Paul9989

I would say that's correct, right in that range. If it is a wisdom tooth though, and it's impacted, then maybe it's a bit more. And if you have to return for a follow up visit after the tooth has been pulled then they might charge a bit extra for the follow up visits. I'm assuming no more than 2,500-3,000 Baht.

About 6 months ago I spoke with both BBL and KTC Card and both of them told me minimum was 10,000 Baht. Maybe that's changed at BBL now, but I doubt it's 50,000.

Debit cards aren't accepted in some places in Thailand, only credit cards. 7-11 is a good example.

Prepaid credit cards don’t exist in Thailand. Something like Vanilla Gift Credit Cards only exist in the USA and can’t be used for purchases outside the USA. If you want a Thai credit card, you can get a secured credit card from either Bangkok Bank or KTC Card. What you do is you put ฿10,000 or ฿20,000 into a locked bank account with them and then they give you a credit card with a credit limit equal to the amount of money that you put on deposit into the locked account. Any foreigner can get one. No credit background check required. Just put the money in the bank and they give you the card.

vitacost.com They have been in business for 30 years. The best I’ve found. Items arrive within 2 weeks. The carry all the major brands. I like the brand NOW for their high quality and good prices. Many good prices on their own vitacost house brand products too. They also often provide discount codes via email for 10%/15%/20% discounts. Shipping is a flat fee to Thailand of $13 up to 3.6 pounds in product weight. I keep orders under around $50 (including shipping fee) and have never been hit with any import duties.

I disagree. The tests are useful to create a baseline. So, if test results suddenly change from one year to the next, then it could be a sign of something more serious. Just like the PSA test that sometimes indicates a false positive for prostate cancer, but still considered a useful screening test. Although sometimes considered nonspecific, all of them can also be very specific, which is why they are still considered useful. Yes, a colonoscopy should also be done every 5 years in men starting at the age of 45, and for the exact 2 reasons that you mentioned. But as it is a more invasive, and more costly diagnostic exam, many men often neglect to do them regularly, even though they shouldn't.

Unfortunately that approach is seriously flawed and results in many unnecessary deaths because many serious diseases can be stopped if detected early, yet they often exhibit no systems until it has already become too late. Also, the other unfortunate reality is that a lot of people die from things that are unrelated to diet and lifestyle and are simply caused by a combination of aging and genetics. But if people have periodical blood and diagnostic testing (starting when in their mid forties) then a lot of these diseases could be detected and treated in the early stages and without resulting in death. The ones in particular I am referring to are Colorectal Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Kidney Failure, Glaucoma, Hypertension, and Diabetes. Some of them like hypertension, kidney failure and diabetes can be brought on by lifestyle too. But often they are also genetic. And many times the genetic markers don’t show up until middle age. And glaucoma (interocular hypertension) can result in blindness in less than 10 years if left untreated. Left untested and undetected it can go unnoticed by a person until they are already half blind, but could be fully avoided by having a simple 1 minute eye pressure test done annually. And then there are additional cancer screenings using simple blood tests which can be done every couple of years: AFP Test - Liver & Testicle Cancer CEA Test - Large Intestine & Rectum Cancer CA 19-9 Test - Pancreas Cancer The problem with the majority of these diseases, if left undetected by blood tests and diagnostic screening, is that they show no signs of illness until they are in the final stages and become no longer treatable as I mentioned earlier. So there would possibly be a large drop in mortality rates from all of these diseases if people around the world simply started screening for them from age 40-45 onwards.

eGFR is just an average estimation based on BUN, creatinine, age, ethnicity, etc. Since it isn't an actual test they never provide a high or low for it. As you age into your seventies it also isn't expected to remain above 90. The 47 reading he has is of course quite low, but again it's just an average of the other markers. If his creatinine went down his eGFR would automatically go up.

I've been testing annually for well over 10 years, usually in December or January when the weather isn't as hot, and I always drink a liter of water before bed and then another liter in the morning about two hours before I give blood for any of these marker tests. My personal experience is that the water helps to bring down your BUN a bit, but has much less of an effect on bringing down creatinine levels.

You're welcome Tom. In conclusion I would say that your cholesterol isn't something to be very concerned about. I think it is the least of your worries. If it were me I wouldn't take the statins either because they can cause more harm than good to other organs. I would do more medical diagnostic investigation on your kidneys though with additional blood and urine tests on the other kidney function markers I mentioned. I would also start to make some definite lifestyle changes on diet and exercise. Those two things will likely have the biggest impact of all. Less sugar and carbs for sure and add in some high quality fats. More salads with olive oil too. The other option is to just go on as you are, not change anything, and let life take its natural course. The decision is up to you and the necessary changes will take some effort and commitment. It is entirely your choice. best wishes...

You can also get a doppler ultrasound test done on your kidneys to test blood flow in and out of the kidneys. Something I haven't done yet, but I may do at some point.

Creatinine can go up and down from use of medications. In my case my creatinine is almost always high because of regular weight training and creatinine in the blood is actually a byproduct of muscle breakdown. If I stop exercising for a few months then my blood creatinine drops back to normal levels. But all of the other kidney related tests I recommended come out normal for me. So it seems weight lifting is the cause for me. But in your case, the high creatinine isn't from rigorous exercise. So I would definitely get those 3 other kidney marker tests done that I suggested to see if there are any other signs of kidney disease.

One more thing, if you drink lots of fruit juice and/or soft drinks, I would cut it out immediately. And don't put lots of sugar in coffee and tea. You don't want to end up with type 2 diabetes. Those things can also be contributing to your higher FBS and higher triglycerides. And lack of physical activity and regular exercise is really an enemy of aging. Some lifestyle changes are needed for longevity.

Your total cholesterol isn't very high. My grandmother had cholesterol of 400 and lived into her eighties. My total cholesterol was also around 240 not too long ago. My HDL/LDL ratio was good with high HDL though. I used to eat 4 egg yolks a day. Dropped it to zero for 5 weeks, then retested. Cholesterol then dropped to 185. Then I started eating 2 eggs yolks per day and cholesterol went up a little bit, but not much. Recent studies show no direct correlation between LDL and heart disease so I don't really worry about it. I also take 3 fish oil tablets a day containing 1,000MG of oil each, which probably attributes to my higher HDL. Your FBS and triglycerides are also a bit on the high side. Possible indications of a high sugar/high carb diet. You need to eat healthier and reduce sugar and cheap carb intake. Also, your high creatinine in the most recent test is not a good sign. Might be related to the statins. Get some more kidney tests done like Urine Protein, Urine Creatinine, and, most importantly, get a Cystatin C blood test done for kidneys. Statins are bad for liver and kidneys. You also should reduce your BMI a bit and start exercising. Some walking on a treadmill 3-4 times a week and some light weight/resistance training would be really good. Best wishes..

tinder /tĭn′dər/ noun 1 - Readily combustible material, such as dry twigs, used to kindle fires. 2 - Something very inflammable, used for kindling fire from a spark, as scorched linen. 3- Same as Amadou. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition •

Absolutely incorrect if you reside outside of IoM or CI and are aiming to open an offshore account. If you wanted to open an onshore account at a local bank over there then, yes, you would need to be a resident there and would need to prove local residency.

Many offshore banks are looking for customers with a minimum of 100K, yes, and that's because they are looking for mainly offshore "wealth management" clients that they can assign a relationship manager to and then possibly sell more banking and investment services to later. Typically those offshore banks also have enough small onshore depositors already that they don't need to look offshore for more. Thankfully I think Lloyds will accept as little as 5K-10K to open an offshore account, but Barclays and HSBC will be in the 100K bracket IIRC. Also, glad to hear Lloyds have some electronic method now to verify your identity to avoid having to pay for passport copy certification from a lawyer who is a registered solicitor in the UK. I wish all the KYC stuff was just a giggle, but, in Europe, it's definitely not. I've had situations where I already had an account with an institution and they wanted to close the account unless I could provide documents showing how I actually earned the money. They can also be very stringent on the layout of the documents and exactly what information the documents contain. Some will also ask for tax returns. Not sure the level of KYC in IOM and Jersey these days, it's probably less than in Europe, but I suspect it's more now than whatever it was even just a few years ago.

Lastly, residing in Thailand doesn't help and it can often be a strike against someone when trying to open an offshore bank account because Thailand is already seen as a country with high levels on money laundering.

By the way, in case you're unfamiliar with the term KYC, it means "know your customer" and that's what the banks refer to all of their questioning as when they have a lot of verification requirements that one must meet on "source of funds" and things like that. But really what it all boils down to is anti-money laundering procedures that they have put in place and, thus that's also why the KYC requirements continue to get more stringent as time goes on.

Your welcome. One thing to bear in mind is that the KYC requirements continuously get more stringent with most banks as time goes on. So another reason you really should speak to them directly first. Also, when opening an account from overseas with an offshore bank, the biggest challenge on the typical required documentation is usually the passport copy certification. But I heard some offshore banks are now addressing this issue with a video call to open the account where the customer holds up their original passport during the call. Again, something only the bank can address with you. Best wishes.

When I opened mine in Singapore it was quite a long time ago. At the time they would open savings accounts and fixed deposit accounts for non-residents without work permit or anything. But you had to fly over there to do it at the UOB head office branch and they had a sizable minimum starting balance requirement. Best to check with them directly about their requirements at present. Lloyds in the IOM is another good option for offshore banking. No minimum balance I believe. But the paperwork requirements when opening an account with them from overseas can be a hassle. Again, best to check with them directly to confirm about current requirements because, otherwise, what I (or anyone else) tells you could prove to be only anecdotal.

Go for UOB, either in Thailand or Singapore.

Good general advice on keeping a balance of at least 810K in the account. I do the same. Early on I realized that if you keep only the exact amount required in an account that you could be stymied by an unanticipated bank charge and something as little as a 200 Baht annual ATM card fee.