Speedhump

You're quite literal aren't you? ???? To cut someone dead in English means to pointedly ignore them.

I'm sorry to say there IS a problem with cutting farang dead when the interaction clearly involves them. If I have to spell it out then that's a problem too. I'd say it crosses the line from rudeness into racism. 'Comfort zones' have nothing to do with this.

The car park around the cockfighting stadium just down the road from me has been full of trucks on Saturdays for a lot of weeks already now. Are you telling me they were going there to play Scrabble?

You mean Strine is English? ????

You mean buy an air rifle? How could a farang legally to that? I wish I could have brought my beauty in my completely full 40' container when I moved here, it would have snuck through customs easily, but the removal company spotted it and wouldn't pack it.

There are good doctors and average doctors, and the very rare bad doctor, I agree. They're under huge pressure too. My doc had a breakdown, he was a sweet guy, and sad to say, actually maybe too empathetic to be a GP. As I said, we're all different people, who respond to drugs in different ways. It's bad that you had a bad experience, but you do know that every drug has potential side effects, right? Don't allow a drug to enter your system unless you know the potential downside and are ready for it if it happens. Doctors aren't magicians and they don't have crystal balls. They just do their best. My wife takes cocktails of drugs for her cancer. Sometimes they change. But we look out for the potential side effects and tell the oncologist if there's a problem so we can change the medication. It's a matter of taking some responsibility for your own treatment. Good luck in the future ????????

I typed a long deep reply which my phone has lost. ???? The following is more terse, but not meant in any harsh way. Your style of writing definitely displays an excitable, volatile nature. I am not like that. Calm, always seen as quiet and funny but well-adjusted, maybe even boring (I don't know you so I'm NOT saying you're the opposite). 30 days of drugs cured my mood. I had no 'physical' problems, as is the same for many/most who need a TEMPORARY mood stabiliser. I hope you're well. Mens sans in corpore sano., ????????

Surely not ... the... Tobacco Authority of Thailand ????

Impossible... as long as there is a Thai tobacco industry to protect....

The top picture is a monk wai. It shows deepest respect and humility. A wai to parents after a separation should really be thumbs along the bridge of the nose, IMO. A regular wai would be tip of fingers around the tip of the nose area. This is a rough guide. And knowing who and when to wai is something else. It can also be used to express simple gratitude. I don't believe most Thais would ever be offended by a farang trying to wai. Of course Thailand has xenophobes like every country, but most people I interact with are nice and are polite.

So happy you're well now. I know depression, came out of absolutely nowhere 22 ago, must have been building over time I suppose. Sitting in the car one day driving wife and kids, feeling fine (I thought) then tears started streaming down my face. I suddenly felt crushed and completely sad. Could talk to no-one for days except wife and kids without crying, a week or so in bed sleeping. Then just normal again after seeing the doc and asking for help (he said after I asked that he doesn't prescribe unless actually asked specifically for help, he was a great and empathetic doc) . I'm always the calm, strong jokey one, no idea how it happened. Never returned thank god but totally weird. What I'm saying is if anyone feels they're going under please see your doctor and discuss whether you should have a strictly limited time on antidepressants. If I can fall then bloody well anyone can.

It's possible to make an honest profit in business. I've had well over 3 million Baht worth of claims last year. I've been reimbursed to the maximum of the policy, and the insurer had renewed me as they should for the next year with only the 'medical inflation' percentage increase they apply to my age bracket. Some items were maybe outside the scope of cover but they were paid, a few were rejected as not 'directly' incurred for treatment (although they were treatment for a condition almost certainly brought on by the illness). I have no complaints to date. A European company, not one of the best known ones, with a Thai insurer acting locally for them.

Cheap ones are either just open or closed. Feel the force.

You mean they always apply the express terms of the policy? How nasty of them...

My wife was in Bangkok Hospital for 10 days with acute gastroenteritis. Two days in an emergency ward room then a basic private room. No expensive medications just regular antibiotics and saline drip, and blood test every day. Over 400,000 Baht.

Thanks indeed. Yes, tones; always easy to trip over (don't talk to me about Mandarin). And I take the point about mark, it does lead you to the correct pronunciation. Thanks again for bothering to tutor me. 'Hia' is an ejaculation I would never use, but how about 'kwai'? Falling? ????

How terrible. I guess the vehicles waiting to turn were blocking the right hand lane of the carriageway and the HGV driver didn't even notice that they were stationary? Astonishing that no-one died outright. ????????

'Ngong mark' I guess should read 'ngong mak' , mak meaning very. The owner called himself 'hia'? If you call someone this you may have a gun pulled on you. Can someone explain for me what it means if you call yourself 'hia'? Is it a kind of boast? Confused. Thanks.

A Thai friend ordered a raw prawn dish for me once. It did not get eaten. Not exactly steak tartare.

I'd suggest maybe mixed up in bad business and upset the wrong people. If that was the case and he's liable to be 'offed' then he should not be sent there (no matter what my opinion of his possible guilt).

I used to put my hand in the front door letterbox to close the door as I was walking away from the house. I learned not to after it was trapped fast while I was walking away at speed. Luckily little damage, could have been much worse.

I'm shocked. No, that's bad also. ????

A shame you don't have separate bins for trash and for recyclable glass/plastic. I organised it in my housing resort which is 95pct inhabited by farang couples or farang man/Thai wife who are happy to comply in general.

And interesting that private military groups are illegal in Russia. Unless Putin hires you, of course.

These are nothing but hired guns. You expect a sense of duty or honourable leadership?