richardjm65

If you ever have to install one of these individual electric shower heaters, you'll see (on the installation instructions), that the water supplied to the inlet should be at a certain pressure. If you happen to shower at a time of high water demand in your hotel/condo/apartment block, that pressure may be reduced and that has an effect. Also, by opening or reducing the supply tap (that's in your control), you'll get cooler water on high flow than you will on low flow, assuming your temperature control adjustment remains constant. Got it?

Next, the ambient water temperature has much to do with it. During the hot months we don't even turn on our shower heater - and the water comes through well hot. Come the cold season, we might have that sucker turned up to the max and still have to reduce the water flow to get warm water. The larger capacity water heaters tend to work more reliably I think.

Actually the problems go away when you have water supplied at a constant pressure and a constant ambient temperature, but when has anything ever been reliably constant in this non-utopian world? Taking cold water scoop baths in an Issan bathroom in December focuses the mind most wonderfully, I recall, and the installation of our first hot water shower was reason enough for a party!

No! Emphatically not! I would rather be naked in Siam Square, dis-embowelling myself publically with rusty barbed wire, than have any part of this simpering, snivelling, self-indulgent "it's like a fairy-tale come true innit?" stuff. I cannot understand the fascination of the many too many for the all the intricate details of all this nonsense. Fifteen minutes at the Amphur's office was enough for my bride and I, then it was back to open the shop.

And no, I don't feel that I've been slighted by not being personally invited - I'm sure it was something to do with the Thai postal service. Anyway, it saved me from having to buy the wife a new frock.

Alternatively, if that link doesn't work, simply google "Mrs Brown gets a bikini wax" and select the 5 minute clip.

That was ......interesting. Try "Mrs Brown gets a bikini wax" on http://youtu.be/pOLvKg5gCGO for more laughs on the subject.

The salad snack basket alongside is, I think, a particularly nice and thoughtful touch.

Since you're over 50, you can get an extension for a year of your non-immigrant O visa on the basis of retirement. You will be required to show a balance of 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account in your name. This will need to be in your account for (initially) two months prior to your application for visa extension. In subsequent years the two months is extended to three . (I don't know why). Alternatively, you can pop along to your embassy and ask them to confirm and certify any pension income you may have. The amount of your pension, if any, may be offset against the 800,000 baht requirement so that at visa extension time you need to show both your holding in baht in your Thai bank and the certification from your embassy. As long as the sum of both amounts to 800,000baht you'll be able to extend.

No, you will not have to show 65,000/month in addition to the above. The requirements for an extension based on marriage are different from the above, but you have not asked that question. In my opinion, the retirement extension (if you can raise and show evidence of that 800,000) scores highly, because it is simple and requires less "local participation" in your affairs. Any further queries, someone here will be willing to help.

Whichever bank you go with, if you open a savings account, check to ensure that interest will be paid on the credit balance. Beware! Krung Thai Bank does NOT pay interest to non-Thai account holders. It's been suggested that it's the government banks which discriminate in this way.

As for hospitals, that kind of depends on where you decide to settle. Korat's got several good ones, but those wouldn't be a lot of good to you unless you actually have your heart attack in Korat. So, choose a town to be near. Then enquire again.

I've recently been told that if I once worked in Thailand, then I must have contributed to the Social Security Fund. I did work here (from '91 to '97) and I did have a work permit, but I was certainly not aware of any social security matters that were applicable to foreigners, all I seem to remember is paying tax. My informant went on to state that whether I knew it or not, I was allocated a social security number, and that I should therefore be able to reclaim some or all of those contributions. His refund was apparently dealt with within a week and resulted in a refund for him of almost 100,000baht. Going through my old papers, I can find no record of a social security number, but I do still have the old work permit, and the passport which was current then. The company went belly-up as a direct result of the '97 currency crisis, so no help to be obtained there.

Does anyone have any information on this matter and does anyone have a contact address for whichever department I should contact to find out if I was allocated a social security number, what that number was, and how to go about reclaiming what might possibly be available to me? I'm retired now and still living in Thailand.

Thanks for any useful input here.

Semper, noticed that your original post was at 23.10 on a saturday night. Are all your saturday evenings this much fun?

And yes, plucking them old nose hairs brings tears to your eyes, doesn't it?

When opening a savings account with a Thai bank, do ensure that you check with the staff that as a non-Thai account holder you will be entitled to interest on your savings. Though the savings account interest rates are at present less than 1%, something is better than nothing. I have had an account with Krung Thai Bank for a year until yesterday when I queried why there was no interest credited to the account. The answer was that as a non-Thai, I was not entitled to interest with Krung Thai, so be warned! It's been suggested that it is government banks who discriminate against non-Thais in the matter of interest. I certainly was not told of this policy when I opened the Krung Thai account, and I was stupid enough not to ask, based on my previous satisfactory experiences with Siam Commercial and Standard Chartered, both of whom do pay interest. I'm in the process of transferring my account to Kasikornbank, who assure me that interest will be paid on my savings account. Opening the new account required only an inspection of my passport (I have a non-immigrant O visa) and confirmation of address and telephone number and all was completed, including the issue of ATM debit card, within 15 minutes.

This must have been aired before, but if so, I have not found it. I've had my savings account with Krung Thai Bank up in Nangrong, Buriram for just over a year. Today I queried why there was no entry on the bank book for interest, having had approximately 900,000 baht in the account, this for extension of visa by virtue of retirement purposes. I draw down on this account until it becomes time to top it up for the next extension. The explanation was that interest is not paid to non-Thai account holders. Getting home, I checked the bank books of my previous accounts with Standard Chartered and Siam Commercial. Both of them did pay interest. So, what's the story here - some banks pay - others don't. Can anyone provide an explanation and, perhaps, provide a list of which banks do pay interest and those that don't.

Needless to say, I shall be looking to move my account from Krung Thai to an alternative bank which will a) accept my application for an up-country account, not make the fatuous suggestion that it could be in my wife's name (remember the 800,000 has to be in a bank account in your own name) and c) will pay interest on the amount lodged with them. When I opened the Krung Thai account, nobody advised that they would not be paying interest and I, (based on my previous banks service), did not think to ask. (Stupid boy)!

Your comments would be appreciated.

Re smokie's suggestion that daewoo open a language school for bargirls. Back in the '70's when I first came to Bangkok for both business and pleasure, I was chatting to old JS in a Patpong bar (long before Nana and Cowboy), and the question of teaching bargirls some basic English came up. Old JS was all for it, you could teach them all the language skills they needed in about a minute, he reckoned, all you gotta do is teach 'em to respond to everything you say with "Good Idea!".

Job done. Love bargirls? JS would if he could, and so would I.

Ancient proverb (Chinese, I think).

The truth is valuable. Use it wisely.

Thaddeus - far from grumpy? Well then, you could be Dopey, Doc, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy or even Happy. Your call.

Thanks, guys. I'll get my wife to take a look at the Kasetsart site and make the necessary 'phone calls early next week.

You might try googling Baking (or bakery) supplies in Bangkok. Alternatively, if you know the Villa supermarket on Sukhumvit (opposite the Sukhumvit entrance to Washington Square), next to Villa is a sub-soi which takes you into a square and at the back of that square is the FMC bakery supplies shop. They used to be well stocked with all sorts of goodies. Perhaps there. I recall that in the same square was a Japanese supermarket which also used to stock bakery supplies.

Thanks ETatBKK. He's back on another course of meds and if there's no positive outcome, I'll do as you suggest. A few questions: First, do you know what time this cat clinic opens, as we live up-country and would have to plan a road trip? Second, would you happen to have a contact 'phone number for the clinic? Third, where (approximately) is the university located? Fourth, is the clinic open 7 days a week?

Any help you can provide with these queries is much appreciated.

Forethat, thanks for your considerate and helpful insights. All our cats were vaccinated against rabies and the other 4 in 1 ailments, but not against cat 'flu since the vet advised no such vaccine existed. (Perhaps he actually meant that he didn't have it and it got lost in the translation). Originally, he thought that the cat's inability to feed was down to infection in the mouth plus the respiratory trouble which prevented him from smelling his food. I'll take him in again today or tomorrow, along with your notes, and see if he is able to make further tests. I've just checked his mouth and found no sign of blisters. I've made a note also of the cat 'flu vaccines and will check availability. At this stage, though, would a vaccine be useful in helping to clear a condition that has existed for almost 3 months?

I would have expected the vet hospital in Korat to have carried out checks, but perhaps they too have their diagnostic and laboratory testing limitations. Maybe we have to take him to one of the university labs, but I really hope that could be avoided. Again, our thanks.

Anyone got any ideas? We have a neutered male cat, about 6 or 7 years old, who has rough (liquid sounding) breathing, coughs and sneezes a lot and has wet eyes. He (and our other three cats) got sick around mid-December. Three recovered completely but this guy, although he's improved a lot, is just not improving enough. He was badly dehydrated and on a drip at a vet hospital in Korat for over two weeks. He's been treated with antibiotics, bronchio dilators, anti-inflammatories, antibiotic infused steam inhalations, eye cream - had courses of various injections - but the vets don't seem to be able to identify and treat the underlying problem. He seems to be quite cheerful and affectionate (though lethargic), and has regained a little of the 4kg he lost. We force-feed him twice a day with high energy "Recovery" formula and he is able to eat small fish meals by himself. His elimination functions appear normal. We've discontinued using the Terramycin eye cream and substituted eye drops. He tolerates the force-feeding well without complaint. Just lately his coat looks "clumpy" instead of sleek and I think this is an indication of poor condition. His in and out-patient treatment have cost a small fortune and we don't think his treatment was particularly effective anyway, so we're loathe to put him back in vet hospital care.

When this all started back in Dec., we thought at first it might have been fish bones caught in his throat. No obstructions were found though. We've got him this far and would be really happy to see a full recovery. He's now off all medication. Thanks for any helpful opinions or advice.

Sheryl, thanks for the clarification. Could not quite see how a device that fits on the finger tip could measure BP. So I actually need two bits of kit. Would Boots have them?

Thanks for that link, DS. It's a place to start.

Some years ago I was diagnosed with COPD and am now on various medications. However, I understand that exercise also helps to control the condition. At a recent check-up it seemed that my BP was at the high end of the normal range. I'm told that an Oximeter will monitor my BP and pulse rate both at rest and whilst exercising and it's my understanding that exercising beyond a certain heartbeat rate becomes inneffectual, if not possibly dangerous. So, I'm interested to know exactly what information an Oximeter will provide me with, where I can find one, and what is the price range. Does the instrument also provide information concerning the body's oxygen level?

My objective is to improve my general condition and possibly lose a few kgs in the process. Walking won't help much as I have knee and hip problems (another reason to lose some weight), but I do have an exercise 'bike. Thanks for any helpful information and/or suggestions.

Jingthing - if we can arrange with HM for a knighthood for you, will you promise to wear it?

alfieconn, robblok, soutpeel, bermondburi, you've all been very bad boys. Using "pigeon" (or even "pidgeon") instead of "pidgin". You should know that this is one of SBK's pet peeves, and she'll be round to smack your bottoms if you persist in this. She may even keep you in after school!

We don't have that many jingchoks around our house and I put that down to also having two or three tokay geckos in residence. They're normally quiet and lead a secretive life and I have seen them hunt and take jingchoks. I watched a large tokay gecko take a good size rat yesterday - quite fascinating. Didn't see the actual kill, but saw the rat in its jaws and it did not look as though the rat was going anyplace. There have been no more scuttling rat noises from our kitchen ceiling since then. I always knew the tokay gecko was omniverous, but in 39 years of being in S.E.Asia, I've never seen one take down a rat!