The Fugitive

Thanks for this! Mrs tells me I'm not allowed to drink coffee in the evenings because it will keep me awake! I purchased a blood pressure monitor and took readings several times a day for 7 days. No pattern emerged and the average was OK. GP said my passing out was probably due to dehydration, diet (possibly not eating enough), getting overheated etc. Nothing he could do or prescribe at that point because full count blood test was normal.

Royal Mail once gave an example of how important correct and complete U.K. Post Codes are. The sender knew the postal area was London W1 but didn't know (or tried to find out) the second part of the Post Code. W1 was read by the sorters as WI hence the letter went across the pond to the West Indies. The very helpful post office being America direction guessed WI was the abbreviation for the US State of Wisconsin. The letter was forwarded to the USA. From there it was rerouted to London W1 and eventually delivered to the correct address.

Would buy wine in Thailand but wouldn't pay more than 150 baht.

I passed out due to low blood glucose. I have since had a full blood count test (4 tubes). As all is normal my GP says I'm not diabetic. However, first thing most mornings I feel wobbly and a little nauseous. A cup of coffee with a spoon of sugar always sorts me out.

Do you feel less lightheaded after drinking your morning tea/coffee with a spoonful of sugar in it?

I'm not in Bangkok but, for the first time in as long as I can remember, for almost six months I have continuously been coughing up/blowing out the nasty green stuff. During that time it has varied in quantity and viscosity but never stopped. I now have a permanent ache around my left eye. As you say, it must be something airborne?

Today booked flights for five. Khon Kaen to Suvarnabhumi. I found a considerable variation in prices; Agoda 8,806 Trip.com 7,700 VietJet 10,358 Normally book direct with airlines and haven't noticed such a difference previously?

Know what you mean. Hate dispensing with something that is otherwise perfectly functional. My 2017 Android 'phone won't go above operating system version 7. No good for the newer 'Neo Banks'. Presently using iPhone 8 plus (also dates from 2017) as my main 'phone which, at the moment, seems to accept installation of all the apps that I need.

Due to harshness of fate and/or circumstances people can fall upon hard times. What would you suggest they should do? Abandon what little they have and leave Thailand rather than use a visa agent?

My visa agent told me she was doing the same for my conversion from Visa Exempt entry to non-o (retirement), 12 months extension and opening a Bangkok Bank savings account. She used the address of the apartments she owns because, at that time, I was living in a short-term rental from which I was shortly to move from. At my next address I notified the Immigration Office and have applied for Retirement Extensions myself ever since.

Agreed. Coincidentally, Thai family plus Thai friends (and myself) went to Tawandaeng Mahason, Khon Kaen. My Thai neice, aged 25, was asked to produce her ID card upon entering. The door supervision seemed very good to me.

'Municipal' markets are owned/run by Chinese. Or at least they are in my area. Might be worth making a modest purchase and asking someone to reset your settings? Alternatively, could you use Google lens on another phone to translate the Mandarin into English?

Have known someone else in same position although he was in U.K. Apparently, apps can recognise that the device you're trying to install it upon isn't a mobile phone.

Can confirm link is good.

Sounds most odd. Never had any issues with SurfShark during my two year subscription.

Wow! Not being Australian this is shocking to me. In U.K. Government (State) Pension is NOT means tested because you have either paid National Insurance Contributions whilst working or received Pension credits when unemployed/job seeking or receiving welfare payments for being disabled and unable to work. Occupational pensions you pay for out of your salary (or non-contributory where your employer pays into a fund). The poor guy lost his entitlement to free GP consultations (free to all in UK with over 6 months residence) and prescription medicine (free for over 60's in England and Scotland and free for all in Wales).

They obviously gave you a sight test. Did this include such as a field, pressure test and photograph of your eye (Retinal Imaging)?

Thanks for taking the trouble to explain. Very sad. Sounds as if the local GP might have known full well so was only managing the symptoms to make your friend more comfortable. The hospital should have given him all necessary pain relief and sedation in the final stage. That they didn't is inexcusable as you say.

My dentist in U.K. asks if I am in good health and taking any regular medication? My dentist in Thailand takes my B.P. and pulse and also asks if everything was OK at my last annual medical?

Various possibilities. When taking out the policy he could have failed to disclose previous diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure. He could have developed raised B.P. subsequently and not disclosed it when renewing premiums. Most disturbingly could he have developed it but genuinely never become aware e.g. he didn't have annual medicals and had never visited a hospital or clinic since taking out the policy?

Can I ask whether your friend was already diagnosed as untreatable when he was placed on the dying ward? Or, was he receiving treatment that was discontinued because of his inability to pay his bill and therefore left to die of his condition?

My local and regional government hospitals use the large 'whole arm' blood pressure/pulse machines. Notoriously inaccurate. Lord knows what damage they are doing to peoples medical history records?

Wow! I have two Acer's. One from 2009 and the other from 2011. New keyboard fitted into the 2011. That's all.

I find there is a world of difference in portability between 15.6 and 14 inch. 14 inch seem so much easier to transport.

Good on you! It really is not too difficult. You do need a little initial confidence and must ensure that you can't lose important data before you begin by backing-up to a cloud service or an external hard drive etc. I found Windows 10/11 to be too heavy for my mid-range 2012 laptop with 4GB RAM. Any Linux distro works just fine though.