MrPhysio

Two stages here. 1. Avoid being bitten. Use insect repellant and clothing to cover exposed areas. 2. If bitten THEN use Ivermectin. If you expect to be in areas where sandfly bites could be possible, then thinking ahead is a good idea. The Ivermectin needs to be more preplanned if travelling as an after bite precaution and the insect spray/lotion as a preventative. People can be bitten despite having insecticide if you have been in water, sweating, wiping presprayed skin via clothing etc or missing skin during application. Best to be prepared, especially if you know you are an insect magnet.

No, I would not go on a suborbital flight for 11 minutes, even if free. The recent flight was a stunt for feminism, but failed. As one poster mentioned the phallic shape for the feminists to travel into sub orbit tended to lessen the triumph for feminism. The best comment I saw was in a Sky News Australia interview by Rita Panahi with a female commentator describing the the transport rocket from Bezos as an “oestrogen enema”. Enough said.

Took a bit of scrolling before the above answer showed up. Insurance companies find every possible exit route possible if a claim is made, including pre-existing conditions. And as above - age above 70 years adds a nightmare. As a health professional I kept up all the health checks and monitoring - asking questions of medico’s as preventative maintenance. Doing so creates a medical history that is searchable by insurers who are able to wriggle out of paying even by a simple mention. Plus- they ‘value add’ conditions and although one condition may be covered they deny stating that having that condition means you are prone other conditions by extension and they deny coverage. Posters do not know if this gentleman knew ahead of time that he could be caught out - there are obviously elements we do not know about. But if on ventilation, there is a risk of multi- system failures, especially if high pressure ventilation is used. Kidney failure is one such example. Then, transporting someone to the UK because hugely expensive if he cannot be unplugged from the machinery.

It is not unusual to see male public urinals visible from an open entrance by whomever walks past, including females heading to their toilet area. Everything on display - therefore this is more about the hygiene aspect and odour than the visuals.

Be careful out there. Rosuvastatin is not Tadalafil (Cialis). Rosuvastatin is for cholesterol reduction - as per the name, it is a statin. High blood pressure (Hypertension) and poor circulation can create the need for Cialis/Viagra medication. If you take a statin, it works very differently. But Statins can cause bad muscle pain in some people. People should be very cautious about taking medications after advice from well-meaning people, but it is a significant risk. People with hypotension (low blood pressure) or positionally caused problems when standing up (orthostatic hypotension) can be badly affected by Cialis and Viagra-like medications, just as statins can cause problems. Russian Roulette (apology to the Russki's) is mixing different medications on top of a health condition. I am a retired health professional, but I advise readers to get a medical opinion - even if you have had previous experience of medication but have not had a health check recently - we change as we age. Stay safe.

Correction: Australia & New Zealand travel on the Left side of the Road, the same as Thailand. The US & Canada use the opposite - Right side. Getting it wrong causes death very quickly.

A great deal of information is supplied here by helpful posters. The amount of contradiction may be less than helpful. I would happily meet and talk with you if you are in Pattaya: zero cost, no strings. My training is as a health professional, but I am retired and have no intention of working in Thailand. That does not mean I have retired my wish to assist other humans simply by having a chat. Respond by replying here.

Some time ago, I remember reading where residents in a condo were complaining about another resident waking around in a state of undress, knocking on other residents doors late at night. And they could not get anyone to help them stop the harassment. Is this the same place and undressed individual? As to the comment about carrying a knife (or whisk), added to the comments about Australian nationality plus the observation of the offending part indicating Jewishness. I am wondering if the knife was used for self circumcision or he was knocking on doors for someone to provide a swap for the whisk? But, for clarity, men of a certain age from Australian parents are likely to have been circumcised regardless of religion - that is as it was accepted back then.

It's funny that the example above from a similar story describes housekeeping sending a male member to sort out the problem with another male 'member'.

No details in the report. Recently the Thai Government was alerted by a foreign security agency of an impending terrorist attack in Thailand and to raise alert levels. Also, one photo in the report shows a guy using a known hand gesture with index fingers pointing to the sky and other fingers folded. Perhaps related, perhaps not.

The first warning for blood pressure (hypertension) or heart problems show up in men as the problem you describe. i suggest you have a gdneral health check then an appointment with a Urologist to check the bloodflow using ultrasound. See the symptoms as an early warning and then take the advice. You may save yourself from a heart attack or stroke (not the one you want) that can be very disabling. The comprehensive health check will check your heart arteries as well as your aorta and into your neck . At least you obtain the answers and that can provide a scientific plan in safety. Wishing you well.

Herpes is transmitted skin to skin and condoms are not the complete answer unless you wear a full body raincoat. it can be more obvious on a male than a female. HPV can be problematic also - plus condoms do not work to stop throat cancer via elevator fun ( eg going down). Good luck out there if you like to party. Think about how many other travellers have been down the road you decide to travel on - in some cases in the same night you could be sharing with people at the bar you would cross the street to avoid. Basically playing Russian Roulette with the whole chamber loaded. And yes, I am no fun at parties and have never had an STD nor plan on having that experience.

Do your research as best you can. A general point for all plumbing purchases - If you can, try to find out the lead content of your plumbing as some manufacturers do not have any specifications or limitations and zero checks. One of the biggest plumbing manufacturing countries has no check on the amount of lead in products. Lead, especially for children, can cause neurological damage, lower IQ etc. Lead builds up in the human body over a lifetime. i am aware that people will have no ability to know what is in the supply lines, so taps (faucets) etc are only one aspect.

Additional: If the dogs are released after sterilization and health check - how does anyone know if the dogs are biters? And what stops the dogs contracting rabies or other diseases after being picked up the first time? The dogs need to be removed and not returned. The story goes that Thais cannot afford the health care for their pets, and turn them loose if the animal is unwell, then get a new one. Or if they move areas, the dogs are left (cats as well). Wherever the dogs are, their excrement washes down into the sea, polluting beaches, and the sand is filthy and possibly contains mites and fleas. Food dumped all over the place attracts vermin, and then the plastic and foam containers make the place look bad - (difficult enough looking at some of the tourists who could be advertising for Funeral Homes and what happens if you do not look after yourself. Therefore, any policy must ensure animals are registered and chipped for identification, fines are levied / enforced against owners with roaming and off leash animals. That includes for foreign owners breaking common sense pet ownership requirements.

Thailand has had intermittent attempts, but not for a while. Bangkok was the main focus.