Bill Miller

I am a bit puzzled by the "moped" bit. There is an actual definition of a moped: "Moped definition, a motorized bicycle that has pedals in addition to a low-powered gasoline engine designed for low-speed operation."

Under 70 cc according to some posts supposedly does not require a license. This may not make a difference to the insurance company, which typically will seek any reason to deny a claim.
Apparently they are covering some of the bills. The article stated that they are declining to cover "all" of the costs.
The usual very inexact reporting, I think. One source states that mopeds, as such, are no longer available here.
Probably makes no difference regarding his situation, except that if he read some of the posts about the subject he may have thought it was legal to ride without plates, license,  etc. That would not have affected the travel insurance rules in any case. 

7 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

"The number of transactions in Thailand ranked second worldwide after Hong Kong, and topped the list in Southeast Asia with an average spending of 1,646 yuan (Bt7,650)." 

So S

Yeah, sounds just like Trump.

To reiterate that still does not say per transaction. If that is what they meant why not say "1,645 yuan PER TRANSACTION"? The meaning of the sentence as written is that Chinese tourists.......with an average spending of 1,645 yuan."

TAT Chart above is crappola. It shows China and other countries spending more than "All Countries".

Are they not a subset of "All Countries"?

I know, grossly unfair to use grammar and arithmetic. ????

16 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Most of you can't read, it is per transaction. The Chinese spend the most per person than any other nationality but the bar stool experts here find that impossible to believe. 

Only one person gives evidence of inability to read. Nowhere in the article did it state "per transaction".

Talk about "beer stool experts"!

On 2/17/2019 at 7:15 PM, marcusarelus said:

Retired military who are under 65 years of age, and their families, are eligible for TRICARE health coverage. When a military retiree or spouse reaches 65, they are eligible for Medicare and TRICARE for Life medical coverage. TRICARE for Life is specifically for Medicare eligible military retirees. Advantage plan or Medicare Part D plan in addition to TRICARE for Life. An added bonus of TRICARE for Life is that it includes coverage of international health care services.    So, your Colonel was wrong. 

Ah, so you are like Trump and know more than a colonel, retired medical officer.

I never claimed to be a military retiree.

If you think you will get veteran's status just for serving one stint in the reserves, make sure it is during a declared overseas action. Otherwise it does not apply.

He was 100% correct that I am eligible for NO veterans benefits, as confirmed by others such as my sister, a full bird medical officer retired from the Airforce.

I mentioned my Army buddy, a highschool classmate,  because he double checked for me unasked when I said I get no benefits.

2 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Ask anyone about tricare and medicare who has retired from the military. 

Military career unneccesary for medicare.

I do have a vague notion about tricare after all. Just never looked into it much as NA. My National Guard service was during a very rare few years of no applicable veteran status. Had a retired Colonel friend check into it for me. No veteran bennies at all.

20 hours ago, keith101 said:

Or just take a trip to Savanakhet where financials are not a requirement .

Last time, Sept. 2018, I was asked for my bank book.

I did not have it with me, and a copy of my previous non "O" was accepted in lieu of.

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

What about tricare/medicare?

Don't even know what tricare is.

I have Medicare via social security. I paid into Medicare seperately for most of a forty year working life. It was supposed to take care of medical expenses, but really does not, especially when they deny claims the same as regular medical insurance does 

I think that is actually because of ridiculously complicated  billing requirements that doctor's professional billing departments cannot figure out.

7 hours ago, Thomas J said:

I was not aware that you could use Medicare outside of the USA.  Is that true? 

You cannot. I did not make that very clear.
It costs me about 10% of the cost of using Medicare in the states.
Medicare co-pays are roughly 20% of the cost of the service, and some services, such as ambulance fees, are not covered at all. When the service is 10X or more, the cost of using Medicare in the US is often more than paying OTC at Thai government hospitals.
Three day inpatient treatment and therapy after an ischemic stroke was under 20,000 baht. Ambulance, Emergency Room, three days in patient, imaging, diagnosis, meds, and physical therapy, all included.

1 hour ago, Somtamnication said:

.....because TAT marketing is telling them that Thailand is cheaper than at home. It is not!

Depends where home is.

I use government hospitals which on average cost me about 10% of my US healthcare using Medicare.

My full farang price is less than my Medicare copay. I have extensive experience, including major thoracic surgery which bankrupted me in the US.

The government hospitals could use some fresh paint, maybe. I do not go for the decor.

Helps if your in laws include a few nurses who are or have worked at the government institutions, or at least have a good interpretor along.

When I went for a reccomended class on diabetic nutrition my GF boiled it down for me... "You can eat water". ????

3 hours ago, overherebc said:

Pee on him afterwards and raise it to aggravated assault???

Nah, just trying to wake him up. ????

Open the system to farangs who would not mind a higher payment than 30 baht as well as a co 

pay.

As a bonafide handicapped person this pisses me off endlessly, but did long before my own disability. I usually curse them to be handicapped in turn.

Trying to convince the wife to get a sticker for when I am along.

I think it would make sense for the Thai government to offer the health scheme to foreigners again, with a premium that would cover the costs and help subsidize the program for citizens. Limit service to government hospitals, perhaps, to help prevent less urgent claims. I use government hospitals as a self insured, and the wait times can be excruciating.????

Former AAMCO Transmission center manager here.

I too am curious about the "O ring". There are a number in mozt auto transmissions, and not usually a wear item.

Kind of a brouhaha about putting in park or neutral when stopped. Driver for fifty years and certified mechanic off and on for a good part of that. Never heard much about that until coming here. At AAMCO we generally saw 100,000 miles before rebuilds on properly maintained trannys; i.e. fluid and filter changes at specified intervals, which would get band sdjustments as part of the service.... possibly the afore mentioned "O ring".

2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

"there were no signs of obvious problems with the vessel."...An upside down boat with no problems...? Obviously kindergarten writers!

OP said "....obvious problems."

Perfectly correct.

What is obvious is that somebody does not know the meaning of "obvious" as used in the OP.

I have some doubts about who was chasing whom, and that the boy was coming after a gun toting guy in a rescue vehicle on his motorbike while armed only with a knife.

"Self defense" gambit?

Missing apparently from many of the comments is news that Interpol had cancelled the "Red Notice" before the arrest.

Double down on Thai official anti West thuggery, or ingratiating with Bahrain royals?

It seems his real crime was being brother to someone who is critical of the Bahrain royals.

Cue the overextended Thai statutes which seem to go far beyond the intent to protect the reputation of the royal family, or have I mistaken that situation?

1 hour ago, oslooskar said:

No offense intended, but you do need to understand that allegations without evidence will remain allegations and nothing more. Hence, your saber rattling does not impress me in the least. Therefore, I suggest that you at least direct your time and energy on making an honest attempt to refute what I've actually written rather than directing yourself at me personally. After all, if I employed your very same tactics I could easily accuse you of being a Zionist elitist who wants to trivialize the suffering of non-Jews. Also, you might want to remember that it's, Holocaust, not "Holoocaust".

Quotation marks indicate that this is "...what you have actually written".
No further interaction with persons insufficiently educated to understand such.
Your facetiousness in regards to a typographical error duly noted and given the further attention deserved.????

Yeah, got that.

Similar history. Had  triple bypass in 2011.

That is about the time Social Security docs said "Yeah, between that and neuropathy we judge you are permanently disabled."

I walk as much as I can, but after a short time not only pain, but the leg muscles just wont until I rest.... sometimes just twenty to thirty seconds.

I hear there is a med to help, but on so many already!

I will ask at my next visit to hospital and report if available, and if so if it helps on Hong Kong holiday next month.

Interpol cancelled the notice, which is rather telling.

Under that circumstance Thailand really has no international legal grounds to hold or extradite him.

Follow the money?

54 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

"Yeah but...." nothing. None of that changes the fact that the Soviets were considered allies in the later stages of WWII.
The "what abouters" are trying to prove what, exactly?
Here or in any other discussion. This is the "TU QUOQUE" fallacy in formal logic.

That is a bald faced lie.
You made a deliberate and obvious effort to trivialize the Shoa ( Holoocaust).
 "Regarding the Holocaust; the way we're bombarded with endless documentaries about it one would think that the Jews were the only people to have suffered from the horrors of concentration camps and mass murder during World War Two."
Thinly veiled  Antisemitism for "educational purposes?
Do I need to repeat the lesson on logical fallacies?

For my two baht worth, I think there are a lot of tempests in a teapot blowing about.
I agree with Sheryl; have your grump, then get on with life.????
No doubt there is some pain-in-the-arsery connected with the new regs, but really, once you have adapted, are things really that much more difficult? At least for those of us who really do have the required income.
800,000 is a bit of a stretch for me to plonk down all at once, so I do the "income method".
As has already been established there will be leniency shown for the twelve months deposit evidence because the rules were not firmed up in time to begin that before implementation.
Pain in the neck is that a greater part of my income is paid out quarterly, so I have to let two thirds of it sit in my US Credit Union and remember to transfer the required amount to my Bangkok Bank account, which shows it as an international transfer.
A bit more wieldly than a once a year amble to the embassy for an essentially meaningless (this is why they discontinued them) letter, but overall doable.
Once "she who must be obeyed" says "I do" at the amphoe office I will arrange direct deposit of my Social Security, which nicely covers the married income requirement.
Just a couple of thoughts for those who might be able to use them.????

7 hours ago, oslooskar said:

Yeah, but that's only because their former partners in crime turned on them. Funny how those things work out; you invade Poland with your Nazi buddies and all is fine and well until they turn on you next and then you're screaming, "BLOODY MURDER!" and trying to act all virtuous. Regarding the Holocaust; the way we're bombarded with endless documentaries about it one would think that the Jews were the only people to have suffered from the horrors of concentration camps and mass murder during World War Two. So be advised that the Japanese murdered millions of people throughout Asia and inflicted atrocities on Allied prisoners of war that the Germans would never have dreamed of in their worst nightmares. And the Soviets during their first occupation of Poland stuffed tens of thousands of innocent Poles into unheated boxcars and shipped them off to gulags all over the Soviet Union where many thousands of them died from starvation, disease, and the brutal conditions of their confinement. 

"Yeah but...." nothing. None of that changes the fact that the Soviets were considered allies in the later stages of WWII.
The "what abouters" are trying to prove what, exactly?
Here or in any other discussion. This is the "TU QUOQUE" fallacy in formal logic.