The Fugitive

Great wording! Made me think of the extreme rides at amusement pleasure parks (not that I've been on one or ever wished to). As I remember 'Revolution' was very popular at Blackpool UK in the 1980's because you were turned completely upside down. Over the decades some people must have suffered after effects? Could insurance companies categorise such rides as engaging in hazardous activities?

I served a Thai guy in my wife's shop. He spoke perfect English, telling me he was a retired immigration officer and had worked on one of the islands (forget which one). Caused me to think for a while but that must have been 4 or 5 years ago and I'm still here. We have a serving policeman who lives opposite the shop. Plus another two (one is traffic) who are customers. Mrs says "not worry about such things around here!"

I'd say you were very fortunate to be able to do those things in your 40's and 50's. Some of us have never been fit enough even in our teens and twenties.

That would definitely make sense with our wonderfully creative NHS accountants. The £1.3 billion 'recovered' since 2015 might not only be debt collected after the event but could include payments obtained in advance!

Definitely a case for abolishing borders. Worldwide. If everyone could live and work anywhere employers would be able to recruit the best people for the job, there would be no skills shortages and we would be incredibly culturally enriched.

Thanks for this. More recent than my experience. Would be interesting to know their processes for getting money out of anyone abroad?

I went for an interview for a post with UK NHS of recovering money from overseas patients. The office was more of a cubicle with a few lever arch files and no staff! I got the impression the work was no more than a token gesture and absolutely a losing battle. A couple of years afterwards I read somewhere that our NHS had given up doing this.

In UK I run a dehumifier full time in my bathroom. Definitely makes it dryer and also warmer first thing in the morning. In Thailand I place a pedestal fan inside my bathroom after showering plus use the extractor fan.

True Richard. My bathroom doors are the cheap grey plastic and incorporate vents. Handles ripped off and bolts gone wonky too. But the good thing is they won't rot or suffer termites. Have to laugh!

Interesting thanks! Supporters would argue that this is great providing it is put to good use in preventing and detecting crimes and apprehending offenders wanted on warrants etc. If people believe it's being used for other purposes e.g. indentifying and harassing trade union officials, political activists or even blackmail by the police then some sort of civil disobedience may be in order. Thinking of bank branches with metal detectors at the door and signs; 'remove crash helmet and baseball caps'. Banks in certain places employ armed security guards and deny entry/eject those who refuse to comply. Could we ever reach the stage where certain items of clothing were prohibited out of doors? Didn't France do that to certain females?

Some people would take the view that a bathroom door is made with ventilation for a reason and therefore shouldn't be interfered with.

Continuing to wear your face mask sounds like a good idea! Or would we need dark glasses and a peaked cap too?

I like it! Subtle, no loss of face involved and you got what you wanted.

Sounds like you're A OK!

100%! Several times I attempted to donate blood at our local mobile collection sessions. Each time my diastolic reading was over 100 and, of course, I was rejected. Same day I went to the local nurse who used an ordinary looking automatic machine and got 85. Next time I went to donate I noticed that the large machines (where your whole arm goes in) weren't there. Instead, staff used the small automatic machines. That has been the case ever since and my readings have been acceptable. When I returned to UK last year my doctors receptionist insisted upon a BP check. She told me to use their large whole arm machine. The reading was outrageous and I was ordered not to leave the surgery until I'd been seen by a doctor. When another reading was taken upon a small automatic machine it was 128/80. It worries me that the Thai hospitals all seem to use those large whole arm machines!

Know exactly where you're coming from! We were brought up in awe of our powerful and respectable banks and building societies. It was a privilege to be allowed a bank account. Tellers spoke down to their customers as if they were idiots and thorough nuisances. Then we learned what they were really all about, adding charges and fees wherever possible whilst trying to sell financial products to meet their targets and earn bonus. Now, agencies have entirely vanished, many branches closed and those that remain reduced to a handful of staff.

Your visa agent will advise.

Absolutely! This is what I did. Bangkok Bank insisted that I bought their 12 month 'one-off' accident insurance policy. I was previously advised that the policy was worth buying anyway as it included personal accident if I 'came off' a moto. I noted that cover for moto injuries went up to age 65 only. This avoided my having to walk around risking refusals and, to this day, I consider it money well spent.

Point taken, life expectancy generally increases between generations but there are always exceptions. Coughing your lungs up and dying of pneumonia aged 67 was the norm for my grandparents. I have an uncle aged 95, lives by himself, cooks his own meals and keeps his house and garden immaculate but admits 'I forget things sometimes'. Most definitely a case of 'Your Mileage May Vary'.

Debateable, doctors who have seen my record and I've told them this story shake their heads saying; 'Blood pressure treatment doesn't work like that'. 'Either you never really did have raised blood pressure (faulty equipment) or the staff didn't know how to take readings'. As you know, a history of high blood pressure does you no favours at all!

Agreed, diastolic readings over 90 were/are regarded as abnormal. I received treatment in mid-eighties (was 165/110). However, the dose was gradually reduced to zero. My BP reduced to normal and has remained normal since. Never taken any regular medication since. Present day reading; 128/80.

Thanks for this. At almost 50 years of age your unmedicated BP readings would not be a cause for concern to most in UK. Your Resting Heart Rate may raise an eyebrow. Unfortunately, we in UK weren't brought up with preventative medicine and believe that 'you're OK until you aren't'. Also, that 'no medicine is the best medicine' and we musn't bother our doctor's unless we have some serious complaint that we've put up with for a long time and it's been getting worse. As you say, it's all a recipe for disaster. Possibly the fact that all consultations and treatment are completely free puts us off spending any money on additional health care/prevention. When many British tourists won't even take out travel insurance, what hope for private healthcare plans?

That's wonderful. Very pleased for you! Somethings obviously change (and for the better). At one time your history would have precluded such (or even most) employment. Employers must now recognise that conditions which can be kept well under control should be no bar to employment?

It was the PEA that cut all the ISP's data cables. I couldn't believe it when I saw the guy with a huge pair of bolt cutters/shears hacking away at our fibre communication cables. Maybe the PEA don't care and regard the data cables as just a nuisance hindering their own work? It took three visits by AIS engineers before our new cable was strung and we were connected again.

A cautionary tale indeed! Would be useful to know exactly what the private hospital did for the gentleman? Would his condition have resolved naturally by itself? Or, was his $13,000 AUD actually well spent in that he avoided surgery due to the superior knowledge of his doctor who used special equipment, techniques and exotic medications?