Supaluke

^^ SC, did you notice that you are post # 666, is that ominous?

I trust no cows were hurt, or even mildly offended in the taking of that photo!

Maybe antihistamine tablets might do the trick, I suffer from the same.

Common problem, have a read of this thread posted only a month earlier.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/869929-antihistamine-tablets/

Good Luck and recover soon.

Luke

WOW, Don Mega, you're on a roll.

So few candidates, so many questions.

We, as a group are clueless about what questions to ask, and your list is almost endless.

Kudos -

I want to know why the gap between question 41 and 42?

Also, does lipstick on a Pig actually work?

EDIT:-

Maybe best to ask pigeonjake that question.

My top five....."the Village people" ....yyyeaaahhhhhhhhh

The Chef, The Biker, The Tranny, The Cowboy and the Nancy

Have to agree it has a certain ring about it.

I believe in Karma - could this be a bit of

This is turning ugly as in dirty ugly, it's less a competition and more a play thing for JT to pass his time and stroke his ego. The least you could do JT is declare yourself impartial even if you aren't, but to flaunt the fact that you're not, in the face of the other candidates and the audience, is several levels down from tacky.

You guys need to appoint someone else to manage the final.

JT has been a disaster.

I recommend this new chap, Supaluke.

Thanks, and you are very kind, but I have to decline.

I'd simply just let the contest run without the entertainment factor.

Seem to have seen this posted on another forum some months ago, unless there are lots of foreign women not standing at temples for the anthem

Yes, I did post it on another forum, but I thought that I would post it here as well, since I only recently joined TV

Wee you not happy with the replies you received on the 'other Forum'?

Thought of sort of the game was 'Ask the question, get the answers'.

Seems you have been answered already.

BTW, I stand, but I don't cuss Thai or Westerner who doesn't.

Not my country, nor does my opinion count.

There is no connection between Luke000 and my goodself.

He appears just to be click-baiting.

Shame on you Luke for tarnishing the good name of 'Luke'

If you sneeze with your eyes open will they pop out?

Can a coin falling from the top of the Empire State Building kill you?

Q1/ A NO

Q2/ A Maybe, depends on how/where it entered your body. The coin size may also have an influence.

Did MythBusters do a show on this?

I would like to know of the POTY Candidates, 'What are their best, in their opinion, 3 threads of the year that they OP'ed.

For me, that would be interesting reading and may influence my voting.

Does no Westerner have a kind word to say?

The Thais^* round these parts (Central Thailand) I mingle with give him the

^*The Thais are not Hi-So, nor Lo-So, just middle of the road.

On-line AND VFS are still available.

Even direct to the Embassy is possible, though they strongly suggest you apply through VFS.

Good Luck getting it before Christmas. Might be doable if everything is in order and your wife has applied and been granted an Australian Visa before, and complied with it's provisions.

Luke

From my experiences you can't lodge an application at the embassy. I was there this morning to apply for passport, asked if I could lodge a visa application while there for my partner and the said no you need to go to VFS.

It does look like they have changed it a bit.

http://thailand.embassy.gov.au/bkok/Visas_and_Migration.html

They used to say a weeks turn-a-round if submitted through VFS and a month if through the Embassy (subtle ) but it's been reworded now and the direction is for all to go to the VFS.

Thanks for highlighting that to me -

Tim, I liked your story.

Easy to read, I can see your obvious connection.

The universe is screwing with me (you)? NO

Maybe having a wee laugh though.

Oh, and I believe in Karma. Maybe it's your time to make that Cherry connection.

I once went out with a girl named Apple. One date # 2 she bought me one of those pyramids of apples wrapped in cellophane that you can buy at the local market. Dumb Luke never got the connection till after -

Lovely Lady. Gone now from my connections, though I wish her well.

Embrace your cherry, cherish your cherry. -

Cherry ripes are awesome (Cherry Chocolate Bar in come countries)

(Just don't buy a Chery - China makes lousy cars ATM)

I'll kick the new week off with this one from the SC

The way things are with censorship etc I'm not sure being poster of The Year is such a good idea.

May attract even more unwanted attention depending on what side of the fence the posting has basically fallen on.

I think it's worth mending fences even if the post is on the wrong side.

To be honest, the worst damage to fences I've seen is from people sitting on them.

SC

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879554-vote-now-poster-of-the-year-2015-sizzlin-hot-semifinal-round/?p=10216700

What does 'porn' mean in Thai ?

Now, that's one tuk-tuk I'd like to take a ride in

Mark, a tourist visa last year and one again for your lady in the middle of next year I believe will be a breeze.

Simple1 above gives some good advice and I know he's quite experienced in these matters.

Good luck with the application, I'm sure it will be fine.

She may even get a 12 month, multiple entry visa without even directly applying/asking for it.

Luke

PM (private message) sent

I don't have an answer to your Insurance question BUT ...

Despite the naysayers, driving in Thailand is fine.

It's just like driving in the UK, only different, learn the local variants, the unwritten rules/driving style.

Personally, I've lived and driven/ridden extensively in the UK (I wasn't born there) and you guys are amongst the best drivers in the world IMHO.

Just learn to adapt to the local style here, as crazy as it may first appear.

Good Luck and safe driving.

Luke

A little late in replying but the wife is growing a Thai ginger in our area (central thailand), I believe the variety is called galangal or something like that,, as far as I'm aware the buyer sends his people to harvest the roots every 9 months or so, another couple months should see our first harvest

Galangal is indeed a member of the same botanical family (Zingiberacea) as ginger but isn't ginger. Thai name is Kha and this you do see more often in the markets than ginger.

These posts above just about nail it.

Thais use 'Galangal' and not ginger to cook with. There might be a few exceptions, but to find a mass market for the product (Ginger) will be an issue.

This looks to be heading back to the Pub.

Before we reach that fork in the road, there is always the possibility of redemption.

Any chance of a signpost (where we went wrong) as a warning marker?

Note to self, no more zoo references, treat this like it's a carnival.

Some fruit is tasteless.

And some are just sour grapes.

Mangoes go straight through me. Probably a good thing.

Subtle, very subtle.

EDIT:- Just read SC's comment re the Melons, better then mine.

Curse you SC.

Inappropriate remarks removed.

Can a separate thread be set up for these remarks, sort of like a bloopers thread.

Sadly, I missed them all - took the extended family to the Zoo today.

Sort of like this Zoo, but less colourful.

BTW, I was amazed at how close you could get to the Rhinos, I actually touched one, amazing experience for me, but the beast seemed non-plussed.

Oh, and the Giraffes prefer bananas and tree branches (leaves) to those long string beans. I'm not a Zoologist, just a casual observation.

Great day out.

Now for a great night in, catching up wit the days POTY Gossip !

Mark asked:- Is it easier to get another visa into Australia as she has been here before and not overstayed?

YES, it's a great start.

You asked about the next Tourist Visa.

You also mentioned a proposed trip to Chiang Mai in May.

Were you looking for her to visit Australia before or after your visit to Thailand in May?

The short term planning might be something like this.

You have issues as you have mentioned in the OP and subsequent posts.

Most likely, you have a routine, and the first thing you need to do is break that routine, and that's, most likely the biggest challenge you will face. Restting yourself.

My example is, I used to smoke (in the West), not a lot, maybe 2 packs a week.

When I stepped through the Airport, I stopped, easy as for me. Never desired it. Coming to Thailand was my re-set button.

Maybe 3 or 4 months later, I'd go back West, through the Duty-Free, I'd pick up a carton, there were so cheap in the Duty-Free as compared to the Supermarket. Just 1 carton, I thought. When that ran out, just one packet, I'll stop again next week, on Monday.

My Monday never came, and I would keep smoking till I left the West again, touched down @ Swampy and stopped ... re-set button pushed.

Return to the West, pick up a carton on the self promise of 'just one'. That promise was never fullfilled.

One day, I got a tinge in the heart, then another, then a few regularly, every couple of days.

Luckily I was returning to Thailand in a week. Arrived @ Swampy, stopped smoking, left Thailand, went back through the Duty-Free (home city), had the self conviction NOT to buy that carton ... haven't had a ciggie again. I don't begrudge someone else having one, their choice. Doesn't worry me either way.

I was desperate enough to change.

I 're-set' myself, broke a long standing bad habit.

It takes a long time to break bad habits, change routines. If you are putting the key in the same door everyday, it's easy to maintain, rather then change your routine/habits.

As the fameous say goes:- 'If you always do, what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got'.

Simply put, change what you do to get the new you

My suggestion is, if the finances allow. Go travelling. You said you love Asia, go see more of it. Maybe, as one poster mentioned above, go see more of Thailand.

Don't worry about food or drink, no need to count calories or any of that BS.

Break the habit of drinking a fizzy drink with lunch/dinner, just have water. Increase your water intake.

Don't 'eat/drink on the run'. Sit down, enjoy a meal, take your time, food should be savoured, tasted, not just consumed.

Thai food usually won't make you fat, unless you make consistently poor choices.

When you travel, you usually walk more, exercise issue taken care of.

Maybe, when you are waiting that 1 or 2 hours for the bus to the next destination, turn the i-Pad off, tune into yourself, have a think about what is important in your life.

Make some plans for the short and long term. Find the conviction inside to carry those through.

If you stumble along the way (break a few self-promises) don't be too hard on yourself, just recover the best as you can.

Don't wait till 'Monday' to start again ... in life, 'Mondays' rarely come.

I hope it works out for you. Maybe, in a few months, revisit this thread. Come back and tell your story.

Good Luke with it.

Luke

Couple of things to come out of your responses.

Retired at 30 but concerned about the cost of spear fishing.

The 30's - 45/50 is a period in your life when you should be most productive, working hardest to get some coin and quality assets behind you.

You need some planning for the future, a few decades ahead.

If you have heaps of coin and just being stingy with it, the above doesn't apply.

That's the long term planning.