utes that hold about 6-10 bikes. Great social weekend for them but even my usually sedate wife complained that it should be stopped. The police had a check point early on Saturday morning but after that it was a free for all. Have yet to here of all of the later accidents, but the local hospital was busy.

You are showing your age. Great music.

Have not had a McDonald's in 30 years. They were rubbish back then, are they still the same?

But still in love.

Are you thinking of moving from your beloved America?

But she is only PM because of her father so she did not need to learn diplomatic skills, apart from knowing when to run.

Yes mate, the problem is we do not know what the baht will do when things hit the fan. Most of my money is in cash (missed the rise in silver even when I thought it was undervalued V gold) but do have enough gold to survive as long as I don't live too long. My problem is the wife will rely on the cash that is left plus some real estate after i am gone. If the food prices stay low she will survive but not if they go to the wests' levels..

Damn the cool season. All of the tourists from hot Bangkok will be arriving soon (actually they have started aleady).

You were lucky the lavatory outlet was at the correct distance from the wall 300-305mm. Our handyman replaced two old bowls and the outlets were at the wrong distance so he had to butcher the old outlet and do a makeshift connection. 67 yo was a long time ago.

I was really referring to our local area. The BIL is a licenced electrician so knows all of the people who work in trades around here. He cannot recommend anyone who is a trained plumber so we have to put up with the handyman.

Thanks for that information. Do you think they will come to Khao Kho to fit a tap correctly. How much do you think they will charge.

As far as I can gather from experience here that there are no "plumbers", only handymen that think (that is too strong a word) they know what they are doing. An extension 4 years ago still has problems in the new bathrooms. A recent upgrade of the original bathrooms led to water leaks in the wall (though this was probably due to the original construction) and a new vanity that is not secured to the wall so moves if I lean on it, and the tap (faucet for the Americans) twists when turning off and on. In younger times I would have fixed all these things myself but as you noted the body is not what it used to be.

No way would I return to work or anything on a permanent basis. Having settled up here in a semi-rural area I would hate to be committed to working for someone else. With 2 rai to look after there is always things to be done but the energy levels are not what they used to be so they get done on a most needs basis. The lack of energy also leads to lack of motivation to do anything outside the property or even go anywhere. Even though the wife is much younger she is starting to have the same attitude. However she does have family and friends that interrupt her mini farming lifestyle. As to contributing skills to the community it is difficult to find a Thai that wants to learn and not do it their way.

We have a 2015 Avanza and the first class insurance is only 200,000 so the price seems a bit high. However a good car with 140,000km on the clock.

Similar to my FIL. Son wanted to come and stay with him for a couple of nights. Fortunately my wife is smart enough to hold his ATM card so her brother will get nothing.

If she has a welfare card she should have received it already. The FIL (no phone) and other family members did.

AI: Artificial Information