mstevens

That's a truly awful thing to have experienced. I am sure you have already given it some thought but maybe consider moving away from a place with which you have such bad memories to a new place where you can create new, positive memories? If we experience something truly terrible as you have, or simply have a long period of bad experiences, sometimes moving to a new place can help us to leave things in the past and move on.

This sounds like it could be one of two things: stress or mould (or other environmental factors). That you sleep better when on holiday than at home could well be due to stress. Travel makes you happier, less stressed and you sleep better. This is common and it can also show in other ways such as lousy digestion when at home / going about your regular life and much improved digestion when on holiday. The other possibility - less likely, but still possible - is mould. Living in a mouldy environment can see the mould essentially get inside us and cause all sorts of problems, some neurological - and this can cause sleep problems and insomina. Less likely, but certainly possible. if it's stress-related, you need to look at ways to lower / manage your stress. If mould-related, you need to remedy the mould situation and / or leave the place with the mould permanently.

5HTP is definitely a supplement worth trying. Inexpensive, non-addictive and it is effective to boost your mood and help you sleep. 100 mg before bed works really well. The specific product I use is NOW Foods 5HTP 100 mg capsules. You can get it on iHerb.

I have found over the years that there are more interesting things to do in Thailand, more nice places to go out to, great restaurants to eat at etc and so my spending in Thailand has gone up to levels that are about the same as I would spend if I was back home. In Thailand I feel that I get so much more for my money, most of the time at least, and as such I am happy to spend more than I thought I would. I figure that you only live once so may as well enjoy it!

For me, steak. Given up coffee and red wine already as it so happens, but eat a good steak at least once a week!

"Esteemed team of RTP"? Who wrote this drivel?

Some of us, like myself, prefer to cook most of the time as we are very health-conscious. We can adjust dishes to include more vegetables, good oil and leave out ingredients that if consumed long-term might not be good for our health. A lot of Thai food is fried and the oils used are not healthy. There's also a lot of sugar and flavouring sauces, none of which are good for you if you consume too much of them. Certainly, there is a good argument for eating out in Thailand if you want convenience and to save time (and oftentimes money too). But for me, I prefer to cook at home most of the time and only eat out sometimes, primarily because of the health benefits of knowing that what I am eating is healthy.

The problems of acid reflex are often a problem of inadequate stomach acid rather than too much stomach acid. As we age we tend to make less stomach acid which is one of many contributing factors to digestive issues. You need stomach acid to acidify your food before it leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine where the nutrients and minerals are extracted from it. If the food has not been well acidified, it will be more difficult to get extract the goodness from your food. Doctors have long prescribed Omeprazole which reduces stomach acid. When Omeprazole was first introduced to the market it came with warnings to use it for a limited period of time i.e. several weeks. These days some doctors prescribe it for years which can cause issues over time such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, fungal overgrowth and numerous digestive issues. Omeprazole has its benefits and it is one of the most widely prescribed drugs. But today there are many doctors who believe that adding stomach with a supplement like Betaine HCI can help the symptoms of acid reflux. Dr Mark Hyman is one of many doctors who explains very clearly what is going on with acid reflex and why Omeprazole might not necessarily be a good choice. There's a lot of good info online and it's worth doing some research of your own.

Get away from the tourist areas. Some of those doing haircuts in the tourist areas also do massage, nails, book tours etc. They don't specialise in anything and as such I'd be surprised if any of the services they provide they do do particularly well.

The problem with Bangkok Pat is that he just seems to do research on various websites and then put stuff together. Sometimes those websites have wrong info which he just unknowingly repeats. He talks as if he knows Bangkok history well but it's all just from other websites. And his pronunciation of Thai place names, Thai people's names etc is awful and like a farang who just got off the plane, ironic given he is half Thai.

Sorry to break it to you but Thai law sees things very differently. In Thailand, anyone who feels their reputation has been somehow maligned or damaged when photographed or videoed in a public place can make a criminal complaint to police about the person who took the photo / recorded the video and seek damages through a civil action. To be clear, I am not saying I agree with this, but this is the law in Thailand.

Taurine is useful if you have problems with your gallbladder and digesting fats. It helps to open up the biliary ducts which helps bile flow which in turn helps with fat digestion. If you look at the ingredients list in some of the general gallbladder supplements, Taurine along with Choline and Milk Thistle are common ingredients.

This looks like one sweet machine. I will buy one for the Mrs. She uses a 2015 MacBook Air which is still going strong but this new machine will be a real nice upgrade for her.

If broth causes you stomach issues, that could be a sign of histamine intolerance. And histamine intolerance is often a symptom of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). SIBO is not a condition well-understood by a lot of doctors although a couple of hospitals in Bangkok test for it. Please note that you need to be tested for BOTH hydrogen and methane levels. The test is quite involved and requires a specific diet the day before avoiding various foods. The test itself takes a couple of hours and requires to you to consume lactulose or sucrose and then produce breath samples for a couple of hours to see gases the consumed sugar produces. If you are shown to have SIBO, the best antibiotic is Rifaximin as it is localised and only kills bacteria in the intestine whereas other antibiotics tend to be like a nuclear bomb and kill bacteria everywhere. Last time I checked which admittedly is some time ago, Rifaxmin was not available in Thailand. It is, however, available in Cambodia. Dose is 550 mg, 3 times per day, for 14 days.

15 years in Thailand so I am not clueless. Speak the language fluently. Have made official complaints to the police twice. Once was theft. The other was for threats made against my ex wife. Both times the police were proactive. Never event a hint of not doing anything or asking for money.

Go to the shop and tell them that you're the owner of the phone and you'd like it back. Tell them that if they hand it over, that's the end of it and you will walk away with the phone and they will never see you again. If they don't give the phone to you or try to ask for money, go to the police station and make a formal charge and instruct the police that wish to see it through to the end with recover of property and full prosecution. According to Thai law, the cops cannot refuse to accept your complaint of criminal activity and if they do, they can find themselves in the gun. It would of course be helpful if you are presentable and speak Thai. If not, perhaps take a respectable Thai along. I find it quite unbelievable that some people would suggest buying back your own property. Thai law is actually strong in situations like this.

It's all 'bout the money It's all 'bout the dum dum da da dum dum........

The test generally regarded as the best for Candida is the OATS test (organic acids). I am unaware of it being offered in Thailand, unfortunately. It is a VERY comprehensive test which also shows bacterial issues, oxalate issues and even mould. It's not cheap but it is the gold standard.

We were there on Monday night a couple of weeks ago and stayed for about 3 hours. There was no time limit that I was aware of. Arrived a bit before 6:00 PM and left about 9:00 PM. It was quiet....probably no more than 30 diners night.

Had the buffet at Edge in the Hilton a couple of weeks ago. 1,399 baht net. Very good quality good.

The Andrew Moritz Liver & Gallbladder flush is popular and there are Facebook groups with TENS OF THOUSANDS of members who have used this method to successfully flush out gallstones. There are various methods and there are huge numbers of people who have had success with this to clear gallstones completely. Join the group and find out more for yourself. I think you'll find members extremely well-informed as well as very supportive. Thousands have been in the exact situation you are in now - diagnosed with a gallstone and unsure how to proceed. There are other natural remedies to break down gallstones. The most popular supplement is Chanca Piedra which is known as the "stone-breaker." It is most effective in liquid form but the capsules are good too. A popular brand is World Botanicals which is carried by iHerb. Cholecystectomy (the surgical removal of the gallbladder) is not the only treatment available to you. Western medicine advocates this procedure but many people who have had their gallbladder surgically removed suffer from issues with digestion for the rest of their life, particularly the emulsifying and digestion of fats which also can cause issues with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Just two days ago I had coffee with a friend who flew from Phnom Penh to Bangkok to have gallbladder surgery a decade ago. His digestion has never been the same since. If you do choose to get your gallbladder removed, look in to ox bile supplements to help with fat digestion. Gallstones are a medical emergency if they are blocking the ducts leading to the pancreas and in that situation, surgery is required. If that is not the case, I'd strongly suggest looking at other less invasive and less-permanent options first.

You might wish to consider a full SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) test. There is hydrogen AND there is methane and you really want to test for both. I don't know where in Thailand does such testing but Googling "SIBO test Thailand" should produce results. Also, consider looking in to Candida as the systems are very similar and there is a lot of overlap in the symptoms of IBS, SIBO and Candida. Many people have SIBO and Candida. SIBO is a sod to get rid of. Most doctors prescribe an antibiotic but that is often not enough as it comes back due to the root cause not being determined. Sluggish liver / gallbladder, low stomach acid, poor motility are just some of the possible root causes. Good luck on getting tested.

No idea what your medical issue is but is it something that a functional medical practitioner could diagnose? They are a little different to regular MDs in that they identify the root cause and treat that, rather than putting a patient on drugs for the rest of their life. Google "functional medicine practitioner" and perhaps that might be something for you to consider.

While I applaud your empathy, such a policy would have unforeseen consequences. Covering all tourists for medical events suffered in Thailand would result in many seeing this as an opportunity to forego travel insurance. I feel sorry for the fellow, I really do. Comprehensive travel insurance is a must so not just the victim of the accident, but their friends and family are not caught up in the awful events that follow.

The riverfront area in Nakhon Phanom is very pleasant. Nongkhai quite nice too, on the riverfront.