BKKBike09

Yes, the controllers at VTBU aren't overworked although there is actually a bit more traffic than that - you've also got the skydiving operators, various GA flights, police/military (mostly rotary), US mil from time to time. A lot of these a/c don't have ADS-B so they won't show on the tracking sites (which rely on ADS-B data).

Actually UTP (VTBU) is 24H operational.

Many aircraft systems and mechanical components are timed life: change out at X hours of use regardless of apparent condition. Also (commercial a/c like this) have multiple redundancy of hydraulic and electrical systems.

Which is what makes this massive over-response odd. One of your earlier posts had a FlightRadar image of the a/c in red, indicating it had formally declared an emergency and transponder was squawking 7700. If it declared an emergency, ATC would have asked for souls on board + fuel remaining + any hazardous cargo. So they would have known in good time that there were only a handful of people on board, and that the nature of the emergency wasn't a flight control issue. Mind you, the ATC guys at UTP don't have much to do ...

Ah. That rarest of minerals, quartz! Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth's crust and is found on all continents. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/teaching-resources/featured-collections/all-sorts-quartz#:~:text=Quartz is one of the,colors%2C and has many uses. Quartz is so common in crustal rocks that it's more notable when quartz is missing than when it's present. https://www.thoughtco.com/all-about-quartz-1440958 (That's enough Quartz for a Saturday morning - Ed.)

I think I've been pretty consistent and common sense about such things, which isn't hard: 1. We don't eat out nearly as much now as we used to pre-COVID. 2. When we do eat out now, I always keep my N95 mask on at all times, except when actually eating, including while waiting for the food and after eating. 3. When we do eat out now, we typically try to do so at times when customer traffic isn't busy and sit as far away as possible from other seated tables. 4. And I'm up-to-date with the latest XBB-variant COVID vaccine, unlike most people in Thailand. I'm in my 60s, so I'm in the age range where I'd be at increased risk for bad COVID outcomes, were I to come down with an infection. So I behave accordingly, as I always have. That's all well and good but you haven't answered my question: do you really think that continuing to wear a mask while you also eat a meal is either rational or sensible?

Come on - you really think that continuing to wear a mask while you also eat a meal is either rational or sensible? If you're that worried about catching Covid outside, then don't take the mask off at all.

A few days ago I was amazed to watch a foreign bloke, masked up (N95, of course), eating a meal at a mid-Sukhumvit pub. Sitting outside. Did not remove mask, simply lifted the bottom enough to insert grub into gob and then back down again. Repeated until meal finished. Performance art? Mental illness? It appears some people are prisoners of an irrational fear.

Ah, but I've actually been posting on this thread for years. As an EV owner though, rather like my ride, I'm so quiet and understated you don't even notice me. I'm disappointed your 'EV fire' clip didn't include someone valiantly tackling the blaze with a water fire extinguisher. Maybe the Burmese guy from the petrol station round the corner given that he's likely under-employed now that there are ever more EVs on the roads.

"If you want a caramel macchiato with vanilla sweet cream cold foam you have to leave the beloved EV and go to Amazon" - it appears you can get all the stimulation needed by hugging a wet metal cabinet containing DC high voltage gubbins, so coffee is redundant. Also, Amazon coffee is 5hite.

Yes - as I've previously commented (back on page 3,604 of this thread) one of the biggest negatives to an EV in Thailand is that public chargers always seem to be in the open. If they can't be ar5ed to provide a roof for customers, they should at least provide a Burmese pump attendant to do all the work for you, as when you fill up with petrol/diesel.

Ah, but was the car driveable after this? Don't forget that the Atto has V2L so you can just plug in the wife's hairdryer and you're home and dry in no time!

There's an interesting post in that thread from a guy who says he's an engineer (presume electrical): After seeing the images I wonder if MG can explain how only 1 single connector is damaged by 'the flood damage'. The abs sensors, the dc connectors, the battery heater connector, the master service disconnect plug are all fine! Seems to me like the seal on the battery low voltage connector was damaged at installation and the corrosion has taken this long to break a connection. The connectors are all facing forwards which is a stupid design meaning all the water thrown up while driving hits the connectors. As an engineer I can't see how driving through deep water could cause this damage, the only way this connector could corrode is if water has seeped in and stayed there over a period of time. On the basis that these low voltage connectors are used under a vehicle they should be rated at IP66 at minimum meaning they should be protected against water being projected in powerful jets - car wash, jet wash etc. I think they are using the 'sitting in flood water' as being immersed in water requires a higher IP rating. His point on all the other sensors is a good one. Also about the design of the connectors facing forwards.

Are those Thai desserts?

Sure. By then you'll be "RetiredExpatOil Worker". TBH I don't really worry that much about the Atto. Also, they've been on the market now since November 2022 and have sold tens of thousands, many in Bangkok. But I haven't seen any reports of Atto owners whose car has been killed by flood waters. I'm sure if there were you'd be sure to post them. I suspect my other car is at greater risk ....

If that's the car, it's pi$$-poor if that's enough depth to kill the battery. This is my Atto in June last year. No problems then or since. Although it looks like water is over front door sill, none came in. The ground clearance is why I bought Atto since our soi floods regularly.

As the Fast Show's Swiss Toni would have said: "Using a drill is liking making love to a beautiful woman. Hold her steady and push firmly to ensure the tip goes where you want. Be careful not to go too fast without lubrication. Move your bit from side to side to widen the hole if needed. When you're finished withdraw slowly from the hole to avoid spillage".

So what's the latest? I'm sure updating the AN community about this matter isn't a priority, but you did start this topic ...

How old is your daughter and how is she feeling about all this? That's critical. Some girls will be traumatised, others can be tough as nails and shrug it off. Does she want to be pulled out of the trip or - now the boys in question have been sent home - does she prefer to stay with her friend group? To play devil's advocate, you don't appear to have all the facts yet. Before getting lawyers / cops / NGOs involved, DEMAND a meeting with the headmaster TODAY and make clear that you want to know exactly what happened and what the school is going to do. Take things from there.

Hmm. "By agreement with the family of the officer". You think they had any real choice in the matter?

If you use the card 'enough' then you can just ask them to cancel the membership fee. I don't know what 'enough' is but I get the fee cancelled every time I ask. However it irritates me that I have to waste my time to ask, given that every year for more than 10 years I spend about the same on that UOB card and always get the fee cancelled. UOB generally are pretty hopeless. My wife is going to ditch her Citi card because of the crap 'service' during this transition period.

There's a dedicated Grab Meeting Point being constructed at Suvarnabhumi as well - scheduled to open next month. Down at street level in front of the main terminal building.

Perhaps not a sniffle, but why is Covid nowadays worthy of any more focus -from a societal health / economic impact perspective - than any of the many other diseases or activities that also kill thousands annually and destroy lives and opportunity in Thailand? Road deaths, for instance? 20,000 a year or so. https://www.who.int/thailand/news/detail/03-01-2023-a-new-year-s-resolution--for-life Covid has become an obsession for some. It's truly bizarre.

Neeranam's post addresses costs/time/lawyers. What's your "large and genuine contribution to Thai society"? Married for how long? Having kids also helps. Good if you can speak some Thai but not (for the moment) any formal assessment of your language skills. PS - your later comment "no financial benefit to learning Thai" - if you get Thai nationality, you can be much more easily employed; having some reasonable Thai language ability could help in that respect, so does have potential financial benefit.

I guess this is all rubbish, then? Wearing face masks did not reduce risk of Covid infection after first Omicron wave, research shows Thursday 16 May 2024 New research from the University of East Anglia has found that wearing face masks did not lower the risk of Covid infection following the initial surge of the Omicron variant. The analysis of official data found that several risk factors for infection altered significantly as the dominant variant in the UK changed from Delta to Omicron in December 2021 ... ... This latest research found that prior to Omicron BA.2, never wearing a mask was associated with an increased risk of around 30pc in adults and 10pc in children. But by the second Omicron wave (mid to late February 2022 onwards) there was no protective effect from mask wearing in adults and possibly an increased risk of infection in children ... [emphasis added] https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/wearing-face-masks-did-not-reduce-risk-of-covid-infection-after-first-omicron-wave-research-shows