Farmerslife

Buy that man a pint ????.

Just curious, was your letter properly addressed? Mine arrived just before the Songkran break and was dated 3rd January. The address did not include the Country and the province had been shortened to Nakhon Ratc. I guess the letter went through the automatic letter readers several times before being spat out as insufficiently addressed and then it required manual intervention to forward it. Add to that industrial action in the UK by RM workers and a postman over here who delivers only when the mood takes him, which unfortunately for me appears to be not very often, and the weeks soon passed. I now wait to see if I receive my state pension at the end of the month.

From Gov.UK website Acceptable witnesses Recognised professions Examples of recognised professions include: accountant airline pilot articled clerk of a limited company assurance agent of recognised company bank or building society official barrister chairman or director of a limited company chiropodist commissioner for oaths councillor, for example local or county civil servant (permanent) dentist director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company engineer with professional qualifications financial services intermediary, for example a stockbroker or insurance broker fire service official funeral director insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company journalist Justice of the Peace legal secretary (fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs) licensee of a public house local government officer manager or personnel officer of a limited company member, associate or fellow of a professional body Member of Parliament Merchant Navy officer minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science) nurse (RGN or RMN) officer of the armed services optician paralegal (certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals) person with honours, for example an OBE or MBE pharmacist photographer (professional) police officer Post Office official president or secretary of a recognised organisation Salvation Army officer social worker solicitor surveyor teacher or lecturer trade union officer travel agent (qualified) valuer or auctioneer (fellow or associate members of the incorporated society) Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers Not that this is probably of great interest to anyone else but, as an example, I used a friend in the tax office to witness mine.

Last month I extended my Non Imm OA (retirement) visa at Korat Immigration with a policy that only covered me for inpatient care. There is no longer a need for outpatient cover. This reduced the annual cost for me by 32,000 baht.

Perhaps, they didn't want to go to rehab.

It is not often that the Immigration Division attracts much praise from the majority of us on here but credit where credit's due. I extended my Non-Imm OA visa (Retirement) on Tuesday without any dramas and was surprised by how much more amicable the process has become in comparison with the preceding years. Admittedly, this is the 4th time I have been through the process, so I avoided some of the schoolboy errors of my first year or so. No more black pens for me or similar foolish mistakes.???? However, the most significant changes appear to have come from the Immigration office themselves. I believe there is a new head of the division in place now and he has brought in a number improvements. Being able to make a timed appointment is a godsend in itself. One of the most unpleasant parts of the process used to be the vetting of one's paperwork before being granted a queue number for an appointment to see an Immigration Officer. This process used to be conducted by bureaucratic harpies who appeared to be adhering to a dictum of "they shall not pass" whatever the circumstances. Any failure to dot all the i's or cross all the t's brought down withering scorn and instantaneous rejection. This has gone! I was greeted with a smile, a 'wai' and courteous helpfulness. When I completed the TM7 form at desks set aside for the purpose, there were a couple of young officers (trainees?) who were on hand to assist and answer any questions, if need be. Certainly, the one I dealt with spoke excellent English. The previous year there had been a gaggle of what I took to be schoolgirls on work experience fulfilling this duty. While I am sure that they were well-intentioned, they lacked the knowledge to be of much help. But for me, the most marked improvement was the change in attitude from everyone involved. It had gone from the confrontational approach of previous years to a friendly willingness to help. To say it was a pleasurable experience might be over exaggerating somewhat. I can't imagine there are too many people who enjoy going through the process but nonetheless the change in attitude has made it as painless and friendly as it is possible to be. So thank you Korat Immigration and long may it last.

I have a small hiatus hernia that sometimes replicates the symptoms of a sore throat - dry - rasping - a catch in the voice - some catarrh at the back of the throat. I've lived with mine for many years now without it worsening and I've not noticed a connection with hot drinks but it might be worth your while to check it out.

I had to give you an uptick for this. I often fall for your trolling but this is probably the funniest post I am going to read on here today. And you are spot on about the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread.

It so that their unflattering comments about you can pass over you head unimpeded. ????

Thursday: Pak Chong. Still raining ! It's been chucking it down non-stop since yesterday afternoon. Perhaps I should consider planting rice, I've now got the unintentional paddy field.

All of the world has had to deal with covid and the Russian war on Ukraine. Brexit, Thick Lizzie and the quasi chancellor's mini budget of self-harm are the reasons why the UK finds itself in a far worse predicament than any other country.

How do people heat up their homes? Easy - bring the Mia noi home and introduce her to the wife.

For a will to be legally binding your signing of the document needs to be done in the presence of two witnesses who will also be required to sign the document. (Incidentally, these witnesses cannot be beneficiaries.) You could not have a version, notarised or not, that was produced after your death. It would be impossible to confirm whether the document was genuine or not.

For a will to be legally enforceable in Thailand it must be written in Thai. You can have a copy in English but the legal document is the Thai language version. A reputable law firm will draw up copies in both languages. If you were concerned that the Thai version might not accurately reflect your wishes you could have it translated by an independent company before signing the will.

It is the loneliness and the cultural differences that will wear her down eventually. Couple that with the constant grey skies and drizzle of autumn and the cold of winter. The bad news from your point of view is all this takes time to have an effect and you don't want to spend months/years for this to take its toll on her. Perhaps a visit to some godforsaken sink estate could circumvent the the whole process for you.

If you want to see a doctor here it is usually a choice between a hospital or a clinic. The clinics can be pretty hit and miss, some good, some quite bad. Both hospitals and clinics are run as businesses primarily and their objective is make a profit. Hence the ubiquitous use of drips and the over prescription of antibiotics. It all generates income. Mind you, it is possibly preferable to the alternative school of health care that believes pretty much everything can be cured by a visit to the local temple.

It needs shearing. ????

What a great idea! I must include a codicil to my will.

Delivered with all the certainty of someone who is completely wrong. ????

I can't answer the specific question as I don't live in Bangkok but here in Pak Chong my optician offered various choices depending on the quality of the lenses ranging from 9,000 to 20,000 baht all for high index, varifocal lense . Back in the UK I used to use Specsavers but they were cheap lense that scratched in no time at all. Last year I decided to go all in and buy the most expensive pair of glasses I have ever bought in my life. I went with the 20,000 option. Rodenstock lense and my optician supplied the frames without additional charge 10 months on and not a single scratch. I am very pleased with my decision.

"No more corruption" Not on Prawit's watch as acting PM. Of course, he may find he only has a limited timeframe to bring his reforms to bear. The seconds are ticking away until the constitutional court delivers its verdict on Prayut's tenure as PM. Still, it's good to see an honest face in the centre of the dial of Thai government.

Ditto @recom273 If you dig around in Makro's freezer cabinets you can also find the pricey imported stuff but, maybe, this only applies in Nakhon Nowhere. ????

I expect the occasional Burmese python here, living close to Khao Yai, but this one is far from a suitable home. The vast majority of snakes in Bangkok walk upright on 2 legs, their nationality being irrelevant.

I get your point but tattoos are a matter of personal choice. God forbid, that I ever live in a totalitarian state that would prevent people from being tattooed. I confess I don't have a tattoo. When I was young they weren't fashionable and now it is much too late in life to get one done. Apologies to all those at the wrong end of life who are tattooed but I think they lose their visual appeal on wrinkled skin. A far greater concern for most of us pale skinned expats is the risk of skin cancer from exposure to the sun's rays rather than the risk from ink from an aged tattoo. Oh, - - - - and one last point, the sweetest lady in the world has but one, a small scorpion tattoo on the back of her left hand, just below the thumb, and I love it. ????

Small in stature, towering in presence. I always associate him with Ugarte in Casablanca but that is doing him an injustice as he appeared in a huge number of classic films. A great actor.