Lacessit

The devil is in the detail. Permit me to doubt there are many Thais who would have the necessary knowledge to be a competent executor.

I'm wondering how much silicone went into the frontispiece.

There are different levels of caregiving for the unattached male or female. Every year, nurses from government hospitals are compulsorily retired at age 45. The pension they get is meager, quite a few then take up caregiving, and are quite happy with 10-15K baht/month. I understand there is an aged care facility south of Chiang Mai charging 45,000 baht/month for 24/7 care, which would be doable for most Western pensioners. North of Chiang Mai, there is a Swiss-affiliated aged-care facility that costs 90,000 baht/month. I should imagine that is gold standard in terms of what residents get. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on your statement you are not yet overly demented.

You can make your own will, certainly. Whether it will stand up in court or on the probate trail is a different question.

I understand the British used condoms during the Gulf War to protect the bores of their firearms from desert grit. AFAIK the only weapons monks carry are attached to them.

I know there are some guys on this forum that claim their wives support them, and provide sex on a daily basis, because the guys are so hansum. I treat those claims with the same seriousness I accord to a politician's promises during an election campaign.

No such thing as free love, there is always a cost to be paid by someone. Not necessarily in cash. "Lord, give me chastity and self-control - but not yet."

https://www.statista.com/statistics/326707/bitcoin-price-index/ https://www.gold.co.uk/gold-price/10-year-gold-price/ Between 2021 and 2022, gold lost 20% of its value, which it has now recovered. In the same period, bitcoin lost 50% of its value, which it has not recovered. Draw your own conclusions.

I am not a hippie myself, I predate them. There does seem to be a few in my condo. Caftans, sandals, long thinning hair and straggly beards. For non-conformists, they do look very much alike.

The Swiss franc usually appreciates in times of crisis. However, currency speculation is a lottery. Gold has always been a safe haven. Governments resort to the printing presses far too easily nowadays. Property is usually an appreciating asset, but it's a young person's game. It sometimes takes decades for property to really rise in value.

Good one. However, IMO farangs are preferred because they tip more. I have never seen a Thai tip more than the bare minimum. Don't know about the Japanese and Koreans..

The soap is used in the bath to ensure one is clean, and to engage in a bit of water sports. The soap is rinsed off as one exits the bath. After all, if a woman is licking a man in places that cannot be mentioned in a family-oriented forum, she would prefer the next thing to godliness. While there is the occasional inflatable mattress, they mostly go unused, as the beds are raised and more appropriate for the occasion. I do know of one guy who slipped and hit his head while in a soapy massage establishment, so it behooves one to be careful. IIRC, the OP has previously posted he is sworn to celibacy. Perhaps the strain of reading lascivious posts on ASEAN is getting to be too much for him.

Perhaps the donors know more about the monks than the monks care to admit.

I look at it another way. Having a bad day on the golf course, combined with a butt-ugly caddie, is going to be depressing. At least with a pretty one, I can forget about how I butchered the eighth hole.

The way the Thai education system focuses on obedience and rote learning, with zero questioning of authority, permit me to doubt Thai kids can achieve the claimed IQ improvement. The children of affluent Chinese and Indians flock to Western colleges and universities, that's no accident. Haven't heard of Thailand following suit, the main export seems to be massage girls.

Celtic genes, probably. They have the highest incidence of melanoma in the world. Australia runs second.

It does pay to shop around. I've had two warts removed from my head, no comments about the one on my shoulders, please. The first was in Chiang Mai at a well-known private hospital, 9000 baht, although that did include pathology. The second was at a skin clinic in Chiang Rai, 500 baht.

Surprisingly, the burning season this year has been very muted, possibly due to unseasonal rains. I don't think the API in Chiang Rai got above 80, the year before it was up to 500. I just crank up the aircon and two air purifiers, and pay an extra 300 baht/ month on my electricity bill.

Alas, age and the medication I take to ward off age reduce my libido. The desire is still there, the capability is not. What pandemic? There's still lots of totty about in Thailand, it's a matter of knowing where to look.

I don't really care, the male reaction is not-so-well hidden envy. My only regret with Thailand is I did not come here sooner.

Love the analogy.

I did not know there were any charming women left in Western countries, most seem to have the disposition of pit vipers. The fangs are on full display when it becomes known I have a Thai GF 23 years younger than me.

It's age dependent, 20 years ago I would have liked to live in a spacious beach condo with an abundant supply of beautiful Thai women who wanted to share my bed for some consideration. Nowadays, Chiang Rai with one GF is all I need.

One has only to read the evidence and findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care to understand Australia is no country for old men and old women alike. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-11/pensioner-says-she-is-unable-to-bear-the-cost-of-living/101053866 My aged care system in Thailand consists of my Thai GF and her family, who have good reasons to keep me alive and healthy for as long as possible. Certainly, I have to pay for medical care here. That's why, like another poster, I have pooled the money I have saved, from not buying dubious insurance, into an emergency fund. I can choose to live in Australia with almost free medical care, carefully budgeting a pension while living in a caravan park, eating noodles garnished with the occasional sardine, and keeping myself warm or cool with electricity bills the size of a high roller pot. I can also express my opinion of politicians at the ballot box, be still my heart. Or I can live in Thailand very comfortably, eat well, have regular massages, play golf, swim etc. etc. I have no financial worries here. The choice is quite obvious to me.

Er - golf courses are places where I can enjoy myself, hospitals are places where they hurt me.