siftasam

I'm prone (often!) and get over nostalgic when I drink booze. Even without it, is this England team better than the 1966 Cup winning one? (Add the ones who did NOT play in the Final: Jimmy Greaves, Peter Bonetti, Jimmy Armfield, Norman Hunter, George Eastham, Ian Callaghan, John Connelly, Terry Paine Ron Springett, Ron Flowers? And who's going to 'struggle' off in Qatar with 'heat exhaustion' or a foot/ankle injury - wear some proper bloody boots, then! - when Gerry Byrne of the 1966 squad suffered a broken collarbone in the third minute of the 1965 FA Cup Final and played on throughout the rest of the game and the whole of extra time, crossing the ball perfectly for Roger Hunt to score, and helping Liverpool winning the Cup for the first time)

1.4 billion baht to watch Maguire and Dier? Cheap at the price!

For the sake of my sanity, can they please not show the England games? Watching Maguire and Dier, I'd think the picture was frozen. My TV remote doesn't have a fast forward.

So funny! I am very happy to stand corrected, Appletons! (p.s. if Southgate plays a back four in Qatar, who is the central defender?) And thanks, Major Tom! You've reassured me that I'll be 'sitting in my tin can far above the world'. (p.p.s. My Thai driving licence has my full name on it. You think that might impress Security in Zurich should they query my name?)

Thanks for all the replies. Thanks for the phone number mark5335. I will call them. The same thing I see has now happened with my booking on Swissair. I checked that very thoroughly before submitting it but again the email confirmation has omitted my two middle names. I will call them too. I'm developing a phobia about being refused boarding on flights! - but you guys have done your best to reassure me, thanks! But I'm having an 'Identity Crisis'(!) I'm confused. My Halifax Bank VISA card has my first Christian name and then 'S' for the first letter of my second Christian name - then the surname. My SCB card has no name on it all. Doesn't it all matter any more? Don 't I matter any more?

Thanks 'eddie'. I'll do that and post their reply.

I've just booked two flights on Bangkok Airways. One was Chiang Mai to BKK and on the online application I foolishly did not write my FULL correct name as it appears on my UK Passport. I omitted my two middle names. I just provided my first Christian name and my surname. Bangkok Airways did clearly state that the name must be the same as on my passport and that I could not modify the name later when the booking was reserved. What do you think please? 1. Will I be refused a Boarding Pass at the check-in counter? 2. Or will I be 'blocked' later at Security? (or wherever else I have to show the Passport and the Boarding Pass)? 3. If I Self-check in by machine and choose to scan my Passport will my correct full name be printed on my Boarding Pass? 4. Is it safer just to buy another ticket in my correct full name? Thanks for any advice.

Many thanks again for your responses. Yes, very helpful video, dddave!

I'm also going to resume weekly acupuncture on my legs at the good Ratchamanka Clinic in CM. 500 baht for each treatment (about 40 minutes).

Thank you so much everybody! Invaluable advice. I take the point about it not being an emergency visit, only a holiday; however, this will be my last opportunity to travel to Europe, I think. Certainly, my last chance for, hopefully, a great hiking holiday. I've lived in Thailand 14 years and only been out of Thailand once to go home to see my brother in England. Dammit, I need a holiday! - and having this year paid a small fortune for a new UK passport, I'm not going to waste the money entirely! I know this is a gamble but, using your advice, I'm prepared to risk it. I have 8 months to get leaner and fitter. I must do this anyway, so the holiday gives me a great specific target to aim for. In my village it is too dangerous to walk much; besides, anyone who knows the Bernese Oberland knows how unequalled it is for hiking and natural splendour. Yes, compression stockings are a MUST. I've never worn them before. I'll seek advice on what type/brand. Yes, NO alcohol. Yes, I'll drink a lot of water. I'll collect some after the security check and ask for as much as I can on board, although I'll hope to sleep well on the return red-eye flight to BKK. Yes, Business Class. Throne Seats if I can reserve or, at worst, ask to 'upgrade' showing my papers about DVT from the Hospital. (Dammit, though, the champagne is free in Business Class!) Yes, I'll try to reserve seats near the toilets and galley or bulkheads and exit rows for best legroom and better opportunities to move around. I'll check with seatguru.com. My heart is strong but my prostate could be better. (You know the feeling?). Good reason also to be near the toilets BUT it concerns me that there are so few toilets! 62 Business Class seats on Swiss Boeing 777-300ER and only 3 toilets? I'll carry my hospital stoppered pee bottle in my carry-on. (And what 'a carry-on' this trip could be!) My doctor has agreed for me to take Eliquis again (I've stopped it now) in the few weeks before I go. I don't intend to inject myself with anything but I am considering aspirin on the day of the flight - but I think I cannot take Eliquis and aspirin on the same day? The initial hospital diagnosis was: 'blood clot at left anterior tibial vein. Provoked uncomplicated distal DVT at left calf together with varicose veins. Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of other deep vessels of lower extremities....Medication: Eliquis 10 mg for 1 week then 5 mg for 3 months.' The follow-up ultrasound almost exactly 1 year ago read: 'No residual blood clot in deep venous system of left leg'. Doctor recommendation was to 'keep taking NOAC and 6 month observation/follow up. 'No signs and symptoms of DVT. Patient doing well.' In February 2022 the report was: 'Doing well. DVT. resolved HT DLP'. Thanks again everybody!

Never had two in one year. I think BKK hospital cannot express itself totally clearly and grammatically.

A 'quickie' about spelling. I am rather annoyed (being English, that means, of course, 'apoplectic with rage'!) that my daughter's school advertises, in very big 'gold' letters near the front gate, its 'English Program'. It reminds me that a few years ago on kids' TV here there was a spelling game show. One girl aged I think 12 was an absolute star in every way. What a great youngster to teach! She answered each question quickly and correctly. She was modest and delightful. Finally, she was asked to spell 'doughnut'. She spelt it 'donut'. When told that she was wrong, she looked completely stunned! This lasted until the end of the programme five minutes later. She was in 'a state of shock'. It was quite funny to see her, but I sympathized. Maybe later she revived herself at 'Mister Donut'. You Yanks have a lot to answer for! p.s. 'quickie' is reluctantly' admitted into my Chambers dictionary (the best!). ASEAN NOW has underlined my 'programme'. Poo! I don't care!

Are these last two posts gratuitous and stupid?

The question I always asked myself (long before I endured watching 'Flight' with Denzel Washington and an abysmal part for John Goodman ) was would I want the pilot of my passenger jet (e.g. a Boeing 777 this year) to have taken drugs that morning or even the night before.... and I mean any drugs - including alcohol. MANY of us have a responsibility towards other people. If you haven't, do what you like. Go knock yourself out.

i had mine at BKK hospital in CM in June on its reminder to me. Written instruction is: "The best time to get vaccinated is before the rainy season or around May and before the winter or around October."

Such tremendously helpful and knowledgeable responses! I thank you all. I'll surely reply as soon as I digest all the information.

So, you still want drugs legalized, yeah? There's no connection between drugs and mental illness? There's no connection between mental illness and violence?

Such tremendously helpful and knowledgeable responses! I thank you all. I'll surely reply as soon as I digest all the information. I am medically ignorant partly because (and this is no excuse!) my health has always been good. Although 76, this year's Co-Vid was the first time that I've spent a single night in hospital; hence, I've not bothered with the expense of health insurance for over 35 years. How impossible or impossibly expensive it would be now! I've only ever had two operations; relatively simple ones in out-patients. I'm tempted then to go, particularly as my doctor voiced no objections after I told him about my Switzerland idea; in fact, he's recommended me to do more walking (which I like). He did warn me not to drink any alcohol on the flight. I'm surprised that he's never mentioned compression socks! My heart has been tested. it's always been strong even after Co-Vid. He's never mentioned any other medication.

I was diagnosed with a blood clot in my left calf a year ago. My doctors clearly spelled out the dangers. I want to fly on holiday to Switzerland next July for a good walking holiday. I can deal with the hiking but I am naturally concerned about the flying. It will be about a 12 hour flight non-stop Swiss International from BKK to Zurich. From Zurich I can take my time. Reluctantly (!), I am willing to spend the extra reservation money on the single Throne Seats on the flights. The legroom and privacy will help although being 179cms tall and around 89 kilos doesn't help. I took Eliquis from my doctor, I've stopped now as the leg feels OK according to him and me. I'm walking more, taking a little more exercise, and improving my diet. I have more Eliquis I can take before the trip. Any thoughts or personal experiences of DVT? I am 76 years old and will be travelling alone.

I'd have thought that badminton (which I love watching) was hardly just emerging as a popular trend. The modern game developed in the mid-19th century. In 2021 it is estimated that nearly 400,000 participated in badminton in England. This was well down because of Co-Vid from nearly 950,000 in 2016. YET British media almost completely ignores it.

I won't mention the hospital that I attend quite regularly. It is I think very good, but it is private and expensive. I am 76 years old. After a usual thorough examination of my lower abdomen I was told that everything was OK except my gallbladder. Doctors recommended that I have it removed although there is no cancer (thank God). This was a year ago and I agreed to the operation - but Co-Vid and associated concussion from a fall prevented it. I honestly don't know whether to bother with this operation at my age. I feel no stomach or abdomen pain. The hospital told me that the cost of the operation and 2/3 nights in a good private room with food would be around 300,000 baht. I'm obviously not asking for expert medical opinion, but any thoughts and experiences would be welcome. Thank you.

Sold on markets in an elastic tied plastic bag so that the poor little b-ggers suffocate to death.

Many thanks, Lars. That's encouraging. I might well then trust Cigna next year with the 'sacred temple' (LOL) of my body .

Remembering exactly the same situation along the Ping near the Nawarat bridge in CM in years gone by - Why no sandbag 'flood wall' erected days or weeks ago? Where is the Army when you need them? (They've erected the 'wall' before)

I was told, reliably, that during a flash flood years ago kids swam across Loi Kroh.