lsemprini

Another datapoint: I had a wired TP-Link Archer AC1200 router between my computer and the ISP's ZTE F612 modem/ONU (but everything gigabit ethernet, no WiFi). I temporarily eliminated the AC1200 and connected direct to the ZTE, same problem.

Well I can do that, but as I mentioned, all other network access continues smoothly (even long HTTP downloads continue) while the ssh is killed left and right, often many times per second. So it seems unlikely to be at layer 1 since it uniquely affects the ssh traffic.

Also random datapoint is that the server is running ssh on port 2233 instead of 22 (not within my control).

I did try screen for some operations, but it doesn't work for all the things I need to do (keep a long rsync from my house computer for off-site backups running, for example). And of course screen messes up anything that uses fancy terminal/curses stuff. I don't think it's a server issue, because I never had the problem from my old CAT connection, and the admins of my shared hosting server did look at logs at one point and simply saw the sshd disconnect without any particular error (i.e. it looked like a normal client disconnect to the server). They verified that there is no process killing going on on the server side (which they would only do for out-of-memory, but not even that is happening).

Interesting idea, but in the case of a flaky router we would expect to see all TCP connections affected the same, right? I am able to keep big HTTP downloads (even those running in a command-line wget process with a single HTTPS connection, as opposed to a browser that might have a pool of open TCP connections to a given server) flowing with no problem even when ssh shells are killed left and right during the same download.

I already established that using the CAT ISP does not show this problem. I suspect it would be the same with my AIS 4G connection via hotspot, but sadly I can't use that all the time due to limited speed and data cap. I could test temporarily but not sure if that adds much new data. I already normally connect my computer to the TOT router using gigabit ethernet (I get full 600Mbps up/down to Thai speedtest server), so WiFi is not the source of the problem (no WiFi in use anywhere). Any other ideas?

Great idea, but sadly no dice. I added the ServerAliveInterval 10 ~/.ssh/config and still seeing connections cut. I also added ServerAliveCountMax 9999999 just to make sure lack of ServerAlive responses isn't causing the client to disconnect, and also "TCPKeepAlive no" for same thing at TCP level (see man ssh_config), but same behavior. That was on cygwin ssh command-line. And on my other client (Windows putty) I did the same thing: set 10 second keepalive (there is no ServerAliveCountMax setting sadly) and no TCP keepalives. And shell was still killed just as randomly.

Yes good point -- whatever TOT is doing is not specific to the ssh port or ssh traffic bytes, but apparently still specific to the general pattern of when and how much data is sent/received. I remember the Awful Firewall of China long ago used heuristics based on packet size/timing to try to thwart VPN. Wonder if TOT is trying to do the same for some reason. I don't think it's related to DHCP lease time (either between me and router or router and ISP) because when the ssh gets killed (which it sometimes does 10 times in 1 minute), no other long-lived TCP connection is affected in any way. And also because the frequency of drops is so random (sometimes hours go by between drops, sometimes seconds) and one would expect a DHCP lease problem to happen at regular intervals.

I have a TOT Fiber connection in Pai that is otherwise very reliable and fast (600Mbps down and up speedtest in Thailand, consistently, HTTPS traffic never has problems) But whenever I try to ssh to my server in the US, it appears that TOT is CONSTANTLY killing my ssh TCP connection at random intervals, regardless of whether the ssh TCP session is idle or busy transferring data. Sometimes ssh windows/connections can survive for 48 hours unmolested, sometimes minutes, and sometimes they are killed seconds after connection. There is ZERO correlation between the killing and whether or not I am (or my household is) currently using a lot of bandwidth. And also ZERO correlation between the killing and whether or not my computer (or household) currently has a lot of TCP connections open. This appears to be specific to TOT: I used to have a second CAT connection (as recently as late 2022) and CAT didn't cut my ssh sessions (sadly CAT is no longer available at my new house). And I am using the same local computer to test, same ssh software, same remote server. And it appears to be specific to ssh protocol: only my ssh, scp, and rsyncs get killed. When I download large files with HTTP/HTTPS I do not see random kills. I have tried VPN just to see if that might jar the problem away, no dice. Perhaps it is some kind of ill-advised effort by TOT to kill a certain kind of traffic that is spilling over to ssh traffic? Anyone else seeing this? Did you find a solution?

I wonder if it's purely market forces (customer dislike of individually-rated fee structure) that has caused AXA/April/Luma/Allianz/LMG to remain community-rated even though technically they could get away with charging individually-rated at any time, or some other factors? Also I'm still very curious to hear people's experiences of which Thai companies "have a less than sterling reputation for paying out on claims and a tendency to decide something is a pre-existing condition after [policy start, for non-medically-valid reasons]." It would be nice if there were some third-party keeping track of claim payment rates for many companies with a good sample size, but since there isn't we must rely on anecdotes.

Public Service Announcement (not prostate test ???? )

Another section of my policy wording says "Renewal Premium: Renewal or reinstatements as OIC has been approved." So that more or less confirms that the Registrar is OIC.

Thanks, very useful. Which companies have you heard are worse than others? About premium raises, my policy just says "The Company may adjust the insurance premium upon completion of the Policy Year to reflect the level of risk and the increasing age of the insured. However, the Insurance Premium to be adjusted shall remain at the rate which has been approved by the Registrar." The Registrar is not defined but is presumably the OIC. I read all 46 pages and couldn't find anything directly said rates could be raised based on claims, unless one wants to interpret the word "risk" in the previous sentence that way, or interpret it as that the Registrar (OIC) would approve such a raise.

Interesting. So why do you (presumably) prefer the policies issued by companies outside Thailand? Are there particular terms that are better? Which ones? Something else? I ended up with an AXA policy from AA that is community-rated, so I'm guessing it's not just the community vs. individually rated distinction that pushes you to foreign companies.

What do you mean by 'international policies' ? Do you mean policies from non-Thai companies? Do you mean policies that only work in other countries? AA is still offering policies from Allianz Ayudhaya (Thai company), Luma (Thai company), April Group (French multinational), and LMG (from Liberty Mutual in the USA) which work in Thailand and offer either full or emergency-only coverage in other countries (not US though).

Interesting thought. Do you or someone you know have experience with that, and how did it go?

Good question. I don't have all the details since I only looked at certain companies. I edited the post to note that typically the foreign-owned insurance companies are more likely to offer community-rated plans, though not always so it's important to check the fine print. When I looked recently, AXA, Luma, April, Allianz Ayudhaya had at least some community-rated plans and Pacific Cross had individually-rated plans. But each company might also offer the other type, and things might change at any time, so better just check the fine print.

TIPS FOR FINDING LONG-TERM (>2yr) THAI HEALTH INSURANCE Here's a public service announcement for long-term expats who want to get health insurance that works in Thailand. I just went through the process and here's some info to save you a lot of time. It's not as hard or costly as I thought, but there are some pitfalls. NOTE: As the forum doesn't let me update the original post after a few days, find the latest version of these tips here: https://slice-of-thai.com/health/ AGENTS: If you want someone to help you, there are several agents that represent multiple insurance companies and make it easy, and as far as I can tell the prices are the same as each other and as retail. One company is AA Insure and I and many other AseanNow forum users found their website FAQ and Bonnie's help very useful: https://www.aainsure.net/index-quote-health-insurance.html Another company with a useful online policy price search feature is Mister Prakan: https://misterprakan.com/th/health/main?lg=en I do not make any money from these links. AVOID SHORT-TERM COMPANIES: First, in farang social circles you'll often hear about travel insurance companies like Safetywing, Heymondo, Caremed, Genko, etc. These companies are not suitable for long-term expats, because at the end of the maximum term for which you can purchase a policy (1 year, or rarely 2 years) you have to re-apply from scratch and any conditions you had during that period become "pre-existing conditions" and not covered! If you are in Thailand for >2 years you need a plan with continuity. Some of these plans also cancel your policy if you return to your home country. LONG-TERM COMPANIES: I will focus on long-term plans below, which means companies like AXA (a French multinational), Allianz Ayudhaya (Thai company), Luma (Thai company), April Group (another French multinational), Pacific Cross (multiple owners over last 10 years: beware), LMG (from Liberty Mutual in the USA: beware), and Bupa Thailand (now owned by Aetna from the USA: major beware) AGE: Most of the long-term providers will let people up to roughly age 65-70 apply (varies by company) and once you are on board they "guarantee" coverage for you typically until age 99, at which point you might be wishing for death anyway. Your yearly premium cost depends hugely on your age (example with one plan: age 25 is 15,750B, age 55 is 32,775B). PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: Because Thailand has no law against it, pretty much all of the providers refuse to cover any condition you had before applying for the policy, and you are required to declare pre-existing conditions on the application. Different companies demand different levels of detail and number of years back that a cured pre-existing condition may count against you, and a handful of policies require you to get an exam to try to find pre-existing conditions. Companies can refuse to insure you from the start based on your pre-existing conditions. While you can try to hide your pre-existing conditions from them, be aware that the companies frequently request your health records from any hospital you ever visited in Thailand at the time you make a claim, and deny you coverage based on that. So you'd have to switch hospitals to hide your history too, and that might not work either the more computerized things get. Since the companies have you by the balls (because if you cancel or lose your plan, you will have to re-apply at an older age to another company and you may be denied due to your age or, again, pre-existing conditions), it is probably not worth it to lie. So you have to assume that you will never get coverage for any condition you have now, which is both depressing and inhumane, but nothing you can do about it in Thailand. AVOID "INDIVIDUALLY-RATED" PLANS: Another thing that should be illegal is that some of the plans, especially those from Thai companies like Pacific Cross, are "individually-rated," which means the company is free to increase your yearly premium charge by any amount they want next year based on the medical claims you make this year. If this seems completely insane to you and totally defeats the purpose of, or really the very meaning of, "insurance," you're right. Avoid those companies like the plague. You want "community-rated" plans where the companies are legally obligated to charge everyone with the same age the same premium. They can and do still raise premiums of course, but equally for everyone of your age. Fortunately most companies seem to offer community-related plans (especially the non-Thai companies, but you must check the fine print to be sure). Some community-rated plans offer you a small premium rebate in a given year if you have no claims, but that is not the same (it is small and legally bounded in amount). YOU DECIDE: WHICH COUNTRIES? A major difference between plans is which countries you can be covered in if you have medical issues. This is a major component of the price too. The cheapest plans are Thailand-only (and some of those offer coverage of emergencies in other countries). The next more expensive plans include other SE Asia countries other than Singapore. The next level include Singapore and maybe Canada, and so on. Pretty much no plan includes US coverage, where health care and its price is dysfunctional beyond belief. Beware that some plans which claim to be multi-country in their marketing actually only cover emergencies in those other countries, and you must get all regular care in Thailand only. Be sure to read the fine print. YOU DECIDE: CATASTROPHIC OR FULL PLANS? Each policy choice has three main characteristics: a certain per-year or per-disease or per-confinement (depends on policy) coverage limit beyond which the company will not pay another baht (ranging from 500,000B - 10,000,000B) a certain yearly deductible (the amount you must pay before the insurance company starts paying anything) that can range from 0B to 300,000B. most policies give you a choice of IPD-only (inpatient only: covers only stuff so serious that you are confined to the hospital) or IPD+OPD (covers both inpatient and outpatient care). These three factors together have the biggest impact on the yearly premium charge you must pay. I recommend you think about 4 cases when deciding what coverage you need: a) major, complex IPD emergency issues where you are immediately in a hospital bed and cannot fly home: e.g. vehicle accident with major injury, heart attack with complex followup, stroke or brain aneurysm with long care, weird virus that makes you bedridden for a long time, ... these things can easily run you up bills of 3,000,000B-5,000,000B or more, especially at better hospitals. b) major, complex IPD issues where you could fly home: e.g. cancer, most back problems, complex surgeries, brain replacement ... These could run you bills of 5,000,000B or more if you do them in Thailand. c) more minor IPD issues: minor surgeries, elective surgeries, say more in the range of 10,000B-60,000B per visit. d) more minor OPD issues: e.g. weird flus, broken bones, vaccinations, blood tests, ... these are more typically in the range 3,000B-25,000B per visit. For your Thai insurance, you will definitely need coverage of case (a) no matter what, so I would recommend getting a policy with at least 3,000,000B coverage per year/disease, maybe better 5,000,000B. If you have insurance in your home country, you might prefer to do case (b) at home if you trust home medical care technology more and/or can get a better price (or you are from a civilized country with socialized medical care, unlike me). Or if you never want to go back to your home country, you need coverage for case (b) in Thailand too. For case (c) and especially case (d) you might decide that you don't need insurance at all, because they really aren't that expensive compared to case (a) and (b). Based on your choices of case (a)-(d) this will help you decide what coverage level, deductible and what IPD/IPD+OPD you want. Your choice of deductible also depends on your cash flow situation. It makes sense to choose a deductible which is the amount of cash you have on hand, or can rely on a family member to lend you, at short notice. A higher deductible massively reduces your premium payment. Here is one random example of a decision process. I have crappy Obamacare insurance in the US and despite the utter US health system dysfunction and not wanting to go back there, I do trust US doctor skills/technology more, so I would choose to do (b) in the US for my own safety. I can pay for (c) and (d) myself. So I chose a catastrophic-only plan with 5,000,000B coverage, a very high 100,000B deductible and IPD-only and that cost me about 16,000B per year in premium (my age is 51). As a comparison to show you the influence of the factors on price, if my same plan had no deductible it would cost 45,000B per year instead. If my plan had no deductible and IPD+OPD it would cost 65,000B per year. If I chose a different company with more countries covered with all other factors the same, then my 16,000B/yr plan goes up to 34,000B-45,000B/yr depending on company. MOTORBIKE/CAR ACCIDENTS: Be warned that many plans will refuse to cover your vehicle accident if you do not have a valid Thai driver license. Check the fine print. Also, the "universal" Thai accident coverage that comes with vehicle reg (so-called PRB paw-raw-baw พ.ร.บ.) is more or less useless because the coverage amounts are too small. CANCER AND HIV: Be careful that some plans specifically exclude all cancer coverage, especially cheaper plans marketed as "visa insurance." Check the fine print. An insane number of plans still exclude all HIV treatment, which seems barbaric to me and perhaps is a remnant of old prejudices. YOU MUST CHECK THE FINE PRINT. REALLY: This is something you definitely have to do even if you are using an agent. When you are down to your final few choices, request the "policy wording" documents for the plans you are considering (what they call "Evidence of Coverage" in the US). These are long (~30-50-page) documents with often shocking and important exclusions that are not revealed in any of the friendly 2-page brochures. Read it all. I know it's a drag. I know you'd rather be drinking. Read it. It could literally save your life, because it will be the difference between you getting a surgery/treatment you need and not getting it. Don't become another desperate Gofundme case. Read it. WAITING PERIOD: be aware most policies will not cover anything at all except emergencies for a certain period after you are accepted (often around a month) and then will not cover a certain list of typical surgeries for a longer waiting period (say 6 months or so). Read the fine print to see which is which. VISA CONNECTION: Some people who have O-A visas (and in the future probably also non-O visas) must hold a certain kind of insurance to get and keep the visa. Fortunately most of the policies mentioned here qualify, but again, check the fine print. Well that's what I learned. Hope you find it helpful!

Yes, that's the very form she tried many times and no response after 3 days. Just a bunch of computer-generated platitudes like those we get from the IRS and Facebook and other wonderful organizations. There must be some kind of underground way to reach them that is suitably hard to find so as to reduce the support burden to where those cheapskates feel they can afford the support labor cost. As gethuman dot com shows, almost every organization has such an underground method.

How to access them? On my Android (Google Pixel Android 10) I opened Google's Contacts app and looked for several names that only appear in LINE, but didn't see any of them. Is there some other way? My friend's phone (Samsung Android 9) same.

How to access them? On my Android (Google Pixel Android 10) I opened Google's Contacts app and looked for several names that only appear in LINE, but didn't see any of them. Is there some other way? My friend's phone (Samsung Android 9) same.

Does someone know the secret sauce to reaching a human at LINE? My friend's LINE suddenly cut out, failing to log in and all recovery methods say that her recovery email and phone number (which are definitely both correct) are invalid. She is not able to log in at all. Attempts to get support just lead to an infinite, unending loop of b*s bots that say "we'll hurry your support up" but obviously nobody is looking at any of the messages at all. She lost 8-10 years of important contacts. This would be a perfect case for gethuman dot com but sadly they don't list LINE.