millymoopoo

Being vaccinated does not preclude you from getting infected. You can still get infected, the vaccine prepares you for that eventuality and fights off the infection much quicker. Thus if infected you can still spread the virus, albeit for a shorter period of time. So the test is still valid for vaccinated people.

Basically yes.! Although you can do it defacto, no need to marry. Think it's 12 months now, not 10 but I'll stand corrected. Usual reams of paperwork, it's a bit of a pa lava..!. Starting with tourist/student visa. Expect it to take 3 or so years and about $20k.

Bankok post may have hijacked your homepage. To change your opening page to 'google'. Open internet options from control panel. Change the opening page to www.google.com Click apply then ok. See attached.

In Cod we trust....????

Really....! Could we expect any different for this totalitarian (military junta) government. Same standard you could expect from China, Myanmar, Belarus, Turkey, Iran and other such places. And thus it puts them in the same gutter as the aforementioned countries.

Just a point that may be worthwhile mentioning. Vaccination does not prevent you from contracting the virus, it's not a magic shield.! You can still become infected and thus infectious. What the vaccine does do is prepare your immune system to recognise and fight off the virus sooner, thus reducing the symptoms to that of a common cold. This fact will obviously influence authorities (and airlines) in their decision making process.

We built (for the first time) in our local village about 30 km outside Chiang mai. Points to consider: 1: If you other half is local get them to do all the negotiating, then after everything is settled step out of the shadows. Once the local builder realises it a farang they are building for, up goes the price by 50%. 2: The common building method for hundreds (possibly thousands) of years is 'post and beam', and the only modernisation of this method has been replacing teak with concrete. It's difficult for Thais to think out of the box.! 3: Consider 'slab' construction. This has significant advantages over the clay, earthquake prone region of Chang rai. Concrete 'post and beam' houses crack up with subsidence and/or a bit of a shake. A 150cm slab doesn't, it sits on top of the clay and when it moves it takes the whole house with it. 4: Large ceiling space, with ventilation at both ceiling height and roof height, as well as lots of insulation and 1 or 2 large 'whirlybirds' in the roof. This, verandas an all sun facing aspects and the slab will help reduce you aircon bills dramaticly. Keeping the sun off the walls, the air circulating through the ceiling cavity and having the slab and thus the house in direct contact with the ground should go along way to keeping it cool in the hot months. 5: Thais have this thing about odd number of steps, our builder wanted the front door to be 7 steps up from ground level, OK if your young and fit, but Yai (Grandmother) is 89, 7 steps is ridiculous, we opted for 3. Any odd number is OK, If you're going to be there for a very long time maybe consider your future agility, maybe 3 steps would be better.? 6: If you do go post and beam, Thais have this stupid idea that the post needs to be on the inside, which leaves inside rooms with out flat walls, the post protrudes into the room, there is no reason for this, if you want flat walls inside, insist on the posts protruding out into the outside of the wall, so then it can even be made as a feature of the wall, and you have flat walls inside with standard corners, and thus furniture will go up flat against the wall or tucked into a corner. 7: And finally insist on trap drains, we did and the builder ignored us, so all the bathrooms smelt of sewerage because the hand basins and shower recesses were plumbed directly into the septic tank with straight pipe, when we showed the builder he had agreed to trap drains he was most pxxxed off at having to dig up the shower recesses and replumb them with traps, at least the hand basins were less of a hassle to fit traps to. There's lots of other tips, well covered by other members here. Good luck with it.

Sure, take it, I would, especially considering how poorly sinovac seems to perform.! And then in 6 months time another, of any, AZ, Pfizer, Moderna, Novavac, Johnson, as it looks like boosters will be needed. Israel is looking at boosters now, they are finding the vaccine is 'wearing off' a bit after 6 months.

Oh, how surprising..? And I thought all police were honest, especially Royal Thai police. Probably just a one off, couldn't possibly happen again in Thailand.............................

Slightly off subject, but one would suggest using a well for drinking water is probably not recommended in Thailand considering their septic system (sewage leach tanks) are located in the same ground, often not far from the well..!

Still a bit of a drive from 'Dali' country, but well worth spending a few days there, all along that coast from Brest to St Brieuc is very spectacular, Plougeurneau (the lighthouses) Kergouan, Roscoff, Tregastel, Perros-Guirec, Plougrescant, Sillon de Talbert, Ile de Brehat, Paimpol, Binic, and dozens of places inbetween, take your camera and don't forget spare batteries..!

The prize is: now you know where it is. Well worth a visit when next you're in north western France. And congrats to Daffy D for starting this 'good vibes' thread.

One of those once in a lifetime opportunities. Early one late winter morning, not a breath of wind and the sea mist. The sun is already up (lighting up the boats) and clearing away the mist in the foreground. Right time, right place, with camera in hand.

Daffy D is the winner..! Virgin Island lighthouse (ile Vierge) Plouguerneau - France All of that northern Bretagne coast is beautiful. Here's a google maps link from close to where the photo was taken, without fog. https://www.google.com.au/maps/@48.6262929,-4.5657894,3a,70.7y,353.04h,88.66t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPsleSallN4H8GPl0pxoGf8DQdAFd9KIMO39JCF!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPsleSallN4H8GPl0pxoGf8DQdAFd9KIMO39JCF%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya309.8695-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352?hl=en

Daffy D is the winner..! Sorry no prize, but well done. All of that northern Bretagne coast is beautiful. Here's a google maps link from close to where the photo was taken, without fog. https://www.google.com.au/maps/@48.6262929,-4.5657894,3a,70.7y,353.04h,88.66t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPsleSallN4H8GPl0pxoGf8DQdAFd9KIMO39JCF!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPsleSallN4H8GPl0pxoGf8DQdAFd9KIMO39JCF%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya309.8695-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352?hl=en

And here's a further clue, you can walk out to the light houses at low tide.!

As some people are still looking/guessing I'll hold back for a little longer. No, it's not photoshopped, it's a real place in western EU, rather popular with tourists.

That's the whole point, but it's not an isolated place where no one visits. Very popular area in western E U. (there's a clue)

Second person to suggest that but, No. Sorry, no prize for you.!

No. Sorry, no prize for you.!

Here's mine, can anybody guess where it is.? NB: All of my files are in folders. All of my programs are in 'programs'.........

Some inverter A/C are reverse cycle, some are not. Some inverter models (exact model ID) are reverse cycle, some are not. It seems to depend on which country they are sold in. Just like a car in Thailand mostly doesn't have a heater, whereas the same model in the US would. My mistake was not adding 'reverse cycle' in front of the word 'inverter'. I know of no A/C that has a fixed speed, that is fan speed, all have some variation, also I know of no A/Cs that has a variable speed compressors, that would seem counter productive, inefficient and pointless as A/Cs work best at 30psi low side and 80 to 150 psi high side, slowing the compressor speed would only reduce the high side pressure.

One somewhat obvious question here is why 'inverter' (reverse cycle) models.? Where in Thailand do you need the heating offered by inverter A/Cs.? To achieve this there is some complicated valves to reverse the cycle. More parts to go wrong, more places to develop leaks. Simple refrigerated A/C only is my choice, and Hitachi is what we have. Hitachi make components too, many other brands use Hitachi components, I think Mitsubishi does. But there are other cheaper brand components used in other manufacturers units. And then there is a question about the gas (refrigerant charge) used, the old standard was R134a a type of freon gas (being phased out), now the newer standard R1234ya or blended R600a and R290 both of which are hydrocarbons. These work well but the molecule is smaller than freon, and thus can leak out more easily. That being said, under normal conditions leakage would be a rare thing as compressors are hermetically sealed and most units come pre-charged, it's just a mater of mounting it all up, bolting it up and connecting it. Close scrutiny of the installation process would be recommended as Thai workmanship quality can be variable.! I would also suggest, during the installation process, at the bolting up of the pipework, a bowl of soapy water and a paint brush used to apply liberally over all the unions would reveal leaks, at least then you can guarantee the connections have been made properly. After it's installed and a time of working, perhaps then it would be a good idea to learn (youtube) the cleaning process, then you don't have to rely on dubious workmen. Our Hitachi is now 6yo, cleaned every year and has worked faultlessly all that time. We usually do the cleaning after burning season (Chiang mai), for obvious reasons.

Doubt it, think that section (Phaya Thai - Don Muang) is still just in the making, has been since 2012. SRT Sky train still shows it terminating at Phaya Thai.

Just found an excellent map of all lines in Bangkok. Better than official maps. Hope it helps. You may need to copy and paste. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=17wcuEbeg01fc5ODY_SjzbjRt1aQ&ll=13.925582578685384%2C100.65505326896618&z=12