richardjm65

At Kap Choeng, two of us extended our 'O' visas, by reason of retirement, at the end of June. For this service we were charged the standard 1,900 baht. The extensions were each dealt with quickly, politely and efficiently in less than 10 minutes. We made a cautious enquiry about getting the 90 day slips to cover the full year until the next visa extension and were advised that this was not a possiblity. We were not charged for our 90 day reports.

If a variation from the normal 90 day reporting system is offered, it would probably be by a 'special arrangement' with one of the staff working outside the normal office procedures.

I ordered mine from 'grimreaper.com'. It will arrive in due time.

I feel I must respond to Wilcopop's assertion that a possible cure for dengue, (the use of papaya leaf juice), might be dangerous. How so? My understanding is that there is no part of the papaya tree that is toxic. Indeed, it has many medicinal properties for several conditions.

I do understand that the curative effects of papaya leaf juice is anecdotal - however, these anecdotes not only originate from Thailand alone, but from Indonesia, the Philippines, Nigeria, and several South American countries where Dengue is also endemic. There must be more. Given that we generally understand that there is not yet a clinical cure for dengue but mostly only medicines to relieve the symptoms to some degree, it would seem reasonable to at least consider that folk medicine might offer a possibility of a cure, even if taken as an addition to the symptom relief medicines.

I'm reminded that many of our modern medicines are derived from plants and I do remain convinced that a cure exists for every condition - we just have to find it, which is what research laboratories are for. I think that if either my wife or I were to be diagnosed with dengue, I should certainly try the papaya leaf juice treatment in the hope of establishing, to my own satisfaction, its efficacy, (or otherwise). Could it further harm us? I think not.

I don't believe this to be 'quackery', but rather more curiosity about the potential of alternatives.

My understanding is that there is no 'clinical' cure for dengue, and that it must run its course. I further understand that paracetamol (or something similar) is generally given to alleviate some of the pain and discomfort.

I have found what is supposed to be a 'country cure' which involves the use of papaya leaf juice, but I don't know of anyone who has tried it. Google is your friend however, and it might be of interest to google 'dengue fever - alternative treatment'. It would be interesting to hear if it works for anyone here.

I do know that there is no connection between malaria and dengue. Malaria is treatable. I believe that dengue is spread by a day biting mosquito, so it's wise to protect against these.

The OTC meds will temporarily relieve symptoms only. For permanent removal, need surgical treatment.

I had similar problems as a young man - the affliction being both internal and external. I treated the condition with both suppositories and ointment and in due course it repaired itself. Since those days I've never had further trouble but have always paid attention to a healthy diet, (plenty of fibre), avoided straining during the passing of a motion and best of all, perhaps, abandoning the use of toilet paper many years ago when I discovered the wonderful personal cleansing device, (or bum hose).

I have every sympathy for the OP and hope he can find what he requires. I recall the OTC med I used was 'Anusol' and it came in ointment or suppository form. There is also one called 'Preparation H'.

Amongst the sailing fraternity the condition was fairly common - a result of sitting for long periods on cold, wet decks it was supposed. They were known colloquially as 'Steinbecks'. Think 'Grapes of Wrath', and you've got the connection.

To expand this a bit, does anyone know where, or how, to obtain a driving instruction manual for the guidance of the instructor and the education of the would-be driver. I'm in a similar situation, and am trying to pluck up the courage to start teaching my wife to drive.She's a quite good and cautious m/c rider, but I anticipate grief and woe ahead when she decides she knows so much better than I do about driving just by having got herself behind the wheel. The mirrors, dear, are not for self-admiration or makeup application - especially when on the move.

She's quite good at instructing me how to drive!

Much to my surprise, the whole thing takes place tomorrow already. My planned way to dress, found no approval. (By walking around like this, the "Mediums" could not concentrate properly.)

I was offered the Job as an official "Picture-Taker" , as long as I dress properly: Blue-Jeans etc.

Starts at 8:00 AM and ends the next day, I think.

Will I get Copy-Rights as the official "Picture-Taker"? Probably not.

Cheers.

What a letdown. Some "Chief-Medium" has decided, that such gatherings are an internal "Thai-Thing" and not fit for the eyes of a Farang

Cheers.

If you'd been a medium, you'd have seen that coming. Or would that have been fortune telling?

Thanks, jtmedic, that was an interesting link and it would seem that both SeaVisionBurma and I have some similar experience.

Maybe Jaffacakes1 will get back to us and advise on the progress of his condition. I, for one, wish him the best of luck.

As an aside, who is offering permaculture courses, where, and at what cost? I first learned of permaculture from reading copious material by an Australian guy called Bill Mollison some years ago, which was amazing stuff, but which made me wonder why I had not already understood its basic simplicity.

I also had a small coral cut whilst diving in the Philippines, which I immediately scrubbed and cleaned and doused a couple of times a day with Hydrogen Peroxide. It apparently healed well, then blew up again with ugly results. A USN diving doctor found a small fragment of coral and I learned that with coral being a living organism, despite the cleaning, that small fragment had remained in the tiny wound, and its decomposition was what caused an infection that almost cost me my leg.

Since that lesson, I now know that any wound, especially to the leg, and especially in the tropics, requires some intensive and dedicated attention. This also applies to scratches from thorns, animal bites or claw wounds, (however small), and insect stings too.

A friend died a couple of years back as a result of under-estimating the possible effects of an infected insect sting.

To extend this subject a bit more, I was once told that running the ceiling fan (on low), together with the a/c, was cheaper and more efficient than running the a/c unit alone - something to do with a more even spread of the cold air. Any comments?

Anyway, with the ceiling fan running, I run the a/c at 27 degrees, (starting about an hour before bed), then knock off the a/c about 3.00am when I get up for a pee. That seems to work quite well for us, the coolness seems to persist with just the ceiling fan running.

I think the key is to ensure that the a/c is also drawing out the humidity. I can't be dealing with humidity when it's either hot or cool.

Does it really matter that much? Weeds and beetles come free - frogs too. Then there's all the other stuff that they've learned to survive on, which you would not touch. Wanna get pissed? Lao khao does the job.

I remember once giving an expensive brandy to Thai guests, there was no evidence of enjoyment, indeed, because it was mellow and did not burn their throats, they thought it was just weak rubbish.

So that was a lesson learned.

I also remember being the big man with my first Pattaya 'friend', and taking her for a fine meal at a good restaurant. Waste of time and money, as she simply did not want that sort of food. Next time, I gave her 20 baht for street food while I ate what I wanted in what I considered a reasonable restaurant. Both of us happy - both well satisfied.

That happened about 40 years ago. Not much has changed.

Except that now I have my partner of some 20 years, she'd kill for smoked salmon, lobster, squid, prawns in garlic and will eat her way through my good cheese, and when I ask where it is, she'll say 'it's not furniture - I ate it already'.

But she'll still do the weeds and beetles thing too. Go figure.

I shall be happy to relieve you of said 'weak' brandy - just to save you any embarrassment with future Thai visitors............

That's most kind of you, Cardholder, gracious even. I'll bear that in mind, if my seafood scoffing, eight meals a day wife has not already sussed out the hiding place and disposed of it, like she did with the vodka, gin, campari, whiskey and vintage port.....

Sometimes I wonder if I've over-educated her.

Wow, street food in Pattaya 40 years ago was 20b. I would have thought 40 years on it would increased a lot in price than it has.

My guess is that she probably pocketed 15 baht of the 20. No big deal.

Does it really matter that much? Weeds and beetles come free - frogs too. Then there's all the other stuff that they've learned to survive on, which you would not touch. Wanna get pissed? Lao khao does the job.

I remember once giving an expensive brandy to Thai guests, there was no evidence of enjoyment, indeed, because it was mellow and did not burn their throats, they thought it was just weak rubbish.

So that was a lesson learned.

I also remember being the big man with my first Pattaya 'friend', and taking her for a fine meal at a good restaurant. Waste of time and money, as she simply did not want that sort of food. Next time, I gave her 20 baht for street food while I ate what I wanted in what I considered a reasonable restaurant. Both of us happy - both well satisfied.

That happened about 40 years ago. Not much has changed.

Except that now I have my partner of some 20 years, she'd kill for smoked salmon, lobster, squid, prawns in garlic and will eat her way through my good cheese, and when I ask where it is, she'll say 'it's not furniture - I ate it already'.

But she'll still do the weeds and beetles thing too. Go figure.

Well, Ms Bravo, (or may I call you Karen?), have you ever had a real-life stalker? I think it's very brave of you to use your real name. I think I might just sneak a quick glance at your profile now........heh heh....

Jingthing, I just had your handwriting analyzed and determined that you are:

aggressive

aloof

arrogant

belligerent

big-headed

bitchy

boastful

bone-idle

boring

bossy

callous

cantankerous

careless

changeable

clinging

compulsive

conservative

cowardly

cruel

cunning

cynical

deceitful

detached

dishonest

dogmatic

domineering

finicky

flirtatious

foolish

foolhardy

fussy

greedy

grumpy

gullible

harsh

impatient

impolite

impulsive

inconsiderate

inconsistent

indecisive

indiscreet

inflexible

interfering

intolerant

introverted

irresponsible

jealous

lazy

Machiavellian

materialistic

mean

miserly

moody

narrow-minded

nasty

naughty

nervous

obsessive

obstinate

overcritical

overemotional

parsimonious

patronizing

perverse

pessimistic

pompous

possessive

pusillanimous

quarrelsome

quick-tempered

resentful

rude

ruthless

sarcastic

secretive

selfish

self-centred

self-indulgent

silly

sneaky

stingy

stubborn

stupid

superficial

tactless

timid

touchy

thoughtless

truculent

unkind

unpredictable

unreliable

untidy

untrustworthy

vague

vain

vengeful

vulgar

weak-willed

That's all well and good, but there must be a few bad things too.......

Another book that I read recently was a biography of Aldous Huxley - (think 'Brave New World'), by Nicholas Murray. It was interesting, but I actually came to the conclusion that I was more interested in what Huxley had written, rather than what his life was all about. There were no real insights into why he wrote what he wrote. Mostly it was to do with the folk he kept company with. Even his experiments with LSD were not that enlightening.

Perhaps it was just a biography penned for academics. I'm not one of those. I did not learn much of value.

Not thread jacking, SteeleJoe, all opinions on books, or their derivatives, are of interest. I've made notes of many books that I want to track down. When I get kindled up (in December when my buddy comes for his holiday), I've got so much I want to download. Being up in the boonies means you have to take what you can get. And it's rare to be offered a gem.

Never read any Elmore Leonard books other than his crime and police stuff - I'll look for his earlier stuff. His crime writings are just so tight, with that fine, sparse dialogue.

Re Sebastian Faulks, I read Charlotte Grey, but thought it un-memorable. 'The English Patient' was good though. I've never quite come to terms with 'Catch 22' though I guess the whole point was the inherent idiocy of military management and the reactions of those who were trapped in or by it. Had some of that myself.

Sebastian Faulks also wrote 'Birdsong', which I thought was a very fine, powerful story of the first World War. Another of those that I keep on my shelf for re-reading.

My dad was in the desert with Montgomery's lot during WW2 and came back with several pairs of army khaki shorts. He was a larger man than I, but when he died I was pleased to inherit his army issue shorts and now wear them to all social occasions, along with his knee length khaki woolen socks and his old battledress blouse. It's quite clear to me that from the admiring glances and smiles I get from the Thais in our village, I've set a new standard in sartorial elegance.

Yes, shorts (of the right sort) are acceptable anywhere, any time in Thailand.

My latest reads have been:-

'Intimacy', by Hanif Kureishi. A good read about the inner turmoils of a guy about to leave his wife and family. It has an odd finish.

'Miami Blues', by Charles Willeford. Elmore Leonard says 'No one writes a better crime novel'. I'd like to read more of this guy's stuff.

'Creole Belle', by James Lee Burke. More of Dave Robicheaux's interesting deep south cases. Very good - just what you'd expect from JLB.

'The Death and Life of Bobby Z', by Don Winslow. What can I say about this writer that I have not already said? Another fine book.

Now I'm about one third of the way through 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'. I think it's going to be one of those that you wish were longer. So far, it's great. Have not seen the movie version of it and cannot imagine it being better than the book.

And hey, Rene 123, you don't really think all TV'ers are one paragraph wonders, do you? If so, I'd say you're confining your post reading to the forums where those nasty, rough boys play....

I like my bubble. Since this thread began I've thought about the things I've done, the places I've been - I've had an interesting ride up to now, but I do think age has much to do with one's personal bubble. There's much that I've done before that I am not now able to do. I don't like 'chatter' and therefore my comfort zone, (that's another phrase that seems to be fairly recent), includes things that are fairly solitary, like books, radio and films and taking the time to watch and examine and think about my surroundings and, yes, even reading the opinions of others on TV, though I'm not much interested in getting involved in the slanging matches.

I am now more interested in finding out what I can about the various ailments that seem to go with ageing, how and why they occur, how to cope with them, and I suppose that rather increases one's introspection. I don't think I'm depressed, but I am conscious of needing to make the best of each day. I don't go to any Thai party where it is likely that the volume of the entertainment is going to prevail over the quality of it - where it becomes impossible to carry on a conversation and I'm therefore pleased to be able to avoid both the noise and the repetitive questions from the drunks.

I'm now in my 42nd year in S.E.A. and have no desire or intention to go back where I came from. I cannot think how my life would be improved by being there and so I contentedly continue in my bubble and cheerfully avoid the people and things that I don't like here. Got to take the rough with the smooth, don't you think? - taking care, of course, to circumnavigate the rough wherever possible...........

The beer's OK too.

Thanks for that, Sheryl.

I understand, now, why the doc could not explain and I could not grasp it. Got it now.

I'm just coming to the end of a year on Warfarin. Buying it at a public hospital has been inexpensive. The blood test for INR is also cheap, but there is a certain amount of waiting to be done - one moves from one queue to the next, and half a day from IN to OUT is not unusual.

What, exactly, does INR stand for? I understand that it is most probably a measuring of blood viscosity, but the doc's English is about as good as my Thai, so the details get lost somehow.

When one comes off Warfarin, is it wise to continue with the blood checks at less frequent intervals, perhaps?