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dddave

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Posts posted by dddave

  1. 21 hours ago, n00dle said:

     

    The Atlanta Hotel has a rich history, built in 1952, it has the first swimming pools in Thailand. i had never heard the anti venom story in the wikki. They even had a yacht on the Chaopraya.  The original Art Deco lobby remains unchanged.  

     

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atlanta_Hotel_(Bangkok)#:~:text=History&text=The first owner of The,Company to manufacture snakebite antivenom.

    The family is an odd one, after being something of a haven for drug smugglers in the 70s, things took a very moralistic  turn. Even today, while they have lightened up they is still a chance you will be turned away or asked to leave the premises, if they don't like the way you look.

     

    I haven't eaten in the restraunt since before COVID but one page of the meu used to (and still may)  says this:

     


    The clientele is very specific, return visitors, NGO's anyone seeking oasis in the area. The rooms are plain and the pool has seen better days but it is still remarkable.

    Sadly the woman who ran the coffee shop passed last year and with her went some of the most wonderful inexpensive Thai food in the area. I used to eat there often, others tried but were unsuccessful.

    I have several friends who begin and end their stay in Bangkok at the Atlanta and have been doing so for years. i always take time to spend a day by the pool when they do. 

    Around 2004, A friend and his Thai wife lived not far from the Atlanta Hotel.  Their apartment was being painted and they needed to vacate for a night so they figured the close-by Atlanta would be a good choice. Even when they explained they were man and wife, they were still flat out refused a room. The clerk demanded they produce a copy of their marriage license.

  2. I sat next to Mr. Trink on the Bangkok to Pattaya bus one day.  He had a large hardcover copy of Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses" of which he was to write a review for the Bangkok Post. We chatted a bit about certain Nana Plaza characters we were both familiar with as I had briefly owned a piece of a bar there. He then politely said that he needed to get as much of the book read as possible and buried his nose into his reading. 

  3. 17 hours ago, transam said:

    Though, I do wonder why the OP starts threads revolving round this Dan. There are quite a few now.

    So the question must be asked, was the OP jilted, by the said Dan....

    Did Dan do something dastardly.....

    Was the OP shunned by Dan.....

     

    Perhaps one day all will be revealed, though I doubt by Dan on a forum of secret squirrels.................:unsure:................🤭

     

    Well, he did manage to get the dating website name in and spell it correctly.  You know the old saying, "All publicity is good publicity as long as they get the name right."

    • Haha 1
  4. 5 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

    Maybe I should ask this question a different way. 

    My problem is not to do with eyesight but the degradation in lens coatings on my specs.

    I bought these progressive specs from one of the BIG high street retailers in CM with added coatings which have partially worn away leaving the glasses useless.

    I have asked/complained at the shop but no luck as they say 19 months old!!

     

    At 70 YO will my eyesight have changed that much or could I use the prescription they used to order online.  I used the same prescription at the same time to buy ordinary reading glasses (no coatings) which I can still use perfectly well?

     

    Thank you all for your responses so far!

    I got tired of replacing glasses every 3 years because of hazing caused by cleaning.  Even using the softest cloths, eventually there would be hazing. 

    I started washing my glasses during my morning shower, soaking the lenses and just using suds from my shampoo and my fingers to clean the lenses. After the shower, I carefully blot them dry with a soft towel.  My current pair is now in their 4th year with no hazing at all, still crystal clear.

    • Like 1
    • Thumbs Up 1
  5. There are virtually no licensing or certification standards for the technicians in most optical shops.  Many use a computerized system that I found was highly inaccurate.  If you are seeking an accurate prescription for something as complicated as progressive lenses, pay for a pro.  If in Bangkok, Rutnin Eye Hospital is the best but be aware.  If you request an "Eye Examination", at Rutnin that is a thorough examination of the eye itself by an Ophthalmologist and DOES NOT include a vision test.  You must specifically ask for a VISION TEST and if wanting progressive lenses, make sure the prescription includes your PD (pupillary distance)

    I have been a Zenni customer for 7 years now and have had nothing but good service from them. Just beware of the "Add-Ons" when ordering.  Read up on them.  Most are pretty worthless. 

    • Thanks 2
  6. 18 hours ago, saintdomingo said:

    Agree, early March I waited 2 hours. Then the bus took 2 1/2 hours same as it did in 1997. That was including the stop to fill the tank, I thought they'd stopped that years ago.

    The fill-up stop is new and is really annoying.  I suspect the bus company has an interest in the nearly useless food shop.  Adds 25 minutes to the trip.

  7. 13 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

    how did you get around the middle of the country? I've only driven past it and it seems miserable to be honest. I know it's nicer if you get near the western border so maybe that's the fix. Cycling is the north is lovely because we have varied terrain but those flat baron plains, no thanks. A better idea is just to do a loop through the north where you could cover the same amount of distance. Why bother going to BKK and skipping all the other good stuff? You would need to like mountains if you do that though.

    Go back and read his last line.😉

  8. I just read a current news item about 24 tons of pork, illegally imported from Brazil, being buried in a deep hole and covered over with soil.  I led me to wondering about what actually happens to that large a mass of meat as it putrefies under ground.  I'm aware, large animals die every day but the carcasses are usually stripped away pretty quickly by scavengers and insects.  Usually nothing but bones in short order.  It's this large a mass of flesh in one place that intrigues me.  Without oxygen just slowly rot? Turn into some kind of putrid liquid?  I would think it would be a threat to water supplies nearby.

    Any knowledgeable thoughts?  

    • Like 1
  9. I was originally prescribed Valsartan at the time of my by-pass surgery 7 years ago.  When Valsartan became temporarily unavailable in Thailand 5 years ago, I switched to Losartan and never switched back to Valsartan.  My BP has been pretty stable in the 115-125/70-80 range.

    My reading told me that the main difference between the two was that Losartan had a lower duration than Valsartan, actually less than 24 hours.  It was often suggested to be taken twice daily but I never did that.

    Your thoughts, Sheryl on the differences between the two?

  10. I considered that since I was posting in a specific Health & Medicine forum, that those able to answer my inquiry would know exactly to what I was referring.

    I do admit the acronyms of the hypertension world are just about as arcane as those of the IT industry what with ARBs, CCBs, ACEs and Beta Blockers, to barely scratch the surface.  

    Also, I'm lazy and didn't want to type Angio Retention Blocker twice.

  11. Most motorbike rental agencies rent to tourists with little motorbike driving experience and most have never even driven a standard shift car.  Add that complexity to what is already a driver unsure of themselves and the chances of disaster go up exponentially.  There is really no rental market for standard motorbikes.

  12. 2 hours ago, cdemundo said:

    I use a Credit Union in the USA for most of my banking business.

    I t seems that banks outside the US and US Credit Unions are mutually a mystery to each other.

    I have found that I can't explain one to the other, they are in different worlds.

     

    I have a Charles Schwab Investor Checking account with ATM card that I have used for about 20 years in Thailand.

    ATM fees are credited each month, so no fees for ATM use.

    Never had any problem with ATM grabbing my card and never had the card refused by any bank.

    Once, maybe 15 years ago, had two fraudulent withdrawals in Thailand. Schwab credited right away and it never happened again.

     

    I am pretty sure you can still open an account online from anywhere.

    Verifying this will be left as an exercise for the student.

     

    I was also going to suggest OP open a Charles Schwab account next time in US.  He could continue to pay bills automatically with his CU account but transfer funds to the CS account for Thailand use.  I've never had my CS card eaten by an ATM here but mine did expire last year.  They expressed me a new card in 4 days.  CS customer service is the best anywhere.

    • Like 1
  13. I worked in the Thai film and TV commercial industry here for about 10 years and every casting calling for European is always inundated with Russians, Iranians 2nd.  While the local standard is b2000/day for extras, they will form a group and underbid as low as B1000/day, Usually 5am to 7 or 8pm.

  14. My former GF with whom I am still friends has a nice piece of land in her home village village with a proper deed.  She's in her 50s now and wants to build a small house on the property for her later years.  She will have a maximum of about B500K to spent total, finished and furnished.

    I have been seeing posts on this and other forums about small houses in the B300k-400K range,(I assume unfinished shell) many using new, more efficient materials for walls and roofs.   

    I tried to find online sites with drawings and photos of such houses, usually less than 80 sq/m of living space but have only found a few.  Can anybody direct me to some sites with a variety of such small houses?

  15. Thanks to all for the assistance  I was obviously wrong about the availability of cranberry juice and we purchased some along with medication recommended by an actual pharmacist.  Her UTI seems to be resolved. 

    • Thumbs Up 1
  16. 1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

     

    Please select your answer from the following.

     

    1 ) Because he could.

     

    2 ) Because he could afford it.

     

    3 ) Because his insurance was paying for it.

     

    4 ) Because it's none of your business.

     

    5 ) All of the above.

     

     

    I get your sentiment but this is a discussion forum and any OP should know that whatever they choose to disclose will be open for discussion with a lot of varying viewpoints being introduced.

    I get as annoyed as any about the nitpicking "Overpay Police" who patrol here, ready to pounce on any infraction of their niggardly principals but that's what open forums are about.

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