AsianAtHeart

LibreOffice is nearly a drop-in replacement for Microsoft Office these days. LibreOffice, for free and on any platform (Linux, Mac, Windows), has spreadsheets, word processor, presentation, etc., and it can import your old MS Office files. You can download it from here: https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/

Bangkok would really be served to take lessons from New Orleans. An excellent article on the New Orleans' drainage system, written before Hurricane Katrina, can be found here--and it's a very interesting read, even though it's a little long: https://www.inventionandtech.com/content/pumps-new-orleans-1 Here's a juicy tidbit from the linked article (1992): As of the time of that writing, New Orleans had over twenty 12- and 14-foot pumps in the city. Compare that with these "six 30-inch water pumps" for Bangkok, called "large" in this news article. I'd say Bangkok has some room for improvement.

A one-month jail sentence for this "crime" seems rather steep. Good thing they suspended it. From my POV, he was doing the townsfolk valuable service. When the cars try to rush through the flooded streets too quickly, the waves they create can increase the flood waters that top the barriers citizens have set up to protect their homes and businesses, e.g. sandbags. Furthermore, a large vehicle, say a pickup truck, creating a large wake can cause the water to exceed the level of the floorboards in smaller cars which can have their electronics mounted at floor level. This ruins them, and they can end up stalled in the road. That could backup the traffic far more than any road surfer ever would. If he was playing in the roadway and caused the traffic to slow down, he was doing more than the police were doing to promote road safety for all involved.

I've never seen any true whole-wheat bread in Thailand, with the possible exception of at the health-food store at BAH in Bangkok. They may have had some. The best available has some whole wheat, but is not fully whole-wheat bread--it seems to be about 50% WW. On the other hand, one cannot make it, either, because there is no such thing as whole-wheat flour to be bought. If you're really insistent on acquiring a good-quality WW bread in Thailand, I think you would need to purchase imported whole wheat, then grind your own flour and make your own bread from it. Getting the wheat kernels is possible, but takes a bit of doing to source it. If you have a local market where they sell beans and grains in bins, such as imports from India, you might check there to see if they have it--otherwise, you might be limited to ordering online.

The Thai embassy might know about Thailand's requirements, such as if testing is still required. But I doubt they would know why someone was asked to show a vaccine certificate at the Heathrow airport, and not in BKK, unless it was a Thai requirement to fly to Thailand (but not to enter).

What about those "MPs of six splinter parties"? And what about Prayut, who apparently was the beneficiary of the whole scheme?

Maybe. I've seen people throw trash beside the road in the presence of police officers, and the police officers did absolutely nothing. Would that be different if they had seen a video of the act?

But that's just it--if it isn't needed, why do they ask for it? Back to square one--what will they do if you don't have it?

I haven't been jabbed, as it seems also the OP has not--so the OP would likely be interested in knowing the answer to this as well as I would.

What was to happen if you didn't have one there in Heathrow? And did you have to show neg. test results for Swampy?

I spent nearly every single day for two weeks in the government office of a local amphur this past month. Signs were up, in Thai, saying to wear the masks for everyone's safety. I read Thai. But I never wore a mask. No one troubled me one iota about it. Some of the time, the ladies behind the counters did not wear a mask. What interested me in observing that was that on one day, one lady had a mask and the other did not; on the next day, the roles were reversed! I would have thought that someone unwilling to wear a mask on one day would be equally unwilling the next, and that someone who chose to wear a mask would likely be quite in favor of doing so consistently--but I saw this with my own eyes. The question becomes: "Why do they wear the mask?" I think it may have as much to do with appearances as with any concerns for personal safety. It's clearly, however, not required.

Those who habitually don the gear, and especially those who think it necessary to do so, will never know if those venues would just as readily accept someone of a different mindset unless they were confronted with the evidence directly. In other words, you do not know how the people in those venues would have reacted had you not been wearing your gear. Those of us who do not habitually put the symbols of paranoia on our faces or hands are in a better position to speak, from experience, about the reception that the OP will likely get in coming here again. While I have not been in Bangkok recently, or Hua Hin, I can say that masks are no longer required in any of the places I have been lately, which includes travels to about five provinces in the northern region. The stores and restaurants (you ever seen someone try to eat with a mask on?) happily welcome non-mask-wearing clients. If one but stops to think about it, the mask-wearing charade does appear a bit foolish when one enters a restaurant. After all, if covid were spreading like wildfire on account of not having one, then the restaurants should all be shut down instead of doing good business as they are these days.

If you have children together, there have been some updates to the requirements. You may be asked to show paternity certificates (not sure what they're called in English--but a birth certificate with the father's name is insufficient, it's another one they're requesting). If you have not yet known about this requirement, since it can take months to obtain such certificates, you may be given clemency for this first round--but you may have to beg for it. It may be that Bangkok is different, though, than where I am.

True. But, unfortunately, they think the doctors do.

I'm in north-central Thailand, not a tourist area. About half the people here go without masks outdoors. No one expresses any negativity regarding the fact that I am not wearing one. I walk into Makro and BigC without a mask, no problem--even though, in those places, it is very rare to go without. It's not mandatory, and they don't attempt to enforce it. Except when visiting a very sick friend in the hospital recently who is basically on life support, I haven't worn a mask in months (and I wore the mask there for my friend's comfort--not for my own protection). I've never been asked anywhere about the vaccine, but I haven't stayed in hotels or gone to any airports. I'm aware of unvaxxed friends who have traveled abroad and back, passing through quarantine upon their return, but that was before quarantines were lifted. I don't know what requirements might be in place now for the unvaxxed. Regarding covid--it's still spreading like the common flu around here. Everyone will eventually be exposed, no doubt. I've had it, but every time I'm around someone who's fresh with it, it seems that some of the sniffles recur (fortunately not much beyond that)--and it matters not whether one is wearing a mask or not, the contagion goes right through these paper masks.

This is so sad. It would be heartbreaking to think that your absence, as the husband and father-to-be, may have contributed to this tragedy on account of not being there for her. What a terrible loss!

Was he charged because the police saw the video clip, instead of catching him in the act? It appears that these police spend their time with social media online, then need to find something like this to justify their "effort." If indeed, as the linked article states, "there were no cars passing at that time," how could he be properly charged with "endangering vehicles and people under Highway Act of 1992..."? It looks like a case of tunnel vision--the tunnel being that created by the camera which filmed him. Had officers actually been present, it seems unlikely they would have acted against him.

Are these actually sewers, or are they "storm drains"? Either way, it's good to be forward-thinking and prepared for what is forecast to come.

It's my understanding that the first issuance of the DL will be for two years, perhaps even on a Non-O, but then, with the Non-O visa, it can be renewed for another five. That is, at least, what happened in my case, though I may have had the tourist visa the first time. Unfortunately, when I renewed my driver's license after having had it expired for many years, I lost its original CDL qualifications. Yes, I at one time had the license to drive 6- and 10-wheel trucks. I know of only one other foreigner to have had this license in Thailand--the man who got his license at the same time with me. But, that CDL was neither on a Non-O visa nor a tourist visa, and I am no longer on that original visa type (whether that had anything to do with it or not, I do not know).

If it's a fungal infection, as has been mentioned, antibiotics may work counter to what needs to be done. Bacteria, fungi, and molds all compete with each other, and killing one (bacteria, in this case) may make it easier for others (like fungi) to take over. I would wonder if what you have is actually yeast infection--which is something many women have but without significant symptoms. If so, it's quite similar to a fungal infection, and I would suspect that a hot shower would make it feel worse. You may prefer to keep things cooler down there. Yeasts feed on sugar--they absolutely love it. So one way to get ahead of it would be to reduce your consumption of sugars--down to zero, if possible--and keep your diet simple for awhile. This will also help to strengthen your immune system, so regardless of the cause, it can't hurt to take these simple measures. I would be curious if rubbing a little yogurt, for the bacteria, would do any good--but would hesitate suggesting it without you first doing a little research and/or consulting your doctor (who may never have even thought of doing such a thing). I know, if I were in your place, I might be willing to experiment a bit. No one would like to have such discomfort for very long. I have avoided antibiotic soaps and shampoos for many years, after realizing that they increased the risk of fungal infections--so that might be something to consider if it applies in your case. These days with all the alcohol craze, I have managed to avoid it 99.9% of the time--again, because I don't want to disrupt the natural flora of my skin. But I doubt you've been putting any of that down there.

This sort of thing is always a good indicator of inflation in progress. And is it ever a good solution to the real problem?

If he's spent time in Thailand before, we can hope he has a good headstart into learning the language and culture enough to appreciate the needs here. It is a challenging position to fill, no doubt. Best wishes for his transition to the unique world of Thailand.

Yes and no, er, sort of. I know of another law that says "six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work," and in this law there is no indication of any prohibition against work except for on that "seventh day." In fact, in another place, the Good Book says: "this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." I find it, therefore, quite an indicator of our human condition when we create obstructions to the basic requirements of life, which includes making oneself useful to society in order to survive. It's a shame that so many governments encourage a "welfare" state where people are expected to be supported without working, and where work may even become "against the law."

Good to see that students learn practical skills again. I suspect at least a few of them must be mulling the possibilities for flood prevention, and thinking of ways to avoid this cleanup work next time. Maybe in the future, when the students have become school directors, they will have sensible ideas for how to mitigate these problems--best considered before building a school, of course. Drainage and elevation should be simple places to start. Sandbagging might work for a school that is already built--provided they are placed before the floods arrive. It would be hard to imagine that the students walk away from this experience without learning something.

But the trees are already gone. It would take decades to grow them back.