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On 2/14/2021 at 8:37 PM, dsmiththailand said:

I totally agree. If i die today, i will be going out with a smile on my face and doing things that made me happy on a daily basis....no regrets.

Well said, man. I am of the same mindset, although I’d prefer dying tomorrow rather than today!
 

43 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

when you see 10 kids on a motorbike not wearing a helmet, do you yell "Get off, you might die!!!! I'm saving your life!!!"

 

no.  we smile and maybe take a picture.

 

oh farang....... you have the potential to help the world!!!!  lol.   nah..... drink some beer

Don’t engage in ethnocentrism if you can. It’s ugly and makes you look like a fool to the locals. Your culture isn’t “better” than theirs. Regardless of 10 people on a scooter. It’s their way of life...leave them to it. 

12 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

A good friend of mine ( work colleague ) smoked for many years despite attempting to quit various times.

His job, on the road, could be stressful at times and the relaxing in the evening usually included a few beers, so smoking was inevitable.

 

Last October he travelled from Thailand to Germany for a return visit to a factory for installation of some equipment. Due to return in late November he fell ill and ended up in hospital, they diagnosed advanced throat cancer and started chemotherapy but it spread rapidly.

He died alone in that hospital in Germany on Dec 26th, his wife and child in Thailand praying for his safe return. He was 58.

 

I quit about 25 years ago, but if I hadn’t had then I would certainly have destroyed any cigarettes I owned on that day, Dec 26th 2020.

 

OP, keep at it , it’s not only you who suffers through the after effects of smoking !!

RIP to your friend and sorry for your loss and that of all those who loved him. 

6 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Congrats on sticking kicking the habit. Stick with it.

 

 

Thank you. That’s the nicest encouragement I could hope for. Bless you!

17 minutes ago, tonray said:

I guess it would have been more accurate to say that the 'addiction' to nicotine was stronger than the knowledge of the damage it was doing to your health. Classic reason why cigarettes are so dangerous....

Thank you; so simply and truthfully spoken. 

1 minute ago, Dagfinnur Traustason said:

How very strange headline: I had no reason to stop???? Everybody have a reason. That is to in as good as possible way plan a better and healthier life. Ok, there is no guarantees, but a lot is documented.

Most people have vices, whether good or bad. It’s just something that is an integral part of our lives. Smoking was one of mine.  I didn’t have any desire or motivation to stop just to try and live a healthier life . The smoking cessation thing  just happened. I think it was due to the medications while I was hospitalized. They were painkillers, corticosteroids, anti-anxiety and nerve pain pills. And perhaps in my primitive thoughts I knew it wasn’t good for survival. 
 

Regardless, I am pleased that I no longer smoke and carry the stigmas associated with it. If anyone wishes to disparage me or diminish my accomplishment, feel free I don’t mind!

9 minutes ago, tonray said:

Aside from knowing the deleterious health effects ? What further motivation could you need ?

You’re right. I wasn’t ignorant to the health risks, I simply chose to ignore them, I didn’t care and had zero motivation to stop. That’s what is why my story is a bit unusual. I had no desire to quit, but after a hospital stay I was no longer interested in smoking. 

Hello BoogeeMaster,

I have zero experience teaching at other than classroom University level, but my nephew has had success teaching Chinese kids in the 3 to 6 year group using online tools. I cannot recall the site, but if you’re interested let me know and I will get the information from him. 

For me,  the Thai-language site is invaluable and I have learned from advanced beginner when I lived here as a 5 year old kid in the 1960s to high intermediate level today. I use this site to set me straight on when to use words in proper context as well as alternate uses of words. The dictionary is top notch, however, the grammatical lessons are really where you want to be to learn proper Thai. 
 

My heart rises when a local tells me my pronunciation is spot on. I respond, “ I can speak clearly. But I am not yet fluent.”พูดชัดแต่ไม่คล่องครับ” For some reason they always laugh at this.  

Anyway, for me, Thai language is like a game that I will continue to play, but will never win! The fun is before the final bell. 

3 hours ago, JensenZ said:

You call the current unemployment situation in most countries a significant drop? I would not call 30 million losing their jobs in the US or 2 million in Australia more than a significant drop. It's a devastating drop.

 

Here we're discussing Pattaya. Pattaya is not a "quality tourist" destination as many TAT officials like to pretend it could be, and relies on a lot of budget tourists. It's the budget tourist category that will be hardest hit by covid-19. Rich people can always travel, but we won't see them in Pattaya.

 

My prediction is we will never again see the old pre-covid-19 Pattaya. It will morph into something quite different. It was already on this path pre-covid but covid will push it along.

Semantic discussion when it comes to using an adjective to describe the unemployed. Call it significant, devastating, huge, crippling, or whatever you like. The result is the same.

And Pattaya could fall into the ocean never to be heard or seen again in my opinion. It'd be the best thing to happen to Thailand tourism since 1950.

12 hours ago, madmitch said:

will Thailand be strict enough to close its buffets, including moo gatas, indefinitely?

It would be tough for me to stay if Moogata disappears indefinitely!

In my opinion, there are just too many variables involved to make any kind of accurate prediction. I think the primary factor would be a Covid-19 vaccine. As for the rest, hospitality and travel industries have been decimated to the point that it may well take years for tourism (worldwide, not only Thailand) to recover to pre-Covid levels. Add to that the number of employed people has significantly dropped, likely resulting in fewer people's ability to afford holidays here. I would certainly hope that tourism to Thailand would recover quicker than most other popular destinations; this country has so much to offer visitors. I'm thankful to be able to live here permanently.

Cheers, and please stay healthy!!

7 hours ago, DPKANKAN said:

Watch Thai Soaps on tv. You will then realise why they all think shouting, screaming, slapping, punching, shooting and generally being an a..hole is normality!!????????????????????????????????

Spot on with that one... for some reason they think the soaps are a reflection of reality.

It's got to be the result of <deleted> up upbringing, bad male examples growing up and likely a million other reasons I cannot comprehend.

8 minutes ago, Sametboy2019 said:

Strolled in to 7 and was greeted by a new recruit to the beer section.

Beer Lao IPA. Nice change!

The Beer Lao IPA is quite good, IMO. Too bad about the price due to import taxation.

5 hours ago, Pravda said:

Why so much celebration of alcoholism on this forum?

There is a difference, a BIG difference, between people who enjoy a drink and "celebration of alcoholism" as you opined. I think the "celebration" you allude to is the concept of allowing the freedom to make a choice which had been revoked by the government. It has been returned to those who have the ability and comprehension to appreciate freedom to make their own choices rather than have "big brother" tell you what's best for you.

I hope this answers your question, and have a great day!

7 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

It is how I quit chewing my daily can of Copenhagen chewing tobacco.  I just kept putting a full an unopened can in my back pocket.  All i needed to do was feel the can and thump it once or twice, went back into the pocket unopened.  After 6 months was able to just leave the can out of the pocket, and viola I quit.  Much like a friend who kept a bottle cap from his favorite beer in his pocket.  Of course he had it set into a clear epoxy, so its like a small paper weight or challenge coin.  Badge of honor for him really...but I still need my glass of red....

Probably the hardest thing I have done in my entire life was to quit dipping Copenhagen and Skoal, I was dipping a can a day. I'm happy that this technique worked for you... and Congratulations!!

4 hours ago, DrDave said:

The only exception we've found to this is a well-known Thai restaurant in Las Vegas which serves truly authentic northern Thai food.

Would that restaurant be called O-cha? Very good authentic Thai food at that place, particularly their lahb gai.

Legally you can't do any kind of work on a student visa. That doesn't stop lots of students from doing it though. At Webster (I am a grad student at WUT Bangkok) they have student RA positions that offer benefits like free accommodations and other benefits.

Can someone tell me the common word for neighborhood mom & pop shops that sell beer, snacks, etc.? I have usually called them ร้านชำ (ran cham) but I think that may be incorrect. Is it ร้านค้า (ran ka)?? I always think of ร้านค้า as being bigger stores.

Thanks!

I have some fantastic cuts of pork butt and want to make cochinita pibil. Found all other ingerdients easily. Looked for achiote at Lotus, Big C, Tops, Foodland and Klong Toey Market to no avail. Appreciate any help!

I have had my 2016 CB300F for 18 months, ridden about 2400km in BKK traffic with no issues. But I probably need to get the crank recall repair done. Anybody here have a recommended Honda service shop in central BKK?

Thanks!

.........After 35 years of biking and 50 odd bikes under my belt, i'd go for a Honda CB300F over a Kawa Z250 or a Keeway sorry Benelli BN300 any day of the week.....

And when you come to sell.........well we all know a second Hand Honda will be high on a perspective purchaser's list....

I agree! I recently got a great deal on a seconhand CB300F with 835km on the clock for 92.5K baht. Been at it for over a month on Bkk streets and on the outer highways. It's a joy for what it's designed for. Nimble in rush hour Bkk traffic and enough power for short (2-4 hour) highway trips.

The common 10% buak on a bill absolves me of tipping any extra. Bars & restaurants that don't add the 10% apparently don't need or want it. As for the rest, taxi drivers get rounded to the next ten and + 10 or 20 baht depending on the fare and hotel maids get a 50 baht note on the pillow every morning whether it's 500 or 5000 baht a night room.

My right isn't necessarily your wrong, and V/V.

As a kid here, I was often warned, อย่าดึงเชือกเกินไป - yaa dunng chuak gernpai

It means "don't pull the rope too much."

I never received email approval so this morning I did my 90 day report in person at Nonthaburi. I showed the IO my online receipt and he stated that Nonthaburi did not have the computer infrastructure to handle 90 day reports online.

Oddly they gave me a new reporting date of the 23rd of April yet my retirement extension expires on the 24th of February. I have never come across this before so which date should I use for my new extension?

I had the same happen to me last year. Your visa date is what matters, not the next 90 day reporting date. When you get your next extension of your retirement visa in Feb, you will reset the 90 day report date for sometime in May. This is what happened to me, anyway...