[Birds in your garden]

12 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Gorgeous bird.

Google says 'Blue winged pitta'.

Thanks for that. In 20 years we've had one just once in our garden.

[Birds in your garden]

Turned up in a friend's garden. What a beauty.

 

 

[Birds in your garden]

2 minutes ago, MrPancake said:

 

OP is probably dead by now

8 years.

I'm pretty sure most people joining AN haven't 8 years left...

OP (me) posted this morning on this thread. I learn alot from the knowledgeable guys on this thread and enjoy that. 

[Birds in your garden]

7 minutes ago, MrPancake said:

 

8 years of people talking about birds in their garden LOL

 

Some people interested in birds or fishing or (insert whatever). Sounds like you're on the wrong thread mate.

[Birds in your garden]

10 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

Common Tailorbird. Small bird...big mouth. Taken in Chon Buri Province at Wat Tham Prathun. 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, and that makes sense as we've often see Tailorbirds over the years but never high up in the mango tree. As you say Small Bird Big mouth... 

 

[Premium economy]

3 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

Premium economy, where you pay extra for the basic facilities that should be included with any ticket.

As a tall lad i disagree with that. In economy I'm so cramped, knees touching the seat in front, arms touching those in the neighbouring seats, it's a very uncomfortable time so I choose Premium Economy for comfort.

[Birds in your garden]

Can you identify this bird please. Resident in my mango tree. Never ever see it no matter how long I look for it. 

[Birds in your garden]

Was wondering why i hadn't been hearing my wind chimes...

 

 

[Podcast for Thai learners in Thai?]

Not a podcast but youtube vids, "Comprehensible Thai" has lots of videos of thai teachers chatting, and they classify the vids by different levels of Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.

[Writing about the future, from a point further in the future.]

1 hour ago, JayClay said:

 

Right. Now I'm telling a story in the future. How can I make it apparent that the narrator's perspective is from further in the future looking back, rather than from the present looking forward?

 

https://www.thaipod101.com/blog/2021/07/08/thai-tenses/

[Writing about the future, from a point further in the future.]

On 11/7/2023 at 2:43 PM, Bredbury Blue said:

With "On January 20, 3015, Mr Spoon sat at the breakfast table" in english, the reader doesn't get confused and assume you mean 2015, so why would a Thai in thai language get confused? My mate Google says use วันที่ 20 มกราคม 3015 คุณสปูนนั่งอยู่ที่โต๊ะอาหารเช้า which looks correct and clear to me.

 

ในอนาคตวันที่ 20 มกราคม 3015 คุณสปูนนั่งอยู่ที่โต๊ะอาหารเช้า

In the future, January 20, 3015, Mr. Spoon is sitting at the breakfast table.

[Writing about the future, from a point further in the future.]

With "On January 20, 3015, Mr Spoon sat at the breakfast table" in english, the reader doesn't get confused and assume you mean 2015, so why would a Thai in thai language get confused? My mate Google says use วันที่ 20 มกราคม 3015 คุณสปูนนั่งอยู่ที่โต๊ะอาหารเช้า which looks correct and clear to me.

[Recommend colonoscopy dr at Bumrungrad?]

Also consider Prof.Dr. Chucheep Sahakitrungruang who is at Bumrungrad, Bangkok Christian and Chulalongkorn. Personal recommendation. His manner and his English are excellent. Bangkok Christian cheaper and excellent.

[Does it make (a lot of) sense to learn more Thai after knowing the basics?]

30 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

After living for more than 20 years in the middle of Bangkok my Thai language skills are still limited.

I am able to communicate with Thai people about basic things like food, locations (tell the driver/rider where to go), everyday shopping, and some small talk. 

When I visit the family of my Thai gf up country then we are somehow able to communicate, but not much. And to be fair I don't really care if I could have a deep meaningful conversation with them.

 

I am not able to have a proper business conversation in Thai. And when I go to official offices then I go normally together with my accountant or maybe an agent who deals with i.e. immigration every day.

 

I wonder if it makes sense to try to learn more Thai. And it's not just learning more. If I would learn to communicate properly with Thai officials, how long would I keep that ability if I use it only one or max 5 times a year? And even if I would understand every single word from the officials, would that replace a Thai person (i.e. accountant, lawyer, agent) who communicated with these officials all the time?

 

What is your experience with learning more than basic Thai? Do you need it? Did your life improve? How?

Or did you learn it and then forget most of it because you never used it?

 

If it would improve my life in Thailand considerable if I would know Thai language better, then maybe I should learn more.

But if it won't make a difference 99% of the time and if I would likely forget it soon again then what would be the point?

 

How about you?

Interested to know how you got to such a level. I have reached a plateau at lower intermediate but would like to get to advanced level so any advice would be appreciated.

[Colonoscopy: St. Louis, MedPark or Bangkok Hospital?]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Prof Chucheep is the country's leading colorectal specialist (and very, very busy accordingly) and this is why  asked Op if this was a routine screening or for a problem. If it had been for a specific concern I would certainly have advised her to see him but for routine screening I think overkill.  Relative of mine had colonoscopy at BKK Christian about 4-5 years ago, cost was something like 24K (with no polyps removed).

The family researched it thoroughly, read he was the country's top man, met him and found him also to be a lovely man. For anybody interested now or in the future, believe he works at (in expensive to cheapest order) Bumrung, Bkk Christian and Chulalongkorn, so 3 hospitals for different budgets.

[Colonoscopy: St. Louis, MedPark or Bangkok Hospital?]

Do not recall the cost at BKK Christian for a family member, but can definitely recommend Prof.Dr. Chucheep Sahakitrungruang who works there and Bumrungrad.

[Best Youtube Channels Still Active 2023 for PreIntermediate Level Thai]

'Comprehensible thai', probably the best and most extensive out there

 

 

[Birds in your garden]

[Birds in your garden]

Nice to see.

 

With the amount of predators (baby monitors, tukkae, snakes, other birds, etc) in my garden, its been very rare occasion that chicks have fledged.

 

Baby monitor lizard living in a drain, getting braver and braver, starts travelling around the garden, got caught by the green tree snake. We set it free as you see in the video. Lizard went up the tree, snake along the ground but it doubled-back up the tree and caught the lizard again. Wife set the lizard free a 2nd time...we then left them to it. Can't imagine the lizard survived as the snake was quick.

 

 

 

[Is Thai a difficult language to understand?]

I would say its generally easy to understand when listening to a thai, than it is to be be understood when speaking to a thai as inevitably you'll pronounce things incorrectly.

 

Like speakers of any languages, some thais pronunciation is easy to follow,while some use slang etc and are difficult to follow.

 

Try watching these videos (beginner level) and work your way up to the next level when you feel ready. Don't worry if you don't understand everything, slowly your comprehension will improve 

 

Youtube. Comprehensible Thai. ALG-Style absolute beginner course.

 

 

 

 

[Birds in your garden]

Wife just sent me these. Parent on the tree. Youngster in the shrubs. Iora?

 

 

[Birds in your garden]

Wife teasing a Koel

 

 

[Birds in your garden]

Had a pair of pigeons I've never seen before sat high up in a tree opposite my place for a few days. Orange breast, green head. Just had a moment on google and see that there is such a bird know as orange-breasted green pigeon. Common or rare (bkk area)?

 

[Birds in your garden]

Got a magpie robin in my garden, never stopped singing for the past 2 days, patrolling the garden, had another robin pinned down and i had to stop the fight. Hear they are very territorial. Doesn't seem bothered by any other bird types, only robins.

 

Could somebody ID this bird i saw recently in a wat in Chonburi. Let me get incredibly close then it shot off.

 

 

[Birds in your garden]

On 12/10/2022 at 10:36 AM, Bredbury Blue said:

Was thinking the other day how I haven't heard any Koel calls in recent times around my house. One of my favourite sounds; THE sound of southeast Asia for me. Never understand why people dislike or get upset by koels calling each other. Doesn't bother me at all, in fact I like it, when I hear them calling in the wee hours.

Any reason they might move moved? Nothing particularly has changed in my area. Might they return? Are they only noisy during mating season?

 

Edit: my wife says she hears them, must be me switching off.

 

My wife's favourite is the bird that sings "I didn't do it, I didn't do it"  - lapwing 

Funny how not hearing/seeing koels or coucals, now I can't stop hearing/seeing them around the house.

 

The wife was singing to me a kiddies song in thai about koels putting their eggs in other birds nests, so seems its a fact thais grow up with.