VR333

I went there with my wife years ago. We're outside when some Thai guy comes up and starts talking to her. My wife then turns to me to say the Palace is closed today, but there is a tour we can go on instead. I laughed, and said follow me. Sure enough, walked another fifty metres and the Palace is open. Wife wanted to go back and slap the guy 🤣

Maybe you should watch the video...

If she hasn't been able to sort it in two hours, then it's unlikely she will no matter how long they give her. Once she touches the cop, it's game over. They gave her enough time. Someone mentioned she would have been shot in the US. Unlikely, with most police there now wearing bodycams. The funny thing is there are many lengthy YouTube videos of police arrests with bodycams showing people being justifiably arrested for unruly behavior despite police initially being polite and cordial. Without video, people would be accusing the police of heavy-handedness, but so many times asking for ID ends up in confrontation and violence, all because someone refuses to identify themselves. What would likely have happened in the US is, the moment she touched the cop, she would have been thrown to the ground and cuffed. In Thailand, police generally give people surprisingly more leeway first.

I'm surprised at the size of the haul. I don't see Thai people buying avocados much in Bangkok. I love them but gave up on them in Thailand, as for every half decent one I'd get, I would throw three away, black inside despite often seeming ok by look and feel. Even the imported ones in big supermarkets that can cost a hundred baht each were often bad.

There seem to be more cars absolutely obliterated daily in crashes in Thailand than in almost any other country. Just how fast must that pickup have been going to cause that amount of damage? One of the few compliments I've ever received from my Thai MIL is that, given the choice, she will choose me driving her somewhere rather than her Thai son or Thai son-in-law, because I don't drive like I'm in the Dakar 5000. If Mat Armstrong ever needs a new challenge, he should come to Thailand and try repairing some written-off cars here for his YouTube channel.

I don't know the current situation, but I used WU for a few years, as their online exchange rate and no fees were the best deal I could find for online transfers from Australia to Thailand. The rates were very close to Wise whenever i checked. When I used SWIFT (CBA) it always worked out to at least one baht per dollar less ending up in a Thai bank account. Before Covid, transfers were almost instantaneous but now take two or three days, the same as WU. To transfer AUD costs $30 and the conversion rate by SCB at the Thai end wasn't great, but still better than transferring Thai baht from the CBA. The reason I stopped using WU was issues with their security. I never knew if my transfers would be rejected. Twice I ended up having to speak to someone in Germany to verify my transfer was legitimate. I'm only talking about a couple of thousand dollars, but it was like a police interrogation, fifteen minutes of intrusive questions. It remains the worst banking experience I have ever had.

The majority of older taxi drivers I encounter still do not wear glasses. It likely explains why so many sit so far forward with their nose almost pressed up against the windscreen. Plenty of Thais wore masks before covid. Not as many as the Japanese, but it was quite common on trains and buses.

The main reason hospitals appeared empty was, unless you were really sick, why go to a place full of people sick with an easily transmittable illness? Keep in mind that even doctors with full PPE were getting sick and some even dying, from coming into contact with patients. I did need to go to a major hospital in Bangkok in early covid. All the entrances on each floor direct from the car parks were closed except one. The only other entrance was the main hospital entry. You had to complete a questionnaire and have your temperature checked before entering. This was long before covid tests. It was very quiet inside simply because most people didn't want to be even in the same building as anyone with covid. My wife has annual tests she put off for six months for this exact reason. You didn't see people in hospitals with covid because they were kept in isolation wards away from general visitors. In my mooban, five people I know of died from covid within three hundred meters of my house, three I knew well enough to say hello to. Two women in their fifties, and a sixty-year-old lady. They seemed outwardly healthy, but maybe they had some underlying chronic disease I wasn't aware of. A cousin of my wife also died; he was only forty years old, but he was type one diabetic and overweight. Try: Thailand + Covid + Carpark + Hospital This January, where I live in Bangkok, about half the people wore masks due to the PM 2.5 risk. I can remember it being the same in the months just before covid. It was one reason masks were in such short supply even from the very start of covid. I sometimes wonder if the people who deride ever wearing masks because they have healthy immune systems have spent much time in Thailand when dust levels are 100+ for days on end. In ten or twenty years' time, don't be surprised at the increase in people with COPD, due to not taking the simple precaution of wearing a mask when outside at certain times of the year, more so if they engaged in strenuous outdoor exercise.

FWIW, the doctor doing my checkup up at a different Bangkok hospital told me it was not necessary for me to have a stress test (walk/run/incline 12 mins) every year. It may be different if you have a heart condition etc. that needs monitoring, but I don't. I think the cost component for the stress test made up about 5k baht of the total cost, so I found a cheaper package with add-ons, as Sheryl suggested, was a better fit for me.

if you have a moment, read again the last two lines where you quoted me, right above your reply 🙂

I've got two small coffee shops near my place in Bangkok suburbia that ask customers to remove their shoes on entering. It's why I rarely visit them, despite one being quite nice. There are also a few office-like places and a barber shop near me that request the same, so it does still happen. It's annoying if you're wearing shoes with long laces.

I make sure I only go to cafes with all female staff....

They might, or they may be like me. I have normal home internet and often use the wi-fi at coffee shops. I mostly use my internet data for Google Maps or reading the news when out and about. I'm not streaming games or media, so 40GB a year is plenty.

In Australia, Tesla sales were down 62 per cent in the first four months of 2025, from the same period in 2024. April year on year sales were down 75 per cent, so Australian sales are only getting worse Twice in the past year when renting a car, I've been asked if I wanted a Tesla upgrade. I was driving long distance, so I went with a hybrid Camry, with no concerns about where to find a working charging station.

As anyone who has ever been there knows, the place is small. It only held a few hundred prisoners. They'd need to demo it and rebuild it to modern standards. It would cost a fortune. Then there is the loss of one of the most iconic tourist attractions in California. It brings in more than fifty million dollars in revenue a year, so it would be idiotic to throw that away for a small prison that will cost a mint to run. There is plenty of land in Nevada where you could build a new, larger supermax for way less.

State terms are four years, while federal terms are only three. Mark Latham... 🤔

That looks even more expensive than Australia. The only item I buy now from McDonalds in Australia is their McSmart meal. You have choices but you can get two small cheeseburgers, small fries & small drink for 6.95 AUD (4.50USD) https://www.frugalfeeds.com.au/2025/deal-mcdonalds-new-695-mcsmart-meal-with-small-cheeseburger-meal-extra-side/ A full Australian McDonalds menu here: https://www.frugalfeeds.com.au/mcdonalds-prices-menu/ (1AUD = 65c US)

The first opposition leader in Australian history to lose their own seat at a federal election. Held the same seat for twenty-four years.

I think you're forgetting that materials like titanium are used in most implants. Titanium costs a lot more than 350 baht. While you can save on labor costs in Thailand, titanium, like gold, is pretty much the same price worldwide i.e. expensive.

https://www.youtube.com/@WeirdExplorer - exploring the world of fruit Who knew the history of nutmeg could make such a great video. https://www.youtube.com/@JagoHazzard - London transport & history https://www.youtube.com/@DieselCreek - Repairing heavy equipment https://www.youtube.com/@MatArmstrongbmx - repairing wrecked cars

Nice body... shame about the face...

Is there a police force in the world whose serving or former members are in the news almost daily for poor behavior? If they're not shooting their colleagues over some perceived slight, then they are drunk driving and road raging.

Why, when a complete stranger approaches you on the street, asking to see your foreign money, would you stop to talk to them for even one second? Ignore, and continue on your way, surely.

We have these. https://www.powerbuy.co.th/en/product/PHILIPS-PureProtect-Mini-900-Series-Air-Purifier-65-sqm-White-AC0950and10-302367 Thailand cost is x1.5 the price in Australia. An important feature for me is low noise. Ours has three noise levels, and on the sleep setting you don't notice it running, even in a quiet room. We found a very noticeable improvement in the air quality. It also has an app so you can control it from your phone. Ours cover a decent area, but you can save money with cheaper models if only using them in a smaller room. There are better, hospital-grade purifiers you can buy, but at some pretty steep prices. Check reviews to see what other people think of noise levels and filter replacement costs for any model you are interested in. At the end of the day, fresh air from outside is my preference, but in many places in Thailand, it's not practical. Right now in Melbourne, Australia, the AQI is 8, not a figure you often see in Bangkok.