Lacessit

Correct. We have one headline saying I can be fined, another saying there are no laws. No wonder the average farang doesn't know whether he is Arthur or Martha.

Creating backspin with irons is a matter of hitting down on the ball so it is squeezed between the clubface and the grass. The higher the swing speed, the easier that becomes. At my age, I'm more interested in creating topspin.

You must have exported your best genes to us, judging from the latest Ashes results. IIRC, the Yanks had to bail you out twice.

I had a partial denture done for me about 8 or 9 years ago by the head dentist at RAM Hospital in Chiang Mai, to replace lower molars on my LHS. She did a very good job, can't remember what it cost. Meticulous with the fitting operation, about 3 or 4 appointments. It's still chomping away on Pringles and cashew nuts quite happily. The dentist will be reshaping the front teeth to provide seating for the metal cage. This is what mine looks like.

My favorite Ben Hogan story: Hogan is playing in a pro-am with a big-wig corporate guy who is lacing the boot. Hogan hits a five iron from 185 yards out. His ball lands 20 feet past the pin, then backs up to a foot from the hole. Corporate guy: " Mr. Hogan, I would love to be able to get backspin on a ball like that". Hogan: "How far do you hit a five iron?". Corporate guy: " About 120 yards". Hogan: " Why the f$$$ do you want backspin?".

Sorry, those are the full monty. If I do break my age, I'll make a video which will explore each shot in the most excruciating and boring detail.

A disgruntled BMW owner? Think it was the early sixties, when the first Ford Falcon came out in Australia. One owner was so ticked off by the problems he had he invited the media onto his property, and asked them to film him burning the car. It made the front page on a couple of newspapers. Would never happen nowadays, too much advertising revenue at risk.

AFAIK ubonjoe is the most accurate source of information on visas.

I have yet to find a doctor here who has asked me to relate or document my previous medical history. My GP in Australia had comprehensive blood checks done once a year, which I still have done here via a pathology lab. I go back to him for feedback on the results.

I understand there are only two women in Chiang Mai that are qualified in karsai massage, so the answer is probably yes. In case you were wondering, the masseuse stayed fully clothed during the massage, wearing surgical gloves. It was an experiment, to satisfy my curiosity. I can't say it was a comfortable or enjoyable experience.

IMO there is only one brand of chainsaw - electric or petrol - that is worth considering. Stihl. They will last a very long time if maintained properly, and can handle tough conditions. I've never tried Husqvarna, they may be as good. Don't even think of buying Chinese, they are garbage. I bought a couple for my son, 24" blades. He cuts about 100 tonnes of firewood every year on his property. They broke down within weeks. Chasing a warranty claim was an exercise in futility, and there were no shops that had spare parts for them. I then bought him a Stihl Farm Boss, about 15 years ago. He's still using it.

Never been there. Madrid was enough, a place where all the motorists seem to have their hands superglued to their car horns, and it was impossible to get a meal before 10 pm at night. Thailand you eat whenever you want to, and sounding a car horn to the wrong person can get you shot. Having said that, bravo Rafa.

I do not understand. Anyone - Thai or farang - can travel freely within Thailand, e.g. Chiang Mai to Bangkok or vice versa. If they want to avoid the requirements of air travel, they can just get in a car. AFAIK there are no checks on their status - vaccinated, unvaccinated, infectious, whatever. Yet when vaccinated travelers come into Thailand, they have to jump through multiple COVID hoops. Is Thailand trying to kill off international tourism?

From your posts, we travel at different speeds. I'm doing 50 km/hr max, and that's on a divided road where I am traveling as far to the left as I can possibly get. What do I do? I start slowing down, simultaneously checking my rear vision mirrors.

They don't have to squeeze, they have plenty of room. Perhaps driving in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai is easier than in Bangkok. As I have never driven a scooter in Bangkok, I wouldn't know.

"I'm all right, Jack" is a 1959 film starring Peter Sellers, about corruption and ineptness in British industry. The expression is used to describe smug and selfish complacency.

I tried one in Chiang Mai, it's called a karsai massage. As far as I could tell, it did not do a damn thing for me.

IMO reflexes should have nothing to do with driving in Thailand. Mine are pretty slow at 0.35 seconds on a good day anyway. I rely on a combination of threat assessment, patience, and judgment. You need fast reflexes if you tailgate a car. If you sit well back of it, you don't. Patience comes in when I am approaching an intersection. I treat every other vehicle as if it has right of way over me, irrespective of where it is. Likewise, I am quite prepared to wait until there is no traffic in sight when making a U-turn. A big problem with Thai drivers is they are very indecisive. I can wait until they have decided. I'm also checking my rear mirrors constantly, because some threats are behind me. I'd agree there are some older bike riders that should give up driving, due to deteriorating eyesight, balance, and co-ordination. I don't think they should need to give up driving on the basis of their reaction times, as it is quite possible to make distancing adjustment to compensate. In other words, defensive driving.

My understanding is all Thai doctors in hospitals are specialists, the general practitioner is not present in Thai hospitals. Clinics maybe. I don't think there is a referral system. When I go to a private hospital, I may be asking to see a urologist, a dermatologist, or a radiologist. I am steered to them without an intermediary. I regard many Thai doctors as shills for the pharmaceutical industry. IMO they get paid for every pill they prescribe, which is why multiple prescriptions are issued for every ailment.

I'd suggest trying the cafes that are on the street facing the bus station in the middle of town. There is also a shop there that sells a wide range of herbal products. It's not a waterfall, but Phu Chi Fa about two hours drive on the Thoeng Road should not be missed. Need to be reasonably fit to get to the top. If you are driving up on the 118, Wat Sang Kaew Phothiyan between Wiang Pa Pao and Mae Suai is well worth visiting. Largest temple in Northern Thailand, bigger than the better known Wat Rong Khun. Has Hindu and Burmese influences. Can't help with the dry cleaning, AFAIK every laundry uses washing machines.

If one wants some light relief from the serious business of classical music, Victor Borge is always good fun.

Er - I think you'll find another person posted that list. Volvos used to have a reputation for indestructibility, that's long gone.

I would. I could afford a harem.

Any Chopin music. Rachmaninov Piano Concerto #2 Tchaikovsky Piano and Violin Concertos Mozart Mass in C minor Bruch Violin Concerto Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue Bach Christmas Oratorio Strauss Emperor waltz Beethoven Ode to Joy, Symphony 7 allegretto Elgar Nimrod Brahms Piano Concerto #2 Handel Largo from Xerxes Hauser Adagio Gremin's Aria Mascagni intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana Clark Prince of Denmark March Samson and Delilah, Mon Coeur s'ouvre a ta voix Scott Joplin Grieg Morning Mood Bach Kleine and Grosse Laura's aria from Casanova Rachmaninov - Vocalise Nabucco, Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves Ennio Morricone, modern classic

The auto industry is highly competitive. It doesn't matter what useful innovation developed by whom, it is usually copied by other brands within 6-12 months. The Japanese brands were garbage, until they imported ( ironically from America ) a quality expert called W. Edwards Deming. It was not long after that the Japanese imports started killing the US carmakers on build quality and fuel economy. Nowadays, the Koreans talk about those lazy Japanese. Your loyalty to the Benz brand is admirable. Here's another point of view, by an independent motoring journalist in Australia, John Cadogan. He refers to the Mercedes insignia as the three-pointed suppository. He has a large YouTube following around the world, a qualified engineer renowned for no BS. I won't post the links, they will probably be deleted. Instead, just go into YouTube and see how many videos he has posted on Mercedes by putting "John Cadogan Mercedes" in the search function. He has never been sued by Mercedes for defamation. That's because unlike Thailand, the truth is a valid defense in Australia.