notrub

They are in the same 'boat' as 'Sir' Philip Green who robbed BHS pension fund in the UK to buy his 3rd 100M+ GBP yacht (175M for this last one).  Such greed and disregard for any but themselves is disgusting.  

On the same subject...  I would like to buy my wife a gold necklace and, as a farang, I am looking for 18K.  All of the (few) local shops I have looked at sell 24K only.  In the west we see that as being too soft for daily wear.  We have 14K as standard and 18K as a bit special.  What I buy for her is not an investment in gold, it will be for wearing.  Any comments about reliable shops in Thailand or perhaps reliable mail order outlets would be gratefully received.  Thanks in advance.

(Please excuse me for inviting myself onto your post Number 6)  

On 12/10/2019 at 7:33 PM, Bagwain said:

Forget it with swimming pools!

I had & was involved with float tanks for yrs & it is great for them!

If anything go to pink Himalayan salts!

 

Cheers  

Thanks for your thoughts, although it is disappointing not to be able to soak up all that magnesium whilst taking a dip in the pool.  I looked up the float tank and it is a bit exotic for us here in the wilds of Isaan.   I was pretty happy to find the bog standard white version of Epsom salts at our local(ish) shop.  Never heard of the pink version.  What is that please?  Take care and Merry Christmas too (if you celebrate it -I don't anymore).

Here in Buriram it is both bank book and 'visa' bank letter.  The balance in the book must be exactly the same as in the letter, which is valid for a very short time.  In Surattanni I had to make a new application a week after the first due to a fault of the immigration dept.. 

All was fine (as it could be following a forced trip to Kuala Lumpur), until the officer noticed that my bank letter had expired.  Never mind that this letter was only a few days old and that it matched my bank book exactly.  Mad dash across town and BKK bank did me a 'favour'  (100 baht) to produce a new letter in an hour. 

Back to immigration handed over the letter and the sum was not identical, 1,400,000.24 THB in the letter, 1,400.000.42 in the book.  No matter that the original error had been their fault and that I had just flown to Malaysia for a new stamp, and that the sum in the bank exceeded the amount required by quite a lot. 

It was back into downtown traffic and a very snooty young woman did another letter (for free!).  Finally got all the ducks lined up in a row and I got my new O visa.  We just managed to get the last ferry back to Koh Phangan and home...

You have recommended Khun Jammaree but don't post any contact details.  Could you let me know where she is and what is her business description please?  

My circumstances are a bit complicated in that I was married 30 years ago in Canada am here on my UK passport (I have Canadian also) and my French divorce was finalised earlier this year.  (I am still a resident of France.)  So, my divorce documents are in French. I live in Isaan so going to the UK embassy in BKK will be difficult, as it always is, and would hope there is another solution.

The principal reason for marriage is that I have a private pension which passes to my wife on my death.  I can arrange for her to access my bank and our house etc. is already hers, so to speak.

I don't need to be married for my Thai retirement visa and we have been living in sin for 5 years already.   

Any comments about how to achieve a 'single status' would be very welcome.  Thank you.

I have been looking into adding magnesium sulphate to my small pool (4x8x1,5).  I have a salt chlorinator, cartridge filter and use muriactic acid in the pool water (to lower ph and keep it clean).  It is all working pretty well but I am a big fan of magnesium sulphate and would like to put it into my pool.  What I have found on the net is not too clear and wonder about the following.

Can I just add magnesium sulphate to my existing pool setup?

If yes, how much?

The sites I have seen suggest draining the pool and refer to 'big pools, small pools' and 'bags' and 'gallons' (but not how many).  Also not draining the pool.  They do not instil confidence.  If I didn't already really want to add MS I would just forget about it.

(Magnesium sulphate is a very useful chemical with many uses not the least of which is drawing out splinters and sea urchin spines from you feet.) 

Any comments please?  Thanks in advance.

Canada may be the second largest country in the world but it stretches, coast to coast just over 9000 KM with about 90% of the population living withing 300 KM of the 49th parallel (US border).  

It is very difficult to govern such a long skinny country that has so many different ethnic groups and shades of political colour.  Mr, Stargrazer  is mistaken, the cash cow is oil, not tax, and with the cash comes power.  Disproportionately so, and with a very narrow, well focused agenda, the oil barons can influence politics with only the bottom line in black to strive for.  Not the well being of the country, the world or those who inhabit it.  The fossil fuel industry is not bound by borders or politics,  and are united fighting those who oppose them.  

We had 2 PMs in recent memory, Brian Mulroney and Stephen Harper, both backed by Alberta Oil money and both worked tirelessly to promote their interests and ideology.  Finally, Trudeau was able to take back control from these groups.  But they never sleep and with unlimited funds they can run a negative information flow aiming to unseat Trudeau and regain the seat of power.  One such person announced, following the previous election, that they would research and publish daily, their thoughts on Trudeau's governance.  

So, I support Trudeau over Trump any and every day.   

I am trying to return a Kindle reader to Amazon in USA.  DHL express shipping is over 2,000 baht.  Thai Post registered surface is 300 baht.  Except it appears that they will not accept any item with batteries even by surface.  The parcel has been turned back 2 times.  One time sent by air TP 800 baht and 1 time TP surface 300 baht.  The The battery is lithiun Ion 'not restricted' (PI 967).  Time for delivery is not an issue.  Any ideas please about how I can send this back?  Or must I bite the bullet and pay the DHL price? Thank you 

Thank you.  I am in search mode to see what my options are outside BKK.  Ivorbigun suggested  Queen Sirakit hospital in Satahip and I will look into that one.  The doctor who examined me said no rush for the op and yes, I already have glaucoma and am using eye drops now.  Follow up exam may be more local(?) in 1 month's time.  Thanks again. 

On 11/21/2019 at 7:21 PM, Thomas J said:

I have the need for corrective lenses for distance, reading, and I have astigmatism.  When I was younger I had laser surgery to correct the astigmatism and the distance vision.  I can tell you I wish I had never done it.  Yes for a period of time, I did not need glasses to see distance.  However, immediately I needed glasses to read with.  When you are older Presbyopia causes you to lose the focus ability close up and the laser surgery to correct distance then unmasks the Presbyopia if you are near sighted.  You will get the same effect if you wear single vision glasses for distance.  You won't be able to read.  Now my corneas are flat and contact lens do not fit properly.  I can not use the new multifocal contacts.  If you have astigmatism and need correction for both distance and reading you can try the TORIC lenses.  Multi-Focal to correct both distance and close up.  Also, try mono vision.  One contact in dominant eye for distance, one in other eye with prescription for reading. The TORIC lenses correct for astigmatism and should help with the starburst effect at night. 

Regarding cataracts, my closes friend is a Ophthalmologist.  He said that you want to do cataract surgery only when the cataracts are so bad that they are impacting your life.  In the meantime stick with glasses or contacts.  He stated that though cataract surgery is very simple, getting the correct lens replacement is inexact and made more difficult if you have lasik surgery. He said that he would never recommend multi-focal lenses for cataract correction.  He said they are far too difficult to accurately fit.  He said when absolutely necessary do the cataract surgery but go with single vision and then rely on glasses to read.  The likelihood is that you will still need some glasses to make you 20/20, correct for the astigmatism, and have added power for reading. 

 

Exactly what the doctor said.  Thank you.

Thank you.  The doctor said one at a time to see how it goes.  Yes Sheryl, there is time to wait and see.  The doc said she did not recommend the variable type lens unless it was a special need situation.  Her option is to put one long and one short focus and I understand what she means.  When they take out the existing lens the cataracts come out with it, is how I understand it to be.  She said the problem will be when they get so advanced they harden, or something, and are difficult to remove.  

She want me back for another puff test for glaucoma in one month.  That is to see if it goes from a value of 20 down to 15 and if the drops are effective.  That test seems like it could be done anyplace that has the equipment and competent staff.  I have a month before another trip to BKK to decide.  I have done a lot of driving in my life and 'The thrill is gone' so there is no joy in the commute to BKK.  Don't suggest flying as the 'Thrill' for that 'is even more gone'.  Thanks a lot for your comments.  I am always ready to take advice and it is good to get some for these sorts of things.

28 11 2019

Thank you again for all your comments.  I did go to the Rutnin Hospital as several persons suggested I do.  Very glad that I did and had the standard exam plus an extra add on for glaucoma (2 or 3 k baht).  It all came to 7000 baht including the first month's drops. I don't have astigmatism or macular degeneration, good news but do have cataracts and glaucoma.  The glaucoma is in a fairly early stage and the doctor thinks it can be controlled by eye drops.  Hope so, don't fancy being blind if I can avoid it.  

The cataracts can be fixed by the standard replacing the lens operation.  The doctor there said that she likes to do both eyes, one long range and one closeup.  Both fixed focus.  Apparently my vision is already that way and the brain compensates and uses the appropriate eye, so to speak.  She is reassuringly competent looking and sounding and her recommendations are purely medical.  I am confident that she was not 'drumming up business'.

They gave me a quote and it comes to 90K baht per eye not including prep, or something.  The local, Buriram, doctor (who is the eye doctor at the main hospital there) gave me a quote of 14K baht per eye.  Gives a  person some reason to pause for thought.  I know the argument can be that I have only 1 pair of eyes and should I risk getting a dodgy op by an incompetent doctor inn a shoddy operating theatre but moving on from there...  What are the options available and how to explore them?

Ivor Bigun commented on his experience at the Queen Sirakit hospital, Satahip and others have mentioned this hospital too.  I am going to post a note in the Buriram Expats' forum to see if the local doctor is known etc. and also will contact the Queen Sirakit hospital to ask if they would do the operation and what would it cost.  Living in the north of Buriram Province I am definitely outside their catchment area and don't know how that works in Thailand. 

Aside from the giant cost difference, travelling to BKK is difficult and I do not enjoy spending time in big cities like BKK.  If the Queen Sirakit hospital was a viable option going to Pattaya area would be as far but a bit easier on the nerves than BKK.

Putting the 200,000 baht cost into perspective, it comes to about 1 1/2 years of my small pension.  I have some savings, enough to cover the 200K+ for the op and travel and what have you but it would be nice to find a safe alternative at a lower cost.

Any comments will be gratefully received.  PS, The name of an online glasses supplier that many expats use has been mentioned a few times but cannot find it now.  Could I be reminded of it please?  Thanks.  And thanks again for encouraging me to go to Ritnin hospital.

23 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

In that case you likely should have a CVFT done and Rutin can do that (many hospitals can not) - (takes about 30 minutes) and cost is likely about 1,500 baht (but have not had there for some years).  You will have eye pressure test as routine and if CVFT shows indication of glaucoma they will want to keep it low and may have to start taking medications for that (eye drops).  Glaucoma is something you will not normally notice so if you need be sure to take medication (which may be a bit expensive and/or require cool storage).  Once known you can use a local doctor/facility to buy medications and if CVFT is periodically required go to another facility to obtain (it will be a print out test that any good doctor can understand).

Thank you.  My mother had a vision problem and I have forgotten what it is called.  Her vision failed from the centre out and she said that there was just a grey blob in the centre of her view or line of sight or whatever.  It meant that she could not recognise people because there was just this blob where their head was.  Is that glaucoma?  My sister just wrote and what my mum had was macular degeneration. 

Thanks how241.  I got it about the glasses etc. but I was used to having an eye examination every year by a fantastic doctor in France.  It takes 1 year to make an appointment unless it is an emergency (he is a surgeon too) and so I have not been able to see him for some time.  My father had glaucoma and it is one of the things he checked as I understand that it can be hereditary (I think that's the one).  

So yes, it will cost perhaps 10K baht (including travel and hotel) and involve driving to and in BKK and back but I would like to be sure that my sight will be OK.  

Different subject.  My partner (soon to be wife) and I live a simple life in rural Isaan.  I mentioned to Pim that the hotel&hospital are near the train line and we could go into BKK centre and she just said 'why(?)'.  I said maybe a bit of shopping and she said 'what for(?)'.  What a lucky guy I am not to be dragged from shop to shop all the time (as some are).  Sorry if this comes across as being sexist, I don't mean it to. 

So, thank you all again.  Whether or not to trust the local doctor has been on my mind for some time.  I am not wealthy and I don't have insurance for this sort of thing so the money spent is gone for good (as I don't have a job to earn some more).  I needed a nudge and some information and that is what you all have provided.  Good.  I go on Tuesday next.

Thanks for your reply.  I filled to pool back up yesterday afternoon and it has maintained exactly the same level since then, about 18 hours (I filled it to a grout line).  So it looks like the problem has been solved.  Hope so.

I used Weber 2 part grout and swimming pool adhesive tiled onto a render that I had put PVA and waterproofing additive into.  Quality pool tiles too.  I am about 100 km away from anywhere and the cost to get a contractor up, or down, here was a lot.  My pool cost a lot less than 500K baht all in including over 100m2 terrace tiled onto a concrete base.  

I was a contractor so I thought why pay 1,5M baht just for a small pool and a little bit of tile surround?  I had local people doing the heavy lifting and was here the whole time so it was OK.  We found a supplier of 'super blocks' (about 14cm thick) and used lots of rebar and good concrete on about a 15cm slab with 6mm bar in it.  Good drainage under too as I had read of the dangers of pools floating on improperly prepared earthworks.

My friend Peter built one exactly the same using my excess blocks (I had to buy a truckload from Korat) except he did all the blockwork himself and the tiling too.  My missing water is the first  problem either one of us has had, fingers crossed.  That is, after finding out about muriatic acid.  There were some adventures with algae before then. 

We just snapped a level line on the final course of blocks and cut them off with a grinder.  It is good to see the water level on the grout line all around the pool.  Not something I take for granted having built 2 houses here.  There have been mixed results when setting  a standard of quality in the morning and it being continued through to the end of the afternoon.  Nothing surprises me any more but this variation of workers following instructions did not start in Thailand.  I am sure you have had similar experiences.

Thanks again for your comments and information about salt chlorinators. 

Kind Regards, Burton

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I am going to Rutnin Eye Hospital next week.   It will be good to find out what the problem is and have confidence in the doctors doing the assessment.  Thanks for the information and encouraging me to go.

I see on their web site that there is a full eye examination special price for 11,000 baht but the fellow at their phone centre in said a simple exam would be around 2 to 3,000 baht.  Any comments?

Also, if I have small cataracts I would be inclined to have them removed immediately.  What do my fellow Thai Visa members think?   

Thanks again for the help.  I am very happy to be going to this hospital.  

Kind Regards

Hello again,  When I first posted about the filter cleaning it was just to share my experiences.  I was a building contractor and had worked in Canada, US, UK, France and a bit of volunteer work in Nepal in the mountains.  That last one was assessing and repairing health posts for a charity in remote areas of the country.  I have a thirst for knowledge and like to learn and share when I can.

If it is not taking advantage of your position as a professional I have a question to ask.

By coincidence I have just had a surprise problem with a mystery leak in my pool.  The water level went down 10cm overnight and a further 5 or 8cm the following day, yesterday, and then stopped.  I was waiting to see if it would drain completely or stop at the return jets level or the lights but it did not go below the line of dark blue tiles.  Above the jets and lights and about 15cm below normal water level.

I have just finished inspecting the grout and tapping the tiles all around that level.  Although a few tiles don't sound so 100% good (95/100) the grout is solid and without any cracks or visible defects.  

I have drained the pool by about 4 cm below the leak line and will let it dry.  I will then apply a good, soak in, coat of waterproofing agent to the grout and let dry before refilling the pool.  We used swimming pool tiles, glue and grout about 1 1/2 years ago.  I was here when the tiling was being done and they soaked the render before gluing the tiles.

I am thinking that at the level where the leaking stopped the tiler may have used old grout or some such thing.  It all looks the same in colour and texture, however.  It seems that dropping 10cm overnight is a lot for it to just seep away.  I think that is about 2 1/2 M3 (?).  I have visually inspected the area around the pool (but it is tiled) and the pump and pipe area for extra water but can see nothing unusual.   

So, if you don't mind me asking this-what do you think?  

If you prefer not to comment I will understand and thank you for your earlier advice.

Regards, Burton

Thank you.  I guess I'll drive down and face the dreaded TM.30.  I just tried 'stretching' my eyes from the corners towards the left and right last night and the sub titles became sharp and clear.  Normally they are a bit fuzzy.  Great news to think I can avoid surgery.  Thanks again.  Kind Regards

1 hour ago, LosLobo said:

The diagnosis for astigmatism is not complicated there are online charts where you can self check for this problem.

 

If you look at the moon and it appears egg shaped you definitely have astigmatism.

 

Any optometrist can easily test and develop a prescription for you.

 

The pin hole test shows an improvement in vision can be achieved with prescription glasses.

 

Previously you couldn't remove immature cataracts but with modern techniques removal at any stage is now possible.

 

That being said removal of overly mature ones can be problematic.

 

Removal is recommended when the cataract starts to affect your daily life not just because you have been diagnosed with one.

 

Cataract corrective surgery will not correct astigmatism per se, (additional though not entirely necessary surgery will be required).

 

 With an IOL you will lose that ability to flex your eye lens and therefore focus, so you need spectacles to perform this function for you.

 

And with the spectacles your astigmatism will be corrected.

Thank you very much for your encouraging comment.  The eye doctor that I saw is a real doctor and also has a ' day job' at the local hospital.  He does not appear to be touting for business but who knows?  The only reason that I want to have my vision corrected is because of the flaring of lights at night.  It is dangerous to drive at night and so I rarely do so.  I am typing this without any problems and watching TV is OK but would like it slightly sharper.  

My eye doctor in France is the real McCoy but he is there and I am here.  I am in the north of Buriram province about 100km from Buriram city, Khon Kaen  and Korat.  I would go to a private, costly, hospital for tests but how to know the competence of who will be there testing?   I would prefer not to go to BKK if poss.

The optometrists, and the doctor too, went through the lens selection routine and not of them corrected my vision.  That is how the pin hole test came up and then the doctor suggested surgery. 

I have never needed glasses except in the last 10 years for reading.  Now I have a tablet E reader so I don't use them at all.  

Any ideas?  Thanks.  Kind Regards

Thanks for your comment.  Now that I have found out how to clean the cartridges I am a happy guy.  Unlikely to change over to a sand filter due to cost etc..  What you say about the Emaux salt chlorinator is very interesting.  My friend bought the same equipment as me and his chlorinator literally exploded.  He was near it at the time but was not injured.  Had he been looking at it he would have been blinded.   To be fair, we had problems with stable electric supply at the time.

I have a bag of Sodium Bisulphate that I have been using to lower the PH but never thought about it as a filter cleaner.  I have only ever seen dishwasher soap for sale one time in TOP supermarket and it was 4 or 500 baht for a small box.  From what I understand it contains a degreaser similar to TSP but am not sure what it is.  

I put about 1 KG of tsp into about 30 or 40 (?) gallons of water (one of those big blue chemical barrels 70cm high by 40cm dia.) and that seems to work very well.  3 or 4 day soak.  I am following this with a weak acid bath just to see how it turns out.

Using the muriatic acid in the pool has been a big improvement over the 'clear pool' and other products that cost the earth and don't work nearly as well.  

What is the name of the Australian company you mentioned please?  I am not keen to change the emaux one but would go for another brand if it fails. 

It seems that you have many pools while I am just trying to keep my little 4x8x1.5 effort functioning clean and clear.  It is my first pool and we constructed it ourselves following You tube research.  We used big blocks and filled the cells with rebar and concrete.  Then tiled onto a rendered surface.  It has been a steep learning curve.  The few other pool owners that I spoke to have had them constructed for a high cost. 

Nice to exchange a few ideas, thank you.   Here is my home.  A bit messy but comfortable.  Kind Regards

I went to a respectable eye doctor who eventually (long story, short) had me look through a pin hole and my vision cleared and was focused .  He diagnosed cataracts and proposed inserting a fixed focus lens in one of my eyes.  I have just read about astigmatism and how one symptom is flaring of lights at night.  I have this problem and I find it very hard to drive at night and avoid doing so if at all possible.  This experience is fairly recent and I have had good eyesight all my life (I am 71 now).

Here is my question:  If I have astigmatism will light flaring be cured by cataract corrective surgery of lens insertion?  (This is the important part for me.)  I don't have any need to improve my vision except for the light flaring problem and can drive in the daytime without difficulty.  I see dogs, children, oncoming traffic and potential hazards without any problems.  I read that astigmatism can be corrected by contact lenses that correct the shape of the eye, for example.  The tests (diagnosis) for this condition seem to be complicated and may require very special equipment.  Any comments please including where I might go for tests, if required.  Thank you very much in advance.  (BTW I am not insured for this sort of thing here in Thailand but can pay as req'd)

What a lot of unpleasant comments!  For a real laugh take a look at what is going on in the UK and USA.  Yes, there are some problems here but the blatant racism and corporate theft in those countries makes almost every place else look good.  So, shut up and eat your porridge Grumpy Grandpa.

I have recently been introduced to muriatic acid and to trisodium phosphate.   I have an Emaux salt chlorinator and cartridge filter system.  Using muriatic acid to control algae has worked out very very well.  Much much better than all the costly swimming pool products sold under various brand names.  I have been using sodium bisulphate to lower my PH level although muriatic acid can be used for this too. 

I rarely add salt or chlorine although a recent algae bloom taught me the lesson to catch it quickly b4 it gets out of hand.  That was b4 using the acid and I added lots of powdered chlorine to get the water clear again.  Mostly the salt generator keeps the chlorine levels to an acceptable level.  

Filter cleaning has been a costly, time consuming learning curve and I am writing to share my solution and ask for comments.  I tried using floor cleaning soap with predictable results if the cartridge is not thoroughly rinsed rinsed before reinstalling.  A big mistake was to use a HP spray to wash as this simply drives the dead algae and dust into the filter membrane.  'Hosepipe pressure only' works very well on a properly cleaned cartridge.   

I have recently been soaking my filters in a TSP solution with a soft brush brushing rinsed and let to dry in the sun.  Drying seems to make a difference but don't know why.  Sunshine kills bacteria and with several filters it does not interfere with the process.

My friend uses muriatic acid only for cleaning and that works very well.  However, I have just been reading that the acid locks oil etc. into the filter and it should be cleaned b4 the acid soak.  So for me that is a TSP soak, rinse then acid. each for a day or 2 in a weak solution.

These are private pools so there is not a big issue with tanning oils or dirty bodies/feet and swimsuits/shorts.  Mostly algae and dust.

Here is a question.  How does the TSP react to the acid?  Will it cause the acid to become neutralised or create some deadly combination?  I intend to give the TSP soaked cartridge a good water only soak and a rinse before putting it into the acid wash.  Then a good water only soak following the acid bath and hosepipe spray down.  Then dry.  Don't plan on any acid neutraliser as this is already in the pool anyway.

Any comments will be very welcome.  Thank you.

Gee!  What a lot of thoughts.  Sorry to offend but...

This recent report has come out in spite of the producers of harmful chemicals efforts to suppress this sort of information.  

Aside from poisoning our waterways and produce a very big issue has to do with agricultural workers who have no protective equipment and no choice about what they use on a daily basis.  

If you think that multinationals have your interest in mind cast your thoughts back to the behaviour of big tobacco.  And, they are still doing it.