TravelerEastWest

8 hours ago, robblok said:

Whatever works best, i mean an hour a day of walking with dogs is certainly more fun then a treadmill. Im in BKK so i cant go for long walks. I just row on my rowing machine and do some weightlifting in my home gym 3 times a week. 

 

You should look at decathlon for your pull up bar. This is a great machine for little money and you can do your pull ups abs and triceps

https://www.decathlon.co.th/en/p/8503464/online-exclusive/weight-training-dips-station-900

Attached are Ginger and Max my exercise partners. 

I have two teenagers in high school now so I have some stress on occasion but after I walk with my dogs I have zero stress...

I am in the Chiang Mai area and there's a new Decathlon store so I can go and take a look thank you for the suggestion.

"Indeed, but most people dont want to eat less or healthy foods."

Sadly true. Once I thought of opening a nonprofit cafe which would have one simple whole food plant based meal a day at a low cost. My wife looked at me and said I was crazy almost no one will eat what I eat at any price... I gave up that idea...

The article is a good one and I agree with most of it.

But I liked this quote best:

"I do 7k rows on a rowing machine"

I have an unused downstairs room that I am thinking about turning in to a home gym. But i will start with simple basic things first I need a pull-up bar and a bench first.

I have dumbbells already. I don't like tread mills instead I go out for an hour a day walking on a hill with my dogs.  

I like to do 100 repps of a given exercise with light dumbbells (currently 5KG)

As I said in my post I am not qualified to review the scientific literature and I know very few people in the general population are qualified although many people seem to think they know what they are talking about with a N of 1 or not much more... I took basic statistics in graduate school but it was a long time ago and you need advanced study of statistics to understand research - to judge if it is sound or not.

I can tell you from my personal experience that with a whole food (home based 99%) organic (grow my own fruits and vegetables) plant diet I am doing well. I do take a multi vitamin so I have Vitamin D and B-12, I stay out of the sun to avoid skin cancer so need vitamin D. Most people not only vegans need a B-12 supplement. I exercise and do light weights. All of my friends who do weights like/ suggest some heavy weights but I prefer high repps light weight - a whole different topic but maybe a fun one?

As for protein: simple eat lots of fresh vegetables and whole grains and legumes and you will be fine no need to keep track of what you eat. At least that is my experience and that of the the doctors, scientists and body builders that I trust. It is an old myth that you need to balance your amino acids in each meal.

I don't eat any processed food and no sugar or oil. Very small amounts of salt. If you are not sweating and or doing lots of exercise etc you probably don't need any salt as plants have natural amounts of salt. But I am happy with my diet and outside my family no one I know really eats like I do almost all my friends love meat and will never give it up so I don't try to influence them.

A great post - a breath of fresh air and common sense - thank you for posting the link to the article.

Lots of people have tool kits to get their jobs done and we can use different tools for different goals.

Some people love meat and are very over weight and sick - they are very unlikely to become vegans who eat a healthy home made low fat diet.

For those people maybe a keto diet is best?

I have read articles by healthy vegans who mention taht a keto diet can help lose weight and do other good things for your body but their research shows that long term all cases of mortality go up for keto carnivore eaters... I am not a trained scientist so it is impossible for me to understand the research and know for sure - but for now a whole food plant based diet seems best.

We should have Thais follow the same land rules etc. to be fair...

"...So, just because you got a refund check doesn't mean the IRS has vetted your position..."

Exactly!

There are some smart senior people at the IRS but normally you won't come into contact with them.

Also small private tax office staff are typically are not all that well trained. No insult intended to anyone...

Nakorn Ping hospital should have walkin free vaccines...

Jeffand Gpop,

I like adventure and wish you well!

I have no current tax experience - but did work for one of the large international CPA firms in a tax department a long time ago and I have a masters degree in taxation so I have the basic idea of how the tax world works but am not up to date.

I actually did read your last post, but speaking softly, politely and gently do not agree with your understanding of the law and your situation... As I tried to explain to you, you are not home free... and could easily have the situation be reversed.

But with a bit of luck you may be fine.

I haven't looked at tax laws in many years but I can tell you for sure that something said over the phone is not binding for all and probably not for you.

Even if a court rules in a certain way it is not normally binding for everyone. As an example if the 9th circuit rules against the IRS they will tend to follow the courts ruling only in the area that it has jurisdiction over not the whole US.

Looking at IRS regulations can be very helpful and looking at legislative history can shed light on what lawmakers intended.

Ujongjoe has given you good advice...

C Phat government hospital in Chiang Mai has Moderna shots for 1,650 each no questions asked on whether it is your first, second or third or dates etc... Clean environment not crowded and good care. Parking is bad though....

Today I had my booster shot of Moderna (after two shots of Pfizer) zero problems. I in a high risk group and will not hesitate to get a fourth shot of Moderna in the future...

Where is a booster available in Chiang Mai - after two Pfizer shots? Either Moderna air Pfizer...

Kerry sometimes leaves packages at my front gate on teh street - without permission - would not consider them for a passport EMS is cheap and works well DHL is better.

2 minutes ago, digbeth said:

I've used GICA saliva kits a few time, the sample tube is a bit fiddly as the 'lid' don't secure against the tube quite properly, popping out when you try to squeeze the drops out onto the test strip, plopping out making a mess and ruining the kit. Haven't had any other saliva kit, but never had problem with the tubes on other nasal swab kits

Thank you - good to know...

Here is the brand that i bought 10 for 700 baht at a small pharmacy: My kids seem to prefer the nasal type as you apparently have to go fairly deep to correctly do the saliva test...

23 hours ago, alextrat1966 said:

You can buy online in Lazada for like 40THB/test.

What brand and do they work well? (good for both saliva and nasal?)

Best price for ATK tests? Need lots for school kids.

My two kids need to take a weekly ATK test for school as do I if I go on campus.

I bought 10 for 700 baht last week but hear taht they are 49 baht at 7-11 and cheaper still at some drug stores.

I wonder are they all the same quality?

I have heard that some give some false positives... which would not be worth the savings...

Best brands and prices?

Thank you!

Wordchild,

Yes, NVDR is what I was trying o remember - thank you.

HK is too uncertain for me politically but Singapore is a good place to consider investing... But I think that I want Thailand for conveinence. Small investment only lets say 5% of my portfolio. The rest in the US.

I am a regular customer of PTT and Siam Cement (same as SCG - right?) so I think their businesses are stable - I will take a look at them.

Not sure about banks - too big to fail - yes, but they dont have enough dividends...

Again - thank you.

Jack 

Thank you - I currently have a Maybank account but their office is not close by - but maybe I will do onlune transactions only from now on...

I have a Bangkok bank savings account for day to day expenses - I seem to recall taht tehy dont actually do stock work - they are more of a marketing arm of another company - but not sure.

Key point would be do they provide any special convience?

Thai Income stock ideas?

I am retired and have a stock portfolio in America and I enjoy watching it daily and I understand the basics.

I don't have much confidence in Thai auditors but am ok with investing in large corporations.

Any suggestions such as ADVANC? Currently only 3% yield but probably reasonably safe... I would much prefer 4 to 5% yields...

Also please remind me how to hold stocks as a foreigner - I remember that I have to buy in a certain way but I have forgotten the details...

Thank you and good luck in the New Year with everyones investing!

Go with a CPA cheaper than a lawyer and probably better service

Probably good to keep the money in the bank for 30 days but over the last 15 years I have never had a request to see the bank book after the first time - but ever immigration office can have special requests...

Frustrating that the bank did not give you the correct letter as they do it quite often...

My letters have been in English so they were easy to check - they simply say what your balance is and it is a good idea to make a small deposit the same day. Then ask for bank statement for the last six months and you should be good to go.

Good luck!