Lacessit

I am too old for the effects of climate change to have any impact on me personally. Having said that, the stupidity of many in the human race is depressing in the way basic facts get shunted aside. I put climate deniers and Trump voters in the same basket.

I have regular checks for bladder cancer with Dr. Wittawat Rawiyotai at Bangkok Hospital in Chiang Mai. Speaks good English, answers all my questions. Does cystoscopies under local anesthesia, 18,000 baht. The last cystocopy I had was in November. He found an inflamed nodule which he biopsied, about 5000 baht extra. No issues with the biopsy. Apologies if that information is too late to be useful, I've only just seen the thread.

I understand you don't want to answer my questions, because you can't. Climate deniers use a number of arguments to justify their denial, yours is just one of the weaker ones. When there are 95% of scientists agreeing global warming and climate change are man-made, and only a small fraction of those scientists actually working in the field, it demonstrates that particular argument is as dumb as a can of soup. Look at the 5% of scientists who reject climate science if you want to know where the gravy train is.

Spare me from the day I have to use Grab or Food Panda. Even with restaurants in my neck of the woods I know are good, there is just no way of knowing how many other deliveries the driver will make before my food gets to me. Or if the driver is lumping hot and cold food in together. If there was truth in advertising, the boxes on the back of every scooter sporting the logos would be re-labelled petri dishes.

Indeed. Does your intellect include the ability to define the First and Second Law of Thermodynamics, without resorting to Google? Do you understand the terms albedo and clathrate, and their significance in climate science?

My GF cuts my hair once a fortnight. Among other things she does for me. Possibly the OP might think that is a bridge too far in terms of cost.

Being a scientist myself, I am wondering how you acquired the intellect to make such a sweeping generalisation.

I have never been particularly focused on material possessions. Mostly bought secondhand cars, new when I could afford them. Even then, I wanted good engineering and value for money, not what was deemed a cachet brand. It's probably a measure of my fashion sense that I have owned two suits in my entire life. IMO many people spend a lot of time trying to impress friends and neighbors, when they would be less driven and happier if they trod their own path. Even after retirement, I am always looking for new things to do. Currently making a series of kitchen videos for YouTube.

I would not change what I studied, science as a career for me was rewarding and enjoyable. If I had my time over, I daresay I would have paid much closer attention to Australian family law, and adjusted the time of my relationships with women accordingly.

I would have liked to have traveled on the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok, but that's not possible. My debit cards probably would not work anyway.

A pathology lab will do all the tests required for 2K -3K baht, and flag any results which are out of normal range. One can buy BP, pulse and blood oxygen monitors on lazada. The OP can then consult a doctor about what they should do. I'd suggest a PM to Sheryl to ask what tests are necessary in the OP's age group.

No

I am not scared of death. I am scared of dying slowly and painfully. So I have taken steps to ensure my exit is quick and painless.

Does tend to explain why the Thai road toll is so high. The neighbor driving for decades managed to survive without one, doesn't mean everyone does. I was very amused when I went for my motorbike license in Australia. At age 66, the oldest in the group by a long shot. I scraped through on the practical test, no surprise there as the young guys had much better reflexes and balance. Topped the class on the written test, which really teed off four young bucks who failed and were told to come back a month later.

Probably about the same time you became a comedian.

Makes me wonder how many unlicensed drivers there are. Driving without a license in Victoria, Australia. Minimum fine 35,000 baht and one month in jail if one has previously held a driving license. For someone with no previous license, 86,000 baht and 3 months in jail.

Perhaps it is like Immigration, different rules in different provinces. My facilitator seemed to be well known to the desk officials. Who you know, as well as what you know.

IIRC, the British invented concentration camps before the Germans, and did their level best to exterminate Australian Aborigines. As another Brit poster has said, they did not get to rule the world by being nice.

Good for her, and to hell with the prudes. There's far more flesh on display at any go-go bar in Bangkok or Pattaya.

I do my own visa extensions and vehicle registrations. There are some things where I prefer to be lazy. In Chiang Rai. PM if you are serious.

IME working for a number of companies for 50 years, morality did not exist in any of them. And those were Western companies, not Thai. Statistically, I would say the probability of finding morality in any company on earth would be the same as finding compassion in Putin.

No.

While having my scooter serviced, I realized the Thai driving license had actually expired about six months ago. Same went for my car driving license. I had been driving on expired licenses for that long. In my condo, there is a Thai woman who facilitates official stuff. She got my Thai pink ID card for me previously. She said she could fix it for 500 baht, and did the usual pages of paperwork for me. 10 minutes at the DLT to identify what red, green and yellow traffic lights are. I resisted the temptation to say many don't seem to look at them. Nobody batted an eyelid about two licenses being expired for six months. Two brand-new driving licenses, 5 years. 1700 baht, including her 500 baht commission. Cheap at twice the price. In Australia, they probably would have been bringing out the handcuffs, and/or disqualifying me from driving.

Let's accept there are 1 million Australians living overseas. How many of those are retirees, and how many of those are drawing a full or part pension? Let's say there are 150,000 retirees living overseas who are drawing the full age pension. The tax clawed back would be $7224, or a bit over 1 billion. Certainly not the billions in savings you are claiming. The part-pensioners like me will make damn sure their income-earning assets go elsewhere. The ATO can't have it both ways, someone who is non-resident and gets income elsewhere can't be taxed on that income. Frankly, I think you enjoy scaremongering and being negative. On ignore now.

You have some realistic links to the number of expats world wide, or are the billions of dollars simply pulled out of one of your body orifices? Permit me to doubt the amount of money saved would be worth the effort or grief. You seem to forget those pensioners forced to return to Australia would be very vocal about the change in their circumstances. Both major parties are acutely concerned about the rise of independents, as witness Abbott getting booted out of his seat. An issue like that would be meat and drink to them. I also doubt if a Labor government would make such changes, they are not skinflints with welfare spending. Scotty from Marketing has worn out his welcome, he's a leader like I am a neurosurgeon. I have a plan B. Tax my part pension, because every other asset I have earning income in Australia would be removed from the grasp of the ATO.