Lacessit

I have never been on Facebook. If Mark Zuckerberg wants my data to sell to others, he can pay me for it first. I simply don't understand why people are obsessed with the social platform. I suppose they could say I don't know what I am missing; however, I don't seem to feel any aching void that needs filling. I am damn sure nobody I know or don't know wants a photo of my last breakfast, or when I had my last dump. Same with Twitter, from the incoherent tweets I observe being quoted, I fear participation would automatically drag my IQ down 42 points.

IMO you have it a**backwards. Good health results from good genes, or a disciplined approach. I don't know if there is any data to support the proposition good health creates good genes. My parents both lived to age 83, despite doing their best to kill themselves with cigarettes and alcohol for most of their lives. I gave up smoking in 1983, and have never been a prolific drinker. Nowadays, it's one Sangsom and Coke once or twice a week. Maybe one glass of red wine once a month. I don't know if I will live longer than they did. I do know I am more physically and mentally fit than they ever were, so I'll just have to wait and see. Bad genes do not necessarily mean one is going to die young, it just means the person would be well advised to be aware of said gene, and tailor their diet and exercise patterns accordingly. I had a friend who thought he was going to live into his 90's, because all his relatives were living that long. Melanoma got him at age 72, presumably he did not take adequate precautions against sun damage. He did have northern European ancestry, noted for being particularly vulnerable to skin cancers.

AFAIK the US is not invading anyone, Russia is. Do try to keep up.

Yes. When I lived in a condo in CM, the staff would copy stuff for me. IIRC, 2 baht per page.

Legality does not seem to be an issue to the Thais I see driving them.

I have a joint account with my Thai GF. It has 200K baht in it. That is sufficient for her to live on for two years. Probate on Thai wills usually takes about 6 months. I would dial the amount back to 1 million baht, as that amount of deposit is guaranteed.

There used to be an internet shop in the small cluster of shops next to Thapae Gate, don't know if it is still there. It had copiers for customers if one wanted to print a document from a USB. Any condo in Chiang Mai will have a photocopier.

IMO the days of people buying condos cheaply and selling them for a handsome profit 5-10 years later are over, there is an oversupply now. Some of the new condos have been built with toad <deleted>, rice paper and sealing wax, people buying those will be taking a bath later as they start falling apart. There may be value in buying locations where new transport hubs are being developed, e.g. the fast train from Laos,or the rail link to Chiang Rai.

A lot of people would be financially better off without the English. They did not get to build the British Empire by being nice to others.

It would be interesting to get real data on how much is contributed to the Thai economy by 2-week tourist Hooray Henrys, and how much is contributed by retirees like me who are supporting Thai families. Give me a break here. Somebody who wants to go on a binge can drink from 5 pm to 2 am. If nine hours of boozing is not enough, said person is heading for DT.

The Scots make whisky, the English and other countries drink it.

Comparing Scots with Thais is nonsense, entirely different genetic inheritances. The Scots have a fair amount of Scandinavian genes in their makeup, enabling them to detoxify alcohol faster. Your post omitted to mention clubs and bars in Scotland close at 2 am, not the 4 am that is being opposed here. It also omitted any factual link to support the statement the level of drunkenness went down. People need an extra 2 hours to get legless? How pathetic is that?

Agree. There are people in my condo who come in drunk as lords at 2 am, along with noise. 4 am would be even worse. An extra 2 hours of ingesting alcohol means even more impairment of driving ability, as any police officer doing traffic duty will tell you. How much public transport is there at 4 am? The three factors in the vast majority of road accidents are speed, alcohol, and fatigue. Extending hours means at least two out of three, contrary to Meat Loaf's ( RIP ) assertion, that is bad.

You are allowed up to 80,000 baht of personal effects duty-free entering Thailand, I don't know where gold fits in the classification of "personal effects." Leaving Thailand, as much as you can carry undetected. One can sell gold anywhere. Thai gold would be discounted in price in most other countries, as it is 96.5%, compared to 99.9% for gold bullion.

You like lotteries? Welcome to aged care in Oz. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-26/aged-care-food-and-government-funding-concerns/101692350

IMO everyone is good at something, some people just never get to find out what it is. I sometimes wonder if the process of dying for some, is when the number of aches and pains, and their severity, overwhelm any respite.

In Australia, I would use paywave aka touch and go almost 100% in the 'burbs. Somewhere like Nymagee or Cobar, I might need cash, but most businesses even there will be equipped for debit cards. The cashless trend in Thailand seems to favor phones over a touch and go system, which I daresay is much easier to use. However, as long as day markets still exist in Thailand in the rural areas, IMO there will always be cash.

Good point, at my age I find oral sex is much easier for me than full-on humpy -rumpy.

About four years ago, I thought I was having a heart attack. It turned out to be gall bladder sludge in the bile duct, referred pain to my stomach. Resolved with 5 mg of Endone. Ultrasound did not indicate the presence of gallstones. In the OP's case, I suppose it depends on whether he has gallstones, and their size. To reduce the demands on my gall bladder, I avoid fats, and opt for cheese and yoghurt as more digestible.

IMO the silver price is well out of kilter with the gold price, which is why I keep adding to my holding when I can. I am anticipating a considerable increase over the next 1-2 years. I have a dumbphone and a smartphone. I use the former as you do, for texts and calls. I use the smartphone for taking photos and videos, reading books, and playing music via Bluetooth to earbuds. I also use it for talking visually with my family via LINE and DUO. It has an Australian SIM card for the occasions I am in Australia. It also serves as a diary of appointments, and a calculator. I do not use it as a payment device, for security reasons. Cash and a debit card is all I want or need.

I see no reason to pull the plug if I continue to have quality of life. In more enlightened countries, assisted dying is an option. Sometimes we don't get the option, e.g. someone who has a stroke. The best I can do ( 79 yo ) is work on my physical and mental health in a disciplined way.

Strictly speaking, these are therapies, not medications. The problem with many medications is an organo-chlorine complex tucked away somewhere in the chemical formula. Organo-chlorines love accumulating in body fat. Just ask anyone who was exposed to Agent Orange. Combining exposure to imbibed alcohol and inhaled chlorinated solvents is usually fatal, as it destroys the liver and kidneys.

Any number of electric knife sharpeners on Lazada, no talent needed. Or acquire talent by watching YouTube videos.

Actually, I have found I am better off without modern medicines unless absolutely necessary. Many are quite toxic to the kidneys and liver.

I still set myself targets, whether it is learning to read and write Thai, or breaking my age at golf. Creating new dishes in the kitchen. Omphaloskepsis is not for me, I might cark it tomorrow, or be on deck for another 10 years. No point to worrying about it.