Tropicalevo

I went to a well known private hospital last week for yet another minor procedure. I paid the bill and yet again was told to wait to collect my medicines. I used a debit card. When I collected the medicines, yet again, I was prescribed pain killers and anti inflammatory tablets. This is in spite of me telling the doctors 'please only prescribe must have medicines'. So, I complained to the pharmacist who very nicely said sorry and offered to have them removed from the bill. Back to the cashier where she said that she had refunded the monies for the first bill and I then paid the money for the second (lower) bill. Again, using the debit card. Next day, I downloaded the online statement. (A lot of transactions go through my bank account.) No credit for the first payment. So today, back to the hospital for a follow up after last week's procedure (the urologists are only there on Saturday and Sunday) I took along a copy of the bank statement since last Saturday. Still no refund. I then asked the staff at registration to find out why. Response after a short wait was 'it takes up to a week for the refund to come through'. I pointed out that today was the eighth day. 'It could take longer'. was the reply. A debit card transaction takes the money from the account immediately. A credit has a delay. Back to the heading. Who has my money? Is this standard practice for all debit card credits or just this particular hospital 'taking its time'?

So banking apps never use QR codes? How do do the people pay then? I was under the impression that people use their banking apps to pay bills, via QR codes. I admit, I have zero apps on my phone from outside sources. I do not live in the UK and I do not have a car, but I would have thought that the people scanning the code are using a banking app to pay for the charge. The money is going to a fake account. It is not just the parking QR codes that are a risk. This is happening on many phone scams where they send you to a link. The scammers are pretty clever. Using any QR codes carries a risk.

The daily rate plus the shift allowance and the monthly diligence allowance is just under 13,000 baht per month. Not too bad for a six day week.

Well done that lady. This would definitely not have happened in my home town.

Only unanticipated by those with blinkered eyes that are focused on the trough. Anyone who thinks that Thailand is in a good place economically right now should stop smoking dope and or taking the happy pills.

I disagree. This lady is a 'repaired' mental patient and she probably understands what they go though and what is needed to help them. Very brave of her to stand up in front of this group of non-caring, mostly male chauvinist pigs and to make a stand.

He will now need to change his T shirt.

Sales gimmick and it forces customers to load the app onto their phone where the bank can harvest information. Knowledge is power. As an aside - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/banking/dont-pay-qr-codes-scam-banks-tell-customers/

I think that you were correct when it first came out, but there have been a number of changes (from what I can find out). That 'evil' PM , Thaksin, was the person who pushed it through in 2002. As I often say, he was the only PM to give to Thailand's poor and not the rich. That is why he is hated so much in the press. Then when he was ousted, the scheme was changed. More than once. So it does seem that the current PM is making it totally free now. Again, I could be wrong. Some articles are not very clear. An interesting quote from the enquirer back in 2020 https://www.thaienquirer.com/12090/the-history-of-thailands-universal-healthcare-coverage-and-its-uncertain-future/

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Great. Yet another mega project from the less-than-thifty PM.

Great. Being forced to use yet another app on the phone that will steal all of your data, record what the phone hears etc etc. Phones can be cloned, lost or stolen. Hacking them is simple to the professionals (ask Prince Harry). I get away from the till quicker than people using cards, apps or any other weird payment method. Cash is almost instant. All the girl has to do is count the money. PS I have a very 'appy phone. Zero third party apps. Just the manufacturer's ones that I cannot delete and never use.

I agree with your comment about honest Thais. Laundry always sends back money that I have left in my shorts. Lost my wallet once - got it back. I often forget my bike key and leave it in the bike. It is always there when I return - except once when a security guard took it for safe keeping. Never lock my car or my house. No issues. The only bit that I disagree with is the local market here on Samui. They rip off foreigners. I have lived here for more than 20 years and they just make up the numbers. Stopped using them.

9 x 100USD? I carry cash so that I can go shopping. Cash cannot be hacked or whatever. Safest form of payment. Go to the local minimart Litre of Pastis Bottle of Mussel Bay Box of Chang Box of Leo No 8 24 x coke 24 x sprite 24 x small cans Chang 24 x small cans Singha I am not going to get that lot with just 3,000 THB in my wallet. That is my typical shopping list so I will take 10,000 THB and still have enough for the rest of the day.

Who the heck gets to 100 kph from the lights in Thailand's urban areas. Almost impossible on Koh Samui's roads unless you are driving after midnight. Maybe consider comparing the 0 - 40 kph figures. I know that the Mirage was great for overtaking. Manual gearbox (automatics encourage lazy driving) Drop to second gear. Get past the minivan/water truck easy peasy. Back to fourth then fifth. Again, during the day, fifth was a luxury here.

Help me out here please - If someone is paying into the 30 baht scheme, then the medical treatment is not free surely. It is heavily subsidised admittedly. Some people pay for years and may not need the 'free' services.

I doubt if the Germans will sell to Thailand as the engines will be installed in a Chinese sub. The Chinese engineers and copying experts would be all over the place if they did.

Perhaps waiting for the final brown envelope payment?

The Beach for Life group are not going to win any influential friends if they are trying to stop corruption.

So, there can be a useful side to the TM 30 reporting.

Your preference of the gayness thing and apparent lack of of comprehension indicates to me that you are trolling. Goodbye. (Now where is the ignore bit?)

I really feel for you. I too have breathing difficulties and the 'puffers' are no longer effective. I am lucky though. As you say - stairs, hills and slopes are my nemesis and I live on a hill. Luckily, I am still OK on the flat. (I go to Chiang Mai Old Town every year and walk 20 kilometres a day ) I did not find a walking stick to be useful but I do have a younger friend who is asthmatic. She does use one at times when walking her dog. She says that it helps. It is not the traditional type of stick - more a longer pole with straps on the handles. Have you had a pulmonary function test? that may identify some inhalers that could help you. I was advised to have one and I had to go to Bumrungrad in Bangkok as they are very good. They prescribed a different inhaler for me and it worked well for six years but is less effective now as probably my lungs are deteriorating with age. I may go for another one sometime. Good luck.

You seem to know a lot about gays. I'm impressed. However, I kept two wives (and a number of girlfriends and 'encounters') very happy for almost 60 years. I still 'date' ladies, but I have no interest in a more intimate relation ship with them. Sorry, no gay experiences or feelings - latent or otherwise. Having had my prostate removed, intimate encounters of any kind are low on my bucket list.

I think that you should look inwards. That is a weird conclusion to arrive at from my post. So you are suggesting that all of the guys that go to bars and do not talk to the girls are there because they are sexually attracted to other men? Would they not just go to a gay bar? As I wrote

So, the anti Thaksin press have decided that Thaksin is guilty. (With zero evidence.) This will be interesting. Will the police come out with chemically laced water cannon as they did under Uncle Tu? Will students be shot as they were under Uncle Tu? Or will the uber rich (who are probably funding this little riot) just let the students invade the hospital. After all. It is the Police Hospital.