richard_smith237

7 a year from rabies Vs 30 a day from rtas. Seems the money would be better spent reducing traffic deaths. In anticipation the predictably foolish response typical of this forum, I'd handled that point already (see below). The existence of one issue in no way justifies ignoring another - both can and should be dealt with.

Answered above already: Its not necessary for the general population... So no. But, if I were bitten by an unknown dog or stray cat etc... then of course, I'd get the vaccine. The crux of the matter boils down to three factors: the contagiousness of the illness, its prevalence in a given area, and our individual risk of exposure. For instance, I wouldn’t bother with an influenza vaccine if I were staying in Thailand and going about my daily routine during the winter months. However, if I were travelling to the UK or Europe, I'd get vaccinated - I wouldn’t want a bout of flu to spoil several days of my holiday. The chances of catching flu on the flight or in crowded places like UK pubs or busy city areas are far higher. Similarly, if I were bitten by a dog in the UK, I would be less inclined to seek rabies vaccination, given that rabies is not present there. That said, I would still seek medical advice for other potential risks such as bacterial infections.

The JYNNEOS vaccine can be taken up to 4 days after exposure to Monkey Pox to prevent onset of the disease and between 5 to 14 days it may not prevent infection, but can reduce severity of symptoms. Thus: just like Rabies, post 'exposure medical care' in the way of a vaccine prevents severity of symtoms. For a 'regular person' the JYNNEOS vaccine is unnecessary as the risk of exposure is so low. For 'high risk' individuals, such as, Healthcare workers handling mpox patients, lab staff, contact tracers etc, then it might be advised that they take the vaccine. The same could be argued of those who handle stray dogs or work in high-risk environments, they should seriously consider getting a pre-exposure rabies vaccination, but its not necessary for the general population.

There has been a threefold increase in reported rabies cases in cats and dogs compared to last year. Seven rabies-related deaths have occurred so far this year – all of them entirely preventable with prompt medical treatment and the rabies vaccine. Is this just another scare story? Perhaps. But more importantly, it's a timely reminder: if you're bitten by an unknown animal, seek medical attention immediately and get the rabies shot. It could save your life. No doubt someone will try to draw a clumsy comparison between rabies fatalities and road deaths – but that misses the point entirely. The existence of one risk doesn't negate the importance of addressing another. ... and as far as dogs are concerned, that means dealing with strays too....

I'm referring to a handful of folk on this forum who are 100% against ALL vaccines... any... and that goes for Measles (MMR), Polio etc... (so not just a covid vax discussion - which again is separate conversation, but also somewhat based around the hysteria of the anti-vax movement).... And yes, as far as tested and proven vaccines are concerned... if someone is anti-vaccination, be it Rabies, Polio, MMR etc... then I am most definitely not with you, and by very definition, against you (and whoever the 'us' is you refer to).

Cod is totally different to Snapper, It is... I've had Fish-n-chips here in restaurants, the fish was SeaBass (in a beer batter) and must say, I thought it was excellent... Certainly nothing to turn the nose up at just because its not Cod or Haddock... in fact, I'd go as far as to say it was better than Cod... But... I still prefer traditional Fish-n-chips in the UK... From a good 'chippie'.... As mentioned earlier - the Fish-n-chips at Kai, or should I rewrite that with 'fush-n-chups' at Kai is also excellent and probably the best in Bangkok, though I admit to rarely eating it here.

I wonder what the Anti-vaxxers do when they are bitten ?.... one of them disbelieves Rabies Virus is even a virus and that it does not even exist...

Best to experience what life has to offer before the hobbit from Buriram chases you down with a shotgun !!!

The Thai take on the Indonesian Kopi Luwak - the cherry is ingested and the bean excreted by the Civet cat after the stomach 'acids' have done their job on the bean. IMO - lot more of a novelty than something truly remarkable. In this case ingested by elephants - Black Ivory Coffee (I've never tried it). https://blackivorycoffee.com/collections/all Thailand also has its own wild civet coffee produced by Doi Chang Coffee. An other producer in Thailand is Bluegold civet coffee, though it does not specify whether it's wild or farmed.

Some machines have a more consistent and even distribution of water over the coffee bed, but many tend to "channel" or "wash out" specific areas of the grinds. This leads to uneven extraction - some parts of the coffee are over-extracted while others remain under-extracted, resulting in a flat or unbalanced cup. This is one reason why manual pour-over has become more popular than traditional filter coffee machines in specialty coffee settings. Filter Coffee machines are convenient, but they often lack the control and finesse required for optimal flavour extraction - they were more a thing of the 70's with an alarm, or in an office setting where the manager is not into coffee and the put just stews all morning !!!... Your point is quite valid, though - there's limited demand for automatic drip or filter coffee these days, especially in cafés focused on quality. As such, it often makes more sense to skip the filter coffee machine entirely and prepare pour-over manually when someone orders a filter-style coffee. In that case, the most critical factor becomes how the hot water distributed during brewing. The pour technique - including speed, pattern, and consistency - is key to ensuring the coffee bed is evenly saturated, promoting balanced extraction and a more refined cup. Thus a set up as below is perhaps more idea for individual cups. Not the Pot with a long spout so the pour can be controlled. But, if in a 'high footfall area' where lots of coffee is being ordered and customers want speed - this may not be idea as the method is a bit slower and takes server attention.

Its an Double A Grade Arabica Bean Grown at 1200-1400 MASL in Doi Pang Khon (in Huai Chomphu, Chiang Rai). I reckon a Medium Roast will be fine for pour over or filter coffee.... If you order the bean - then you can see the roast level yourself. You can then also grind yourself to specified grind level - usually going for a medium grind for Filter Coffee (so its not over extracted and too bitter). Looks like a decent bean - I might give it a try myself.

Light roast isn't great, most shops i go to seem to serve dark roast as standard Medium-Dark and Dark roasts are ideal for many coffees, such as that pressed in an expresso machine especially when mixed with Milk for a Cappuccino or Latte... or coffee made in Moka Pot. Ideally, for a pour over coffee, or 'filter coffee' - a lighter roast will be better... i.e. light roast / light-medium roast.. And of course, the bean... an Arabica not a Robusta. A lighter roast is better for pour-over or filter coffee because of how the flavours and chemical compounds behave during roasting and extraction. A few reasons why... Flavour Clarity and Complexity Light roasts preserve the bean's origin characteristics; floral, fruity, acidic, and subtle notes. The more complex flavours are best extracted slowly, which is exactly what filter methods are designed for. We get a cleaner cup of coffee with defined tasting notes – its not muddy or bitter which we can get from dark roasts. Solubility and Extraction Light roasts are less soluble than darker roasts – they still retain many of their natural acids and sugars. Filter brewing takes longer and at low (atmospheric) pressure, which gently extracts those flavours without overdoing bitterness or body. Darker roasts extract very quickly, often too much for a slow brew, which leads to an over-extracted, bitter tasting cup of coffee. Acidity and Aroma Filter brewing highlights acidity in a good way.. i.e. think citrus, apple, berry flavours come through. Light roasts show up as they still have lively organic acids (like citric, malic, or tartaric acids), giving the coffee brightness and freshness. With Dark roasts most of those acids are roasted off leaving a flatter, smokier flavour (with pour over / filter). Body and Mouthfeel Filter coffee with light roast is typically tea-like, with a cleaner mouthfeel. If you use a dark roast, you get more body and bitterness, which might be better suited to espresso or French press, not filter. If we use Darker Roasts in Filter brewing we get Overpowering smoky, ashy notes. Loss of origin character. The coffee tends to taste flat, bitter, or one-dimensional. Feels heavy, especially in pour-over where clarity is key. The issue with coffee of course - is that most don't know so it doesn't really matter too much. I suspect those who like a cup of decent coffee would more than likely go for an Espresso based coffee (lengthened as a long black of American - even with milk) over a Filter Coffee... Personally - I wouldn't bother with a filter coffee at all... But the Op asked.

Just make sure its a light roast Arabica bean from a higher altitude area... thats should be good enough for most people.

What machine does she have now ??? - an Espresso Machine ? A long Black - Hot water with Espresso added... Americano - Espresso with hot water added... Essentially the same drink - Milk can be added to either to make a regular coffee.... When switching to filter coffee - i.e. a drip machine... the differences won't be noticed my most. Filter coffee with milk is lighter in body. Americano with milk is smoother but can feel slightly heavier. Long black with milk has more texture and bite, especially with the crema. When using a drip machine, a lighter roast is better, arabica bean for quality. Good Thai Coffee for Filter: What to Look For Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Mae Hong Son in Northern Thailand are the main growing regions. Higher altitudes (1,200–1,500m+) give better complexity and acidity - ideal for filter. Choose a light or medium roast, preferably labelled "filter roast". Avoid the traditional dark or oily Thai roasts - they’re intended for strong milk-based drinks. Beans: Doi Chang (Chiang Rai) Nutty, chocolaty, balanced acidity Doi Saket (Chiang Mai) Fruity, clean, sometimes citrusy Natural Processed ThaiBerry, tropical fruit, wine-like Specialty Thai Arabica can make nice filter coffee: smooth, slightly fruity, often chocolatey with low bitterness. Go for: High-altitude beans, Washed or honey process, Light-medium roast. Avoid - Robusta beans

This... First thing to check to see if your account is open is to try a cardless withdrawal. Then you can also try a conventional ATM withdrawal. Also, as you suggested OP, give your Wireless Payment (Tap-n-go) at try - only you have the answer to that. The message you received was that your 'mobile banking services have been temporarily blocked' - so that just means mobile banking service, you should still have functional Online Banking Services etc.

Wow... .... Finally online outrage has been sparked against someone other than foreigners !!! ... Are we 100% sure they were Thai ?

Lovin’ the way one refers to oneself while discussing pishing ‘almost anywhere’ !!! 😅

yep… email VFS & give them 3 date options.

I’d used exactly the same photo for my other UK passport renewal earlier on in the year so HMPO knew it was older than 6 months…

Take a driving course, then, appears that you need it. No he doesn't.... It just appears that he drives on roads where there are plenty of other vehicles which are ridden or driven recklessly. Every time I drive down my soi I can say I have a near-miss.... (narrow soi, one lane in each direction), cars are sometimes caught up in traffic... motorcycles trying to overtake.... When I'm heading out in the opposite direction the motorcycles will just drive straight towards me - almost as if they are playing chicken, forcing me to brake so the can slot back.... almost each time, if I haven't applied the brakes and come to a near stop to give them space, I would have clipped them with my front right side... (while they are on my side of the road)..... they really don't care - but I would call each one of those a near miss.

While riding on the sub-soi... I ride down the middle of my lane... so I have an option to move left or right, as needed, when there are drains etc... or protect myself if a vehicle appears as though it will pull out from the left... But... Some fool will always pull out from a side street right next to me and nearly hit me, as they think two bikes riding next to each other per one lane is perfectly fine.... (its not when one needs to take evasive action). Another, while I was turning right (from a T-junction) a kid on a bike tried to time it so he could pull out, turning right behind me (from the road I was turning into). He timed it poorly and hit my numberplate. He stopped, apologised, he was about 12 or 13... no real damage to my my bike, just a bent number plate that he caught his foot on (I could bend the number plate back). Very doubtful he would have learned a think from the minor incident. I learned that riders here will just pull out into you - but I knew that anyway !.

I was minding my own business the other day driving about... and this crazy foreigner came speeding up the street and tried to drive into me... .... Then he followed for a bit while belting his horn... utter loon !!! I've no idea what was wrong with him.....

I just completed this quiz. My Score 100/100 My Time 138 seconds  

There's handfull of the 'Thumbs-down' stalkers... juvenile fools who'll post against the poster themself rather than the individual topic... Its also fairly obvious to see who they are... even when they are stalking someone else.

I think allow 2 weeks to make a VFS appointment. Allow at least 3 months ahead of Passport Expiry... renewal should take about a month, but they are notorious for delays due to payment or photo issues (mine took 2 Month Oct to Nov '24). Here was my latest timeline: 02-Oct: Submitted application at VFS 18-Oct: Received HMPO e-mail - unable to process payment (given link to government portal for payment) 23-Oct: Received HMPO e-mail - Confirmed Payment 24-Oct: Received HMPO e-mail - Request to Post new photos (current photos unacceptable) 02-Dec: Received HMPO e-mail - Collect Passport from VFS. But also consider it you might have to travel to any country that insists on 6 months validity in the Passport while you have a renewal application underway.