gomangosteen

Our wild area we've chosen not to develop too much, I cleared some of the medium height scrub/trees, thinned the larger trees and removed all the vines and their ongoing regrowth. Provided more sunlight and clean air flight paths around a pond about 15x10m. Over time the wildlife has increased, various water birds, two white egrets, racquet tail drongos, coucals, various other little ground birds who seem to prefer walking to flying. And your mynahs (prefer the h ones) birds. Add squirrels who help themselves to bananas and papaya. One water monitor about 1.2m set up residence mid last year I'm less fond of, though I won't mind if it takes out the wandering cats, or the pigeons.

Are we just lucky? Six years old next month our Samsung 10kg gets used every night - four adults. In that time just one repair, a solenoid last year, cost 400b to repair. Before that a Samsung 6.5kg which was very overworked, died after seven years. Good enough to stay with same brand.

Went along to watch two races each on Saturday and Sunday; ideal conditions for racing on both days.

Photos of the accident scene from Facebook; not on one of the steeper sections; rolling like that it's almost a surprise more than one didn't die. Back on its wheels showing the passenger seating

I'd like to send one there We have one over the wall in our 'jungle' area, about 1.2m / 4ft. Knew we had a visitor - heard splashes in the pond - it's quite bold and doesn't scare easy (well, not as easy as I scare). Just as long as it stays over there and doesn't decide to take up residence in the garage.

No, not another one. Already:

Mine on Wednesday (Chanthaburi) Passport, completed TM47. The tear-off TM30 receipt is stapled in back of my passport, don't know if he looked at it, just noted in computer and I was on my way at 8.32am (first customer of the day).

I was just 'surprised' ... It's quite a percentage from a population just over 5m. We're not in a high overseas tourist area, the only NZer I've met in Thailand since Covid was last year - at the NZ Embassy (a likely place!). We've hosted various NZers over the years, mostly here on extended stopovers to or from UK/Europe; all were short stay visa exempt, there's no numbers I can't find any figures on how many actually visit on longer SETV or METV.

Swim Cycle Run. Yes, a former triathlete. Yesterday completed a February 1000km cycle challenge - reached 1012km on my hybrid MTB (ie not a 'road' bike), over 8200km on these wheels since buying in May. We (+ wife) did two running events in February, that's six since November, have three more booked through to May, a dead spot in April with just one but missed out on that one as the max entry number limit was reached. Evenings we'll often be walking at the local park / sports complex while daughter uses their gym. Swim at local 25m pool and more often in the sea as a break on cycle rides, beach is a nice 36km loop ride from home. No gym, prefer simple outdoors exercise.

From NZ's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: "From January to July 2023, 46,925 New Zealanders entered Thailand. Extrapolated to a full 12 months, this will equate to around 80,000 visitors in 2023, down on the 112,680 who entered Thailand pre-COVID in 2019."

^ open eight weeks each year, open Feb 10, closes April 9 2024. Bookings required online, reserve a queue number in advance via the KCKQue application, done in blocks of six hours with limits of 6,000 per 6hr, yes that's right maximum capacity is 24,000 per day. Most popular is midnight to 6am to see the sunrise before descending. There is a fleet of 4wd pickups to shuttle people up/down. We first went in 2012 it was relatively quiet midweek. Would like to go again it's only 30km from us, but daughter went last year her experience enough to put us off, hours of waiting, overcrowded as multiple coach tours arrive from Bangkok and beyond, and crazy pickup drivers hurrying to collect their next load of passengers.

Singapore is not "a Muslim country"

I handed in a new TM30 to the local immigration office, hasn't been any problem with me doing my ongoing 90-day reports here.

My in-person 90-day report at Chanthaburi Immigration this morning, had other things to do in the city also. Too big a queue at nearby Amazon so went straight to the office 8.20 before they were open; #1 in the queue which had stretched to three when the door opened 8.29. Completed, and exited the building 8.31, a new 'personal best', back on the motorbike at 8.32am. Painless.

From the NZ Thai embassy site: Currently NZ $60 for SETV, and NZ $270 METV Proof of funds $2000 (44,000b) and $9000 (198,000b) respectively. SETV must have proof of outgoing flight not more than 60 days after intended arrival - bothersome for someone intending to apply for a 30 day extension. But still the option of 30 days visa-exempt. Minimal impact, more interesting is whether they intend to increase fees from other countries by a similar %.

Temple festival at Wat Khamong (amphur Tha Mai, Chanthaburi) on the weekend of 2-3 March 2024 featuring longtail boat races Wat Khamong: https://maps.app.goo.gl/DjKnGnQDCuUkc9qX7

No boats permitted on the water today, still many to arrive when i was there this morning. Course marked out, good visibility from along the beach and looks to be ideal racing conditions.

This weekend at Laem Sing beach Chanthaburi, two days racing Race schedule

Yes. We travel for sports events mostly just overnight, eg I'm not going to get a new TM30 after one night in Trat next month. But for overseas travel - several years I was short-term contracting out of Thailand - provided a new one each time I came home. I didn't mind the old days travel up to Pong Nam Ron just a little local adventure. When the Chan town office first opened I'd always get a senior IO - US accent he liked having the opportunity to speak in English and would chat away while someone else did the paperwork process. Chanthaburi Immigration office

I've been dealing with Chanthaburi Immigration since 2011, initially had to travel north to Pong Nam Ron until they opened the Chan town office. This may just be a one-off error by an overly keen IO I've never had any problem with them.

Not limited to Thailand. New Zealand has four no-alcohol days each year, I've never heard any whines about the impact on their tourism.

Koh Chang is 45km from us, we're on the Chanthaburi coast. Farmers don't burn here - it's not sugar or rice country, instead it's fruit orchards, rubber, and coastal fish/prawn farms. Three weeks ago there was a bushfire east of Chan city that was controlled by local firefighters and council workers within three days, whether accidental or deliberate I don't know but it wasn't farmland, rather tall grasses and scraggly bushed in a dry swamp area The smoke we get isn't locally made, mostly originates from forest/ bush fires in the Cambodian border mountain ranges to the east. Last week was the worst we've encountered here (since 2011) due to wind from east and northeast. Light wind change and it's clear again, my guideline is being able to see the hills of Namtok Phliu National Park clearly.

Have you ever met a person who cancelled their Thai holiday plans because bars were going to be closed for 24 hours? Enough losers in the country already; if that's how desperate they are then it's hardly a loss is it?

As a cyclist I find these various small electric vehicles one more hazard to cope with, not fast enough for the car lane, too slow for the left motorcycle/ cycle lane. I've seen this yellow/black one on the highway out of our town, competing with trucks, racing D-Max pick-ups etc. there's also a larger four-seater one, minus doors, appears to have a top speed of 20kmh.

Just a correction on previous post, too late to edit, should read: first Thais were M-8th and F-10th