Dirk Z

Good luck getting the genie back in the bottle! 

Would it make much difference? 

I still see them used a lot in my area (Sukhumvit) but I hate them for their noise. Will never use one. 

Noisy tuk-tuks

The plus plus

My taxman required this in order to exempt me from some taxes. I got it in the office on Sukhumvit soi 11 in BKK. Quick and easy procedure. I did bring my Thai wife for the translation, they hardly speak English.

If you are over 70 you can pull the old-age card. Worked very well for me last time I was there.

I have lived at the same address for more than 10 years. Done the TM30 on and off. At the last 90 days reporting (in person) I was reminded that I needed to do another TM30. I live in a condo that is in my wife's name. For banking I even have  rental contract (!). So I go to the website where she is registered as the condo owner but could not get it done. Tried a couple of times to no avail. Then called the immigration. Got a very friendly patient English speaking officer who walked me trough the procedure. He told me to edit the details of my wife's registration. I had been reluctant about this out of fear of messing things up. It appeared however that there were two new fields to fill out (sex and another one, I forgot). I completed the details and after that all went smoothly. Just for testing I filed another TM30 later after a visit to a hotel. Again no problem.

In cases where there is the ++ (i.e. 10% service charge) I don't tip. In other cases proportionally, usually not more than 20-50 baht. My taxi ride is usually around 60-65 baht, if it is a driver that starts the meter directly I always give 100. Taxi's are absurdly cheap, these guys make little money, work hard and the rates have hardly changed in the past 20 years or so.

On 4/21/2025 at 11:12 PM, NativeBob said:

pneumonia is the consequence of severed immune system. I don't want to name all those celebs whose death cause was announced "pneumonia" as it might sounds blasphemous.
Move on: 
Dual pneumonia means upper and lower parts of lungs damaged. 

Well, from COVID-19 experience we learnt that there are ways to oxygenate blood even without working lungs. Temporarily. 

To make it short: Eminence had something more sinister with his health and that's why they rush to put him into the coffin and end the story. 

I won't buy that the wealthiest Vatican could not heal the Pope from puny pneumonia. There is some really scary story behind.

Rest In Peace, Your Eminence 

 

PS: look at his meeting with JD Vence. He was completely immobilized and bloated. Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a common disease in old people and even among doctors called "the old man's friend". The pope had a very high age, you have to die of something. So, completely physiological in the cycle of life.

I have made road trips in many countries (Europe, US, S-Korea, Japan) and from that I know that if you like, or at least don't mind, a lot of driving you can make a round trip through Thailand. Up north to Mae Hong Son, down along the Myanmar border, down to Krabi area and Phuket, then back north into Isan and back to Chiang Mai. Doable.

You can get a priority queue ticket on the basis of your age. Just mention it at the counter. It worked very well for me last time.

On 3/12/2025 at 9:30 PM, Task Master said:

Religious people should not breed.

Unfortunately I know that the son of a hard-core atheist had himself brainwashed, converted and was baptized.

On 4/4/2025 at 1:16 PM, Seagull Sam said:

Let's all have a good laugh at the crazy nutjob the dumb ass Mid West put in charge of the world economy. 

It will all end in tears before bed time and the Chinese will think all their birthdays have come at once. 

And don't forget the Russians. Putin has never been a happier man.

11 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If every insult leveled at Trump was a brick, we could build a road to the moon!

I suppose insults are all they have now, considering their candidate was so incredibly bad.

It is not an insult but an objective observation for which there is ample proof.

On 3/29/2025 at 1:05 PM, impulse said:

 

Especially since there's a lot of airlines banning power banks on flights, so a lot of passengers arrive with dead smartphones.  That's been a learning curve for me flying the Chinese airlines where power banks can't be used in flight.  Making sure I don't run out of battery.

 

Ever thought of using a charger that you can plug into an outlet at airport or even airplane? A fully charged phone should outlast even the longest flight, especially since the usage of phones is limited.

I have had it rejected for:

- new passport

- returning from outside country

- wrong date. Correct window is: -15 to -7 days from due date.

I think it belongs to the big hospital but it is a separate building. Just go to the 14th floor and tell them what you want.

I go to Chulalongkorn, it is in the MBK area. 14th floor. Walk-in, prompt service, 700 baht if I remember well and result in 1-2 days through email.

35 minutes ago, Packer said:

 

Are you talking about in Thailand or the west? 

 

I would imagine that doctors here are much more open to giving the phone number of a broker that can supply extreme level painkillers during the end of life process.

 

A few friends got abortions here, which is illegal, or was at least, medical clinics all gave the address of different abortion clinics that did it for 5000BAHT that were full of customers and operating in obvious full daylight. 

 

If it's anything like antibiotics then local motorcycle taxi drivers can prescribe them. 😂

Thailand 

If medical industry includes hospitals, then yes. For the dying there is not much money to be made out of pharmaceuticals. There is in all sorts of testing etc.

9 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

That's right.

When terminally ill, and on your last legs...you become a...

CASH COW to the medial industry in the USA.

 

Actually I was talking about Thailand. Don't know how it is in USA.

On 3/17/2025 at 2:11 AM, Packer said:

Absolutely. Hopefully the doctors are a lot more open to sending me home to my bed with lots of really good painkilling drugs in my family's pockets should it come to that. Or the number of a broker that can sell them, at least.

I have seen it many times with my own eyes: they won't let you die and won't give too many painkillers. You might get addicted.