Lacessit

I wasn't. You are not quoting the passage in your post which said: "Could be 'cause they haven't lived long enough to become jaded with life, cynical and bitter." I'll leave it at that as well.

Given you are the guy who also likes putting sad icons on some of my posts, I can ignore that childish post. Just like I am ignoring you, goodbye.

Thai cheese is horrible, just like Thai wine. It's like eating plasticine. They really need to import oenologists and cheese artisans to learn how to make both properly, but I suppose face gets in the way. I buy Gouda imported from Holland. I pine for the days when I could eat a Top Paddock craft cheese made by an Austrian guy who emigrated to Australia. He was an artist with cheeses.

True enough, but they are running out of places to go. The French have just seized one of the super yachts belonging to one oligarch, and there are more sheltering in the Maldives. Not much point to being obscenely wealthy if you are confined to Russia.

No argument from me, I was in a marriage with a very jealous wife. I now realize duty, fidelity and responsibility only work if it is mutual obligation. Nowadays, I have discarded those concepts, and the only ethical constructs I stick to are fairness, and avoidance of hurting anybody.

You may be right, and I have over-reacted. I understand TBL is not in a good place, perhaps that colored my view of his response.

I doubt Thais learn basic maths, my Thai GF is amazed I can add up numbers in my head. Having said that, they certainly know the difference between the various baht denominations.

I'd suggest there may be an ulterior motive for the agent to be guiding your friend down this path. When I got my retirement visa in Thailand, it was non-O after a tourist visa. Facilitated by an agent. I can't see why the rules would change, PM ubon joe for a definitive answer. If the agent sticks to their guns, perhaps it is time to change agents.

You are wasting your time trying to scare them off, there are hundreds of them and only one of you. They are around in your area because either (a) people are feeding them or (b) it's a good nesting site. Which probably would be inaccessible. I don't know if there are any falconers in Chiang Mai, IMO that's the only way to get them to go. As you are renting, move to a condo that does not have them.

If I close the fuse board switches when the aircons are idle, and only open them when they are to be used, they start OK. Leave the switches on, they won't. It apparently takes a few hours for the extra charge to bleed off. That was how it was explained to me by the Thai aircon guy we called the first time they refused to start.

OP, go and buy a bag of baking soda at your local supermarket. 20 baht, it will last for months. Dissolve one teaspoon in a glass of water, and skoll it down. You will get the same burping effect as a glass of beer, and your kidneys and liver will rejoice. If anyone asks, you can always say it is a Stroh's.

Extreme LHS of keyboard has a key labelled Ctrl, try keeping that depressed.

If they are packaged as one item, they count as one. That was what I was told by an ALDI employee when I enquired. Cracker was always good fun, thanks.

IME Mitsubishi make the most reliable aircons. One in my Australian house was over 20 years old. The Panasonics I have here work OK, but they do have to be turned off at the fuse box if left idle, otherwise they have a problem with too much charge in the starting capacitor.

Vegemite has plenty of salt in it - aka sodium chloride. Chlorine is a corrosive and poisonous gas that was employed by the Germans during World War I, and is still used for disinfection of swimming pools.

There are a lot of fad diets out there, high carb, low carb, high protein etc. List as long as my arm. Inuits eat a diet mostly of meat and fat, with a few berries and seaweed thrown in. They are genetically adapted to do so. IMO the Thai diet is healthy, a small amount of protein, unsaturated oils, vegetables and rice. As long as I can stop them throwing in MSG and sugar. The ultimate zero-calorie diet is celery and bamboo. Not fond of celery, but I do enjoy bamboo and chili. During the U-boat blockade of Britain in World War II, a British dietitian was tasked with finding a diet on which Britons could survive without any long term health effects, and was simple. She concluded wholemeal bread, lightly cooked cabbage and potato were the only foods required to supply enough nutrients, meat was unnecessary. Somewhat boring, though.

Marmite is beef extract, maybe that adds to the import cost, due to Thai quarantine law on anything with meat in it. The Tesco version at that price could be where all the sick buffaloes end up. There's no such excuse for Vegemite, which is spent yeast formulated to be addictive to all Australians. Americans react as if they have been poisoned. My son sends me a shipment of Vegemite from Australia about every six months, even with the postage it is less than half the cost of the supermarkets here.

I've tried buying food online from Bangkok. The problems are an unwieldy payment system, I have to go to my bank. Second is delivery, it's unpredictable, which is not good news for perishables, although I will say any bacteria or virus would be slaughtered trying to get near this comestible. The odor is unmistakable. Why would they want to go online when they are selling it nearly as fast as they can make it? There's a glassed-in counter that fronts the shop, it usually has about 50 kg in it, and they add to it all the time in 5kg bowls. I'm inferring from the Bangkok plates and the quantities purchased the buyers intend to take the sai ua back to Bangkok, I may be wrong in that inference. All I can tell you is what I see.

It certainly seemed that way to me, perhaps you could think before you post.

Because it is 40% alcohol.

Way back when, I remember a guy in Port Hedland whose standard dinner was steak, potatoes and lashings of butter on the potatoes. Nothing else. Every day. Judging from his complexion, I'd say he was not long for this world.

There's a shop near the clock tower in Chiang Rai that sells sai ua, the Northern Thai herbal sausage. People drive up from Bangkok to load up with kilos of the stuff, there's usually at least one Merc, Beemer or minivan with Bangkok plates parked outside when I buy mine. The example has been set for you. Haas avocados and McVities digestive biscuits? You remind me of a mate here who won't eat spaghetti or yoghurt, fussy eaters.

I use underarm deodorant, I wish some expats could do the same. I won't specify nationalities. IMO it would be easy to spot the ones using aftershave. They are the ones keeling over after they have put their masks on.

I'm lazy, I buy Pringles.

Strawberries and avocados are in season in Chiang Rai as I write, in the local market and on the street stalls. 80 baht a punnet, 50 baht a kilo respectively. Very tasty. I buy fruit and vegetables in season, when the prices come down. I can't remember the last time I bought them in a supermarket, way more expensive and no better in quality.