richard_smith237

How many of these do you actually come across in your daily life ????... ... or it the term influencer which rubs you up the wrong way, as if someone is suggesting these people could be influencing you somehow, so you naturally object...

They're obviously pushing their luck... and I don't blame them. 'Some' airlines are trying to fleece people and profit from baggage charges - all this extra baggage significantly slows up security and makes the cabin less safe. Airlines should be forced not to charge for check-in baggage and encourage passengers to check in their baggage not charge for it. This whole approach many airlines take to check in baggage is upside down in my opinion. As a result I avoid the budget carriers like the plague, when pricing they are often more expensive when I add the check-in baggage options. I absolutely agree, which is why airlines should be more concerned with passenger safety and encourage passengers to check in the their baggage rather than charging them extra. That said Thai Airways / Thai Smile do not charge extra - I'm not sure which airline this was. I've never had my check-in baggage weighed with any flagship carrier, I carry as little as possible on the flight unless making a layover (check-in baggage through to final destination). I see loads of people with huge-carry on bags - its just the norm these days. Budget carriers are obviously setting a different precedent.

Yet you have something to do with your situation as you are living in an area with loads of ‘bums’ (as you term the poor, destitute & desperate).

More to this I think…. it’s likely more about attitude than the actual baggage. - Person asks for assistance & gets a ‘not my job’ response. if either approached the situation with ‘attitude’ it’s going to trigger the other. TG crew can be amazing, they can also be outrageously snooty & lazy. On a 6 hr flight (with my Son who was 5 at the time), I wanted a beer (had 1 beer with the meal before that), the cabin crew had not passed through the cabin for 30mins, I’d normally get up & ask, but didn’t want to leave my son alone. I rang the call button, FA came & in an extremely snotty manner told me I have to go & get the beer myself !!! I was furious.

Many talk of generations, Boomers, Gen-Z etc,,,, … but really, outside of a family there aren’t any & with regards to travel & tourism in Thailand it’s just a constantly evolving flow of a constantly evolving demographic.

Erm.... your claims suggest otherwise !!!... the Op is not running a Laundromat !! Front loaders, washer and drier (8kg), about 1cm clearance all around - no issues for years.

An absolute possibility... but not a conclusion I'd jump to simply because of my lack of awareness. Example at hand - have you heard of Paul Smith (comedian) ?... If not, does that mean he's not very good ?

Slightly different subject from the Op but the topic has naturally migrated... but still somewhat on topic as the coffee machines include a milk frothing wand, so thats part of the process when making a latte or capuccino... What milk do you find is best to make the rich micro-foam milk ??? I struggle to hit the perfect micro-foam texture with Mejii blue top... but haven't found anything better.

Having solar at my house (I don't) would tip the scales for me regarding EV.... I like EV's, although I don't think they are the solution to greenhouse gasses (I think carbon capture is - but thats a different debate)... So, EV or ICE doesn't really bother me, it comes down to quality & convenience vs cost. I've read a lot of your comments in the EV threads and although overwhelmingly pro MG you provide excellent information, thanks for that.

Understandable if an MG3, and that's one, 'you get what you pay for'. Extreme entry level price & quality. When the MG3s hit the market here, I cringed, thinking of their/MG's past repair record. Thought to myself, hell no, I'd never own an MG. Did peak at them/MG3, and low quality, even for low price. Then when looking 2020 for new ride, figured I'd peak again, see if improved, and not enough, besides, not exactly fitting in very comfortably with my back. While there, peaked at the ZS (ICE), and priced the same as everything I was looking at. Took it for a short test ride, and I was sold on it. 2 years later, not as ignorant about EVs, govt incentive, and the MG ZS EV upgrades for same 2020 price, and it was a no brainer for me, especially since we already had solar at the house. Prior cars were; Vios (2), Mazda 2. It was an MG ZS if that makes any difference... a few years ago too (probably 2018). I saw it and really didn't think much of it at all, but really didn't it an in depth look over either. In a Mazda now, previous 2 cars here were BMW's - Mazda stacked up surprisingly close to the BMW's. I can't say for sure and its quite likely my negative bias (*prejudice against the quality of Chinese products), but I don't imagine MG can stack up anywhere close to BMW in terms of build quality etc. Next car may well be a Kia Carnival / Volvo XC-60 or 90 / or Tesla Y... (really undecided to such a point that we're just going to keep the Mazda as it hasn't put a foot wrong). That said - you get what you pay for and you can buy 4x MG's for the similarly sized BMW, so what can we expect.

A lot of people pointing out that this person could not have been that good as they have never heard of them... ... Do these people think that their own awareness, regardless of how out of touch they may be, is the deciding factor on someones ability to entertain ?.... A bit arrogant isn't it ?? It is also quite likely that there are numerous outstanding musicians and artists that many of us have not heard of... does that mean they 'can't be that good' ? for if they were there's no way you would missed out, right ????

Fair enough.. that makes sense. I never imagined I'd be driving a Mazda... until I drove a Mazda, the quality surprised me. Wife's Cousin went from a a Honda to an MG, primarily attracted by the price - they weren't happy with the quality of MG at all and got rid of it fairly quickly - that has kind of put me off although I've never even sat in one. I sat in a friends Haval the other day and was quite surprised at the quality - yet I still wouldn't want one. It's difficult to remain open minded... and I'd be very reluctant to purchase a Chinese car because I my prejudice against Chinese manufacturing.... That said, I used to hold a similar prejudice over Kia but now wouldn't think twice. Personally, there are a number of car brands I would not consider for myself, the reasons are manly down to personal prejudice than any actual in depth knowledge.

Any machine that can hold 9 bar consistently will do a great job... The rest comes down to the quality of grind, quality of coffee, and quality of portafilter preparation (i.e. distribution and tamping), and of course the quality of the portafilter itself (consistent distribution and sizing of perforations).... Coffee gets somewhat complex... the more I learn, it seems the more there is to learn and I haven't even got as far as roasting my own coffee (yet). At some point it evolves from making sure I enjoy my coffee to becoming somewhat of an interest, to a hobby to an obsession.... At the moment I'm at the 'interest stage' and hope to remain at this point. I have friends who brew their own beer, they apply an obsessive level of detail and the end result is outrageously good, meanwhile I'd consider it a hobby, the are not obsessed and only brew when they have time. It is perhaps similar with coffee, it takes time, but once we have the routine down, 5 mins routine in the morning to brew an awesome cup seems well worth it.

Nor is the price Indeed.... and from that perspective, IMO the best coffee for the price has to be from a Mokapot, or perhaps even coffee brewed Turkish style... That said, I've had my latest Machine for about 3 years now... so it works out at about 45 baht per brew including the cost of coffee (calculated from the estimated amount of coffee I make at home)... But as comparison, a Mokapot would coast 20 baht per brew. BUT... anyone who purchases an Espresso Machine is not considering the cost comparison with other brewing methods... they are simply wanting a method of extracting coffee which produces a textured, richer, fuller flavoured coffee... It is course down to personal tastes and you could go down the rabbit hole attempting to finesse the art of making the best cup of coffee, someone who just wants the caffeine hit may struggle with that, nevertheless... given the results, the price was worth it for me.

Nothing... IMO they're awesome... they also take a little practice to get the brew right. i.e. ideal amount of coffee, right grind, right amount of heat not to get the water boiling too aggressively so it isn't forced to quickly through the filter (casing channelling and poorer extraction) and spitting out of the column etc...

I'd rather have instant than nothing... but if given choice, instant would come behind pretty much any other method of fresh coffee. My first choice will always be the coffee I brew at home with my espresso machine, followed by... Mokapot, French-Press or Turkish.... It all depends on where I am, what equipment I have with me, the time I have etc... i.e. if Camping or travelling.. its the Mokapot or Piccpresso (hand held espresso kit)... But at home, always the Espresso Machine, it comes first by a long shot. As you mentioned, of greatest importance are the beans, but also of extreme importance (IMO) is the quality of the grind - If someone doesn't have a quality burr grinder at home, have the roaster grind the coffee for you (or at point of purchase, supermarket etc). It could be argued that I too am a coffee addict - I limit myself to two cups per day (in the morning) and I really do enjoy those. I also really like my Whisky and Wine, but if left with a choice of only one I wouldn't do without, it would be coffee.

It could be considered a 'cultural' experience... Go into a Lawsons in Japan and we see a load of stuff we've never seen before... we pick up a few things to try out. The same here... there are things in a Thai 7-11 that many will not have seen before. A tourist attraction ??... thats a bit of a stretch... but tourists may well find a visit to 7-11 interesting because of the different products on offer.

You're defensive because you own an MG... But Brit is not wrong... The Chinese took MG and marketed its heritage - it worked. Why are you not driving a Haval or Atto ???

Why this insistence on the projection that everyone else mirrors your failings ??? We are not in the same boat.. not by a long shot.

If my maths is correct the daily average over 30 years would be about 90M3 (90,000L3 ) Which is approximately 585 barrels per day (oil measurement) which is a perfectly feasible injection rate. Thus, the feasibility is there, but the necessity ??? I suspect the reason this method is not being used is because its completely unnecessary and as the water being disposed of into the sea is already within 'standards' there was no logical reason to do anything else... ... of course, that is until the uneducated media fuelled hysteria and China saw a point scoring opportunity.

As needs must, all better than not having any coffee in the morning.... This 'cowboy coffee' seems quite similar to Turkish coffee in that the 'fine grinds' remain unfiltered. Most grinders will not go fine enough, however, a roaster may be able to grind fine enough for you, as close to a powder as possible. IMO, as the coffee being made is very strong its best to use an Arabica bean as this has less caffeine than a robusta. Ideally in a cezve (small copper pot) bring a 1:6 coffee to water ratio to the boil (that ratio works for me, depends on the strength you want)... pour off the creamy-froth into your small cup, bring to the boil again and pour off the creamy-froth into your small cup again, repeating as necessary. You end up with a rich and earthy coffee, which may be slightly bitter - If you want to sweeten slightly, add sugar at the brewing stage not afterwards. Once finished there will be a sludge remaining in the bottom of your cup. With the explosion of coffee shops in Thailand, I'm surprised there are not more Turkish Coffee shops around - Perhaps this is due to the 'starbucksification' of attitudes towards what a coffee-shop should be. Digressing slightly, cold-brew coffee is another method, but not one I can say I've tried much at all.

Mainly obtuse. Oh don't know... I saw a-cute one the other day...

Do you suffocate in rooms in the west, when it's cold, the radiator is on and the windows and doors are closed ????

Google 'meat'... and you'll get Neụ̄̂x Neụ̄̂x' waw transliterates to 'meat of cow'... and to highlight that, google 'chicken meat'... Thats not to suggest you are wrong, ordering anything here with Neụ̄̂x and you'll get beef because Thai's find a way to shorten everything in their language....

How convenient...