The Fugitive

My Thai family, friends and neighbours are still driving cars they bought a decade ago. Honda City and Toyota Vios circa. 2002 silver colour. 4 doors, very comfortable, large boot, economical to run and any local garage can fix them very cheaply. Thai neice got a complete respray for 10,000 baht. There are so many still on the road that spares shouldn't be a problem for many years. A lady schoolteacher friend is a cautious type and considers the 'Por Ror Bor' 700 baht per annum compulsory motor insurance inadequate thus takes out a higher level of cover on her Vios.

Glad you asked. It reminded me! The lady told me a British client who runs a bar 'over the road' brought correspondence he'd received from HMRC into her office for her to read to him and explain what he had to do. She had to tell him she doesn't know the procedures of the UK Income Tax office and therefore isn't qualified to give him guidance.

My Pattaya Visa Agent told me the vast majority of her clients are British retirees. Most receive UK State Pension only and have no savings. Literacy is a problem too.

Thanks Sheryl. It's protection from mumps that I view as the main benefit.

A friend recently told me she was offered MMR vaccine when attending her GP's practice. She was told that measles is on the rise. This lady is of age where she didn't receive it previously (introduced in UK in 1988). Neither did she receive the measles only vaccine (introduced in 1968). She suffered measles as a child. So did I. We understood that we had lifelong immunity as a result. Is that still true? I've read that those born prior to 1957 are considered immune to measels and mumps. Mumps is worse in adults than children. Never having contracted mumps or German measels, is it worthwhile seeking MMR vaccination even if born prior to 1957?

Agree. Thai father-in-law was once a coach driver for Chan Tour. Later in life he sold his house and bought a small farm. Wasn't very good at it. He liked his drinking and smoking. He owned two Honda Waves. One was always under repair after he fell off whilst intoxicated. Wife wouldn't tolerate him in the bedroom and he slept in a partitioned off corner of the living room. One morning his radio was causing annoyance. He couldn't turn it off because he wasn't with us any longer. He was 71.

Thai wife believes that hard work in the rice paddies and exposure to sun causes the majority of Thais in our region to die in their 60s.

It's obvious that such admirable campaigns as TNR (Trap, Neuter and Release) are/would be ineffective where ten million (as already mentioned) are involved. Then there are the objectors to such schemes. Requires teams of dog catchers and humane destruction.

Thanks. Helpful information. I watch the odd film and documentary now and again. Never considered a subscription service. Recently found 'Pluto.tv' which is apparently legit and free. Only one advert during each commercial break. Geo-blocked in Thailand but works perfectly well with my one dollar per month VPN - 'SmartDNSProxy'.

You missed the point. The proven guilty who've been released are irrelevant. They're marked men anyway. Mossad are known for pursuing and assassinating people all over the world, even decades later.

I don't need to do anything. We all know the answer. Internment didn't go down well in Northern Ireland either.

Have all the released Palestinian prisoners been convicted? That involves evidence and representation for the accused. Have they exhausted their entitlement to appeal?

Top comment!

Good question. I've thought that way myself about phones versus tablets. If you could only have a phone, tablet or a laptop, which one would most people opt for do you think?

United Kingdom National Health Service dentists have been doing this for decades. Many reported cases along the years of unnecessary fillings in children. Used to be free treatment until age 21. Now up to 18 or 19 if in full time education. One dentist I went to had a yacht in the Bahamas.

I have a Samsung A7 which I keep charged up as backup. As you say, it's OK for communication. However, can't install my banking apps so it's not really a fully functioning backup phone.

Not the answer the OP is looking for but my Mrs has a friend with a mobile phone shop. She buys second hand five year old iPhones for both of us. She paid 8,000 baht for each of our iPhone 8 Plus's (256 GB) about three years ago. My old iPhone 7 Plus went to my stepdaughter who still uses it today. I don't care about the camera but my Mrs does. I use the NFC function but my Mrs doesn't. Single physical SIM isn't good. I use a VOIP virtual mobile number for home country calls and SMS OTP's. Would like eSIM and 5G mobile data network capability in that order.

Agree. First time I applied for retirement extension myself (instead of via a Visa Agent) the immigration officer looked at my passport saying; 'Ah! Chonburi, how much did you pay your Visa Agent?'.

Used 'Quinoderm' myself in the 1960's. Can confirm it's effective. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14199634/

My Thai wife runs her deceased mother's Buddhist religious goods shop. She keeps all receipts for the stock she buys. She takes these, plus bank statements of payments received, rent paid to shop owners, water and electricity bills etc. each year to the local Income Tax office. Every year they send her away, telling her 'nothing to pay'. I'm guessing it's to do with the thresholds for Income Tax liability?

Thanks for that. My Mrs had a thin prep (smear test) included with the mamogram and ultrasound breast screening package. I guess we've both found out the value of screening! My wife has also gained considerable weight since the menopause. She did like her whisky and soda but is now tea total due to the chemotherapy and the whole cocktail of tablets she takes.

Absolutely!

Many thanks for all your help. I agree entirely. Good tip about the DWP Life Certificate too! I asked my Thai neice (aged 30) who has just told me that the age to qualify for this list is 60. That would appear to make this a National scheme. I've received A/E treatment at both my nearby Government Community Hospital and my Government Regional Hospital thus I must be registered at both. I'm surprised that my Thai wife hasn't informed me about this as I was 61 when I moved to Thailand. However, she's taken out Life Insurance on me instead!

Very helpful information thanks! I wasn't aware of any list of elderly patients. Or, that they get a checkup every three months. How old do you have to be to get added to this list? What does the quarterly checkup entail please?

Love Cornish pasties!