brewsterbudgen

Good grief! The Chairman and Director General of the BBC are both Conservatives. If the BBC was even "soft-left" Gary's comments wouldn't have caused such a ridiculous fuss! The BBC is right of centre and starting to lean even further right.

I think OP just wanted to know the dates for Chiang Mai.

We moved from Bangkok to Ban Chang a year ago and have no regrets. We're renting a nice house in a well managed village (not cheap though) and my son goes to the English Program school just down the road. Lots of good restaurants, a big food market for the wife and an Expat shop just around the corner for me. Lotus's is drab but useful and Robinsons is OK for Tops stuff that Lotus's don't sell. The nearest beaches are OK (I wouldn't choose them for a holiday) and good for a spot of lunch or an early evening beer and sunset.

Happy with my Lao wife.

Well, BBC Match of the Day was ridiculous - just 20 minutes of goal highlights. No intro music either! Bring back the commentators and pundits!

Well, that's your interpretation. I think he made a very apt point about the language of intolerance and scapegoating minorities. Are you saying there are no similarities?

I meant research about what Lineker tweeted. He referred to the language used in Germany in the 30s - not specifically any government.

I suggest you do some research.

If you look at the language from Germany in the 1930s vilifying and blaming Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and immigrants, you can see he has point! No wonder the hard-right Tories like Braverman are upset - the truth hurts!

How is that relevant? Presumably he's divorced or separated and his ex has custody of their children. You're all heart!!

I doubt he loses much sleep about being hated in Scotland! 555

Except he didn't mention "Nazis"...

All a bit irrelevant; until the next pandemic!

It is strange how Lineker's decency and likeability seem to really bring out the worst in some people.

There is none! He regularly tweeted anti-Jeremy Corbyn posts when Corbyn was Labour leader. Basically, he's a national treasure and icon and the BBC are going to rue their action. The sooner the organisation is reformed, starting with Boris' pal the Chairman, the better.

Me too. An IDP is just a translation of a national licence but as a Thai licence is in English (and Thai) I can't see why it's necessary.

Indeed it is, although "nasty" isn't the word I'd use. We moved out of Bangkok, but where we live now is currently almost as bad. I'm too old now to move to another country and getting visa for my (Lao) wife would be difficult even if we wanted to. Going to our home in Laos isn't much better in terms of air quality, and I wouldn't be able to work as easily there nor would the quality of eduction for my son be as good. I appreciate your concern, which I'm sure is genuine. However like tens of millions of other people who are raising their family in Thailand I'll put up with it.

Currently 157 US AQI in Hua Hin (145 in central BKK).

I guess someone who wants Heinz beans and isn't bothered by paying 119/159 baht!

I guess this is the Bangkok Forum, but the air is often far worse in places like Hua Hin, Pattaya and Rayong. I thought I'd moved out of Bangkok for better air, but ????

My wife is 30 years younger than me so gets a larger percentage reduction. I hope she lives to 100+.

Indeed. A sad state of affairs. The military and banana coloured shirts have a lot to answer for!

Isn't it to do with the wind direction? Bad as Thailand is, it's still not normally as bad as parts of China / India.

Yes, of course I can imagine that! It might be strange to you, but there are tens of thousands of foreign or mixed Thai/foreign families living in Thailand! Where do you suggest they go if their jobs, families are here?

True. But you can say that for any day. While it might not be easy to buy alcohol today, there's no restrictions on drinking alcohol that you've already bought. Plan ahead!