Utley

Admiral Blair is retired and does not speak for the U.S. government or its citizens; any comments he made are strictly his own personal views. If he made comments favorable to the current regime, he obviously wants something. IMHO

"and the purchase of Gripen jet fighters from Sweden" - I believe that is the operative phrase of the discussion.

In order to cleanse the water for drinking, you will have to remove the bacteria after all the sediment, odors, calcium, etc have been removed and for that you have only two options: ultraviolet light (which is appropriate for low flow) and chlorine (which is appropriate for high flow). Even a reverse osmosis system will not remove bacteria. I have seen ultraviolet light systems in Thailand but not chlorine systems; however chlorine additive systems for home use can be purchased from Pulsatron in the U.S. and shipped to Thailand.

RO is very effective in removing bacteria. And remove much more.

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/home-water-treatment/household_water_treatment.html

Reverse Osmosis Systems

Reverse Osmosis Systems use a process that reverses the flow of water in a natural process of osmosis so that water passes from a more concentrated solution to a more dilute solution through a semi-permeable membrane. Pre- and post-filters are often incorporated along with the reverse osmosis membrane itself.

A reverse osmosis filter has a pore size of approximately 0.0001 micron.

Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing protozoa (for example, Cryptosporidium, Giardia);

Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing bacteria (for example, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli);

Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing viruses (for example, Enteric, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Rotavirus);

Reverse Osmosis Systems will remove common chemical contaminants (metal ions, aqueous salts), including sodium, chloride, copper, chromium, and lead; may reduce arsenic, fluoride, radium, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate, and phosphorous.

I stand corrected.

The municipal water comes into the 5 foot sediment filter, then goes through our 3 stage whole house system, then into a 1,000 liter storage tank, then pumped through the house as needed.

Hello,

Why do you filter the water for toilet and washing machine through the 3 ways filter?

Because it is a...............................WHOLE HOUSE SYSTEM. Everything in the house is on the same water system.

In order to cleanse the water for drinking, you will have to remove the bacteria after all the sediment, odors, calcium, etc have been removed and for that you have only two options: ultraviolet light (which is appropriate for low flow) and chlorine (which is appropriate for high flow). Even a reverse osmosis system will not remove bacteria. I have seen ultraviolet light systems in Thailand but not chlorine systems; however chlorine additive systems for home use can be purchased from Pulsatron in the U.S. and shipped to Thailand.

Watermelons

Our municipal water has gotten extremely bad as of late - so bad that it overcame our 3 stage whole house filtration system. We recently installed a 5 foot tank-like sediment filter similar to your photo containing (1/3 of each) pebbles, sand and carbon pellets. That seems to have done the trick. The municipal water comes into the 5 foot sediment filter, then goes through our 3 stage whole house system, then into a 1,000 liter storage tank, then pumped through the house as needed.

Hope that helps.

I've found these people to be very reliable: Hardware Mart

If you purchase a condo, buy one that is already built rather than risking new construction that may not happen.

If you purchase a condo keep in mind that your chances of selling are slim and none.

Before purchasing a condo, become very familiar with the condo association fees and rules.

As a foreigner purchasing a condo, remember that you are substantially on your own as far as the local authorities are concerned.

Pretty hard to grow anything without water.

DSC_0054a.jpg

I see plenty of tree's though! Those could be fruitproducers or timbertree's. Hardwood is easy to grow and gets top price these days.

There must be water underground there, so you need a crop with long roots like tree's.

Fruit trees require plenty of irrigation (no water available remember) and hardwood trees take 10+ years to grow.

In Thailand's climate, you may simply be dehydrated. Lay off the diuretics (like caffeine) and start drinking more water. That worked for a friend of mine who had similar symptoms as yours.

Pretty hard to grow anything without water.

Look for the best rates here: Bank foreign currency exchange rates

La Nature - We specialize in waxing all body parts of both women and men. Using high quality wax, specialised for each body part, we provide a service that our clients are always satisfied with. Also very important is that we never re-use our wax, so our service is very clean too.

Unlike Thailand the President doesn't run congress or the country and policy is set by congress the president is just a person who tries to set a direction for the country to move toward nothing more he has no war powers. It is the party in charge who either approves or disapproves yes the president can veto or refuse to sign into law but that is it. But wanting duty free exports while not willing to offer same in return will get you nowhere. Thais can buy and own property in the US American citizens can't do same here Until that changes expect nothing. Oh yes we can buy condo but house and land it sits on NO. Own a business without thais having some control over here not happening.

You hit the nail right on the head. What exactly does the U.S. get in return for granting free trade favors to Thailand? Allowing expats to own land and residential homes would be a good place to start. Also, long term visas (i.e. 5 years) rather than 12 month extension of stays; annual reporting rather than 90 day reporting; no customs fees for items brought into Thailand from the U.S. by expats. The list goes on. They can keep their discriminatory pricing to national parks if they like.

Having family in Thailand is meaningless when applying for a U.S. visa. The following is required:

1. The applicant has had a good job for at least year and can prove it with a bank book showing periodic deposits.

2. The applicant owns property such as a house or condo.

3. The applicant has known the U.S. citizen for at least a year and can prove it with photos and emails.

Saigon, 1968 - 19 years old.

When I first came to Thailand 30 years ago, there was not one Thai person taller than me (180cm) and very very few fat ones. Now 30 years later, many are taller and of course many many are fat. I venture to say if you see a nice thin small Thai, they may be from Lao. The change has Robbie their diet.

My personal suspicion that the reason Thais are putting on weight is lack of exercise Almost no one walks or bicycles anywhere anymore, its all motorbikes now - even to go 100 meters.

While this is definitely true, it is secondary to the way they are eating now.

The vast majority of Thais living in BKK not only don't exercise, but consume well over 2,000 calories a day. Thais in BKK routinely eat so called "snacks" like honey toast with ice cream that contain well over 1,000 calories. Add this to the sugar beverages and teas consumed on a daily basis and it is not hard to see why Thais are getting fat. Thais in BKK also have an obsession with buffets that put Americans to shame.

There is no doubt that there will be a full blown obesity crisis here within the next decade.

Traditional Thai food tends to have plenty of sugar and oil, not at all unlike fast food - plenty of calories. But now Thais are not walking it off. They are plumping down their fat diaries and riding to the next 7-11.

You are a fool if you do not question the doctor thoroughly. If you sit quietly like a bump on a log, you deserve what you get - IMHO.

Speaking of responding respectfully...

Point taken; I could have been a little more diplomatic in my choice of words. However, it is your life; in a potential life threatening situation, why in the world would you leave the decision making process up to someone else? Even if a nurse was simply going to apply a plaster to my finger, I would ask her when was the last time she washed her hands!

When I first came to Thailand 30 years ago, there was not one Thai person taller than me (180cm) and very very few fat ones. Now 30 years later, many are taller and of course many many are fat. I venture to say if you see a nice thin small Thai, they may be from Lao. The change has Robbie their diet.

My personal suspicion that the reason Thais are putting on weight is lack of exercise Almost no one walks or bicycles anywhere anymore, its all motorbikes now - even to go 100 meters.

You are a fool if you do not question the doctor thoroughly. If you sit quietly like a bump on a log, you deserve what you get - IMHO.