Lacessit

Americans do some things very well, in others most Australians think they are bats##t crazy. As do many other nations. I suppose we do admire the American ability to maintain the greenback as the world's reserve currency, when the US debt level is reaching to the moon. A triumph of marketing, advertising, or public relations. As someone who last owed anybody money back in 1974, it's quite bewildering. The Australian aphorism is BS baffles brains.

You have dogs that speak English? What a pity the only circuses in Thailand reside in government.

My Thai GF speaks to me in English, I speak to her in Thai. She has not said she wants me to use English. It's not essential to be able to speak Thai to professionals such as dentists and doctors, IME they speak better English than I do Thai. OTOH, if I had a car breakdown in the boondocks, or a cardiac arrest on the golf course, I should imagine being able to speak Thai to someone with zero English would be very useful. Can't say endearing myself to the locals was an objective of mine, although they appear to enjoy some of the lame jokes I make.

For me, the problem with COD is I have to be around to receive the goods, with prepayment I don't. I don't buy expensive stuff on Lazada, I think the most I have paid is 1200 baht. Only had one problem with a seller, which they rectified without Lazada input. If I am buying more expensive things, I want to see a brick and mortar shop behind the sale.

Another Trump bankruptcy, what a surprise.

It depends on where the seller is located. I always look at that, if they are outside Thailand I go no further.

Too old to be bothered now, but I do have fond memories of some really hot women in Chiang Mai.. Dark skin, white skin, tall and slim, short and solid, tiny. If they were pretending, they did it very well.

Agree. In secondary college, I learned Latin, French, and German. The last was by far the easiest to comprehend. Perhaps the poster was talking about compound words, such as schadenfreude. Or gesamtstickstoff.

IIRC, Billy Joel was one of the first Western musicians to tour in Russia, and was greeted with wild enthusiasm.

Difficult to turn an ocean liner around quickly. It depends on whether his successor has the same intestinal fortitude as Gorbachev..

It depends on whether Putin's successor subscribes to the same insanity of restoring the Soviet Union to its former "glory". Hopefully a pragmatist, any Russian with two brain cells would realize withdrawing from Ukraine, and restoring normal relations with the rest of the world, would be a win for Russia.

You're right, I was in Myanmar a few years ago. Current Australian Government advisory is do not travel to Myanmar. I've heard good things about Luang Prabang in Laos, although it may be too rustic for the OP.

I will never be fluent in Thai, my vocal chords cannot reproduce the tones with any accuracy. I am somewhat baffled by foreigners who flatly refuse to learn any Thai, do they expect every Thai to speak English? How would they explain they have just had a car break down, or are having a heart attack? Would they be able to ask a Thai to call an ambulance? I can communicate with the Thais who know me quite well, strangers sometimes have problems with what I am saying. When that happens, I find another choice of words to express myself. Admittedly elderly people have more difficulty in learning languages. I persevere with Thai, for two reasons: I want to be able to communicate, and it is good mental exercise in helping ward off Alzheimer's.

Celebrities massage is permanently closed, Absolute Paradise may still be open. Expensive, but it does have some beautiful women.

I've taken my GF to Australia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Laos and Vietnam. I'd rate Vietnam and Myanmar as easiest to travel to, not expensive, Australia was by far the worst. Myanmar is probably closest to Thailand in terms of culture. If you both want a cooler climate, Dalat in Vietnam or the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia are both good. Hong Kong is expensive, and after Thai food I found the Chinese cuisine quite bland. Laos and Vietnam both have French -style breakfasts. I would suggest Myanmar first, it was very cheap to hire a driver and car to take us around. Hong Kong has possibly one of the best public transport systems on the planet.

Studies in Australia have shown using a mobile phone has about the same effect on concentration and reflexes as imbibing three beers in an hour, then driving. That's in a car, the demands on both attributes are even more on a scooter. That's why using a phone while driving, or even stopped at a traffic light in Oz, attracts a penalty of about 25,000 baht, and 4 demerit points. Young lives will continue to be wasted in Thailand because the fines for mobile phone use apparently don't exist, and for not wearing a helmet it is a slap on the wrist. If Thai police started impounding bikes for a week or a month for the above safety infractions, my guess is it would only take a month or so to get almost complete compliance. The carnage would decline significantly, although there will always be younger drivers who think they are immortal.

I guess some people simply prefer condo apartments to hotels because they are usually roomier and better equipped. IME the WiFi is usually better, because it is a single account. The WiFi in hotels can sometimes be abysmal if it has too many users. I can't cook food in a hotel room. Most condo rooms start at 35 sqm and up, some hotel rooms get down to 10 or 15 sqm. I used to rent a condo for two weeks in Chiang Mai, since when has illegality bothered anyone in Thailand? 5000 baht for two weeks, water and power included. Cheaper than a equivalent standard hotel, and the owner was very happy to get the extra money.

I guess this means departing passengers will find the process is slower. Stupid question I know, but has anyone done a stress test on the system?

It is not a fact you have built up good immunity by never having flu or or covid shots, that is just your opinion. IIRC, you were taking me to task for presenting anecdotal evidence, yet you are doing exactly the same. Yes, vaccinated people also die, usually from co-morbidities. However, it's the relative percentages of people, vaccinated or unvaccinated, who are either dying or getting long COVID, that is significant. You may be lucky enough to be a statistical outlier in the longevity stakes. However, being fat and a smoker for the average person means their lifespan is shortened by about ten years. They spend their last days on oxygen cylinders, struggling to breathe with various forms of lung disease. If they are lucky, they have a heart attack instead. Think about it. If your body mass was to be 10 or 20 kg less than it is now, how much less work would your heart, lungs, hips, knees and muscles generally have to do?

Road tar is a different kettle of fish, it's just the longest chain hydrocarbons being attacked by the shorter chain hydrocarbons in W40. Strictly speaking, it is not a polymer, just humongous carbon chains leading into waxes. Heaven knows what mango sap polymer is, my best guess would be polysaccharides, given the sugar content of a mango. Trust me on this, I was a chemist.

Acetone is the solvent of choice for fully polymerised paints, the OP should not use it under any circumstances. It would ruin the clear coat gloss. The sap from mangoes is actually a natural polymer itself. Hard to remove, detergent, water and elbow grease might do it. I doubt a non-polar solvent such as WD40 or turpentine would be effective, try methylated spirits. Not as aggressive to paint as acetone/nail polish remover. The other alternatives are buy a car cover, or park somewhere else.

I enjoyed NZ a number of times I went there; however, it has got very expensive. Many scenic wonders. Rotorua, Wanaka, Otago Peninsula, Milford Sound etc. It's said New Zealanders are more British than the British, a fairly accurate assessment.

You should be able to get a ticket at the Pai bus station. Be warned - the road has 1824 bends, forget how many are on the CM-Pai road. That's why it is vans/minibuses only, the bigger buses can't get around the hairpin bends. Be prepared for at least one of the passengers in the van to be carsick.

Change your dentist, competent installers will do bone grafts to ensure the implants take root properly. I have no idea what is meant by gums not being good enough, unless you have gingivitis or pyorrhea. Both are curable.

So you got lucky in the genetic draw, OR kept yourself fit, OR you are much younger. Proves nothing. Try reading statistics on the ratio of how many unvaccinated people occupy ICU's and die, vs. those who get vaccinated. If that's not enough scientific evidence for you, I give up.