Paulaew

It goes well with the THC-free cannabis that the government wants us to have. Paul Laew

Sometimes the best solution to a problem is not to make the problem. Paul Laew

I'm not a American, but I do receive US social security benefits. I have the monthly payment sent to my bank in Canada without any problems and receive the full amount (such as it is). It sounds like Standard Chartered in New York is taking your $15.00. Why not contact them via email and see if you can get an answer. There is contact information here: https://www.sc.com/us/contact/ Please let us know what you find out, I'm sure there are others who have this problem. Paul Laew

I'm a longtime Mac user. In fact I was a professional Apple system engineer for some years, installing Macs and Appletalk networks at Stanford and Xerox PARC in the late 80's. Apple is a religion, perhaps even a cult. When you're inside it seems like the true path for computing, but eventually you see the light and deprogram yourself. I switched to generic Intel or AMD hardware long ago, running Linux. Apple too changed MacOS to a Unix kernel around 2005 and started using Intel processors as well. Despite all the bells and whistles, Macs are now just Unix machines. Buy whatever you like, it doesn't really matter. But if you want a truly open system, Linux is probably the best open source system available today. But I understand it's not for everyone. Paul Laew

My experience is that most any computer problem that can be fixed, can be fixed by one of the vendors at Fortune Town IT mall. If you've gone that route without success, then I would say it's time for a new laptop. Many of the new computers have fast processors, loads of memory and SSD drives. You'll be a happy camper. I do know how you feel about your old laptop. I use to have a hardshell Samsonite suitcase that I loved. I traveled all over the world with it on business trips. But the airline baggage handlers destroyed the wheels on it. I took it to a Samsonite dealer to have it repaired. The dealer took one look at it and laughed ... Paul Laew

Just drop the leading zero ... it works that way for a lot of countries. I remember being confused by this myself way back when. It's something you go through, like chicken pox or adolescence. Paul Laew

Hey buddy, I might be old, but I grew up in the 1960's and we ingested more drugs than you can imagine. How do you think the drug culture got started? We're lucky we survived to be this old ... Paul Laew

Just to follow up, Sukhumvit Hospital was able to add the record of my booster to the Mor Prom database. So if you are having this problem, the dispensing hospital or vaccination site should be able to fix this for you. Paul Laew

I think that would count as dispensing, not prescribing. You already have a prescription from your doctor. I also buy all my meds from a pharmacy rather than a hospital. And sometimes I even self-prescribe. But I don't trust the medical advice from Thai pharmacies, even from a pharmacist. Paul Laew

Since it's not yet legal to do that, why they are restricting themselves to 6 plants? Just wondering ... Paul Laew

I understand the concern here, but the assumption that pharmacists are qualified to prescribe medications is itself questionable. Pharmacists are not doctors and don't examine patients. If they are prescribing antibiotics, for example, after listening to the patient's account of his symptoms, this essentially amounts to medical malpractice. I understand that many Thai people are not always able to see a doctor and rely on pharmacists for medical advice. But it can be a dangerous practice, given the range of pharmaceuticals that can be dispensed over the counter. In the US, pharmacists are now being granted some limited prescribing authority in some states, mainly confined to drugs like birth control, naloxone and smoking cessation products. Paul Laew

It sounds like they may actually permit personal cultivation. I wouldn't start growing quite yet. But I might consider germinating. Paul Laew

If you've renewed your license recently, you'll already have the QR code. But according to that article, you still need a physical license in order to drive legally in Thailand. The digital version can be used as a form of ID. But when was the last time you used your driving license as a form of ID? I've always had to show my passport. If I'm stopped by the Thai police, I'm certainly not handing over my smartphone to show my driving license. I might not get it back. Paul Laew

One option is to stay in a nice resort in Phuket and use the physiotherapy services of Bangkok Hospital Phuket. Sheryl is right that you are unlikely to find professional physiotherapists at spa resorts. But Bangkok Hospital has a bone and joint center that provides orthopedic therapies. And Phuket obviously has some fine resorts. Paul Laew

I received a Moderna booster at Sukhumvit Hospital on December 17th, but it doesn't appear in the Mor Prom app (from Line). I've emailed the hospital about it, but haven't received an answer yet. As far as the vaccine certificate goes, I think certification of 2 doses is sufficient for travel. Is there any country that requires a booster for entry? I see that Israel restricts stay in the country to 180 days from date of 2nd dose, but no restriction if you've received a 3rd shot. Paul Laew

The OP could go to a halal restaurant in his area and ask them where they buy their goat. Paul Laew

The testing is indeed abysmal. They don't even seem to go into some high risk community and test a few thousand people to find out the positivity rate. So it seems like they have no idea of the spread and thus no idea of the risk to vulnerable individuals. I know that many workplaces (Homepro and Citibank, for example) have their staff do weekly ATK tests. But the positive cases they find may never be reported -- they just have the individuals self-isolate for 5 days. For all we know, Thailand might be just like France. Paul Laew

If you have persistent and increasing floaters, you need to see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. It could be a sign of a retinal tear or impending detachment. That's a medical emergency. Most floaters are harmless, so I don't want to alarm you. But two members of my family had retinal detachments and it's a serious condition. Since I have a genetic risk for it, my ophthalmologist has instructed me about the warning signs. Please don't take any chances. Paul Laew

If they allow personal cultivation (a big if), it will be impossible to control. The lid will be off, if you know what I mean. But I would not feel so all alone Everybody must get stoned -- Bob Dylan Paul Laew .

According to a BBC report, Japan has asked China to stop taking anal swab tests for Covid-19 on its citizens when they enter the country. Some have complained that the procedure caused them "psychological distress", officials say. Yeah, that too. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56245404 Paul Laew

In microeconomic theory, opportunity cost is the forgone benefit that would have been derived from an option not chosen. That's how economists explain how you can lose something you never had. They don't call it "the dismal science" for nothing! Paul Laew

The largest government hospital in Chanthaburi is Prapokklao Hospital. They treat stroke patients there. My father-in-law was treated there after a very serious stroke and they did a good job to keep him alive. For private hospitals, there is a branch of Bangkok Hospital in Chanthaburi if cost is not an issue. Hope this helps. Paul Laew

If you have a PayPal account in another country you can connect to that account by using the appropriate URL, without the need to resort to a VPN. If you go to paypal.com while in Thailand, you will be load the page for the Thai PayPal site. But you can reach the US PayPal site, for example, from https://www.paypal.com/us/ PauL Laew

The single largest shareholder in Siam Commercial Bank is the Crown Property Bureau (currently 23.35%). That might not matter to you, though it does to me, especially since the assets of the CPB no longer belong to the Thai people. Paul Laew

I don't think that's correct. You can't accept any payments either (unless you have a business registered in Thailand). But you can still make purchases with vendors outside Thailand. Rather than keeping the currency strong (which isn't to the benefit of Thai export industries anyway), the Thai government is trying to control the underground economy which is not being taxed. Paul Laew