WaveHunter

The research you linked to is misleading. The autoimmune response is actually a symptom of a dysfunctional metabolic state , and not the cause of the condition. It's just the same as inflammation being only a symptom of an underlying medical issue, such as an viral or bacterial infection for instance. The inflammation is only a symptom; the underlying infection is the cause. Overproduction of Insulin caused by overeating carbohydrates is what leads to desensitizing insulin receptors in the liver. If one corrects this before the receptors become totally destroyed, by simply making nutritional changes to cut down carbohydrates and the frequency of eating, insulin levels will quickly return to normal, and symptoms of D type 2 will disappear quickly (as in a matter of days or weeks). There is only a limited window of opportunity to do this though. Once the receptors are irreparably damaged, the window of opportunity is lost. Current research documents what i said to be true, and more importantly. there are a growing number of pre-diabetic and diabetic patients that are reversing their condition by addressing the metabolic state, not the autoimmune state.

Sorry to disagree with you but if you look at purely science based research in the last few years instead of outdated dogma, diabetes type-2 has been found to be entirely a metabolic based condition specifically related to desensitized insulin response. The research overwhelmingly show this to be a fact. Too many carbs in the diet and non-stop eating from the moment one awakes until the go to sleep is the predominant cause, and for most, the resolution is very simply to control carb intake.

Your smart move would be to go and get a blood test (complete metabolic panel) through a "good" doctor who truly understands nutrition (most don't have a clue!). Contrary to what most people believe, the body not only tolerates fats well at any age, but actually thrives on them as an important source of fuel. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, when fats are not tolerated well, the answer is NOT to cut down on fats, but to look at your carbohydrate consumption...believe it or not! Excessive carbohydrates in the diet is the most prevalent cause of a dysfunctional metabolic state. Excessive carbohydrates in the diet (especially those in heavily processed foods) can seriously interfere with healthy fat metabolism. In. healthy individual, the body is capable of using BOTH glucose and fat as fuel, but if you habitually over indulge in carbs, your body gradually loses the ability to metabolize fats efficiently, so it's no wonder that as many people age, they also develop metabolic issues, and what you describe is a perfect example of this. So, a metabolic panel may provide clues of this, and most importantly, you want to be sure and have the panel include an insulin test, not just blood glucose. If your insulin levels are unusually high, the answer to your problems is very simple...cut down on carbs, and you will be surprised how quickly your issues resolve themselves!

Like everywhere else in the world, the answer is simply overeating 7-11 type processed foods, rich in carbohydrates and eating literally non-stop from the moment they get out of bed until they go to sleep at night. Insulin levels skyrocket when one eats like that, and as long as insulin is flooding the system, the body has no choice but to store fat and not be able to access the stored fat for fuel. Twenty years ago, Diabetes type-2 was practically unheard of in age groups under 18. Today it is at epidemic levels, and it's no coincidence that this epidemic rise coincides with the increasing popularity of fast-foods, 24 hour supermarkets, and targeted snack marketing towards children. Over-eating combined with the "new" sedentary lifestyle of teens and pre-teens where they constantly have a smart phone in hand is the reason...pure and simple.

New 90 day slip attached...you need to bring your passport when you do in-person 90 day report. No passport and they turn you away.

FIY: Immigration offices are closed tomorrow 10 December In-person 90 Day report experience today in ChonBuri: Normally I do my 90 day reporting online but the system is DEAD! I just did my in-person 90 day in ChonBuri (Jomtien office). If you must enter the building they have a ridiculously long line for Covid testing (about 1 hour). How absurd! Perhaps 50 or more people standing shoulder to shoulder in a long serpentine line that's like a petri dish for Covid transmission ????☠️ However, they are being smart enough to be doing 90 day reporting outside the building. It took about 10 minutes to get my passport updated with a 90-day slip attached...Yay! Be sure to already have your form filled out upon arrival since I did not see any forms or writing tables outdoors so you might end up having to enter building to do that. Ugh! Attached is a blank TM-47 TM47.pdf

I recognize that shipping will be far more than the cost of those items but I am including them with other holiday gifts. My concerns is that if those herbs and spices were banned, the entire shipment of gifts worth several hundred dollars would be jeopardized. I had that happen once before and Customs will seize everything in the box even if only one items is on a banned list. SOunds ridiculous but that is their policy. As for availability of those spices and herbs, I know most are available in the US but as a gift, knowing it actually came directly from a local night market would please her.

I want to know if there are any Customs issues I should know about concerning mailing dried herbs and spices in sealed plastic packaging from Thailand to the USA. I plan to send by FedEx. Well vetted information (not guesses or off-topic advice) would be appreciated. And yes, I already tried getting this information from US Customs and it was only vague and seemed to be about "live" vegetation only . I want to be as sure as possible because I will be sending relatively large quantities of each item (10 packages of each item) Items consist of: Lemon grass dried Dried Kaffir Lime leaves Dried Galangal Root Thai Whole Chilies They are all in sealed plastic packages like this:

Just curious...han anyone been able to register online in the last week? Last Monday in a telephone conversation, Imm official told me the system is not functioning properly and only option is to go in-person or do my mail. Of course, she offered no date when system would be functional. I have tried online several times this week to no avail. So ridiculous that this has gone on for so many years, when almost any online merchant site can function reliably. Just no valid excuse for such nonsense!

What is Best market, weekends market, or store In the Pattaya area (preferably Jomtien) where I can buy authentic Thai spices and herbs in packages like these shown that I can Mail to someone in US. I have a friend back in the US that is into gourmet cooking and I want surprise her for the holidays with an assortment of authentic Thai spices that might be difficult to get in America, or at least definitely superior to what she would be able to buy there. If you know an online source that would be even better. Looking for the highest possible quality, and I know nothing about spices and herbs so any help would be appreciated thanks

I agree; it's disgusting! I saw a man let his dog do that right on the beach the other day where a lot of people were sitting all around eating food and trying to enjoy being out on the beach. Then, as if to take responsibility, he took a little stick laying nearby in the sand and stuck it on top of the little pyramid of dog poop, like a flag to warn others LOL. I had the impulse to pick up the stick and hand it back to him like it was an hor d'oeuvre. I didn't but maybe I should have.

For anyone else curious about current status of 0nline 90 day reporting. I just got off phone with Imm and they admit there is a problem with their servers. It would be nice if they stated that on their website, but this is Thailand and they have their own way of handling customer service I guess ????

So just another Imm screw up in a long list of screw ups? How can their database show my correct status report which plainly shows my visa and 90 day deadlines have not yet occured, yet declare that I am a 60 day overstay. That makes no sense to me.

Re Imm App: What is going on with this? I just downloaded and tried to see if I could do my 90 day reporting since I was unsuccessful doing it through web browser (had no problem with my previous online 90 day reporting). On the mobile app, a pop up is telling me permit date on my passport indicates 60 day overstay, even though my most recent status report on the app shows that I am in compliance! @##$% My visa renewal date is 31 Sep 2021. My 90 day report due date is 10 December 2021. How can I be classified as "overstay" Everything having to do with online Imm (both via web browser and with this ridiculous app) just seems to be SO screwed up!

Company is http://www.anlabeier.com/ I purchased it on Alibaba. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Wall-Mounted-mini-electric-hot-shower_62534462550.html?spm=a2700.galleryofferlist.normal_offer.d_title.779d1116Am5HP3 Minimum order quantity is stated as 2, but they will sell you one if you just say you want it as a "sample" Here's a YouTube video they posted: It mounts in-shower or under sink where my old water heater was located (and was very easy to swap out the old one for this one. It delivers a maximum temperature of 55 Celsius, and boosts pressure from what it is now, which is around 3 liters per minute to about 5 Liters. I was hoping it would be more since the standard flow rate in hotels is usually around 7-8 Litres per minute, but maybe 5L should be OK (I'm hoping). Considering that I found absolutely no such products with an in-shower pressure boosting pump being sold in Thailand (i.e.: Lazada) or any of the home improvement chains, I was thrilled to find it, and for over a year now it has worked perfectly. I forget what the shipping cost was, but total cost for unit and expedited shipping (5 days) was around 3,000 THB. Pretty good deal if you ask me ????

Anyone else have issues with online 90 day reporting during the last few days (or can anyone confirm success)? I have been trying to do my 90 day reporting online for the last couple of days. Due date is 10 December so I am certain that I am within the time window. I had no issues with the last online renewal at all but now I keep getting the "contact the Immigration Branch Office in your residence area" pop-up. I have taken ALL of the troubleshooting steps that have been discussed in the past with no luck. Judging by Sheryl's recent post, it seems we are both having the same issue, except I have not travelled or had any changes in my status that should affect my ability to report online, and I can pull up my history of past reports with no problem. So, who else is having issues, and more importantly, does anyone knows what the issue is? I really hate the prospect of doing this in-person if it can be avoided, and I am not doing it through the mail.

Just an update. I bought the water heater / pump that I described in detail. It has been installed for over a year now and has suited me perfectly. Max temperature is higher than I would even want, and pressure, while not as high as I had in my US Condo, is still adequate and a huge improvement over what I had before installation. And just as important, the build quality and reliability of this low priced unit from China seems very good. So, bottom line, if you have similar low pressure issues, I would look into this unit. Oh, and BTW, the Juristic Person's remark that such a unit could damage pipes inside the wall between the unit and the outlets was just a bunch of BS.

I need a unusually good optometrist in the Pattaya area. I do a lot of precise photo-retouching and am in front of a monitor sometimes for over 10 hours a day. I really only need glasses for computer work, but the prescription must be spot-on, and the fitting of the glasses also must be very precise. Back in the States it took me a while to find a really good optometrist that recognized that my needs were beyond what most people need and was willing and able to serve my needs. He did several eye exams over a period of a few days to really dial in the right prescription, and then it required several modifications of the eyeglass fitting over a few more days until they were exactly right. I need to find an optometrist like that, and one fluent in English. Searching Google Maps, I only see two optometrists with a healthy number of positive reviews from Westerners in all of Pattaya; EURO OPTIC (with 14 positive reviews) , and Pattaya Optical พัทยาออปติเคิล (with 25 reviews). If anyone has used either of them, or knows of another optometrist you can recommend, I'd appreciate the feedback. Thanks!

Sadly, I would not base my own decisions on ANYTHING related to "US mainstream policy" lately. It seems to me that much of what is being said from official government sources or most mass media is based on political, rather than science-based considerations. Personally, i discount what politicians or mainstream news commentators report because many have proven themselves to not be credible, and most, whether they lean Left or Right, seem more interested in promoting a particular political agenda than providing factual information and leaving up to the public to make up their own mind I only base my understanding of Covid-related matters on what very well vetted science based sources have to say, not political based hacks (and I include people like Dr. Anthony Fauci in that latter group). It's a real shame these days that you can't just turn on your TV and get trustworthy journalism, as in the days of authentic "journalists" such as Walter Cronkite or Edward R. Murrow, who reported ONLY FACTS and left it to you to make your own decisions. Instead today, we have the likes of CNN's Jim Acosta, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, or Fox's Sean Hannity, all of whom have very political biases and essentially tell you what you should believe, rather than doing the job of a journalist, which is to inform you of truthful, well vetted facts. Today's politicians and journalists just can not be trusted IMO, no matter if the lean to the Left or the Right. Never before in the history of modern civilizations has there been such outright misinformation and propaganda being spread as today! I fully agree with you that it's best to do everything possible to optimize your immune system (i.e.: Vitamin D, zinc supplementation, etc) but that goes without saying. Too many people today have seriously impaired immune response, and science is proving that much of it is metabolically caused (i.e.: poor nutrition). THAT is what people should focus on because Covid should not be one's only concern. You are far more likely to die from metabolic-related syndromes such as Cardiac morbidity, Diabetes, Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, and these threats, as well as Covid can all be minimized by following sound nutritional guidelines that promote a strong immune response. As for vaccinations, I believe they are essential for all people where it is not medically contraindicated, but this notion of "mandated vaccinations for all" just flies in the face of science.

My thoughts were about boosters as much as 2nd jabs. My point is that the hospitals themselves seem very flexible in addressing the needs of expats. The hospitals are looking at this all in a science-based way whereas the government is not. It's ridiculous to be forced to wait 12 weeks for a 2nd jab according to the latest science based reasoning and the hospitals recognize this. They also recognize that just because you got AZ as a first dose that not preclude you from getting Pfizer as a second dose. As for boosters, by the time you need one, I have a feeling that overall supply here in Thailand will have caught up with demand and getting a booster locally will be no more difficult than getting a Flu shot. What's more, unless you are a hospital worker or someone who works in close proximity to those infected, if you have received 2 jabs AZ or Pfizer, a booster may not even be necessary.

My experience suggest that hospitals are going to be very flexible about where you get your second dose, or booster. I got my first dose at PhyaThai in july, and then a little over 4 weeks later got my second dose (Pfizer) at MedPark. MedPark accessed my records from the MOPH database and gave no resistance to me getting my second jab from them and did not make an issue about me wanting the second jab before the 12 week interval. What this means to me is that you are NOT locked into getting subsequent jabs from the same hospital that you got your 1st jab from, and the individual hospitals recognize that every person that is fully vaccinated is one less person that could potentially burden the healthcare system with Covid infections that require ICU care. So, their priority is getting people fully vaccinated ASAP, not over burdening people with red tape. In other words, the hospitals are trying to handle vaccinations in the most efficient way possible, where as the government has done the exact opposite. I haven't been following all of this since my second vaccination but Samithivej Sriracha Hospital here in Chon Buri is offering Pfizer to those over 60 (first vax) so I'd keep them bookmarked for future offerings of 2nd and booster jabs, just to avoid that long drive into Bangkok.

Do you know of one in Pattaya? I found nothing under "laser etching" in Google Maps. Trying to find things like this in Thailand is always SO challenging LOL!

I need to have a small (25cm x 25cm) flat glass plate fabricated that has a laser etched surface with a very fine octagonal pattern etched on it. If that's not available then I need the plate coarsely sand-blasted (as coarsely as possible). Can anybody suggest a local business capable of laser etching glass, or sandblasting?

The beaches of Pattaya really suck due to pollution. There is so much flotsam from offshore ships and fishing vessels that winds up on our beaches here like polypropylene lines from fishing nets, discarded drink bottles, bits of plastic sheeting and food packaging, etc. Local municipality have incredibly poor street drainage and antiquated ways of dealing with sewage so much of it ends up polluting local waters. I've never seen a "resort" type setting that is so bad in my life. Even during the pandemic, it's pretty bad. People on the beach litter just as badly too. It's a shame they have so little respect for the sea. As for safety, surprisingly (here in Jomtien) there is ample lifeguard coverage and roped off safe swimming areas. There really is very little to be concerned about in regard to rip currents or "big" waves on most days. Besides, any competent ocean swimmer knows how to deal with them if they exist, and if they do not know how to escape a rip current, they have no business swimming when they are present. The sea is such an amazing recreational resource, it's just a shame that more people don't show some respect for it,