jaywalker2

If I were you, I wouldn't try gaming the GV setup. I used one of those temporary SMS services to try to set up GV and ended up getting banned from google voice for life. To circumvent that problem I had to set up a new Gmail account and then have my sister transfer her GV number to that account. That was the only thing that worked for me.

Fidelity in its debit card Faq clearly states that although foreign transaction fees have been eliminated recently (they were 1 percent until this year), you might not get the best exchange rate

I don't know why this topic is difficult to understand. Even if your credit card doesn't carry an annual fee, it will usually include a foreign transaction fee if you're converting from a foreign currency. That is, you are charged a percentage of the purchase price when you make a foreign transaction. There might also be a foreign exchange fee. You won't get the interbank rate at the time of purchase. It will be something higher, often 1 percent, Then there are ATM fees, cash advance fees, late payment fees, etc. Merchants are also charged a fee, usually 2.5 percet, Not all companies charge all of these fees. The OP wasn't talking about an annual fee but a foreign transaction fee. That fee is built into the purchase price. Again, not all cards have foreign transaction fees but they are common. It's also common to charge 1 percent above the prevailing exchange rate. You may be waived these fees if you are a priority customer. It's similar to the fees charged when withdrawing cash with a foreign debit card. Then you pay the bank fee, which I believe is currently 220 baht, and the foreign bank or CC company might charge a foreign transaction fee. The Thai banks try to induce you to also use a "dynamic conversion," which would result in another fee of 5 percent. Only with cash are there truly no fees, which is why banks now want to start charging for the use of cash.

At least you're showing your true colors. But I'm surprised, Thailand had lockdowns, vaccine mandates, prolonged school closings, etc. but nobody ever talks about Covid here anymore. Well, except for Red Phoenix.

I agree that having intimate knowledge of Thailand creates another dimension to the viewing experience. I don't know how much time Mike White in Thailand but I think he's done a very good job of displaying the contradictions in this culture. I thought expisode 7 was particularly good, the way he juxtaposed the Buddhist imagery with the images of violence and desire. We have the violence of Muay Thai. Saxon is incapable of understanding what Chelsea is tryiing to tell him as all he can think about is sleeping with her. Even as the Buddhist monk is warning his acolytes that violence always turns back on itself, we see Rick determined to pursue his obsession with revenge. And it's not just the foreigners. We have Gaitok, the security guard, plaintively confessing his reluctance to hurt people only to have Mook (Lalisa) respond that violence is natural and he has to be strong if he wants to succeed. It's these subtlties and conflicts that have taken the White Lotus in a direction it hasn't gone before. I guess some people don't like that, especially because most of the comedy is lacking, but I find it thought-provoking. The big question is whether they'll be able to bring all these loose threads together in the finale.

I don't know why all the hate for White Lotus. Everybody says it's boring -- what is boring exactly? You've got the sleazy Russians,the corrupt investment manager and his tone deaf wife and incestuous sons. You've got Walton Goggins finally able to confront the man who killed his father -- and turns away from violence even as the monk at the meditation center is warning that violence turns back on itself. You've got the gentle and kind Gaitok, whom Lisa, who's probably in league with the Russians, is trying to turn into a killer. You've got Gary, who is planning nothing good I'm sure, and his slut girlfriend and finally you've got Belinda who wants to make the moral decision to have nothing to do with a murderer like Gary while everybody around her is telling her to shut up and take the money. Because that's all we care about in today's society -- money. What's boring about any of that. The show isn't perfect by any means but it's much much better than junk like Black Doves, 1923 (is this show going to be the death of Taylor Sheriden?), the new version of Presumed Innocence, which was laughable, or Jack Reacher and it's lazy writing and lame acting. At least it has depth, a valid social critique, and a complex plot.

Novocaine - great movie. Jack Quaid plays a guy incapable of feeling pain, which comes in handy when he sets out to rescue the woman he thinks he loves after she's been taken hostage in a bank heist. Action! Comedy! Romance! Amber Midthunder is gorgeous.

Season 3, you mean? I agree Alan Richter can't act but they managed to mangle all the other elements of the show as well. The series has been a big disappointment.

The Great San Franciso of 1906 and the Tokyo earthquake of 1923 both measured 7.9. The Japanese earthquake of 2011 measured an incredible 9.0 but it occurred relatively deep in the ocean so the major effect was the devastating tsunami.

Earthquake measured at 4.9, which isn't that big. It felt a lot bigger though. The corridor wall in my building

White Lotus finally ramps up in episode 5. The main complaint about the White Lotus in general is that it tends to be really slow in the beginning episodes as all the pieces are being put into place and the backstories of the ensemble cast are slowly revealed. But the first two seasons really packed a punch at the end and I'm expecting the same thing from this season. As an aside, even those who don't like it might want to take a look at episode 5. Sam Rockwell makes a special guest appearance and goes into a long monologue about his fixation with Asian women that leads to some pretty sordid actiivties with the ladyboys, which just goes to show what Thailand can do to you. Walter Goggins expression as he listens is priceless.

It was your ex-wife, Bob. Didn’t you recognise her?

Under the Bridge. About the killing of a 14 year old girl of Indian heritage by a group of her peers in a small town in Victoria canada. It takes about 3 episodes to really get going but ends up incredibly painful to watch. The sheer brutality and despair is overwhelming.

what speeds were you getting?

That's fine for you. Other people travel around, they stay in hotels. Many digital nomads rely on WiFI. If you're a peripatetic, I don't see how you can avoid using public WiFi.

How safe do you think your phone is then when you're walking around town, inputting your bank information, or whatever. There's no ideal solution, especially when you're traveling.

It's okay if you use a VPN and only go to HTTPS sites.

Can't afford therapy, is that it? You need to get a hobby.

And don't forget he also has 14 kids to raise

Yes this has been going on for some time. When I asked the bank manager he said it was due to new money laundering rules. Fortunately, they'll take a copy of your passport from your phone.

It does seem to be very popular though. Fully booked for most of March

Yeah, of course I've done that. There isn't much information on longer-term hotels and google reviews aren't so reliable so I was hoping someday here would have some personal experience they could share. I know some of the forum members have stayed for long periods in hotels in Pattaya. But thanks anyway.

ATM Card or debit card?

Skype is free. I make maybe 4 or 5 calls to the US a year, just to my bank and brokerage. It's hardly worth it to pay a monthly fee and set up dual sims. I might as well just use WiFi calling. Skype was very convenient for that purpose, however, which is why many of us are looking for a similar alternative.

None of those work for callling 1800 numbers in the US