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Route21

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Posts posted by Route21

    Hypertensive Drugs

    in Health and Medicine

    Posted

    If your systolic is regulary 100, you might need to be careful that you don't start fainting. Plenty of info about hypotension on the internet.

    It's not the systolic that I particularly need to watch for hypotension, I believe, it's the diastolic.

    Hypotension is when the diastolic goes below 60, but it's not a problem unless their are symptoms associated with it (such as fainting).

    I only tend to have slight dizziness problems once a year when wandering round in the heat during Songkran - but I put that down, primarily, to dehydration as a quick iced tea drink in the car with the A/C on and I'm OK again.

    Regards

    R21

    Hypertensive Drugs

    in Health and Medicine

    Posted

    I've been on hypertension medication for almost 4 years now. Been through a number of proprietary medications, with a number of side effects, such as the cough (and ED - thought I was just getting too old!).

    Changed, about 18 months ago, to generic medication and find them not only a lot cheaper but have also lost the side effects.

    Am now on Lorsartan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Losartan) and Carvedilol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carvedilol), with Simvastatin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simvastatin) for Cholesterol and, of course, "baby" Aspirin - get them via a chemist in Tesco-Lotus.

    BP down from 150+/90+ to as low as (most recently) 100/52 on occasions.

    R21

    PS also lost a fair bit of weight - 36Kg (by diet only - minimal exercise).

    Getting A Credit Card In Thailand

    in Jobs, Economy, Banking, Business, Investments

    Posted

    My main reason for wanting a cc is the online purchases of air-tickets and hotel-bookings and having some amount of money as a back-up while travelling.

    Same applied to me. On-line hotel booking agencies wouldn't accept my debit card, so I had to put 100K in an "escrow" account with the bank to get a 95K credit card limit. When payments are due they are automatically deducted from my savings account - hence hassle free - until HSBC decided to pull out of their retail business in Thailand. I will wait to see what BoAy have to offer.

    Regards

    R21

    Looking For Builder

    in Central Thailand

    Posted

    Hi Zepp

    Tried to reply to you earlier, but my system wasn't working properly.

    I am having a house built just up the 21 from Nachaliang.

    Very good reliable builder, based in Nachaliang - and fair price.

    He's got another house to build for a friend after ours, but may be able to fit you in.

    Let me know if you're interested and you can come round and have a look round our place.

    Regards

    R21

    Retirement (Non Imm O-A) Visa Covers A Non-Thai Wife?

    in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits

    Posted

    Hi

    Just a couple of comments about bank accounts:

    1. My local Immigration Office wanted to see the money resident in a "Thai" Thai bank account (they don't seem to like the money being in the Bangkok branch of a major international bank operating in Thailand). You need a letter from the bank confirming that the money has already completed its 2-month period lodged with the bank - this will affect when you can go to apply for your extension and, unless the bank is local to where you are living in Thailand, you need to take into account postal delays after the 2-month period is up before you actually get the letter. I used to get my International Bank to "EMS" mail the documents. Immigration also need to see your actual bank statements (in my case my bank books) as well as the letter from the bank. .

    2. I started (after the International Bank problems) with a minimal interest savings account with the nearest local "Thai" Thai bank, first in joint names and then (after advice) in my sole name, which gave me a bank book and a debit card. The bank then suggested to me that I lock up 100K parcels of my money in a number of time deposits where I could get 2.5% interest (less tax on interest - 7.5%?), which is a somewhat better deal than I get on some of my out-of-country time deposits (in $). The fixed "time period" was less than a year - which suited me fine! I did it in 100K lots so that, if I needed any before they were all due, I could cash some (and lose the associated interest) without losing ALL the interest.

    When it comes time for the letter from the bank, they will summarise all the accounts, which come to more than 800K Baht (in case they have problems with issuing an extension based on 400K and my Thai wife).

    I have a separate account in our joint names for day-to-day expenses.

    3. I asked for a credit card from my International Bank (as I need to pay any hotel reservations in advance by credit card) and they had 2 problems -

    - They insisted on me giving them our house phone number - here "in the sticks" the nearest house with a phone is 15kM away, with no prospects of installing one down our way (hence the use of a mobile internet connection).

    - They don't provide credit cards for those over 65!

    The problem was solved by placing 100K Baht in an "escrow" account (at their disposal) but making the payments automatically, on the due date, out of my current account with them.

    Hope this helps

    R21

    PS I go for my 1st 1-year extension (again) next month.

    Thai Communities Can Play A Bigger Role In Education

    in Thailand News

    Posted

    The banner headline is: "Communities can play a bigger role in education."

    Whilst I would have no problem with the local Wat instilling a decent sense of morailty into local Bhuddist kids at an early age, I believe the "community" is bigger than that.

    In local rural areas that don't have any access to "Native English Speakers" in their schools, there must be many expats who would be happy to spend some of their "retirement" time helping such kids with their English (possibly in return for an approrpiate relaxation of the residency requirements?).

    Unfortunately, they may be prevented from doing so, even for free, due to the work permit rules, that could, I understand, result in them being permanently deported!

    What a waste of a talent pool!

    Any chance of ThaiVisa/The Nation's support

    Rgds

    R21

    Grant Scheme Aims To Reward, Motivate Quality Teachers

    in Teaching in Thailand Forum

    Posted

    There are probably quite a fair number of retired Native English Speakers (NES) like myself, married to Thais with young children, who would love to help out in their local (rural) schools, either directly with the pupils or by helping their teachers teach better English, but are wary of Thailand's immigration/labour laws.

    Changes in the appropriate laws would be much appreciated by both the schools and the expats concerned.

    Multiple Monitors

    in IT and Computers

    Posted

    With just a standard monitor plugged into your laptop, you can display either the same thing on both screens or have one program displaying on your laptop and another on your monitor, using the settings tab of the windows display properties facility (right click properties on your desktop). You can "swish" the displays from one screen to the other.

    No special facilities/adapters required

    It's a great facility!

    Hsbc Account In Uk, Can I Withdraw Cash Over Counter In Bkk Branch

    in Jobs, Economy, Banking, Business, Investments

    Posted

    Based on previous experience, but you would need to recheck with HSBC:

    With your HSBC accounts outside Thailand, your ATM/credit cards could potentially be cross-linked to all your accounts.

    When in Thailand, you withdraw up to 20K Baht in any one transaction at an appropriate ATM (depending on the logo's on the back of the card matching those on the ATM).

    I believe you may have up to 3 attempts to withdraw money from Thai ATMs per card per day i.e. 60K/card/day.

    If you have multiple cards (for current, savings and credit card accounts), you can then withdraw, from any of the linked acccounts up to 60K Baht/card/day.

    If that isn't sufficient you would probably neeed to do a telex transfer, which may involve visiting the only Thai branch of HSBC (your "local" bank) in Bangkok

    Telex transfers can take around 4 days, but may possibly be done faster if funds are needed urgently.

    Talk to HSBC - Depending on your relationship with HSBC charges may not be a problem.

    I get an SMS message for each transaction at the time and, if what you are doing is a significant unusual activity on your account, you may even merit a call from HSBC.

    Bkk To London?

    in Thailand Travel Forum

    Posted · Edited by Neillythere

    Current special offer from Qatar Airways is Bht 29.5K, BKK/UK/BKK.

    I always fly QA to/from Thailand

    NT

    PS It's non-stop for me!

    qatar air dont do non-stop flights to uk do you mean quantus

    No.

    In my case my start & finish point has been Qatar! :-)

    Cheers!

    NT

    Croaking Frogs

    in Plants, Pets & Vets in Thailand

    Posted

    Hi

    Round our way, Thai's catch, sun-dry, grill and eat frogs (whole, not just frogs legs).

    Just find the right frog catcher and set them loose!

    Rgds

    NT

    Now there's a thought,any idea how they catch them,im so desperate i,d even consider doing it myself,cheers NT.

    Brother-in-law goes out at night with one of those lamps on a headband in the rice paddies.

    He catches loads. Also hunts bats and the occasional wild boar up the "mountains".

    Will find out more & PM when wifie calls home (not on LOS at present).

    Rgds

    NT

    Family Things To Do?

    in Bangkok

    Posted

    Hi CM

    We will shortly be retiring to Thailand.

    You're lucky to be in Bangkok.

    Most of us don't have as much immediate entertainment available for a youngster.

    Zoo, boat trip on the river, skytrain ride, parks, feeding the birds?

    Rgds

    NT

    Qbyrd Toolbar

    in IT and Computers

    Posted

    Hi

    I'm not a computer specialist and so my advice may be out of date, as I haven't had the problem very recently and would defer to others who may have more recent, or specialist experience.

    I've previously had viruses hide in my system restore area.

    What I've done is run my Antivirus program, fully remove/delete any rouge files/programs that show up, turn off my system restore facility (via Control Panel), then rerun my antivirus program to ensure the virus hasn't re-installed.

    After that, I've turned on my system restore and rerun, again, my Antivirus.

    It's worked in my case, with viruses that re-installed themselves. Not sure it would work in yours.

    Doing it this way, rather than just doing a system restore (which might just reinstall the virus) hopefully I don't lose any valid changes that I've made to my system since the last system restore point.

    Hope this helps

    NT

    Growing A Hedge Around My Land

    in Plants, Pets & Vets in Thailand

    Posted

    Hi

    I'm retiring to Thailand very shortly, with myThai wife, and would propose to do the same on our plot.

    What I would llike to use is Bourgonvillea. It really is superb.

    I believe it's readily available in Thailand.

    If you've not come across it before, it is also called the "paper flower",with masses of coloured blooms.

    It grows rapidly, as a vine, and has thorns, as an additional deterrent.

    It grows very well here in the Arabian Gulf, where I am at present.

    See Wikipedia article below.

    http://en.wikipedia....i/Bourgonvillea

    Rgds

    NT

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