Tropposurfer

I have an Elite. There is no grey area; We cannot work on this visa (its a retirement visa and as such no-one is allowed to work on these visas. As to putting the visa is a state of 'stasis' because its through the Elite Program I have no idea but I would opine that this is not possible. Reason being; You cannot have any retirement visa (O or OA) and work in Thailand ... ergo the retirement visa under the Elite Program would need to be cancelled in order to gain a work permit. Just as it is for other types of visas. Go call the Elite concierge number you have and ask them they'll tell you immediately what's what.

Oh my ???????????????? Buddha

How old are you? Have you ever had a prostate exam and blood test to check for prostate problem indicators? If you're in your late 40's or older and haven't I'd suggest you do asap. Peeing at night isn't always a sign of prostate issues it might be as other shave said you've just not adjusted to European climes after being in the heat of LOS. It can mean you have hydrated well that day and simply need to be rid of some. If you are peeing this way every night and few times ... and I were you, I'd go to the doc with a small fresh urine sample in hand. If any males in your family line had prostate cancer or enlarged ones then go to the doc and have the tests. If you're over 50 and never had a colonoscopy then have one. Do you have strong abs and deep abdominal muscles? Can you push hard when you pee or do you have trouble doing so? Do you have a big belly and weak abs? 3 to 4 litres of H2O a day is medically suggested for men in tropical climates to maintain a reasonable level of hydration. https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-10-18/how-much-water-do-we-need-to-drink-a-day/8996668 If you exercise and sweat, or just sweat (as you mention) a lot compare to others then drink a bit maybe more. I am 65 and work out nearly every day in some form. I drink about 4 -5 litres as a baseline often a bit more. Clear urine is an indicator of hydration but can and does have other meanings. https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthy-sustainable-diets/hydration/?level=Health professional If you hit the gym, run, cycle - or some activity that really makes you sweat a lot then certainly drink the 3 or 4 litres a day. As long as you don't drink like mad (tens of litres can kill you) you'll simply pee it out which is not bad for you. If you're in cool mild Europe climes then 2.5 litres a day ... unless your working out hard n working up a good sweat is a good general benchmark. If you swim in chlorinated pools in Europe, drink a bit more as the chlorine 'sucks' the moisture out of you. If you swim in the warm salt water in LOS drink at least the minimum litres, maybe a bit more as you need. Most people don't drink enough water. Men are notoriously poor at taking care of their health, being oblivious and denying the signals their bodies give them. If you drink alcohol and caffeine then you are reversing your H2O intake. If you make a pattern of H2O drinking e.g As soon as you wake a large glass of fresh water with lime or lemon juice squeezed into it. - kick starts your immune system, a glass a little while after breakfast or maybe a fresh orange juice with breakie. A reusable water bottle as you go through the day with you helps to prompt you. If I drink tea of coffee I always ask for and drink a glass of water afterwards before I leave the cafe. As I find coffee dehydrates me I drink a few glasses after having an coffee within a short time I always drink a few glasses of water after I've been drinking. I learnt my lessons early, the horrid wake up with a mouth so dry and splitting head taught me to.

I agree with you 3S. The old materials need to be scraped cut and perhaps even ground away using a grinder attachment wheel for concrete example image Be careful and try to source a complete waterproofing system not just an individual product and try not to mix different brand products as the sealant 'systems' types are nano tech designed to meld together. I.e. corner and joint sealer tapes, floor-pan collars marry (no layering and thus no ingress point between same is possible with this tech) to the paint-on membranes. I would suggest to buy only the best e.g Sika, Gripset, Gorilla make stuff but I don't know about their gear. We used Aussie Gripset in all our wet areas and flat area roof sealing's. I used this stuff for many years in OZ as a builder and it is superb stuff. It is highly UV stable and will handle Thai sunlight with ease for many decades and it is pure nano-tech genius stuff. Don't let someone tell you to use a tar based sealer on the roof (hot or cold pour) as it will eventually shrink and crack. I know in some countries this is still used but in Oz no way! Its old tech and obsolete. Must use a long life (average 50 years) flexible membrane. Codes in Oz require a minimum of 2 membrane layers in such types of areas as you've got. e.g Liquid membrane Flexible sheeting membrane on top of that These two membranes marry together even after the liquid membrane has dried *** If you have any drainage floor-pans then you should pull them up and install the same 'system' pan-seals to ensure no ingress around the rims and joint of these pans (vey common point of water ingress into the sub-floor). Simply painting over the pan rim edges with the new membrane is not advised. Clean down entire area with sealant company recommended cleaner Scrape, chisel or impact hammer with spade-bit if need be any old and 'other sealing product' till you have the original mortar showing For all cracks clean out as 3S advised and fill with same brand crack sealer. It might pay to check the structural integrity of walls and joints - if there are cracks in places that might be indicating subsidence of footings being transferred to walls and roof slabs. If this is a problem then seal the crack with a concrete epoxy until overflow, wiping away excess before it dries. This will prevent these crack opening any further whereas flexible sealant will only expand and as the gap grows simple separate after their max elasticity point is reached. Tap all around the roof and listen for hollow sounds -Remove any and all loose mortar to where the mortar is tight and strong. Re-screed/float any such areas with new mortar with a waterproofing agent in the mud mix Silasec (e.g. Aussie brand cement concrete water-proofing compound) If you want to be super sure re-float the entire roof with a Silasec type mix then apply membranes as I advise below. clean area thoroughly again - vacuum paint on new liquid membrane as instructed Then lay membrane sheeting I'd stick with the 2 membrane spec if I were you (we did) the builder was perplexed (even though he builds for a developer who has extensive experience and builds Western spec homes here) and didn't understand why but my structural engineer (build manager) and I simply smiled and helped, hands on, with the work (I've done tonnes of this in my past life). We congratulated all workers with cold beers and some nice food when the waterproofing was done, all good ... lol???? If you suspect moisture might be entering through the sides of any roof buttresses/side-retaining/safety or nib walls then paint the liquid membrane right up and over the top of these side walls and down the outside too for maybe 300 mm ( you can paint straight over the membranes so don't worry about that. Hope this helps with 3S's good advise.

I employed a structural engineer/surveyor (Englishman) recommended by one of the Westerner real estate agents on the island that deals with falang owners for our build. We contracted and liaised from the very beginning, all meetings with developer architect before we even broke ground. This ensured the specs I wanted were incorporated into the build e.g, Aussie spec wiring, ducted air-con, smart- Alexa wired etc. He was contract to, and signed off on every stage of the build and fit-outs. We got a superb home with very minimal build-glitches.

Show off ! Are you a member of Menser or what lol ???????????????? !

Don't worry drink tonnes of Mekong and you'll be fine ???????????? ????

yeah they're far more deadly than those horrific drop-bears of Aussie!!!

I'm pretty confident RTP will crack this case soon enough

It'll sadly and tragically be a long and bloody war as all wars are. The world should arm Ukraine to the teeth. I'd like to see a quasi anti-fascist ala Spanish Civil War of 1936 militia formed from across the globe to go and drive the Russians back behind their own borders. I hope as the Ukrainians are speaking out about; They drive all those Russians who invaded with arms from their soil and ultimately this includes the Crimea as well. If someone came to my country like Putin has done 'over there' I would fight and die, if need be, to drive them out. Why should I expect Ukraine to settle for anything less than what I hold so precious and sacred and a human right for all of us and would die for; their full autonomous freedom?

Its still very quiet. Go back to 2nd or 3rd road and is dead. Oceans not as nice (and more dangerous) this time of year (May to October).

Yep ???? We all know that there are so many moments on the roads here by almost everyone where folks drive mind-bogglingly badly. I have family from the land and the kids drove very well, safely, knew the road rules (Australia NSW) by the age of 10 but, never drove on public roads! Our member who spoke of grandparents taking care of energetic fast moving kids is a huge endemic issue here with control and directing. Lack of money and sheer practical necessity is another. If folks drive safely e.g. 'didn't pull out in a pickup and have a large truck stop inches from it' ... is just one example of cause and effect here. Basic road rules and behaviours are all but absent. Pulling out into gridlock crawling traffic in BKK or the local town is not like pulling out into a fast flowing roadway and thinking I can crawl out or simply drive out into the traffic and not invite an accident. Speeding, driving vehicles in poorly maintained often overloaded condition is another serious issue. With kids add the undeveloped brain, mirrored/modelled complacency and children die horrifically and needlessly on the roads. Add lots of alcohol and ya ba to the mix with adults and teens n what a death-recipe.

I 'aint' no econimeest' so I'd really encourage any actual economists to chime in and give professional experiential comment here. I'd love to see the baht exchange rate improve Vis a Vis to the AUD. But as some have elucidated here the connections and balances across the globe are at play and need to be managed with great care, lest we remove the brakes on the inflationary train. As for Biden being the cause of the inflation in the US (and its impact on world financial events) how convenient, comforting, and myopic to hold such a simplistic view of that economy, and its interactions with the rest of the world economies. Considering the previous 'President' (aint' that a misnomer) presided over the greatest deficit growth in American history (fact not fictional rhetoric) and the world has just experienced a world shattering medical emergency that has devastated economies across our world. Destabilising the world not seen since the Spanish Flu of 1917 combines with the impact of events in and from Russia, and the insecurity, destabilising effects and emboldenment of anarchic fascistic elements (all incapable of managing and steering national economies (another historical fact not fictional rhetoric) during and post the US 45th Presidency. I'd love to hear from thoughtful critically thinking members on how the up-till-now western run world can adapt peacefully to the rise of China not as adversary but as partner in the future of the planet. How do we deal with the economically destabilising impact of western not just Chinese hegemony? How do we, can we, shift away from failed 'trickle down' economics, and its gestating of anti-humanity, self destructive fascism (and please don't try to tell me that this top down system has worked because we have built lots of stuff) to an altruistic non-rapist economic system?

Despite any internal impetus I might feel in a similar situation the adages of; Keep my mouth shut, and hide any sense of judgement ands or opinions I might have on such a matter.

NO

Tonnes of markets all over the island. Stay away for the small beachside, convenient ones as they are traps. Covid effects still really impacting the market scene badly. I'd suggest you get on Google and search out 'markets' day and night. I live here but an too lazy to give you links. As for super cheap stuff, how can anyone from e.g. Europe or Australia, (the US is a bit cheaper for cheap stuff compared) (despite the island markups) complain about paying 250 or 300 for a decent quality t shirt is beyond me. Yeah, yeah you can get it for 100 or 150 in BKK, ... so what! Go there and buy if you are dead set on finding the cheapest stuff imaginable. As to those here who posted Phuket is horrible for markups ... The go to Rome, Amalfi Coast, Paris or London and see how much cheap stuff you can find. Phuket is a tourist location for goodness sake! I guess whinging is an international pastime. If you're a truly 'cheap charlie' then save for your next trip to BKK and hit JJ markets for your "20 baht" hit.

His prancing horse namesake would perhaps be proud. Good job your man.

What a terrible and despicable thing to do. I try to have faith in humanity (mine at the same time) but I have to admit to being tired and at times really worn down by the brutal, unjust and cruel events of this world. Makes you want to have been there, to intervene with definitive force to protect the child.

Very thankful I/we don't have to use the standard I.O. clearance stations those queues can be soooo long n brutal after long flights. You marry Elite service with business or first travel priority and its express and personal service all the whole way ????

Nope not on jot. I live in a truly peace filled bl.ody paradise mate ????

Here here! We need some serious rule changes to the comp !!!

If you're not a gardener then consider finding a good local one and have them cone help and teach you how to tend your garden. Tropical gardening books abound so maybe consider using these 'bibles' to teach and guide you. The Plumeria in your first photos may have a fungal disease known as Choleosporium. Commonly known as Plumeria (Frangipani) Rust. Looks like it to me. If this is what this is you need to use an anti-fungal spray. Spray as much of the leaves (undersides especially - until wet) to 'drown' the spores, and to introduce a sufficient amount of the anti-fungal into the plants vascular system. Spray early morning before the heat so the plant can drink up the liquid you spray. I used Neem plant anti-fungal (safe non toxic to us, pets, insects, birds). It usually only infests the leaves - the leaf underside will have patches or pustules of orange/reddish colour - these are the spores of the fungus. Its good to cut away the infected leaves bag -tightly, put in the garbage bin and get off your property. drench the plant - all leaves - top and underside, branches and trunk do a few times over the next months to make sure the spores are all killed. try to stop water splash for the ground up onto the trees as this is one major way the spores migrate. On the Plumeria the yellowing and then dying off in spots or patches is the advanced stages of the fungus stopping the leaves from making chlorophyl. Then they die and drop off. Its a common disease worldwide with Plumeria. We had this and used Neem anti-fungal and it stopped it within a few weeks. Occasional applications for fungal diseases is a good idea in our really humid and monsoon climate - especially with latex sap plants because the anti-fungal has a hard time moving around the plants vascular system and often you won't eradicate the nasties entirely the first few times you dose the plant. Drenching the leaves is really good but its easy to miss some - the fungus will do its best to survive. Its difficult to tell from the photos of the other plants what is wrong. If you get a magnifying glass and inspect the underside of the leaves and the junction points of leaves to trunk and look for insect, mould, and fungal signals this will help diagnose problems. Palms do shed leaves naturally. But if you're getting new juvenile leaves doing the same thing as dying old leaves then this indicated stress on the plant. If the palms don't have mottled leaves where spotting and necrosis (dead spots) in lamina's (blades) is happening but just yellowing then feed them - gentle feeding will help! Don't 'man-feed' and kill them with an overdose! Yellowing all over or to a large part of a palm where no disease seems to be present usually means the plant is nitrogen deficient - this will happen where you have poor sandy soils. If the plant is drowning - the dead tips will be soft, sometimes even gooey or slimy, but if they're dry and crumbly when you feel them then they're probably shedding leaves due to lack of water. Get a Ph test kit and check the Ph of your soil to see whats what. This will assist in deciding on any food (organic matter) or what types of mulch you add around the plants e.g manure based stable manures, straw, rice straw, home made compost etc. If the soil is indeed just sand then consider tilling organic matter into this to a depth of no less than 300 mm a good bit deeper for trees and palms. Sandy soils won't hold moisture or nutrients so introducing moisture holding organic material is crucial to healthy plants as is good drainage. Sandy soil consists mainly of silica (glass) particles. Here the sandy tropical soil has a fairly decent quantity of clay which is full of nutrients but without organic matter and the flora in the soil that this matter encourages and provides a home for them plants can't uptake the nutrients in clay. Check things like: soil type - do a squeeze test with a handful of soil, add some water to make it damp and squeeze it in the palm to make a sausage. If this sausage is formed and will bend its not bad if it fails to make a sausage then you gotta amend the soil. drainage - same as the drying out test and see if the hole has water in it and how long it takes to run away. Even here with heavy rain the ground ideally should not have water in the base of a hole at a spade depth for more than a few minutes. drying out time by digging a hole to a shovel-depth and seeing how wet the soil is at the bottom of the hole is a day after the rain has passed. If you have sandy soil then don't bother with this test as the answer will be obvious as to lack of moisture retention Plants such as Ficus's, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Plumeria (frangipani) makes the soil hydrophobic - the sap coats the particles in the soil and the water simply sheds off and won't be absorbed by any organic matter present in the soil. It looks from some of the photos the soils is grey sandy soil - yes?? If this is so you need to introduce both organic matter and a wetting agent (water saving crystals) into the ground around the plants (not up against the stem!) to grow good plants. These crystals are inert and safe for pets etc but will soak up, swell, and hold H2O slowly releasing it. Sandy soils the H2O simply runs straight through. There are liquid soil 'wetting agents' too that you simply attach to your hose or in a watering can. Mulching with an organic mulch to help increase moisture and cool root run for the plants is always a good idea. My place was typical tropical fine sandy with some clay, island-type soil. We added about 400 mm of composted organic matter with manures and wetting agents mixed across the entire plot except for the driveways and house slab areas. I add compost all the time to the soil. We mulch all the organic matter from the kitchen and gardens adding the grass clippings to this and occasional handfuls of blood and bone, and bags of manure to enrich the compost in the compost-bays we made.

Theres a mass of circuit-breaker-less installations and current bleeding all over LOS! Maybe they'll find a few naughty folks pinching power here and there if the power-boffins actually do any considered thorough checks. Good rule of thumb in LOS: Never dig a hole -unless you are certain you know every inch of ground around your house from the time of build never drill through a floor slabs or walls *** ALWAYS GET SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THESE JOBS if you're uncertain and don't have the best safe circuit breaker equipment on your power lines to keep you safe. Don't touch things when out and about outside the home especially metal railings and metal gates unless you use the back of your hand as a touch test first.

Me thinks this story is loaded with truncated statistics

The scourge of fentanyl is the post millennial rehashing of the then opioid derivative heroin as it smashed through urban cultures across the globe in the 80's n 90's. We can thank a nice Belgian pharmaceutical company for this synthetic opioid and the deregulated production houses in China where many of the worlds counterfeit/copycat drug production comes from. I stop short of the conspiratorial rightist narratives that China, Mexico and other dark forces colluding across the globe to destroy America and other western nations by producing such drugs. Its simply a matter of making money and lots of it rather than some terrible Communist, leftist plot to destroy the 'shining, glorious; (?) white races.