islandguy

Maybe a freighter with a few cabins for one or more legs of the journey? Not sure if there are any of those left.

Living close to the ocean in Koh Samui, we only use the air con in this hottest time of the year. My partner finds sleeping with the wall mounted air con blowing directly down at us too cold. What we are doing is pre cooling the bedroom to get to sleep, and then switching to a fan after the air con is turned off. A bit of a bother to make the switch from a closed room to having open (screened) windows, but I stay up longer and make the change after she is asleep. Perhaps some version of this routine with a mister/diffuser unit next to your partner (Muji has ultrasonic ones used to disperse essential oils, no heat is involved) would work. You wouldn't have to use any essential oils in the disperser, but the some oils might actually help his condition. Note that most cheap oils are very bad quality.

I went with a more reflective and less tinted coating to reduce glare and heat buildup and also to make it harder to see in (at my wife's request). Since it is not very dark it is still possible to see out at night reasonably well and spot the 'ghost riders' with no lights. The top striping on the front is a nightmare for me, never considered getting it (tall and sit up very straight in a pick up).

You can call them, make a booking, and then pay at a 7-11.

Can only speak of Bali and Thailand. Forget Bali, not a place to seek simplicity and clarity, either with the local culture or expat community. Plenty of inspiration there but probably not the kind you seem to be seeking. In Thailand I would recommend finding a place in the North where an NGO works with the large stateless persons population. You will need a work permit, and might have to help the organization with the fees involved - which, if you actually work hard, would be a contribution to their efforts. These stateless people can use a lot of help and the politics are simpler for a foreigner to be involved with than similar efforts with Thai nationals. Because of these reasons there are a good number of NGO's helping them. You can meditate anywhere, but here in Thailand the best and easiest spiritual resource for you would be Vipassana meditation retreats. There are many, and you can choose to take retreats within the context of time out from the other part of your local life. If you start your trip with a vacation like period and check out Muay Thai, it will be easy to get sucked into scenes that won't help your other goals. Good luck, and take time to choose whatever scene you want to be part of, things are rarely just as they seem at first here.

Maybe a little too much competitive spirit between two rival companies. Good reason to check location of life vests when using either of their services. Equipment and safety procedures seem to have improved on both lately, maybe a little more training would be good? Or maybe they were just hazing a new second mate - keep going Tiger!

Hear that a marina has been approved for the Tong Krut area. Will be on the bay on the side closest to the Conrad.

My wife paid a yearly fee that lets her do unlimited withdrawals at any bank in any province with no additional fees for 'out of province' or 'more than allowed free withdrawals'. This is with Krungsi and not accounting for foreign sourced funds, but it is a good value for her. Something to consider.

Have done this at ATM after system locked me out by setting limit to 0. Bank manager showed me how, used icon that said 'other' on first touch screen and reset limit was on next screen as one choice. Had to enter ID number used to set up account. Highest level possible was much higher than 20,000.

Carmona retusa

Thanks for the suggestions, make a lot of sense. Please mark your calendar for Spring/flowering season of 2018, should be lots to see (fingers crossed), you are most welcome to visit. While we chose some international favorites (Royal poinciana, pua'keni'keni,) emphasis was on the kind of Thai fragrant trees my wife misses from her youth.

Your suggestions go with my preferences also. I am hoping to get into humus building in as big a way as time and easily obtainable local resources allow, but that is as much for fun and to create a demonstration project as any real need. This property was chosen partly because it had good soil instead of bad soil. The cover cropping is always a good soil builder but I am more worried about weeds for the short term. When you say seed (as a verb), what method are you thinking of? Don't think I will have a tractor with a set up to do this (although it might me possible to rent one), and don't want to crawl around for a few weeks with a dibble ?. Is there some better method than just throwing it around by hand? Since there probably won't be any weeds/ground cover at all until a week or two after a rain or three, do you think I should wait before spreading the seed?

Reading this thread, I can take a look to see about inoculating, soaking, and scoring to get the seeds to germinate, but probably will try to get something easier to start. Thanks for any more suggestions!

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10 rai of flowering trees? Awesome. I'd love to see that, and to smell the fragrant ones.

I vote for seeding a legume cover crop. I've used jack beans, black beans and others, free from land dept. But if you don't have an irrigation system, wait to seed until you are sure that rain is happening, otherwise it's a waste. The longer that seeds lay on the ground without water, the more they will deteriorate in viability, not germinate, or get eaten by birds and other critters, or decayed.

I used the pre-existing weed crop to my advantage. As the rains started, I seeded the beans right into the grasses and other existing growth in the orchards. Then with the seeds down against the soil among the weeds, I'd cut existing growth with a krueng tat ya, bladed brush cutter, and leave lay as a mulch on top of the seeds. I'd get good germination due to rain and mulch on top of the seeds. Grow for a couple of months, maximum lush vegetative growth, then cut and leave lay as mulch before the plants get hardened, flower and go to seed.

If your trees are young and spaced far apart, and if you have resources for tractor work, you can disk harrow or rototill the green manure crop into the soil surface for maximum benefit of soil organic matter. But as the trees mature and the absorbing root systems spread and occupy the entire soil volume between trees, it is detrimental to disk or rototill and destroy the surface absorbing roots. Go for no-till orchard management, cut grass and green manure and leave lay as surface mulch.

Back on this thread a couple of years on, glad it is still going. Now have 10 rai graded and planted in trees, mostly heirloom flowering trees, and focused on getting them past this nasty drought. Land is good dirt, mostly without any plants at all since it hasn't rained since it was graded. We are still living elsewhere and have a great local professional doing all of this. So after this introduction, my hope is that one or more of you soil building heroes can suggest a ground cover to outcompete the weeds that will be coming. One suggestion is to just mow closely and let local plants that only grow a few inches tall come to predominate. Another way to go would to broadcast some of the bean seeds and other cover crops suggested on this thread and just let them respond to the rains we all hope are coming. I know that that is an awfully simple approach and won't have a high return, but wonder what you think? Thanks for any suggestions, and hope to contribute more in the future. I have a family farming background and used to do lots of organic gardening and some farming, including in Hawaii.

Could be casuarina, usually grown as a tree

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_sexuality

I am looking into this plant now. Called cha (tea) Hokien (probably another name for the Fukien province of China). Used a lot for hedges where I live and recommended by my landscape guy in CM. He is both a nurseryman and graduate landscape designer. Works well as a hedge, not easy to push through it when mature. Seems to need a lot of pruning to maintain shape tho. Did you find any other plants used for this in Thailand?

A quiet area you might enjoy is Chaya, North of the town of Surathanee on the coast. If you don't want to push on to the ferry you could arrive there (only a few places to stay, some near the beach) and then continue on the next morning. There is a very interesting Chedi there quite close to the highway, this is worth a stop even if continuing on. When you return, a day at Khao Sok National park inland of Surathanee might be of interest.

At the beginning or end of second rising is usual. As said, overrisen dough will collapse. Rolling the dough into a baguette shape or round, try to give it some wound up tension with your hands so it will expand along the shape you gave it. You should do this even if you put it into a loaf pan. Egg white wash often brushed on top of the loaf before the slits are made.

Always wanted to take the boat to Chumphon, have only made as far as Koh Tao. However, in May the West winds are blowing and waves will be from the side of the boat making it a rougher ride. I would opt for the Seatrans boat if you do that route as the faster Lomphraya catamaran is more tippy when waves are from the side. Could wait until you are here and can look at a one week ahead forecast as otherwise Lomphraya is pretty good.

If you choose to take the (much cheaper than Bangkok Air, especially if you book now) flights from Surathanee to Bangkok, I prefer Air Asia* and Lomphraya which leaves from Nathon instead of Maenam. Air Asia's all included service from Samui utilizes the Raja ferry, not my favorite. Multiple threads on these topics on this Forum.

*the website is confusing and in some people's minds, deceitful. Be careful about getting things you don't want (have to decline travel insurance a couple of times) and getting what you want. The more expensive flex rate might be a good option as it includes flight change options.

My personal experiences:

Never had problems with a Thai drivers license.

You should be able to stay with your family when you are faced with the Citizens/Aliens lines at Immigration. I have done so. Some of the the officers are pretty irritating (or downright rude). Keep that Thai smile on your face at all times and just answer questions as asked without going into back stories and unnecessary details.

Enterprise in LA was pretty good for price and service. Some pretty dodgy off brand cheapo companies in the area.

Most hotels in the airport area have airport pickup or are serviced by shuttles (check). Might save a days rental, and you will be groggy after the flight so not a good time to jump into traffic.

Kept telling my wife to remind me to drive like a little old lady. We develop bad habits here.

Try to get insurance coverage by using a major (US) credit card. Know before you get there what you will do.

Data roaming can really add up. Really try to get a handle on how to prevent the sometimes huge amounts people pay while abroad (and yes, this can happen in the States). This doesn't even get into calls and texts. One option (haven't tried it myself) is to rent a 12V or battery operated router with a data package installed. This will let everyone in the family use wifi (at the same time) so can use LINE, Skype, maps, etc. See if the car company rents them? You can keep your Thai phone with or without roaming but don't answer calls, just call them back on Skype. You would still be paying to receive texts (SMS).

My wife was enraptured with America's beautiful natural parks, give them some time. But the first time, driving up to what used to be the Griffith Observatory (now a very educational astronomy science center) and the adjacent famous Hollywood sign was one of the highlights of the trip for her. Have a great time!

Pictures are of the new shrine in Hua Thanon. They earlier had just a large head. Now the there is also a body LOL Looks like it is going to be a new must see attraction - at least for many. Plenty of spaces for buses to park and lots of noodle stands already.

Anybody have an official account of the shrine? I would love to learn more about the early history of Samui.

^^^^ Errr. Why are you giving your Passport away for 4-6 weeks. And now 2 weeks?

Sorry, you are correct, I had my passport during those weeks. What I should have said was that it took that long to get the approval to have the rest of the year's extension (11 months more) put into the passport. During those weeks I had a one month provisional approval, but every year it catches me during an awkward time vis a vis my travel schedule, which makes it into a big drama.

Chain mail leggings and the eagles are ready. Something very satisfying about this

Thankfully, have completed my extension for this year. Went to Immigration Tuesday. Long line was for people extending tourist visas with those applicants in a line going around to the side of the building and handing in their documents through a window. Their numbers were called and documents handed back through another window when finished. The small room and counter in the corner downstairs was handling other applicants and not crowded. Overall it seemed much more efficient, as noted by other posters. The last several years it took 4-6 weeks to get my passport back after the initial one month stamp. This time it was two weeks, and I was told the passport went to Songkla instead of Surathanee (this last is hearsay, just what I was told). Still concerned about next year and the possibility of having to start over with an 'O' visa, and have also heard from a friend that her business based permission to stay might not be eligible for a multiple reentry visa in the future? My impression though, is that the local office is settling down after a change in officials - but that the national policies are not.

The pier there is very close to a river mouth (pak nam in Thai). This time of year there is usually a lot of rain and the water is murky during rainy periods. Pretty sharky area. The pier is well inside the outer reef surf breaks, would make sense for a tourist from Minnesota to be trying out surfing in small waves. Even a 3 foot long shark could easily bite off a finger or 5, this guy was pretty lucky, or maybe just scratched from the sandpaper like shark skin?

As I stated in OP, I am told that I will need to change from getting a yearly extension of stay based on marriage which started years ago with a non-immigrant B visa to having to start over by getting a non-immigrant O visa and going through the process for that to continue to get yearly extension of stays based on marriage in the future. One poster said he had changed his basis of stay from work to marriage and had gotten an O visa as part of doing that, but this part of my OP has not really been addressed by later posts in this thread. Does anyone know more about this? Thanks, islandguy

I have the same B visa ( based on marriage ) and was told last week they could extend for this year but for next I will have to leave Thailand and apply for an O visa ... They said you need the same documents but apply from overseas .

This is what my accountant says Immigration told him would apply to me.