Etaoin Shrdlu

Does anyone have experience with any dog boarding service in Bangkok? We will be traveling for several weeks and need to find a good pet hotel for our dog.

As long as the students and teachers meet the definition of a group as per the insurer's underwriting guidelines, I don't see why a such a plan could not be put together. Have you already approached insurers and been turned down? In any case, I'd recommend using an insurance broker to help you with this.

This thread isn't about the Bidens.

This thread isn't about the Bidens or their alleged influence peddling. This thread is about the clown car that is the current administration. You may start a separate thread about the alleged crimes of the Bidens if you wish.

The consular official performing the interview will want to know about your ties to Thailand, not just hers. If you have been in Thailand for a long time and have a job, that will count in her favor as it indicates that you both will return to Thailand after your visit to the US. She needs to bring your passport to the interview so they officer can establish your immigration status here. Good luck.

Trump failed to get 50% of the votes cast. He squeaked by in terms of the popular vote. It was by no means a landslide.

Here's an interesting article from the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-santi-ruiz.html?unlocked_article_code=1.604.Pob1.Zd_pFCQNs83j&smid=url-share Before the MAGAs erupt over the source, I'd suggest a read first.

I don't think many schools provide medical insurance for students. The cost would be significant and would likely overlap with cover that at least some children would have through their parents' employment. As you mention, personal accident cover is sometimes subscribed by schools to address medical costs arising from students' activities on schools grounds or on school trips. Some schools have third party liability insurance to protect their legal liability for bodily injury occurring to the students on the school's property. This would provide protection above the no-fault personal accident cover and could carry more substantial limits of liability in order to address potential catastrophic accidents. Personal accident and third party liability insurance policies are available from non-life insurers in Thailand.

Here is an article for you: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/28/business/economy/inflation-wages-pay-salaries.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Do you think billionnaires have the working man's best interest at heart? They're already going after Medicaid and are making noises about Social Security.

If one has 60% more dollars, but each dollar is worth 21% less, do you think one is better or worse off?

The S&P 500 gained almost 60% between January 20, 2021 and January 20, 2025. Lots of people made lots of money under Joe Biden. Trump seems to be taking the markets in the other direction.

This regulation was put in place in 2019. I don't think it has formally been rescinded, but perhaps the perceived need to monitor people's online activity so closely has passed, or authorities are able to collect the necessary identifiers by other means. One large, international coffee shop chain still requires ID/passport and name to log into their free wifi.

Lutnick describing his boss.

Microsoft is killing Skype. Get the correct info from Microsoft's own website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/02/28/the-next-chapter-moving-from-skype-to-microsoft-teams/ Microsoft Teams is not a replacement for Skype for the individual user as many of the most-needed features will not be available in Teams once any existing Skype subscriptions expire.

One always has to remember that an insurance company's first loyalty is to its shareholders, not its policyholders.

Good point. Let's hope that the TRD does indeed use this approach.

It is not clear, at least in my opinion, whether the basis used for determining the amount of capital gains for Thai tax purposes is the original cost of the asset when purchased, as would be the case under US tax regulations, or the value of the asset on 31 December 2023. In other words, are unrealized capital gains at 31 December 2023 added to the actual cost of the asset in order to determine the basis for calculating capital gains? I think it is a bit of a stretch to consider unrealized capital gains as income earned in years prior to 2024. My gut tells me that the capital gains are earned in the year the asset is sold and the basis is the cost of the asset when purchased. It would certainly be nice if the TRD would clearly state that the basis for capital gains is the value of the asset at 31 December 2023, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Actually, April International is an insurance broker and not an insurance company. April does not seem to have an insurance broker's license in Thailand. Instead, it looks like it has an assistance company here for the purpose of coordinating claims with hospitals. April International's website directs inquiries for quotes for Thailand to a page that states that policies are issued by LMG Public Company Ltd. If the OP has had an LMG Thailand policy for the past five years, then he may benefit from the 5-year time bar. The OP may have engaged April International in France, or perhaps somewhere else outside Thailand, and gotten an offshore policy, but he does not state that in his post. Lacking that specificity, I would suspect that April International routed his request to LMG and his policy is actually issued by LMG Thailand. And as an aside, LMG has just this month announced that they are selling their operations in Thailand and Vietnam to Chubb.

If your policy is with April Thailand, then there is another benefit you have if you stay with April. After five uninterrupted years of renewing the same policy, the insurer is barred by the Thai Civil and Commercial Code from digging into your past medical history looking for undisclosed pre-existing conditions for the purpose of denying a claim and voiding your policy. The five year limit may not apply to cases of fraud, but that's a higher bar for the insurer to clear.

Liability insurers aren't keen to pay claims arising out of the intentional acts of their insureds, and as a result policies have exclusions with respect to intentional acts. This includes motor policies. Not to have this exclusion would invite a moral hazard.

NHI does not have a presence in Thailand. If you use a particular hospital, you might wish to ask the hospital how they would work with NHI with respect to billing and payment. The hospital may accept a letter of guarantee in lieu of having a direct payment agreement if you were to be admitted or otherwise expect to incur large expenses.

Now Health International carries an S&P rating of AA- and an AM Best rating of A+. indicating good financial strength, so you probably wouldn't have to worry about NHI's financial ability to pay a claim. NHI's head office is domiciled in Hong Kong, which is a well-developed insurance market where regulatory oversight is good. Check with your broker to determine if your policy would be issued by the Hong Kong parent company. If not, ask which subsidiary would issue the policy and what the subsidiary's S&P or AM Best rating is. I don't have any personal or professional experience with this company, so you may wish to ask your broker why they are recommending NHI and what their specific experience is with them.

With a new installation, I would first suspect refrigerant leak, but could be something else. Let us know what the solution was once you get it sorted.

Could be a number of issues, but I don't think it is the amount of moisture you put into the air from a workout. Have the unit and filters cleaned and make sure the refrigerant is the correct pressure. Check that the drainpipe isn't blocked.