RayOday

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

"all things processed in their circle and thus the empire is complete" The Prince, Machiavelli

Whole foods and zero processed foods except an occasional ice cream with my grandson. No booze except a beer probably every other month. I don't stress out over diet but eat mindful of nutrient fortification. Kettlebells daily doing alternate muscle groups a minimum of 4 sets of 15 watching form and tempo. Walking a minimum of 6-10 KMS per day 5 days per week. 4 sets of 50 pushups daily. Watching after a 3 year old 24x7. I am 70 years old.

The irony! Chinese mafias set up scam centers in the most corrupt countries in SE Asia. Countries where they could completely buy the local, and many cases, higher level government officials. Thailand has one foot in the door so if big brother CCP requests help they deliver at some press worthy level. The CCP were finally motivated to act to 1) deflect from other serious export crimes they commit e.g. Fentanyl and it's precursors and 2) the scam centers were getting more greedy than they already were and directed some of their scams towards mainland Chinese as well as fraudulent offers to work as well as kidnapping. The mainland Chinese complained en masse to the Public Security Bureau and the issue taken on by the bosses in Beijing. Its rather damning that it took the mafia to aim at China before China stepped up to work with other countries to get these filthy monsters running. It ain't over yet. Stay frosty.

A mildly amusing story of everyday life on a mototaxi. One nitpicking point. You may be referring to a Lumpini champion but the diminutive Muay Thai fighter that is the GOAT is Saenchai. We all have our near death occurrence on a mototaxi. My life was spared by literally 2 cm when we were almost "T-boned" by a car. The mototaxi was at a red light and properly stopped, so not at fault.

We visit an 84 yr old woman in a small moo ban in Surin Province every other month. All residents burn their garbage. Two moo baans away, approximately 7 km there is garbage pick up. Why isn't there garbage pick up in the woman's moo baan? Because each month at the village meeting garbage pick up comes up for a vote. The majority vote no because it costs 50 baht per month and the people feel it's too expensive. These same people are building new homes, have many rai of productive rice, sugar, and tapioca farms, drive new pick-up trucks, giant TVs, etc. Garbage pick up should not be an option when they are choking on plastic garbage burning. I am sure not everyone can afford 50 baht. I do know that the woman we visit lives in an extremely modest shelter, has no extra money, and still does clothing alterations to feed her cats. She has a 4th grade education. She has always voted yes for garbage pick up. No excuses. The people know the danger. Pick up and plastic recycling is a public health hazard for these people yet they don't care. They need better leaders.

I have been tracking the AQI for Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Huahin, Trang, Trat, Samui, and Songkhla for the month of Dec. and Jan. YTD and Bangkok has been consistently worse than Chiang Mai. Let's see if and when the ranking flips. I have empathy for the poor folks in Delhi, Dhaka, Karachi, and Lahore at over 200 AQI. All readings taken from IQair's daily website rankings or search.

I like Mae Hong Son province with the exception of Pai, although Pai does have the best quality weed. MHS city is one of the cheapest places and has the most friendly people I have met in Thailand. Many of the locals speak English. The problem with the North is the smoke burning season. There are nice mountain areas and quite rural zones in Trang province with close access to beaches and good food. Sichon and Khanom are like Samui years ago but they are on social media a lot so tourist are soon to follow. You may want to check out Substack writers for ideas. Couchfish - Stuart McDonald Thai Island Quest - David Leukens

My response does not directly answer your question. It is solely to provide an alternative if it is appropriate for you. I am missing 2 lumbar disks and have spinal stenosis. I stay physically fit so I can manage through most periods of inflammation and can arrest inflammation with the proper natural rest, stretching, topical protocols. I don't like to take drugs that can have serious side effects or stress to the kidneys or liver. There are a few times per year where medicine is required and my first line anti inflammatory is Celoxicib aka Celebrex. It is sold in Thailand as a much cheaper generic. A popular brands is Zobrex. I only mention this alternative since you are looking for an NSAID+PPI. Celebrex (celecoxib) is a selective COX-2 inhibitor, which means it primarily blocks the COX-2 enzyme responsible for pain and inflammation while sparing COX-1, which protects the stomach lining. This selectivity reduces the risk of gastrointestinal side effects, such as upset stomach, compared to non-selective NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen that inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2. All NSAIDS can interact with other meds you may be taking. Check the interaction checker on drugs.com. Be safe.

The number of failures on this project is criminal. I don't know how the ministers can have any face left. They should all be held accountable in a criminal proceeding. The problem is that the Thai Supreme Court has proven themselves to be a sham hence the government proceeds like processionary caterpillars with the head of the first attached to the ass of the last. I worked as an industrial engineer specifying billions of USD construction projects. I worked closely alongside civil engineering project managers. In 24 years we never had a fatality. Why? Exceptionally strong processes which drove cost in some areas yet the efficiency more than recouped the cost. Forget the cost. We were dealing with human lives. I have compared the stats from the rebuilding of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge and the collapse of the elevated Eisenhower expressway onto the lower section after the Loma Prieta earthquake. 6 people died as a result of injury. Note the project was significantly more complex given aftershocks and fault lines and was completed in ~ 2 years. I also looked at the building of the Taipei elevated motorway. The project was ~ 88 kilometers in length, with significant complexity due to the geological conditions of the Taipei's lakebed, the high seismic activity and far stronger construction standards and materials. The project took 10 years and had the complexity of Taiwanese, Japanese, and Norwegian engineers and construction firms working together. The idea was to give the Taiwanese firms experience in these types of complex infrastructure projects. There were a few fatalities yet not as many when compared to the lower complexity of the construction of Rama 2. This indicates the there appears to be extraordinarily poor oversight at the levels of ministry,engineering, project management, and on sight management. This is a total failure on a critical piece of Bangkok's infrastructure. Once again the hierarchial nature of Thai management delegates without leaving the office except for police escorts to sights for selfies indicating involvement. It begs the question "Are you incompetent or corrupt". The vice PM Anutin is a civil engineer. What do you have to say Mr. Vice PM? All management should get their butts out of the office and on the street 24/7. The public deserves an honest Failure Mode Analysis and Corrective Action Plan prior to commencing further activities. My condolences and best wishes to the victims and families of a clear abdication of public management.

Spoken like a true wannabe authoritarian who desires total control. Central banks should be non-partisan.

Laotians for the most part are gentle and friendly people. The police and government officials are world class 3rd world corrupt. Add significant power of truly soulless, and hugely wealthy, Chinese triads and things can go horribly wrong. Laos's Special Economic Zone in the Golden Triangle is evidence that Chinese triads buy refuge to commit transnational crimes. I have had no problem visiting Luang Prabong but have been shaken down by customs officials every time I transit through Vientiane (Kunming-BKK). I skip that routing now even if the travel time is longer. Laos is on a downward spiral. Traveller beware

These grapes were being sold too cheaply, a signal. They are delicious but too uniform in size, juiciness, and flavor. I bought one pack. I won't anymore. Given we are in Thailand where they're is liberal use of dangerous pesticides I offer the following suggestion. Follow the recommendation of Rutgers University Agricultural School. Rutgers research, entitled "NR Green Cleaning" indicates that using a baking soda solution can effectively remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables. A study found that soaking apples in a baking soda solution for two minutes removed more pesticides than rinsing with water or using bleach. The recommended method involves mixing two tablespoons of baking soda per quart of water, soaking the produce for about 10-15 minutes, and then rinsing thoroughly. This approach leverages baking soda's alkalinity to neutralize acidic pesticide residues on the surface of the produce.

What internet provider do you use? I have no noticable lag in Chrome or Duck Duck Go. There is currently no publicly available information regarding third-party security testing specifically for the Carbon browser. While the browser emphasizes strong privacy features like a decentralized VPN and ad-blocking, independent audits or assessments by cybersecurity firms have not been documented. Users should exercise caution and consider the potential risks associated with using a relatively new browser in the decentralized web space. There is no information available regarding how often Carbon Browser conducts security audits. The search results do not specify any audit frequency or independent assessments related to its security practices. Users should be cautious, as the lack of transparency in this area may raise concerns about the browser's security posture.

Come on! You can't expect these esteemed officials from diverting their glance from their phones except to smile for a group photo. The chart for the $ looks like the yuan. Nice job for Thailand.

The majority of the RTP are not here to assist foreigners unless they know it will be of benefit to themselves. Signing any document in language you do not understand under duress is detestable and in many countries illegal. It is akin to denying the civilian their Miranda rights (example U.S. law - Notification given by police to a suspect advising them of their rights). I have had a few unpleasant interactions with RTP where they solicited a bribe or attempted extortion. The attempts came out of nowhere as I was walking for exercise. Note: I look athletic and energetic but I also look my age of 70 years. The attempts lead me to a rant warning and facts. Most expats know or have experienced RTP corrupt activities. For those in the know when dealing with the RTP you should be polite/respectful, keep your mouth shut as much as possible, certainly do not respond to questioning or signing any documents in Thai or poorly spoken foreign languages, better yet wait for an attorney even if the police speak your language, get quality legal representation, read up on case studies of police corruption scams. Know where you are and it's not "home" . Background: Thailand ranks 108th out of 180 countries in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published by Transparency International, with a score of 35 out of 100, indicating a perception of significant public sector corruption. A 2023 poll by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) found that over 70% of respondents did not trust the Royal Thai Police, making them the least trusted law enforcement agency in the country. Police corruption is widespread in Thailand, with numerous cases of police charged with abuses like abduction, sexual harassment, theft, and malfeasance. Bribery and conflicts of interest are common in the police force. Perceptions of police corruption in Southeast Asia show that Thailand's police are viewed as highly corrupt, with estimates suggesting 40-50% of the public perceiving corruption within the force. This places Thailand on par with Myanmar and Cambodia, while countries like Malaysia and Indonesia are perceived as less corrupt. The most common forms of corruption by the RTP are bribery, embezzlement, extortion, promotion buying, trafficking, levying illegal "taxes", planting or threatening to plant evidence, and acting with impunity. Take care and be informed. If I was the OP I would be sure that I performed a solid due diligence on the attorney as much of his fate rests upon attorney representation and management of the attorney to avoid surprises. 🙏