Kwaibill

I enjoyed my stays there when I was doing the routine. An extra couple of days per year would not trouble me. I had a fave restaurant and beer Lao dark is quite drinkable,IMO.

The usual definitive ”perhaps” weather forcasts. Unless they show 90% probability my bunions are a better predictor.🤪

Rice is known to ”preppers” for its long term storability. 

Longtime out of the business so I forget the exact chemistry, but my experience as an ASE mechanic and Nascar licensed driver indicate it is a small difference and of import mostly to higher compression, performance oriented engines.  As a side note, for my stock car we used to go to the local airfield to get avgas, which if I recall could be 110 octane. Important for a high compression motor operating at the limit of performance. 

A little ”pinging” could mean the difference between the winner lap and also ran.

I enjoy a little now and then but my wife adores it, so I usually leave it all for her when the budget allows some.🙂

My docs here swiched me over to Jardiance Duo from my long term insulin regime.

Quite helpful in the glucose control dept. and I had lost ~ 15 kilos with it. It too is expensive though as a recently patented drug.

One thing we have done is start using the ”dry” mode on our AC. It causes the compressor to run much less often than ” cool” or ”auto” settings. Also use a rotary fan when the ambient temps are below 30C.

I’ve also heard that keeping your fridge filled with e.g. waterbottles can help. 

Eletricity is so relatively cheap for us compared to what I used to pay in the US that I mostly economise for environmental and my wife’s thrifty nature reasons.

I had need of one a few back, forget for what reason. No big deal, just went where  the RTP site  said to go with the usual copies of passport, etc., and filled out a form, had a photo taken there and wait for I think about two weeks.

Sorry not more specific, but my forgettery is better than memory these days.

Nice rain most of the day in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan. Temps down below AC requitement.

When I lived in Bang Saray I used Lotus delivery for the bulk of my shopping. They had pretty much all I needed, and there were a number of small shops and a nice local market in easy scooter distance. Traffic was not too bad in those days.

Now married and live up Bang Phli way. My wife often orders delivery meals locally. I have ordered a few times from Makro which delivers free with a minimum order.

I used to walk to the local Lotus and the fresh market next to it, but not quite recovered from broken bones yet. I did try an expedition the other day and made it about half way there before having to turn back. Soon!

M Thai wife does have a “thing” about not stocking much food. She would rather run out.
I used to grow, can, keep goats and chickens, and make almost  everything, but then I lived way off grid and it was a good half hour drive to anything. I cannot physically do it anymore.

Making sausages and charcuterie now is my “ fill-in”.

5 hours ago, Thailand said:

Still waiting for the rain that was supposed to arrive a week or so ago!

Had a couple hours good rain in Mae Rim.

38C+ here now in our area of CM. Turned on the AC set for 27C and having a lie down.

I was used to hotter in AZ, but that was a few years and a couple of medical emergencies ago.

Not quite ready to shuffle off to Buffalo or elsewhere.🙂

My Thai wife has been turning on the AC while complaining about the electric bill.

I enjoy the AC though I moved here from AZ where it can get hellish hot, and can get by with a fan usually.

Been years since I visited a Big C food court, but found nothing much objectionable. OK food at reasonable price is always good by me. 
Latest experience at hospital food courts which were good and cheap.

I am reminded of my service experience where many bitched about the grub, but I am sure it was as good as they ever had “ on the block”.🙂

Same same for me with Makro. Previously no trouble ordering online, but last week suddenly a no go. 

On 3/16/2024 at 11:23 PM, puck2 said:

 

1. In my comment I added "???". That means I wasn't sure, if from Australia. I checked the package and could not see, where it comes from.

2. I guess you know better than me, which cheese I like most. It doesn't depend on where it comes from, but only on my OWN taste. Or do I have to ask you, which cheess I like most

 

 

I largely agree. I have found the Mainland cheeses to be quite acceptable, and I come from a family that started the Grafton, VT. cheese co. Silly to try to import that however excellent!

1 hour ago, rexpotter said:

 

Thanks to all of the contributions

1 hour ago, rexpotter said:

 

Thanks to all of the contributions

Makro sells ground pork, frozen, for less than 90 TB/ kg. A kilo makes a bunch of breakfast sausage!

17 hours ago, bunnydrops said:

For breakfast sausage. It is easy enough to make your own using ground pork. Many recipes are on the web.

16 hours ago, KhunLA said:

I don't bother with sausage casings, just make patties.   Casings is way too much hassle, buying, cleaning, before & then after using.  Too much clean up for me.

I do use casings. Pretty cheap from Lazada, and my stuffer is a small hand crank job that was about 200 baht, also from Lazada.

My #1 hobby as I don’t frequent the bars☺️

1 hour ago, doctorbailey said:

Hi, You will need to visit the SSA website and carefully read. Benefits depend on length of marriage, age, children, and work history. Other people have posted some good links such as collecting Social Security abroad. I have attached a link geared toward women but would apply to widowers as well. In Thailand you have to go through the US Embassy in Manila for benefits and they don't take calls despite saying Tuesday and Thursday mornings. You have to email them and then they will set up a time for a teleconference in the months ahead. They are stretched beyond thin...

 

A friend recently passed and his widow is 55 years old. She is eligible for the $255 lump-sum survivor benefit now and a widow's monthly benefit of 71% of her husbands benefit when she reaches 60 years of age. She is also a dual USA Thai citizen and worked 40 units in the USA. She will be able to collect the higher of her own benefit or her former husband's starting at 62+, I believe their is an increase at age 67 for the surviving widow's benefit. It would have been nice for her if they had continued to pay into a life insurance plan to get her through until then. Something folks might want to consider. You wouldn't need a crazy expensive and dangerous policy, just something to hold folks over until benefits start if a significant age gap.

 

I recommend all Americans and their wives get an email account in their name, set up a SSA online account with address and bank details, learn the multistep verification processes, and log in regularly to see what the benefits are and when they become available (IDme and Login.gov). It takes a fair bit of effort but that is the only way.

 

https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10044.pdf

 

https://ph.usembassy.gov/services/social-security/

<fbu.manila AT ssa.gov>

I have found I’d Me nearly impossible to register with from Thailand. They require proof of residence in the US. They rejected my voter ID ( one of their listed proofs) because it has both my US address of record and my Thai mailing address. Impossible to reach a human operative.