28 minutes ago, soisanuk said:

About 8 years ago, I bought a rollator through lazada and it still works fine.  The advantages to a rollator is that unlike a walker, it has a seat where you can sit if you get too tired when walking with it. 

 

There are many choices with low to high price.  The one I bought, link below, was a more expensive kind but had the features I wanted - higher weight capacity for sitting, large wheels for using outside, and lockable hand brakes.  It was worth the price as it has held up well - it also folds to a more compact size for transporting. 

 

  https://www.lazada.co.th/products/0-10-wheelchair-rollator-circlife-2-in-1-alp3300-1-bcosmo-the-pharmacy-i173724234-s217577069.html?clickTrackInfo=query%3Arollator%3Bnid%3A173724234%3Bsrc%3ALazadaMainSrp%3Brn%3A77327aed2e477d53a9f98a21c888952a%3Bregion%3Ath%3Bsku%3AAL676HBABMNLVVANTH%3Bprice%3A11190%3Bclient%3Adesktop%3Bsupplier_id%3A100049194%3Basc_category_id%3A4794%3Bitem_id%3A173724234%3Bsku_id%3A217577069%3Bshop_id%3A5737&fastshipping=0&freeshipping=1&fs_ab=1&fuse_fs=1&lang=th&location=กรุงเทพมหานคร&price=1.119E 4&priceCompare=&ratingscore=3.0&request_id=77327aed2e477d53a9f98a21c888952a&review=1&sale=12&search=1&source=search&spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.i120.2f452c9a4n4ghC&stock=1

FYI everything after the HTML for links can be removed (someone told me a few months ago).  Makes for shorter link.  IE:

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/0-10-wheelchair-rollator-circlife-2-in-1-alp3300-1-bcosmo-the-pharmacy-i173724234-s217577069.html

On 3/2/2023 at 2:12 PM, norfolkandchance said:

Get a mobility scooter and race to the pub every afternoon like they do in my town.

Afternoon? In many UK towns, the mobility scooters are parked outside Wetherspoons by 9am!

 

On 3/3/2023 at 2:09 AM, ronster said:

There is no stigma to using a chair and even here people don’t stare at you if you use one . Any thoughts are usually in the users mind and soon disappear after few trips out in a chair .

Until last year, I owned a wheelchair rental business in London. Occasionally, at the end of hire, the hirer would tell us that mum, dad, sister, brother, auntie, uncle or whoever they had hired the chair for "refused to use it". This meant that they all were unable to enjoy trips out or events due to the perceived stigma of using a wheelchair by the one in need. Virtually all other clients commented that it made their trip and they wouldn't have enjoyed without it.

  

My uncle came to visit last October and his dodgy knees meant walking any distance was out of the question. I brought a wheelchair with us from the UK and it made the trip. In Bangkok all the BTS stations we used had lifts, the staff were exceptionally helpful too. Getting on and off the boat to/from Ko Samet, the boat boys were really kind in assisting him (he can stand and walk only short distances). In and out of the hired vans, the drivers always assisted and got his walking sticks ready and then unloaded the wheelchair. It meant that he got to enjoy life and travel with us. Now back in the UK he's got a small mobility scooter of his own.

 

17 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

My uncle came to visit last October and his dodgy knees meant walking any distance was out of the question. I brought a wheelchair with us from the UK and it made the trip. In Bangkok all the BTS stations we used had lifts, the staff were exceptionally helpful too. Getting on and off the boat to/from Ko Samet, the boat boys were really kind in assisting him (he can stand and walk only short distances). In and out of the hired vans, the drivers always assisted and got his walking sticks ready and then unloaded the wheelchair. It meant that he got to enjoy life and travel with us. Now back in the UK he's got a small mobility scooter of his own.

 

When I was in my twenties I traveled with a carnival in the US. We were always stoked to help handicapped people on and off the rides, and it was considered "bad-luck" to charge handicapped kids...

 

I find most people are kind and want to be helpful everywhere. 

3 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Did you mean to say Robinson's had a wheelchair ramp? 

 

So you're able to get most everywhere, yes? 

 

And the OP has someone to push/help him which makes a lot of difference.  

 

I lived in rural Thailand for over twenty years, nice people. 

 

 

Robinsons in KPP has a flat entrance with no need for a wheelchair ramp and has a disabled parking slot. Whilst they have a wheelchair, you need to have a helper. BigC and Makro are the same, but no wheelchair that I have seen.

 

Truth be known, I rarely go anywhere now as I have quit driving, just in case I have another blackout. She does the local shopping anyway, and now she does the monthly bulk shop and drives me if I have to go to hospital etc.

4 hours ago, soisanuk said:

About 8 years ago, I bought a rollator through lazada and it still works fine.  The advantages to a rollator is that unlike a walker, it has a seat where you can sit if you get too tired when walking with it. 

 

There are many choices with low to high price.  The one I bought, link below, was a more expensive kind but had the features I wanted - higher weight capacity for sitting, large wheels for using outside, and lockable hand brakes.  It was worth the price as it has held up well - it also folds to a more compact size for transporting. 

 

  https://www.lazada.co.th/products/0-10-wheelchair-rollator-circlife-2-in-1-alp3300-1-bcosmo-the-pharmacy-i173724234-s217577069.html?clickTrackInfo=query%3Arollator%3Bnid%3A173724234%3Bsrc%3ALazadaMainSrp%3Brn%3A77327aed2e477d53a9f98a21c888952a%3Bregion%3Ath%3Bsku%3AAL676HBABMNLVVANTH%3Bprice%3A11190%3Bclient%3Adesktop%3Bsupplier_id%3A100049194%3Basc_category_id%3A4794%3Bitem_id%3A173724234%3Bsku_id%3A217577069%3Bshop_id%3A5737&fastshipping=0&freeshipping=1&fs_ab=1&fuse_fs=1&lang=th&location=กรุงเทพมหานคร&price=1.119E 4&priceCompare=&ratingscore=3.0&request_id=77327aed2e477d53a9f98a21c888952a&review=1&sale=12&search=1&source=search&spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.i120.2f452c9a4n4ghC&stock=1

Thank you for the information.

 

I had not realised until I joined this thread how many other posters were in a similar position.

 

I kept thinking poor me, I must be the only one.

 

But this is one of the better and more helpful threads on ANN and as yet unsullied by trash posts so far.

The lockdowns really degraded my ability to walk around, but I think in my case it is due to being sedentary for so long and not breathing related.

 

However, we're getting really bad air here in Pattaya(!) and I'm starting to feel compounding effects... wondering if OP just recently started experiencing this too and might be coincidental with the bad air too?

The hardest thing and the most difficult task for me is getting my toenails cut.

 

Fortunately my 18 year old son cuts them for me.

As the OP I have to agree with Billd766 that’s it is very nice to not have any sarcasm etc posts and thanks to Sheryll for her moderation in keeping it that way. 
And it does indeed help to find that I’m  far from being alone with the problem. Wandering around our Robinsons earlier today I say an elderly Thai lady being pushed in a wheelchair and nobody that I could see gave her a second glance which does give me that confidence that I really need to have in being dependent on someone else and not being self conscious about it. 
My problem comes and goes with one minute I’m breathing reasonably ok but when I went to try in a new t-shirt the effort involved in taking off and putting on another one had me gasping for breath half way through requiring a good 5 minutes sit down and doing breathing exercises before a recovery to continue walking. 

3 hours ago, billd766 said:

The hardest thing and the most difficult task for me is getting my toenails cut.

 

Fortunately my 18 year old son cuts them for me.

Once you have a kid, everything else is just stuff! 

 

I get see a podiatrist every other month and have a hand/foot-spa in the off month.

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

Once you have a kid, everything else is just stuff! 

 

I get see a podiatrist every other month and have a hand/foot-spa in the off month.

Sadly there are not many podiatrists or hand/foot spas out here in rural Kamphaeng Phet.

Thailand is not friendly to handicaped people. Broken pavement everywhere steps and stairs  without handrails etc. 

Especially in Pattaya Jomtien 

1 hour ago, Mentors65 said:

Thailand is not friendly to handicaped people. Broken pavement everywhere steps and stairs  without handrails etc. 

Especially in Pattaya Jomtien 

 

Those broken pavements may also be in a worse state 852 days later on...