ricklev

30 minutes ago, cusanus said:

Try a sense of humor. 

I don't get your comment.  My comment was intended to be sarcastically humerous.  Maybe it missed the mark.  I am not looking for fight though, as evidenced by this smiley face.  🙂

39 minutes ago, cusanus said:

Personally, I've never had a problem in 20 years, however it does appear that Melon Musk and Agent Orange are doing their best to muck up the system. Most years I got the form by end of June. When a friend did not by end of July, we filled out and mailed in the blank form (don't forget to put in SSN# top right). If the form finally arrives later, use the enclosed SASE and send it again to make sure. Do not use EMS or registered mail, because those may sit forever before getting a signature. In a couple of months email Manilla asking to let you know the status. It may take a couple of weeks to get a reply but usually only a day or two. Most likely, it's recorded as received. You can try calling, but it may be difficult getting through. If you're still unsure come October, fill out and mail yet one more, wait a couple months and query Manilla again. If you're still not recorded, well, the plane crashed or the fascists may have achieved their goal to suck up the taxes you paid for retirement all your working life. Hopefully, you've saved enough to get by.  

There are higher priorities for tax money than funding social security and veterans' benefits phone help lines and customer service like, for example,  ...... (Oops, don't want to make this political!)

I don't understand why it is not emphasized more that when poor people lose their health care they use emergency rooms for health care at a horrendous cost.  Do the Republican politicians have the balls to let people die in the streets?  I mean that is what they believe should happen to the losers, but it is not politically feasable.  So what happens when hospital emergency rooms function as health insurance?   The answer is pretty obvious if you think about it.  

17 hours ago, Stocky said:

That's up to the Nobel Committee, and they're all Europeans, and therefore communists by most American's reckoning. They'll probably give it to Greta Thunberg.

She actually deserves it!  

I started receiving my SS in October of 2024 after applying through Manilla.  Anybody know if this form something I should be looking for or worrying about? 

Moderate increases in taxes, both in the percentage collected from everyone and by increasing the cut off of SS taxes for very high earners will fund the program for decades.  Anyone that starts off with the position that cutting benefits is the only option for solvency is suspect, in my book.  It's a way of framing the issue to avoid finding a solution.     

19 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Why not replace the damaged section, it's only small bore pipe, mine are push fit 

Just a bit of a hassle compared to taping it or getting someone else to repair it.  

14 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Has it actually come apart at a joint? If so use PVC pipe cement to re install.

 

There are some VERY sticky wet repair tapes on Lazada.

 

A photo of what the problem is would be useful.

Thanks.  Yeah, I should have taken a picture of it but it is inconvenient to get to and I managed to push it back together and don't want to pull it apart. 

I think what happened was someone working on repairing a crack on the outside of the balcony stepped on it or put something heavy on it.  Now the male section of the pipe is cracked for a couple of inches lengthwise on the bottom and I am not sure if sticking the sections together with or without glue will work.  I can just get someone to come repair it but if I can tape it together it will be less hassle.  

The blue AC drainage pipe which runs the length of my balcony to the drain has cracked at one of the joints and the water is puddling on the balcony.  Is there a kind of tape I can wrap around it for an easy fix?  Thanks.  

I had to contact J&T Express recently due to a delivery problem with a Temu order.  It was literally impossible to contact anyone to resolve the problem.  No phones answered, not possible to contact them by email or message.  It was not a language problem, there was simply no customer service.  It was kind of like attempting to contact Air Asia for help.   It is all good until it isn't.  

On 5/22/2025 at 9:02 AM, jayceenik said:

I'm a very senior farang.

A Living Will is a must at any age.

In 2014 I made a Living Will.

I re-newed that LW last year using the same template (Sample 1).

My then TGF, now my wife in both LW named as Proxy.

You need two Thai witnesses (name, ID, signed).

You do not need a lawyer.

That Sample 1 Form is officially accepted.

 

Sample 1 in EN  

https://www.thailivingwill.in.th/sites/default/files/Living_Will_Samples_1_2_Final_1.pdf

Sample 1 in TH  

https://www.thailivingwill.in.th/sites/default/files/024_livingwill.pdf

 

I emphasized strongly to my wife that I want my Living Will respected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes! That is exactly the form I used also after researching to make sure it conformed to Thai law.    

One thing that has helped my dry eyes, which I have had since LASIK 20 years ago, has been using a heated eye pad. I buy them from Lazada for 200 baht or so. The electronic switch tends to fail after a while so I buy a couple at a time. 

On 6/12/2025 at 5:16 PM, RSD1 said:

The item below sells for about ฿170-฿200 per bottle in Thailand. you can get it at just about any Thai pharmacy. It's a 10 ML bottle and if you use it twice a day, a bottle lasts about six weeks. One of the best things I've found for dry eyes.

 

https://systane.myalcon.com/products/systane-ultra/

It is the best I have found here, but I use the throw away vials as they are preservative free.  How much that matters, I really don't know.  

4 minutes ago, Lewie London said:

So there I am, late last night, just nipped down that little 7-Eleven halfway up BuaKhao, close to the big roadway bend, the one with the dodgy sliding door and the even dodgier hot dogs. Just needed to restock some water, maybe grab a toastie and a packet of crisps, windin’ down the night like a civilised geezer, yeah. Been a long one already, just wanted to rehydrate, go home, put on a bit of YouTube, and call it a night.

 

Next thing, in she stumbles. Out of nowhere. And I mean proper tidy too. Not your usual Pattaya bar girl look, nah, this one had style. Bit of class about her. Tall, slim, lighter skin, wearing one of them little black tops that barely counted as a shirt, back all exposed, and what do I see? Full body ink. But not that tramp-stamp rubbish or that cheap bar-girl butterfly nonsense. Nah, this was proper Japanese work, beautiful koi fish, cherry blossoms, full sleeves rollin’ down her arms, bits of dragon scales pokin’ out here and there. Real artwork, looked like she’d been inked by someone who knew their needles from their elbows.

 

But, and here’s the deal breaker, she’s absolutely mullered. You could smell the vodka coming off her like a petrol station on a hot day. Lipstick smudged, mascara halfway down her cheeks, high heels clackin’ about like a newborn giraffe. And she’s on me like I’m the only exit in a house fire. Starts with the old “You no habb girlfriend, law? Where you go now? You want go disco with me?” Givin’ it the big eyes and all that, hoping to withdraw some cash from my wallet obviously, swayin’ like a palm tree in a storm.

 

Now don’t get me wrong, fifteen years ago I might’ve thought I’d won the lottery and wouldn't a-minded paying the freight-fee. But these days? Nah mate, I know this game. Drunk girls are pure chaos in a bottle of extra-spicy trouble-sauce. One minute they’re running smooth like a Ferrari right after a fresh tune, next minute they’re cryin’ like someone's kicked their dog in the bell-end, then someone’s callin’ the police and suddenly your photo’s all over AseanNow getting slacked-off with a headline like “Foreigner Arrested in 7-Eleven Brawl Over Tattooed Beauty.”

 

Meanwhile the staff behind the till are watchin’ like it’s prime time telly. Givin' them a right giggle, innit. I can already see them uploadin’ this CCTV clip with a TikTok song underneath. Not today, Satan.

 

I gave her the polite smile, did the gentle step-back, grabbed me stuff like it was a hostage rescue, paid up, and walked out cool as you like. Left her there swipin’ through her phone, probably lining up the next mug to come walking through the door.

 

Mates, beautiful tattoos, proper art, but wrapped around a bottle of absolute trouble. Glad I dodged that bullet. Night saved. Pattaya, you mad old cow, you nearly had me again.

Keep up the good work.  I enjoyed reading that.  Don't let the bastards get you down.

15 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

It won't be two weeks from CW. 

Most often 5 days. 

And no there is no express service option at CW with extra babt payment. 

Thanks. My bad then.  I definitely have read previously that there was. Perhaps the times they are a changing.  Chiang Mai has an interesting system where expedited residency certificates are available from the visa company across the road from the immigration office for 500 baht.  

2 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

Curious, just how often will you need a certificate of residence? 

You're correct, you get a certificate of residence out at the main immigration office in the government complex (Building B) on Chaengwattana road. 

The area you want is Section B. 

You can make an online appointment then just show up with that print out, copies of the data page of your passport, the current extension you're on, and your tm30 receipt. 

You fill out the form, pay 200 baht and they mailed the certificate of residence to the address you have a TM30 filed at in about 5 days

You can get to the online appointment booking for Chaengwattana at either the main immigration website or the Bangkok immigration one. 

I do not know any agents in Bangkok that do COR for people (other than the companies that help you get drivers license and I think it's built into their pricing not a separate service they offer

 

 

Thanks. I have used my work permit maybe once or twice every couple years when buying a motorcycle or car and the driver's license of course.    The two week wait is a little annoying, but of course that's the idea to encourage payment for a quicker service. 

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

So apart every 5 years for a TDL renewal you would hardly need one. 

As pointed out above, 200b for COR to be mailed out after atte ding immigration hardly serious issue.

 

Give @ThaiVisaCetre a call to inquire service. 

Interesting tone to your response. I agree, it's hardly a serious issue. But it is more than a little bit of a needless pain in the ass.   

No need to respond as I'm not an internet warrior looking for a fight.  Just a normal person looking for an alternative to going to the immigration office. 

If anyone does know of a Bangkok agency providing the service, please tell me the company name.  Thanks. 

Well, after 18 years on the same work permit with my address in it, the labor office decided there was no room for new stamps and issued me a new book.  I understand that with no address in it, it can't be used for license renewal or anything else requiring a certificate of residence (TM16)and I must now engage in the residency certificate  scam perpetrated upon us.

My question, and I live in Bangkok, is do I have to drag my weary elderly ass to Chaengwattana Immigration for the damned thing everytime I need one or are there agents who can do it for me?  

I always find it amusing and ironic that my country, the self-proclaimed greatest country on the face of the earth, can't figure out how to properly clean their asses.