Foxx

Do you honestly believe he's capable of climbing stairs?

It now occurs to me just how ridiculous this backlog is. The processing is simply looking at gaps, identifying the cost of filling each gap and working out the pension uplift from filling the gap. This is the sort of thing that a computer could do in fractions of a second. It could even be put online. The Luddites at HMRC just don't care. (It rather reminds me of how, when HMRC computerised tax returns, they didn't bother to include the pages for non-UK residents. 20 or so years later, those pages have still not been put online, despite how that would be most beneficial to expats, leading to a much slower, manual processing.)

That's an unreasonable slur. The university has 17 faculties. Only one of those is nursing.

Yes there was. In my experience, building a house commercially is seldom a one man job. The original post didn't mention any other workers or an employer. (That said, user stevenl subsequently provided additional information suggesting that it was indeed a commercial arrangement.)

I guess my response to this depends upon whether he was building something for himself, or whether he was working for hire. If the former, any foreigner who does anything to improve their home is potentially a criminal.

Whoever wrote the title "Move over ChatGPT, Meta’s AI chatbot now speaks Thai" is clearly unaware that ChatGPT already speaks and understands spoken Thai. Meta's playing catchup. Here's a demo:

That is not a pavillion, it's a prasat (specifically Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat). Prasats feature an ornate roof structure, usually multi-tiered. They are reserved for royalty. A pavillion (in Thai, saalaa) is an open side structure used as a meeting place, or for resting. In my mind, the new build looks like neither.

There's a deadline for paying additional NI contributions going back more than 6 years of 5 April 2025. I started the application process online today thinking there'd be plenty of time. I was therefore surprised to learn there is currently a 15 week backlog. Assuming the backlog doesn't get longer (which it probably will), I can expect them to post out a reply on 24 January. Add a couple of weeks for post from UK to Thailand, and then I'm getting very close to the deadline. If anyone else is thinking of making such contributions, I suggest you do it a.s.a.p., and do it online.

Do you prefer to take your news from ever-so-moderate Fox? "Trump sounds alarm on illegal immigrant murderers: 'A lot of bad genes in our country'" https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-sounds-alarm-illegal-immigrant-murderers-bad-genes-in-country

For such a small amount, probate is probably not required. For example, Nationwide will release up to GBP 50,000 without Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. https://www.nationwide.co.uk/about-us/information-for-lawyers/deceased-customers/#:~:text=a new window)-,Closure of deceased customers' accounts,-Where the balance

Stopping at a red light is optional, and nobody here stops for a zebra crossing.

He had a history of dangerous, reckless driving. Glad he killed himself, not anybody else. https://www.ksstradio.com/2020/03/blogger-nathaneil-nathan-narra-jailed-in-hopkins-county-texas/

The price of imported spirits is much lower than in the UK (and probably many other countries). No one is forcing you to consume any alcohol. I just wish they'd import slimline tonic. I don't want all that sugar in my G&T.

Next time, rather than getting niacin (nicotinic acid) get nicotinamide which does not cause flushing. Same vitamin, different formulation.

That's inherently nonsense. If the food is dripping with oil the oil will need to be topped up with fresh oil, so no "old rancid oil" - unless you think the vendors have a special supply of rancid oil with which to top up.

That would be counterproductive. Republicans seeing a big lead would then be less likely to vote since it's all "in the bag".

I see this graphic is from the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It's good to see that they are acknowledging the superiority of white people. I trust that the African Americans are now going to respect the natural order of things and go back to being slaves.

If his card is anything like the Krung Sri Exclusive you have to have money in the bank for certain period (5 million baht, six months) to get the card. You are then free to withdraw the money, yet keep the card, so the substantial investment is not securing the card. (Yes, I'm certain. I have a Krung Sri Exclusive card and have done this.)

Perhaps you could explain how one can renew a passport in Thailand without using VFS? (In Thailand meaning without making a return trip to the UK.)

No, the service is abysmal. In other countries such as Malaysia one can apply for a new passport online without the need to make two (or even any) trips to VFS.

It will allow it, but you'll later get an email rejecting the report stating that it has to be done in person. By that time it's too late to do it by mail, and you may not be able to get an appointment (at least at Chaengwattana) and be condemned to waiting hours to do so in person.

And even worse, we're forcing them to do it in English, rather than in the original Greek. How standards have slipped! ω καιροί, ω ήθη.

The same advertising displays are about to become artwork with blurry images from the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. (Yeah, I too thought I hadn't heard of him until I remembered the "sun" in the turbine hall in Tate Modern which was actually pretty cool.) https://www.timeout.com/london/news/olafur-eliasson-is-going-to-blur-out-all-the-advertising-screens-in-piccadilly-circus-092424

By whom? A ridiculous assertion.

Yes. The rules of this site state "27. You will not post any copyrighted material except as fair use laws apply (as in the case of news articles). Only post a link, the headline and three sentences from the article." I would therefore not be permitted to quote long reports from any newspaper - unlike the authorities here.