kwilco

They are probably breaking sone laws.

They have been trying to get elephants of the streets for the last 20 years or so.

Where are these animals kept? Who looks after them

Where did they come from?

How long have the officers been training?

Are the elephants trained to be on crowds and traffic?

Isn't this a conflict of interests...the police are meant to be enforcing animal welfare laws.

All we need now is for one to go bezerk or be hit by a car....or triple someone

5 hours ago, newnative said:

this test was never done as part of my annual physicals,

precisely nothing to do with the checkups sold by hospitals

2 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

No they aren't.

 

 

Since you aren't like a car, you'd best get regular medical checkups to ascertain the state of your health and, if needed, take steps to prevent any underlying conditions from becoming life-threatening. See @newnative 's post.

 

 

And checkups promote discovery of your true medical condition, are evaluated as part of your history by a doctor, and may help determine your medical history, perhaps critically.

 

Your idea just leads to seeing a doc after a condition has become symptomatic, already done a lot of irreversible damage, and now needs expensive, perhaps lifelong care. Duh.

 

 

Having a snapshot of the day can be extremely helpful towards understanding your health. Some tests reflect past history as well, such as the important HbA1C.

 

 

But one doesn't need to go to a private hospital for a checkup. And private hospitals run yearly promotions. Phyathai has one running now, and I doubt it's a great earner. It is a way of finding new customers, but hardly the only one. And customers may choose treatment, if needed, at a different hospital. 

 

 

 

Utter nonsense. Besides, the lab reports clearly note any anomalies found.

 

Excellent example of what bad advice is offered on this forum. I recall that kwilco has insisted on disagreeing with, even berating, Sheryl and ended up with egg on his face.

 

 

You're being very naive and in fact your ideas on why "check-ups might be useful are in fact the very reasons why they aren't.

I think it can be difficult for people to admit thy have been conned by their doctor or hospital all these years.

at several points you make 1.     Appeal to authority - to claim my argument is wrong because of claims of another “expert”.

Te fact is you are attacking the messenger not the message. In reality you are just displaying your own cognitive dissonance.

Medical check ups are a bit of a scam. You aren't like a car, you don't need an MoT test - you need treatment based on your life history by a doctor that either knows you or has your full medical history.

THey really aren't that helpful to understanding your health - they just do a snapshot of that day.

There ARE however a good little earner for private hospitals - quick, cheap and convenient they are a good way of finding customers - however they are likely to tell you what THEY want to hear. E.G. if you have no insurance they won't recommend that treatment or course - only things they think you can pay for.

On 10/25/2023 at 4:49 AM, pelagicpete said:

elephants now are endangered because there is not enough work to sustain them.

What a bizarre thing to say - Elephants don't work by nature they are ca[ptive wild animals. 

Protestant red-necks ork.

On 10/24/2023 at 12:49 AM, Muhendis said:

Tourism down from China? 

China has record unemployment at the moment and looks to be heading into a recession. So no money for holidays in Thailand.

Never mind. Get some police to ride around on elephants. That should fix it.

 

China has 1.4 billion people - i'm sure that 2 10 to 20 million will still find the money and time to go to Thailand

5 minutes ago, wealthychef said:

 

If you mean holding animals captive for our enjoyment, I would say it's quintessentially part of the project we ironically call "civilization."  People enslave cats and dogs all over the world, breeding them into barely functioning little monsters that wouldn't survive a minute in nature

That's just one long oxymoron.

As humans progress they learn by building on the knowledge of others - "civilisation" as you choose to call it is not sr=tatic, when it comes to welfare of elephants we now know better.

Whilst claiming what is sauce for the goose or gander, we also know how to differentiate between captive and wild animals and what is in their best interests - perhaps you have been left bhind?

10 hours ago, wealthychef said:

I can't believe anyone is negative about this.  It's absolutely quintessential Thailand and is fabulous from my perspective.  If you hate this you are in the wrong damned country for sure.  

So animal abuse is quintessentially Thai?

2 hours ago, 10baht said:

By people you mean Euro-liberals?

What a foolish and ill-informed comment.

53 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

Yeah true but it's much more common for financed Laotian vehicles to be taken out of the country than for financed Thai ones. Might explain why there is an imbalance, especially at the Vientiane-Nong Khai border, in favor of Lao vehicles coming in to Thailand in greater numbers than Thai vehicles heading to Laos, despite Thailand's greater wealth. 60% of crossings are by Lao registered vehicles and only 40% by Thai vehicles. The ratio is more equal, or possibly slightly more in favor of Thai vehicles at other crossings, but those ones have very few vehicles crossing in general.

Not sure where you get your figures from, but you'd need to get a breakdown of private V Commercial vehicles. When I lived in Laos I used a Thai vehicle but this is not a siatisfactory long term arrangement. Many local Loatian vehicles would go across fpor shoping etc. THe Thai vehicles tended to be on business or vactation therefore the frequency would be less.

Buying and renting vehicles in Laos is more expensive than Thailand too.

58 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

Lol. Everyone seems to agree that Thailand has a good Healthcare system and can take care of most problems.

58 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

Lol. Everyone seems to agree that Thailand has a good Healthcare system and can take care of most problems.

THe Thai healthcare system is better than Laos - most people who can afford it cross into Thailand if they get sick.

However it is extremely common for people , especially westerners to over estimate the healthcare services in Thailand - I worked in hospitals around Thailand as well as being a patient and had the misfortune to visit a hospital in Savannakhet on behalf of someone else. I wasn't prepared for the hospital in Savannakhet but I can see how people get healthcare in Thailand all wrong.

8 hours ago, Highlandman said:

However, unlike Thailand, Laos does permit financed vehicles to leave the country temporarily without special permission required from the finance company. You just need permission from the owner. 

 

Same in Thailand. - just very hard to get permission.

8 hours ago, Highlandman said:

Lol. Thailand has a very good Healthcare system, certainly when it comes to private hospitals.

THat is grossly incorrect. I'm guessing it's a layman's opinion and not based on any factual evidence.

I've lived in both Thailand and Laos - and if visiting the first thing I'd do is make sure I had repatriation in my insurance.

10 hours ago, Deserted said:

Thailand should build a high-speed rail network to Europe not China.

Why?

3 hours ago, treetops said:

TLDR version. " . . . .because of increasing required, expensive and onerous compliance measures they need to take."

 

Full version.

https://www.retailbankerinternational.com/news/barclays-to-close-thousands-of-expats-accounts/

 

So it's down to Brexit.

3 hours ago, NotEinstein said:

While I wouldn't venture out on the roads here on a bicycle, there are many that do, but then, they live here, know the score and are aware accordingly.

Check out channel 32 or 34  - there are always examples of horrific Thai driving..........

you clearly have a very prejudiced view - racist even? - of Thai driving.

THe question is not about road safety, it is about visiting an establishment in Chiang Mai that does cycle tours.

THere are a few online but I need one with a REAL customer interface - I'm not prpared to take some web site's glossy promises as gospel.

What I was hoping for was someone who knew where. "Cycle tour office" was rather than some gossip about road safet or time limitis - can no-one actually answer the question?

I guess it's down to someone who lives in Chiang Mai or has been on a cycling tour there.

Others need not apply.

2 hours ago, Dante99 said:

If you required responses within 24 hours you should have stated your urgency.  

24 hours? Where did you get that? Still no answer though.

seems that no-one can answer the OP.

7 hours ago, Dante99 said:

and that is supposed to be funny

It is a reply to the quoted post.

7 hours ago, NotEinstein said:

While nobody is premeditatedly murderous, many motorized road users end up being so, mostly due to poor driver training and attitude.

I regularly see groups cycling south along the busy road next to the river with pickups and trucks flying past, and wonder why they think the inhaled pollution and risk to life and limb is worth it.

so you are saying we shouldn't do this holiday?

On 10/20/2023 at 11:20 AM, RabbitFoot said:

It's gonna be great. The train that China build in Laos is pretty amazing. Thailand could greatly benefit.

China's investments in Laos are not that wonderful.

THe eco-damage is phenomenal and the economic n=benefits largely favour China over anything for Laos.

THey have destroyed the ecology of Mekong with their dams

THe railway actually does little for the Laos economy - it isn't even very near to most of the towns - it isn't used by the people - they can't afford it.

The reason for the railway is so that China can ship goods out of Westen China into markets in the West without having to go round via ports on their east coast. THey are particularly interested in deep water ports in Burma and the Andaman coast.

To do this they tie up Laos and other countries into debts for these facilities that they can't possibly repay thus giving China even more sway over the country in the years to come.

China basically is trying to get all of South East Asia in their debt by dangling these "prestigious" civil engineering projects in front of politicians who are all too eager to boost their own reputation and popularity regardless of the massive downside further down the road - by which time They probably won't be in office,

Britain and France used railways as a tool of colonisation in the 19th Century, China is doing the same now. Interestingly Thailand refused railways from both France and Britain then - but maybe the current crop of politicians haven't learned from history.

8 hours ago, connda said:

Make sure everyone has insurance and last wills and testaments.

Why are the renters murderous?

7 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Mountain bike or road bikes?  Or, just a guided tour around the rice fields on granny bikes?

Well that's why I want to so to a place where e can see the bikes and talk to the owner/manger - I want to find something suitable for a wide range of ages and abilities but prob

ably more than a "granny tour"

9 hours ago, Tarteso said:

A lot of information; 

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=Cycling+tours+Chiang+Mai.&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-th&client=safari&tbs=lrf:!1m5!1u3!3m2!3m1!1e1!4e1!1m5!1u2!2m2!2m1!1e1!4e1!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE%3D&ibp=gwp;0,6&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj6-ryH6IaCAxWRSWwGHUEhBOkQ3G0oAHoECBcQAg

they appear to be mostly motorcycle tours - I meant pedal bicycle.