Everything posted by ibjoe
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UPDATE: Swiss man’s visa revoked
Here is a random review.. "Somehow, the Green Elephant Sanctuary Park got singled out as one of the most ethical elephant parks in Phuket. I think this is just a way for tourists to justify their “amazing experience” guilt-free. Sure, the elephants have it better here than with their previous abusive owners, and maybe even compared to some other Phuket elephant parks. However, the up-close interactivity that tourists love so much isn’t very ethical and is notably different from Phuket’s proper top ethical elephant park, the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary." https://theperpetualsaturday.com/green-elephant-sanctuary-park-phuket/
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Potential dangers of kratom
Kratom can be safe and effective, used correctly. A primary danger is contamination, supplements are not regulated, a manufacture could label any product as Kratom, and the product could have contamination. Same for any unregulated supplement. Kratom is sometimes used concurrently with other more dangerous drugs, and bad side effects of those drugs can be mislabeled as due to Kratom alone. Used abusively, i.e. excessive dosing, can cause physical problems, there is correlation of excessive dosing with liver damage. Kratom is not shown to be physically addicting, like opioids, however most anything can be psychologically addicting. Kratom is a mostly legal supplement that pharmaceutical industry is pushing to be incorrectly listed as Schedule I. It is relatively benign, used mostly for pain relief, to help recovering opiate addicts stay clean, and recreationally. The last attempt by USA DEA to list Kratom as schedule I was met by overwhelming public opposition, but Kratom remains in danger. Kratom is threatened by pharmaceutical industry. Because it is an inexpensive natural product that produces good results, allowing people to mitigate pain, etc. without buying expensive and addicting substances from pharmaceutical industry. At one time I was diagnosed with clinical depression and prescribed a variety of anti-depressants, some of which were effective. I'm over that now, don't take any medications for depression, but I find that when I get occasion depression symptoms then Kratom is much more effective than any of the anti-depressants were. Effect is almost immediate, compared to hours or days for the medications, and last for a few hours, though can be prolonged by additional dosage.
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Customers Complain of Bank App Deducting Money Every Minute by 33.28 Baht
Reference 1999 Move "Office Space"
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Be warned: AirAsia customer service!
Same experience, sort of low cost (though extra costs aren't always clear at first), but if any changes needed, forget it. I found that if I pleaded with Bo long enough it would offer to transfer me to an "associate". Then I'd be in a long queue, few hundred, but it would move quickly, within an hour or two I'd be connected with a human. Who might or might not help. I avoid AirAsia, especially if there is any chance I might need to change anything.
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Non O Retirement One Year Visa extension questions
Thank you all responders for the very useful and helpful information. Especially DrJack54 for the advice and the three urls to relevant threads, and khunPer for specific responses to each question. After completing my visa extension I will post a report. Reference (DrJack54) "2. You must do the extension at immigration office where are living". When I first got my visa, in Bangkok, the agent used their office address for my address, also for my Krungthai bank account they opened in my name. But my subsequent Tabien Baan Yellow House Book is my wife's address in Yasothon. So I understand I must use Yasothon Immigration office. 3 Prapa Rd Nai Muang Mueang Yasothon District. About 55km from home. They have (10) positive reviews on Google. Also I should change my Krungthai account address to match my Tabien Baan. Songkran is April 13. I read a news article https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thailand-s-songkran-to-be-celebrated-for-entire-april-in-2024-under-govt-s-soft-power-plan that Songkran will be for ALL of April. So maybe I should start early, like Wednesday 20-March. My wife says Songkran shutdown starts Wednesday 10-April. I'll ask my wife to check with Yasothon Immigration office about their schedule for April. Also about specific requirements at that office. I'm not clear on ฿800k proof requirements. I have that (plus a bit more) in Krungthai bank. I don't think there are any Kungthai branches in Yasothon area (only ATMs), so a same day hardcopy from the bank would be difficult. I could do an ATM transaction (to update to current day) and use the Krungthai app to send me a PDF statement showing current balance for the year up to the day. But same day updating my physical bank book could be an issue. Again, I'll ask my wife to ask about local office requirements details. Since I haven't been in Thailand for more than 90 consecutive days since getting my last Non O visa, and my passport shows that, exit and entry stamps, I think I should not need a TM47 90 day report? Since I have my Tabien Baan I think I should not need a TM30? I didn't know I could get re-entry permit at airport. But I prefer to have the multiple re-entry already done, to avoid potential last moment issues. So I will apply for that again at same time as visa extension. Side note, I found this useful url for immigration documents descriptions: https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand-visa/thai-immigration-forms Appreciate continued useful comments.
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Non O Retirement One Year Visa extension questions
I'm considering issues about renewal, and appreciate useful advice. I got my first one year non O visa extension (from original 3 month non O visa) on 18-April 2023, and now I want to renew for another year. I also have multiple re-entry permit, which I also want to renew. I'm using 800k฿ in the bank method, Krungthai. I'm married to a Thai lady, and I have my Yellow House Book, and my Pink ID card, for what that is worth. I travel a lot, and have never been in Thailand for more than 90 consecutive days on one visa. So I never filed a 90 day / TM30 form. I used an agent to help me get my bank account, visas, and multiple entry permit. At Bangkok immigration. Same building complex as the Krungthai bank is also conveniently located. The agent charged a lot. Questions: 1) When should I target renewal process? I consider there may be holiday activity around 18-April, so some time in advance may be good. 2) Should I use the same Bangkok immigration center as before, or can I visit any immigration center, e.g. in Phuket? 3) Should I use an agent again? It was an easy process for what was very confusing to me. The agent walked me to all the various stations, filled out all the forms, I just had to be physically present and sign papers. 4) If I use an agent again (maybe the same one again), what should I expect to pay? Including for the re-entry permit. 5) If I go it alone (with help of my Thai wife for translation, etc.) what is the correct process (including forms, etc. url references also appreciated)? Thank you to all helpful responders.
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Pink Id card for foreigners
Similar to others, my Thai wife helped me get my Yellow House Book and Pink ID Card. Lots of forms, several trips to local office, gift to village elder.. So far I used it once, for a substantial discount to visit the Phuket Central Aquarium. But it looks cool, and maybe it could help in some situations, like "I'm really local, not just another stupid farang tourist". Next I want to get my drivers licenses...
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Sports car driver caught drifting at Sukhumvit Road intersection
Doing donuts is not the same thing as drifting, which is a high speed cornering technique where the car is sliding.. "Street Takeovers" is a big problem in USA now, many, sometimes upwards of 100, cars and drivers will gather at an intersection and spin donuts for half an hour or so, with sometimes 100s of spectators. Sometimes too overwhelming for police to do anything about, but more communities are starting to crack down. Hope that doesn't start happening here.
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Thai AirAsia merger grounded till 2027
I found when trying to deal with AirAsia issues that if I pleaded with the Bot long enough (like 15 minutes of continuing to ask for a human rep in various ways) it would finally agree, and transfer me to a queue with typically a few hundred in front, but actually went down fairly quickly, like within an hour. Then I could chat with a real human, who might or might not resolve the issue. I avoid AirAsia, especially if I think there is any chance I might need to reschedule. The other option is to go to their booth at the airport and talk with human representatives there.
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Would you use counterfeit RAM modules?
Consider 3 categories 1) Real brand product. The manufacturer generally wants to maintain its reputation and has professional standards and practices to maintain quality. 2) Generic product. The manufacture is less concerned, and mainly wants to undercut the Real brand product price to get market share. 3) Counterfeit product, essentially Generic product that is labeled to be Real brand product. Consider the potential differences between Real brand and Generic product. 1) The chips for Generic may be compromised in various ways, e.g. they could have failed lot testing, be older date codes, been stored in sub-standard environment (e.g. excessive moisture content, been subject to ESD (Electro Static Discharge) damage, had other manufacturing issues, etc. Or they could be real, but stolen. They may function okay in typical use case, but fail under stress, or have reduced life. For example they could have errors and high or low temperatures, less margin as frequencies increase. 2) The circuit boards on which the chips are mounted. They could be sub-standard design or manufacture, leading to sub-optimal performance e.g. at higher frequencies. 3) Assembly of the chips to the board. Again, manufacturing could be sub-standard, e.g. poor soldering, leading to early failure. I would consider Generic, knowing I'm saving money, but with potential reliability issues. I would test them thoroughly first, including at higher speeds, hotter temperatures, and for long times (I've had modules that would only fail every several hours, but one bad bit in the wrong place can ruin a file). I would consider Real brand knowing it may be superior product and have good warranty if it does fail later. I would avoid counterfeit, Generic should be cheaper for probably the same or better quality.
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1 in 4 vehicles registered in December in Thailand was a fully electric
Electric vehicles have intrinsic efficiency advantages, like regenerative braking (recovering energy when braking instead of wasting it as heat), and not needlessly burning fuel when idling. Also reduced carbon emissions, however while electric vehicles don't have direct emissions, there can be carbon emissions from the creation of their electricity. Most of Thailand electric power comes from burning fuel. Only recently (2016) has Thailand even allowed solar power, but now that it is allowed hopefully it will pick up quickly.
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Computer Desk.
Global House has variety of computer desks and chairs..
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US citizen, better to marry Thai in US or in Thailand (registered)?
Considerations: If you get a K1 visa, you have to wait about a year (during which you can see if you really like each other enough to still want to get married), then you can get married in USA with a 90 buffer time for your prospective spouse to see if they like it. Then it can take a long time to get a green card. If you get married in Thailand you can get a CR1 visa, which also takes about a year, but your spouse can get a work permit within a few days of arrival, and a green card within a few months.
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Is there any point in using high end weed to decarb for oil or butter infusions?
Cannabis is not psychoactive unless it is debcarboxylated. Three common ways are smoking, vaping, and cooking. So your question might be better stated "Do extra features from different strains differ by the method of decarboxylation?" Decarboxylation aka decarbing is the process of removing C02 molecules from the THCA/CBDA molecules, which renders them psychoactive. Actually, they will decarb naturally over time, but it takes a LONG time, that's why heat is used as a catalyst to make it happen quickly. Generally strains will retain their differences, but there may be some variation depending on the specific method. Cooking, whether raw or in food, is a good way to avoid putting smoke or vapors in your lungs. Ingest with fat such as oil, butter, etc. to improve uptake. Ingest on empty stomach for faster effect. Disadvantage is more difficult to judge dosage due to the latency effect.
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Cost of living in Phuket
Good point. I stayed at different places in Chalong during this calendar year, most recently about a month ago. My Thai wife found our various rentals.
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Cost of living in Phuket
My experience living in Chalong area of Phuket was not expensive. ~฿1200 / night for very nice hotel room. ~฿3000 / month for small apartment. ~฿250 / day for motorbike rental. Street food is cheap, less than ~฿100 for a meal. And of course Lotus, Super Cheap, etc. stores are all there. Beaches (Rawai, Kata, etc.) are typically less than thirty minute motorbike ride away.
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Decarboxylation temperature and time matrix? Accurate?
Experience shows cooking for 60 minutes at 225 F works well. To control variables, use an oven thermometer, and a thermal mass (like a heavy ceramic dish) and preheat (including the thermal mass) until the temperature is stable before placing the material in. The material can be loosely contained, e.g. in a vented container or loosely wrapped aluminum foil. There will be a strong odor. Cooking at time that is too short or long, or temperature that is too low or high, will reduce potency. The easier way is to use a decarboxylator, a device specifically designed to provide the optimum thermal profile. Ref thread For best body absorption results, eat the decarboxylated material with a fatty food, like butter, peanut butter, Nutella, coconut oil, etc. The advantage of doing your own decarboxylation rather than buying edibles is you can choose your specific strain. While edibles typically claim type, e.g. Sativa, Indica, Hybrid, Energy, Restfulness, etc. they seldom state the specific strain they use. Strain specific cannabinoids and terpenes, etc. will persist through the decarboxylation process, whether that is smoking, vaping, or cooking (these are all decarb processes, removing the CO2 molecules from the THCA / CBDA / etc. molecules, to enable them to be psychoactive effective.
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Thai man kills girlfriend in jealous rage over religion
Murder Suicide is an extreme behavior. It can be influenced by religious beliefs. For example, in the Bhagavad Gita (an ancient Hindu scripture) Prince Arjuna asks Krishna (a major Hindu god) for advice, because he is to lead a war where he will need to kill friends and family. Krishna tells him to fulfill his duty, kill them, not to worry because they will be reincarnated. Gangsters are often religious, and may use their belief in afterlife as partial justification for killing people. And if an individual believes in afterlife, they may be more willing to kill themselves. Considering all religions have their own version of afterlife of which there is no proof, it's likely there is no afterlife, no matter what your faith (or lack thereof).
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Decarboxylation machines - Reviews or Recommendations?
Decarboxylation is the process of converting cannabinoid acids to their corresponding cannabinoids, by removing their carboxyl groups (Carbon-Oxygen aka CO2), usually by heat. You can't get high from raw cannabis, it must first be decarbed, whether by smoking, vaping, or cooking (e.g. in butter, brownies, or a decarboxylator). This is science, not opinion. While cannabis strains' effects are generally classified as indica/hybrid/sativa, the actual effects of various strains can vary significantly or subtlety. There are a variety of strain specific cannabinoids and terpenes it's not all THC, though there are processes to extract THC specifically from cannabis. An experienced user can generally tell the difference for example between Pineapple Express and OG Kush, no matter what decarb method is used. Though some users don't notice a difference and consider that "all the strains are the same". It's okay if you don't agree.
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Decarboxylation machines - Reviews or Recommendations?
If the only active ingredient in cannabis is THC, then strains wouldn't matter. But there are a variety of cannabinoids and terpenes that also affect the effects. Decarboxylation is removing C02 molecules from THCA / CBDA molecules rendering them psychoactively effective. Material is otherwise intact, differences between strains can still be evident after decarboxylation. There are processes to extract THC from cannabis that don't retain strain specific features, but that's not decarboxylation. Consider edibles, they rely on decarboxylated cannabis, and the effects can vary quite a bit between products, e.g. sleepy / energizing / etc. due to the strains they use.
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Decarboxylation machines - Reviews or Recommendations?
Advantage of decarboxylation vs edibles is you get to choose your exact (bud) strain, often edibles are quite vague about that. Decarboxylation process is sensitive to time and temperature. 60 minutes at 225 F is a good target. Too hot or long degrades the THC, too low or short less gets converted. Oven method can work, but a good decarboxylator makes it easy. The Ardent Nova Decarboxylator works very well, but it is expensive. Simple to use, just drop in your material, push the button, and wait. Another method is to cook in oil, you can see the CO2 bubbles rising, when they are done material is ready. After your material is decarboxylated, most effective ingestion is on empty stomach with something oily, like Nutella.
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Has anyone done the application to get a visitor visa to Australia for their Thai GF/wife in the past couple of months?
We did that. Summary at
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Apartment building just "found" a new electic meter attached to our room
Another thought, if you have allegedly three meters for your unit, it could be useful to know what circuits each one is connected to. Turn everything off, check the meters, then turn things on one at a time and see which meters move. If one meter is always moving it isn't on your circuits. If one meter doesn't change with everything on it isn't on your circuits.
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Apartment building just "found" a new electic meter attached to our room
We were renting an apartment, and the electric bill was way too high. We turned everything off, the meter was still running. So someone was stealing electricity from our circuit. Management would not do anything. So we left and found a new apartment.
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CAAT Addresses Complaints Over Flight Rescheduling by Nok Air
Yeah, happened to us. Booked UPB to HKT via DMK. NOK cancelled the first leg so we had to reschedule to earlier, then NOK rescheduled the second leg to be later. The result was that what was originally a two 2 layover in Bangkok turned into an 8 hour layover. Yuk. We did take advantage of their lounge, comfortable couches, free food and all that. Originally they refused lounge entry based on their not before 2 hours before flight rule, but after I explained how they changed their scheduling to cause our long layover they acquiesced. The rescheduling resulted in over payment, which took some work to eventually recover.