orchidfan

I'm firmly against casinos.

My Thai wife is, given the chance, a fanatical gambler . 

Out of control with no thought of the consequences (fairly common here I've noticed !).

But every so often , the casino(s) let the occasional punter win ...or even the whole table, and the craving is renewed.

Win back what they've lost at any cost, usually resulting in any rare "winnings" all being given back.

Trippy might agree.

I draw only from my observations after 20yrs working in Hong Kong and many trips to Macau . ..for a couple of great restaurants , pretty girls of all nationalities , and a small flutter in one of the now dozens of the elaborate casinos . 

Yes, they may prevent some locals playing but we all know how rules,regulations and laws flip flop here.....or are totally ignored !

NO TO CASINOS !

Slightly off topic, but I started using 'Surfshark' VPN ( VPN (subscribed to one of their deals) some years ago for the above reasons . 

ISP is TOT (NT~TOT?). originally came with the house phone* line. * rarely used these days.

Then they installed fibre line free and new wireless router & modem.

Anyway , the VPN on notebook and android phone worked well for years....can get any website!

BUT recently,  Online banking  both here and whilst in Hong Kong does not allow me to use several functions ("secure line cannot be accessed ". .or something like that ) unless I Pause the VPN . then it connects normally . 

Banking security /privacy is one of the main advertised virtues of using a VPN . ..But it won't work.

Same with downloading updates to various apps like Wise systems and Registry cleaners.

Won't connect unless the VPN is paused !

Maybe I need to try a different VPN or are banks now wised up to VPNs and so  block some functions if using one ??

Any comments welcome (am 75, so keep it simple. started using computers back in the MS DOS days!)

On 6/29/2025 at 3:02 PM, Crossy said:

Interestingly, Pathum Thani immigration always did a home visit for marriage extensions, not just the first one. 

 

Then , last November, despite verifying Madam's phone number, no visit. We shall see what occurs this November, all bets are off.

 

The "Check Visa Status" Line thingy simply said visa approved, please collect. 

 

We use the Pathum Thani Immigration office too....for the lasts 15+yrs and, likewise always got the home visit every year.

But like you, last December , out of the blue......"no house visit this year"!!!!

Great, says my wife, 'don't have to arrange neighbors (many of whom work) and can get back to my own work faster !" 

Let's see what happens this Dec!

I came back from Hong Kong about a week ago to DMK (close to home, Swamy is a long taxi drive and B600+ fare).

My AIS roaming package had run out a few days before departure , so only had computer and WIFI . 

Completed the form online, but no way to get any email reply or QR code. 

Nice lady IO looked up from her screen when I said "no email, no QR code ", smiled and said "no problem, I know everything here".

So it seems from this and the other replies above, it was totally unnecessary to have either , so long as the form is filled in and submitted online  within their time frame.

On 5/17/2025 at 8:55 PM, ripstanley said:

Send it before 0830 Thai time and it will arrive the same day ,

Thanks.

I guess that my point in my posting this is that something has changed. At least for me!

After many dozens of transfers, which used to be almost instantaneous, they are now arriving the next day at 2.13pm, no matter when I send it!?!

Maybe it's the "personal expenses" reason which is drawing extra scrutiny.

It's no big deal.

Am not living 'hand to mouth ' in my 2 storey, 4br, 3 bathroom house in a gated Moo Baan located in Pathum Thani.

Just curious !

1 minute ago, thrilled said:

I use Schwab through wire. It’s easy

Thanks but my bank is in AUSTRALIA.

"Westpac"

13 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Send it a day earlier then. 555

Thamks. Very helpful. Normally a day earlier and my pension hasn't aderived in my Oz bank!

I have recently (this week) used WISE to transfer AUD, which I first deposit into my Wise AUD account.

In the past, over dozens of transfers.  it took seconds to be in my THB, Bangkok Bank account.

BUT, this week, without explanation,it is taking until 2..13pm (exactly each time) the next day to arrive!! WEIRD.

Have always used "Personal Expenses " as the reason.

So something has happened at the thai end, I'm assuming .

No changes to accounts, banks or reasons whatsoever  

So, for me anyway, the 1 minute transfers seem to have stopped !

6 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Still haven't gotten any warning from SCB bank, and my wife contacted True and they told her not to worry if the number was registered before a few years ago. The number is registered in my wife's name. Have had this sim/number on my phone for probably 7-8 years now. We got it as part of our True cable and internet package. I'm just going to wait it out, not worth stressing out over.

6 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Still haven't gotten any warning from SCB bank, and my wife contacted True and they told her not to worry if the number was registered before a few years ago. The number is registered in my wife's name. Have had this sim/number on my phone for probably 7-8 years now. We got it as part of our True cable and internet package. I'm just going to wait it out, not worth stressing out over.

I was in the same.position as you UNTIL BBL mobile App suddenly would not work on my "old" phone operating system. It now requires android 10 or above.

(Yes, can buy a new phone!)

** had been using this mobile number for about 15yrs, so known to many people and agencies (Immigration ,hospitals, airlines etc)

So, in the interim , I decided to 'install' BBL Internet banking (iBanking) and use that.....

The sim card /billing was all still in my wife's name.

So very nice BBL staff pointed.out that due to the new law, the sim card (and same number) must be in my name (as per my bank acc) or no go with the mobile app OR ibanking !

I did ask,pointlessly, why I had not recieved any notification to this effect from the bank?

Shrugged shoulders !

Luckily AIS shop is opposite this BBL Branch in Future Park.

So over I go.

After a long time they came up with a plan to clear any outstanding bill to that date, and pay them B100.

BUT, then the new bill would not show my name until the next billing cycle!

Finally it was agreed.that they (AIS)would issue the B100 receipt in my name and showing the original mobile sim card number.

Back over to BBL (no new queue number or waiting) who were satisfied and corrected their records and set up the ibanking!

All in all about 4hrs+ to complete.

Be warned!!!

18 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

 

Crazy to have so many people on first flight post some seemingly significant maintenance (reports a/c was grounded at Hua Hin for a couple of days before this flight).

 

I'm going for RH engine failure after take off, failure to pitch for / maintain min control speed, stall / spin to the right (into the dead engine) and not enough altitude to recover. In the video clip it looks like the rotation was stopped just before impact.

 

RIP.

 

I'm the last clip, just before vertical impact the RH engine appears to be turning? Definitely not feathered ?

Low altitude, no time to do anything really.

Horizontal stabilizer "appears" to be in full, nose up position?

Desperate final actions?

A good accident investigation team will piece it together quickly, given the wreckage and photos/videos.

Wonder what height abve the water he was?

Am guessinga few hundred feet? (100m?)

21 hours ago, bogozy said:

Uncooperative.

Why?

 

I think that the Swede saying Ya Ya Ya over and over was mistaken for being "uncooperative " 😅

4 minutes ago, connda said:

The Thai Meteorological Department issues statements regarding natural disasters like earthquakes.

"The TMD operates the Earthquake Observation Division, which is tasked with tracking seismic activity both domestically and internationally. This division uses a network of seismic stations to detect earthquakes and assess their potential impacts, such as tsunamis. For instance, after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the TMD significantly expanded its capabilities, including the development of a tsunami early warning system. This system integrates data from seismic networks, tide gauges, and tsunami buoys (like those deployed in the Andaman Sea and Indian Ocean) to issue timely alerts. The TMD collaborates with international partners, such as NOAA, to enhance its monitoring capacity, and it has installed over 130 tsunami warning towers along coastal areas to alert the public in multiple languages.

The legal basis for the TMD’s broader role comes from the Meteorological Service Act of 1952, which established it as the national authority for weather and related hazards under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. Post-2004, its responsibilities were further clarified and expanded through initiatives like the National Disaster Warning Center, established under the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2007, which works in tandem with the TMD to manage multi-hazard alerts. The TMD’s seismic network, while robust for tsunami detection, is less focused on inland earthquake prediction due to limitations in current science and infrastructure—Thailand lacks a comprehensive earthquake early warning system like those in Japan or California. Instead, it excels at aftershock monitoring and tsunami forecasting, leveraging tools like the EarthquakeTMD app and real-time updates on its website (tmd.go.th)."

And now you know!    

Thanks for that (google or Wikipedia I guess).

Still a misnomer.

Perhaps there should be a "Seismic and Natural Earthly Disasters" Department, dedicated and separated from the Met Dept.

"Jack of all trades, master of none ?

What has the Meteorological Dept got to do with earthquakes?

As if a meteorologist as any knowledge or training about earthquakes ! (Except feeling their effects like the rest of us)

....or perhaps access to early warning systems based on weather events.

No wonder my Thai neighbors were all out in the street staring up into the sky!!?!

7 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

The "drug" I take is a "party drug" sometimes, it is available at every street corner shop in Thailand,  it is called "a load of beer". 😄

Agreed, but after 60 years (not counting childhood) I've enjoyed copious volumes af the amber fluid, but now the quacks have warned me off ANY alcohol on the fear of death (heart, liver etc, the usual suspects ).

I'm just weighing up, at 75, is it worth the depravation for (possibly ) a couple more years alive ~ but not "living" !!

4 minutes ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

The problem here is you do not know iHerb exists online and you can buy as many as you want in Thailand. 

Thanks for that.

Yes I do know that iHerb exists, but my post was about WHY Thailand severely restricts the local sale of Melatonin (it appears that, from other posters, even some online suppliers will not handle it to Thailand )

I think someone partially answered this by saying that its deemed a "party rape" drug!!

Melatonin ??? Really ??

On 2/23/2025 at 10:46 AM, connda said:

Melatonin is a problem to obtain.  It can't be purchased at all on iHerb as the shipper refuses to ship it.  You can buy it on Lazada but the prices are ridiculous.  Can't find it at all on Shopee.  Tried LINE Shopping.  Bought some from a retailer who had multiple choices, and then I got a message indicating they are out of stock and they'll refund my money, which opens a whole other can of worms.  Won't do that again. My trust in LINE shopping went to zero.

I still purchase most of my supplements from iHerb but also purchase some from Lazada and Shopee as the break-even point after shipping from the US is about the same.  Unlike the OP, I'm not worried about "fake products" as my experience has been that the supplement products are genuine. 

Yes, what is it with melatonin in Thailand ??

My local pharmacy can only sell "strips" of 10 tabs!!

"That's all that we're allowed to sell in Thailand " says the lady..huh? Why ??

I go regularly to Hong Kong where I can buy (for example ) bottles of Jamieson brand Melatonin, 130 tabs, for about Thb400 equivalent.

No problems, no restrictions, purchase 5 bottles if I wish!!

So what's the problem here?

1 hour ago, Chongalulu said:

Very. How would Europeans only speaking their native language get on  communicating in say french, Spanish or German Vs English? Sinking in yet ..?

Google Translate.

I've noticed more and more recently its use by car mechanics, computer and mobile phone people, aircon repair guys....even in pharmacies etc.

EVERYONE (Thai) has a smart phone, either in their hand , or nearby.

Yes, maybe some elderly Westerners or Asia folk are not so equipped or up to speed.

7 hours ago, kwilco said:

You need to see how it's done in other countries.  I used to have to guage language levels and quite frankly I don't think most people know how to do it. Also langauge acquisition isn't necessarily carried out at school level, it is often after school age.

I also note that almost all Thai kids know the western alphabet which many other countries don't.

Yes but do they know the phonetic sound of the letters of the alphabet ?

Just knowing the names of the letters is useless when it comes to tackling an English word ...

...take CAT for example !

From my travels (and having lived in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong ) , most ex British colonies /territories have residual spoken English skills (in the case of the Philippines it was/is the long time American influence. )

I believe that if a (foreign) language is not used regularly it gets lost.

How many of us still remember our school boy French or Italian or Spanish ???

Where English is required, such as aviation, medicine, hospitality international business etc , it is usually quite proficient.

My Thai wife only learnt to speak English fairly well because, when she was young, she worked here in  the British Embassy for 10 years. 

Who it not going to tell our wives about this "new" development?

Mine is bad enough in Macao (bigger than Las Vegas).

Last year we went over for some excellent Portuguese food and ended up in Wynn's Casino.

She was dressed in a very sexy style with lots of breast showing.

She was a bit merry on the free wine they dish out and after a couple of 'lucky' wins on roulette ( $HK10000 for a $100 bet) things got jubilant, attracting quite a crowd (she had to lean over and stretch to place her chips, which got firm approval from the onlookers).

As the crowd grew and the cheering escalated, she continued an "amazing" winning streak.

i dragged her off when she had $70,000 in her (my) pocket.

As another poster mentioned they can, and do, let you win on such occasions.

9 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

 

Modern aircraft don't even have the capability to dump fuel

As I recall, Airbus don't, Boeing do.

10 hours ago, Moriarty said:

Someone probably missed the nose gear pin pre departure . Why not jettison fuel rather than fly around for 3 hours ? 😳

Agreed.

the 777 is equipped to jettison fuel inflight the achieve correct landing weight.

my guess is that they took a few hours trouble shooting the problem, communicating with their own home based maintenance team to try to sort it out before making a landing or continuing on.

On 1/6/2025 at 11:44 AM, Peterphuket said:

How about the Australian guy, Erwin was his name? Also playing with animals, died from a stingray's sting

Irwin....

It's all relative I guess, but Hong Kong's next Tuesday's Mark 6 lottery (drawn 3 times a week, not once or twice a month) first prize is ~THB566 million

$hkd10 per line of 6 numbers purchased.

And nobody EVER knows who the winner is !