rickudon

300 million baht in unpaid hospital bills .... 20 million tourists ...... 15 baht a person! A 20 baht note donated as you leave the airport would cover it. For those of us who are older with some health issues, hard to find Health insurance and too often the exclusions are so broad you never know if they will pay. Thai insurance is expensive for the cover offered.

Arabica doesn't like it hot. Thailand is too hot for it to do well. Maybe could grow on a mountain top. Coffee producers are warning than rising world temperatures could see arabica become a rarity.

Yes you never know what a madman will do next.....

Yes, the OP needs to be cautious. If he intends to marry and take his spouse to the UK, he needs to consider the requirements and costs of the WHOLE PROCESS, not just the initial visa application. To get indefinite leave to remain can take 10 years, and you need to meet the financial requirements every time it comes up for review. If you retire before this is completed, meeting the financial requirements might be difficult. Living in Thailand is somewhat easier, at least currently. Obviously English tests and the divorce need to be finalised first. if the relationship is under 2 years old, also a negative towards getting a visa. Research, plan, plan, research again. Need to get all those ducks in a row.

Disability access is still a long way behind the west. But i thought back to what it was like when i was young - no ramps on curbs except for car driveways, few pedestrian bridges, no ramps to get into shops (just hope it is level with the pavement), many locations not wheelchair accessible, no mobility scooters. However, at least pavements were usually wide and fairly even and crossing roads not quite the death defying experience as in modern Thailand. Give it 50 years and things will improve.

Ideally roads should not be used to dry rice. However, what alternatives does a small farmer have? Commercial drying equipment would be expensive and not economic to most farmers. Alternatives - drying in the fields is a problem if the ground is still damp, and more problems with birds, insects and other animals, and potentially more dust. Some farmers have suitable places to lay out the rice and dry it. But those farmers who only own a couple of rice paddies and a small house with little or no outside yard/garden have a problem. If the government want to stop the practice, they need to provide/support/encourage alternative facilities.

Long distance buses from the Swampy bus station (the one you catch a shuttle ride too) have declined a bit. I was told the overnight bus to Udon no longer runs. But i haven't used it for over 5 years. Many people now fly. May need to go into central Bangkok.

I don't find the traffic congestion in Udon a problem. And please tell me a city that doesn't have any congestion, in the world. Outside of commuting hours, i can get anywhere in Udon in under 30 minutes, and most places in 15 minutes. Just need to learn the choke points and avoid if possible. Actually congestion now somewhat better than 10 years ago, due to the upgraded ring road, more traffic lights and dare i say it, Thais actually driving better! Parking can be an issue in town centre. Pollution also improved. Most roads now concrete/tarmac, people actually sometimes have gardens rather than bare yards, so less dust. AQI next to main roads is high, but get 500 metres away a lot better. Also less crop burning. I did buy an air filter about 5 years ago after a couple of smoky days, but have only used about twice in the last 2 years - you just don't need it. Condos - as said, there was a surge of building after the big Bangkok floods, and 3 developments went up - and still have empty units ..... Plenty of cheap hotels and rooms for rent, these days nearly all have air conditioning etc., not expensive. Night life not like it used to be - the average Udon expat is now a pensioner, many not into the bar scene, those who drank a lot die faster! Bangkok hospital has expanded onto soi Samphan, less bars, these days. UDtown is the main entertainment/shopping area outside of Central, now more under cover, and quite pleasant area. Violent crime, outside of domestic violence, is rare.

Happy new Year , Owl. Yeah, for me 69 was the turning point, up to then only some physical injuries which did leave some issues with grip, shoulders and back. Then reminded about mortality by my kidney disease issue, but have quite a few years yet before dialysis. I have lost about 5 kilos in the last 2 years, target is another 2 kilos. Grass cutting and pond repairs now nearly finished, which just leaves me with the rice field .... but not a priority as it doesn't affect the fishing! Have erected a shelter for fishing (just some shade cloth) to keep the worst of the sun off. Finnomick, not absolutely sure what the answer to your grass problem is, every pond is different. My ponds suffered from the long grass until i had them dug out about 5 years ago. Before that, they were shallow, and a lot of black silty mud which the long grass tended to prefer. Also a lot of other plants. After digging, did get a lot of plant growth the first year (all those nutrients stirred up), but the last 2 years has seen practically no plant growth except for a few water lilies and rushes. That grass seems to like the black mud, and doesn't grow well in bare clay. Liming will get rid of fish parasites (not that i have ever had a problem) and unwanted fish, but is unlikely to help with the grass (although the Ph change may). I actually would like a few more plants now!

How to keep busy .... I have 2 fish ponds for angling, and the banks require a bit of maintenance. Tried to get Thais to do it ( hired by wife) but usually end up with more work due to their mistakes (incompetence?). For example, one man with his bush cutter cut all the grass - and 2 date palms and a couple of other shrubs. Wasn't as if they were tiny - about 60 cms tall and 5 cm thick. 3 years of nurture down the drain. When ploughing the rice field. end up with marginal bananas and small trees bulldozed, and piles of soil and grass a metre high and all over the ponds nice flat bank. So I have to do it myself if possible. Also grow veggies and limes. I am finding that since getting to 70 i get tired faster, so 2 hours a day of gardening/farm maintenance is enough. When not outside, i spend an hour or 2 on computer games (for the brain), researching stuff about Victorian ships on the internet or browsing news (including Aseannow). Once a week play Bridge (although we are nearly out of Bridge players), and for when i want to completely relax, have Netflix. Also may start a climate blog, but never enough time! Apart from the Bridge, not much socialising as not into drinking and most expats i know either stay mainly at home (because older) or they just drink....

Here's wishing all the posters a prosperous new year. Last year has been eventful, just would like a quiet one in 2024! Do get some good tips on this thread - Owl mentioned he bought some tinned Cat food from BigC, and the pets enjoyed it. I saw it in BigC so bought some for our cat. Had previously bought some from Makro but the cat wasn't keen on it. The BigC cat food was eaten with Gusto. Also cheaper! Also comes in pouches as well. Busy in the veg garden now it is cool season. Only problem is quite a lot of the Thai seeds have been duds this year - suspect during the very hot weather last year they were not stored properly. I keep my seeds in the fridge - and ones from the UK from 3 years ago all came up, except the beetroot.

Pla Hang - do you mean Guppy? I think most livebearers can take a bit of salt

No negativity. I have a hearing deficit so the difference between Thai tones just does not register in my brain. I tried learning Thai, but beyond a list of nouns never got far enough to hold a conversation. i can buy petrol in Thai, and understand numbers (if you repeat it). In my experience 90% of shop assistants reply to me in English, but as most shops are self service, need for Thai is very rare. Anyway language issues are why you have a Thai wife!

At my daughters school in Udon about 1% have Farang fathers. Hardly enough to take the place over, and this is a farang hot spot.

In London have low emission zones - have to pay to enter in a ICE vehicle. That would work better (if they enforced it).

By the time these airports are operational, either CO2 reduction laws will have curtailed flying, or the planet will be on a one way trip to the next extinction event.

It only takes one quick look to see he has no weapons and the only danger to the policeman is being smothered.... Still an embarrassment to the UK and should have his passport confiscated.

Agricultural land in the UK would be less than a million baht an acre, let alone a rai. Unless the land has serious development potential, land in Thailand is never worth more than 500,000 baht a rai. Our family has had land for sale for years, all totally overpriced - none has ever actually been sold.

Yeah, shafted twice. They upped the price to 18,600 GBP just as i got married in Thailand. On a pension, so going to Uk which was being considered was out the window. And as another said, income was just getting to the 18,600 level and they have upped it again ... will probably die alone in the Uk if i end up having a long term terminal illness.

10,000 baht visa fine? If true, just another idiot. In 14 years living in Thailand i have been fined exactly 700 baht total. Corruption? maybe have paid about 2000 baht in tea money to immigration in total in that time, nothing anywhere else.

My Thai Nephew and his girlfriend just moved to Bangkok - to work. He has civil engineering qualifications but here in Udon good jobs hard to find (mainly was helping his father kill chickens). Other family members have worked in Bangkok, they all came back after a while, our village has a lot of family members in it. Personally, I hate Bangkok. Humid, always smells of diesel, little greenery; the taxi drivers are mainly obnoxious. I only go when i have to. Only time i lived in a large city was Birmingham UK, and then i lived in a suburb on a small hill with a garden. Small cities are fine, easy to get around and you do not get lost. Any city i cannot comfortably walk across in a day is too big. I live just outside Udon, can get to nearly everywhere in town i need in 15 minutes, air quality mainly good, I have trees, ponds and nature on my doorstep.

I hate golf because it is a threat to the environment - golf courses use vast amounts of water (responsible for desertification in Spain), and a lot of chemicals to keep those greens perfect. My fishing clubs carp lake used to have water lilies in it until they built a golf course next door. Three years later all dead, herbicides were in the water from the greens.

No problem, it has been sitting there for a year already!

Owl, if your good at fixing pumps we have one down on the farm not working. You are welcome to it next time you come to Udon. If you can fix it, you win. If not, well it was free.

Not sure what part of Udon you live but i have never experienced multiple days when the temperature stayed under 20, except in February about 10 years ago. Night time, OK, can get down to under 10. I have a maximum/minimum thermometer.