Moonlover

Good thought. From what I hear hospitals don't want to touch you until they've seen your passport. However, that probably wouldn't prevent them from carrying out resuscitation. After all, there's not a lot of money to be made out of a dead patient is there. But it's a good back up plan.

I can look around my village and see many septuagenarians, quite a few octogenarians and even a couple of nonagenarians. I myself am a fit and healthy 77 year old. I long since gave up being concerned about the air that I'm breathing. And BTW, I spent my earlier years in west London, before the Clean Air Act of 1956. I can recall having to hold my hand out in front of me to reduce the risk of bumping into a lamp post or whatever. Most folks around here don't have a clue what bad air is all about.

I've just now said: 'I don't recall ever receiving a OTP number, so how would I know?'

I do receive SMSs from NBS to my Thai mobile number, but I don't recall ever receiving a OTP number. You have me puzzled there. NBS uses the mobile app for authorizing transactions.

All the information that the card reader needs is loaded onto the chip before the card is issued. The same data is, of course, known to the bank. (obviously or the system wouldn't work)

That will, I'm sure, depend on how much it will cost to keep you 'plugged in'. I'm sure that even my 3 pensions would not be enough to keep me sustained in an ICU environment. Hence my discourse on 'living wills' etc.

Thanks for that tip. A long time ago I used to wear an SOS neckless, which was a small capsule in which one could place medical details and written instructions. I shall look into that idea.

Now that's a good idea. (and partly true as well)

If you cast around on the internet you'll find several references alluding to the fact that the Malacca Straits are becoming extremely congested and potentially dangerous, An alternative route might just become inevitable (and lucrative) in the future.

It's a dilemma I face as well. I really do want to deposit a living will somewhere, but I never get sick, so I never get to see a doctor. I'm considering having a tattoo on my chest in Thai and English. "Not to be opened until after my death!'.

Go for it Charlie. 👍

Yes I agree with that. I wonder how many of folks on this forum are ex military and have acquired the 'travel bug' as I call it. I think ones upbringing has some influence as well. My dad was in construction and was for ever moving on to the next project, with the family in tow of course, usually one project behind him. We never lived in a house for longer than 5 years. After many, many years I can still remember possibly the happiest person I ever met. His name was Alister and he was a sheep farmer on the Isle of Sky in north west Scotland. He was in his 60s I guess and had only left the island twice in his life and even they were only brief excursions. I think 'happy' isn't quite the right word for Alister. Contented would be more accurate. He wanted nothing more than a warm fire in the winter nights and a wee dram or two of an evening. Few people seem to reach that state of contentment with their lives.

None. I'm a positive thinker.

The red zone corresponds to the sugarcane harvesting season of course. That and the fact that the readings are taken within the city would account for the high readings. We live some 20kms to the east of the city in a region where no sugarcane is grown and we're well away from a main road. We have no complains about the air quality here. If I can see the peaks of the Pho Pha Yon hills some 15kms away to our south, I'm happy with the air. And I nearly always can.

It's certainly not a problem where we live. I'm just back from a lovely walk in clean fresh air, as it is almost every day of the year around here. The 2 days of 'moderate' on the chart below are, what I regard as unusually high!

Yes, I think most of us have worked that out. And the benefits?

Here's another report that paints a very different picture of the affect that the railway (and other projects) have had on Laos. The one not seen through @RabbitFoot's rose coloured spectacles. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66924300

Here you are. Have a good read and decide for yourself. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/is-the-massive-land-bridge-project-worth-the-trillion-baht-investment/

Please tell. In what way do you think that Thailand will benefit from this 'pretty amazing' train?

Good plan. I'll be 80 when mine is next due renewal. There's no way I'll be making 2 return trips to Bangkok. Not from rural Sakon Nakhon at 675kms each way! I'll definitely be using an agent.

It's been reported several times on this forum that folks have used Thai bank debit cards. You must ensure that the card is authorized for international transactions. According to the Gov website: 'You can expect to receive your passport within 4 weeks, unless we require further information from you, or to invite you for an identity interview'. But, how long is a piece of string? https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/overseas/information/thailand/renew/adult

Is the correct answer.

From where did you get that from? I doubt whether there is a single office in the land that would reject the oncome method. They would certainly have no just cause for doing so.

Well now you know 2, because I asked when I went to get my reentry permit at that same office and was told, 'yes'. So I did of course. Mind you, that was 4 years ago. Things change as we know and nothing seem to be more fluid than the rules regarding TM30s.

That does not become apparent until you actually visit the thread and even then who looks at the tiny script at the top? @puck2 obviously didn't.