Tropicalevo

No. Not an Aussie. I do not have a problem with most other stuff. Snakes and monitor lizards I move to safe areas. Pest control company gets rid of rats that do a 'Riverdance' special in my roof. Snakes take care of mice. I rarely see them. Squirrels and birds live happily in my trees unless the murdering cats get them. I happily share my house with geckos and tokays and neighbours dogs (who sometimes get rid of the cats if they are not quick enough ).

Maybe an interesting side note - I cannot see any 50 baht notes in the photo with Param IX on them. They all show the current king. Many Thais are keeping the lower denomination notes (< 500 baht) with the old king on as they love him and want to keep his memory. "Not many people know dat."

Sorry but in my book, the only good cat is a dead one. We have about six 'wild' cats in the area where I live and they are a real pain. They kill the natural wild life and howl at all crazy times of the night. They are murderers. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/12/cats-diet-2000-species-conservation-study-aoe

It seems to vary for each IO office. Here on Samui, as soon as you talk to an IO officer, they say 'TM 30?' They even go out and do spot checks. (Lots of tourists.) If you do not have a current TM 30, in theory, your landlord will be fined, not you. But I have know IO folk to threaten the individual as well. Again, that is on Samui.

For uric acid - eat low protein. It's the high protein stuff and alcohol that cause the problem.

I can only share my experience re Uric Acid level. Early 20's and having a health check for a new job. Doc said - how bad is the pain for the gout? What gout? You have a very high uric acid level - gout. From me, nothing. So he put me on a 'special' diet for 6 months including no alcohol. Uric acid level still the same after six months (hereditary) so I went back to the normal, torrid life of a 20 something year old. (Lots of alcohol.) Then when I hit my early 60's - gout attacks. Often. Very painful. A doctor friend recommended allopurinol. Start on a low dose (100 mg) and build up to 300 mg per day. Since then - zero gout attacks. I still eat and drink everything that I want to. The allopurinol prevents the attacks for the last 12 years. After my annual health check, doc reads the numbers and I adjust the dosage accordingly. Now down to 150 mg per day.

Sorry - I do not read TAT web site articles. Too much fake news.

So, all of the politicians were born in the year of the horse, and the majority of Thais were not???

Why do you assume that others are 'going around the rules'? I have a company (well actually two) and we hire Thai staff. My accountant handles my income tax, social security, annual accounts, work permit, and visa (which is 'tied' to the accounts and the work permit). She also handles the SS and tax for the staff. Included in her services is the visa renewal, as I said, that is tied to the WP and making a profit, and she includes 90 day reporting and everything else. I go to the IO once a year for the photograph. Appointment made by the accountant, 5 mins max and home again. Before I hired this accounting company, I used to do things myself. I was always asked for a bribe and made to sit in the office and wait for hours because I refused to pay it. The IO people would accuse me of working illegally and even phoned my home to check that there was a business there. Why would I do things myself?

I don't

Wot! No passengers?

After almost two years of 'fighting', the Thai government is 'considering' helping Burmese refugees. A very sad, slow response Thailand. And the UN and the rest of the world says " ". Still it is better than what Prayut did to them - sent them back.

AS you say, it has been around for decades. A friend of mine used to pick up short time girlfriends by going to internet cafes back in the days before mobile phones. He would offer to help them write in English to their multiple boyfriends.

Not according to the people that went. A ratio of 5 professional guides to a max of 12 tourists is a heavy outlay.

I wonder what the Thaksin Haters will do when they run out of senior people to go after. Maybe start to arrest al those citizens that voted Thaksin in as being anti monarchists? They are really desperate.

I was on doxazosin for a very short time. My ankles and feet bloated up so the doc took me off it. One ankle/foot is still bloated after many years. May be a coincidence or a side affect. I really have no idea. Since then, I have been on a number of alternatives including duodart, finesteride and others - all to no effect.

I have one and know of a few more. Back in the early 2000's I was asked to run an NGO in Cambodia. The sponsor was a rich millionaire and he raised money for the charity in the USA. The reason that he was a millionaire, was because he only sent a portion of the money to us in Cambodia. My friend worked with the millionaire and was not happy when he found out a few home truths. Millionaire had my friend shot and eventually went to gaol. NGO's in Cambodia back then were a close knit community. We learnt a lot from some of them. Mostly not nice so we stopped talking to them.

Here on Samui it is for security. Back in the day, crooks would come to Samui, hire a car and drive it back to Bangkok or wherever. Never to be seen again. Since then, all rental cars have a sticker. At the ferry terminals, they are supposed to check that if there is a sticker, then the driver also has a letter of authorisation to take it off the island. Same for bikes. I do not know if they still do the checks now but I have not heard of any thefts for a long time.

I have seen that done with lemon juice. (Squeezed a lemon into the battery fluid.)

Aargh. I am jealous. Had the TURP in October and now have scarring inside the tip of the penis. Urinating is very difficult. Still trying to resolve that one.

The answer to that one is simple. As explained to me by a doctor friend. If your doctor suggests a biopsy to 'look and see' if you have cancer, an MRI scan, carried out periodically is much safer. A biopsy puts wounds in your prostate. If you do have cancer, then these wounds can allow the cancer to spread further, more quickly. MRI first and then if anything is spotted - go for the biopsy (targetted).

I searched Koh Kradan only because I had never heard of it. No way do I want to go on holiday there.

Assume makes an ASS out of U and ME.

My Shark also has a flip front. (lower section) Most of the time I do not use it as I do not like the way it restricts vision and I like to feel the breeze. Only use it on longer journeys. Living on an island, I do not get many of them!

Wow. That is not good. Been riding bikes in Thailand for 23 years - never had a helmet go missing yet. 🤞 Just rest the helmet on the mirror. The current one is a fairly good one (Shark) cost 14,000 baht. Being an old fogey, I also tend to forget and leave the key in the bike. I have had the key taken once - by a security guard at the ferry terminal when I went away for a few days. Never lost the bike - a very old PCX.