bamboozled

Hey there Capt. I don't have an answer to your inquiry but wondered if you could share what you paid for the sleep test? I've been wanting to get one for years but keep putting if off...one reason being I don't want to pay up. That is, Cheap Charlie coupled with my own diagnosis that I probably don't have apnea. But, of course, what do I know. I just know I am always tired and sleep poorly. Thanks!

I rented an Aerox recently. Fine enough but the headlight coverage at night is horrendous. Sounds silly, perhaps, but it has a very narrow field of illumination. If you are on a windy, mountain road, lots of curves, it becomes very noticeable as you are turning blindly around sharp curves. The headlight doesn't throw out enough to the sides. It might not matter in a lot of situations but you wouldn't want to drive it to Pai at night, for example. You can't see around the curves. Anyone else have this experience?

I've heard they're relocating the airport inside.

Yes....or $10 USD. If you have proof of Covid vax, bring it. I didn't have my proof and they let me in anyway but they do fill out a form about it. Sigh...

I just filled one out yesterday walking back in from Tachilek.

I can think of a few worse things but point taken. Cheers!

The only issue with running off the internet is there are some spots without service. Lampang, I'm looking at you... This is a topic of interest to me. My car is 12 years old so no blue tooth but I can plug the phone into a mini-jack and run through AUX mode on the radio. All is fine until I have to charge the phone via the cigarette lighter. Then I get tons of interference from the car engine and it's pretty horrible. Anyone else have this problem? My workaround so far was to buy a power bank and when on long journeys I power the phone through that and no interference and it's plenty big to last for days, I've found. But....anyone else have this issue?

The mechanic quoted me 5k and insurance said I could claim it if I wanted. Minus the 3k deductible. I'm not sure it's worth claiming to save 2k and perhaps have a premium increase down the road.

Thanks for the reply, Richard. I've never seen a display like that. Pretty nifty and not something I'll have to worry about with my oldie but goodie Mazda. Actually, a mechanic I contacted wants to see a photo of the crack...as if perhaps he can repair it. BUt it's a very large crack and I think will spread quickly. It's already 12 inches long, at least. Cheers!

Thank you both. I will ask my insurance about it, too. I do have first class with a 3000 baht deductible but I know in the US windshields are replaced for "free". We'll see what first class really means. Those prices are not insanely expensive so looks like I won't have to sell the kids if insurance doesn't pay. Richard, what's the "heads-up-display" and what were other differences between the OEM and non-OEM? Or is that the only difference, the distorted display? I don't think my Mazda has that...

Hi-ya good people, I just got a big crack on my 2010 Mazda 3 windshield and I'm sure sooner or later replacement will be necessary. Does insurance usually cover this here? If not, anyone have experience on ballpark costs for such a thing? Many thanks, Bamboozled.

Wororot market you will find them. Also Makro. Wororot for the native experience....

I don't know the requirements but remember your visa, if based on marriage, is voided pretty much immediately, if I'm not mistaken.

I did the "break it all up and put in bags" method. It's still sitting there at the end of my street but eventually it will go. It wasn't as bad as I had predicted. Thanks all for the input!

Thanks folks. Yes, I might do the cut up multiple bag thing. My soi is only 200 m long so lot a lot of vacant lots. I'd like to avoid doing something like that. Looks like I'm in for an upper body workout: 1000 reps of sawing.

Hi folks, besides the obvious side of the road, where might I properly dispose of some refuse that I need to get rid of? Mostly old rotten particle board (from cheap furniture) and bamboo pieces that are too big for the normal bin. Thank you.

You need a one-block high wall around that infection!

Hi all, thanks for the back and forth.... I've been away building walls and moving stuff. I have the holes up, right or wrong. Yes, only one layer high. I have a waterproof tarps for walls that later on down the road I might turn into something beefier but for now it will do as long as I secure it well (wind! Last night was the first time to experience that since building it and I see the room I've created is a big sail). It ain't pretty but it was pretty cheap. The tarp is on the outside of the blocks so they won't get rained into. I don't know that I need to bother capping it since I can't even see from the outside as it's covered by the tarp. All this is a work in progress so we'll see. Now....back to moving stuff. Man, what a workout!

No, the whole place floods. The yard, the street, everything. It drains off quick enough... I suppose if I owned the house and had the money, I could raise the whole area a foot or so but it's a rental.

Thanks all. The water doesn't get that high as the carport is already raised a bit. Only has to hold back a couple inches at most so not a big issue. I've already laid some without mixing anything in to the mortar and def paying attention to getting a good bead down on the bottom and between the bricks. Can I go back over all the joints a second time with the mortar as if it were spackle/caulking to make sure it's water tight? So some say I should invest in a waterproofing cover and some say not. Can we get a consensus? Will the bricks fall apart from getting wet?

Awesome, thanks. I'm only going one block high...I'm just building a barrier wall trying to keep flood water out of my carport which happens a few times during the rainy season in the big downpours. I laid some yesterday and luckily did put them hollow side up but was thinking rain water is going to get in the hollow spaces now. They are so porous, will the weather destroy them? I don't care that much about the aesthetic, that's not a concern. I just don't want the water flowing over the carport which I want to use for storage.

Good morning, I am making a small wall with these concrete blocks but am pretty ignorant. I've got the mortar already and in fact have already started but....which way do the blocks sit, hollow part up or down? What do I cap it with...do I need to cap it? And lastly, do I need to seal it with a layer of cement or stucco or paint to keep out moisture/water damage? Thank you!

Personally, I don't hire them. I've always lived in rentals and it is the landlords that hire them. And I'm sure they hire the cheapest they can find. Also, I don't think they mind that much when things are done half-assed because they are used to it and it doesn't bother them. Well, one of my houses, the landlords lived right next door and kept good care of the house. Any problem and they would call their trusty "engineer" as they referred to him. He could do anything and everything, and anything and everything badly.

Thank you again. It will be a work in progress. All this stuff is in another house that I want to vacate so as I pack up there I will have a better idea how much space this loot will take up and then I can make a more precise plan. I would prob be smart to hire someone and yet I have a DIY streak that sometimes is my own worst enemy. Also, finding "skilled" labor is, well...every guy and his brother is "skilled" here. Anyone that has ever done work on the house here, they don't even arrive with the proper tools and I end up having to loan them mine. Crazy.

Some good points, friend. I do have some good shelving but not enough for all the stuff. I was trying to keep expenses down as much as possible and to purchase enough shelving would be thousands of dollars. Those things are not cheap and I have toooo much stuff. I'm hoping just to stack the plastic crates and though I need some access I'm willing to have it a little uncomfortable if that keeps my cost down and allows me to store everything. Today, I took the rest of the stuff out and power washed everything, floor and ceiling. It's looking better. What I started to lean more toward is constructing a low wall with some bricks and mortar around the perimeter. Since the area is fairly old and stained I began to think that if a little mortar is left over after I deconstruct the wall when I leave that it won't really matter all that much. Plus, the landlords, I think, would understand that flooding is an issue. The house/yard is not pristine by any means and has plenty of jerry-rigged pieces and parts. Of course, I don't have much experience with bricks and mortar. I will do some research but I'm hoping I can just lay down a "bead" of mortar on the concrete floor and set a brick into it without really making too much mess of the floor. Am I dreaming? The water in this area, since it is already raised 6 inches or so, does not get that deep, ever, and a 6 or 10 inch height would be plenty. Do you have any experience using bricks and mortar?