Enzian

I've had major ups and downs, but even when I was under the influence for years at a stretch I always lived within my means, and when I think why it was because of the influence of my father who was a penny-pincher who at the same time made a lot in business. I'm saying it is passed on generation to generation in most cases. Here in LOS it's the generation to generation culture, and if anything will ever change or modify it, it is experienced misery, not forgiveness. 

So was it a robbery or a burglary? If it was a bag snatch, then the former is the correct term after all. But carrying $6K equivalent on her person in a tourist destination?

23 hours ago, MJKT2014 said:

I have a yellow book and over 60yo. Is there a list of items to take along with me to get a pink card or does it depend by district office?

I can testify that offices vary a lot in the number of requirements to get the card. My ex-pat lunch group is mad at me because I got my pink card with the minimum of possible requirements, while others in the group were faced with longer lists of requirements.

That bit about "only species specified" could be a real catch. Of course it is hard for most people to tell types apart before they flower, but certain kinds of big juicy buds are impossible to disguise.

When I go for my evening walk when staying in Hang Dong Chiang Mai I have to carry a 4', 1 1/2" diameter club made from heavy bamboo, and on some roads it still is not enough. If four of them come at me at once there is too great a chance I would lose.

On 1/28/2020 at 6:30 PM, farmerjo said:

Has he forgotten his people.

Abstract

Slash-and-burn agroecosystems are important to rural poor and indigenous peoples in the developing world. Ecologically sound slash-and-burn agriculture is sustainable because it does not depend upon outside inputs based on fossil energy for fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation.

The ash from burning returns potash to the soil, but as anyone researched whether discing and turning under the debris has a similar, or at any rate useful, effect over time?

1 hour ago, SteveK said:

Haha, how can a doctor tell if it's a coronavirus or not just by looking? Laughable. You need to use PCR or an electron microscope to be able to distinguish the type of virus, I suspect he did neither.

Thanks for the comment, seriously. Makes me recall that she asked what countries I had been to recently, and I replied Germany two months ago. I think that's how she eliminated coronavirus from the diagnosis. But maybe the coronavirus symptoms are much stronger than what I am showing.

8 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Did you happen to get the strain of that flu virus in the diagnosis? Just wondering if the flu shots would have been effective against it.

I was not told the strain because the doctor did not do any actual test beyond visual, throat, etc. As my son put it, the doctor was just making an educated guess; I have something non-fatal that doesn't warrant hospitalization and it looks like all the hundreds of other flu cases she sees weekly.

I was diagnosed yesterday with a "moderate" case of common flu that's going around Bangkok-doctor specifically said it is not coronavirus. As a result of this diagnosis I cancelled my flight scheduled for today from BKK to Calcutta aka Kolkata. Doctor thought that besides my weakness there was a chance I would pick up something in addition in India. And my thought was that if I showed up at Immigration in Kolkata with flu-like symptoms I could well end up in quarantine, not a pleasant prospect in India or anywhere.

People talking about Thai Air so I want to say that myself and the gf fly BKK-CNX (CM to you) a lot, and I still like Thai Air, but you have to try to book at least 2 weeks out if possible, and look at alternate dates. That said, those 1300 baht flights per way do seem to be getting more scarce lately.

In a week I'm taking Thai Air RT direct to Kolkata from BKK for $305, which I personally consider cheap. A couple of other carriers had similar flights for 60% of that but the arrival times were terrible.

Only read the short version, but why is Tesco less than satisfied with their business here that they would consider taking the cash and run? Are they just doing better in other countries? I like some things about Tesco, for example they have an in-country made granola that's reasonable and ok, and many of their wine imports are a much better deal than Tops--I hate paying those wine taxes to this government.

My biggest gripe, as a user of Costco in CA when I'm there, is that except for Makro, none of these places sell enough large economy sizes. And speaking of CA, when I'm at the north Berkeley Safeway I turn on the video of my phone and give a tour to my Thai girlfriend; it blows her mind, as it does mine if I've been away for a while. The place feels bigger than a city block.

17 hours ago, RasiMike said:

I work airside and often shoot at a range before I go to work. I have never tested positive even wearing the same clothing, without washing my hands and firing many rounds through handguns less than an hour before being swabbed. 

 

Thanks and that is good to know, since this very thing has made me nervous in the past. But it doesn't make me very confident that the swab tests are protecting us. I believe you, but if you are right then what are the swab tests even good for? And now reading the above, is there really that much difference between gunpowder and explosive powder? OK, different chemicals.

It's not just a single bullet to be careful about. What is one were to handle ammo or a recently fired gun the day of or day before a flight, and then got one of those swab tests at the airport, of one's person or luggage? 

I did exactly that about 8 years ago, for the same reason. The IO noted it to me, then went over to another desk, handed my passport to a senior female officer who glanced at it, initialed it somewhere and handed it back to the first guy who then without delay stamped me out. No fine.

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

Which office was this?

I got the yellow book from Din Daeng amphur in Bangkok; the girlfriend and I live in her condo in that district. I go to Chaeng Wattana to renew my visa and get the multiple re-entry permit.

People say the yellow book is in fact useless, but last week when I applied for a multiple re-entry permit (after renewing my visa by reason of retirement) it really seemed at one point that showing my yellow book allowed the officer to dispense with asking for a TM30. And that was why I got it in the first place. It was not a difficult process, tho it took some time at the local amphur. The amusing part was when the officer and my girlfriend worked to translate both my parents names into Thai.

I understand the discontent with the present de facto form of government, but I also think the present form serves to protect the urban middle class (in Bangkok and elsewhere) from the probable excesses of the more numerous rural radical class, should it ever find another leader to represent it. IMHO the country-in democratic terms-is ungovernable. But also evolving. A youth movement needs to link up with other factions, at least for a while. Who would that be?

3 hours ago, MJKT2014 said:

Just out of interest how much dollar (USD?) above the estimated 800kTHB using exchange rates was deposited. Was there no mention of daily exchange rates to ensure the dollar amount never dropped below the THB requirement for each and every day?

I thought in terms of overdoing it just to avoid that issue. I started out at the beginning of August depositing US $500 cash which is what Krungsri likes as a minimum to open an account, then three weeks later had my son in CA wire transfer $30,000 into that account. By my calculation the baht would have to go below 26.5 for me to be under the requirement, and that's not something anyone presently contemplates. Krungsri said I was good for 925K baht. No one in the Immigration office brought up the question of exchange rate, nor did their own calculation that I saw. I assume they just looked at the 925K estimated by Krungsri.

4 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

OP wrote > Also, there was no mention of a TM30 (which has never been done on me) or insurance.

As no mention was made of insurance, I presume your extension application was based on a Non Imm O - retirement Visa.

Can you confirm?  Thanks!

Yes, tho I have never understood the lettering system. About three years ago I got a tourist visa in CA from LA consulate, came here and converted it to some kind of 90 day visa which I then was able to extend for one year by reason of retirement. Now every extension is for one year. That's how I remember it; friends and my Thai girlfriend helped me through the stages, or I don't know how I would have done it alone.

On Monday I got my one year extension of stay by reason of retirement using a Foreign Currency Deposit (denominated in dollars) account at Krungsri bank to show proof of at least 800,000 baht on deposit. I had the paper trail showing the date of the deposit (August), the first month's mailed statement (though the bank didn't keep doing it every month), and the certified letter from the bank, made that morning,  showing the balance and indicating the money had been there all the time since August. The problem came in because Krungsri doesn't provide a paper bank book for such savings accounts, but rather a plastic card that one is supposed to present to the teller whenever one goes in to request information or do activity. This detail was almost too much for the chief officer in the office to get his head around. We called the bank and they confirmed to him on the phone that this is the way that bank does things, though they couldn't give him any confidential information about me specifically. All this added more than an hour. Finally he had me write out a statement explaining the situation in good faith, and he put the stamp in my passport. I intend to ask Krungsri if I can pay them something extra for a paper book so this doesn't happen next year. Also, there was no mention of a TM30 (which has never been done on me) or insurance.

I know this won't be a popular opinion, but I really don't know what else Prayut could do under these circumstances. Rainsy seems to be trying to put Prayut on the spot, and there is nothing in it for Prayut to take the bait. One can have all the sympathy in the world for Rainsy, but Cambodia is a closed and lost case for the foreseeable future, and for Thailand to take sides will help no one. It has to come from within.

I've tried both and it is always accepted, so I assume if they think different then they take care of it before they stamp you on your way.

Bottle of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo that costs 5 Euro in a supermarket in Italy costs 700 baht here. Is that going to change?