RayOday

"His expected promotion follows Thaksin Shinawatra's remarks on the lack of reach of populist policies under Anutin’s leadership." Need I say more about this rats nest?

This could be a "collar" given to Thai police by dark Public Security Bureau offices in Thailand the PSB has illegal offices in many countries extending the king arm if the black hand. When the triads turn their crime to the PRC and enough people are affected they have acted in the past.

Another stumbling forward of this inept government. I have 2 step kids in high school in BKK. The school requires the parents administer COVID-19 tests prior to the kids leaving for school. Everywhere we look tests are sold out. None to be found. Parents must be sending the kids without testing as the students are falling victim at an alarming rate. No air purifiers. Deer in lights when Corsi-Rosenthal boxes are mentioned. Pathetic suffering due to lax to zero leadership. Corrupt regimes always cause the everyday people to suffer. I would be disappointed if this wasn't the norm and I wasn't a Farang.

I once read some really helpful advice on this forum regarding BPH. I didn't save the link so I regret that I can't credit the author.I did copy the text so here you go... Early 60's and retired, having worked in healthcare my entire career. I have been living with BPH for about 15 years. When considering prostate treatment options it is important to know your prostate size. This is generally obtained and calculated from a lower abdominal ultrasound. Another benefit of this procedure is that they may ascertain if you are retaining any urine in your bladder after you urinate (a post-void residual volume). Smaller prostates are generally more easy to treat than larger prostates. The ultrasound will not reveal detailed information about the condition of the lobes and zones of the prostate. Instead, a more invasive procedure called a cystoscopy is needed for this information. The prostate has four lobes- a left and right lateral lobe, an anterior lobe, and a median lobe. A large median lobe can complicate some surgical techniques. Medications are the first line of therapy and are usually quite effective. Alpha-blockers such as terazosin, doxasosin, tamsulosin, alfuzosin, and silodosin typically provide substantial relief of lower urinary tract symptoms. I find it easiest to think of alpha-blockers as muscle relaxers for the prostate that result in less impingement upon the urethra, thereby improving flow. I have tried all of these alpha-blockers and I can tell you from my experience I have 2 clear favorites: alfuzosin and silodosin. In Thailand these are available as Xatral XL 10mg and Urief 4mg. There are some less expensive versions of alfuzosin but I have found them to be inferior to brand name Xatral. Side effects with alpha-blockers can be high at first, but they tend to rapidly fade away over the first two weeks of treatment as your body adjusts to the therapy. Alfuzosin is idealy taken about a half hour after finishing dinner. Many patients including myself consider alfuzosin to be the superior alpha-blocker because it achieves clinically significant improvement in symptoms without dizziness or ejaculatory dysfunction. Silodosin is a newer alpha-blocker and it is unique in that it has a high degree of specificity for the alpha-1a receptor subtype. The specificity profile of silodosin makes it quite powerful and thus it will have more side effects such as ejaculatory dysfunction also known as retrograde ejaculation. The bladder neck muscle is a sphincter type muscle that sits at the junction between the bladder and the prostate. During normal ejaculation the body will tighten this muscle so that fluids flow out the distal end of the urethra. With a super potent alpha-blocker such as silodosin, the bladder neck muscle will be unable to close fully and ejaculatory fluids will typically take the shorter path and flow up into the bladder. For me and living with BPH for 15 years my regimen has become alfuzosin 10mg daily, half hour after dinner and silodosin 4mg once a week (taken together with the alfuzosin). I find the silodosin 4mg (Urief) to be so powerful that its effects last for days and for my particular symptoms and sleep interruption I don't need more at this time. I would recommend silodosin to any patients who were previously on other alpha-blockers but found them to be ineffective. I'd also recommend silodosin to any patients trying to pass a kidney stone. The other main class of prostate medications are the 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and these include finasteride and dutasteride. These medications work by shrinking the prostate slowly over time through their interference with the conversion of testosterone to DHT. This class of medication is much less effective in patients with smaller prostate sizes. The 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are also high side-effect drugs and can cause loss of libido, impotence, ejaculatory disorder, gynecomastia, depression, anxiety, and increase the risks of a more serious type of prostate cancer. Sometimes these drugs are marketed as combination therapies with alpha-blockers. The medication Duodart is a good example. I'd strongly advise against self-prescribing any 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and I think you can achieve superior therapy avoiding the marketed combination capsules such as Duodart. When the medications are not enough or not tolerated then it is time to evaluate surgical options to reduce the prostate. Surgical options include minimally invasive surgical therapies (MIST) that can generally be performed in a doctors office and all the traditional surgeries such as TURP which generally require some time at the hospital. The list of options for MIST continues to grow and now includes Rezum, UroLift, iTind, Optilume, and various injection types and histotripsy are currently undergoing studies. Though most of the literature describes aquablation as a minimally invasive technique I sure tend to disagree with that. This is generally performed in a hospital setting and In talking to my urologist this technique can result in a lot of bleeding which then needs cauterization. Perhaps it's more advanced, planned and guided than TURP, but in no way would I consider this minimally invasive. Most men, myself included, care quite strongly about preserving normal ejaculatory function. If this is the case you should extensively discuss this with your urologist and ask him in detail about what he intends to do when near your bladder neck muscle. Sometimes I feel like these urologists don't give a <deleted> about your ejaculatory function and just want you to urinate properly for the rest of your life so that you don't damage your kidneys. During a TURP or TUIP these guys will slice and dice your bladder neck muscle making a nice channel up to your ureters to give you a fantastically great flow, but you will never ejaculate normally again. If you don't care about ejaculatory function then don't early 60's and retired, having worked in healthcare my entire career. I have been living with BPH for about 15 years. When considering prostate treatment options it is important to know your prostate size. This is generally obtained and calculated from a lower abdominal ultrasound. Another benefit of this procedure is that they may ascertain if you are retaining any urine in your bladder after you urinate (a post-void residual volume). Smaller prostates are generally more easy to treat than larger prostates. The ultrasound will not reveal detailed information about the condition of the lobes and zones of the prostate. Instead, a more invasive procedure called a cystoscopy is needed for this information. The prostate has four lobes- a left and right lateral lobe, an anterior lobe, and a median lobe. A large median lobe can complicate some surgical techniques. Medications are the first line of therapy and are usually quite effective. Alpha-blockers such as terazosin, doxasosin, tamsulosin, alfuzosin, and silodosin typically provide substantial relief of lower urinary tract symptoms. I find it easiest to think of alpha-blockers as muscle relaxers for the prostate that result in less impingement upon the urethra, thereby improving flow. I have tried all of these alpha-blockers and I can tell you from my experience I have 2 clear favorites: alfuzosin and silodosin. In Thailand these are available as Xatral XL 10mg and Urief 4mg. There are some less expensive versions of alfuzosin but I have found them to be inferior to brand name Xatral. Side effects with alpha-blockers can be high at first, but they tend to rapidly fade away over the first two weeks of treatment as your body adjusts to the therapy. Alfuzosin is idealy taken about a half hour after finishing dinner. Many patients including myself consider alfuzosin to be the superior alpha-blocker because it achieves clinically significant improvement in symptoms without dizziness or ejaculatory dysfunction. Silodosin is a newer alpha-blocker and it is unique in that it has a high degree of specificity for the alpha-1a receptor subtype. The specificity profile of silodosin makes it quite powerful and thus it will have more side effects such as ejaculatory dysfunction also known as retrograde ejaculation. The bladder neck muscle is a sphincter type muscle that sits at the junction between the bladder and the prostate. During normal ejaculation the body will tighten this muscle so that fluids flow out the distal end of the urethra. With a super potent alpha-blocker such as silodosin, the bladder neck muscle will be unable to close fully and ejaculatory fluids will typically take the shorter path and flow up into the bladder. For me and living with BPH for 15 years my regimen has become alfuzosin 10mg daily, half hour after dinner and silodosin 4mg once a week (taken together with the alfuzosin). I find the silodosin 4mg (Urief) to be so powerful that its effects last for days and for my particular symptoms and sleep interruption I don't need more at this time. I would recommend silodosin to any patients who were previously on other alpha-blockers but found them to be ineffective. I'd also recommend silodosin to any patients trying to pass a kidney stone. The other main class of prostate medications are the 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and these include finasteride and dutasteride. These medications work by shrinking the prostate slowly over time through their interference with the conversion of testosterone to DHT. This class of medication is much less effective in patients with smaller prostate sizes. The 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are also high side-effect drugs and can cause loss of libido, impotence, ejaculatory disorder, gynecomastia, depression, anxiety, and increase the risks of a more serious type of prostate cancer. Sometimes these drugs are marketed as combination therapies with alpha-blockers. The medication Duodart is a good example. I'd strongly advise against self-prescribing any 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and I think you can achieve superior therapy avoiding the marketed combination capsules such as Duodart. When the medications are not enough or not tolerated then it is time to evaluate surgical options to reduce the prostate. Surgical options include minimally invasive surgical therapies (MIST) that can generally be performed in a doctors office and all the traditional surgeries such as TURP which generally require some time at the hospital. The list of options for MIST continues to grow and now includes Rezum, UroLift, iTind, Optilume, and various injection types and histotripsy are currently undergoing studies. Though most of the literature describes aquablation as a minimally invasive technique I sure tend to disagree with that. This is generally performed in a hospital setting and In talking to my urologist this technique can result in a lot of bleeding which then needs cauterization. Perhaps it's more advanced, planned and guided than TURP, but in no way would I consider this minimally invasive. Most men, myself included, care quite strongly about preserving normal ejaculatory function. If this is the case you should extensively discuss this with your urologist and ask him in detail about what he intends to do when near your bladder neck muscle. Sometimes I feel like these urologists don't give a <deleted> about your ejaculatory function and just want you to urinate properly for the rest of your life so that you don't damage your kidneys. During a TURP or TUIP these guys will slice and dice your bladder neck muscle making a nice channel up to your ureters to give you a fantastically great flow, but you will never ejaculate normally again. If you don't care about ejaculatory function then don't waste time with the minimally invasive surgical techniques, just get a TURP and urinate like a teenager the rest of your life. I'm not going to discuss techniques for complete removal of the prostate as I really only see that as time with the minimally invasive surgical techniques, just get a TURP and urinate like a teenager the rest of your life.

And you may need a script to chill out with some weed.

The recommendations omitted No Idea Sukhumvit Soi !8.

True, I track locations in Yunnan as well as I lived there for a while. Marginally better. Anyone who has visited Singapore has experienced Indonesia's burning pollution affecting it's neighbor. Other countries are bad yet leadership begins at home. Thailand can do much more. I have spent ~2 months in different Thai locations over the past 2 years. Thailand has much work to do. I did see fire inspectors at a cafe in a remote Nan location with fires burning all around. ? In this case accountability is not there. All along the management chain the mission appears to be failing. Much like road enforcement reducing the perennial road deaths per Capita. But then again I am imposing my view of "a better" condition of life for those whose culture I don't understand. Yup.

Just when the growers started to produce excellent products.

In my experience this comment doesn't apply. We visit an 84 year old family member in a very small village in Surin province; maybe 100 people. There is a moo baan clinic that gathers up all the elderly and checks them regularly. All have been vaccinated at least 3 times.

I tracked a few locations daily throughout the 2025 "burning season": Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Bangkok, Hua Hin, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla/Hat Yai. The summary is that Thailand air quality sucks for +2.5 months per year. Hua Hin is marginally better than CM yet still horrible. Songkhla/Hat Yai and a few locations in Nakhon Si Thammarat are acceptable yet not healthy (Yellow on the IQair AQI rankings). Nan is off the charts and worse than Chiang Mai. I drove to Nan after the smog hit CM and visibility was poor.I immediately left and headed to BKK for a week and it was as bad as CM. Then I left for HH and the air quality was poor for almost 2.5 weeks and became acceptable yet not good. I am uncertain what can be done with respect to Myanmar and Laos but the Thai government is failing it's populace once again as fires in Thailand continue to deter tourists and compromise the health of it's citizens. Extract from the OECD Thailand's environmental and health performance according to OECD metrics shows a mixed picture, with significant challenges in air quality and some improvements in other areas. -Air Quality and Pollution Thailand faces serious air pollution challenges, particularly in Bangkok and northern regions. PM2.5 concentrations frequently exceed WHO guidelines, with annual averages often 2-3 times higher than recommended levels. The country ranks among the more polluted nations in OECD assessments, with air quality being a major public health concern. -Health Outcomes Related to Environment Environmental factors contribute substantially to Thailand's disease burden. Air pollution is linked to increased rates of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and premature deaths. The OECD estimates that environmental risk factors account for a significant portion of the country's health expenditure. -Policy Response Thailand has implemented various environmental policies, including emission standards for vehicles and industrial facilities, though enforcement remains inconsistent. The country has made commitments under international agreements but faces challenges in balancing economic development with environmental protection. -Comparative Performance Compared to OECD averages, Thailand generally performs below standards for air quality and environmental health indicators, though it has shown improvement in some waste management and water access metrics over time. The recent video of Prawit falling down the steps is a metaphor for this bumbling government failing it's people.

I bought a Henson razor on Lazada as well as Feather and Personna blades. I cheap out on the excellent Arko stick, except it smells like Parrot Soap, also available on Lazada. Quite happy with the setup.

Meet her in a foursome with three other women.

This is the usual classic BS from esteemed elected officials and phone-watching bureaucrats. An electric power pole has been leaning over the road—probably at a 60° angle—on the way to Haad Sai Noi, just outside the back gate of the royal property. It has been in this condition for over a year. The PEA installed a new concrete pole with capacitors next to it, yet they have not transitioned the electric lines for over three months. Wait for it—someone is likely to be injured or killed. This is no exaggeration. I have notified the PEA numerous times. If someone dies as a result, it should be considered manslaughter. I am a university-trained professional engineer with over 30 years of experience. PEA, prove me wrong.

Exactly my experience. Schwab did it for me in China as well. I have found Schwab's customer service to be excellent. The service process is focused on owning and resolving the client's issue. No circular processes without the agent having the authority to do something, no hand offs. I used Skype as well and successfully ported my number to TossibleDigits. Set up was too easy and fast. Price is cheap. I use it for OTPs but the service app has additional functions. I get the code via email. I am sure there are alternatives.

I renewed my 5 year license for another 5 years in Chiang Mai 2 months ago. Less waste hence more efficient. I completed a self-paced online refresher course of the road laws with just a few simple quiz questions. Once completed the program generated a QR dense code to capture on my phone. Went to the land transport office, presented the code of completion, requested documents, and was asked to identify red, amber, green right at the counter then went to a 1 person queue had a license photo taken, received my new license in 5 minutes. While not completely digital it was a significant process improvement. Now what are they actually doing to improve road safety (road deaths per Capita)? Nothing. It appears that the Dept off Land Transport & the police are disconnected. No on road enforcement. I have a China drivers license & lived in China when people drove cars like bicycles (1995). Weaving in and out with no regard for lanes. Then it all changed with the upgrade in national road infrastructure and enforcement, which is key, Quantitative improvements are tracked by the WHO. I am aware of the veracity of China's data yet this concurs with my experience. What did they do? 1. Strictly Enforced Traffic Laws 2. Infrastructure Development 3. Vehicle Safety Standards 4. Public Awareness Campaigns 5. Emergency Response Improvements It can be done IF there is the will and leadership to achieve less carnage. P.S. I have driven from Shanghai to Yunnan and back several times stopping along the way. I also drove 4500 kms in Xinjiang prior to the current nastiness. I feel confident in my assessment of China's road safety improvements.

The key for the Thais is to let the Chinese build it with no Thai involvement. The Chinese build fast with many prefabricated components. They also do not tolerate corruption. I know it sounds like my head is up my ass. I lived in China for +15 years and watched and used the build out of China's incredible high speed rail network. Initially there was corruption under the railroad administration of Liu Zhijun resulting in a crash which killed 40 people. Liu was not directly responsible as railway minister yet was sentenced to a suspended death sentence for allowing corruption. In China a suspended death sentence usually means life in prison. I have taken the high speed railway including the Kunming line and it is excellent and on time. Now in Thailand you have corruption being blamed for the collapse of the new State Audit Office. Fingers point outwardly of course. That's right the government office that audits (integrity) is the office that collapses allegedly due to corruption. Keep the construction and it's components strictly under the Chinese and any failures under their legal system. Most likely impossible in Thailand. P.S. I am no shill for the Chinese. I am aware of the corruption issues. I have 35 years of experience in global supply chains and logistics. 15 of those years in China with a lot of government interface. I initially showed up in China to work on fraud and corruption for foreign companies undertaking Chinese M&A. In dealing with government officials I was never asked for a bribe even in difficult situations. They do have what may be considered ethical lapses with dinners and entertainment. The risk is too high with Xi. Corruption was rife at lower township levels. Then again, as they say in China, "Heaven is high and the emperor is far away"(天高皇帝远)

Thailand irony at it's finest. Thailand's State Audit Office (SAO) collapses due to corrupt practices that weren't audited.

Throw them out and don't let them return. Try that <deleted> in Chinese city. They wouldn't even if they could.

Here are a few locations that don't see too many folks excluding those in China. - Perhentian Islands, Malaysia - Da lat, VN (Don't stop in the Russian colony of Nha Trang. Too many scammers but some good restaurants) - Himchal, Pradesh - Manali, IN - Uttarakhand, IN - Kerala, IN - Pondicherry, IN (Puducherry) - So many beautifully remote. places in the Philippines. Do some homework. https://www.visitmyphilippines.com/destination.html - China travel is too big to cover here. I lived there for 15+ years as a westerner and have been to most provinces and have driven across the country 4x. Yunnan is beautiful as is Sichuan west of Chengdu. Xinjiang is a rough and beautiful area but is probably off limits now. I travelled ~4500 kms there about 15 years ago. Never travel to NChina on a national holiday. I admire the work of a Russian photographer based in Shanghai, Oleg Novikov. Peruse his photos to find the tranquil and beautiful in China. http://olegnovikov.com/index.shtml - Nepal is always cool

A 4 meter python in BKK? What's it been eating?

I love the cynicism of the responses. They are accurate and express the frustration, anger, and point directly to the incompetence of this Mafia state. What's next a photo op of Prawit and civil engineer Charnvirakul operating cranes? "Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW) and the Institute for the Promotion of Occupational Safety, Health, and Environmental Working Conditions (POSHEC) to devise stringent safety protocols. These measures will target all construction sites nationwide, with a special focus on high-risk areas in Bangkok." This paragraph makes me choke with laughter and then vomit. It's a confession that they don't do the job up front and don't plan to inspect. Too busy with self congratulatory lunches and selfies and fighting over their share of the "commission". These are not public servants. They are more like "The Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight." At one point in my life I was an industrial engineer working closely with civil engineers bringing over 5 billion USD/yr in capital expansions (note: the company generated $95 billion/yr in revenue). I mention this because my perspective is that the Rama 2 issues are due to corruption, incompetence, a lack of concern over human lives, craven interests, and what I call "director mentally", meaning getting their flat asses out of their chairs for more than 1 meeting after a disaster and spending less time with bull<deleted> and more time on the site with engineers, project managers, suppliers, insurance and public safety experts. The mentality of "my level is too high to get involved in the detail", rather than just setting onerous penalties, is a prognostication for more fatal failures. "all things processed in their circle and thus the empire is complete" The Prince, Machiavelli

Corrupt incompetence can't keep the populace alive on Rama 2 so they fiddle around trying to have Formula 1? Ironic that a country that can't enforce road safety wants to host F1. Can the the failures of the public trust, with respect to road transport, be expected to execute an F1 race? If I was a F1 driver I would protest to keep it in a competent location like Singapore. Let them hold the race on Rama 2. Maybe that way they will do something to stop the carnage. (I know, Rama 2 was a failed plan even on paper but since the administration won't acknowledge their complicity then at least try to make it work without killing anymore people).

Groundhog Day

I prefer the trees in Khao Yai