rickudon

India's ban on exporting rice and the Ukraine war affecting grain prices, means rice is selling for more on international market. Hence more is being exported.

Heavy overnight rain in Udon. All ponds overflowing and wife's shop flooded, which is a first. Fortunately water levels in the village have fallen today as rice fields were not full before the rain.

Sorry to hear about Owls and Andrews experiences of CKD. Maybe more common than i thought. I do have a cousin with it, soon to go on dialysis. he is a bit low, as also his wife has Alzheimers and is now in a hospice. Spent a day and a half at Nong Prajak Public hospital last week, for tests, more tests, and a couple of consultations. I had blood tests, urine tests, Prostate tests, ultrasound twice, an Xray and a CKG. Also gave a bag of medicines for blood pressure, cholesterol and bladder function. Was a bit exhausting being sent from one room to another (every test and consultation was at a different place) and the lack of English in the signs doesn't help you get to the right room/desk. I went via the foreigners office, which i am sure gets you bumped up the priority list as never had to wait more than 20 minutes ( i guess that is because you are paying.....). Took the wife second day which helped. All told cost about 6,000 baht, which is a lot cheaper than Bangkok hospital. Apart from the CKD and an enlarged prostate, all was good.

Sorry to hear about Owls and Andrews experiences of CKD. Maybe more common than i thought. I do have a cousin with it, soon to go on dialysis. he is a bit low, as also his wife has Alzheimers and is now in a hospice. Spent a day and a half at Nong Prajak Public hospital last week, for tests, more tests, and a couple of consultations. I had blood tests, urine tests, Prostate tests, ultrasound twice, an Xray and a CKG. Also gave a bag of medicines for blood pressure, cholesterol and bladder function. Was a bit exhausting being sent from one room to another (every test and consultation was at a different place) and the lack of English in the signs doesn't help you get to the right room/desk. I went via the foreigners office, which i am sure gets you bumped up the priority list as never had to wait more than 20 minutes ( i guess that is because you are paying.....). Took the wife second day which helped. All told cost about 6,000 baht, which is a lot cheaper than Bangkok hospital. Apart from the CKD and an enlarged prostate, all was good.

Since middle of June plenty of rain in Udon Thani. Maybe slightly less than normal, but rare to get 3 days without rain. Our rice field is full and ponds close to full already.

Ideally, but plenty of people live on the streets. Housing in Thailand is a separate issue, but still a lot simpler and affordable than say in the UK. That is one of the main issues that sees me in Thailand. UK state pension doesn't cover housing either

You cannot live on 600 baht a month. Totally agree that 3,000 baht is a more sensible pension.

In the UK, most ATM's are built into walls for safety. Doesn't help. Favourite method of theft is first steal a JCB digger from a building site and use it to demolish the wall and carry away the ATM machine for leisurely dismantling. Takes less than 5 minutes. near my old home a string of thefts over a one month period removed all but one ATM machine in a 5 mile radius, very hard to get cash.

WE have 3 Haier AC's, first recommended by installer/repairman about 3 years ago. Work fine - last 2 both installed this year during the heatwave, so cannot say about how long they will last.

Plenty of rain in Udon Thani. Veg garden still flooded.

Wildfires need very dry conditions and a good breeze if they are to spread. As for ecoterrorists, forget it. In the UK, back in 1976, we had a very dry spring and summer after a dryish winter, then a heat wave for 2 months. Fires broke out everywhere - sides of motorways looked like chessboards because of so many fires caused by cigarettes - but no fires spread very far. If you get dry conditions - fires will happen. usually due to careless humans, but lightning can start them. Most fires burn themselves out or are easily controlled. But when all the conditions are right .... It does seem that the last decade or so is seeing a dramatic increase globally in severe fires. Climate is definitely a factor. In Thailand fires are common, many small ones, but never heard of a large, out of control fire.

Chickenlegs, just having a rant. Still alive and should still have a few years left. Owl, welcome to pop in next time you are in Udon. I live about 500 metres from VP (which you know). Yes, i remember seeing about the wife's debts. Mine had a few - didn't get told about them until after daughter born! Avocadoes - i started with 6 in pots. Started off well, but eventually started dying off. I planted one in the ground, but didn't matter how regularly i watered it, it slowly died. The one i kept going was planted in a concrete ring with well prepared soil. It was doing fine, but past experience with the others told me that they hate getting waterlogged, they need good drainage. BUT also need regular water. The one in the ring in hot weather needed watering every other day or would start to wilt. I was originally diagnose with CKD in 2021 in the UK. But told early stage. Was getting checkups and tests from Bangkok hospital but was a bit expensive. I was hoping to get some tests while in the UK but during the 3 weeks i was there we were so busy ( sight seeing, Chessington world of Adventures, safari park, Hampton court etc.) plus sister-in-laws wedding that never even had time to visit a doctor, only had 2 days free and needed to rest! And have you tried to get an appointment with a UK GP recently? Usually a 2 week wait and similar for tests, have to book in advance and wait a week for results. I will return to UK next year (alone) as have a number of things to do which have been put off due to Covid. Should have at least 3-4 years before the CKD becomes critical, then maybe back for good - but to be honest probably easier to see a doctor in Thailand currently. Trying to get my diet more in line with what the kidney's need, but that means making more food for myself. CKD isn't really curable - it is all about slowing it down. Currently the only symptom i have is i get tired after a reasonable bout of physical work - usually need to rest for about 2 hours. Other things - our ponds are now full, due to the constant drizzle, but not overflowing yet. Have just bought some more Jeramid to grow on for the ponds. Usually overflow 2 out of 3 years. Not sure if i will plant any more trees.....

Wow, just realised 3 weeks or more since looking at the thread. So much happening. For me a few mishaps. After the fantastic UK family holiday, got back on the 11th May, just in time for daughter to start school. First, my one remaining Avocado, 6 years old, which i had given explicit instructions to be watered, was dead. Typical. Hard to rely on extended family here. Next, was told the old rice field next to the pond was going to be ploughed. I had left some piles of branches there left over from the Eucalyptus harvest (another case of the land being left in a mess), so i went down to clear them; trod on a rock and felt a sharp pain, thought it must be a long thorn or nail. Upon investigation, so signs of a wound. Thought nothing of it, expected it would be back to normal in a couple of days. How wrong i was! Couldn't walk on it for more than 5 minutes and pressing the clutch pedal on the car was painful. Took 5 weeks. I had broken a bone in my foot I think. followed by - management light on car engine came on - 24,000 baht to fix. Air conditioner died in bedroom, another 6,000 to repair. Then ... Toothache. Antibiotics, visit to dentist and root canal treatment (2 sessions). Crown to follow. Decided it was also time for some blood tests, went to Nong Prajak hospital - result - wouldn't let me leave until i had seen 2 doctors. Chronic Kidney disease (CKD) is getting worse. Finally, due to not working on the farm, and wet season, the grass was growing a riot, so contractor employed by wife to cut it. My instructions - "careful of my Date palms". When i went to check, already finished - but so were 3 of my date palms (i have spent two and a half years rearing them from seed), only 2 left. They were about 75 cms tall and about 5-8 cms thick at the base, how can you think they were grass? I have lost more young trees butchered by Thai bush cutter/tractor idiots over the last 10 years than i can count. My M-in-L also helpfully weeds out any of my vegetables i plant if she thinks they are sick, weeds or anything else. Our garden is nearly a desert because she digs up the grass (lawn) and chops down trees and shrubs just because she doesn't like sweeping up leaves. Just about ready to retire to a bar for the rest of my life and drink! So have been a bit depressed of late.

As with all innovative construction techniques, there is a gap between what is possible and what happens in practice. Poor quality materials and lack of maintenance can lead to catastrophic failure. Worst example recently - the Genoa bridge collapse which killed 43 people. It may take a few decades to fail, but you do not want to be around when it happens.

Incorrect. Taenia are tapeworms. if humans ingest the eggs, the parasites may hatch but will die as humans are not the correct host in the first Stage of the cycle, so the cycle will not be completed. The cysts they form can cause damage. This is the correct description of the lifecycle: Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm, belongs to the cyclophyllid cestode family Taeniidae. It is found throughout the world and is most common in countries where pork is eaten. It is a tapeworm that uses humans as its definitive host and pigs as the intermediate or secondary hosts. It is transmitted to pigs through human feces that contain the parasite eggs and contaminate their fodder. Pigs ingest the eggs, which develop into larvae, then into oncospheres, and ultimately into infective tapeworm cysts, called cysticercus. Humans acquire the cysts through consumption of uncooked or under-cooked pork and the cysts grow into an adult worms in the small intestine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taenia_solium

I wonder what are the items used to compute the CPI. Yes, prices haven't risen a lot, but quite a few packaged items are suffering shrinkflation. One item i buy regularly has shrunk to 85 grams from 100 grams - to me that is 15% inflation!

Banks closing accounts because you live abroad is worrying, because sometimes we need a UK bank. I was careful to set up my financial and legal affairs to work in the UK as far as possible when i moved to Thailand 13 years ago. I maintain a UK address ( relatives home) and have internet banking for all my banks. I use 3 main banks, have regular transfers between each bank ( a circular transaction through each bank in turn) to keep the accounts active. Also have a UK credit card. Means i have options if one bank is lost temporarily or permanently. Get pensions paid in, some direct debits paid out, and this allows me to move money around and take advantage of any higher interest accounts. Still get some issues - logging in sometimes requires OTP's, which can be an issue as one bank would not accept foreign telephone numbers. Also had issues with Nationwide refusing to send money to Wise half the time, so just use my Clarity credit card (which is actually cheaper, as long as you pay off your debt same day). And of course getting new bank cards requires them to be forwarded by family. So reasons to keep more than one account active. Especially important to keep UK bank accounts now as opening new accounts with Thai banks is a nightmare, even with a long term Visa.

Avoiding paying tax? But many of them are below the level where income tax is liable. And many others would only be paying less than 10,000 baht in tax a year. It just becomes uneconomic to tax them, and the paper trail for income is non-existent. Instead, they raise money via VAT, which hits poorer people proportionally harder. Also, if you run a small shop, there are many licences to pay for. My wife has to get one for having a shop, one for selling alcohol; such as beer, another for spirits, and yet another for Tobacco. There is also sign tax - which is one reason so many smaller shops do not have a name.

Dogs here are not just a bite hazard and a noise problem, but also a traffic issue - have seen 2 motorbike accidents just outside our house caused by dogs attacking the riders, also one accident on the road with one man down injured and a dog looking dead. Lost count of how many dogs i have hit with the car - they just walk or run in front of you as if you are not there - by the time they move they are already in your blind spot in front of the bonnet. Usually just a nudge to get them moving (you cannot always see them) but did get one run straight into my car radiator grill and cause damage. It survived. And of course the litter problem. Bins knocked over and contents spread everywhere. Finally, pets and domestic livestock killed. An annual dog barbeque should be held in every village!

For me the golden age of TV was the 80's, Mainly BBC and channel 4. There is a limit to how many good programs are made, the advent of Sky and Freeview was the end - 95% garbage and the good stuff was like needle hunting in a haystack. I stopped watching TV about 20 years ago, except for news. The rare occasions when back in the UK i have only a TV to watch, sees me channel hopping for 15 minutes Then deciding to take a nap. Can always find something to do on the computer. I do watch netflix sometimes, been some good films and series, and quick to browse and find some. But even there it is like one good one in a 100.

No. He was a very quiet man, also traumatised somewhat by what he saw during WW2 - especially when ordered to execute a girl because she was 'probably' sniping at them. Never really knew what he wanted in life - i think he was content to own a nice house, liked gardening, and betting a little bit on the horses. Spent most of his retirement watching TV or gardening. Gardening is the only thing we have in common. What is scary, a cousin has in the last 5 years become more like me every year - it is like looking in a mirror.

Then - Restaurant and fishing park manager - she saw me, and went fishing...... Now - small village shop, housewife and mother.

1. Yes, sometimes, Memories of good times in bed.... 2. Slovakia, in the Tatra mountains. 3, Nepal if i had to choose, but would like to see South America once.

My calculated budget when I came in 2010 was 30,000 baht a month. Never happened. Actual was 40-50,000; There were lots of startup expenses, house was wife's, but a bare Thai house, needed to buy fridge, TV, kitchen utensils, furniture, HP for car, etc. The house was basically a lot of empty rooms! And then a daughter came along. Also some big 'one off's' like house improvements (one room at a time). The good thing is it is still around 40-50,000 most months, as lots of those early expenses only happen when replacements needed. There are still a few 'one off's' but i limit it to one a year - digging fish ponds, still a few house improvements, this year a family trip to UK. Food - used to eat out more, now mainly at home, Groceries were cheaper in the UK except for fresh food. UK prices didn't go up much first 10 years, except for eating out, but have exploded recently. In Thailand has gone in bursts - some items still the same as 10 years ago, others doubled. Cartagenawarlocks hatred of British food makes me think he was either raised in an institution or was in jail - still prefer some English. Back in 1960 food was boiled beef and carrots, but not any more! Wife and daughter liked the cooked English breakfast, and pies, strawberries and cream. Cakes and biscuits infinitely better than Thailand. Eating English or European is more expensive in Thailand (not counting restaurants) but still need that fix. Only thing i agree with Cartagena on is Macdonalds fillet of fish burger - my go to if eating there.

Doubtful. That 1 percent accounts for 20% of Thai GDP, and easier to assess 1 percent than 50 percent of people. So half the Thai population would have to start filing tax returns, with very little paperwork available as proof. And, of course, most would always earn just under the tax free limit! You would need to double the number of tax inspectors, probably cost more to employ them than what they raise. Finally, how do you get 50% of the voters to stop voting for you? Raise their taxes.