Spock

3 hours ago, mania said:

So extra long lines at Suvarnabhumi Airport bars tonight? ????

Worth a trip out there or Don Muang just to buy beers from the 7/11 stores. Better still to just stock up ahead of time.

5 hours ago, Pilotman said:

The Thais are, it's you that is out of step.  Their country, their rules.  

Fair enough but nanny countries are not where I would choose to live or visit. Their country, their rules, my choice of where to live. Despite speaking Thai quite well, I prefer Cambodia these days.

I am amazed by all the posters prepared to defend and recommend physical violence against students without seeing the video footage of the incident.

4 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

I'm aware of at least two condos in Bangkok where the lobby and the lifts are littered with signs in English, Thai and Chinese warning against short-term lets and threatening legal or even police action.  Tourists struggle by them with their large suitcases almost hourly ????

And even on the outskirts of Thailand in Thanyaburi, a big condo complex with signs beside every lift stating that the apartments are not for backpackers and tourists and absolutely nothing is done about the short term rentals. I know because I have stayed three times in 3 separate apartments there. The warnings are a joke.

I hate pitbulls and all your post has done is confirm my very negative opinion of them. And all too often their temperament comes to resemble that of their owner. 

Can't think of a bar anywhere in SEA more pleasant than Bpor Bpen Yang.

I am a 65 yr old male who has never had kids and regrets not having the opportunity to raise a child. I would have thought dad might have seized the opportunity to raise a child himself rather than cruelly murder his son. How can anyone kill their own flesh and blood, an innocent child, just because he is now a bit of an inconvenience? 

17 minutes ago, fordguy61mi said:

You’d need to evaluate yourself if you’d move because of alcohol. You’d have a pretty bad problem with it to let it rule your life like that.

What, you'd have a pretty bad problem if you would leave the country if you can't get alcohol at all? What a load of rubbish. Why would anyone who enjoys a drink in moderation want to live in a country which outlaws it, particularly one that is not their own? What is wrong with enjoying an alcoholic drink?

Absolutely not. Why would I want to live amongst a bunch of wowsers and teetotallers in a foreign land run by a kill-joy military junta with no legal access to something I enjoy on a regular basis. I stayed for 3 weeks in a condo complex in Lumpini, Thanyaburi where the 7/11 stores didn't sell alcohol on the orders of the body corporate and had to walk a kilometer to buy beer. Couldn't understand the mentality behind banning the sale of alcohol there in a land in which legally you are allowed to buy it. I would not remotely entertain the idea of spending even a few days in this country if alcohol was outlawed.  

6 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

The BS  is your dismissal of substantiated scientific fact. You cannot  cite one recent peer reviewed public health study that backs up your position.

As for your claim that  ecigarettes are 95% less harmful, you are lying. Provide the established data that substantiates  your claim.  You don't even know what is in the liquids used, so how can you even claim they are not harmful.  Yes  a .38cal bullet fired from 100m is less harmful than a tossed grenade at 50 m. However, the  bullet can still be lethal sometimes.

 

Thailand is doing the right thing and it is supported by public health professionals around the world. Vaping is  harmful and causes serious and significant lung damage.

 

Let's face facts - you know very little personally about the harm caused by vaping but pretend you do in order to support the extremist position taken by BJ and the Thai government. Stop your scaremongering and do what you suggest others do with the views they espouse - produce proof for your claim that vaping is as harmful as smoking cigarettes.

I was considering carrying an unused herbal vaporiser (can be used for weed) into Cambodia probably via Thailand. The body would have to be carried in hand cabin luggage due to the lithium battery. This is not a e-cigarette nor designed to be used with nicotine but I wonder how it would be viewed by Thai or Cambodian immigration is detected. Not sure on the legality of these types of vaporisers if brand new and not used. 

3 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

I'm hitting 60 years old, am a lowly teacher, and can still easily afford the premium for my $1.2 million baht expat insurance policy.  Why?  Because I prioritise my expenses, and a decent health insurance policy comes near the top of my list.

 

This guy is young - the insurance premium for him (or his employer) would be peanuts.

How much is your premium?

4 hours ago, balo said:

Another hopeless case without insurance.  And he lives here. "Should have known better" etc.  

 

I am tired of this. 

 

 

How are you personally affected by this guy's situation? 

7 hours ago, Letseng said:

 

And most travel policies are for 45 or 90 days only. If he is here to teach than travel insurance won't do it. 

Regardless, he has my sympathy. Get well soon.

 

Never had a problem getting travel insurance for much longer than 90 days.

14 hours ago, lust said:

These dogs should be sent to Vietnam to serve up some dishes.

I would prefer to see them humanely disposed of as there are probably too many of them competing for a limited food supply. It's a muslim area and I know from experience the people there do not like dogs, so I am surprised there are so many of them. I know because I once took one there and had great difficulty getting accommodation or hiring a boat.

18 hours ago, BritManToo said:

In Siam Reap the hotel I stayed at had a 24/7 pool bar serving beer for 50c a pint.

Half the tables had joints, grinders, and bags of weed on open display with everyone partaking.

 

Didn't see any police the entire time I was there.

They know how to make tourists welcome!

 

And yes I did have beer for breakfast, the next cheapest drink was a pot of tea for $1, which wasn't bad value as you could get 4 cups from it.

I like the sound of your hotel? Love to know where you stayed at in SR!

Thailand's drinking laws are draconian and yet another reason I would prefer to take my holidays elsewhere. Despite the advantage of speaking reasonable Thai, I no longer enjoy staying in Thailand.

1 hour ago, CaptainJack said:

Thank you and I agree. I will say I don't wish anyone, even those that gloat and enjoy putting others down, to suffer under changes to immigration policies that force them through what will be 10 times worse then what I have experienced.   Maybe some will understand, being uncaring and mean has a tendency to come back on one.  I'll check in later and update y'all.   Oh, thank you again. I think being able to write about this has really helped. 

 

Cheers....

Top respect for your honesty and the fluid style and content that was a pleasure to the senses to read. You provoked thought and raised issues to which many can relate. Retiring to foreign shores at 65 is not as smooth to negotiate as I had imagined.

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

US Medicare does not give a discount on overrseas care.

It contributes nothing at all to care received outside the US. You're on your own for that.

Can only be used in the US.

And there are not insignificant copays and deductibles, especially if hospitalization is prolonged.

You have to pay a monthly premium for outpatient cover and medication cover, about USD 170/month for the two. This is aside from the copays and deductible.

So far from free care.

The only respect in which it is advantageous compared to Oz or UK is that the cover is not compromised if you live overseas. Dosn't matter if you live abroad nor for how long, as long as you can manage to travel back to the US for care, you are covered.



Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Sorry I obviously misread it. On reflection I think the poster was talking about a private USA medical cover which returned a percentage of overseas medical bills. The fact that you are covered and not wiped from the system for living abroad is certainly a bonus.

2 hours ago, ozmeldo said:

Thanks for the post. I wish you luck.

 

I'm once again reconsidering staying on past 62 (65). Ridiculously priced insurance, pre existing conditions (blood pressure me, wife cholesterol).

 

Medicare despite it's issues.

Wife is young enough to work.

 

Horrible value for some crap box where? Chaing Mai? Phuket? Bangkok? 5 million baht steps to ocean in Florida and half dozen other states.

 

31.2 to USD. As long as Thailand has unstable military govt, they will keep the thb strong.

 

Military government forever.

 

No PR, no citizenship despite being married ten years.

 

Pollution in BKK, CM. Will never change, only worsen.

 

Yeah, I'm back on Zillow again.

 

Good luck there buddy.

 

Consider yourself lucky that you are American, that your Medicare gives you some overseas discount on medical treatment and that your dollar fetches 31+ baht. If you are Australian, your medical insurance, free or private, covers nothing overseas and th Australian dollar, only 5 years ago worth 35 baht, now fetches just above 22. Plus an Australian pension will only give you about 42000 baht a month - if you are able to access it overseas. Personally, I would much rather be in your situation than mine.

1 hour ago, sahibji said:

i am sorry but what is wrong with Singapore state.

One giant shopping center with a single party system running the show. 

6 minutes ago, Howard said:

I think the Australian stance is pretty clear. The PM has twice written directly to the Thai PM in recent days requesting his return to Australia. The Australian Foreign Minister has raised the issue with the Thai authorities during a recent visit to Thailand. The Australian PM has made public statements on the Australian position.

 

The latest suggestion is that he be given Australian citizenship as this would change Australia's status in negotiating with the Thai authorities on his behalf. Will be interesting to see if this eventuates...

The initial red alert from Australia set the course of this unfortunate political tug of war. The Australian government may have subsequently mounted a campaign to 'bring him home', but the trigger happy federal police alert, though subsequently withdrawn, sufficiently murked the moral waters for the Thais to entertain a request for extradition to Bahrain. In any event, Australian citizenship would at least send a strong message of support.

Unfortunately the Australian's don't have a good record in recently failing to rescue 3 women from the clutches of the Thais and Saudi authorities (4 Corners 4 Feb) and they appear to have made a mess of Hakeem's situation. This doesn't mean I think the Thais have acted in the best interests of international justice. There are rumours of backroom relationships compromising natural justice in Hakeem's case. But there is a lack of clarity or sense of purpose involved in Australia's diplomatic performance with Thailand and these Saudi women. The Australian stance has been questionable till proven otherwise by a safe return.