AyG

Uhm why not just use google maps on your phone?

If your just gonna use it a few months I dont see any reason to get a proper GPS in this day and age with smartphones being what they are. It works very well in Thailand.

If you're going to use a smartphone there are two issues: (i) you need a data package for the 'phone, (ii) the lag in updating your position can be very noticeable, and at times problematic.

I have a cheap-ish Garmin which I find invaluable. The larger screen size (than a 'phone) and the spoken voice make using it much easier.

The only problem I have is that I can't use it when my partner's in the car. He always disagrees with the Garmin, claiming to know a faster/better route, or saying that I've programmed the destination incorrectly. I turn it off to avoid disharmony - even if that means journeys take longer and/or getting lost.

No sexy French maid voice on the device. In fact, there are no English voices on the 'phone - only grating American. The choice of Thai voices, though, is fantastic, with dialects from North, South, Central and Isaan regions, both male and female.

Registering the device to get updated maps is a pain. You have to download a Windows-only piece of software to do so - useless if you only have Linux machines. (Doesn't run under Wine.)

I think the source of your information is from the eHow article "How to dry green peppercorns". There are two things wrong here:

(1) eHow is a terrible source of information. It's authors are paid a pittance to churn out vast numbers of article in subjects about which they know very little.

(2) the article is about how to dry peppercorns that are green (turning them black) - not about how to produce dry green peppercorns.

Incidentally, 10 minutes is a very long time to boil. It's usually just for a few seconds.

Personally, I like green peppercorns in a steak sauce which uses green peppercorns preserved in brine. That's what I'd be doing if I had a surfeit of fresh green peppercorns.

If the OP has a raised temperature and is suffering virtually continuous diarrhea for 4 days he needs urgent medical evaluation.

If the OP doesn't have a raised temperature and is suffering virtually continuous diarrhoea for 4 days he still needs urgent medical evaluation: it could be cholera.

What you've done is indeed make ordinary black peppercorns. Green peppercorns require additional processing to stop the green pigments oxidising, such as treatment with sulphur dioxide or freeze drying to keep the green colour.

Good luck... do you have medical insurance?

Didn't you mean "life insurance"?

PhiPs are a class of carcinogens which are a class of mutagens found in cooked meat poultry fish and cigarets smoke.

PhIP is a single chemical, not a class. It is formed when certain amino acids found only in meat are heated in the presence of sugar. It is not found in cigarette smoke.

It is undoubtedly mutagenic, and carcinogenic in lab animals. There isn't any evidence (yet) of its being carcinogenic in man.

The intake of PHiP found in processed, fried, or stir-fried meat was correlated to the DNA mutation they found in women breast tissues

Reference? I couldn't find any such study. (There is a similar study in rats - Durling et al. 2005)

PhiPs were discovered in ALL breast milk of meat eating women whichever the cooking method (but none in the vegetarian)

Reference? I couldn't find any such study.

Incidentally, not all cooked meat contains PhIP. It's only if you "cremate" it that PhIP is formed. Medium-done lamb chops, medium burgers, and lightly browned bacon contain none (Nomish et al. 1990).

Edit: fixed quotes

The polite option here is สูงอายุ.

อายุมาก isn't particularly common.

Thanks for your comments. I have looked into this and found conflicting reports on its effectiveness. Our soil (fill dirt) is "sai din" and we're taking steps to improve it, Lots of manure, organic lime, mulch etc. We've got the EM so I'll give it a try. Some farang gardeners who use EM do indicate they have observed some improvement in the vitality of their gardens over time.

I think you're much more along the right lines with the manure and other organic material. They'll definitely increase water retention and fertility and improve soil structure. Good luck.

It makes no difference whatsoever. The organisms in it will do nothing for your soil. The whole thing in Thailand is a ruse to get people to pay for the waste products of a certain tycoon's factories. Still, it's very kind of you to feed the ants.

Have you not heard of the new health insurance for farang.

It's not for farang, it's for migrant workers.

Westerners who've registered and tried to use the service have been rejected. See for example http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/706549-thai-gov-health-plan-for-farangs-totally-kaput/

And yes, Sheryl is perfectly aware of the scheme, having posted at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/683276-government-insurance-scheme-for-expats/ and elsewhere. (Not that she needs me to defend her.)

I'd suggest also contacting Bishop's Move. They handled the transfer of my possessions here and I was very happy with their service. (The container was actually shipped by Maersk.)

Have you also considered the climate? When my mother visited, who then was of a similar age yet in excellent health, really struggled and collapsed a few times. I rather doubt from what you've written that you'll have enough spare cash to spent on oodles of air conditioning. (Electricity prices here are high.)

Do your research. That virus started in Monkeys in Africa (in the 1970's) and was initially transmitted to humans from them. Macaques are known to be one of the breeds that can have and transmit it.

Currently accepted theory is that HIV originated with apes, not monkeys. More specifically the virus is almost certainly derived from SIV, a related virus which infects Chimpanzees (they're apes, not monkeys). It is believed that HIV evolved after human beings were infected with SIV, so the statement that "[HIV] was initially transmitted to humans from [monkeys]" is wrong on two accounts: (i) it was not HIV that was transmitted, it was SIV, (ii) it was from apes, not monkeys. Macaques have nothing to do with the story.

The earliest recorded case of HIV was from 1959 in a man from Kinshasa, so it definitely didn't start in the 1970s. Genetic analysis suggests it actually arose earlier, in the 40s or early 50s.

Do your research.

Edit: punctuation

could anyone else provide some insight into renting a bike? Perhaps someone who DOES know?

I consider myself suitably reprimanded. Sorry for trying to help you. I won't do it again.

I've always heard warnings about Macaque Monkey (the type primarily found in Thailand) bites, not only for rabies but that they have been known to transmit AIDS through bites as well.

This is nonsense at a number of levels. AIDS is a set of symptoms and can't be transmitted per se. It's caused by the HIV virus and similar viruses are present in some simians, but HIV is a human-only virus; it's therefore a logical impossibility for HIV to be transmitted by Macaques to man. Don't believe everything you hear.

The only place called "kampti" (or "kamptee") I can find in India is in Maharashtra, which is in Western India. Can you provide a bit more information as to the people and where they live?

Kampti = Khamti.

Thanks for that. Wikipedia also gives a link to the people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khamti_people ) saying that they are "a sub-group of the Shan people". That explains the mutual intelligibility and also where they probably came from (Burma). It appears they live alongside, and are distinct from, the Tai Ahom in Assam.

it surely does, it is the second most widely spoken language in the world after English.... so you can make the count \

Not that it matters, but by most accounts it's number four after Mandarin, English and Hindustani (Hindi and closely related variants such as Urdu).

The WHO writing is not clear. I think it means "nibbling of (i) uncovered skin, (ii) minor scratches, or (iii) abrasions without bleeding". In other words, if there was no risk of contact with monkey saliva and it doesn't fall into category III (basically something piercing the skin) then you are in the clear.

How long is it since you encountered the monkey?

And if you still feel worried, get the injections just to be on the safe side. (It's typically 3 to 6 injections, depending on whether you've previously been inoculated against rabies. You can get this done cheaply at a government hospital.)

there is also the kampti people in north east india,that speak thai,,i think a little different but thai's could understand them

This piques my curiosity. The only place called "kampti" (or "kamptee") I can find in India is in Maharashtra, which is in Western India. Can you provide a bit more information as to the people and where they live?

The north east India reference makes me think of the Ahom people(s) of the Assam region, but I think only a few hundred (mostly the priestly class) still speak a version of a Tai language. I also rather doubt that Tai-Ahom and Thai are mutually understandable.

Accommodation near the park is expensive. 1000 Baht is pretty cheap for the area. Double that for a half-decent room.

I don't know about motorbike rental, but if you don't have your own transport, then you're not going to have much fun there. There's virtually no public transport available, so you simply won't be able to visit the restaurants, wineries and natural attractions.

Couldn't be bothered to track down which website you copied your "Green Curry Paste" recipe from.

Sorry, I lied. I could be bothered. It was copied word for word from http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/545274

Try This:

Red Curry Paste

13 small dried chillies, soaked in hot

water for 15 Minutes and deseeded

3 tbsp, chopped shallot

4 tbsp. chopped garlic

1 tbsp. chopped galangal

2 tbsp. chopped lemon grass

2 tsp, chopped kaffir lime rind

1bsp. chopped coriander root

20 pepper corns

l tsp. shrimp paste

l tbsp. coriander seed

1 tsp. cumin seed

Preparation:

1. In a wok over low heat, put the coriander seeds and cumin seeds and dry fry for about 5 minutes, then grind into a powder.

2. Into a blender, put the rest of the ingredients except the shrimp paste and blend to mix well. The add the coriander seed-cumin seed mixture and the shrimp paste and blend again to obtain about 3/4 cup of a fine-textured paste.

3. This can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for about 3-4 months.

Congratulations on adding a totally pointless, ill-informed response. Your "Red Curry Paste" recipe has been lifted from http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080126181040AAavmov word for word which is asking about how to make a panaeng curry - totally different curry.

Couldn't be bothered to track down which website you copied your "Green Curry Paste" recipe from.

AyG, as I said , same hot meal as business class , but as we both said cheaper tray. But Metal cutlery (wow) !

I'm guessing from your ID that English isn't your native language, so let me explain: "meal" means all courses, so no, it's not the same "hot meal" - it might (or might not) be the same "hot main course" - but the other courses are different.

The 'World traveller Plus' cabin is a lot better than normal economy, you get a business class hot meal

Not exactly true. From the BA website:

"on most flights your choice of main course comes from our business class Club World menu"

In other words, you might get the same main course as business class on some flights, but the starter and dessert will be cheaper and nastier.

I'm in my 'Superior Suite' in the Felix right now. Cost just over 5000 a night. The Wi-Fi is not very good though. I had to open up a wireless hotspot on my phone to connect my computer but it will do for a couple of days while I'm in the region.

Last time I was there (a few months ago) there was absolutely zero wi-fi signal, and despite repeated complaints over 3 days there was no explanation of the problem, and apparently nothing done to fix it. Requests for a technician to visit my room to help were ignored. I don't believe the place actually has working wi-fi.

(Apart from that, the hotel is fine.)