[New tiger discovered at Kaeng Krachan National Park near Hua Hin]

Great news! Long live the mightiest of all cats and top apex land predator. 

[BREAKING NEWS! Iran potentially triggers World War 3]

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

"Hey Joe , we're going to need some more missiles "

"Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand?"

[Speaking Thai - is it necessary these days for an expat ?]

I think it's the environment you're you're in that let's you be more fluent in the local language, or not.

 

I spent over 30 years of my life in the Middle East, on and off, but because everybody in the company I was working for spoke fluent English, and the fact that all merchants you had to deal with also spoke fluent English makes you less prone to have a need to pick up a local lingo.

In retrospect, I wish I had more that just very basic knowledge of Arabic. Would perhaps make it easier in those few tight spots I found myself in.

 

The same goes for Thailand. Wife speaks fluent English, her family doesn't, but we don't socialize that much. I don't socialize at all with other Thais, apart from the necessary interactions like hospitals and merchant interaction where I can use my limited Thai. If I was living alone, perhaps in a larger city I would have no choice but to pick up more Thai. 

 

Don't socialize with western expats either. What I have seen, they like to group together in their little social expat ghettos, and have no need to learn local language.

 

[Greta Thunberg detained at The Hague climate demonstration]

1 minute ago, transam said:

With care, yes.............And a bit stronger at 21.........😉

OK, 21 but still...

[Greta Thunberg detained at The Hague climate demonstration]

So it takes 6 policemen to handle 19 year old girl...

[Progressive eyeglass lenses]

3 hours ago, BusNo8 said:

 

 

 

I'm tired of carrying two pair and constantly juggling between them. My short is 2.75 now and long 1-1.+

Perfect case for varifocals!

 

I don't carry the computer glasses with me. Just switch to the them when I am going to work on the computer for longer.

Varifocals are fine for occasional use on laptop and phone.

[Progressive eyeglass lenses]

Progressive or varifocal lenses are absolutely the best and worth its higher price. It takes a little time to get to used to them though.

 

I still use separate glasses for the computer. They have a shorter focus.

[Bye bye Electric & Hello Hydrogen?]

Just now, JBChiangRai said:

And yet Pink Hydrogen is not in the analysts forecasts.

 

I agree with you though.

 

 

 

Not in the McKinsey report you're linking. But many other sources talk of using nuclear exclusively in the future hydrogen production. 

 

In fact, the stigma of using nuclear power is slowly fading and we see more acceptance for nuclear from the general public.

The biggest obstacle to a larger deployment of nuclear is, IMO, current legislation, which centers on dinosaur size NPPs with capacities of several TWe, building cycles of 20-30 years, billions of $ in cost, and high maintenance in it's relatively short lifespan. Not to mention costs associated with waste storage.

[Bye bye Electric & Hello Hydrogen?]

5 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

 

McKinsey & Co. see Hydrogen being involved in transport for long haul operations accelerating in 2040, in their recent Hydrogen Outlook report they talk about how it will be produced.  Pink Hydrogen (Nuclear) doesn't figure in their forecasts at all, it is almost exclusively expected to be green hydrogen produced through electrolysis of water.

 

You begin with electricity and after 80% losses it's turning the motor in your car, lots of investment will never bring this below 50% losses and it is for that reason that BEV's will be the premium product, they will cost between 20%-50% per mile to fuel.

 

Pink Hydrogen is prohibitively expensive.

 

Global Energy Perspective 2023: Hydrogen outlook | McKinsey

 

Electrolysis is a very inefficient way to produce hydrogen. Nuclear hydrogen generators use thermochemical technologies, which only requires heat, or hybrid technologies such as the high temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) and hybrid thermochemical cycles, which require both heat and electricity.. And the nuclear reactors, especially Gen IV, generate that in abundance.

[Bye bye Electric & Hello Hydrogen?]

Japan seems to be inversing heavily into hydrogen. https://apnews.com/article/japan-energy-hydrogen-climate-carbon-emission-7f5552cc387d7ad395980bc9bd5a934c

 

I will agree though that the biggest impact of hydrogen would be in transport sector and heavy industries. We are far off seeing private cars powered by fuel cells or other types of hydrogen engines. 

[Bye bye Electric & Hello Hydrogen?]

On 2/19/2024 at 4:45 PM, Crossy said:

Simple question.

 

Where will the hydrogen come from?

 

Nuclear. Almost all Gen IV reactors and especially SMR's have have provisioning for hydrogen generators to be attached, as well as desalination units.

 

The hydrogen problem is more about safe storage and distribution. And yes, I will agree that hydrogen technology is still lagging behind other energy and propulsion tech, but I think that once the distribution on a larger scale can be implemented, it will be solved. All it needs is a $$ injection and some research tech. C'mon Nissan, Toyota and Mitsu.... you can do it

After all, what can be better when you're burning fuel with only water vapor as a byproduct.

[Plans for Thailand's first nuclear power plant]

On 3/30/2024 at 1:19 PM, newbee2022 said:

To be honest I have to admit not being physically able to dig that hole. But I'm very curious to watch how you do that🤗

Being smart, and if really needing an SMR, I would just contract the digging of the hole to a company with proper equipment for that task. 😎

[Sutin visits China for submarine acquisition talks]

Didn't the Chinese government already agree to swap the sub deal to a frigate and 2 patrol boats?

It's amazing how they change the story every couple of days.

[Plans for Thailand's first nuclear power plant]

18 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Ready next year😂😂😂🤗🤗🤗🤣🤣🤣. Sorry,Sir, fool's day's in 3 days time. 🥳. 

Yes, next year!

 

To give an example; Toshiba 4S with the capacity of up to 50MWe needs a 30m deep by 4m wide hole in the ground to house the complete reactor and some small(ish) external building to house the electric generators and any other equipment you might want, like water desalination and hydrogen generator. Passive safety, no maintenance, no operators. Lifespan; 30 years. Don't tell me you can't dig a 30m hole in one year...  

https://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2009/11/05/here-come-the-japanese-nuclear-reactors/

[Plans for Thailand's first nuclear power plant]

I don't think many here watched the video before posting.

 

Thailand is talking of deploying SMR's, which are typically 10-100 MVe, not some huge TWe monstrosity that takes 20 years to build.

SMR's can be deployed in a standard size container. They are fully build at a factory, and after deployment do not require maintenance or re-fueling for 20-30 years, also have much lower security requirements. Once the fuel is spent, they can just be replaced with another unit, and the old one goes back to the factory to be rebuilt.

IMO, SMR is the way to go with nuclear deployment.

 

Currently, there is much scaremongering by the green/leftists about the nuclear power. Most of it from people that do not even know how to spell "nuclear".

 

[Plans for Thailand's first nuclear power plant]

9 hours ago, Joe Farang said:

No need to worry. China will built the plant for them.

But no one will sell them a reactor. Maybe it will get lost in translation and they will spend the budget on tractors.

China is making it's own reactors.

[Plans for Thailand's first nuclear power plant]

11 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Nothing scares me more than knowing Thai's might try running a Nuclear Power plant.

Doesn't scare me more than knowing that Russia is running NPP's

[Saab swoops to supply Gripen jets to RTAF in 19-billion-baht deal]

5 hours ago, expat_4_life said:

Nobody wants advanced tech falling into China hands.  Of course the naive high tech moguls that have moved their production to China and elsewhere (chips, phones, etc) have fallen victim to the lure of low cost production though it seems they did not think about the long term consequences.

How long do you think the domestic Swedish defense industry will last, now that they have become a NATO member?  Is the Gripen destined to become a relic of days past as NATO countries (Sweden just joined) slowly and inexorably get pushed to buy US military equipment?  F-35s anyone?
 

Well, for starters, JAS39 is currently absolutely the best Gen4 multirole fighter jet. The jet turn around time, fully refueled and rearmed is under 15 minutes. Compare that with over 2 hours for F-16, which also requires proper airfields and highly trained technical staff. And I have no doubt that the Swedish defense industry will last, even with NATO membership, just like German, French and UK, just to mention a few. The biggest obstacle is the Swedish government, which need to approve every wartech export.

 

In fact, just look at what Swedish wartech offerings are, just state of the art stuff!!! And, BTW, that Swedish sub did "sink" USS Ronald Regan three times during naval war games. https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/tiny-swedish-sub-took-down-an-entire-us-aircraft-carrier

 

Also, F-35 is just overblown piece of donkeys droppings. USAF should have kept F-22, as they should have kept Comanche helicopter.

[Saab swoops to supply Gripen jets to RTAF in 19-billion-baht deal]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

... "Hewson dismissed rumours that the Gripen proposal would include an option for a submarine, reported Bangkok Post." ...

 

 

I really hope they don't sell them any subs. Really wouldn't want advanced Swedish wartech that "sunk" US' latest and greatest aircraft carrier three times without being found to go to China. 

[Shock !!! Uttaradit Immigration Now Using 'Local Office Policy' To Charge For Transfer.]

5 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Hua Hin does give you a receipt for the transfer/500 baht

Didn't give to me, now twice. Should be automatic, I shouldn't have to ask.

[Shock !!! Uttaradit Immigration Now Using 'Local Office Policy' To Charge For Transfer.]

Only 200 baht! Hua Hin charges 500, no receipt.

[What paperwork is needed to do a 90 day report in person?]

13 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Pathum Thani they just need the passport and the completed form.

 

If you go early int he morning you might not even need an appoointment

The IO office I go to for my 90 day, Dan Singkorn, is almost always empty, no appointment necessary. Generally, I'm in and out in less than 5 minutes. And, like I mentioned, no form needed, only passport.

[What paperwork is needed to do a 90 day report in person?]

That probably depends on which Immigration Office you're you're going to.

For me, I need only my passport, the rest they have on their computer. That's in PKK Immigration (not Hua Hin!)

[Steamy side of Internet in Thailand: Adult sites climb charts]

5 hours ago, SpaceKadet said:

Why would Iranians get a mention?

Last I looked, Caucasus was in Iran, no?

[Thailand aims to become Southeast Asia’s data centre hub]

56 minutes ago, Pib said:

 

Did some googling...apparently a common method to rate data center IT capacity is  power consumption.

https://datacenterhawk.com/resources/hawkpodcast/how-to-measure-the-data-center-market-data-center-fundamentals

Measuring Data Center Market Supply

Let's map this to the data center industry.

On the supply side of the data center market, the lemonade stands are data centers. The family that runs one or more lemonade stands are data center providers or operators. Instead of selling lemonade, data center providers sell capacity. Instead of measuring in cups, the primary measure of capacity is electricity consumption, specifically kilowatts (kW) and megawatts (MW).

Yeah, so it's just like breweries.