YaiJung

Have to agree about the 3M Crystalline. Had that put in my car after driving home from the dealership with the cheap film they put on. Couldn't see very well and was hot. The Crystalline is very clear and can sit in a traffic jam in Bangkok during the hot season and can't feel the heat through the windows. Remarkable indeed. Money well spent.

Hertz takes debit cards. They will take a 5 or 10k baht deposit...can't remember which it was, but not more than that. They might not state it on their website, but will confirm when you call to ask.

Seems to be luck of the draw. I left the country last summer, returned through the quarantine program to the same address, didn't report to immigration and then extended my non-o visa in the fall without it being mentioned. All this was at the Chiang Mai office. In fact, through this whole mess the last few years I sometimes ignored or more often just forgot to do it, only updating my tm30 when moving to a different house. Have done yearly extensions and 90 day reports without issue the entire time.

Sobieski or Russian Standard. Both available in Thailand.

Every person I have met, and I have met many, who are taking anti-depressants for depression/anxiety are people who for whatever reason have circumstances in their life which are causing them this immense suffering. It can be relationship issues, physical health issues, personality issues, financial, lifestyle (ie, excessive drinking, eating, whoring, etc). The possibilities are endless. This is extremely daunting for doctors to deal with and takes many therapy sessions and hard work from all involved. Many cases are nonstarters. The people refuse to look at or change the issues that are causing the problem. Much easier to just prescribe some pills and write it off as "chemical imbalance". Not nearly as much money in the therapy business. One hr of therapy = $200 or so, vs $400+ for ten min with psychiatrist who doles out expensive pills (USA prices approx). Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Happy pills = happy doctor = happy patient...maybe?? The side-effects of these medications(SSRIs) should not be minimized. Search the internet for long-term patient's stories of withdrawal...not fun to say the least. Any medication that makes people OK with their <deleted>ty life situation needs some serious questioning IMHO. One thing is certain, meditation doesn't work effectively if you are taking pills that directly effect your mind and thought processes. I think you are on the right path, seeking improvement without taking medications. Enjoy the sunshine, outdoors, healthy food. Try to focus on the present moment and remember that nothing is permanent. Including life. Make the most of every day.

Pills are not the answer. The purpose of these drugs is to mask symptoms and get the patient through another day. The side-effects are horrendous and in many cases lead to a downward spiral which ends in the inevitable mental breakdown/hospitalization. These drugs have been around for a very short time in the grand scheme of things. For most of them the long-term effects are not even known. It is pure laziness and greed on the part of the doctors who prescribe them. I agree with another poster who said the anxiety is likely the cause of the depression. There are a gazallion reasons to be anxious or depressed in life...especially our modern life and the pursuit of happiness through pleasure(taken to the extreme by many thailand expats)...or even the idea that we can somehow be permanently happy/joyful. It is normal for most people at one time or another to suffer anxiety. The problem is when you latch onto the thoughts and try to control them. This can lead to the panic attacks. You have to learn to take them like waves in the ocean when you are swimming at the beach. Let them come and go, without attaching to them, trying to fight them or control the thoughts. Mindfulness meditation is probably the best thing you can do for anxiety/panic attacks. The Buddhists figured this out 2500 yrs ago. Luckily you are living in one of the best places on the planet to learn meditation. To get results from meditation you have to practice it for a while. Likely you will see some small results almost right away, but if you keep at it, it can be absolutely life-changing. You can start with 5-10 min 2x per day. Trouble is, many people absolutely refuse to sit still and practice breathing for even those few min per day. They would rather take some pills and continue the living they way they always have, which got them where they are in the first place. Anyway, best of luck and hope you feel better.

Hang Dong road (108) southbound lane at the Big C Mae Hia intersection. Lady selling garlands to cars at the stoplight waves plastic bags of the stuff and a sign in Thai. She is there everyday.

Sat in a MG when I was in the market for a new car a couple years ago. Immediately got out and commented to my wife, what a low quality piece of junk it felt like....honestly I was shocked by how cheap and crappy the interior was. Didn't even realize at the time that MG was chinese...didn't know much about them to be honest and thought they were still British. Upon discovering they are now Chinese I thought, well that explains a lot! Why anyone would bother with anything other than the main Japanese brands while in Thailand is beyond me.