Ray Ban

Aren’t the doors in most vehicles able to be opened from the inside even if locked from the outside, precisely for safety reasons? Presumably this vehicle didn’t have sliding windows able to be opened from the inside. The simple and cheap idea suggested above of installing a clearly marked panic button connected to the horn has a lot to be said for it., but in the end a quick visual check by the driver before leaving the vehicle should be all that’s required.

13 hours ago, ChrisKC said:

This is a serious matter. I insist on my passengers wearing a seat belt or they don't travel with me. I am assertive but not hostile. As the driver, I believe I am responsible for my passengers safety and comfort and cannot imagine how I would feel if by not wearing the belt and they suffered serious injury or death while in "my care". I do it for their safety.

 

In fact I have found small children are receptive to wearing the seat belt where previously they never did! After only one trip, I found then belting up without any reference to me. I told them I was proud of them. Childrens' ages? 3 and 5. Adults are not so easy to persuade but they don't ever refuse!

You do realise I imagine that the new laws require children 6 and under to be in child safety seats, not just belted.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Try a google translate app (from photo) on the text... 

 

You may see that you have the blue and green book mixed up. 

 

 

The Nissan March should have a blue book....  

 

My wife is Thai, so translation not a problem. In any event, it’s not too difficult to distinguish between TOYOTA and NISSAN!. The fact remains that the Vigo has a vinyl-covered slab of foam for a back seat, no belts, and a blue book. The Nissan has 4 seats witth belts and a green book. More to the point is what is the built-before date for exemption from the new laws? In 2014 when they first tried to bring in this legislation it was 1April 2012, which covers me. Now the date is quoted as 1Jan 1988. I have also seen a quote from the new laws to the effect “However the law shall not apply to passengers in the extended space behind the front seats of a pick up or in the cargo tray so long as they are within the limits”. Don’t know what trust to put in that.

3 hours ago, transam said:

Green book is for 2 door rides, you have seat belts for 5....

Not that easy in my case. The Vigo has a blue book and no number in the space for carrying capacity. Our daughter’s Nissan March has a green book which shows carrying capacity of two, but has four full seats with belts!

When we’re new cars first required to be fitted with seat belts? My 2008 two-door Vigo Ute doesn’t have belts for the back nor any way of fitting them. A report in 2014 when they tried to bring in new seat belt laws and ban riding in the tray said vehicles first registered before 1st April 2012 were exempt. Now the date seems to be 1st January 1988. There must be many people like me who can’t work out if having rear seat passengers is now illegal.

This report tells us that one “ definitive” point made by the RTP spokesman was that cars registered before 1 January, 1988 are exempt from the “new” seat belt laws. In reporting from March 2017, the exemption was for cars first registered before 1 April, 2012, which takes in my Toyota 2-door Vigo. The rear seats are a slab of foam with plastic covering, “secured” with  strips of Velcro. There are no seat belts and no anchor points to instal them. I’m obviously not alone.  Its unlikely that the average cop will have any direction on this, so I’m looking forward (NOT) to lifting my engine bonnet to explain why my manufacturer’s compliance plate proves I’m in the clear.

The seat belt campaign in Australia was” Click clack front and back.” New Zealand picked it up but had to make the change to “Click click front and back” because “back” with a Kiwi  accent comes out as “bick”!

4 hours ago, Tony125 said:

What posters seem to not understand is yes Thailand might be trading with North Korea, China, Myanmar but the world and US did not put restrictions/sanctions on that. Now the EU/US  are odering other countries not to trade with Russia or face sanctions themselves.

You what?  There are no sanctions on trading with North Korea? Keep up with the real

news Boyo..

I’m surprised to see no comment on a letter published in the BP this week from an American living in Thailand, claiming that his granddaughter had found a site offering Pfizer vaccines for sale. He responded, got a appt. 17 days later at a private hospital, and has a second jab booked for 3 weeks later.. He thanked the USA for donating the vaccines. This is the first I was aware that the US donated Pfizer are available on the open market via the internet, but I’ve seen no comment either in BP’s letters column or elsewhere.

From memory, an article in the BP said the stock went up 13+% immediately after the announcement of the procurement. It was also reported that Dr Boon’s wife had purchased 950,000 shares in the company in the week preceding.

If my memory serves me well, the OAG finally introduced a very Thai fudge factor into why there is no Red Notice. Their rationale was that, as the two outstanding charges had been dropped…by mistake…. and then reinstated, Red Bull would have to be formally charged again, which could not be done in absentia.  Hence, he is “facing”charges but has not been actually charged, so Interpol cannot be asked to arrest and extradite him. Does anybody else recall that excuse?

On a bit of a different track, does anybody else have the impression that BP readings in SE Asia are higher than back in the western world ? 
In anticipation of a minor op, I recently had BP readings done at two hospitals in Khon Kaen. The first was 159/95, which the surgeon thought was  “no problem” for the op. The second, a few days later, was 152/99, which prompted the surgeon to put me on Cardioplot for the month prior to the op in early January. 
My Thai wife’s mother is a community health worker in our village and has a government- issued small BP machine. The reading on that is 129/75....much more in line with my readings in Australia for most of my life. 
Anybody with similar experience?

Mind you, pales into insignificance compared to a test at the International Hospital in  Pattaya a few years ago when I registered 110/55, taken twice at my insistence, and the young doctor thought that was “fine” as he wrote out scripts for 6 different pills for what was probably just a 3 day flu !

Thanks to both Sheryl and Sapson for those replies.

The latter’s “essay” about costs is exactly the sort of detailed info. I was looking for in that regard, and saves me a lot of leg work of my own.

Also, I’m inclined to go with Sheryl’s remark some time back that is a very routine procedure that any general surgeon could perform, and that the open approach is a perfectly acceptable option. Indeed, given my layman’s understanding of what is involved....essentially a cut, patch and sew job (!)....the lap approach almost seems a bit over-complicated. After all, cosmetic considerations re the scar hardly come into it given the location !

It was Dr. Apirat who saw me the other day, and completely agree he is a delightful man. My previous experience with BH as an out-patient has been very good, so that will probably be my choice if he is happy to perform the open version of the op.

Thanks again both.

On 12/9/2019 at 8:32 AM, Sheryl said:

A general surgeon at just about any hospital can do this.  A government hospital will cost probably under 30k but there will likely be a wait list.  This is an elective procedure so usually no rush, not sure why you sat it has to be done as soon as possible? 

 

Private hospitals, depending on which one, 100 - 150,000 and can do it within a few days of initial doctor visit.

 

Prices assume no complications. 

 

Dr. Narongsak Chongsiri at St Louis hospital (private but non-profit, on Sathorn Rd) repaired my nephew's inguinal hernia a while back and we were happy with him.   http://saintlouis.or.th

Cost I think 80,000 but this was about 120 years ago so likely 100k now.

 

As for recovery time it depends on the patient and also what you mean by recovery. If you mean able to walk out of the hospital unaided, eat and so forth, 1-2 days. If you mean able to engage in all normal activities including light work, 1-2 weeks usually but may be longer if having to take pain killers.   If you mean able to engage in heavy lifting and sports,  more like 4- 6 weeks and check with surgeon first.

 

In the West this is usually a day surgery, in Thailand they will keep you 1-2 nights. 

 

Most people go back to work after 1-2 weeks unless their work involves heavy physical exertion.

Thank goodness for Sheryl...always a source of actual knowledge and reliable good advice. I had a suspected inguinal hernia confirmed yesterday at Bangkok hospital in Khon Kaen and was considering the “watchful waiting” approach. I’m a fit 74 y.o, retired, with little need for heavy lifting or the like. There is however a persistent dull ache in the groin once I’m up and about, and have decided to have the op. The surgeon at BH recommended laparoscopic repair as “ today’s standard” , and the hospital’s indicative quote was 165k to 185k, including two nights stay. This seems a little steep having seen some of the costs quoted by others on this thread. My Thai wife suggests that other hospitals could be a lot cheaper. I’m also not clear as to whether the laparoscopic repair uses mesh or involves stitching, my thought process being “why such a large incision for open repair if mesh can be inserted via the much smaller cuts for laparoscopy?” Any thoughts on this or BH’s quote would be welcome.