ibjoe

I recently went to Bangkok Hospital Dental in Phuket, very professional and quality work, price quite low compared to USA. I don't know about Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok Dental, but if similar to Phuket is likely a good choice. Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok is also world class, their dental department may also be a good choice, though I don't have personal experience.

Thank you for your candor. Do you have any interest in reviewing the data and science about these perspectives?

"Climate has not gotten worse..." Unsubstantiated statement. If you define climate and pick your data in such a way to support your statement, you could probably arrange that, and then you could have debatable material. Whether or not I (and others) use only available forms of energy is not relevant. It is not hypocrisy. When choice is available I will gladly pick alternative energy options, including at a price premium. I support and promote energy conservation, and alternate energy sources including solar, wind, ocean, thermal, and nuclear. I realize they all have both advantages and disadvantages.

Thank you for your post demonstrating the futility of debate with a denier. Your stated issue is irrelevant to the current situation. Anyway, I don't ask anyone to trust me. I encourage people to do their own research on the available data and make their own conclusions. Making this more difficult is propaganda saturation covertly sponsored by petro corporate interests. For example "reports" that cherry pick data and convolute reasoning, or use of related distracting issues, anything to make deniers feel good about their perspectives. Sticking to well established data about things, like year over year changes in CO2 levels, temperature changes, ocean levels, etc. can help make it more clear. You could turn this around and say - but the people that are warning us are also using these techniques to make non-deniers feel good. However people that are aware of climate change issues generally don't feel good about them, and they tend to stick to the facts, though they may elaborate on occasion. Entities with vested interest in mitigation, such as alternative energy, may promote their potential solutions, even in unrealistically optimistic manner. I'm a skeptic, I don't accept positions of either side without doing my own investigation. At this point there is a lot more data supporting we are experiencing climate change now, it will get worse, humans promote it, and humans could mitigate it if they act aggressively enough quickly enough, which I doubt they will.

I started doing that, with unsatisfactory results, then got the idea that perhaps other members here might have had positive experiences to share. Seems shipping costs will be expensive, maybe best bet will be just book extra luggage on my next flight to USA. Thank you all responders.

I will not debate climate change with a denier, because they tend to ignore facts and the logical conclusions. While they may cherry pick data, they lack the critical thinking and emotional detachment skills to acknowledge the overall situation. This is not to be insulting to them, evolution has selected for these traits, I won't fault people for who they are. I encourage putting opinions aside and evaluating the actual overall data before postulating. Climate deniers tend to use these arguments: 1) There is no climate change. 2) There is climate change, but it's not influenced by human activity. 3) There is climate change, but the effects are good for the environment (e.g. plants utilize CO2). 4) There is climate change, and I don't care (e.g. I'm rich and can afford to personally avoid the effects, I'll be dead before it's really bad, etc). Ask yourself what kind of denier you are. See if you can find data that might change your mind. Be aware of "Confirmation Bias" factor, where people give more credence to articles (data and/or opinion) that agree with them than articles that don't.

Humans caused Climate Change,and only humans can mitigate it. We have passed the "tipping point", Climate Change will continue to get worse. Vast populations will be displaced, partly due to rising sea levels, and as those people seek new lands to live on there will be conflicts and wars. Now is a good time to focus on mitigating this looming catastrophe, mainly by avoiding petroleum energy. Green energy industry will provide many jobs and a better environment. Fossil fuel corporate interests will dispute this and supply much obfuscating propaganda to encourage doubt. China is largest contributor to greenhouse gases, followed by USA, EU, and Russia, in that order.

Hi all. Anyone have experience or ideas about shipping from Thailand to USA? We have one or two boxes of books, maybe 40kg total. Looking for low cost option, with not more than a few weeks shipping time. Suggestions?

Radiated tortoises are critically endangered. Now more so. 😧😢 Hopefully they will be returned to their native environments, survive, and not be captured again.

How many are being trafficked, being forced to work against their will? I would never patronize a person I thought was being trafficked, I would never support their pimp. Every worker should be doing it of their own free will, and keeping the money they earn. Every person trafficking others should be locked up in jail. Forced prostitution is wrong, we should not support that.

For a long time I have thought about why humans are so destructive. My conclusion is that evolution has selected for these characteristics. First, evolution has selected for humans are generally altruistic - to their family and / or clan. Because when humans help other humans having this altruistic characteristic, the other humans are likely to help them in return, creating a survival advantage and propagating that DNA. Second, evolution has selected for humans to be hostile to those that are not their family / clan. Many of examples of this are obvious, e.g. malicious gossip at the office, street gang conflicts, racist / supremacist groups, Trump cult, rich people denigrating poor people, Hindu caste system, Muslim intolerance of all other religions, Nazi genocide of Jews, Jewish oppression of Palestinians, the list is endless. For an example of why evolution has selected for this, consider early humanity, two villages close to each other. One populated with Peaceful DNA people, peaceful and caring of others. The other village populated with Hostile DNA people. One day the Hostile village raids the Peaceful village, kill all the men, rape all the women. The hostile DNA propagates while the Peaceful DNA diminishes. Third, evolution has selected for humans to have clans of arbitrarily large size. Humans can create intangible ideas, like religions, sports teams, corporations, governments, etc. Clans are created by sharing common beliefs in these intangible constructs. Even if you don't know someone, if you consider they believe the same things as you do, you automatically include them as part of your clan. Because arbitrarily large clans amplify the Hostile DNA effect, DNA that does not support this characteristic is minimized. Side note: This genetically selected for characteristic causes even some intelligent people to believe in tenants of religions, despite how little sense they make. Fourth, evolution has selected for humans to follow leaders. These arbitrarily large clans need organization, and that is always implemented in a hierarchy structure, which is generally controlled by Hostile DNA. Because Hostile DNA will attempt to destroy competitors, and the most aggressive Hostile DNA generally wins. Humans that follow the most successful hierarchy structures have survival advantage, while humans that shun these social structures are either not supported or purposely oppressed / terminated. Evolution has selected for people to blindly follow even extremely Hostile leaders, even when they know it's wrong, which often they don't. Side note: This genetic characteristic also causes humans to worship arbitrary humans that can be intangibly agreed on as worship objects, such as sports figures, movie stars, politicians, etc. even if they are not specifically leaders. The result of these evolutionary selected characteristics is humankind is extremely destructive. Humans care about themselves and their clans more than anything else, that's what made their DNA supreme. Everything and everyone else is generally treated with hostility and destruction. Fortunately evolution also selects for diversity. So not all humans are as destructive as others. Also, shared intangible ideas can include caring for others, caring for the environment, etc. An arbitrarily large clan with shared concepts of social equality / social justice / care for our environment is possible. Though tendency is for Hostile DNA to corrupt from within, or conquer from without. Still, the general tendency of humans is to not care about, or consciously suppress, anything or anyone that does not directly support them or their clan. Also the hostile DNA continues to have the same power to replicate as that originally created it. Based on the hopelessness of Humanity to ever be very humane (ironic the word for humane, derived from "human", implies kindness, which overall humans are deficit in), my view of humankind is Nihilistic. Humankind is at a change point, if we don't self-destruct first. The two main things that will change humankind future relatively soon are AI and genetic engineering. AI has the potential to drastically change humankind social structure, or replace humans altogether. The same for genetic engineering, countries could create clone armies, scientist could create super-humans that will displace or subjugate legacy humans, etc. Reference Brave New World by Aldous Huxley for one random example. Various other currently unimagined scenarios are probable. Knowing that evolution has selected for humans to be destructive makes it easier for me to not care about things that should be cared about. All of us are on a caring scale, from not caring about anything but self (e.g. Trump) to dedicating our life to helping others (e.g. Mother Teresa). For me, caring is painful, especially considering most human, animal, and environmental suffering is caused by humans and there isn't much I can do about it. I don't want to dedicate my life to helping others especially considering they wouldn't need help if not for the actions of others, which I can't practically influence. To assuage my guilt I donate to organizations that do care, such as Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, Greenpeace, etc. Also I try to do as little evil as possible. While it isn't hard to not kick people when they are down, etc. it is difficult to impossible to avoid being evil, simply shopping at Walmart or owning stock in most corporations is contributing to evil oppression of workers.

So it went like this. My Thai wife was insistent we use an agent, so we did. I gave him all my documents (listed in my original post) and a lot of money. Next day he gave us a big stack (clipped together) of papers, with official stamp appointment. Couple of days later he took us to Phuket DLT, arriving about 7:45AM, and dropped us off. There were two lines, eventually we figured out the long one was for drop ins, and the shorter one for appointments. About 8AM lady comes out and sorts the lines, makes sure everyone was in their correct line (many were not) and arranged them so only one line (appointment line) occupied the walkway, the drop in line further back under shade structure. Some people got rearranged from near the front of their wrong line to near the end of their correct line. Inside there were two desks for incoming processing. Lady glanced at my paper stack and told me to proceed to next station. Short wait for my reaction speed and colors test. Then we got a number, about half hour wait until it was up. This lady inspected all my papers and original documents very carefully, before finally collecting the fees. Then another short wait for picture taking, and even shorter wait for both (car and motorcycle) my cards. Finished about 10AM. Taxi home. Using agent did make it very easy, but now that I've been through it once I think I can renew (in two years) on my own.

OP is not clear, is he leaving before or after the end of a 90 day stay? The post title indicates before, but the post text indicates after, without stating exactly how many days over. All above advice seems good. My experience is I have never stayed more than 90 days on any one visa (though I've stayed more than 90 consecutive days on multiple consecutive visas / extensions), I've never filed TM47, and never had any issues coming or going.

Thank you all responders, especially for specific links and suggestions. I went here, and noted that it is for renewal, and since this is my first time, I think I will need to watch the video at DLT (or maybe at agent school). Thank you for that link, I may go there. Well, at about 2 hour drive each way, it may take less time to wait in line locally, and thanks for the suggestion. I make it a point to dress politely for any times I may deal with authorities, including at the airport, immigration office, etc. I notice that dressing and acting nicely generally gets me more respect almost anywhere. I'll "dress down" if I go somewhere that I could be potentially targeted as wealthy (which I'm not). --- I expect that I'll be able to handle renewals on my own easily enough, but since this is my first time I will consider an agent / school to "hold my hand" and "walk me through" the process, assuming the prices is reasonable. After I succeed (or fail) I will report my experience at Phuket DLT. Again, thanks everyone for their considered responses, information, suggestions, and advice.

I want to get my Thai drivers licenses for cars and motorbikes, and I want to do it in Phuket, soon. If I only get one, it would be for motorbike, but I want both. What I have now is * USA passport * Non-O retirement visa (recently renewed) * Thai (yellow) house book, Yasothon province * Thai (pink) ID card * USA, California, drivers license authorized for cars and motorcycles * International Driver Permit I have experience, riding motorbikes in Thailand, and driving cars on left side of the road in Australia, and many years of cars / motorbike riding in USA (where we drive on the right side). I consider myself to be a skillful, cautious, careful, and polite driver. Online research shows various processes and requirements, and I suppose it varies by province / office. So any specific information about Phuket office, which I understand is at 42/1 Rattanakosin 200 Pi Rd, is appreciated. I'll be in Chalong, so that location isn't far for me. I suppose I could do it on my own, with the help of my Thai wife, but maybe it would be easier with an agent or driving school? Any recommendations or advice? Thank you

I avoid using Air Asia, mainly due to their poor customer service. I only book with them (either direct or via agency like Travelocity) if I'm sure I won't change my plans - because changes are not possible with Air Asia. Unless it's their mistake, for example one time they rebooked my connecting flight such that I left before getting there, I got them to fix that. There is no direct customer service access, only the stupid Bot. I found if I pleaded with the bot long enough it would eventually put me in a queue to message with a live person, but even at then they usually can't help with problems.

She is actually very reasonable with me, we may disagree sometimes but are always very calm with each other and resolve issues amicably. You are in province "next door" to us! Cool.. Well, actually it is quite hot here now, 40+ C 😆🥵 Thank you again for the offer!

Thank you @marty147 ! That is kind of you to offer! 😊 We are actually flying out of Bangkok this morning, back to Ubon Ratchitani / Yasothon, so connecting might be difficult. I think I am successful in convincing my wife to use Thai coins, which are readily available! So, no longer an issue...

Thanks. I used to collect coins too, when I was a child. They are gone now.. I have a bucket full of loose change in the states, that doesn't help now. I will try to convince her that Thai coins are sufficient..

Hi all. My Thai wife wants some USA coins for a ceremony. Any suggestions where I can get these in Bangkok? A few rolls of Quarters, Nickles, Dollar coins, etc would be good. I know local money changers will have a few, but for larger quantities? Thank you.

Thank you to all responders! I am renewed now, reference my report:

Thank you to all responders! I renewed, and the short answer is no, TM30 was not necessary. The long answer is at:

My Thai wife and I went to Yasothon (our precinct) immigration to renew my Non-O retirement visa for another year. The immigration officer lady was friendly and helpful. This was my first time for one year renewal without an agent. The office was not crowded, and it still took a few hours. There were a few Thai people, and I also noticed a couple of Thai lady / Farang man couples. We came prepared with my updated bank book, signed and stamped bank statement pages, 4cm x 5cm passport type photos (I asked for 4x6, but shop made 4x5 anyway), photocopies of all my non-blank passport pages, my Yellow house book, and my Pink ID card. NO TM-6 or TM-30. I've never been in Thailand longer than 90 days on any visa, so no TM-47. Officer only wanted one photo. Officer provided TM-7 for us to fill out. We had two small issues. First was bank did not provide guarantee letter about my funds. Officer noted local bank branch, we went there for the proper document and returned with it. Second was one time last year when entering Thailand, the immigration officer stamped me in on 30 day VOA instead of Non-O. Not a problem at the time, when I left a few weeks later the exit immigration officer noted that error, but since it was less than 30 days stamped me out on it, and next time I made sure to be stamped in on my Non-O. But now it was problem, officer said it would take time to resolve, she needed to contact Suvarnabhumi (the entry airport) about it. So we had to wait a while for that. Finally finished, but still needed to add multiple-reentry permit, that took another picture and more forms. Finally finished, I'm good for another year.

If I am married to Thai lady, living in her house which is also my Yellow House Book address, and return to Thailand after being out of the country for a while and immediately go home to our house, is she required to file a TM30? If she doesn't, does that affect my Non-O retirement visa renewal (a few days after I arrive)? Can we do it at immigration office? Thank you.

TSA found 6737 guns at the checkpoints in 2023. So, at least somewhat effective. USA was not fine without TSA, consider 9-11. That is why USA has TSA now, to avoid that kind of thing happening again.