Kinnock

I listened to a couple of scam calls just out of curiosity. Yesterday it was an older Thai man explaining that I can earn money by just liking specific TikTok reels. He said he worked for a company that promotes TikTok reels to improve their ranking. Eventually he'd ask for my bank account number, but I didn't listen to his lies that long. Last year I had a call saying he was from Flash delivery and my package sent to Chiang Mai had been found to contain drugs. He said he understood it was probably not my package, but I still needed to speak to the police. He said he'd connect me to Chiang Mai Police to get more details. The 'policeman' told me how much trouble I was in and was obviously angling for a bribe which I could conveniently pay on line. I can see how some people could fall for these scams as the callers in both cases sounded like older Thai men, so the Thai respect for older people may work for the scammers. Both calls from Thai numbers. I used to get 2 or 3 a day, but after blocking the numbers following each call it's down to about 1 a week.

It's possible to just plough the field without burning, and this is better for the soil. This can be an issue with multiple crop farms where the next planting may be in a couple of weeks, so on these farms they may need to remove the rice straw for use as animal feed or mulch, but for seasonal, single crop farms there's no reason for burning.

Just falangs.

Only 6 .... some of the gang must have not managed to get permission from their mums to go out that night.

I've been avoiding Air Asia ever since they failed to refund my flight that they cancelled during covid. They promised a refund 4 years ago .... still waiting. Needed to fly to Khon Kaen last week, and used Thai Airways rather than Air Asia even though I thought it would be more costly .... but as Thai includes checked luggage, meal and seat selection, it works out cheaper in practice.

.... Agbani Darego

Good suggestions. I like the look of this one on Marketplace ..... though more for its appearance as its not the basic spec I originally posted.

When waiting at the gate I watch for the fatties in wheelchairs to be lined up, then get ready to board. If you board as soon as possible, you'll find space near enough to your seat. If the bin directly over your seat is taken, then aim for the bin opposite or go one or two up the aisle towards the front exit. It's much easier to grab your bag going with the exit flow than trying to swim against the current. Would never touch other people's luggage. It's up to the airline to limit excess hand luggage, and if a passenger gets away with an extra bag .... good luck to the them.

The only service that most of us would value from 'our' embassy in Thailand is passport renewal .... and they don't do it.

Looking to replace the ancient Isuzu farm truck with something a bit newer. I know that condition probably trumps the brand when buying second hand, but my experience has been all cars and motorcycles, so I'm clueless about diesel pick up trucks ... so wanted opinions on what types of trucks I should be searching for on Marketplace? That will help narrow the search, then we can buy on condition/price. Basic 2-door manual would be fine. 4 wheel drive would be nice, as would auto, but not essential. No need for a hard top or cover. Ideally standard spec with no fat 'racing' wheels as it will need to drive on farms as well as local roads. Budget around 150,000 to 200,000 THB. First thought was a Hilux Vigo for reliability and spares availability, but they look to be higher cost than an equivalent age and condition Navara or Ranger. Isuzu and Mitsubishi also seem to hold their prices well, so if I want better condition for the cash should I go for a secondary brand? I guess a turbo is less desirable when buying a clunker farm truck? Is manual or auto preferable for older trucks? Any brands to avoid, such as Chevrolet? Tips/suggestions appreciated.

Yes .... and you can see the ingrained scooter habits when approaching a queue of traffic .... Thai car drivers will dive towards the sidewalk as if they intended to nip up the inside of the queue or hop onto the walkway, then realise at the last second they are not on their Scoopy.

We see this slalom driving style on Expressways every day ..... there's always the d!ck swapping lanes at the last second to weave through the other vehicles. And with the poor lane discipline by HGV's this type of accident is inevitable. The only surprise was that it was a black Toyota C-HR and not a silver Toyota minibus.

Three classes based on the top 3 subjects for on-line sissyfights : Lightweight: EV vs ICE Middleweight: Bargirls vs Thai/Chinese HiSo with a degree and own business Heavyweight: Trump vs Biden

Thank you .... what you say makes a lot of sense to me. We already have solar powered pumps, and they are effective, but the tractor looks to be a more complex challenge.

The Case looks impressive, but much bigger than we'd need. A walk-behind Kwai lek would be enough. Main uses would be ploughing, pulling a trailer and pumping water. But I guess it would need swappable batteries or battery backup for the solar power, as you'd be using it during the day when the sun is available for charging, then ideally you'd want to charge it overnight.

We have an old Kubota 2-wheel tractor, but we're doing some development work for a low carbon farming project, and it would be ideal if we had a battery electric equivalent to the Kubota 'Iron Buffalo'. Anyone seen such a thing? I can only find one on-line and its made in Australia and is expensive. https://curlysag.com/product/cyber-clydesdale/ The thinking is that it could be charged using solar power. Maybe an electric one is just not practical? Perhaps battery capacity or weight is an issue? But with the developments in lower cost electric cars and bikes in China, and the immediate torque characteristics of electric, they may be viable?

Accidental duplicate post

Life saving training

I was close ..... ish 🙂

Rayong?

Just watched Sisu on Netflix. A gritty and entertaining war movie from Finland. If you liked Pulp Fiction and John Wick, you'll like Sisu.

Chonburi is more than just Pattaya ..... I'm Bangkok based, but some of my favourite restaurants and cafes are in Chonburi. Ang Sila has great seafront seafood restaurants and the excellent Taab cafe in the mangroves. Bangsaen has Scala diner - top chef, good live music, and BMC - best burgers in the area. Plus there's unique venues such as Thasai Skimboard Cafe which has seating in a river, and Hidden Lab coffee based in an unrestored old building. But I suspect none of these popular places will be in the Michelin Guide, as they don't need to pay for publicity

The time of day when you upload large files may be a factor? I have a similar package from AIS and I have regular 8 hour video conferences with Europe, and every call at around 18:00 the video link freezes. I suspect the throttling occurs at peak use times in Thailand.

I can recommend Mazars, their office is in Sathorn. Good lawyers and tax accountants and a good mix of Thai and foreign experts.

You'll still need an agent even if you have your own container. Booking space on a ship, customs documents etc. Most shipping agents will not be interested in a single container, but maybe K-Line (based in Thailand at Laem Chabang) can help, as they deal in single containers for specialist automotive industry suppliers? The relocation companies can help, and if you book a full container it's faster and simpler a part container load. Just avoid Crown Relocation .... from my experience they are slow, unreliable and expensive. I've heard good comments about Asian Tigers, but no direct experience.