Stevemercer

Well, at least the OP got a few people talking and, just maybe, gave him a few things to think about. For me, I go cycling 4 times a week, forcing myself to get up early to beat the heat. The other 3 days I can sleep in so it feels more like a holiday/rest day. When I read the title of the thread, the obvious answer was to go have good sex. Maybe the sex you are having now is not so good, and just habit.

Yes, it is nice. The lake is surrounded by lush vegetation and the water is clear (at least when we visited 2 years ago). The drive from Chiang Khan along the Mekong River to Nong Kia is spectacular, with many good spots to stop for a gawk, but is a bit tricky to find at the Chiang Khan end.

I brought a second hand one in Australia about 14 years ago. After comparing it with the Suzuki Swift, and a few other compacts, I got the Ford because it was slightly bigger (I could carry my outdoor gear), the fold back seats had metal backs (compared to the others), manual and the interior was more sporty (reddish seats and highlights). It drove well and was reliable.

They could implement many of the measures used during Covid: Allow repeat medications to be mailed out. Increase the duration between standard check-ups (assuming the patient is stable) (e.g. from 3 months to 6 months) and dispense medications accordingly (e.g. 6 months worth) Allow nurses to prescribe medicines (signed off by the doctor) for obvious/routine/seasonal ailments.

There are 2 or 3 reported deaths from buffalo each year in Thailand. Much fewer than deaths from dogs or even lightning strike. Statistically, you are more likely to be killed crossing a busy road in Thailand, or riding a scooter for a day. I'm sure it would make front page news if a farang managed to get himself killed by a buffalo.

We have those native chocolate brown ground birds around (they make a loud hooting that sounds like monkeys). They have learned to follow me around when I mow the grass. There favourite food seems to be centipedes and they always leap on any trying to escape the mower. I confirm the painful bite which seems to last nearly a day. The second time I was stung was the worst because I knew from experience that I was in for a sleepless night, endlessly twisting and grimacing in pain for the next 12 hours or so.

Sorry, I should have clarified that, of course, my passport is stamped 'under consideration'. They will call me when it is approved so I can get the final stamp. The documents required for Mahasarakham marriage extension are: Passport Copy passport and pages with all stamps relevant to entry/departure (no TM6 (Arrival/Departure card) needed these days) Form T.M. 7 completed in hand writing in blue ink, plus passport-sized photo. Original Kor Por 2 Confirmation of Marriage (recently obtained from Council) Copy Marriage certificate and certified translation (if originally married overseas) Bank letter and statement (original obtained same day) Copy bank book and pages going back 2 months Copy spouse ID Copy spouse blue house book Map showing how to get to your house from the nearest town or highway (keep simple) 4 photos (one per A4 sheet) of couple in kitchen, dining room, outside front door, outside front gate (showing house number). The last is important. All copies must be signed individually or jointly, as appropriate. At the moment, the office will accept just the one set (e.g. extra copies not needed). You need to bring your original bank book/s and yellow house book/proof of residency in case they ask to check. You may or may not be subject to a 'house visit' during the under consideration period. They will tell you this when they have processed your paperwork. If not, there are usually a few forms to be signed on the spot.

Yes, you need to give him some money after your business is finished. If you haven't met him before, 500 Baht is appropriate. Let your wife give him the money. As a farang, you should never directly give 'bribes' to anyone (it can be misconstrued).

Just in case anyone is interested I visited Masarakham's new immigration building to renew my marriage extension today (5 July 2023). Why they need a whole building, I'm not sure. Up to last year they all lived in a shed next to the police pistol range. Bang, bang, bang all day. The new building is very nice with air conditioning, plenty of seating, a vast parking lot (including plenty of undercover spots) etc. It's always nice to drive up to a government building and be confronted by a vast (and empty) parking lot. I went to the bank in the morning and also got my marriage print-out from the Tambon office. We went in the afternoon and one other farang was there with an agent. We were served straight away. A lady skimmed through my collection of paperwork for 5 or 10 minutes and then gave it to the officer behind the desk. No copies required. The officer spent about 15 minutes processing it all before giving me back my passport (she was also efficient enough to do my 90 day report). As usual, my wife chatted away with the officers and entertained them. She wandered out into the back offices and talked to the enforcement people hidden away from the public. It was all very civilised and amiable. The air conditioning, lack of a queue (and lack of critical perusal of any details) helped the ambience no end. I think it's best to visit this office in the afternoon. They can be busy in the mornings, but most afternoons are quiet. The officers are winding down after lunch and normally in a good mood.

In my experience, most Thai women I have come into contact enjoy cards with friends. But, for most, it is just an occasional thing and the bets are small (20 Baht). Some Thai woman are addicted to cards. My wife has always gambled. In Australia it was always the pokies. In Thailand it was playing cards and I used to think it was harmless (e.g. it would take a long time to loose as much as 10 minutes at the pokies) until I saw the size of the bets (typically 1000 Baht). When does it become an addiction - when it disrupts normal life and the addict cannot function normally. My wife functions normally, and does everything for me she has always done, but she has piled on the debt. Luckily our house/land in Thailand is owned by her sister (who is very responsible) and there are no assets in her name that she can borrow against. Still, there are always ways and, over time, you learn to close off the financial loopholes one by one. There is no point giving your wife an ultimatum or cutting her off, if you want to stay married. You have to find ways to manage it so it doesn't turn into a crisis for your finances. You have to decide the threshold line she cannot cross (becasue you would consider divorce at this point). Sit in on a few games so you can see the stakes they are playing for. If the bets are in the 1,000s of Bahts, then almost certainly your wife has loaned money against the house (very bad), stolen from your bank accounts (bad), borrowed from a friend (manageable) or gone to the loan sharks (very, very bad if a large sum). I don't intend to divorce my wife, I hope we can continue to grow old together. I accept her for better or worse, just as she accepts me (and my womanising). If you, as the husband, have no secrets from your wife, and are 100% perfect, maybe you can take the upper moral path. Your wife will continue to deny there is any problem. You can let her know the parameters (e.g. you will not pay off her debt), but you also need a fall-back position if it looks like she will take you down with her. My wife is an Australian citizen and, I guess, can always go there if the situation becomes intolerable (e.g. she is hounded by loan sharks). I have money in Australia and, I guess, can also go there if things really go pear-shaped. As I said, our house/land is in my sister-in-laws name and I trust her (the family all know about the gambling). If I ask, she will help me sell it and give me the money (for a commission). The worst thing would be if my wife borrowed a large sum from loan sharks. This, in my books, would be crossing the line, becasue things would quickly escalate. Everybody would know and she would lose immeasurable face. I guess, for me, this might be grounds for divorce. At the moment we/I are managing the problem well below this threshold. My wife did once borrow a million baht from a friend. I guess I've learned to take the Thai approach and haven't really worried about this. There is no legal agreement, there is nothing in my wife's name she can be forced to sell, the lady she borrowed from is very old and may die soon. I guess I could be liable for this debt given our marriage. I did help mediate and work out a modest repayment plan (10,000 Baht per month with 75% paid from her Thai pension). But, in all honesty, I never think about it and am not worried. After all, we can enjoy today and tomorrow will take care of itself. I also hope that my wife's friends will learn not to loan her money because they might not get it back.

'On the occasional visits we use 2 aircons, one with 36KBTU (Seer around 20) and one with 12KBTU (Seer around 16).' I'm not really sure what this means, but if the settings are 20 degrees and 16 degrees you will have a high bill becasue the ACs will be working flat out when on. A setting of 26 degrees is more typical and comfortable?

Yes, the Australian dollar contiues to fall along with the Baht.

If I understand your post, you were married overseas and divorced in Thailand. Legally you are divorced in Thailand, but still married overseas. As other posters have said, you need to translate/certify and submit your divorce to the appropriate overseas authorities. Essentially the same as you did to register your overseas marriage in Thailand, but in the opposite direction. It could affect any pensions or benefits you receive from your home country if you are assessed at the married rate versus the single rate. But, then again, probably not. All you need to have done is to say you have been separated for 2 years or so.

The initiative was out of order, and well beyond Caretaker Conventions, as it may have bound the new incoming government to the old government's policy. Worse, it was politically motivated since the new government has made it clear it does not agree with the policy.

I don't think this is a particular problem to Thailand. Every country seems to work its interns and residents to excess. It's like a starting lawyer in a big firm, the interns are expected to put in the hours with little pay. The senior doctors all went through the excessive hours in their intern years, they expect the new interns to do the same, and so it goes on. It's an expected part of the profession.

As an Australian I am used to buying 'lemonade'. Of course, in Thailand nobody understands what this means. You have to ask for 7-Up.

I once thought about taking Metformin when it was recommended as a wonder drug for prolonging life (widely discussed on the internet). In fact, I thought some clinical trials had started re its effectiveness in this capacity. However, from my reading, any benefits would require mega-dosing.

You must log into the DFAT or Australian Embassy websites and follow the prompts to get to the online 'replacement passports form'. You just fill this out, and the onine service will automatically check/update your passport details. You can then make an appointment online. You print out the approved form and take it with you. In addition you need your old passport. I paid using an Australian credit card and paid in Australian dollars. Any Thai credit/debit card should be fine.

We did go to the Australian Embassy to get a new Australian passport for my wife. I noted the possibility of doing it all online, but there was an embassy appointment available in 2 weeks. We drove down from Khon Kaen and spent the night at the hotel where the recommended passport photo shop is located (mediocre accomodation). At the embassy they accepted all the paperwork and photos. We then drove back home. Two weeks later (yesterday) we received an email to say the passport had been posted to us so we should get it on Monday (I hope).

The least hassle option might be to pay an agent to complete your extension.

So did the OP get his phone back?

Our hospital recently introduced machines to get your ticket queue number for appointments. There is always a long queue. Of course, you need to enter your Thai ID number which I do not have. So I have to bypass the queue and go directly to the counter for my appointment. It's good for me, becasue it saves time waiting, but must be a pain for the waiting Thai people who maybe perceive a farang getting preferential treatment. To answer the OP, yes it is the way of the future, but there will always be a way around it.

China claims the whole of the sea and treats it as its own territorial waters (despite the claim being rejected by International Tribunes). The Chinese position is that anyone else is trespassing illegally on its territorial seas. China wants to bilaterally negotiate with each of the other claimant countries so it can screw each of them them for the best deal. The only way that these other nations can hope to face off China is by banding together to present a united front. China's diplomacy has always been to 'divide and conquer'.

Professional job or business, family-orientated, looking for self-improvement, willing to work hard. You are right, it's hard to define 'decent', but I guess it's someone whe can bring something to a relationship and whom you feel will respect you, support you, speak up for you (protect your face) and be your equal.