Kenny202

Thanks for all the advice. I bit the bullet yesterday and got a Lenovo l22-4e screen, just under 2000 baht. Not high end or expensive but man 300% improvement. Best thin 3 year in home pick up / drop off warranty. It's like having a new computer. Was actually quite difficult to find a stand alone screen in the city I live, no one here keeps stock of anything anymore. All the big places advertise they have these things but only available online. Anyway, very happy with it and everything clicking now, even managed to declutter my work area. I think for my next computer I will just buy a PC box set up, don't really have need for a notebook anymore. If I go away will take my ipad. Traditional PC about half the price of a notebook. Thanks again everyone

I do a lot of photography work on my computer and finding my Notebook screen a bit contrasty and colors not true. Its a cheper to midrange notebook (Huawei Matebook D15) so a very average display probably to be expected, from memory always been like this. Would be quite happy to use a better keyboard rather than the notebook one also. I would love to buy an Macbook or something with better graphics but I am hoping I can acheive the same result using the notebook as a PC basically, seperate keyboard and display. I don't do any gaming or any heavy duty computing...don't even use high level graphics or programs....just want more control and a clearer screen. Will a stand alone screen likely have better results re display? Will it have its own independant contrast, brightness, color controls? One of the issues now very contrasty and no onboard controls apart through Windows, which don't have a lot of control at all. I think the screen has always been like this, not deteriorating or anything, Using a seperate screen and keyboard, can I use the notebook with the screen closed and locate it out the way somewhere connected to screen / keyboard? Basically using it like a PC body. Usually when I close the screen it automatically shuts off Any help or advice appreciated

I actually got Bkk bank sorted....I have to take my glasses off for the facial recognition shot and hence cant see the prompts :-) I was relying on my 10yo son to tell me what I needed to do....he was saying turn head only left....not left then right. Tried it again with Mrs this morning and first time got it. I hope they forgive me for cursing them all day yesterday lol. The other bank no choice but to go in the branch...they say they have no record of my face scan at the bank and now I think of it don't think I have done it at their bank yet

Had this notebook for sometime, been reliable but screen always seems high contrast to me and colors a bit overy the top. It isnt a high end machine so maybe you get what you pay for? I have plenty of brightness adjustment left. As far as I can see in settings there is no way to adjust anything on the display apart from brightness which seems unbelievable to me. I wish there were some basic contrast , color settings I could tweak or a third party app I can make these adjustments. Anyone have any ideas?

Just added my Australian bank accounts and superannuation accounts in 5 minutes....Bangkok bank and SCB nup....Firstly Bkk Bank have an in app face scan thing. Turn to the right slowly, show your teeth, blink 3 times slowly. It times out in less than 10-15 seconds. I called the bank and they said need go outside strong light, bare background....I asked them if being a foreigner was the problem with face scan? No foreigner same same. As far as I know I am not registered at the bank for face rec. Anyway photos outside made no difference. The issue is the length of time they give you to complete the exercise, and I was doing it quickly. SCB next.....they just came up with a message straight away said if you are a foreigner you need to go to the bank in person...fail Anyone had the same experience lately? I know there was a lot of kerfuffle about a year ago but I haven't revisited it lately. Something about foreigners can only transfer up to 50k a day (or transaction?) if no face recognition registered...or foreigners couldn't register anyway....or something. Any help appreciated

Many times when I go to a facebook reel / video on PC (Windows 11)....it comes up with a play button...when I hit the play button the video opens another facebook window automatically. If it is a series of reels from one person its totally annoying going back and forth between windows. I have enabled the autoplay feature...logged in and out and hasn't made any difference. I have cleared cache etc, still doing it. I don't mind clicking on the play button so much as going in and out of different pop up windows. Anyone know a fix or having the same problem?

Firstly "here" is spelt hear. You sound like Miss Marples trying to solve the Scooby Doo case, digging for dirt. For reasons that are besides the point, trivial and not worth explaining here (no conspiracy) it is 100% not in her interest to try and block the transfer, in fact it's 100% in her interest to transfer the bike to me. I been here over 12 years so this not my first rodeo.

Thanks for your detailed reply, I did look into it, looks reasonably doable but putting our whole system on a VPN is probably going to mess up others in the house using the internet for differing reasons (business, banking etc). Do appreciate the effort you put in though, thanks again 🙂

Thanks for the replies. We had to do the 4 hour round trip yesterday but got it done. The woman at the country office was actually super helpful, even said no reason to wait, will call you when everything signed...so we went to the mall had a coffee and she actually DID call. Just about 3 full days to transfer an effing motorbike, I assume due to monumental laziness. Mrs did offer them some hurry up money and they said no go. GF wasn't difficult or trying to avoid transferring, if anything dumb in her dealings with our city office here. I'm up in Isaan and people here almost scared of govt officials and they play on it re go away and take your problems elsewhere. I seen them try and send an old farmer away one day because he had shorts on, disrespecting them they said 5555 (as if you could have any more contempt!) He'd just spent 2 hours on a bus and calmly turned around and was going to go back home again until a high ranking teacher also waiting in the queue intervened and put them in their place. BTW, I stated in my opening post that her ID was in a neighboring province.....her town is actually in the same province as us, albeit some distance away, which make the whole farce even more unbelievable.

Bought a used bike about a year ago, transferred into girlfriends name to save time. Normally all vehicles I religiously put in my name as I have been burnt before. Anyway, got the ridiculous residents letter from Imm, 1 hour of my life I will never get back....GF takes the bike and all the paperwork to our local transport office. She is transferring the bike to me, the bike is registered in my province. They sent her away because her ID / bluebook is in a neighboring province (2 hours away) and they say she needs to go to her office to do the transfer. I have never heard something so ridiculous in my life as when we bought the bike it was from a different province and we transferred without any problems. They told her you can transfer anywhere but only to the second owner after the bike is new. Transfers after the 2nd owner need to be done in the SELLERS home province....even though I will be the new owner, the bike is already registered in this province and the new owner (ME) reside in this province. Sounds like a total load of buck shifting claptrap to me. Has anyone experienced the same thing or know if this is correct? May be more understandable if they wanted the new owner to transfer it from their residing province, but the seller? Any advice appreciated

Is it possible to use a VPN on your router so I can access Australian content on internet, netflix, prime etc? Even internet would be ok. I can log into my router but otherwise very basic IT skills so laymans version please 😊 any help appreciated

I cant talk for Australia but I bought a new Samsung TV 2 years ago. 13 months (1 month out of warranty) light panel blew... No shame from Samsung... 6000 baht just to look at it if I take it to their service centre. I got it fixed by a local guy for 3000. Had a similar issue with LG. Will never buy Korean company products again. Programmed self destruction built in. When I bought the Samsung TV I was told I would get extended 3 month warranty if I registered the product. Which I did, tedious 45 minute task using the remote to type in endless information. In fact I couldnt use the TV until I registered. Not only did I not get the extra warranty, the only benefit I got from registering was getting bombarded by spam emails everyday (aka free advertising for Samsung). They will make these appliances like phones soon, all in the name of protecting our privacy / security where they will give 2-3 years service life updates then things will no longer function. Trouble is younger people have been brainwashed to accept this shet. Japanese products / vehicles seem to still be made with some pride / built to last mindset.

Good old Dougy lol. Used to put a smile on my face every morning. I remember the big stir when MMM was handing out "I'm a Doug addict" badges front of schools. He was right up there with Graham Kennedy. That Australia long gone now. I actually met John Laws once, went to his home in Paddo to fix a dishwasher. He was in the kitchen making himself toast. Real decent guy. Also went to a few of John Singletons live shows (with John Laws) at the TV studio. Both pi$$ed as ticks lol. Good old days 🙂

Not much of a wine drinker, expensive bottle of plonk would be wasted on me anyway. But don't mind a few glasses when we go camping. Recently tried that Laughing bird, heard it was cheap and cheerful and it is. Have a purple label (reserve) and red bottle (normal). I got the purple bottle thinking it might be better. Like all cheap reds first few sips rough but after not bad. I was wondering if the red label a little less dry and maybe a bit sweeter? What is the difference between the two? Can anyone recommend a cheap and cheerful White wine? (Not Spy lol) Something a bit sweeter, not too dry...even sparkling. Mrs not keen on the red. Something available anywhere....Lotus etc

Oh one final thing, I see most people install these cameras either in the middle of the screen usually under the mirror somewhere or even over on the drivers side. I if possible would like to mount mine (if no ill effects) on the upper passenger side. Anything remotely in my field of vision when driving I find distracting and also my cig lighter outlet is in the glove box on the passengers side of the car. I assume these things you can not only adjust up and down but they have some sideways movement as well if the unit mounted off center? Maybe it can be adjusted with the phone app?

Thanks again Richard 🙏 Did a bit of resaearch and apparently 70mai not exactly a Xiaomi product but the two companies do have a relationship. In anycase they look like excellent products and Ive ordered the A200 off Lazada from the official 70MAI store. Ticks all the boxes for me 😁 Looks like a ton of counterfeit stuff badged 70MAI, not exactly knocks offs just inferior products with an MAI sticker on them. This might apply to the LF9 pro from reviews I have read. The phone connectivity etc on the A200 looks seamless and smooth like Xiaomi products. Looking forward to getting it 😊 thanks so much once again

I really appreciate that advice and the effort you put into your reply. I lost faith in Chinese products over the last few years, most stuff I order on Lazada and co often goes straight in the rubbish these days. But I do love Xiaomi stuff, it just works. I got a tower fan of theirs, smart fan thing operated from and app on the phone and its superb. Will check it out and order tonight. Only thing turns me off a bit the sticky back to attach the unit to the windscreen. I have found with other things they don't seem to last long here in the heat....Come back to your car parked out in the sun and whatever you have attached is on the floor lol. Thanks again for your detailed reply, you really went above and beyond 🙂 I seem to recall you helped me in the past with drones, air soft pistols and even the tower fan from memory, though could be mistaking you for someone else

My trusty rear view mirror dash cam just shet itself after good service for at least 3 years so looking for something else. Was only a few hundred baht from memory and wasn't awesome but did the job. The only reason I wont buy another one is I have a 6 inch tinted strip at the top of the windscreen and it kind of messed things up. Can anyone send a link or recommend maybe a dash mounted one that I can run the wires or plug into cig lighter outlet in the glove box (2014 Isuzu pick up). That's how the one I have now was set up. Not worried about wiring for rear cameras etc. Just something basic and preferably under 1000 baht. PS: no motherly advice on the benefits of an expensive cam and professional installation please. Any help appreciated 🙂

Great advice, will take care of that now. Haven't been on Asean now for a while due to these sort of people and I think I have had issues with him and his grand standing, look at me, I'm in the know advice before, which from memory was often wrong 5555

I truly hate our governments for the last 20 years. One thing I take my hat off to Thailand is that Thais come first, right or wrong. Having said that their is no social security or aged care pensions here. Aussies seem to be on the end of the queue in Australia, particularly pensioners.... Older people seem to be the first go to (pensions / superannuation etc) to cover their latest botched budgets and handouts to anyone who whines enough.....and at the head of the queue all the minority groups and immigrants. I paid huge taxes through my working life and feel I deserve a pension no matter where I live. As far as I know we have the worst pension conditions thank most other 1st world countries. With taxes on pensions living overseas and the need / expense to spend half of the year in Australia for me would negate the benefit of receiving the pension in the first place.

Why would you say that? You have assumed my cash and assets are over the means test requirements for full pension?

Well 5 years.... I was planning on going back at 67yo when I will be eligible for the pension but I may bring that forward 2 years and go back at 65 and at the end of the 2 years it will coincide with my eligibility to apply for the OAP. Are there any possible pitfalls in doing this apart from needing to get a job / not being able to get the pension ?

No deep do do here lol. Part of my plan to live here is to be able to fall off the perch and leave something for my family, rather than keep digging into savings and leave them penniless. It's not like the pension would be my sole hope but would be nice if it could be, leaving my super in the bank to grow. We live quite comfortably now on 40-50k a month, live up country...2 kids in school. We go out to eat a few times a week, go on holidays and eat like kings (I cook myself at home). I certainly don't feel like we are doing it hard. With a bit of discipline could probably do a lot better. I have heard people comment they don't know how anyone here could live comfortably on less than 100k a month. I was born and worked 40 years in Australia and always salary jobs so paid more than my fair share of taxes and believe I am entitled to the pension no matter where I live. In some ways I don't understand why they don't encourage people retiring OS....No burden on free medical, transport etc. Anyway, whether they see it that way or not is another matter.

Appreciate your reply. I think the issue is the non resident for tax purposes thing. If u have property in Aus you are always a resident no matter how long you are away, but otherwise 2 years out of the country for most of the time you are a non res for tax. I was formally declared as a non res by my accountant due to tax issues a few years ago it was favorable to do it, but whether u declare it or not they must know these days with info from immigration etc where and when you have been. Maybe going back to Aus for 2 years reinstates you as a resident again? But I am wondering if going back after being away as a non res for 10 years if I would even recieve a tax free pension while Im living in Oz. Did you return as a non res or you retained property etc in AustraliA?

I'm an Australian born citizen, been living in Thailand 10 years....no address or property in Australia and my accountant declared me as a non resident for tax purposes some years ago. I had in the back of my mind as a plan B, I may go back and live in Aus for the necessary 2 years to qualify for portability of the old age pension and after return to live in Thailand. I am currently 5 years away from being eligible for OAP I was reading in another group today, as an Australian non resident you are likely liable to pay 33% of your OAP in Australian tax if you are a non resident and living abroad. I also saw a lot of replies seeming to confirm it. I have, or thought I had researched the subject thoroughly and have never seen any such thing? In my case I will have no other investments, assets or yearly income apart from maybe some superannuation withdrawals which are already tax paid. The only actual income I will be receiving would be the OAP. Normal OAP I believe is somewhere around 35-40k per month and I could live reasonably comfortably on....If taxed -33% of that it wouldn't and wouldn't be worth the expense of going back to Australia for the required 2 years and not enough to live on here. Please someone tell me this isn't true 😞 If I returned to Australia for the 2 years does that make me a tax resident again? And if it does, does it mean I am ok for a couple of years when I return to Thailand and later deemed a non resident for tax again and start paying tax on OAP? (I believe if you are out of the country more than 2 years you are a non res for tax purposes if you have no property in Australia). I don't think its as simple these days as using a family member address etc. Would appreciate any advice, there must be a ton of Aussies living here getting the OAP and are technically or officially non residents.