rickudon

Saw a video on Thai news of his body being collected from his room, he was using a hospital style bed, so maybe he had health issues.

He should add 300 baht to the cost of his Pizzas (already expensive) - see how long his business lasts then. I will avoid HIS brand from now on.

That Covid is still around, and a danger, is obvious if you look at the various statistics. First 2 years yes a lot of people died, but less now due to vaccinations and milder versions - BUT in the UK 20,000 still died in the last 6 months with/of Covid. It is hard of course to say if some of them would have died anyway, but Covid was a factor which may have caused those deaths. I am sure the same applies with flu - it is a factor in death, but possibly not the only one.. At 20,000 Covid deaths over the warmer months it is like a never ending flu epidemic. Unfortunately the newer variants are just so infectious that it is near impossible to avoid getting it sooner or later; we just have to grit out teeth and get on with life. Nearly everybody i know only got it this year, all vaccinated, all survived. One distant relative died of it in the first year. One person i know suffered long covid and hasn't worked in nearly 2 years (in his 30's). To put it in another context, death rate/cases is now about one in a thousand, similar to dengue.

Only once had a problem with my card (a foreign card) being spat out without the money. Yes, only using ATMs in the bank is safer. Better still do not use an ATM at all but do a counter withdrawal - especially if a foreign card where being eaten becomes a major problem - only takes a few minutes longer (or plan ahead and go when the bank is quiet, only 2-3 minutes lost), and save the ATM fee if a foreign card at most banks.

Unfortunately a common occurrence. Happened to a family about a mile away from us - mother planting rice - kid playing nearby, fell into deeper water.

Although tragic, this accident is not the fault of the pickup driver. As has been said, for many it is the only way to transport your extended family around, not everybody can afford a car. Secondly, many countries allow passengers in the back of Pickup trucks - it is legal in 20 states in the USA! If i had to choose between the back of a pickup truck and a motorcycle, no way would i choose 2 wheels. Motorbikes and passengers would have stood no chance in this accident. The issue is Thai driving standards and lack of enforcement of rules.

Although my politics are left of centre, immigration in the UK is a problem. Forget 'human rights' people in the UK have rights too. Time to get tough. 1. legal migration exists, and will continue to do so. 2 Illegal entry into the UK is a crime, and anyone who lands in the UK should be considered as a criminal. Automatic fine for illegal entry. All services provided to them have to be paid for, including making them pay the NHS surcharge. All debts must be paid before the possibility of right of remain can be given. 3. Anyone from a safe country is automatically deported (40,000 of this years illegal migrants are Albanians). 4. Failed Asylum seekers get one appeal only, then automatic deportation. 5. No rights to benefits for asylum seekers until right to remain given. 6. No family members can join them unless they are employed and repaying their debts, usual migration rules apply. 7. Failure to obtain work or pay debts can result in deportation. If cannot be deported, they will be detained. That's for starters. Obviously a lot more involved than this.

Got to destroy the payoff lists before the public sees them.

Official statistics say not wonderful, but only a few monitoring stations all on major routes. You can get those stats here - https://www.iqair.com/th-en/thailand/changwat-udon-thani/udon-thani However, rainy season quality is usually good. Problem with the monitors is that a lot of the pollution is from diesel exhaust or infrastructure building projects around the main routes. Get 300 metres outside the ring road, where i live, and air quality is a lot better, I cannot usually 'taste' the air pollution, unlike Bangkok which always seems to reek of diesel. Visibility usually over a kilometre (hard to see further, as quite flat). You can see a haze if you drive down the ring road at busy times. Get away from the major roads and air is a lot better. Field burning has also declined a fair bit in 10 years near the city. Dust is the main problem rather than smoke. Pick your location carefully!

I think the scheme will see few takers as it is too restrictive. And the current Thai policy protects HIso greed. On the other hand, i do think that foreign land ownership (and landlords with many properties) causes land and house prices to spiral upwards, and the poor end up renting. This has happened in the UK. 40 years ago, practically anyone could buy property if they had any job and were not a spendthrift. Now we have an entire generation of those under 40 who have little chance of doing that - those with money buy up a lot of the property that comes on the market, pushing prices up, and then rent it out. Because they cannot buy houses, younger people have to rent - and then the rents keep going up as well. My son has just rented a room in London - he wanted a flat, but prices were a joke. How much 1400 GBP a month for a ROOM. That's over 60% of his net salary. how the hell will he ever save enough to buy? Last year, he was paying under a 1,000 GBP.

When i moved to my village 12 years ago, there was a lot of rubbish burning (including M-in-L who burnt leaves about twice a week). Now the only burning IN the village is garden waste, nearly every house has a bin. Litter has also declined a lot, except for the damn soi dogs 'recycling' it back on the ground. Still a fair bit of field burning, but this rarely reaches the village. I did buy an air purifier about 5 years ago, but only need to use one or two days a year now.

My daughter went to a free public kindergarten near our village for about 18 months, food included. She had previously gone to a private one but that only lasted one day - we went to pick her up early and wife saw them abusing her because she wouldn't sleep. We were quite satisfied with the free one. When she was 4 she moved to a kindergarten that was part of a catholic school (school receives some state funds, but not state run), that had fees similar to what OP said.

So now Terrorist groups will prioritise kidnapping Thais as they pay up.

In Udon Thani, last week wife and daughter applied for new passports on Thursday, delivered to home address on Tuesday

I would try to write my autobiography. Not for sale, just a family heirloom. When you get older you regret not finding out about what your parents and grandparents did, or what they thought about. You know some, but to late for the details.

Two factors involved here. First, nearly everyone is finding inflation hurting. Airfares up at least 50% compared to last year or 2019; forget the official UK inflation rate, rents are up 20% in London compared with last year, and fuel bills about 100%. And many employers are offering a derisory 3% pay rise! People not sure if they can afford an expensive flight now. Other factor is many people have been forced to Holiday in their home country the last 2 years, and realise they CAN have a good time there as well. And if your money runs out at home before your holiday finishes, can just pack and go home at no extra cost.

Lots of Russian business people have had 'accidents' this year - the hit squads have been busy?

Just make sure the external units for your air conditioners blow hot air straight into their windows .......

Could be an idea if you can work remotely. My son just started work in London after a year off, now impossible to find a place to rent ( 30-40 viewers a day, most places snapped up within 48 hours) and rents have increased by 20% since last year - near impossible to find even a room for 900 GBP a month, What with utility bills and commuting costs, 75% of his net income will be gone before he even thinks of food. He is hoping to get a posting to a job in Asia.

Official statistics are highly dubious, around 40% of Thais work in the informal economy - government has no idea how much they earn, My wife runs a village shop and micro laundrette, she 'takes' about 3-4,000 a day with a markup of 20%, so theoretically makes 500-600 baht a day - BUT that is gross - if you allow for wastage (food goes bad), utility bills and days when she cannot work a whole day, average is more like 300-400 baht. And hers is one of the largest shops in the village.

Rained on and off in Udon this afternoon, sometimes the concrete even got wet. Less than a millimetre.

Do not know bout the zoo, but saw some shots on the Thai news of houses flooded up to roof level. Most roofs were inhabited by dogs trying to sit the flood out. Some bodies were being retrieved as well.

God another Russian troll

80,000 dollars is about 3 times the average UK pension. Few who would have that much.

Sad if you cannot appreciate the village life. Obviously way out in the bush can cause problems, but otherwise it is great. I live 5 km from a small city, so can shop there anytime, have great internet, fresh air, beautiful sunsets, land, my own fishing ponds, veg garden. Living in a city is horrible. Pollution, little or no garden, traffic. In the UK my son is looking for a new place to live in London (has been away for a year) - rents have gone through the roof, due to the return of students after Covid; he went to one viewing and was 1 of 25 viewers that day! He now thinks he will have to pay up to 1,000 GBP a month just for a room in a shared house or flat. Still will have utility bills, commuting costs and food to pay for. Buy a place? Only when he gets some inheritance money. Cities only any good for the young, if you have any money left for entertainment.