persimmon

I always admire the Thai ability to keep smiling despite adversity . We have a lady who works for us , still laughing and joking with the gf , even after a full day in the baking heat ( 39 degrees here ) . Sometimes I watch Thai Rat News Show where the police re-enact a crime with the culprit , both parties seem cheerful , despite the crim facing a long stretch behind bars . Last week on the Muay Thai channel ( 27 ) there was a match between a huge , mean looking Farang and a Thai fighter who seemed happy and smiling . The Farang guy only lasted a couple of rounds before before retiring with a smashed face . So , the Thai smile , can be so deceptive ...

I have Norton VPN ( free with Norton 360 ) . Tried it a month ago and it was ok , now it doesn`t work - I get the message " Your network provider is blocking VPN access " . Is this common in Thailand ?

We are often told to avoid eating too much salt , but how much is too much ? Here , I probably drink 2-3 times the amount of water that I do when back in the UK - does that mean I need 2-3 X the amount of salt ? A few years back I spent one very hot afternoon by the river in Kanchanaburi . I must have drunk 2 or 3 bottles of water , and remember feeling slightly odd ( more than usual ????) which I put down to too little salt ( and too much water ) . So , salt , is it something you worry about ?

Some very small shops and traders find it difficult when faced with a 1000 note . I usually go to a 7-11 to break a new 1000 - never a problem there .

Even the smaller hotels now ask for pp when checking in , and also when booking a long distance bus trip . I let them have a photo , not the real thing - always been accepted .

In " Who has to file " - no. 4 " A deceased " ....that could be difficult to enforce ????

Yes , I went straight to the office / building sliding window and said " Visa on arrival " . I didn`t see anyone sitting at a desk outside , but I was there quite early , around 08.30 .

Yes , AFAICR , I asked at the window for " Visa on arrival " and was given the 2 forms , one of which was kept and used when exiting . I filled in the forms , handed them back at the window and paid the $ , then was told to wait round the side . 5 mins later , they gave me back my pp with the visa inside . Then , I just walked through and there was a guy who finally checked my pp , then I was in . I recently had to extend my VEE at Udon . There they charge an extra 100 bt for filling in the TM 7 form for you ( the forms used to be available at the entrance to fill in yourself ) , so maybe the Laos immig. people are now doing something similar .

Well , my old Samsung phone has now slowed down so much it`s almost useless ( Am I being cynical , or is this a way manufacturers are building in obsolescence to make us buy new phones ? ) . I checked out a few options and the Galaxy A 04 s and A13 / 14 fit the bill and seem quite a bit cheaper here than in the UK . So , is there any down side to buying here - I need an english keyboard and use it in the UK linked to the laptop as a modem , or should I wait `till i`m back in the UK ?

One advantage of having a SIPP is that it can be passed on free of UK IHT . If the beneficiary is UK resident , they pay tax on any withdrawals at their personal rate . But , if the beneficiary is Thai , in theory , they could inherit the lump sum tax free . In practice though , the situation seems very unclear as to whether the UK pension provider will decide to take off the max amount of tax due ( 40 % ) just to be on the safe side and not annoy HMRC . I`ve done a bit of research , but can`t find a clear answer to this .

I did the trip across the bridge 3 weeks ago - just filled in the 2 forms and paid the $ 40 , no B 100 fee .

I think you might need the Laos visa before you get on the bus . Maybe easier to get the minibus from in front of Central , Udon to the bridge and apply for the Laos visa on arrival at the counter .

Maybe , but who is exploiting who ?????

Frustrating that Krungthai no longer allow web access . I`m thinking of opening an account with another bank . Which is the best one to go for ?

Cheaper to pay in $ than Baht . Just check that the $ bills are in good condition - they sometimes reject damaged or marked notes .

If you tick the box for pre-existing medical condition , it cuts down the choice and makes the quotes much more expensive . It might make insurance impossible to get if the condition is not fully diagnosed .

Hi , I have an AIS PAYG SIM and wifi where I stay . What`s the best way to call abroad ( to a landline ) ? I have the Line app , but AFAIK this only works to call other Line users .

Here`s an interesting thought re. travel insurance - if the insurance co . find out you have a medical condition ( nothing serious ) that you did not disclose when taking out the policy , could they refuse to pay a claim , even if the medical condition had nothing to do with the claim ?

Taxi drivers at Udon airport seem to ask 200 bt to Central . It should be possible to do Udon ---> border , cross into Laos , cross back , then NK ---> Udon in one day . Total cost ...200 + 55 + c. 1400 ( or $ 40 for visa ) + 60 ( bus across bridge x 2 ) + 55 = a grand total of 1800 bt . ( plus maybe 30 bt for snacks / drinks ) .

Many of the presenters on TV wear masks . Makes me laugh - do they think the virus can spread to the viewers out of the TV screen ?

It`s amazing how Thais love their dogs ( and other animals ) - it`s one of the features I find very endearing . When taken to extremes , though , it makes no sense at all . I`m not a dog lover , the reason being that they ( mostly ) are large , powerful carnivores that could easily kill or inflict serious injury , if they wanted too . Why keep an animal like that as a pet ?

Yes , I had to fill in the TM 6 form . The IO asked if I had a visa ( I didn`t ) then gave me a 45 day stamp .

I just did this trip 2 days ago . The minibus from the carpark in front of Central Udon is only 55 Bt and takes about 1 hr . It stops at the bridge checkpoint , the rail station and then NK bus station . I think they run every 30 mins I exited Thailand at around 8 am , caught the bus for the 5 min ride to the Laos immigration control , fill in the 2 forms , pay the $ 40 and then walk into Laos . There`s not much to see once you get through , just a big car park and a small shop , so I left and crossed back into Th . No queues , no hassle , everyone seemed polite + friendly . Overall the whole process took around 1 hr .

Would installing anti-virus like Norton make the average Android phone more secure ?

Saw this on Thai Rat news show last night ( the only thing worth watching - ch 32 , has some weird news stories , mostly including cctv ) looks to be 2 ladies in a massage place having a slight disagreement .