cheshiremusicman

They must have been doing a helluva speed to cause that much damage.

After watching Anthony  Bourdains travel programmes ( No reservations) I would choose Uruguay - low crime rate, nice climate and decent hospitals etc.

I recently discovered that I was loosing 10 Baht per day from my SIM card 'pay as you go' balance because I was receiving messages advertising gaming apps. I do not play games and have never subscribed to this number which is 4849456.  I contacted DTAC customer care and they blocked the number from one of my SIM cards a week or so ago and reimbursed me for the losses but I noticed the other day that my second SIM card was also receiving the same  rubbish. How they can organise this is beyond me  but I just wanted to warn people to be aware of this rip off. Goodness knows how much the people behind this are making a day?

15 hours ago, DREW99 said:

You could make a booking conditional on the flight aircraft not being a 737 max 8 but I doubt if any company would accept the booking.......if a million people refused to book a seat things might change. My next flight will be on a 380 operated by Emirates!

In my experience the Emirates 380 is the best aircraft I've ever had the pleasure of flying in.

23 hours ago, Dustdevil said:

Nobody wants an A380, I can pretty much predict that.

Great shame, as I  personally thought it was the best aircraft I have ever had the pleasure to fly on - both economy and business class.

8 hours ago, RoadWarrior371 said:

I suggest a 5 gun Minimum.  Anything smaller than 9mm is considered a toy.   ????

Yes, and in the UK we are not even allowed to 'own' pistols or rifles even if you WERE a member of a licensed gun club which now don't exist. The gun club I was a member of some 40 years ago was only a certified indoor target range for the use of .22 calibre use, something I think they give the kids in the USA. Shotguns licenses are (I believe) still available under special circumstances. A very different scenario to the USA.

When I owned a 22 rifle (single shot) and pistol, I was only allowed to hold 20 rounds of ammunition and this (and where the pistol and rifle action were securely stored) were checked on on a regular basis by the local police force, with the provision that the 'action' of the single shot rifle and the 'clip' for the pistol had to be securely stored in two different locations from the weapons themselves. Gun clubs were disbanded under the UK government rules many many years ago and even our Olympic shooters had to train outside of the UK. This of course, does not stop criminals from obtaining firearms in the black market, but the amateur shooters are denied their sport and gunsmiths have gone out of business many years ago.

On 9/25/2020 at 4:56 PM, 4MyEgo said:

I think there will be very few willing to take you on board, that said, as I and Sheryl have mentioned, talk to AA Insurance Brokers, they will find the best one to suit your age and requirements, if you find the insurance is a bit rich, e.g. 100k baht per annum, then you might think about self insuring, that said, one claim could cost you in the millions depending on what is required if your unlucky, that said, for 100k baht + a year, health insurance is worth it in my opinion, peace of mind, can't have your cake and eat it to when your getting older, i.e. unless your prepared to pay for it.

Interesting comment 'Self Insuring'. How precisely do you go about doing that? I have often thought that we oldies (I'm 77) should be able to pay for a 'Bond' of say 400,000 for hospital treatment and say 40,000 for the outpatients that meets the requirements and if you have to use any of this  you are given say two months to top it back up. At least you wouldn't be paying the astronomical premiums year on year. I for one would be more than happy to do this and really don't know what I would do if they made it compulsory to have the insurances for the yearly retirement visa.

9 hours ago, Mops59 said:

Hua Hin fits top.

I would say take a look at Hua-Hin, particularly just south of HH. HH has probably one of the best climates in Thailand taken overall, lower humidity than Phuket, Krabi, Samui. Very good clean air all the year round with no crop burning smog like the north and no heavy industries, minimum temp about 20c max about 36c with a much longer tourist season than the south. If you are a golfer then it has some great golf courses. Hospital services are very good both Government and private hospitals. The HH general hospital is extremely well equipped as it served as the medical centre for the late King and Queen when they stayed here in HH both having summer residencies here. There is also a very good Military hospital some 12 km south of HH that provides excellent service and I am speaking from personal experience having used both the general and the military hospitals. A lovely 7km pine clad beach south of HH some minutes from my villa and lots and lots of very good restaurants of all kinds and all price ranges. Hotels from 5* to local pensions abound in and around HH with major shopping complexes plus Makro's etc.  Excellent service centres for nearly all makes of vehicles etc plus an airport that is being extended over the next few years. HH is also one of the largest areas of pineapple growing in Thailand. Property prices are very reasonable with a very wide choice of options. I'm some 10km from HH and 10km from Pranburi and the local water and electrical supplies are excellent. A lot of money is being spent on the roads particularly south of HH with a major project just about to be completed near where I Iive which will turn a dangerous single carriageway into a dual carriageway. HH to Bangkok by road is about 3+ hours depending on the traffic. It is anticipated that a high speed rail link will run from HH to Bangkok in the future and the infrastructure is already being put in place for this 'overhead' link, but when it will become operational is anybody's guess. If you need anymore info just PM me. 

6 hours ago, Don Chance said:

Do people have to wear masks in Thailand these days?

I don't think it's mandatory, but nearly all the people I see here in Hua-Hin both Thai's and foreigners are wearing masks.

14 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

For goodness sake. Taking outside alcohol into a restaurant anywhere in the world is a no no unless you ask for permission.

Sorry, I disagree. I see lots of people - mostly Thai's doing this all the time in restaurants here in Hua-Hin nd I've not come across one restaurant that has not allowed people to do this if they pay a corkage charge. I am talking about independent restaurants NOT those associated with hotels.

On 9/14/2020 at 1:07 PM, khastan said:

Tried Bangkok Bank and computer said no! They said not the banks policy to help people this way. I argued I have had an account with them for 13 years but she would not budge. She even rang the helpline and they told me the exact same thing. 

Some of these Thai banks are so blxxdy minded when they can't even witness a form for their own customers. I'm with the SCB and I got my certificate witnessed at Bluport SCB which isn't even my branch. Suggest you change banks!

15 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

Foreign idiot enters water. 

Exactly. What an idiot for going into the sea with those conditions prevalent; brainless!   

15 hours ago, sherwood said:

Good rain in Korat area today.

Very light steady drizzle here in Hua-Hin, temp down to 80F no wind.

2 hours ago, Thailand said:

Driver, wedge, putt. Driver wedge putt. Repeat.

 

Well, we can all dream can't we?

3 hours ago, aussieinphuket said:

yes you are correct but you did not mention that you must have retirement visa or work permit visa, they will not accept Thai Elite visa or anything else but at least its only 2600 for caddie,  buggy, green fees plus 500 for caddie tip at the  end of play.

 

if you dont have one of these visas and you are a tourist which i doubt many are not here now

its more.... check first.

 

if you are a Laguna or Blue Canyon Phuket member you pay 3,200. 

 

probably the nicest course in Phuket and well run. enjoy.

Blue canyon was a pile of <deleted> the last time I played it some 5+ years ago, I would never play there again. Red Mountain is in a totally different league to BC.

21 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Any particular rat poison you'd recommend? Yes, the ongoing war on drugs is an epic fail! 

Yes, Warfarin the commonly used blood thinner.

Totally agree with the 'epic fail', Legalise and control the sale of all drugs etc and you'd kill the monsters who make billions out of it. Governments would also receive a vast income from taxation of the legalised drugs as they do on alcohol and cigarettes.

You would have no need for drug squads as the criminals would have gone out of business; think of the money they'd save on this alone!

18 hours ago, Scot123 said:

This whole thing is disgusting. Having been a diving instructor in Thailand with well over 300 dives in Thai waters I can tell you this is absolutely nothing and comparing it to what Thais do every day; from killing beautiful Trigger Fish who become to big and aggressive at dive sites dropping anchors and destroying coral beds, killing endangered animals with their nets often abandoned on coral or on the sea bed. Dugans, Turtles,  Dolphins and even Wale sharks killed either by accident or intentional.  This is like selling bread to tourists then throwing them in prison for feeding fish or picking up bleached seashells or dead coral then holding them till they have extorted hundreds of thousands from them and their families for their release. Yes great advertising within the dive community which is very small but connected internationally all around the world. A dive holiday in Thailand OMG you must be mad.

It's a very long time since I scuba dived and that was in the very cold and murky waters around the British Isles, but I cannot see what these two divers are being accused of apart from handling a sea cucumber, which I am sure came to no harm from its interaction with the divers. The divers maintain that they were not in a 'NO DIVE ZONE', but of course it's the Thai official who has the last say (in everything). For goodness sake, just give them a fine and let the matter rest and go after the Thai's who do so much damage to the ecology as pointed out in the quote above. I do hope that some sensibility will come out of this IMHO crazy prosecution. These people are not criminals so please use some common sense (If there is any in Thailand) and let the matter drop.

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

Good on you girl, without your half hearted pointing, nobody would be any the wiser as to what happened.

Obviously has friends in the police force who are used to pointing at things like this. That's probably the fullest extent of their capabilities and printing lovely large colorful displays so we can all understand what is going on!

I live in Hua-Hin and use a local lady dentist who is extremely good and will NOT push you for extra work. In truth she has told me when I have asked about some treatments that they are not necessary. She speaks excellent English and has a very modern theatre where she is the only dentist in the practice. 

12 hours ago, whaleboneman said:

This is bad news for Mercedes dealers.

Exactly what I was thinking; or considering the estimated cost(s) of the submarine(s) maybe Ferraris lose?

On 8/29/2020 at 11:34 AM, possum1931 said:

What is TGIF? Another poster who thinks he is texting.

TGIF= Thank God It's Friday. Restaurant chain in the UK by the same name, probably the same in the USA.

Unless you get hit by a golf ball hit off the tee by some idiot who can't wait (or WON'T wait) for you to get out of range. What idiot picked this picture?

1 hour ago, CygnusX1 said:

Well, with no access to the Thai ladies for the next few years, playing computer games IS about the most exciting thing I can do.

Why not try the new (VERY) Microsoft flight simulator and you could fly over your property to remind you what it looks like? Just an idea to keep you occupied!

I only noticed the other day that my 5 year Thai driving licence had expired by almost one month and went to the Pranburi centre to renew it. They would not accept the document in my passport which verifies my address of some 14 years and told me that I needed to go to the IMO to obtain a certificate of residential status, so off to the main Hua-Hin IMO to obtain this on the other side of town out in the sticks (Why they built this here is anybody's guess - probably cheap land?).

Back to the Pranburi centre to bag the last place for the viewing of the 'training video'. The strange thing was that all of us who were waiting to see this video had to sit outside under an awning before being ushered in to watch the video which lasted about 45 minutes and was about as useful as a chocolate teapot; nothing about using indicators; nothing about using your mirrors; nothing about stopping at pedestrian crossings; basically 45 minutes of boring video with sub titles in English that were barely visible. Out into the main office to take a colour blindness test then sign a form that has your name and address and passport number on it and sit and then wait after handing over 505 Baht. Photo taken and wait for the licence to be issued. Strange thing is that my new licence is valid for 6 years not 5 as previously, but he-ho I'll be 83 (if I make it) when I have to renew again.  Hope this helps for those in the HH area.