toptuan

I've personally seen 19 fireballs on my 2004 visit to the Mehkhong (about 45 km from Nong Khai City). Sober. too. Yes, they do exist, and the explanations are equally fascinating.

BKK / LA flights: For a long time, Malaysian Airlines had the best deals. If you don't mind touring all of Asia enroute. And a 48-hour trip.

Apparently, a number of posters missed my warning post of last night. Please don't make a bad situation worse by returning flaming-type responses to some wild/unsubstantiated posts (such as accusing the poster of substance abuse). You have really taken the bait, and are now guilty of troll-feeding. The Troll du Jour has been permanently put out to pasture. Don't waste your breath (fingers), and please spend your energy on a fact-based discussion.

Cheers,

Toptuan

Please back off on the sweeping, unsubstantiated generalizations (bordering on trollish/inflammatory posts) and the flaming responses to those who do. Please be reminded of the forum rules to keep this thread on-track and civil:

4) Not to flame fellow members.

Flaming will not be tolerated. 'Flaming' is defined as posting or responding to a message in a way clearly intended to incite useless arguments, to launch personal attacks, to insult, or to be hateful towards other members. This includes useless criticism, name-calling, swearing and any other comments meant to incite anger.

5) Not to post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling.

Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

Thank you,

Toptuan

For the Moderating Team

May I please remind everyone of the following forum rules:

4) Not to flame fellow members.

Flaming will not be tolerated. 'Flaming' is defined as posting or responding to a message in a way clearly intended to incite useless arguments, to launch personal attacks, to insult, or to be hateful towards other members. This includes useless criticism, name-calling, swearing and any other comments meant to incite anger.

5) Not to post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling.

Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

Posting wild, unsubstantiated claims and equally-unsubstantiated sweeping generalizations come very close to inflammatory/trollish posts, and you are asked to tone down the rhetoric considerably. A particularly inflammatory poster has been informally warned in a PM.

Replying to those posts with flaming-type responses are equally at fault in creating a downward spiral in the civility of this thread.

I'm asking all posters to raise the level of this discussion to factual on-topic posts so we don't have to close down this rapidly-going-sideways thread.

Toptuan

For the Moderating Team

Several inflammatory and trollish posts have been edited or removed from this forum. Please tone down the rhetoric a bit, and be reminded of the following forum rules:

4) Not to flame fellow members.

Flaming will not be tolerated. 'Flaming' is defined as posting or responding to a message in a way clearly intended to incite useless arguments, to launch personal attacks, to insult, or to be hateful towards other members. This includes useless criticism, name-calling, swearing and any other comments meant to incite anger.

5) Not to post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling.

Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

6) Not to post comments that could be reasonably construed as defamation or libel.

Defamation is the issuance of a false statement about another person, which causes that person to suffer harm. Libel involves the making of defamatory statements in a printed or fixed medium, such as a magazine or newspaper.

7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais.

Another insensitive post deleted and poster issued formal warning. Let's keep it on a respectable level, folks.

I think there is value in allowing this type of thread on the TVForum even if simply for the benefit of the catharsis of its own members over such a tragedy.

Despite our occasional squabbling and pure fun (Bedlam?), there's a "family" aspect of the TVForum which I've always appreciated. It comes out in threads like this.

Central World?

I must have missed the announcement for the name change.

It's nice having it here, no matter the name.

Subtitle edited to reflect what I believe is the actual name. No charge.

The Japanese are especially sensitive to smells, particularly body odor. A close Japanese friend once told me that westerners (even the clean ones!) smelled "like butter" which is a repulsive smell to most Japanese. Right after a morning shower and donning a clean set of clothes, I would board the Tokyo trains or subway, and sit down next to a Japanese who would invariably get up and move to another seat. It must have been the butter syndrome.

Let's keep the name-calling and intimidating posts out of this conversation. One member's posts (and it's quoted derivatives) edited/deleted, and poster handed a 15-day suspension.

Toptuan

For the Moderating Team

Several inflammatory/trollish posts (and posts containing them as quotations) deleted and poster warned.

Two posts degrading/slurring nationalities deleted, and poster warned.

The trouble isn't always the cost but what the cover offered is. For example if you are typical older person with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. these are considered lifetime chronic conditions so the insurance companies will try to exclude all coverage for diseases of the heart, stroke, etc. In other words, the diseases you are most likely to NEED cover for.

The key is get it while you're healthy and hang on to it. In my case I had a couple of "old age"-related problems, but I weathered the 2-year exclusion provision. In other words, if you can tough it out 2 years without any problems, then they cover everything even the pre-existing condition.

I am not sure you are correct, depending on the condition and policy. Some conditions are considered lifetime chronic and they really are looking to exclude circulatory diseases (heart, stroke). For example if you have high BP and chol, you will be on meds for them forever, so there never will be a time when you can say you aren't suffering from them, so related diseases will never be covered. Easy to say get the coverage earlier if you did. Doesn't help people who move to Thailand with existing conditions and want cover, does it?

I developed high high blood pressure with cholesterol problems after I came to Thailand, wanted coverage, approached Thai Health Insurance (through a teacher's group policy), and was told they'd cover everything BUT that condition for two years. After two years even that pre-existing situation was off the table. Like you said: "depending on the condition and policy..." Hard to make a blanket statement either way, I guess.

Get to 65+ and health insurance gets very costly,better for peace of mind to move back to the EU if a EU subject, and get free full medical care. Like Russian roulette staying here.

Just out of interest can anyone say approximately what are the insurance rates per annum when living in Thailand and being 65 and over? Or is it not possible to get insurance at that age?

(I currently live in Thailand and have BUPA)

The trouble isn't always the cost but what the cover offered is. For example if you are typical older person with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. these are considered lifetime chronic conditions so the insurance companies will try to exclude all coverage for diseases of the heart, stroke, etc. In other words, the diseases you are most likely to NEED cover for.

The key is get it while you're healthy and hang on to it. In my case I had a couple of "old age"-related problems, but I weathered the 2-year exclusion provision. In other words, if you can tough it out 2 years without any problems, then they cover everything even the pre-existing condition.

Two suggestions:

1) Please stay on topic (rainmaking in Thailand). If you want to talk Thai inventions in general, please refer to the thread mentioned.

2) Refrain from any disparaging remarks concerning rainmaking/patenting in Thailand because of its close association with the monarchy.

Thank you,

Toptuan

For the Moderating Team

Both posts are bordering on flaming. Back to the topic please!

Toptuan

For the Moderating Team

Enlightening, Daoyai. I better back off the rice, myself!

A city slicker phenomena.

Not really. In our university of 35,000 students (mostly from rural communities), the school food markets and local 7-11's can hardly keep enough bread goods in stock. They're the first shelves to empty.

Incidentally, the head nurse of our city government hospital tells me that the incidence of sugar diabetes is skyrocketing in local villages--mostly from a gradual change in veggies/rice diet to more sweets, sugary drinks and breads (which generally are much sweeter in Thailand than in the West).

Deleted off-topic post and moved to teacher's forum.

It is best for all farangs to stay out of Thai politics. We don't understand it and never will.

With all due respect, you shouldn't use a broad brush as to suggest Farang and their knowledge and participation as it applies to Thai political affairs. Not all are in the same boat.

Not all of us are privy to your crystal ball. Would you care to share it with us?

Most are terribly ignorant of Thai affairs.....even those whom pretend to be learned.

Agreed, which is exactly what I said.

No more getting the last word. Please, back to the subject. Last warning.

TT

May I suggest we get back on topic of the Reds in Udon, and shy away from remarks, direct or indirect, about the motives or knowledge levels of other posters.

Thank you,

Toptuan

For the Moderating Team

How's this? Source: http://map.longdo.com/longdomap

Damnnnn Toptuan you're good. Thnx. What is the originality of this map? I mean on this link I cannot zoom etc but maybe if you could sent the original I could. If not thnx anyways mate.

This link: http://map.longdo.com/longdomap?locale=en is the original. I tried the link twice and could zoom. If you want to PM me your email address, I could try sending you the original Sakhon Nakhon map above.

Cheers,

TT

How's this? Source: http://map.longdo.com/longdomap

You are quite correct. No double-posting. However, just let me know if you want to move it later.

Cheers,

Toptuan

My guess is that you'd get more response in our Housing/Land or Classifieds forum. If you don't get much response here, let me know and I'll be happy to move the topic to one of those forums. Just PM me.

Regards,

Toptuan