KhnomKhnom

Carry a cane.

I need mine, but you can carry if you need or not.

Mine has a sword in it.

1. not every man is mentally balanced and may willingly spend his money on a typical young Thai who has no idea that the well could go dry.

2. I have to ask, is every guy who gets his mug shot reproduced on tvisa U G L Y ???

3. Glad he was found and helped back to his home nation.

Separately, Thailand may soon have to cope with the tradition of "take care of the old, the really old" inside the family begins to crumble as the middle class emerges where that tradition has crumbled in other nations.

The most amazing thing I can see in Thailand and for only the price of one Coke is a whole stage full of the most beautiful young women, all naked and dancing. That, in the great scheme of the whole world ...THAT... is truly spectacular.

Otherwise, seven on one motorbike is up near the top ranks of spectacular.

I am an American well entrenched in Thailand with wife and house, etc. I do not want to leave, and if I can just not pee off some important person, very unlikely, I will be here for my cremation. I "feel" huge love for me as an American by all Thai who are quick to say, "America number one." I do not worry about being forced to leave, or even feeling uncomfortable, because Thai know Americans tip in excess, to be very polite to an extreme, and to want to buy the best at a fair price.

Thai know Brits/Aussies as meager or non-tippers, as surly and grumpy and disrespectful and dismissive of Thai and Thai ways, and want to buy cheap things below the sellers' wholesale prices. By contrast, Americans look very positive.

Thai respect America because it does what they wish they could do---bomb the crap out of anyone it wants, call that restoration of democracy, and get away with it; and, because Americans here having never learned the language nor the real value of Thai money, Americans are easy to fool and easy to overcharge. Once Americans get it through their thick skulls that, IN THAILAND, you can not go to court and sue at drop of a hat, can not disrespect young Thai drunks without a huge whipping, and can not have any Thai take anything you say seriously.... then Americans get along well here.

And oh, I do smile so much I have smile wrinkles.

Hey, be glad they are not flies.... like in Africa, on everything!

I live happily in a house but it is completely screened and the doors are closed at sundown, no screen door, but need one.

I use one of those rechargeable battery bug zappers that look like a tennis raquet. Mine even has a light to attract bugs and the zapping really works. It can be swept through the air and get them.

Also, for you, put in several of those ultraviolet electric bug zappers that are wall mounted and just keep working inside house. They make a very satisfying zap sound for each bug drawn in and fried.

If you have pots or pools of standing water, put a couple drops of ordinary oil on the surface... that keeps them from breathing and they die.

My mooban also sprays for mosquitoes something that has not killed us yet, but keeps down the little devils.

A relaxed person can handle this matter many ways and enjoy his house.

These are my suggestions all given in American terms and standards and no unexplained abbvs. nor slang.......

This answer does not try to educate you to electrician status but introduces matters that you should watch out for when having an electrician work for you.

Best for your whole house to be rewired, inside the walls where possible and surface mounting otherwise.

Of course, getting a competent electrician is the key as you know. If I were to want this, I would start at Home Pro for a package deal buying supplies from Home Pro and using their recommended electrician. The advantage can be working with an established company that you can find in several years if problems crop up and also hopefully Home Pro has a list of competent electricians. Maybe you can make a combined payment to Home Pro only.

Best to put in a new "breaker box" the metal box inside the home which receives the incoming electricity from outside and sends it on, through safety breakers (switches that automatically turn off if sensing an overload), to various circuits inside the home. You can install GFI, Ground Fault Interrupter, switch type breakers on the circuits that go to the bathrooms and to any other place where a person can touch a worn or accidental appliance, etc. and receive a shock (the GFI senses problem and auto shuts off). GFI units can also be installed individually at the sockets of potentially dangerous appliances, etc.

If you have problems of frequent low voltage which is seen by slowing fans and dimming incandescent light bulbs, etc., the big answer is to have the electric company wire to your home a "Three Phase" supply. Ask about availability and cost. This method is the most powerful effort to a solution. However, low voltage and/or too high voltage can be addressed with devices usually called "buck-boost" which help to keep the voltages even to either the whole house or specific circuits. Again, cost is a factor. If your electrician does not know about Safe-T-Cut and "buck boost," you have the wrong electrician.

Grounding....... Insist on three wires to run to all outlets and ALL other places electricity is supplied to some device like a water heater or lamp. The third wire, coded green insulation, is attached to the grounded breaker box's ground and a third wire connects to the third pin, the large round one on American plugs, on all wall sockets. Standard is a plastic coated cable including inside it three wires: one coated black, HOT, one white, Neutral, and one green, ground. There are other color standards but three wires are a must. Best is to connect the black HOT wire to the more narrower flat pin on an American socket and the Neutral wire to the slightly wider flat pin. When devices with only two pins are on their wire, from TVs to toasters and many others, without testing, you can not determine which pin goes to HOT and which to Neutral, and in normal items, it does not matter.

Grounding your strip of sockets/outlets like ones sold for computers is done only with a three wire strip which has the round pin, ground pin, American style, connected from inside the plug on the cord all the way to each round pin, ground, socket. That is the only way to obtain what most of the strips claim, many falsely--"line conditioning" or "spike protection," and the strip must also contain the devices to shunt spikes, etc., to ground. Such strips are not cheapest.

The best way of coping ...in the system described here... with devices with a two-round-pin plug on it, very common in Thailand, is to use an adapter that takes round pins IN and adapts to the three pin American sockets you had installed on/ in your walls. You can use also a strip of sockets, described just above but with only a two pin plug on the cord, where the sockets on the strip have holes that will take any common Thai plug. This is ok for, say, a two wire electric lamp--or even a TV-- with the two-round-pin plug on it. Note that this strip does not provide a ground even though there is a hole for such a pin.

My house is mostly two wire/two pin sockets. Consult your electrician to check me, but in some cases, like a refrigerator or washer that has only two pin plug, it is most safe to connect the metal case of the appliance to the third round ground pin on your sockets. The electrician will have to wire that adaption. Do not accept the false solution of connecting the green ground wire from the appliance to a screw in a concrete wall, seen often.

There are, of course, cheaper and less thorough plans to address your needs, but I guessed you a thorough person who wanted the whole system done correctly. Good Luck.

I taught about 150 film/tv/animation students in the Mahidol B.A. program. All Thai, about two thirds of them made their short senior project films which were imaginative, technically excellent, and very memorable in story. Few were about chases or shooting and most had a very humane undercurrent of caring about people even when they are troubled.

I concluded there is no absence of talent in Thailand. But, like every other nation, the entertainment industry is driven by the lowest common domination chasing a small number of outlets. Now YouTube allows everyone to distribute his film, and I recommend people go there for all qualities of entertainment and artistry.

It is quite sad that the Cannes Festival winner, 100% Thai, and his winning film is censored by the Thai authorities, cut so badly that the maker will not agree to show a ruined work here. I saw True satellite showing of CASABLANCA and even that classic treasure was censored in parts. On the other hand, Thai I question, feel that most TV seen in Thailand is so inconsequential and silly, like continuous cartoons so just maybe they are not so easily influenced by "bad" scenes.

My number one "vital question" is why not use the Thaksins' seized assets to help pay off the loss from the rice scheme; and then why not seize more of their assets to pay it all off??????

This seems so simple.

Thai people are sick of the MASSIVE rip off done by the Thaksins and understand that their political machine must have its plug pulled forever and are willing to wait to see that done........... also realize this is very likely the only way to get that job done.

All you arm-chair democratic freedom fighters are a joke to think this this goal can not be first and must be accomplished.

The largest threat to democracy in Thailand for decades has been/is the Terrorist Thaksins.

There are many ways for USA to reassert its dominance in Thailand........

-make a deal with the generals.

-destabilize current situation until Mr. T can come back as savior.

-continue secret subversion and deals with powerful Thai biz folks.

-put on sanctions and squeeze a usa favorable situation.

USA no longer invades nations like Panama. They just install "their man" and that guy runs the nation for them.

My first reaction to your topic header was ARE YOU NUTZ ???

After some thought, I now know you are nutz. My woman was forced to touch the snow, she hated it and ran back inside. Her HUGE down jacket hangs unused. You are asking for a world of hurt....... SKIING... Ask her and if she is honest, she would rather you buy her gold necklace for the cost of trip, lessons, etc. Skip this nonsense.

Hey, if she loves it, she is likely already Westernized and no longer a good Thai woman.

I LIKE IT !! All the hostile powers have a big practice fight and then plan one huge simulated fight each year and the winner gets to lord over all the others for a year. Winner gets to call others "anti democratic" or "anti Party" or "be pro sustainability" or whatever whole year.

In the world of strange, I vote this story near top for the new year, at least.

Quick, Thailand, send some of your own emissaries to USA to ask about.........

-Al Gore got majority votes for Pres but was denied the WH by the highest court in USA.

-Meet Posse Comitatus officials to explore their efforts to overthrow USA govt by force of arms, ask about private armies in usa.

-Ask about minorities being denied voting rights.

-Interview some Mexican people who came to USA as illegal immigrants to get their views.

USA, oops, some cracks in your perfection showing.

Western man goes to massage establishment. Selects masseuse and gets massage. Masseuse asks "You want special?" Man says yes (no way to prove his intention by saying yes). Man receives intimate massage. All done, man tips masseuse for massage. Is this paying for prostitution act or tipping a masseuse for massage?

Same as above, but man says upon departure, "Here, use this 1000 to buy your baby some clothes." Is that paying for a sex act or is it a gift?

Woman meets man at bar; the two go to hotel and have intimate sexual actions, together and consensual. Man gives woman money for taxi upon her departure? Is that prostitution by Thai law?

P.S. Chinese medicine includes massage of male genitals as therapeutic and very beneficial for good health. Is therapeutic massage (paid for) prostitution in Thailand?

• Nations like Thailand should consider sending emissaries to the USA to visit with ...........

  -Al Sharpton, leader of potential oppressed minorities, to get info on USA poor people's voting rights.

  -Al Gore, elected Pres of USA by popular vote, but kept from that office by the USA highest court.

  -Leaders of major labor unions in USA concerning USA govt crackdown on them.

  -Mitt Romney concerning his loss of last USA Pres. election to discuss election irregularities there.

  -Leaders of Posse Comitatus and other organizations preparing to take over USA govt by armed force.

  These visits could be seen as parallel to a recent visit to a SEA nation from emissary Russel of the USA.

  It is time for the world's nations to go inside USA to investigate how bad its situation is today

Nations around the world should consider sending emissaries to the USA to visit with ...........

-Al Sharpton, leader of potential oppressed minorities, to get info on USA poor people's voting rights.

-Al Gore, elected Pres of USA by popular vote, but kept from that office by the USA highest court.

-Leaders of major labor unions in USA concerning USA govt crackdown on them.

-Mitt Romney concerning his loss of last USA Pres. election to discuss election irregularities there.

-Leaders of Posse Comitatus and other organizations preparing to take over USA govt by armed force.

These visits could be seen as parallel to a recent visit to a SEA nation from an emissary of the USA.

It is time for the world's nations to go inside USA to investigate how bad its situation is today.

L.A. area docks are owned by Arabs.

You are dreaming about a place, a nation, that does not exist... not Thailand, not Cambodia, not Bali, not Columbia, etc.

Every nation limits immigration in and controls who can work....every heard of an American green card, they made a movie about it.

In Thailand the laws are definitely present and are black and white regarding work permits and regarding who and how foreign people can LIVE in Thailand... you rejected all the options except the Thai Elite Card or the questionable/troubling/illegal complicated idea of living here somehow within or outside the rules.. makes you a dreamer in my book, sorry.

Every foreigner here lives to some degree in the danger of attracting too much attention to himself, especially getting some Thai angry with him, which leads to a police report or some other kind of official complaint. At that point, all the stuff a person thinks he is sliding by with, come down upon him with large teeth. Someone may not have a drivers license, may just not report 90 days, his dog bites a kid on a bike, etc etc etc, and that line of etc can be huge, but it only takes one infraction to surface and bang, you are in trouble.

That is the way it works here.

Danger of broken ribs is punctured lung, which is very serious but usually has bleeding from mouth. Nevertheless, get xrays for a good hospital, small hospital xrays are worthless. You can be taped to ease your discomfort some.

GO GET XRAYS.

Max age is mandatory retirement age of 65.

Older People I talk to in BKK get hired same day as applying indicating desperate need for English teachers of any age.

Things to do in CM.......

Slowly die...... of boredom.

Take your Thai wife to Canada and here are the possible, and only, results......

-She hates it especially the winter, and flies home.

-Under the pressure of massive change, she becomes Westernized and no longer recognizable.

-Under the pressure of massive change, she goes insane, requiring famous Canadian hospitalization.

Thai women are like some flowers that thrive only in one atmosphere. Take them out of that and they wither one way or the other. You came here to get a THAI wife, not just any woman, and now she is in your clumsy hands. Stay with her here where you made the marriage deal.

This situation and the really dumb TV comments shows the complexity of the situation and the difficulty of arm-chair by-standers to have any good insight.

Here are some facts/assertions for you all.......

-polluted voting is not democracy.

-The Thaksins political machine was very near to owning and choking Thailand.

-The Thaksins had assembled a private army almost ready to march on the capital when Army stopped that.

-It is is very possible that USA does not have a SINGLE policy toward Thailand but that State has one or two, WH has a few, CIA at least one more, and usa economic forces, biz elite, other ideas and goals for using Thailand.

-Russel could have found that he could grab onto one of those policies and use it to take a secret payment/bribe from Thaksins; thinking that USA officials are totally clean is just foolish (CIA employees, for example, made tons of money flying drugs which was ok, if sheep dipped, with the CIA bosses). Remember that just in the CIA, there are several Directorates all with semi-autonomous activities, some even at cross purposes in the Agency.

-Contacting a deposed and convicted criminal, even if former PM, would be like a big nation going to a small country and talking with its Mafia heads as well as the govt. or go see Nixon after his disgraced departure WH. This Russel thing really smells but also is indicative of the onion layers at work here.

-All the moaning of self-appointed democracy "freedom fighters" typing on TV is good for a laugh, really silly. To assert full knowledge about Thailand situation and moan about democracy here is just so foolish it is off the foolish charts.

I can not wear contact lenses in BKK. Now I have cataract surgery and dont need them anyway.

Air in this whole country is bad, which is a real puzzle for a peninsula where air moves across lots. Peninsula Florida had nice winds coming across it all the time and lots of rain to help... seems Thailand should have this too, but no so.

Most all newer devices like that use some version of a lithium-ion polymer battery. Read Wikipedia for full definitions, etc.

This type battery was developed to reduce or eliminate the "memory" function of earlier rechargeable battery types. People still have a memory of these memory batteries and falsely apply that to the new style which asserts NO memory.

That indicates that there is little to no reason to run the battery down before recharging it. However, these batteries need to have circuits in their chargers to limit automatically over charge, and in the user end, the computer, a circuit to limit total discharge. I can not find out why.

Definitive info on these batteries is just not there, except every source does claim the exploding/inflamed quality of these items. One of their failure modes is explosion or spontaneous burning. Age seems to cause this, but I see no info about WHAT age becomes a danger.

My advice is to just leave the computer on the charger all the time and deal with whatever battery failure comes along... the cost is low and just replacing every now and then should be thought of as part of the cost of operating the computer.