ericbj

Uncertain these officers and ORs will find it advisable to fly back from Mae Sot to SAC-held territory. Those who fled into India and were subsequently repatriated were punished for cowardice by being thrown into gaol. Three generals were held responsible for the debacle that resulted from the Northern Alliance's offensive and were court-marshalled. With one condemnation to death. [That, together with the abandonment of heavy armaments - tanks and artillery - disposes of the dubious explanation that the SAC Army's retreat was a "tactical withdrawal"] Many Burmese may believe, groundlessly, that the US will eventually come to their aid, militarily. It will not. The US and its allies may feel they can confront China over Taiwan with their naval and air power. But have no desire to provoke a full-scale intervention by the PLA. [memories of Korea, 1951?] Besides, Burma lacks Taiwan's micro-processor industry. And the proxy war in the Ukraine is not evolving as NATO had intended.

The lower the relative humidity of the air, the faster your sweat will evaporate and therefore the greater the cooling effect. That is why, if you use one of those very cheap-to-run evaporative coolers, it is necessary to allow the saturated air from the cooler to escape to the outside. Do not seal the room up as you might with an air-conditioner. If you do as I do, you will filter the water you put in your evaporative cooler (although not suggested by the manufacturer) as this is likely to prevent calcium carbonate etc clogging the evaporative mat.

Those purchasing take-away roti etc from market stalls BEWARE ! It is said that expanded polystyrene is sometimes dissolved in the cooking oil to make the roti remain crisp. https://greenmedinfo.com/content/nanoplastics-our-bloodstream-silent-contributor-heart-disease

Myawady is still under Burma Army control. The military regime takes aid from the UN to distribute to its supporters. It kills refugees. Why would things be any different here ? https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/thailand-sends-first-aid-shipment-to-myanmar-along-controversial-humanitarian-corridor/

Operated for cataract in one eye in public hospital last month. In and out the same day. But being a public hospital, many hours of waiting. If operated on both eyes the same day, you will be blind until the following day. A point to bear in mind if you have no one to guide you home.

The public needs educating by the health authorities. * At present they are falsely educated by the advertisers. Doctors should play an important role. They should know that blood glucose goes preferentially to feeding cancer tumours, since these are revealed on x-rays after the patient has been given a radio-active glucose solution to drink. The cost of excessive sugar consumption to the country should be estimated, and then this cost recuperated through taxing sugar used in industrially-produced foodstuffs ; allowing individual consumers (suitably informed of the dangers) to add the sugar they so earnestly desire. Adding sugar to food is unnecessary for body and brain. Alzheimer's disease is sometimes referred to as diabetes type 3. Starches when digested form glucose. The brain can function on ketones.

What they call latex adhesive here in Thailand is NOT latex but PVA (polyvinylacetate) which I use regularly for interior woodwork. True latex adhesive is expensive but excellent for gluing fabrics including carpets, and patching clothing, either relatively short-term (resists some laundering) or prior to stitching. If you want true latex glue, search for 'Copydex'. And if keeping some of it long-term store it in the fridge.

Why was this sort of thing not thought of long ago? There could have been an agreement with Hitler for humanitarian assistance to Jews in the extermination camps !

Many thanks for information provided, which could save me a lot of time searching.

Am looking to replace a worn-out mountain bike, purchased more than 12 years ago, with a touring/trekking style of LARGE FRAME-SIZE. [height 6'2" = 183 cm]. Used for getting around including going to town for shopping - i.e. quite heavy loads on luggage rack and attached panniers. Distances covered never exceed 30 km. Seek a model where one can sit reasonably erect, not leaning forward on the handlebars with head cranked back; and where the frame-size is appropriate, so it is not necessary to raise the saddle to such an extent that one risks toppling over when stationary. A downward sloping top-bar would be helpful, because, when items are piled high in the shopping-basket on the luggage rack, one cannot dismount by swinging the leg backwards. Fairly low (high-ratio) gearing needed to get up a steepish section of road with a week's load of groceries. Would like decent quality and simplicity. Without frills, such as disk brakes and shock-absorbers, that add to weight, complexity, and price. Shall shortly be visiting Chiang Mai for several days, so advice on suitable cycle shops to visit could prevent much wastage of time. [would also consider visiting Bangkok at a later date] [Some years ago there was a bicycle shop in Th.Chiang Moi, run by an Englishman and his Thai wife, that offered for sale some very interesting bicycles. I bought from them my large, canvas panniers, of excellent quality. Unfortunately, on a subsequent visit the shop was no longer there]

This may be of interest, although last updated in June this year: https://www.thethailandlife.com/income-tax-thailand

The principal need is to reduce relative humidity of the air in the room or building. In its simplest form by use of a chemical such as calcium chloride suspended over a bucket. A more technological route is to use an electrical dehumidifier. More info here: https://bestdehumidifier.reviews/how-much-electricity-does-a-dehumidifier-use/

At risk of recapitulating points already made: Lack of adequate air circulation in modern buildings breeds mould. Compare the Thai traditional buildings, even those in Bangkok when I first visited in April '67 and it was fast ceasing to be The Venice of the East, with those of today. There is a huge variety of moulds, some of which may in instances be beneficial, as for example penicillium notatum, said to be present in blue cheeses. The spores of black mould are pathogenic. If in doubt, check it out. Mould likes warmth and dampness. Much of the Thai year favours its growth. It can also be encouraged under cooler conditions (my experience in the south of France) when temperatures drop below the dew-point in a temporarily uninhabited building. My solution for half-yearly absences was to place several kilos of calcium chloride in their supplied sachets (polythene wrappers removed) on galvanised chicken-wire mesh fixed over the top of a bucket. CaCl2 is deliquescent and dissolves slowly in the large amounts of water absorbed from the atmosphere. Have not seen the possibility of pursuing this avenue in Thailand, but perhaps some entrepreneurial spirit will take this up. Use HEPA filters against mould. And also in the vicinity of a laser printer. A revelation to see how much toner powder it collects. Borax, which can be purchased in bulk quite cheaply on the Internet here in Thailand, destroys mould, and, as if that is not enough, bacteria also. It has been used as a mouth-wash but is best not swallowed unless you wish to disrupt your gut microbiome. It is often recommended to be added to laundry detergent, but I tend to use it more with the final rinse-water. Stored clothes do not subsequently acquire a musty smell. Borax is also an insecticide. If the insects can be persuaded to consume it. A little in a strong sugar solution for ants. For termites an aqueous solution painted on bare timber before finishing (for protection) or scraps of cardboard soaked in it for bait - very dilute (1%) if you wish to wipe out the colony. For cockroaches, sprinkle the powder in doorways and along walls. It will stick to their legs which they will clean by licking them. Their corpses will be eaten by other cockroaches, with a knock-on effect. Search the Web for more detailed info. Borax dissolves best in hot water. And is non-toxic for mammals.

If the Immigration Offfice where the application is made (e.g. Mae Sot) has to forward a copy to another office (Chiang Mai in such case) two copies were required. Situation nearly 12 months ago. When I enquired with Immigration yesterday as to whether there had been any change in documents required since last January, the answer was "No." Several years ago, Mae Sot Immigration required THREE copies !

Where I am, the O-visa extension requirement includes : Letter from the bank (Kasikorn) certifying 800,000 in account for 3 months, dated same day as application - original + photocopy, both signed and stamped; Bank statement : same requirements; Updated passbook (not retained by Immigration) + 2 photocopies of every page therein. All pages of all documents retained by Immigration must be signed and dated by the applicant in their presence in BLUE (not black) ink. Several years ago I had a lengthy argument with a particularly obstreperous Immigration Officer who insisted the passbook update must show the current date. Impossible because it only shows the last transaction, an interest payment several months before. I could have made a token withdrawal from a local ATM, but to update the passbook would have required an additional 14-km bicycle ride. And returning the following day with fresh bank letters and statements (At that time they required bank letters, statements and passbooks in respect of ALL accounts - not merely the deposit account) He also objected to the fact that WITHIN THE SAME DEPOSIT ACCOUNT I had a month or two earlier arranged that 800K of the 1,450K be placed on a 12-month term instead of 3-months; for higher interest. I was forced to dig my heels in to avoid rejection of my application.