VBF

It's sadly common all over the world. Can't imagine what his family and friends are going through just now. Did either of you actually READ the OP? Why mention Pattaya? 🤔

You can stuff that! 😉😊

A few more: Letters from Tyrolean Landlords (thanks to the late Gerard Hoffnung) His delivery was just superb.

Well for that you have my sympathy. Should you wish to, it is possible to use voice commands for an awful lot on modern 'phones. If you know someone with an Android phone, get them to show you the Accessibility features, or do a Google search on your Windows PC for "Android Accessibility features". I'm sure Apple offer similar too. Of course if you're content with your PC alone, and if it meets your needs, it's a case of "it ain't broke, so don't fix it" Along with my belief in and enthusiasm for technology, goes the principle that it must work for you, NOT the other way around.

In my opinion, it's always worth having printouts of everything you mention, plus tickets, in your hand baggage, easily accessible. It takes so little time to prepare and might save you time and hassle - if not - little is lost.

It is your total right to be a Luddite and don't let anybody tell you otherwise! I do find it sad that people don't take advantage of modern technology especially as it's so cheap and easy these days. Mind you, I am writing this listening to music on a 50 year old audio amp and speakers - fed by a brand new Windows 11 computer. But I'm not at all contradictory! 😂😉 Must go...my smart phone's ringing. 😊

I was unaware of that - 👍 Reminds me slightly of being in Phnom Penh in 2011 - my hotel was on Sisowath Quay and every evening at dusk, the local kids would come out and exercise to the tune of Gangnam Style. Great fun to watch! However, I think we're in danger of going

Somehow I don't think this is on offer! 🤔 But the woman in that video is gorgeous! Not quite like the streetwalkers I've observed in Pattaya that's for sure! OOI, personally I prefer the music from Southern Africa - think Bhundu Boys, Orchestra Super Mazembe or Miriam Makeba etc.

I use Bolt in Pattaya because I won't ride on motorcycles and found Bolt to be efficient and good VFM. The price on the App has always been the price asked IME. Sometimes, if it's an odd amount like 94 Baht I just round it up to 100 but that's always been my decision. Before they arrived, I did a lot more walking! (Thinks: must start a thread "Is Bolt bad for your health?" 😂😂)

Correct. But these girls were just hooking on the street. Apparently dancing cost extra 😉

Maybe the scriptwriters have changed? Or think it's time for a pay rise??

Fair play - we all have different requirements. I quite like the stop in Dubai as it happens - I qualify for "assisted passage" and it breaks the journey. For me, non-stop does not justify the increased fare price. And, agreeing with you about UK destinations, Emirates offer Gatwick as well as Heathrow which is far better for me. What with the Limo service, better lounges etc, etc at present I think it's far better VFM. Having said that, I shall monitor the reports about Thai - one can change one's (open) mind if appropriate. 😎

Normally I'd agree, but as you responded to me, @NanLaew I shall explain that I was FORCED to fly from SUV to LHR on Thai in 2020 at the start of lockdown. Emirates (with whom I had a ticket) weren't flying so my biz class trip on an Emirates A380 was replaced by a biz class trip on a Thai A380. Same aircraft, same class of travel. So I suggest that my comment "Comparing their biz class to other airlines is laughable. They might have some of the same aircraft but the service doesn't come close in my experience" is valid I think 2020 qualifies as fairly recent travel. OOI Thai used to be my airline of choice back in the nineties to the point that the miles I earned internationally, were always used up flying from BKK to HKT , but this was the first time I've flown with them in many a year and I have no plans to do so again because of the reasons I have stated.. And, in passing, I don't think I display a "dislike of any and all things from or about Thailand"....else I wouldn't be here. Not saying it's faultless, obviously but still love my trips.

Reminds me of another comic genius, Spike Milligan on whose grave is apparently written "I told you I was ill"

Never travelled first class but if business class is anything to go by, the phrase "modern business-class seats now offering amenities akin to traditional first-class luxuries" doesn't (IMO) even apply to TG. Comparing their biz class to other airlines is laughable. They might have some of the same aircraft but the service doesn't come close in my experience.

I quite believe you without checking it out. It does show that the time period over which one compares has a massive effect on the perspective one gains. If you were to take my previous intentionally flippant comment "......... from that perspective it hasn't really changed in 40 years!" seriously, without paying attention to what happened during that period, you'd end up with a very distorted view of the situation, I could say to people, "Oh the Thai Baht is worth about the same against the UKP as it was in 1985" which is actually true in its literal form. But we'd be ignoring the "Asian crash", political events, deaths of monarchs, Covid etc etc. And, if you take a "snapshot" of any 5, 10, 15 year period in that timescale then the results would be different again. And this is how politicians and their ilk, the world over, can manipulate and present facts without telling the whole truth. Why, the very title of this article including the phrase "Baht Surge" becomes suspect. Does all this come into the "thinking too much" category, do you think? 🤔

Indeed - that was what I meant by "a few caveats" in my post above. One of my PCs (Asus MoBo) I had to find network drivers - I cheated, using the Windows 10 ones and installing them manually via Device Manager - not for the novice, I would say. On another (Toshiba) I had similar fun getting a printer to work correctly because the HP software is only supported up to Win 10 and my scanner isn't officially supported by Windows 11 so once again....... Frankly I see it as a bit of a challenge, but then I am a sad geek....and proud of it! 😊 I have ended up with 3 very usable computers that might have been scrapped though.

OK - you're probably correct To be fair you quoted "10 years ago it was 55 Baht per Pound." and no I did not go back that far (2015) Looking at it over that period, yes I can see the vast difference, but then if you go back to the Asian crash in (I think) 1997 I recall that £1 bought you 80 Baht!! I remember it halved almost overnight because a friend in Phuket was about to buy a car and he was delighted! A massive surge due to extraordinary circumstances. So from that perspective yes there has been a surge over 28 years! I was thinking more about more recent changes. Oddly enough, when I first visited Thailand in 1985 (40 years ago - help!!!) I recall it being "forty-something" to the £ So, somewhat flippantly, and from that perspective it hasn't really changed over 40 years!

This idea of a "Baht Surge" I find slightly odd. I am a regular tourist to Thailand and here are the past cash rates that I've experienced from exchanging UKP usually in TT exchange: I found an old document from April 2017 showing that 42.68 was the average cash rate Jan - Mar 2019 average 40.9 No figure for 2020 and didn't visit until 2024 Feb - Mar 2024 average 45.22 Feb - April 2025 average 42.69 Today 22-9-25 42.55 (from TT website) So for a Brit tourist, it's actually better now than it was in 2019. Just to quantify, in 2024, £1000 got me 45220 Baht. Today it would get me 42550 Baht A difference of 2670 Baht averaged over exchanges over a 2 month period Yes it's got a little stronger, but isn't "surge" a little over dramatic...for tourists anyway.

I agree....especially with your last point I've just updated 3 PCs (1 laptop and 2 desktops) that were originally running Win 7, then Win 10, now Win 11. NONE of them matched the MS spec (e.g. no TPM) but all now work and are getting updates. All my installed software works with a few caveats. @lelapin you can start by watching this Install Windows 11 on ANY Windows 10 PC with NO data loss! - YouTube. BUT please consider the following: As @KhunLA writes above - The system must be 64Bit not 32 Bit plus the minimum RAM and disk requirements, What processor chip is in the device? If it's a Core Duo for example (very old but Win 10 works well on it) , then NO you cannot upgrade using this method. Mine were all i5 chips - they work. My Core Duo laptop will not upgrade - I'm learning Linux for that one! If your installed software is too old it won't necessarily run (Example: I don't think Office 2007 will work on Win 11 - I know Office 2016 does work.) Do you know the answers to those issues? I imaged my hard drives with Macrium before I started so I could get back to the starting point if needs be if it all went "pear-shaped" With respect, as you say "I am 84 years old so please be gentle with your answers" I'm guessing you don't have a lot of software installation experience (?) I worked in IT all my life so do have a useful background. Having said all that, you also said "it's an old laptop with Windows 7 which I never use anymore." so if you watched the video, tried and failed and "bricked" the device, have you lost anything?

Good......except that I replied to a post of yours which said "I always fill out government forms accurately and completely" So if it asks for your inside leg measurement........? Do make your mind up mate 🤔

Thank you 👍 I just searched for him - some more to watch Buddy Hackett - Google Search Click on "Short Videos"

I prefer to fill them in minimally. I don't lie but I only ever complete the mandatory parts, so if a section may be left blank, it is! "Need to know" and all that.

Her technique for defrosting frozen items is pretty much identical to what I do - mine evolved over time using the "trial and error" method so interesting to see a professional cook that agrees with me (or maybe vice-versa) I found it interesting to understand why it works so well. I'd also never considered the issue of ice being unaffected 👍 As an aside, I find the combination of a microwave and a halogen oven cover pretty much all my needs. My traditional oven hasn't been switched on for years, although i do use the stovetop and grills.