retiree

Thanks for the comments. Fwiw, a) early aftertaste is a pretty common phenomenon, apparently, b) the resin and DVB binder are not toxic, at least in the tiny amount that might be dissolved, and c) I think tap water is generally safe -- especially in well-maintained apartment buildings in the middle of the city. It's just not tasty and it leaves spots on the glasses. It's certainly possible I just pulverized some of the resin beads while poking them through a funnel into the tank (with a chopstick -- I would'a could'a should'a poured water down the funnel instead). I guess I'll just swap in store-bought water a little more frequently for a few weeks, and switch out the resin if the taste doesn't clear up. Btw, Bangkok does test water continuously, just like any other city, and water coming out of the plants is perfectly safe (well, salinity was high for a bit last year, but is usually about half the recommended level). See: https://twqonline.mwa.co.th/map.php?type=cl live from the Metro Water Authority https://www.pwa.co.th/download/pwastandard50-1.pdf waterworks website A recent study at end-points is here -- water stored in poorly maintained (pressure) tanks seems to be a particular problem: https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2018/05/e3sconf_iwa2018_01011.pdf The study points out that: WHO recommended in distribution system should be free residual chlorine above 0.2 mg/l to prevent post contamination. (WHO 2011) The live map shows chlorine levels usually several times higher, with 0.2 the minimum as far as I can see, and over 1.0 through almost all of central Bangkok. No surprise people use carbon filters! This article (and some of its citations) is a really interesting look at water distribution in general: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135418302392 In particular, it makes the point that the omnipresence of microbes in drinking water systems has been proven and acknowledged . I am not personally aware of any reporting of outbreaks of water-borne illness from Bangkok tap water -- has anybody seen this? Actually, I wonder whether or not first-world water-related problems like Legionnaire's disease pose a greater risk ???? -- Retiree

Just replaced my 20-year old stainless steel 3-stage water filter with a similar, new Mazuma M3F3-UF guy. Ordinary carbon and resin tanks, and a newfangled "UF Membrane" for the drinking water (it can be replaced by an ordinary ceramic filter). https://mazuma.co.th/en/product/m3f3-uf/ In any case, I'm getting an aftertaste in the drinking water. The Interweb says that the taste can be due to temporary leaching from the resin stage (I used the bag of Mazuma resin that came with the filter). I've always used the cheapest HomePro carbon / resin / ceramic in the past, and never had this before. Letting the water run and/or backflushing for a few 20-minute runs don't seem to help. Anybody else get this? Should I just be patient until it goes away? Thanks in advance for any advice, -- Retiree

I just got one of these 'cause it was local (Khorat). Took about 3 days to Bangkok. 380 baht + 45 baht shipping. No brand packaging, but battery was pre-installed and appears to work fine. https://shopee.co.th/เครื่องวัดพลังงาน+Watt+220V+10A+2200W+มีไฟ+Backlight+คำนวณค่าไฟได้+Power+Meter+Energy+Watt+Plug+Voltage+Current+Freq+PF-i.2540532.1525564683/

I also had sudden onset tinnitus, although not so severe and at a greater age. Was given a short course of prednisone, which I think is standard, but did not work for me, which is also common. You will find a great deal about this online. Klonopin (clonazepam) is sometimes prescribed; there is plenty of literature on this. I was prescribed it, but didn't want to go down that path. Good starting points (follow the citing works): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25858126/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14763236/ Note that tinnitus is believed to be due to the fact that the ear is far more sensitive than we realize; hence people will experience tinnitus sound in perfectly silent soundproof rooms as the brain ramps up the ear's sensitivity, and tries to fill in expected ordinary background noise. A way to trick the brain into lessening this is to focus on an external sounds. There are many online sites that generate ambient sound / noise of all types, e.g. https://noises.online/ or https://mynoise.net/ You want something that's just complex and audible enough to grab your ear's attention. I find that having a barely discernible wave sound play at night (small bluetooth speaker under a pillow, run from my phone) is very helpful for this. All this said, these methods are just for the symptoms. Regular age-related tinnitus resulting from long-term ear damage doesn't seem to be curable, but given your youth (remember, this is Thai Visa), overnight onset, and the fact that it's just one side I'd continue to see medical advice if it were me. Good luck, -- Retiree

More general comment here. There is a tendency for foreigners to see a single monolithic Thai market that is stacked against them. I think, rather, one has to see four distinct markets operating in parallel. In order of prices they are: - the fine print market: both online and in sidewalk vendor stalls. Prices are very low, usually because of small quantity, short expiration date, used item, off brand, etc. - the rational market: mostly online. Both sellers and buyers have access to "true" best legit prices (e.g. Amazon + VAT + shipping). At the low end prices are competitive with this, but there are also somewhat higher prices for value-added features, e.g. local seller, local service, easier returns, C.O.D., high number of reported sales, better seller reputation, etc. - the traditional market: mostly regular stores or their online presence. These continue to reflect pre-Amazon/Lazada/Shopee pricing, when brands and/or competition in Thailand were limited and consumers were much less informed. They persist among less-informed consumers and those who prefer local stores, lack credit cards, make impulse purchases in the store, rely on store-owner's advice, etc. - the irrational market: online. No upper limit on pricing, because as a rule sellers do not maintain any inventory -- they simply resell goods they themselves buy in the rational market. This is very easy to see on used book sites and Amazon books, where ordinary used books that are available new are listed for hundreds of dollars. The usual explanation is that these sellers hope for accidental sales and/or very uninformed consumers, and persist because there is essentially no barrier or cost to market entry (or lack of sales). As for the D3 puzzle, Costco's Kirkland brand (a reputable seller) is readily available for $11 - $15 / 2,000 IU / 600 gel caps in the US, so we know for a fact that good D3 can be cheap. This is the target the better Lazada/Shopee sellers will approach (plus shipping, VAT, and their profit). In this particular case, expiration dates add downward pressure (I sometimes buy very short-date stuff if I'm confident it's stable and has been safely stored). Interesting question, -- Retiree

Also curious about this question. The answer seems to be that nobody knows what the ideal amount of added K2 is, or (as Jingthing notes) if it is even necessary for healthy adults who just don't get enough sunshine, and take "standard" D3 doses (which seem to be < 4,000 IU/day is safe, at least 600 IU/day is recommended, I,000 IU/day is common). The reality afaik is that most research has been done in the context of other health conditions that might be improved (osteoporosis in older women), or worsened (cardiovascular problems) by an improper balance of D3, K2, and calcium supplementation. This is a recent survey that gives a sense of how trials (including some broad senior studies) are conducted, and why results are not always easy to generalize from. Critical appraisal of large vitamin D randomized controlled trials (2022) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8778517/ A second well-known paper (1,500+ citations) is the cautionary tale. It is a large metasurvey of high-quality studies of several anti-oxidants, and concludes that these supplements either had no benefit, or were more likely to be harmful than helpful. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christian-Gluud/publication/6478122_Mortality_in_Randomized_Trials_of_Antioxidant_Supplements_for_Primary_and_Secondary_Prevention_Systematic_Review_and_Meta-analysis/links/02e7e51c88f67b5cb5000000/Mortality-in-Randomized-Trials-of-Antioxidant-Supplements-for-Primary-and-Secondary-Prevention-Systematic-Review-and-Meta-analysis.pdf Fwiw, I take 1,000 IU of D3 daily 'cause I get nearly zero sun exposure. I don't worry about K2. -- Retiree

Speaking from experience, whether or not to do a graft is a judgement call by the dentist. See for example https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5601489/ Takeaways are summarized below; "survival" means 6 months - 1 year, and "success" is 3-5 years. Block grafts have 98.9% survival rate and 99.05% success rate Particulate grafts have 100% survival rate and 66.6% success rate Blood derivatives have 97.8% survival rate and 96.6% success rate Composite bone grafts have 99.6% survival rate and 66.06% success rate Allografts have 90.9% survival rate and 82.8% success rate. Xenografts are 85.4% / 73.2% The different types have to do with technique, bone material, and implicitly complexity and cost. I've had successful xenografts (cow bone), which I assume are the cheapest and most common variety. Smoking, gum condition, and other health issues, as well as the dentist's skill & experience, can all affect likely outcome; e.g. this study cites 6.5% to 20% increased failure risk for smokers: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3894084/ Bottom line imho is that a very good dentist will turn some patients down, or refer them to more specialized and expensive practitioners / procedures. -- Retiree

Current Paperwhite model is pretty close. But, I wanted the glass screen, aluminum body, and better lighting (25 vs 17 LEDs). Oasis is also slightly larger, yet Paperwhite is 9% heavier. Tbh though I think a plastic screen is just buyer's remorse waiting to happen. -- Retiree

I think in at least some cases this is cause by two distortions due to contracting rules: - this has been improved, but traditional gov. contracts wanted dedicated equipment (per contract) because it was easier to audit use of funds than shared equipment (between contracts, which could be abused by double-billing), - "cost-plus" contracts that specify some profit rate can help prevent price-gouging, but they also mean that the more you spend, the more you make. The irony is that in both cases the cost-cutters who want to starve the beast (by not hiring useless bureaucrats like accountants and auditors!) are the ones who make the problem worse.

Fwiw I have about 1,100 books in azw3. They take a little more than half of the 6.2gb available on an my 8gb device. However, a tiny fraction (40) take 1gb because illustrations were not properly compressed for Kindle screens somewhere along the line -- they're 90-95% bigger than they need to be (but I haven't gotten around to redoing compression on Calibre). At any rate when I bought it I figured 8gb would be plenty. I think the 32gb model is for folks who want audio books and don't want to just store / listen on their cellphones (for which add-on memory is about 10-15 cents / gb these days). --Retiree

So, let's see. US prices for 8gb PaperWhite 11th are $140 / $160 = 5,027 / 5,745 THB = ads / no ads. On this LazMall site: https://www.lazada.co.th/products/all-new-kindle-paperwhite-2021-832-gb-gen-11-68-worm-white-i3102399787-s12836518857.html? they range from 5,769 (ads / 7-day guarantee) to 8,699 (no ads / 1-year guarantee). Some are out of stock, as you mentioned. I'd guess that the 7-day guys are store demos, returns, rebuilt, etc. Other details that can affect prices are grossly inflated shipping costs (more common on Amazon, I think; this particular site has free shipping). A few useful terms to know: มีโฆษณา with ads ไม่มีโฆษณา no ads ประกัน 7 วัน 7 day guarantee ประกัน 1 ปี 1 year guarantee Bottom line is that the market is pretty competitive & efficient. In my experience the best legitimate prices in Thailand for relatively costly or brand-name electronic goods usually turn out to be a little bit higher than the best [Amazon + VAT + legit shipping] price. The exception is more generic / lower cost / made-in-China stuff, which is usually cheaper from China via Lazada or Shopee. -- Retiree

One other Kindle / Amazon / China note: I ordered a replacement battery for my Kindle Voyager from Amazon, and belatedly realized that the US seller was also drop-shipping from China to US then to Thailand. Took about 2 months to arrive -- I should'a just gone with Lazada & 20-30 days. --Retire

Powerbuy sells this item in partnership with "Mac Modern" (they do a lot of this sort of thing), and their site says 3-5 day delivery. Mac Modern is online only; Chrome will translate the page if needed: https://macmodern.co.th/รายละเอียดสินค้า/12294317706 I just called Mac Modern, and they assured me that the PaperWhite gen 11 is in stock. Re dodgy sellers on Amazon; yep, you have to comparison shop esp. if overseas delivery is limited. Same with Lazada / Shopee -- I try to go with the "Laz Mall" or similar sellers. Re Lazada (and lesser Shopee), you have to beware that even if you asked for a domestic source, the seller page may say "preorder" 20 or 30 days. This means they are just drop-shipping from China (for some reason most Kindle Oasis cases are like this). I've never lost money on these orders, but I have had some cancelled after waiting 3 or 4 weeks. Finally, re stuck pixels, no idea if this is available for Kindles, but there is such a thing as a stuck pixel tool for regular screens. These should be free, and can actually work. Happy reading, --Retiree

Uh, I got a Kindle Oasis from Amazon USA last year; took about a week. And as far as I can see department stores in Thailand do sell current models of Oasis and Paperwhite (and say they'll deliver in a few days), e.g.: https://www.powerbuy.co.th/en/catalogsearch/result?q=kindle Fwiw the Oasis is crazy expensive but turns out to be great imho. -- Retiree

Likewise at CW for retirement. Most recent bankbook entry is always an interest payment 2+ months prior to visit (although one year the IO had to ask her boss what to do). Otherwise, practice == The Theory: bank letter, book, and copies only. -- Retiree

Google "your protective filing date" -- yes, what you thought seems to be correct. The phone interview was very easy. I don't recall if they called me, or sent me a number, but contact wasn't a problem. Questions were basically about where I lived, when I wanted to sign up, and making sure I understood the system. I was fine with starting to pay a few months sooner than was technically necessary, which seemed to strike them as odd. I set up a quarterly auto-pay system via my US bank (because I wasn't collecting SS yet). Medicare has its own monthly debit system, but it was more paperwork to set up. I also get a bill here in Bangkok from the Manila office that invariably arrives right around the due date, after I've already paid it via the US bank. Medicare has a website / account system, and their US help line is human and very helpful. The only tricky part is that you have to remember that the rate may go up a bit each year (it gets published online). But they'll allow one or two quarters' slack before you're penalized. Good luck, -- Retiree

Re 90-day, as DrJack54 says you can even have a motorcycle person go file for you (if you can't manage it online). Re retirement over marriage, retirement has fewer administrative hoops (e.g. no home pix). --Retiree

Not clear to me that ordinary rough treatment -- aside from being stretched or intentionally kinked -- is a problem. See: https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/e7h25x/how_fragile_is_fibre_optic/?sort=old https://www.ecmag.com/section/systems/fiber-tougher-you-think Fiber optic cables are designed to withstand crushing forces. The soft jacket and padding provided by the strength members protect the fibers. Fiber optic cables are used under carpets in casinos where money carts are regularly pushed over them. I'd check the "attainable rate" and related stats in the router / modem (not the online speed test) before blaming the fiber. I would also guess that most sites use xDSL, which is fiber from street to building, then existing phone wire internally. This will be limited by wire length and quality; i.e. the last 100 meters probably determines what you get.

Well ... I try to visualize my next visit to the doctor, and then do what he/she would probably have told me ???? Hence, "RICE, come back in two weeks if it's not getting better, take an NSAID for the pain, but stay off it" is my usual self-prescription (absent some obvious mechanical injury like a ruptured tendon or ligament). Note that the R(est) is an essential component. Given your weight, I'd wonder if the NSAID had simply relieved the pain enough to let you keep the original injury from healing. If it were me, I'd try a couple of weeks of "active sloth"; i.e. serious RICE, no pills, and as much non-weight-bearing activity (like swimming or no-resistance spinning) as you're willing to do. In this case, pain is your friend -- it lets you know that you're putting weight on your knee too soon. And whether or not you are still in pain will help you & the MRI doc make an informed choice about what to do next. Oh, and maybe start doing the pushaway, too; 115Kg? seriously? Lol I'm 5'11", and if I were walking around with a (checks scale) 47.5 Kg backpack I imagine my knees would hurt, too ???? That's like carrying my wife around all day ???? -- Retiree

Fwiw re injections: https://www.statnews.com/2022/07/06/hyaluronic-acid-injections-dont-help-knee-osteoarthritis-review-finds/ Re torn meniscus, this is apparently very common -- ~40% of randomly selected men 60-69 had tears (usually asymptomatic), and about 6% more meniscal "destruction": https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2897006/ Re surgical treatment, you can track down the long-term studies -- here is a good starting point: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27712957/ Bottom lines are a) lots of people are walking around with torn menisci, and b) it's not clear that surgery is a win long-term if it can be avoided with more conservative treatment. I'd think that MRI or arthroscopy (without committing to repair) would be your next step if the pain is really out of hand, and if it won't heal if given the chance (see next). I looked into all this after what was almost certainly a meniscus tear mid-60's (from running). Knee would not bear weight. I prescribed myself RICE, plus Celebrex 200mg daily for a while. Took about 6 weeks. I did some light rehab (e.g. spinning with little or no resistance) along the way, Seems ok now, but I power-walk rather than run, and ice and/or wear a tight knee wrap (the velcro strap kind with sewn-in side struts) at the first hint of any inflammation. Oh -- if it helps, you can get diclofenac gel (e.g. Emulgel 1% most drugstores, or 2% via Shopee) or piroxicam gel (Neotica, also OTC). This is the safest NSAID route. Otherwise, celebrex 200 appears to be safer than oral diclofenac, see e.g. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(99)02332-6/fulltext Good luck! -- Retiree

Earlier this month CW required: -- simple map to home, signed, -- 1 4x6cm picture, -- bank letter (day before, yes, this is ok), -- updated fixed-deposit bankbook for 800K method (most recent activity was last quarterly interest post from April), -- signed copies of all bankbook pages, -- TM.7 form, -- passport plus signed copies of photo, visa, most recent extension, last entry stamp, entry form, -- receipt of 90-day notification (as done and mailed to me on line), signed of course, -- 1,900 baht. Th-th-th-that's all at CW, folks. Mileage varies at different offices. -- Retiree

Plain testosterone taken orally has no effect -- the liver clears it rapidly. Traditional oral anabolic steroids (e.g. Dianabol) are chemically altered ("17 alpha alkylated") in such a way that liver operation is made less efficient; hence the possibility of liver damage. Injected testosterone and similar are mixed with oil, and are absorbed (and cleared) very slowly. They can safely provide steady levels over long periods. . New oral forms are also mixed with oil, and are digested in a manner that keeps the testosterone away from liver clearance longer (but does not affect the liver's operation). See this for discussion of steady-state levels: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4168025/ and this for a longer discussion of all forms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmacokinetics_of_testosterone --Retiree

If you are serious about exercise (as opposed to just spinning) the main issues are: - how heavy is the flywheel? - what is the braking mechanism? The best is the combination of heavy flywheel plus non-electronic magnetic brake -- this gives the most natural feeling of resistance when you speed up and slow down. The worst case is a light flywheel with a mechanical pad brake -- there's no inertia to make the spinning feel natural, even if it feels fine in a two-minute trial. My Tunturi bike (circa 1997) is the first kind. It is still great even though the speed panel electronics have worn out, the chain has stretched a little, and the original hard foam rubber saddle is long gone. I sometimes raise the front or rear a couple of inches to vary my angle over the handlebars. I have never tried one of the newer fan-resistance designs, but they work very well in rowing machine. Worth a try (but probably noisier than a heavy flywheel). --Retiree

Fwiw, for the past decade or so I have not been shy about asking passport control officers to put their entry/exit stamp on a specific blank spot on a specific page (that might have been skipped earlier). They understand the problem, and are usually willing to accommodate. Makes the pages go a lot further. -- Retiree

And in yet another variation, at CW I: - never supply a bank statement, - never make a deposit (fixed account, only shows quarterly interest posting), - always provide the book, and copies of all pages, - always provide a bank letter, obtained the day before for 100 baht, verifying the account opening date and current balance (called an account balance certificate in Thai). Takes about 10 minutes at Kasikorn Bank. --Retiree