Moonlover

6 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Yeah, Thailand is very experienced in this matter.❗

Everywhere on the roofs you can see solar panels and 99% of Thailand's energy is created by renewable resources, mainly solar power.

And the these huge Hydrogen factories around Bangkok. Most of this is going for export.

......and then I woke up and watched Somchai with his water buffalos.❗🤗

And what do you make of this then?

Thailand's massive floating solar farm.

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=large+flowing+solar+farm+in+thailand&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:58fa7bba,vid:vsz0yZJdGIs,st:0

52 minutes ago, hughrection said:

Where are you ? I also thought that and then looked at the IQ air live map of fires and there are many in the area around me. 😞 Check your area out and you will most likely be surprised.

Thanks for the tip. I did have a look and in quite a large area between Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom, there are only 4 fires, none of them close to where we live.

BUT, when I take a look at Laos it looks as if the whole country's alight! And the is a light easterly wind blowing right now. So I'm going to blame them.

I've lived in this area for 8 years and I spend a lot of time out in the countryside. The reduction in field burning has been very noticeable, mainly due to mechanization. Tractors and combine harvesters rule the fields nowadays.

5 minutes ago, connda said:

The inversions layer is a contributing factor.  It's the seasonal burning at this time of year that creates the pollution that is then trapped in between.  Inversion layers don't create the smoke.

There is no burning going in our area and hasn't been for some time. It is now actively discouraged in fact.

21 minutes ago, hughrection said:

it's not on here and it isn't in the paper that can't be mentioned. In my province this morning 162 AQI.

 

Why is it not being talked about/discussed ??

 

It's a national disgrace Thailand !!

It's a weather related phenomenon. There's a high pressure region hovering over central Thailand which tends to trap pollutants.

High atmospheric pressure, often associated with stable weather conditions, can lead to increased air pollution because it creates stagnant air, preventing pollutants from dispersing and allowing them to accumulate at ground level. 

19 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This is a very odd phenomena and it's not characteristic of the air quality this time of year in HH or south of that area. It's some kind of strange front, the wind seems to be blowing in from the northeast and it will likely pass soon. 

Yes, I'm in agreement with you, this is quite unusual. There are high readings throughout the country. We even have 'unhealthy air' up here in Sakon Nakhon, which is very rare.

There is apparently a high pressure region hanging over central Thailand just now which according to Google AI:

'High atmospheric pressure, often associated with stable weather conditions, can lead to increased air pollution because it creates stagnant air, preventing pollutants from dispersing and allowing them to accumulate at ground level'. 

I agree, it will pass soon, so don't panic @Harrisfan

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

A nightmare.  Every incoming and outgoing flight cancelled.  Planes being turned back and flying back to their departure airport. 

 

Shouldn't a 'prestige' airport have contingencies for situations like this?  It's not as it the fire was even at the airport!

A quote directly from the BBC report:

'With Heathrow being such a busy and important airport for passenger journeys and global trade, questions are being asked whether it has back-up systems in the event of power cuts.

The BBC understands that Heathrow does back up power for its key systems, but kickstarting these alternative power supplies for the whole airport takes time.

A source says it isn’t possible to switch the power back on immediately.

And even once the power is back one, there are countless systems which need to be rebooted and checked to ensure they are working properly and are stable'.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cly24zvvwxlt

50 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

This guy paid 20,000 baht for honey??? Look I have that same bottle right here! This is probably the stupidest scam you could fall for.

 

 

 

No he did not pay 20,000 THB for the honey. He bought the honey at a convenience store and I don't quite see what the connection is.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

There, (an unknown shop in Soi 13/2) they extolled the virtues of a health supplement allegedly containing mysterious herbs purported to aid in weight loss. Trusting their claims, Mr Campbell purchased the product for 20,000 baht and was subsequently led to withdraw cash to complete the transaction.

 

Still pretty dumb of course and when I look at his photograph, he doesn't seem to have a serious weight issue anyway.

He's 63, which doesn't make him particularly old, but there is a pertinent saying:

'There's no fool like an old fool'.

19 minutes ago, khunjake said:

, Wise halted an incoming bank transfer and proceeded to freeze all of the remaining funds in my account. Over 5 figures of assets.
 

Would you please clarify. In what country was the transfer and it what currency are your assets held?

5 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

My guess I could be wrong he left swampty and  everyone knows the face recognition does work behind those screens.did he come to thailand under his real name  then change it.he got caught and heathrow was waiting for him,but many  more are around thailand and the world with a false id.I think he knew his time was up 

You haven't been following this story very well have you.

He stole the 'Peter Smith' passport from an ailing Brit, who was, in fact, the father of one of Burrows' victims. He fled to Thailand using that passport and then the real Peter Smith died, so the loss of the passport was never detected. Burrows was able to continue using that ID to stay here in Thailand.

But you got it just about right from there on. It was advances in AI and photo recognition that finally unearthed him. See the report in The Independent below.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/scout-paedophile-thailand-richard-burrows-b2717301.html

1 hour ago, riverhigh said:

Thanks for the link.  So according to the artilce he had developed cancer and a heart condition,  and by all accounts was looking for medical treatment. Sorry to burst your bubble inspector Eleanor Atkinson, but he won. While he will be waiting for trial he will be treated to 5 star medical treatment at the expense of the UK tax payers. 

You seem to be under some delusion that everybody in the UK who has a life threatening illness will receive 5 star medical treatment. Sorry to disillusion you, but that's not aways the case. The NHS carry out a screening process before deciding whether elderly patients qualify for expensive treatment.

To put it bluntly, I very much doubt whether a convicted paedophile, who is likely to spend the rest of his life jail would receive anything more basic medical care. 

7 minutes ago, camper star said:

Can someone here with experience share some positive reviews. I'm in my early 70's and in OK health. Should I buy the insurance in the country I am in or should I wait till I am in Thailand. I want a policy with no deductible where the hospital will handle all the necessary paper work.

 

Thanks

You should always buy travel insurance in the country in which you are normally resident and expect to return to. 

It is not possible for anyone to make a recommendation because you don't state which country that is.

3 hours ago, Wuvu2 said:

It's not as if there has been a manhunt all these years, they caught him on re-entry to Heathrow. Sounds like he could have ridden out of his years in Thailand. Dumb move to return to the scene of the crime 😔

So how come the police were waiting for him at Heathrow? To do that they would have had to know his assumed ID and his travel details. I'm quite sure it wasn't just luck that they were waiting there on that particular day.

Try reading this account below in the Ledbury Reporter. In particular have a good look at the matching ID photos the police used to finally nail him.

https://www.ledburyreporter.co.uk/news/25016602.richard-burrows-paedophile-spent-27-years-run-guilty/

5 minutes ago, neverere said:

Tax on interest is capital gains, not income tax.

Rubbish. Capital gain taxes are taxes imposed on the profit of the sale of an asset.

I would suggest that 'cement furniture' is not the best choice for a balcony. It takes up a lot of room and it's very, very heavy.

Try searching for 'balcony furniture' on Lazada. Pages and pages of choices!

I've become a big fan of historical fiction and discovered a new (to me) author who has grabbed my attention. Ben Kane. I've just finished the second book in a trilogy by this author, covering the life and adventures of Richard the Lion Heart. One of England's great warrior kings.

The first book covered the tumultuous period when England ruled much of modern day France and the second covers the 3rd Crusade of which he was the de facto leader. I've fact checked quite a few details whilst reading his works and he really does check out, so I'm getting a good history lesson as well as being entertained.

Volume starts this evening. 

54 minutes ago, andych said:

We have legalised the affirmation from British Embassy, now we want to get married, in Kalasin in June but can not find any details of where to go, or can we get married in Bangkok? her Tabien Ban is in Somdet i think. And we put on the affirmation we hoped to marry in Kalasin. Just get a marriage certificate, no wedding ceremonies' planned.Thanks 

If you want to marry in Kalasin, then just go the government office complex there and ask around. Just about every citizen in the city will know where the Amphur is. All you need then is to find yourself 2 witnesses.

On 3/11/2025 at 2:04 PM, hotchilli said:

Was given a bottle of Leo the other night, poured it into a glass, 30 seconds later it was as flat as a pancake... the head was completely gone, disgusting beer.

Please for the love of god some small craft beer producer gives us something drinkable and affordable..

possible even a bitter or dark beer.

AI Overview:

• Poor Head Retention:

  A clean glass will hold a good head of foam, but a dirty glass will cause the head to flatten quickly. 

24 minutes ago, piston broke said:

 thank you for that link - very useful ....

 

But doesn't answer the 2nd part of my post:

 

"Also, when the pension payment is paid into your Thai Bank Account - Do you receive it in GBP,  and the bank then converts it into Thai Baht - or do they send it in Thai Baht ? - if the latter is the case - what exchange rate do they use compared to the Thai Bank's TT rate ? "

 

Any ideas ?

 

If you opt for direct deposit to your Thai bank account, payments will be handled by Citicorp. You'll be paid in THB and at the mid market exchange rate, which is just about as good as you can get. There is a small fee, in my case around 120 THB. 

The only disadvantage is that payments can be delayed due to Thai or US public holidays. (US because Citicorp is American of course)

Another option is to have your payments deposited into a Wise multi currency account and handle the transfers yourself. The overall costs will be about the same, but you won't encounter any delays due to holidays. (at least not usually)

Your choice.

I think you will find this useful @piston broke