richard_smith237

Same here... When seeing the Doctor its easy enough to just tell them you want to buy the meds outside of the hospital - I’ve never had pushback on this.

This is one of the major is issues in Thailand... borne of an utter apathy by the police to enforce the laws... people do what they want when they want (i.e. park like this) then the sense of entitlement develops, they expect to park like this all the time.... No one does anything... Pedestrians are forced to walk on the road.... Its the same with motorcycles on the pavement, ‘someone’ even goes so far as to add a little concrete and build little ramps to ease access !! Do those in positions of decision making power know ??? My guess is they care so little they hardly notice until something negative occurs and social media makes a big deal out of it... they are then ‘forced’ to care, but briefly until the issue dies down. In this scenario, if you were looking for a spot to park and there was an available gap, what would you do???.... Personally, I’d park there, everyone else has... And thats the issue, the authorities ‘enable’ antisocial traffic behaviour (and parking) by doing nothing about it - in this case they’ve pretty much designed the pavement to be parked one with the ‘ramped kerb stones’.... That said - is the side walk / pavement on the other side of the road clear to walk down ??? This is one of those... TiT issues... not too much to take issue with, its just one of those things to shrug at... its Thailand after all.

Sorry to hear that your friends are unwell - Out of curiosity, what are their ages and health status etc ?.... Everyone I know who has had Covid-19 in the past 12 months have not suffered any symptoms more severe than a regular household cold. It is therefor interesting that while earlier in this thread I quoted ’nothing worse than a cold’ it would appear that I am mistaken and some are still becoming quite unwell. I do wonder if those same people would become quite unwell if exposed to influenza - i.e. for whatever reason, do they have some underlying susceptibility to increased symptoms when catching a respiratory illness, or are they carrying any comorbidity (known or unknown) ? ------------- Faviparivir is the ‘go-to’ antiviral medication used in Thailand to mitigate Covid. This is issued by doctors in hospitals treating Covid patients, it is apparently more effected as early on as possible when symptoms present. Faviparivir is also ‘sent out’ to patents who have called the covid hotline and stayed at home. Wife, Son and Inlaws received it when they caught covid and called the hotline - symptoms were so minor they didn’t bother to use it.

Too quick to let you foot off the clutch... Boots is all over Thailand (in many many malls), as are many other chain pharmacies such as Watsons. Many of these pharmacies can only sell certain (over the counter) medications when the pharmacist is present. When the pharmacist is not present there is usually a ‘blind’ over the ‘being the counter drugs’ and a shop assistant will tell you to come back later (Pharmacist is on a break etc). Can pharmacists diagnose serious conditions ?... no, of course, not, neither can a General Practitioner - all they would do is advise you see further medical assistance at a hospital etc where you would be guided and received dedicated attention and investigation (in your stomach ulcer scenario).

IF you are finding the massage uncomfortable, ask to change the masseuse. Thai’s do it. It's obviously more difficult to do so politely and discretely due to a language barrier, it wouldn’t hurt to tip the lady (as a form of apology for changing her out). I don’t like Thai massage. Massage for me is something to relax to and I often find myself falling asleep and waking myself up with a ’snore-snort’ !!!... I’ve digressed... While I find massage something to relax to, I want to me massaged, not just ‘rubbed’... thus a happy medium needs to be found where the massage is good, but not too strong and getting towards discomfort. I recall a few years back having an ‘aroma massage’... the lady put oil on my back and just wiped it from side to side... I gave her a few mins and realised this was just going to be a waste of time. I simply sat up and asked for a different masseuse - there was little point in going through the harder, harder, too hard palaver... I wanted to relax.

Rightly so... But someone in Thailand made a deal with ‘someone else’ to take the waste...... ... Cut off the head of the problem and solve the problem... Find the person who made the deal to take the waste. They’ve probably been doing so for years. What are the odds that person is connected to a well placed wealthy politician ?

My Son’s first British Passport was applied for 8 years ago, back then the application (for a childs 1st Passport) was made at the Consular office directly. I asked if I needed to register my sons Birth and was told I can if I want, but there is no point as there was no value in it and they were ‘doing away’ with that system anyway.

I'd be interested to know how my advice was incorrect. My daughter was born in Bangkok. She has a British passport, now lives and works in UK. How does she not have British citizen rights? Also, I didn't register her birth at the British embassy neither have I ever had to apply for anything other than her passport. IF I’m not mistaken, the only automatic rights your daughter will be missing is the automatic rights of her children to automatically become British citizens IF they are born outside of the UK.

Do you have a pet (dog) vaccine passport ???? That may sooth things... Also, if I’m not mistaken its significantly cheaper (i.e £1000’s cheaper) to take the dog into Europe (i.e. Amsterdam) and then take the Ferry across the channel rather than flying directly into the UK with an animal. There is actually a fair bit of info out there on the web. https://www.travelnuity.com/travel-with-dog-thailand-to-europe/

You’ve posted this topic twice... It helps if you tell us where you are.

There are two versions of Brith Certificate - Full (long) version and short Version. Make sure you have the ‘full version’. IF your child is born overseas - His children (your grandchildren) are not automatically granted British Citizenship as a right (but rejection would be uncommon). Reportedly Passport applications are taking a long time (12-16 weeks according to some reports), so allow plenty of time. As you are planning on Moving to the UK in Oct and as your child is due in Oct you have left a very short window (an impossible window some might say). It may be worth considering travelling to the UK some time earlier and having the child there, or planning to delay your return until 3-4 months after the Birth.

Queue the hang em high comments..... ... Deport him. ... Gives us all a bad name. ... Thailand doesn’t need foreigners like this. ... He’s a guest in this country and should behave as such. ... Another fool who can’t handle his booze. ... Must have mental issues. ... Brits causing problems (yes.. there will have to be a few anti-brit comments... RB ?). Realistically, this is a nothing story... an drunk idiot.. He’ll have to pay for the damages and say sorry and that will be about it.

Yes... Tell us where you are !... In Bangkok there are plenty of shops which deal with Go-Pro. I found this place useful - its a fairly small shop (you can see it on google maps street view) GOPRO ACCESSORIES STORE BY TRAVCREEK Easy enough to get to with your own wheels. Most shopping malls also sell Go-Pro kit - MBK probably being on of the best options at it has plenty of dedicated camera shops etc. You’ll also find plenty of Go-Pro kit online - Lazada.

Obviously everyone has there own personal preferences. However, when renting, we only get fairly basic models of remarkably average vehicles.... Thus, why would anyone have a preference for manual over automatic ? (no criticism, I’m just curious thats all). I can understand why someone may want an auto over a manual, but the other way round seems somewhat strange.

I think there is a range of experiences... Between cover from work and myself, less has been spent health care than I have received out of it having been (medivacced from Indonesia to Singapore - 10 days in a Hospital in Singapore) - that bill was about $50,000 Another one, My Wife was covered with Bupa (which also covered child birth) 330,000 baht bill at Bumrungrad - the premium at the time was about 60,000 baht (IDP only). She’s been in a couple of times since, with various minor but over night treatments. I know a couple of people who have had 4.5 million baht bills in Thailand (one developed a very rare sudden condition (Gillain Barre syndrome), life threatening... that person spent a month in ICU, then another month in room before continuing with physio for a year. That said... when I’m older and no longe working, when I have to pay elevated rates of cover for myself and Wife which could easily reach 200,000 baht per year (for the same level of cover), I may re-think my approach and self insure myself and rely on the Thai healthcare system for my Wife.

Yes.... Its somewhat ambiguous (as is most the traffic rules which very at each individual junction in Bangkok).... But... It means you have to turn left at that ‘Wireless / Sukhumvit rd junction between 5 and 7pm (only buses can go straight on). This is one of the most idiotic junction rules in Bangkok - It makes getting to an Expressway entrance a proper PITA... there is a ‘cheeky working around’ which makes an utter mockery of the reason for such a dumb rule (see map below). It is these dumb rules which add traffic to Bangkok’s streets - they solve an immediate issue (of clearing that Wireless / Sukhumvit junction for vehicles travelling west to turn right onto Wireless. However, it ‘kicks the traffic can down the road’ as it keeps vehicles on the road for longer as they circumnavigate and take the longway round.

This OP is clearly one of the down sides of the legalisation of marijuana... Each new day is gonna be a whole new rose tinted adventure for the feckless smilers who think they are so special they just have to tell everyone about their day !!!!....

Of course... her mind is already on the new mark who lacks so much game he can only find a hooker and is stupid enough to be proud he’s taking a hooker away on holiday.... .... And is then daft enough to boast about it !!! ????

That was exactly my situation... with approximately 8 exits and 8 entries per year... in 30’s, not married.. needed a decent visa option - I received life-time membership at the time (1MB) with full perks (the same membership is now 2MB for 20 years). Played golf a lot (at the time), the other perks such as massage etc were ok... The Airport Trx and fast track etc through immigration etc is excellent. Now I’m married, I don’t really need the Visa and don’t really need the perks but find them enjoyable. As far as Immigration Officers ‘grilling me’... thats never happened - they know why we have the Elite Visa (P.E or S.E) and seem perfectly indifferent to our arrival as they do Thai arrivals or anyone else.

Somewhat paranoid.... no government or PM is going to suddenly ban foreigners from living in Thailand - thats a huge stretch regardless of your trust for Thailand or not. That said, concern over the longevity of the Thai Elite Program and its associated visa’s is a valid concern which has already been tested. It was in July 2012 that attempts were made by Abhisit's Government to dissolve the Thai Elite program - it couldn’t be done, contracts were in place and too many powerful people were already members (there was also the threat of a class action lawsuit). Since then, the Company was restructured, new more attractive shorter term memberships offered and the company have survived and now seems to have some strength. Could the current military government suddenly decide they don’t like the programs. Of course, they could claim under some emergency decree that the program and visas are no longer valid. But, they could also change many regulations and only permit foreign residences here with a work permit etc... Its all just a stretch too far. IMO - the Thai Elite company has already stood the test of falling out of favour with a subsequent government - its now a decent money maker. It’s here to stay.