Foxx

I don't pretend to understand your technical terms. However, I'm pretty sure that the pilings for the house go down to the bedrock which is about 25 metres down. (The house has stayed in the same place, but the drive has collapsed, and been replaced twice. The kitchen extension subsided, but I had it micropiled to bring it up to the same level.) The actual base of the house appears rock solid. No significant cracks in wall or floor - just a few in the cement render on the outside of the house, which is inflexible anyway. Oh, and yes, column and beam construction. Thanks for the advice.

Thaksin's brilliance is wasted on a country like Thailand. He should go to the United States and help them eliminate their national debt. Should be trivial for him to get rid of the US$36 trillion the state owes.

I have absolutely no idea how the land was prepared. The house is part of a moobaan built by a well known developer. Every house in the development has the same issue.

I need a US will to cover my American assets. I approached law firms in Bangkok that claimed to have US expertise. However, only one gave me a quote which, at 96,300 baht (almost US$ 3,000) I think is outrageous. I then emailed three attorneys in the US who claimed to have expertise in wills and probate. That was a month ago. Not one replied. No idea why. Has anyone managed to set up a US will from Bangkok? And if so, how did you do it? Thanks p.s. I have looked into various will templates on the Internet. They aren’t a good fit with what I want to do.

My house has been built on sandy ground. The ground level has fallen 20-30 cm exposing the bases of the walls, and created cavities under the house, some of which are large enough to hide a dead body. A cobra has taken up residence in one, which is not ideal. Anyway, I was wondering what was the best way to deal with this problem. AFAIK, there are two approaches, (1) embedding vertical slabs around the edge of the house, and (2) injecting stabilising cement under the house. What are the pros and cons of each approach? Is there a better way to deal with the problem? Thanks

Stephff's take on this:

Irrelevant. See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/confirm-youre-free-to-get-married-in-thailand#:~:text=Same sex marriages,outlines the procedures. which explicitly states that the Embassy in Bangkok will currently *not* provide the necessary documentation. (I have also emailed them about this and they have confirmed they are refusing to facilitate provision of the affirmation.)

It currently refuses to issue the affirmation for gay individuals. It will issue it for straights.

The British Embassy in Bangkok will not register marriages at all. The paperwork is the "affirmation of freedom to marry" required to marry at a district office (after it's been translated into Thai and the translation has been affirmed by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I disagree. Thailand can offer luxury. There are plenty of 5* hotels which offer world quality service - not just in Bangkok (Mandarin Oriental, SIam Kempinski, Capella, Four Seasons, etc.), but also in Phuket (Anantara, Amanpuri), Phuket (Four Seasons), Hua Hin (Chivasom), Chiang Mai (Aleenta Retreat), Phang Nga (Six Senses), Samui (Banyan Tree). There are loads of others, but I hope I've made my point. As for fine dining restaurants, they most certainly aren't a joke. Last year I had excellent food and service at Blue, Le Normandie, IGNIV, Maison Dunand, Savelberg and Sühring. Some might say not cheap, but compared with similar quality establishments in the occident, they are great value for money too.

Many have banned the use of animals for cosmetic testing, including the EU and the UK. However, experimentation to advance medical knowledge is practised in all developed countries AFAIK.

There is no requirement for Anutin to sign anything. The bill has received royal assent and has been published in the Gazette. It automatically passes into law after the appropriate waiting period.

Not true. Only some. The British Embassy is refusing to issue the necessary paperwork for British citizens to register their marriage. It's currently unclear when they will do so. It's an absolute disgrace.

Yes. 100%. Animal experiments are required to advance scientific knowledge, and animal testing is required to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of potential treatments. I don't regard human and rodent lives to be of equal value.

Humanity would also do well to reflect upon the amazing scientific advances that have come from such treatment.