Lannig

Dhammachayo abbot must really be p*** off if he's received the same letter.

Oh wait, no.

Legacy software (and drivers) that don't run on W7 and beyond doesn't mean it's DOS-based.

It's Windows software, so DOSBox isn't an option.

Running it into a VM doesn't change the fundamentals of the problem either. It's still an XP machine on the LAN.

Forking out 10s of K€ to upgrade it is not possible in the foreseeable future, neither is switching to something different. They don't really have competitors for this specific brand/model of robotics and changing the whole stuff including the robotics would shoot us into the 5-6 digits price ballpark.

Anyway, I'm really drifting from the OP's concerns here. Sorry.

Brings back memories of similar pictures...

Aren't you already supposed to send a copy of your ID card along a form with name, address etc. with X weeks or they cut off the line?

I'm no visa expert but if the limit were in the computer, it would be consistent. It's really up to the person in front of the computer.

Hummm... are all the links to Agoda with a partner ID a coincidence? My wild guess would be pay per click.

Microsoft have done a fairly good job of maintaining APIs to support legacy code, and even in Win10 if you're stuck you can run XP in a VM very easily.

Thing is, these APIs just weren't there when people needed them so bad habits have developed and survived even when the APIs came (e.g. INI files vs. registry)

That only works if you're a paying corporate customer. They've stopped providing free updates to any XP variant.

Bzzt. Wrong.

Turn your XP into into one of the variants used in points of sale using a small tweak (I won't elaborate because it's not kosher license-wise so it would be modded out) and you still get critical updates (well, some) even as Joe User.

At least for another 3 years or so, just checked MS web site.

Yes indeed, you can still have your regular, untweaked XP receive the same updates if your company pays for it. We have this where I work and we need it because some companies we use robotics controlling software from ask for tens of K€ to upgrade to the version that supports W7.

That's real life, not always as simple as upgrading Joe User's desktop.

Fascinating videos, thanks.

The rocket propulsion techniques don't seem to have made much significant breakthrough since the Apollo days but all the rest has, especially telemetry and computer-based guidance... the real-time digital video feeds make for quite a show.

I'm really baffled to watch the 1st stage rocket land right in the middle of the circle on the platform. Wondering how much computing power and fine-tuned lines of code that requires

Thaicom used to be part of the Shin Group in the past wasn't it? Still is?

reason: a software in which i invested thousands of manhours over a period of 30 years which does not run under any newer win versions.

Translation: A piece of software so badly written that it doesn't use the API calls that Microsoft have been preaching for years.

Welcome to the real life. Such software abound and MS is partially responsible for it due to incomplete and changing APIs (as well as no real enforcement of good practices). How long did it take for MS to come up with a proper gaming graphics API i.e. DirectX in the old Windows days? during all that time game developers were talking to the graphics hardware directly. Not eager to rewrite their code, developers continued doing this until the first NT-based Windows came out and made it impossible.

Back to the topic: yes, XP is an unsafe O/S although there's a well-known trick to make it appear as a point of sale variant of XP that MS still (minimally) supports for security fixes.

Is it safe to still use it or not? it all depends on your requirements, your environment and what you use it for. In a safely firewalled environment, with cautious browsing and with the necessary attention, yes I feel that I am safe.

I'm an IT professional but also an Android hobbyist. Believe it or not, some drivers you need to flash firmware on no-name Chinese Android smartphones or tablets still work reliably only on XP. That's a fact of my life and therefore a good reason for me to keep XP.

This page here: http://www.ais.co.th/one-2-call/en/package-addon-detail.aspx?type=1&id=19

has a nice summary of all AIS offers for pre-paid Internet.

I generally use the 1.5 Gb over 7 days @ 79B myself but I'm not a permanent resident.

There's a 8Gb over 30 days package @ 799B (Mao mao non-stop) that might suit you.

Prepaid is always more expensive than postpaid for monthly things.

Would anyone please have any information / recommendation for an ophthalmologist in Nakhon Sawan ?

Thanks in advance

Lannig

-the lack of affordable and good quality healthcare (it's either)

What country did you come from before you became an expat?

France.

I'm no longer an expat. Used to be.

A new prospective member for the club of sick criminals. Want to bet he's suddenly going to feel very unwell when the time for his trial will approach?

- the hot season that seems to get longer and more unbearable with each passing year

- the noise and the pollution (unless you live in Baan Nowhere, and even so sometimes)

- the total lack of social safety net if you work here. Don't get sick, don't have an accident, don't loose your job.

- the lack of affordable and good quality healthcare (it's either)

- the real possibility for Thailand to fall into Yugoslavia-style complete and utter chaos in the next years

All the rest is wonderful

10 seconds on google

(video on shootings at the Thai-Cambodian border)

The Thai soldiers (and others) who have fallen to bombs in the south have my respect, but these lives lost in shootings over a silly land dispute with Khmers, for this [self-censored] wat is the most absurd and useless waste of human life. Nobody should have ever died there.

The more I played with the windows phone, the more I liked it. Both my Android phones are on the shelf and the Windows phone is my daily user. Some things are rather hidden but they are there. It is easy to use and for the price, I don't worry about it prematurely dying, being damaged or losing it. I especially like the reception, call quality and battery life. I rarely use the camera but it too is amazingly good for such a cheap phone.

AFAIK useless if you're in the Google ecosystem though.

What the hell does this mean? My main e-mail is a Gmail account, does this make me "in the Google ecosystem"? if so, then I can use this e-mail account just as easily on my Windows Phone. The built-in e-mail app handles Gmail account perfectly. I can sync my Google contacts and my Google calendar.

I prefer Chrome over IE or Edge but they are quite usable for the kind of browsing I do on a smartphone.

Yes, the Windows App Store is a desert compared to the Google Play Store indeed. So for the ones who want a lot of apps for all kind of things, Android is by far the best choice.

However for the ones who use only the few essential ones, Windows is just as good IMO.

Checking in anything that contains a Lithium battery is not allowed. There are very explicit signs telling this in just every airport nowadays and I've been reminded this every time by the check-in staff. Therefore I feel (no, really I don't because I'm an Apple-basher too ) for the said passenger but putting this laptop in the checked baggage was something not only silly but also dangerous.

If one isn't able to provide invoices for item of value declared as contained in a destroyed or lost baggage, one gets only a compensation based on the checked-in weight. That was reminded to me when my baggage was lost on a Thai Airways flight from Paris to Bangkok quite a few years ago. I had some expensive clothing in there (suit) and a few items of significant value, but of course invoices were lost long ago. So I received a ridiculous amount of money and not even a commercial gesture for a next flight. Nothing, nada.

My advice : go for Win7 + Classic Shell (freeware) and you won't be too much disturbed in your habits.

I wouldn't advise Win10, of course it's more sexy and seemingly easier to use, but that's a massive change. Not something you might be looking forward to.

Staying with XP : if you're behind an ADSL router you're not facing the Big Bad Internet. Only your actions can be the keyhole that will allow malware to enter your computer: opening an unexpected e-mail attachment (even seemingly coming from someone you know), using IE to browse the 'net, visiting risky sites.

If you're doing none of this, if you're using Firefox and keep it updated (for the time being it still gets updated for XP), then one may consider keeping XP IMHO.

Just my 0.02 ‎฿

This is typed from an XP computer (let the attacks begin!).

Thailand is only ideal for a holiday, or for older people who wish to relax whilst they enjoy their retirement.

Agree with this too, however I wish to stress the ideal word here.

After the end of your honeymoon phase (as phrased accurately by another member) you start realizing that it's not ideal at all. Earthly paradise doesn't exist more in Thailand than anywhere else. Thailand does have a lot of nice things to offer but much trouble can be around the corner too (especially when you're working hard, growing older and you haven't saved that money during your working years!).

Then, you make a choice based on what you value most compared to what "nanny states" offer.

Political uncertainty and the real risk for this country to become wildly unstable after a certain event takes place is something to be considered too.

How is that news, sadly?

Smoke detectors in a rural school dorm in Thailand? I'd be quite surprised if there are

Seems that this story is making the rounds on many western media now

It is early days yet but it gives me some hope for this world to see the Atheists leading the way. A majority would be nice but longest journeys begin with small steps.

I agree.

Then again, majority of people are de facto atheists. Majority of people do religious things as it has been polite to do so.

In my county, people 'belong to the church' mainly because the church offers nice environment for weddings. Very few people go to the churches except for the times it's socially mandatory.

As the knowledge increases, beliefs reduces.

No "doing religious things" doesn't necessarily mean you're an atheist.

I find it strange that you don't seem to hold a place for people who are believers but don't want to practice any religion as per rules that are human-made or come from a book of dubious origins.

As for an automatic reduction of beliefs with education, this doesn't seem obvious to me.

Maturation of society and democracy going towards the elimination of anything religious from all state matters seems natural to me, though, and I'm all for it. I happen to live in a country that has separation of church and state deeply ingrained. Our president doesn't swear on any religious book and just cannot say "God bless<country>". That would be outrageous and probably a reason for him/her to be impeached.

I remember trying one of these things years ago and I hadn't been convinced at all

Basically useless IMO. Even filing it with icy water direct from the fridge didn't seem to make a perceivable temperature difference in the room.

It was bringing a lot of moisture too, not something bad in the dry season but annoying the rest of the time.

Again, this was quite a few years ago so they may make better ones now.

There are a few discussions about beliefs and religions on the forum these days.

I wrote there that although I grew a real interest Buddhism when I came to Thailand, these are the kind of things that eventually kept me away.

Well this case is kind of extreme, but money is everywhere in Thai Buddhism.

Obviously this guy must be spraying lots of money over quite a few important people to get such a level of immunity.

I know that I've said this already, but making a farce of the authorities like this in a country where face-saving is the most important thing... it really beats me.

@KhuBENQ : that was advice given tongue-in-cheek, I assume?