elena edwards

Sorry, guys - meant 'identity' rather than 'dentity' - nothing wrong with anyone's teeth!!!!

Is it just me or is it all farang shoppers who're being forced to prove their identity when paying for the weekly shop? I've been using Big C in the superhighway for almost all my regular shopping needs for 16 years - not just for food but often for one of their wide selection of other offerings. I've usually paid by using my Kasikorn Bank card and very rarely spend more than 2-4 thousand baht. Went in today mostly for dog food and fresh meat plus the usual toppers-up such as olive oil and cheese - paid by my card as usual - some 2,600 baht in total. To my surprise, the cashier asked me to produce my passport and flicked through it including my identity page. Surprised and more than a little annoyed as well as relieved that I'd got it with me - I don't always carry it every time I leave the house - I decided to ask a supervisor to explain the store' reasons for this breach of my privacy. As expected, no reasonable or justifiable reason was given - but at least the supervisor had a chance to practice her spoken English. Is this just happening to me or is it a new rule set by Big C's head office geniuses? Not sure whether the details the cashier typed on her machine would prove a threat to my security - has this ever happened to any expat readers of this post and should I be concerned?

Still involved in WW111 attempting to get the return of my just under 7,000 sterling from FPI - their so-called helpline doesn't now even bother to reply to my emailed comments and requests....even the IFA who managed the 'investment' for me is now attempting to help me get what's mine! Good Man! Over the past few years, FPI has changed hands more often than a British football team's members listing and I'm now seriously furious at their so-called helpline's lack of even fake polite responses to my comments. I've found a good number of former issues I've asked the firm to deal with - mostly online, in my Word folder and in piles of sent stuff over the past years, none of which make any sense to me. - should have dumped them then!

Don't touch MBMG or even Friends' Provident with the proverbial barge pole - unless you want to lose your life savings as well as your sanity should you attempt to withdraw your own cash from your failed investment.

What's 3BB's English language programming like - I've just about had enough of True TV - and it's far too expensive for what it provides.

Update to my post above -- just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, they did. Now my Standard Bank account and its debit card are blocked for the second time - no reason given except the usual <deleted> about security. As of now, placing of my life savings in a 'secure' account has only resulted in my being denied all access to them when I choose to close the account and transfer the cash to Kasikorn . Interestingly, the reason I decided to close the darn account was that the bank refused to even consider investigating the large number of unauthorised transactions - scams - or to refund me some of the money I'd lost as a result. It's their 'policy' to only check three such - but I've seen no refunds and the investigation is now closed. I've some cash and some in a small account with Kasikorn - enough to keep me going for a month or so - God only knows what I'll do when that runs out. Got another call from Standard this morning - the guy cut off when I started crying. Hasn't called back. If you were duped into placing your life savings in Standard Bank - do be very, very careful when you decide to transfer it elsewhere. I'm a 78 year-old widow with an existing health condition who's lived some 16 years in CM - apart from the LMIM scandal years ago I've never heard of a bank known for providing services for expats behaving in this manner before. Take care and remember this tale of woe when you place your hard-earned cash and pensions.

I'm in hell right now as my offshore I O M Standard Bank account is stuffed with fraudulent charges - the fraud staff are pretty useless, froze my debit card leaving me without any way to access everyday funds , now want only three months' worth of fraud details- they only sent me two statements over some years so I couldn't check in a continuing manner. Their support staff mean well but won't accept what I'm telling them - now they're only interested in the past three months' scams but this has been going on for some years, totalling around 1,000 pound sterling in losses. I'm thinking of taking the entire mess to the financial ombudsman, after which I'll close my Standard Bank account and transfer my remaining funds to Kasikorn Bank here in CM.

I find it interesting that my original post has been responded to mostly by male expats - all of whom can presumably cure their loneliness with an injection of hard currency. There's nothing which helps the day-after-day challenges of everyday life here, nor are there any suggestions for those expat women who need, at the very least, a few friends to visit and talk to. I didn't realise how devastating it is to realise my only means of communication is by email - when that stops for whatever reason - the abandonment hurts and keeps on hurting. I'd had a friendly and seemingly genuine relationship with my British next door neighbour and his Thai live-in boyfriend right up until they sold their house, moved a short distance away and had their new home built to their design. Subsequently, it's clear that their friendship was false at best and opportune at worse - leaving me with no human communication or advice when needed. The moo baan is private and very small, with the other expat occupants married to Thai nationals. It's also a long drive from the centre of Chiang Mai - with little or no farang group activity. I'm not a fan of driving after dark here, which further restricts my opportunities to socialise.

Where in CM or online can I buy high quality flea collars for my two eight-month old pups? Any recommendations would be very helpful as the tick season's just started in my area.

I've just been told by another expat that should a foreigner who's legally living in an owned house on legally leased land should die intestate, his or her entire home and its contents pass to the Thai owner of the land on which the house is built. Even for Thailand, this seems a disaster in the making for elderly expats who're not married to Thais - any comments would be appreciated.

I've lived alone in Chiang Mai's Sansai district since my husband died six years ago from complications of alcoholism. Lived in the same small Sannameng moo baan since arriving in 2006 - but now its general ambience has changed totally as the new arrivals are all relatively wealthy and don't want to know about a resident who's living on far less than are they. Additionally, a former next-door neighbour who I believed was a genuine supportive friend is now mostly unapproachable. I can't remember the last time I had a meaningful conversation or even a brief 'hello, goodbye'. Several years ago I tried to get back to the CM Expat Club - have been a member since I arrived in CM, but found it a depressing experience as I was simply ignored. Don't know what to do next - the only answer seems to be to sell my property and relocate to Chiang Rai or maybe leave Thailand altogether. Sad, so much wasted time at this late period in my life.

Another PharmaChoice on highway 118 heading north also sells them - good choice and fair prices but not sure about rentals.

There's a booth in Macro on the superhighway, but the assistant seems to be rarely there....have had several issues paying for TrueVisions as I'm not happy about paying cash at a 7/11 after two of my payments went awol!

Ever since a devastating brush with Glandular Fever some 40 years ago, I've been suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, controlling it with daily doses of Inderal ( Betalol here in Thailand). The medication works well, allowing me to live a normal life . When Covid arrived, I became concerned that vaccination might cause a serious reaction, leaving me unable to cope due to the effects on my immune system. As a result, I've followed reliable medical websites, especially those with informed comments by other sufferers from this long-term condition. Recent studies and comments from others affected with CFS confirm my fears - vaccinations do seem to vastly increase as well as bringing on new, devastating symptoms. The result is that, should vaccination now become mandatory, my ability to continue anything resembling normal life is very likely to be the result. As far as I understand it, research on the vaccines' effects on CFS is now taking place - but I don't trust the Thai medical system as regards understanding the risks and exempting CFS sufferers from compulsory vaccination. What I'm reading is NOT fake news - are there any other farang CFS sufferers in CM whose lives will be severely affected by compulsory vaccination?

Thanks for the pic Gudarien - she's so, so beautiful! Motorbike taxi info is a good idea - I'll give it a try. My Thai language is simply awful - can't cope with the 'grammar' - but I'll work something out. There's no help at all in this very small moo baan - my next-door neighbour even complained about the noises my adored Ban Kaew Ellie was making at night before she died just over a week ago. Had to stop myself being very, very uncool at that point. The expat community in this area most certainly isn't what it was.

Oddly enough - and I've always wondered about this - in my area of Sannameng Sansai including the back streets there are very few street dogs and I've never seen very young puppies in all the 15 years I've lived here.. As mentioned, the owner of the local garage has several, but he mainly keeps them on his property. The local Wat is just 10 minutes' walk away - again, no sight of the usual group of soi dogs. Maybe the local head man doesn't allow them......seems my only solution is to check out the shelters - but most are a considerable distance from my home as well as being difficult to find due to recent roadworks all over the Hang Dong district. I'm now dealing with an even more upset Dollie Shi Tsu, as she can't understand why the pups in the cage didn't stay after she'd been allowed to sniff and squeak at them on the terrace. She's a very smart little dog, adopted just under three years ago when no-one cared whether I was 90 or 19, So much for dog rescue...seems like the CM expat Mafia's at work again! I checked this out with Care for Dogs - all my rescued dogs over the years were from there - at least they don't support this stupidity.

It might well come to that - but where I live out in the sticks there's a shortage of available puppies as the local shop/bar and petrol station are taking care of what's there and refusing to let them leave! Even the Wat doesn't get the usual number!

My two beloved former shelter dogs died recently at 15 and 16 years of age, leaving me with Dollie, now a very upset little Shi Tsu without her playmates. I immediately contacted a Chiang Mai group devoted to rehoming puppies, believing two would help her (and me) recover from the loss and be happy again with the new arrivals. This took a good deal of arranging, but finally I chose two beautiful two-month old female pups. The person who was looking after them was an experienced rescue dog person, and gave excellent descriptions and pics to help me make up my mind which would be best for Dollie. All was arranged for this morning - several weeks after my darlings had died, and the pups arrived as expected. The helper brought the cage with the pups from the car and placed it on the terrace for Dollie to smell the pups. I'd known the expat woman when I first arrived in CM some 15 years ago - she was working with rescued dogs even at that time, so I believed there'd not be any issues. I didn't for a moment expect problems, as we'd covered about everything on social media and by email - so I was appalled when she said she could not allow the adoption. It would now appear that expats of around 70 years or older were no longer considered suitable for puppy adoptions as they might die before the dogs. Given the average life-span of the average rescued soi dog or stray, that seemed strange to me until I realised she was deadly serious. Of course, I argued the point, citing my excellent health, my last illness 40 years ago with not even a cold since then and various other plus points including my will, which is generous to the shelters from which I have adopted six dogs over the past 15 years, It also makes excellent provision for any dogs I may leave behind as I don't have any family to leave the dosh to! However, she was adamant that this was a rule - first I'd heard of it or I wouldn't have got my hopes up and arranged everything based on my previous experience with dog rescue in CM. After my failed attempts at justification, the helper picked up the cage with the two pups and left, leaving my Shi Tsu whining and me in tears. I couldn't help remembering all the pretty pics of older expats with rescued dogs of all ages in their arms - if this is some ghastly new rule, many more young dogs and puppies are going to stay un-rescued as a result. Another point is that, due to the present Covid situation in the city, younger and more careless would-be adopters may be a worse risk to the dog-rescue expat workers and their dogs than older expats who're behaving sensibly as regards protection. So - if you're an older retiree - please remember not to set your heart on a furry puppy friend unless you lie like crazy from the get-go! So far, I don't think older dogs are being caught in this trap, but watching this space might well be a good idea.