connda

You are asking about local insurance companies? If a foreign insurance is offered, and the Hospital will accept it, they would normally want to check with the insurance company before but have no knowledge of local insurance.

Health insurance companies who sell insurance here in Thailand. Example, BUPA, THI, NZI

In the US, if you needed surgery, if would be common to have the hospital contact the insurance company PRIOR to the surgery and obtain a preauthorization from the insurance company indicating they have reviewed your records and will pay your claim, including a breakdown of what they will pay for and the insured amounts.

Do they do that here in Thailand?

I don't want any excitement like I had after spending two weeks in the hospital with Dengue only to get a bill and a letter saying that the insurance company was holding up payment until they 'investigated' my claim.

I don't want to worry that the insurance company is going to attempt to stick me with the bill after having surgery.

You just noticed?

Same same but different. Probably another 1997 type banking crisis followed by recovery. Watch the other BRICs in the wall. The government? Different faces - same problems. If the Trans Pacific Partnership TPP is adopted in whole, expect the quality of living for the average Thais to suffer while BMW and Mercedes sales increase.

Life in rural Thailand? Same as it ever was.

There's no way they could come up with enough money to entice me to teach in that region. That's just asking for trouble imho.

It would be great if Abhisit and Suthep could finally define reform. The word has such a broad meaning its impossible to know what he means.

...and they desperately need to define 'the people' which is another term that has a broad meaning depending on who is using it. I'd define 'the people' as pawns on the political chess board.

What? The same western women who wouldn't give you the time of day in the West? OP, really. <deleted> would I care here in the LOS or in any other Asian or developing country? I know a score of single western women back home who sit at their keyboard every day pining on Facebook about their failed relationships and what jerks men are in general. So now they're here in Thailand doing the same. Boo hoo.

There's a lot of what I can only describe as sour grapes doing the rounds among Western men in this country.

The majority of them are of a certain age group and many of them met, dated, married and divorced Western women before they discovered the wonders of SE Asian tail.

So just because now they've lost or are losing their hair, are too lazy to eat right, booze less and hit the gym/take regular exercise a couple of times a week to keep in shape and dress smartly, they demonize Western women for "not giving them the time of day".

Then in no time at all, they're criticizing the Thai women for not playing the game as they were expected to; namely, being lured by the buffalo's money but not staying with him for love!!!!!!!

Seriously????!!!!!!

Rotflmao That's the funniest thing I've read all day. Bravo!

1. Get slim and make sure your hair is long. Look after your skin and make sure you look pretty at all times.
2. Dress nicely. I see so many professional Western women dressing far worse than their Thai counterparts. Wear nice dresses and nice shoes, and don't dress like you're lazily sleeping it out on the couch.
3. Smile more, and be nice. Lose the stuck - up "I'm better than you and you're not good enough for me" attitude. I think this is a kep point at which professional Thai women are far superior to Western women.
4. Speak nicely. Don't swear or use 'common, peasant-type' language. Again, professional Thai women speak far more nicely than their average Western counterparts.
5. Stop being an alcoholic - it looks bad
6. Smell nice - use deodorant and perfume and make sure you shower at least twice a day.

OP. You're channeling Abigail Van Buren. Right?

"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them."

Does this apply to women as well?

"There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it, and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself."

...and this too?

What? The same western women who wouldn't give you the time of day in the West? OP, really. <deleted> would I care here in the LOS or in any other Asian or developing country? I know a score of single western women back home who sit at their keyboard every day pining on Facebook about their failed relationships and what jerks men are in general. So now they're here in Thailand doing the same. Boo hoo.

If he'd gone back to his car and pulled a machete from the boot, you'd just be another statistic and maybe worth a week of posts on TV. When the yelling starts, I'd just assume we're on the verge of a homicidal rage, and as a foreigner you'd would have been trashed and forgotten. Think about the taxi driver who killed Troy Lee Pilkington with a machete. Pilkington goes home in a box and we don't see anything about that case ever going to trial or the taxi driver being sentenced. Does anyone even remember that? Does anyone even care? OP? You remember Troy Lee Pilkington?

I'd leave it alone. Let the Thais sort out there own. When the rage sets in, you're not in the land of rationale human beings anymore.

But, props for being valiant. You're still alive. Just don't press your luck.

I am interested to learn that in Thailand there are single Caucasian women, who already have children , prepared to offer themselves as surrogates. !

$$$$$$$

I'm sure she flew in for a Medical Holiday (fully paid for and then some).

$$$$$$$$

Why not go to the local orphanages?

You mean the places that foreign missionaries take the Hill Tribe kids to (that still have living parents)? Those orphanages? They probably wouldn't give them up to "just anybody", especially a gay couple. They'd need to go to a "good" family who could provide the proper indoctrination upbringing.

Slow day on the News Desk today I see.

Farmers stage walkout from talk with govt

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A group of rice farmers' representatives from 20 provinces Monday walked out from a high-profile meeting with government figures, after caretaker administration came up with no solutions for long-overdue payment under the pledging scheme.

They staged a walkout after they were told to ask banks for releasing loans to the government so that they could pay farmers.

The angry farmers said that they would continue their demonstration and pressure the government to resign as lack of capability to handle with its pledging policy.

The meeting was held at Defense Ministry, and joined by three caretaker ministers including Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Niwatthumrong Boonsongpaisan, Deputy Commerce Minister Natthawut Saikuar, and Minister to PM's Office Minister Varathep Ratanakorn.

Farmers walked out from the meeting after Niwatthumrong told them to ask banks in releasing loan for the government so that the government could have money to pay farmers.

He said in the meeting that the caretaker government could not borrow money from banks because of the protestors blocked the banks.

-- The Nation 2014-02-10

Seems like the PTP and the Shinawatra clan just torpedoed their rural voting base. I wonder who will be next to promise the moon and not deliver. Thaksin should just buy the rice and sell it on the open market for a loss. How many billion baht do you need anyway? That would sew up the Thai political scene for the next decade. Just my humble opinion.

I'm sure that most of their energy will be focused on the highly dangerous "parking in non-parking areas" enforcement. Oh, and the highly lucrative "no wear helmet" and "no wear seat-belt". They'll probably double the number of tables they take money at in order to be more efficient.

And "overtaking other vehicles during traffic"??? ngong ngong ngong! Is that like splitting traffic on a motorcycle? I've never heard that being enforced. That's why I have a Honda 125. To drive during heavy traffic so I can just drive to the front with all the other bikes. Beats the heck out of sitting in my car for a couple of hours wasting petrol, running the A/C, and listening to Thai musik Zzzzz.

If you read some of the old threads, you will see that there are people who are completely oblivious to this unfortunate phenomena. This includes me, who in earnest would probably have never known, even today,. That even though I used to exercise quite hard outdoors during the worst of it. Unfortunately, there appears to be no doubt that the health consequences of this pollution is very bad in the long term, though I personally probably wouldn't worry if just visiting, unless I had previous health/lung problems.

Currently I am experimenting with 3M's filtrate material, regular air conditioner filtering, and one of the supposedly best personal use air purifiers (from the Blueair company), measuring the effect with a particulate counter from Dylos Corp. Hopefully it will let me make some educated guesses as to what is needed to hopefully reduce the problem in my family's home at least.

Post your results. Thanks!

...within the next 90 days

Am new to Thaivisa and posted on this topic in general forum.

FWIW:

Masks of various ratings available from 3M store LH side Wualai Road going away from the moat.

Store has large PHILLIPS sign on front.

See : aqicn.org/map/thailand/

This gives real time pollution levels including two Chiangmai sites.

Site also gives info on masks.

Cloth surgical masks worse than useless.

Hope this helps

Hey, thank much for this info. I went down today and bought some N95 masks for my family. The girls at the counter we're friendly and one of them speaks excellent English. Much better selection then Home Pro. Thumbs up!

A minor can hold land and property just as any other Thai.

In Thailand the age of majority is reached at 20, so untill than the land will be under the protection of the court. Meaning that until she becomes of age the judge need to aprove things as selling the land.

Of course as the land is hers it can not be used for a loan or mortgage for yourself.

Wouldn't that make the child a 'proxy' owner which I thought was illegal in Thailand? Just saying...

Would anyone who owns a Lifan motorcycle here in Chiang Mai be interested in forming a Lifan Motorcycle Owners Group. The purpose of the group would be, obviously, to organize rides together, socialize, and discuss issues related to maintenance and repair of our Lifan motorcycles.

If you're interested, just add a reply and let us know what you're driving, where you live in or around Chiang Mai, and if you're interested in getting together and what you'd like to do.

Me? I've driving a 3 year old Lifan 250-B twin V with about 6500km on the clock. I live in downtown Chiang Mai near the Night Market. I'd be interested in day trips and just getting together to meet other Lifan owners.

Anyone else interested?

It's been nice. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Stay away from Chinese bikes unless your living right next to the corporate headquarters here in Thailand, ie Bangkok.

If you're living upcountry, check the deanship's service departments. Clean and organized? Dirty and disorganized? How's the customer service when you show up to ask questions?

Personally, Honda Wave's and Dream are solid bikes, and most dealerships I've had service my bike are good to excellent. I'd recommend Honda, but that's my bias. I've had cars and motorcycles. They're excellent products.

I really would recommend you lodge a complaint with this organisation who, from past experience I have found to be very helpful. If you conduct all this through a government agency , I think it would be extremely hard for anyone to subsequently accuse you of defamation if you allow their officers to investigate it ?

And I've noticed that if you tell any business organisation or individual that you are going to get these people involved they quickly change their attitude. I don't think anybody wants the OCPB on their back.

http://www.ocpb.go.th/ewtadmin/ewt/ocpb_eng/main.php?filename=index___EN

Thanks for the link.

“If you donate every three months, your body will be habituated to compensating. If you donate for the first time and you are older, the body may respond in shock or fear.”

What an absolute crock of sh*t. Next to palliative care, here is another instance of Thailand being 50 years behind the times.