gargamon

Damn Canadians.

5 hours ago, Puccini said:

 

On what days of the week does EVA fly from Bangkok to Shsanghai?

Via Taipei, multiple times daily I'm sure.

2 hours ago, p414 said:

Much depends on what day or time the flight arrives at destination.

Your arrival time will fix the seat not reclining? Wow. I had no idea.

2 hours ago, AndyAndyAndy said:

 

I wonder what Pattaya has to offer when you come in one of these tour buses that stop only at designated bus parking stops or in front of a hotel. What's the appeal of spending time driving through 3rd Road to the other side of Pattaya in a 42C that takes 2 hours? Why? What's so special about spending your holiday in a traffic jam in the middle of Pattaya vs spending it driving on some random highway? Are these people inside like these NPCs without any inner though that we keep hearing about?

That's pretty much standard “tour tourism“ and it goes on all over the world. Vietnam is the worst that I've seen. We did a couple of month self directed tour a number of years ago while traveling from HCMC to the northern border where we entered China. We'd stop and stay until we were bored with the location and then move on to the next spot. We were enjoying Da Nang and stayed there almost a week. After the second or third day the locals were asking us why we hadn't moved on yet. They said none of the tourists stayed more than 2 days as that's when their “tour“ would move on. I'm sure glad I can make my own decisions and don't need some money grubbing tour guide to tell me what I should be doing.

13 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

 

I have been in VTI for a long time. Maybe I should shift into VFIAX?

Performance looks similar. I wouldn't be concerned with the “since inception“ low number as it looks like it was started at the top of the dot-com bubble. Also be aware that, if the instrument is not in a retirement fund, switching would be a taxable event. The only taxes I have paid in the 40+ years in vfiax is on the dividends. As it's mostly all profit at this point, it will be taxed when I sell. That's something most don't consider when trading/investing. All the money they've paid in taxes, in my case, has continued to benefit me, not the government.

45 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

10% is the magic number that keeps coming up over and over and over.

 

Everyone who tries to convince others to invest in mutual funds always uses 10% as a selling point every single time.

 

So does that mean that most mutual fund managers are actually averaging 10%?

Or does it mean that all investors have been brainwashed with the same sales pitch?

 

I've looked at some portfolios where the numbers were 30% one year and 0% the next.

How can the same fund manager who got 30% one year be so incompetent and get 0% the next year?

 

You might argue the markets had a bad year. And I will argue that if someone is proficient in investing and able to get 30% one year, then they should be smart enough to avoid the markets altogether during a downturn instead of giving you 0% for the year.

 

It makes no sense. 

 

What a load of nonsense you spout. The smart people who own mutual funds are buy and hold. The people that treat them as investments that are bought and sold often are just the fools the investment advisors are looking for.

Here's a fund I've been in for a long time. The expense ratio is 0.04%.

9 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I've always understood that a female's intelligence was in inverse proportion to her breast size. Perhaps that's why so many men like women with huge bras.

Clearly incorrect.  By your logic, the ones with those disgusting fake breasts would have had small breasts, so they would have a high IQ. Clearly incorrect. You'd have to qualify your argument so that only low IQ women would get fake breasts.

21 hours ago, john donson said:

what do you guys store on that? 

Porn

20 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

So does anyone know if that was a ok price @900 baht a filling ?

I had 3 done 

 

Today I will go to see the "root canal specialist" ,

Might be easier just to have the bloody tooth out ! 

 

I paid 500 for a filling 2 months ago in Pattaya.

This just in: Trump's appeal of the 83.3 million dollar judgement has been rejected. Kind of got lost amongst all the other Trump legal matters. I wonder if he's tired of all the winning yet.

https://www.axios.com/2024/04/25/trumps-appeal-e-jean-carroll-rejected

You need to hire a property manager. I pay 9% of the gross for this. They find tenants, handle maintenance, etc.

Go get them Joe!

56 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

That's what I thought too. Wrong!

Last year, on EVA Air, in Premium and Star Alliance Gold member, I rocked up at Heathrow check-in with 29kgs. They wanted to charge me £110 GBP. I said but my allowance is at least 50kgs. They said yes sir but maximum piece weight is 23kgs. You can have 3 pieces of 23kgs making total of 69kgs. I said I just want one case at 29kgs they said NO! Not allowed. One of the non-airline employees suggested I ask the airline for a cardboard box for the "excess". A manager brought out a box, scissors, pen and tape so I could repack 10kgs into the second piece. What a waste of time and effort. I was flabbergasted but complied. At least Thai Airways at Heathrow never have this issue (32kgs max no question - unless on a restricted/saver ticket).

 

I fly Eva all the time. I get 2 bags, 32kg each included in the fare. That's business class though, but it does prove they take bags over 23kg. I guess in cattle class that may not apply.

Someone asked and I didn't see a clear response.

What is/are the test(s) that can determine if someone has HP? 

Yes, you can get an endoscopy and they can take samples, but that seems quite cumbersome and likely expensive. There's apparently a breath test, and maybe other mechanisms able to determine whether the bacteria is present.

So if someone knowledgeable could tell the tests, and which are available in Thailand, and maybe the estimated cost, it would be greatly appreciated.

On 4/10/2024 at 8:21 AM, ChrisP24 said:

To add to the earlier comments on the SRRV visa, if you are retired military from a historic ally of the Philippines (such as the U.S.), and are age 50+ with $1,000+ monthoy pension, the deposit requirement is just $1,500.  This covers the applicant and up to 2 dependents.  I believe that the $1,400 application fee still applies but am not certain of that. 

 

Important to note also that the SRRV allows the visa holder to work in the Philippines.

 

The SRRV is a lifetime visa.  I believe that there may be a modest renewal fee every 1-3 years (?).

 

Other benefits:

 

• Indefinite stay with multiple-entry and exit privileges.
• Exemption from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration ACR-I Card (Annual Report).
• Exemption from customs duties and taxes for importing household goods and personal effects worth up to $7,000.
• Exemption from Student Visa/Study Permit. Your children can study in the Philippines without a visa.
• Access to the Greet & Assist Program at selected Philippine airports.
• Free subscription to the PRA Newsletter.
• Discount privileges from PRA accredited Merchant Partners.
• Free assistance in transacting with other government agencies.
• Entitlement to PHILHEALTH benefits & privileges.

 

It looks like there's a $360 yearly fee for the SRRV. So essentially the same cost as getting your tourist visa extended. From the govt link on srrv:

4 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

I will wait a little while and see what's best, I have just opened a new account with another bank and kept my Bangkok bank account open but only a deposit account as I transfer funds to my Bangkok bank from my UK bank through Wise.

You have an ATM card at the new bank or are you using QR codes as I suggested? You're not fixing anything by just getting an ATM at another bank.

1 hour ago, NoshowJones said:

I like the idea of deactivating the debit card when it's not in use, I will just need to look through the app and find out how to deactivate the card then activate it when needed.

Better to cut it up and don't get a new one. Use QR codes for payments and cardless withdrawal for cash.