Bill Miller

7 hours ago, whatwasithinking said:

The cheapest packet in Australia would set you back easily 500 baht but more likely closer to 750 baht so Thailand has a long way to go lol

I was thinking the same with regard to the price in the US.
Much more than that before I gave them up eight years ago, by which time I was mostly rolling my own.

3 hours ago, Emdog said:

Shows how disengaged from reality these news bits are. As pointed out, Playoff and Camel are now 60 baht. One might hope reporter with slightest bit of sense might ask "Is this true?". Nope, easier (and safer?) to just regurgitate government BS.

Perhaps you need to re-examine your version of reality, as the article states this will be the case from JANUARY. The price of a given brand NOW in December does not invalidate the writer.
Come back in a month. ????

. 

5 minutes ago, farangx said:

My interest is retirees numbers here on the 800K scheme, which I guessed maybe 40,000 of them.  I am only interested in the numbers, is that too hard for you to even comprehend this.  Then you posted to say there are 2.5 millions are on this scheme in the 2010 census.  If that is so then I guessed it wrong badly.  I did say mine was a guess, but why are you so upset with what I guess.  Am I even not allowed to guess?

 

I cannot be bothered to respond further to someone unable to follow the conversation, which was that in the post I quoted you said NOTHING about all these other matters.

Warning: complaint probably not strictly on topic. ????
I am irritated by folks who cannot understand what they read, and will twist themselves into Gordian knots trying to justify their errors after the fact.
Very much like some pols. ????

6 minutes ago, farangx said:

Is there any reason for you to assumed that these 2.5m foreign residents here are all retirees on the 800K retirement scheme?  Then I would guess again this census you quoted is wrong because it did not include those on 65K income retirement scheme, those on marriage, work etc ....

 

You said absolutely nothing in the post I quoted about retirees, 800K baht, or any of the other BS you are yammering about now.
Some people simply are not amenable to logic or reading comprehension, I suppose.
In the post I quoted you said:
"how many are expats are there in this category, I guess 40,000? "
I gave you official numbers of expats per the 2010 census.
You guessed hugely wrong on 40,000 in any category you want to now claim you were talking about. There were more than that number of Americans alone, and 85,000 plus UK expats.
Can you admit you were just plain wrong?

I would agree that the chart presented by Luxe is possibly very misleading.
China is one of the most populous nations on earth, so of course they are going to spend more than other nationalities.
The question is how much do they spend per capita? Also, where do they spend the money? Gross expenditures to China based tour operators would not give a useful number to use in estimating the impact of individual tourists on the world travel economy.
As in one of my favourite limericks, "who is doing what, and with which, and to whom?" 
I hope the chart is merely an excerpt from a much more detailed article.

12 hours ago, farangx said:

how many are expats are there in this category, I guess 40,000?  If that is so it is a small number and negligible compared to the population here.  How much will they spend?

Why are you guessing?
"Foreign residents in Thailand, according to the 2010 Census. It was found that there were 2,581,141 of foreign origins, composing around 3.87 percent of Thailand's population."
I submit that nearly four percent is a significant factor in the national economy.
I read numerous complaints that the Chinese tourists do not spend much outside of their tour groups. I do not know how you could get facts on that, but I do notice in many venues the gaggles of tourists trooping behind their flag waving guides, snapping photos of each other and selfies as they march by the businesses where non-Chinese folks are sitting and actually buying stuff.
I think it would take somebody smarter than me to figure out where the larger amount of money flows from into the general Thai economy.

8 hours ago, ukrules said:

Bruises can last for weeks, it's possible that he was already bruised when he arrived...

 

Also, if you get really drunk you can get what I call 'mystery injuries' - bruises which appear and you have no idea where they came from. Normally from falling over, while 'black out drunk', etc.

I have nerve damage in my legs, and have a near constant run of bruises, bumps, small cuts, etc., because of numbness.
I imagine this fellow was pretty numb all over, if the reports are correct.
RIP.

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

Well what do you expect?

In this country if you are in a wheelchair you should stay home hidden away from public gaze.

This is just another example of brain -dead designers not having a clue, and dont really care.

Just look at some of the disabled ramps at government buildings totally unusable by wheelchair users.

Yes. I made the mistake of complaining to an IO at Aranya when they would not let me back into Thailand the same day, which had been no problem on several previous trips.... paid 200 baht "fine" and in/out.
Now I was separated from my wife and my medication, with possible fatal consequences.
The IOs response was " Maybe you should go back to country you came from". Seems to be a not uncommon Asian attitude to disabled folks, in my experience. "Stay home and die as quickly as you can, please."

I suspect we from temperate climates are able to more easily "acclimate", as we spend most of our lives with much greater average temperature swings. Middletown CT in the US, near to where I grew up, has an average climatic range in the course of a year of 20F to 84F, or a sixty degree F range.
Note that I am talking averages. Plenty of below zero and over 100 degree days as well.
Bangkok, on the other hand, has average temps range of 70F to 95F, or only 25F range by comparison.
London shows a range of 35F, and of course at somewhat lower averages.
Thai people have been here long enough to evolve to their temperature range, I expect. No wonder my GF has been freezing her cute buns off on holiday with her daughter in Japan. They have snow there!☺️

Interesting, and good news.
I am a survivor of several heart attacks, thankfully in pretty good order after a bypass procedure.
I wonder why Thailand does not have Nitrostat or similar available, if they have concern about heart attack survival?
There have been a number of threads about the difficulty/impossibility of getting it here, but no information about WHY Thailand does not have this elsewhere nearly universal, cheap, extremely effective drug available.
Hartsorb, AKA Isosorbide dinitrate, is available, but slow acting and possibly ineffective in an emergency situation.

8 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

New cars sales are down 20% in China, peer-to-peer lending platforms are collapsing, housing prices are stagnant in China and generally the Chinese don't have more savings than the Mexicans. Could it be that the great Chinese tourist adventure is simply over and no so much because of the boat accident?

Yes, thanks.
The whole Chinese tourist gig seemed to be couched in a "number of bodies" game.
No help at all if the have no and spend no or little money.
It seems like the Chinese economy enjoyed a couple of years boom and is now experiencing a correction.
The "zero cost" tours offered middle class folks the opportunity for a , probably, once in a lifetime vacation.
The "powers" cracked down on a bunch of the shadier "zero cost" operations, and the tourist "boom" went "bust".
Thailand really needs a few accountants somewhere in government to rein in some of the pie in the shy expectations, IMO.

"Small" does not always mean harmless, and I would

d say the specimen exhibited is not exactly a kid's aquarium comet.
From "About animals, .com":
"The Needlefish can reach speeds of 60 km/h and can jump out of the water. They are known to jump over small boats, instead of swimming underneath. Needlefish have been reported to be responsible for two deaths so far, but usually, they are not harmful to humans.Jan 2, 2016".
So, yes, two reported human fatalities prior to this unlucky young man. Imagine a foot long fish with an added six inch  very pointy snout smacking into your carotid artery at 60 kph.
RIP young man.

21 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

...Barracuda?

That would do the job.

Look for mMilk brand lactose free. Light brown label on a square bottle..
I tried it once (not lactose intolerant) and thought it was OK.
I have seen it at Tesco Lotus and Big C.

I just spent a night in Pattaya, and for fun walked the maybe 1 1/2 clicks to Walking Street to view the "flesh pots" of Pattaya.
Well, not complexly deserted and empty at 21:00. but fairly quiet and subdued compared to what I have been led to expect.
Lots of euro families getting ice cream for kiddies, flag led Chinese groups taking many photos, but not noticeably spending money at the mostly empty venues.
About 22:30 I staggered in ( somewhat disabled) to a New York establishment and found a four topper with no trouble, had my 39 baht Singha  and some tasty onion rings, and hobbled back to my hotel.
Maybe it just doesn't get started until the Witching Hour?
A little tame even for this old Papa, though I did have to turn down several offered "extras" when I went for a massage. I did okay a finger nail trim. ????

I am 14 years older than my dearest. She does not, IMO. look her age, as many Thai ladies do not.
She is happy that I cannot pester her much in the bedroom department. As she puts it, "I am old for Thai lady. Not feel for that!. Not want younger man. Worry about your healthy, 'coz want together long time."
I did not have many preconceived notions about Thai women, thinking much had changed since the Vietnam era.
I met her on FB, and we chatted for a year or so when I said, "Heck. I like her. Why not go visit instead of passively waiting here to die?" That was in 2014.
I love her, and hope she still loves me, because by Thai standards I can be a real jerk.; "You loudly at me! I not like!"
But also, by Thai lady's standards. I can be very good.
"You would carry wife and children, even if not together".
I told her it is not universal, but yeah, I would.
She had the experience of raising a child alone for 26 years.

I have on hand Thailand Three Horses Brand loose leaf Chinese tea, pleasant but not exceptional, Typhoo Black Tea in the round bags, which I like two bags in my medium teapot, (must measure the capacity some day!), to which I will add additional hot water several times during a "bout", and Lipton Yellow label which I like if brewing a single mug. Pooh on all the anti-Lipton folks, 555.
I also normally keep a few fresh bergamot around in case i feel "Earl Grey-ish", some camomile, and probably a couple of other odds and bobs.
There are some Buddy Dean sachets around which the Lady prefers to American drip style,  which I like best when made from espresso roasted beans from Huay Hom.
 I used to buy 20 kilos of Blue Hills beans from Vietnam and roast them myself, but that is kind of a PITA ( roasting by hand).
In balance I think I am mostly a coffee nerd. HOT water defo a must.

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Savannakhet and Vientiane Laos will issue a single entry non-o visa based upon marriage to a Thai without financial proof.

Savannakhet will issue a multiple entry non-o as well.

 

I got my last non-o multi entry based on retirement in Savan. in early September.
The counter man asked to see my bank book, which I did not have with me.
He asked for a copy of my last year's visa instead.
Copy guy across the street made a copy for us at no charge, and the consulate was satisfied.

5 hours ago, neeray said:

_{It's a world-wide phenomena for the youth. When I was young, we only did it on 8 cylinder vehicles which produced a very throaty sound. It was taboo to do it on a 6. But now I hear it on vehicles with 'sewing machine' motors and twice as loud as decades ago but crap sounding. Transam knows what I'm talking about.}

_{Same for motorcycles. They're all big bike wannabes riding noisy little bikes.}

Yeah! Glass packs on my 1965 GTO! Straight pipes on my 1968 Chevelle SS stock car!
My Beemer R90S, though, was quiet and smooth as silk.

On 12/9/2018 at 8:59 AM, BritManToo said:

I think predominantly female was the damage here, females are inherently leftwing, it's in their nature.

His lawyer must have been incompetent to allow such a jury.

Male, blue-collar workers was the way to go. 

While you are, evidently, primarily fascist and misogynistic.
The man murdered someone via vehicular homicide, and had the lack of sense to admit it during monitored phone calls with his mother.
The prosecution proved the case, and none of your BNP type muttering is going to change that.

On 8/17/2018 at 1:25 AM, elviajero said:

Then how do you explain the reports of people that have got through Cambodian immigration, left again, only been stopped by Thai Immigration from re-entering?

 

There are two issues at this border.

1. Having to stay in Cambodia overnight -- a long standing rule that has been randomly enforced. 
2. The Aranyapathet immigrations more recent stand against border hoping to extend a stay.

I won't get into a lot of speculation and palaver on this.
I will only say that we just got back from our overnight stay, enforced by Thai immigration, and from his statement I sort of think it may have summat to do with BJ's "no tip" crackdown.
Happily the senior IO officer let me call my GF, and in fact took the phone himself and explained it all to her, and let her meet me at the border zone. We decided to both bite the bullet and stay overnight, as if I had a choice.
Fortunately she had her passport this time. Last time she thought she could get a border pass for the day, but was told only for locals.
Bottom line is that there IS such a rule, and as explained by Ubanjoe it is not easy to find.
Several airlines do have a notice about it.
If you think I and others just made this up, then to Heck with ya! We are only trying to save you possible grief.
I previously made the trip on a one day "bounce" two or three times. This time, barely able to walk because of stroke, etc., I was refused. I stupidly kicked up a bit of a fuss, and the rejoinder, in excellent English vernacular, was "Well, then, maybe you should consider going back to your home country where you came from!"
This was followed by permission to call my Lady from within immigration, and he spent several minutes explaining to her what was happening. 
She kind of reluctantly joined me, as she does not like Cambodia, and we all survived.