cmjl

I wonder who paid for the study to be done-just a thought

If you are pleasant and smile at people they will generally smile back. I flew into Bkk,handed my passport to the lady IO,did all the security things I was asked to do and,with a big smile on her face as she then handed me back my passport wished me a Happy Birthday - LOS

Until 'the powers that be' address the overpopulation of the world (and it won't happen because it's not a vote winner) countries will continue in the same old ways,whether so called climate change is man made or not people are wasteful and have been for at least the last 40 years (the throw away mentality),we cannot keep raping the earths resources and not suffer the consequences. Take Thailand for instance,has anyone driven any of the mountain roads in Tak province lately,mile after mile of deforestation(and it won't be the only province that this is happening in-the photo was taken this week on the 1175)to be planted up with short term crops,the forests that have been removed gave us oxygen and soaked up carbon dioxide and were home to many species of flora and fauna,they also stabilised the land,when the rains come there is nothing to stop the erosion of the land then landslips happen accompanied by much hand wringing when those landslips take out houses and families. It was rather ironic driving down the 1175 to see warning signs to beware of elephants when there looked to be maybe 2-3 m of shrubs at the side of the road before the cultivated land started - where are they,as well as all the other displaced insects,birds and animals supposed to live now?

You don't say how much land you are going to build your house on but if it's practical for you I'd go with Crossy's last statement about geese,if you had a small flock including a gander you could eat the surplus eggs (and also have the occasional gosling for dinner!)

There has always been climate change,it's called weather,many moons ago we had an ice age,my theory is that the earth is tilting towards the sun now,once it's passed the tipping point the climate/weather will very slowly start to cool down and we will then have another ice age,we won't be around to prove or disprove my theory but,as Tippaporn writes climate change is very good for the pockets of oligarchs while us poor plebs starve.

Storm this afternoon in Phrao with heavy rain,now a lot cooler,maybe tomorrow the smog won't be so bad.

We flew into Chiang Mai yesterday afternoon (I know,adding to the pollution!),I was rather shocked by the view(or lack of) out of the plane window as we were coming in to land

Thunder,lightening and heavy rain in the early hours, Lat Krabang area,dampened the dust down for a while

The problem with London and it's useless mayor is that he has pedestrianised roads or made them into cycle only routes plus traffic lights everywhere so that traffic can't keep moving which then causes even more pollution,there is also the cost of public transport which, unlike Thailand is extortionate, all of this is made worse by there being too may people.

TiT ,the tourist tax will most likely go to make the rich richer-as usual. As I understand it,the large amount of sugar cane grown isn't just to keep the world's sweet tooth happy it's also grown for supposedly 'green' fuels so anyone complaining about pollution who also uses petrol with a high Ethanol content is contributing to the pollution.

Another solution is to get rid of Windows and replace it with a decent operating system!

I have used the free shuttle bus between the airports,so long as you have a ticket to fly out it's an excellent way to travel,usually takes about an hour

Slightly off topic,yesterday, somewhere North of Kampeang Phet we watched a lorry and drag loaded with quadrant bales of sugar cane leaves tipping them at the side of a field,I'm guessing that,from the old bales that were also there that they must be tipping them to eventually rot down-though the strings won't if they're plastic but at least they weren't burning them(yet).

There have been a few studies done that suggest that artificial sweeteners are bad for your health in that there is an increased risk of strokes and heart attacks as well as weight gain in some people,l fail to understand why people would rather use man made chemicals in their food rather than what is available from natural food sources - in moderation.

There is more than 1 way of asking a question and how that question is framed will depend on how the question is answered which can then put a totally different concept on the subject. As the useless UK politicians of all colours couldn't organise the proverbial p-up in a brewery (rather like the world over) I would rather suspect that that there is a lot going on behind the scenes that those politicians would rather we didn't know about. Re food banks,there's an old saying 'cut your cloth according to your purse', banks have encouraged us to spend spend spend because it's in their best interests,low interest rates have lulled people into a false sense of security and who wins at the end of the day-the bankers and the politicians.There is also the other way of looking at things and the operative word is greed,if there is something going free there are always people who will take advantage,when people turn up at food banks in new vehicles that is greed,the amount of money the stupid Tories are throwing around(and Labour would be no better and probably even worse if that was possible)is ridiculous because at the end of the day that money has to be paid back by the tax payer.

It's not just sugar that is the problem it's also lack of exercise just as it is in the western world and you can blame a lot of that on the computer age,once upon a time kids went out to play physical games now they sit and play games on their devices,the first used up a lot of calories the second one doesn't = fat kids and unless those fat kids change their lifestyle they become fat adults. About 15 years ago I was talking to a friend who'd spent many years working in Thailand and he was saying how fat westerners were getting and that the Thai people weren't like that,I said to give them 10 years and that the influence of TV would change them-it would have been nice to be proved wrong.

Back in early January 2020 a close friend(early 70's) got a bad dose of 'flu',we were due to fly to Thailand and I didn't think he'd recover in time,he did so we flew here only for me to become ill with an horrendous sore throat,I suspect that it was probably covid,my friend had 2 Pfizer jabs in the UK with no ill effects,he then had a Moderna jab and has not had good health since,I had 2 AstraZenica jabs and won't be having any more,another friend has had to have a pacemaker fitted because of heart failure which she is sure was caused by the jab(she had 3),she's 77yo and said she won't be having any more,the same with another friend after a very bad reaction to the jab. I have a friend who is a retired Dr and when he was still working I jokingly said to him that he would be taking statins soon as the government had suggested everyone over the age of 50 should take them - he was adamant that there was no way he was going to be taking them because of the side effects they could cause. As connda says we all die at some point,from the day we were born we have one less day to live so make the most of those days while you're still able because nobody knows what's round the corner.

If you're 'lucky' you maybe won't get an addled brain,if you're 'unlucky' it's too late when you're diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia or similar,we only have one brain,it doesn't rejuvenate itself so why 'fix' it if it ain't broken!

Thank you all for your replies,I have been in touch with Dok Kaew gardens,the practicalities will have to be sorted out before any decisions are made as to whether it would work for him and his family

I may have posted this in the wrong place! I have an older male friend (77 this month),he lived in Thailand for quite a few years so does speak some Thai,he is healthy in body but his brain is letting him down,at the moment he is living in the UK but wants to move where it's warmer. Does anyone have any experience of a relative in a facility for such people,he doesn't need/require anything fancy, any ideas welcome along with approx prices or suggestions,drawbacks,problems etc Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give ps I am traveling to Thailand on the 18th and will be there for a month then traveling to Oz for a similar length of time then back in Thailand till the beginning of April so may be able to check out some suggestions