MangoKorat

Yes, I've just had 3 strokes (little ones mind). My doc may change the meds in future, no idea really, its all a bit new to me. All I know is he said I need to take these for life if I want to live a 'normal' life. There is a possibility that the Amlodipine dose might actually have to go up. My BP is around 135 (on the current dose) and the doc says that seeing as I've already had strokes, he rather it was in the 120's.

It does to me too - seeing as my cholesterol wasn't that high. But that's what the doctor ordered.

As of next year I will need to buy 3 types medicine every month in Thailand. It would be nice if it was possible to buy the same brands as I get in the UK but the main thing is that they are good quality and effective: Is the only way to guarantee that by going to somewhere like Boots or are there other Pharmacies that supply decent quality medicines? My concerns come from past experiences. Many years ago I had a stomach problem whilst in Thailand - something I often had when I was in the UK and took medicine as necessary. I went to a small Pharmacy and bought the same medicine but a different brand - it didn't work. By that time I was in a different city and visited another larger Pharmacy to ask their advice. The Pharmacist took one look at the medicine that I'd bought and shook her head. I asked her if it was a fake, she told me it wasn't really a fake but most likely contained a much lower dose of the actual medicine than claimed on the label - quite common apparently. I was given a propriety brand of the same stuff and my problem cleared up in a couple of hours. The medicine I require now is far more important and I have to take it every day for life. The three medicines are: Atorvastatin 80mg Amlodipine 5mg Clopidogrel 75mg

I've ni idea whether statutes exist or not but they certainly impound bikes for plenty of other reasons - the area where they keep impounded bikes at Pak Chong police station is rammed full.

I don't doubt its been your experience. I said it isn't mine. I will describe one experience. The I.O. at the booth when I entered questioned why I was entering on a 30 day exempt, why didn't I have a MENO. I tried to explain to her that my MENO had expired and as I was only coming for 2 weeks, I didn't think a visa was necessary. I tried to keep it simple and gave her some of my reasoning in Thai but she could not explain her decision to me. She had to bring another officer over to tell me that I would be allowed in this time but in future I must have a visa. When I exited at the end of that visit I went to the immigration counter behind the passport booths to ask a few simple questions in relation to my next entry. Two officers could not understand me at all and had to bring a third officer over to answer my questions. I am not stupid and always try to keep what I say simple when speaking English with Thai's - I also try to use Thai to the best of my ability. I would expect that a basic requirement for any Immigration Officer in any country would be fluency in the international language.

That's not been my experience at the airport.

Do you believe they are his true thoughts though Richard? I've started to take a different view of this site since reading George's comments on moderation just before the site went offline. I'm wondering if some of the posts and indeed some posters are simply 'planted' with the aim of obtaining more clicks. More clicks = a more appealing prospect to advertisers. Contraversial comments and posts almost always draw the most comments but I think that far more people view and never post - again greatly assisting the 'click' ratio.

I wonder if both jobs are 'for sale' as I believe those of police officers may be?

You might think differently if they were to hit you or a loved one. Smoking weed whilst driving is much the same as drinking and driving - you think you're in control but the reality is that you are far from it.

A past girlfriend spoke, wrote and read excellent English - the reason being that she was at University doing a degree in Tourism and Hospitality and the University banned the use of Thai whilst students were on campus. If they were heard to speak Thai, even in personal conversation with other students, they were sent home. One thing I have never quite understood in Thailand is how anyone can get a job as an Immigration Officer when they don't speak English.

Just to put your mind at rest, I've entered a few times on a MENO via land crossings, only once did they stamp me in for 30 days and when I pointed out their mistake they corrected it to 90 days. Keep your eyes on the stamp though.

555 maybe you haven't seen it but I'm refering to the practice of laying tree branches on the road a few yards before a hazard - the Thai alternative to a reflective triangle.

No 'reflective' tree branch?

Neither a townie nor a beach bum here but a road is for vehicles, not for drying rice. Just because locals have done it for years, that doesn't make it right. A farmer where I live in the UK has just been prosecuted for leaving muck on the road after he'd been muck spreading. A motorcyclist came around a corner, skidded on the muck and went under a truck - dead. There are often accidents around here during the silage season when farmers sometimes work all night to bring in the crop - very often using vehicles with no lights and poor brakes. They don't seem to think that the laws are there for a reason and that reason applies to them and everyone else. When we were building some houses just 2 miles from where the above accident took place, on the same road, we had to clean the road every time a vehicle from our site left mud on it and we had to keep a record of all that activity. A guy from the council came around regularly to check we were doing that. People moving into the countryside and complaining about the smell, yes, on that I'd agree that its part. Farmers are not immune from basic safety practices - they must adhere to the rules just as everyone else must. People don't move around on Buffalo carts at 5kph any more - you can't mess around with the roads. As a motorcyclist, I'd be appalled if I came around a corner and found rice spread out across the road. The roads are built to allow vehicles, including farm vehicles, to get around. It may be a tradition to dry rice on a public road road but that doesn't make it right - its a tradition that needs to be stopped. I wonder how the farmers would be if people were to start driving around and parking their cars in their fields. Farmers in all countries seem to think they are a special case and laws don't apply to them - they do.

Almost 17 months actually. Enter on the day before the visa expires - gives 90 days after expiry = 15 months. However, all entries, including the last one can be extended by 60 days (based on marriage). So 90 + 60 = 150 days after the final entry = 17 months.

There is no limit to how many single entry Non O visas based on marriage you can apply for.

Were they small massage parlours on back streets?

They had tarmac or concrete centuries ago?

Another case that like the USA, would have had a different outcome if the person responsible didn't have a gun. There is no place for guns in any normal society.

So good to see you're all being so nice and polite to each other on this thread. The usual culprits getting away with it as usual!

This should be a wake up call to anyone currently living in Thailand or planning to do so. When working out how much you need to make the move - take account of this possible situation plus what about a serious future illness? - both could lead to you having to return home. That is especially pertinent to those who've 'burned their bridges' by selling everything they own in their home country.

Korat Immigration have always required 30 or 60 day extensions to be applied for during the last week before your stamped departure date. The reason being is that they are supposed to be unplanned, spur of the moment things.

Yes and no. If drivers anywhere were to drive responsibly and safely, there would be no need for laws. Clearly they don't so we need laws to keep them in order. However, laws mean nothing if they are not enforced. The fundamental cause, allowing for the poor human behaviour that sadly happens, is the police's almost total lack of enforcement and therefore drivers lack of fear of being caught. There is no better method of enforcement than a fear of the law and a police presence on the roads. Over the last 15 years or so I've noted that the lack of a police presence on the UK's roads appears concurrent with serious fall in driving standards. Rush Hour is now Race Hour - everyone trying to get one more car length in front. We at least have a camera network and increasingly so, that network includes ANPR. You are now very likely to get caught for not having tax or insurance by a camera - not a replacement for a police presence but much better than nothing. Its a form of enforcement.

Tend to agree - most things, including the police, seem to be for show. What should become interesting is when trade sanctions are applied to countries that don't conform to targets and regulations brought about by climate change. We are not there yet but I don't see any other way for those that do comply to 'persuade' those that don't to do so. It may be quite amusing to see the Thai government squirm after they've made promises and then realise that the results are independently monitored. 'Yes, we've introduced laws to stop crop burning and its stopped now'......satellite says no!

I offered a reward - obviously not enough.