James Roderick

Did you get the AZ jab? How long after getting vaccinated did you develop insomnia ? I had the AZ jab a month or two ago, I'm due for my 2nd jab next week. Initially I didn't notice any reaction - but for the last couple of weeks I've been having real problems getting to sleep. I wonder if the vaccination is causing this problem?

Hi Chia Yes me too. I also now suffer from insomnia. My whole body clock is now out-of-kilter. I stay awake until early morning, and then doze for a few hours, sometime waking at midday. Its quite strange. I've never experienced this sort of sleep pattern before !!

Hi Enzian Thank you for your thoughts - they are very helpful. Just to clarify one point though. Is the expiry date of your re-entry permit and the expiry date of your non- o visa the same, or are they different ? From your example they must be different, but then I don't follow your logic. In the example, If my return date is December 7 , why does the reentry permit expire on December 20 - only 14 days later ? Also, I don't see how you arrive at 30 days for the insurance requirement ! If my Non-o visa expires on say May 7, wouldn't I need to buy insurance for the six months from December 7 to May 7?

Please tell me more Somchai I'm interested !!

Hi Sunset Can yu tell me more about the Emirates deal ??

Do the new insurance requirements ( for entering Thailand ) apply to Elite Visa Holders ??

The requirement to have 40,000 insurance for outpatient visits to a Thai hospital is a scam - pure and simple,

I'm definitely going to get a SRRV visa from the PI very soon. It seems to me that retirement conditions required by the Philippine Administration are relatively straight forward and don't change that often, which is not the case here !!

Hi Tmaker . Are you still in Pattaya if so let's meet up. I'd like to put halogen bulbs into my bike and I'd appreciate any advice on how I might go about doing this !!

I recently bought a Honda Phantom and had it restored and refurbished. It now looks good and goes great. So far, I've had a couple of minor teething problems, but nothing serious and I'm very happy with the bike. I have one question though. I am new to riding motorbikes ( I've spent years on scooters in Thailand Cambodia and the Philippines - but not on bikes), so perhaps the issue is with me rather than the phantom, although I doubt it. The position of the foot-brake pedal seems odd to me. My foot, when placed on the foot rest, is positioned below and to the right of the brake pedal. To engage the brake, I need to first raise my foot, move my foot to the left and then push down on the brake pedal. This might be a difficult maneuver to execute when needing to stop very quickly. It also seems possible, if I were to slide my foot from right to left ( without first lifting my foot) then I will miss the brake pedal completely. I've looked at other phantoms and the brake pedal is configured the same way - it sits way above the foot rest. Has anyone experienced this problem and do you have any suggestions as to how to fix it !! Many thanks and safe riding !!

In the last few weeks, the Thai government released details of new visa options that will be offered to wealthy expats. As a condition of these special visas, applicants must obtain heath insurance cover of $100,000 USD in order to qualify for such a visa. There is little information about the health insurance requirement or how much it is likely to cost. Does anyone have any information on whether such health insurance will be available to those with pre-existing medical conditions and how much it is likely to cost? One visa category, requires an applicant to take-out heath insurance cover - as described above of some $100,000 USD - while at the same time investing $500,000 USD in government bonds. Why would the government require a person placing such a hefty amount into its own government bonds - to also hold health insurance ?? I get the distinct impression that this requirement ( regarding holding heath insurance ) will be extended to those currently living in the Kingdom on retirement visas ( like me- unfortunately). !!

I wouldn't stat laughing just yet. The retirement model mentioned looks very much like the MM2H program introduced into Malaysia - which is a disaster for retirees who signed-up under the old program. I do hope your right and this is more humorous than serious public policy , but I doubt it is meant in jest

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