jesimps

Correct. I paid BB 6000 baht for insurance several years ago and never renewed it.

Not exactly to the topic but.... Yesterday, I spent half the day visiting my three banks in Central Mall Pattaya, all for the same purpose of reporting my new passport number and getting my photo taken for this new ID thing the banks are insisting on. SCB and Krungri in and out in ten minutes. Bangkok Bank, 45 minute wait only to be told that I couldn't report new passport number there, I had to do it at the branch. The place was packed and the whole system, supposed to be computerised seemed to be generating reams of paperwork. Over to the branch on the Dark Side, packed out, waited an hour to be seen and after more masses of paperwork and photo taken, finally escaped. Good job I use internet banking and these visits are seldom needed. I use BB only for bringing in my UK pension because it registers Wise transfers as International.

"Two very powerful forces are about to collide" ....and the winner will be the one with the tanks as usual.

My trigger point is 13 stones (82.5 kg) and I hit that on boxing day last. I threw away my old analogue scales, who's dial I could barely read and bought myself a good digital machine. this I've placed in a prominent place in my lounge so I can't avoid it. I swore to get down to 11 stones (70 kg) in two months, which I easily achieved by: Drinking whisky with soda instead of sugary mixers (I don't drink beer, ever). Eating high fibre cerial for breakfast with almond milk. Eating lots of fish, boiled vegetables and fruit. Cut out butter on my toast and sandwiches. Bought the missus an air fryer so very little oil consumed. With the help of a sensitive front tooth, cut out all food and drink containing more than a small amount of sugar. Cut out low fat desserts (tend to load up with sugar to compensate) and diet drinks and yoghurt which somehow make my weight increase, also aggravate my dodgy tooth (Believe it's the acid). Stopped having my late evening bag of crisps. Drink lots of water instead of coffee, becomes normal after a few days and the more you drink the thinner you get. A good walk, bike ride or swim every couple of days, but I've being doing this for years anyway. More or less sticking to the above do's and don'ts and my weight has more or less levelled out at around 71 kg. I hardly ever feel hungry. Works for me but probably not for everybody. The thing I mainly put the weight loss to is having the digital scales somewhere where you're almost tripping over them and being able to read the display easily whilst standing.

When cutting the grass I always put my collar up and fasten the top button to help it stay up. Purely to keep the sun off my neck. Wouldn't think to do it when I was out, it'd look a bit daft on a 79 year old.

Being noisy in any neighbourhood is a bad thing, but in a condo it's inexcusable. Only incredibly dense, unfeeling types with no common sense would make a racket enough to disturb their fellow residents. Unfortunately, there are too many of them in Thailand where the condo walls, floors and ceilings have no soundproofing. I notice lately that there are a lot of reports of people fighting, even committing manslaughter over noise. It doesn't surprise me because I've sometimes been tempted towards violence myself. Spams are particularly noisy and I dread being sat near to them in a bar or restaurant. They shout during normal conversation even when sitting next to each other, so I'm not surprised by this post.

Having lived here for many years, I could see the bookshops vanishing at a rate of knots. Figured that it was because most people were now probably using electronic book readers. They're only cheap online, so I bought and learn't to use one. Now I have more books than I could ever read in a lifetime. One of the best things I ever did. Also saves me a trip into town every couple of weeks. Before anyone has a go, just trying to be helpful here, not on a commission from Kindle.

It's part of the electoral rules (even if in this case it's a grey area of was it/wasn't it operational) so the legal department of all parties contesting an election should avoid it. That's why I keep saying that MFP ought to have known pre-election that Prayuth would leap on this in his search for a reason not to relinquish power. With the EC, Senate and Judiciary behind him, I know (regretfully) who my money's on.

Been experiencing this for 16 years here, but so far haven't managed to spot one of the beasties causing it. I've come to the conclusion that it's the fans causing the my body hair to vibrate, which gives the sensation of something crawling on you.

Arrived in Pattaya 16 years ago and although I've visited other areas of the country, there's nowhere I'd rather be than my little bit of paradise, just up the coast, but within a thirty minute drive of central Patts which has everything you could wish for in entertainment. Why isolate yourself in the jungle/desert or in a boring, smog choked place, when you can live in a beautiful area, but within a short drive of civilisation.

I still can't figure why MFP, with all the legal brains at their disposal, failed to insist that Pita dump his shares before the election. They must've known that it was illegal and that Prayuth, the EC and Senate would jump on it. If I, with my small knowledge of Thai politics had know this before the vote, I'd have been screaming at him to get rid. I feel sorry for my poor missus who naively still thinks he's going to be PM.

Should be a gun that copper's pointing at the festering thing. No excuses, a dog that bites needs euthanising.

Wrong. Lots of dogs bite without any provocation at all. Unlike present day humans who they invent a syndrome for, some are just bad.

That's what I keep asking myself. He and his party should've known that the EC would lock on to this, especially after the cookery programme PM guy and Thanathorn both got done on a similar thing. Why oh why did he not get shut? He would've been bombproof. I'd love to see him in power just to have a democratically elected civilian in charge again, but I can't see it happening.

You return to stardust physically and that's a fact. What happens to the unimaginably powerful consciousness (spirit) I can't imagine ????

I loathe military rule in any country, but I can't help wondering why Pita didn't bin these shares before the election. Surely he knew that the pro-Prayuth EC and Senate would use this to keep him out of power. The mob must've been rubbing their hands in glee when they discovered this little nugget. Reckon they thought they'd have to be much more devious.

Anyone still think Khun Pita's going to be PM?

So you're saying that all law breakers should be given an amnesty?

I'm 79 and the missus is 52. I'm not wealthy, but I managed to put a roof over her head and have fed us both for the past 16 years that we've been together. I'm no spring chicken, but I must be doing something right.

"I baulk at this term for Thailand (because it ain’t)" Oh I don't know. Military coups, rigged elections, chaotic roads, corruption, lack of common sense, stray dogs, inept police, noise pollution from bass-heavy speakers. I could go on. Saying that, I love it here. Never a dull moment and certainly never bored. Have to get that in before some no-all tells me to go back to my own country.

Anyone who's been here several years and didn't see this coming, has been walking around blinkered since their arrival. Since Gen Prayut re-wrote the constitution and loaded the Senate and EC with his cronies, there's never been the possibility of anyone other than the military holding the reins of power. Calling it a civilian govt is just like applying lipstick to a pig.

Never has in the past, so don't get your hopes up.

Have to give you a downvote on this one spider, you talk sense normally. I agree that the Norwegian police are bound to be more competent than the Thais, but it's thousands of miles away from the scene of the crime and any possible witnesses. He also fled the country, which I should imagine is a crime in itself. There's also the fact that the courts could be subconsciously sympathetic to a fellow countryman, which I suspect is why the guy legged it back there. I hope they take into account that the guy is a martial arts expert, therefore his body is a weapon (supposedly), not to mention breaking into the other guy's room which also contained the other guy's wife and young child. I'm slightly biased on this I admit because I too suffered from noise in the early hours during my condo-staying days and had a couple of brushes with those responsible. The Norwegian ought to be jailed for life just for being inconsiderate in my opinion, along with all those like him. They drive people demented.

If I had my time here over again I'd do exactly that.

You can understand Ivan with the long face not wanting to return to the motherland, where a tin hat and a rifle awaits him. Overstay or canon-fodder, I know which I'd choose.