London Lowf

I spend months at a time on Phuket and I do not recognise the place in this article.

I've just replaced an Acer Aspire 15 that just about made it to three years before it randomly started losing it's mind and was beyond help by my local repair shop - I understand that is the expected lifespan of a laptop these days.

I had a closer look at Tiger last night - it's only been closed a few days and the ground floor is already a bomb site. The photo is of the former bar area.

I've been on Phuket since June 1st but haven't posted here as the goings on around Patong are very well documented by Xylophone and others. However, a couple of things...... This is my first low season visit and I love it - busy enough around Patong but without the crazy traffic apart from each end of Bangla of course! What does confuse me is that I am still parking my scooter as far along beach road as I did in high season! Is that because that is where all of the staff park now that Sansabai is (I believe) off-limits? But, my main reason for coming on this thread is a bit of a bombshell - Tiger seems to have closed and looks like it is being gutted. I seem to remember pre-Covid reading that there are plans to redevelop it into an hotel or shopping centre? Time will tell......

Have a heart - you're far too large for the average Thai bargirl/freelancer. But, to answer your question, I buy my 65mm from Lazada!

Guilty during the daytime, but thankfully innocent of all of your other crimes. (My "yoof" style crash helmet would give you sleepless nights!)

I've been into two official Honda dealers on Phuket this week that have an ADV150 "Captain America" in stock - first dealer B110,000, second dealer B120,000.

Good point, although I've never seen a dealer without a workshop attached.

Irrespective of the town, I would imagine that the safest place would be an official Honda or Yamaha dealer - I certainly wouldn't buy one online. Do your research, decide which one you want and check the list price on the manufacturer website (and/or any prtomotions) and then go and visit a dealer (or dealers if there is more than one in town) for a chat.

Agreed. It sounds like you are putting far too much effort into your search and maybe coming across as needy and/or desperate. Just being in the right place at the right time is how I've met my previous long-term relationships but I do not think that the internet is a good hunting ground apart from gold diggers and freelancers.

I had to search for that joke - very apt!

I'm not an expert on firearms, but surely a bullet will be rendered far less lethal by travelling through a laminated car windshield - borne out by the fact that the victim wasn't even immobilised after being hit several times! I think that this was an amateur attempt.

I've done four or five extensions over the years and used all three offices on Phuket, the latest in February 2023. I've NEVER been asked for a TM30 and assumed that the IO simply looks it up on their computer as my hotel/landlord has declared me online.

Because it is obvious that it is a credit card, not a bank account.

A thought. You say you will phone international - do they already know that you are a non-UK resident? Bear in mind that you lose the index-linking once they find out, and that was worth over 10% this April!

Is the account number "00000000"? My Halifax card is with the card # as the reference, and maybe that would ring the alarm bells at DWP. When you call, make sure that your phone is fully charged! I phoned them earlier today, but not the international section.

Bank accounts your pension can be paid into Your State Pension can be paid into: a bank in the country you’re living in a bank or building society in the UK An interesting idea but, looking at the above, I'm not sure it will work. Let us know how you get on.

It would seem that many ride uninsured and then beg on the interrnet when the brown stuff hits the fan. It's difficult to get insured up to 125cc and virtually impossible to get cover over 125cc from a mainstream insurer. And by the way, most scooters have gradually been inflated over the years and are now at 155 or even 160cc - e.g. Nmax, Click, PCX.

I've flown LHR-BKK-HKT (and back) about ten times over the last few years and always with Thai. Apart from the Sandbox flight they have aleways been 100% full. I find it easy to believe that all of their long-haul flights would be similar. "Billions" of Baht makes my head spin, but this sounds like a pretty successful business.

There must be 30 aircraft parked up on the tarmac at Swampy with their graphics slowly fading in the sunshine - are these part of "the fleet"?

Incorrect - my last trip was from 15th Jan to 29th Mar this year and that was the only ticket that I provided for my e-Visa. I had also done a similar long trip just as Thailand re-opened after Covid. No problems boarding, arriving, obtaining extension or departing. I always travel Thai Aiorways and I suspect that Air Canada check-in do not understand how Thailand works?

OP - can you not simply apply for a 60-day tourist e-visa (no insurance required) and then get a 30-day extension in Thailand in the final week or two? That's what I've done several times over the last few years. You mention marriage so if you want to move onto that extension, can't you apply for a non-O when in Thailand? Also, no insurance required if you do it that way. Maybe I'm missing something, but that seems the easiest way to proceed. The posts about dummy images for irrelevant questions is helpful.

I've never been married and these days I won't even do a LT - I enjoy Dutch ovens but I'm far too considerate to subject anyone else to them.

In ten years time it seems that there will be very little need for human labour - or brainpower nfor that matter. I'll be popping off around then so I don't really care.

My local Big C put (very helpful) English translations on all of the shelf labels - not sure about Lotus's, but 7-11 don't bother to do that.