7 minutes ago, maipenrai said:

Everyone is going to have a bad day occasionally but as long as we're having more good days than bad then we are doing alright...

My first three Company cars were consecutive Morris Marina's followed by a Morris Ital which was basically another Marina. They were without doubt a leading candidate for the worst British motor cars of all time. They had no power at all and no brakes to speak of!

I had to drive them during the week but kept my sanity at the weekends getting through  a series of used A H Sprite/M G Midget and a Triumph Spitfire.

I bought my Daughters the  cheapest new Citroen saloon which served them well for a couple of years so one thumbs up for a Frog mobile. 

Looking out of my living room window at yet another pathetic day of almost non-stop drizzle and unbroken really low down cloud scudding from right to left.

And its cold.

And miserable.

And its 3:10pm and very soon it will be dark enough to justify turning on the light.

And the nights will keep getting longer until the back end of December after which we will be snowed in until March by which time I will have returned and promise not to start moaning about the heat and humidity.

And its 3:15pm now and definitely getting dark!

And I just turned on the lights because I cannot see the keyboard.

7 hours ago, Stillearly said:

Booking flights and hotels for my next trip ...  😎

I just have just two nights in Bangkok right at the start of my month trip in March.

That hasn't stopped me changing my hotel in Bangkok three times in a week. 🤣

I finally settled on Dynasty Inn simply for the location in Soi 4, Nana.

16 hours ago, boydeste said:

You can only have one line account active on an android device. Make sure you know your log in details and password before you transfer. Back up your chat history. Also WhatsApp accounts are usually associated with the phone number, so the same is needed.

Back up your WhatsApp before you transfer,  mine backs up once a week anyway. 

I am not sure I quite understand.

When one does the cloning the new phone will not have a sim card and therefore does not have a phone number. It is not until the cloning is finished, hopefully successfully, that one puts the existing sim card into the new phone and thus the new phone inherits the existing phone number.

Or am I wrong?

I have always allowed the shop I purchased a phone to transfer everything but the last time they f***d it up. This time I will be buying the phone from Amazon and attempting everything myself.

3 hours ago, boydeste said:

Historically the Apple transfer has worked far better than Android, but my last two transfers on Samsung have been very good. You do have to log back in to some third party apps though!

All I am really worried about is transferring my WhatsApp and Line Apps and all the associated data from my existing android phone to a new one. As I am very comfortable with my current OPPO phone to me it makes sense  to stay with OPPO.

If I am cloning one phone to another am I right in believing that having carried out that exercise both phones should then look and look and act identical to one another. By that I mean as far as Apps and associated data is concerned not any additional bells and whistles there may be on the new phone.

What I am doing is trying to make up my mind as to whether I should buy a new smart phone or not. Or more particularly, when and where to buy a new phone.

I used to always buy Samsung simply because I got used to them. Not that I had many as change occurred when they stopped working for good or I had damaged them beyond reasonable repair. People who queue up outside phone shops every time a new model is launched IMHO are certifiable.

Then I bought an OPPO phone well over three years ago because they brought out a  model which got a great review of the camera and was less than half the price than replacing my aging Samsung.

I have been extremely happy with the OPPO phone but now that is starting to look its age and I am scared if it just stopped working I would be in the shite.

So do I buy one now or wait until I return for my month of March in Thailand and buy OPPO then?

I class phones as "capital expenditure" and I have an inbuilt reticence to spend my capital on anything.

The only downside of buying my original OPPO was that the clown in the phone shop (in Thailand) royally f***d up cloning my old Samsung to the new OPPO and I lost data for ever and had to reinstall my most favorite , and most used, Apps including WhatsApp and Line.

The same thing happened not so long ago to a good friend in Thailand which explained why we could not phone one another for a month or so.

To buy, or not to buy?

That is the question.

13 hours ago, Bazle said:

I think that is important for learning any language - you need to be motivated to learn.

I've always been useless at learning languages. For me, Thai is so far away from my reach that I haven't even tried, and I have little motivation as I can just about get by with English and Google.

How right you are and so was I.

I can still quote word for word my French teachers final comment on my end of year School Report:

"He is lazy, untidy and never works well."

Well I did get 11% in the mock O-Level French exam after which they threw me out French.

I mean what more do you need to know in Frog other than "Aimee vous les blow jobs?"

4 hours ago, Lemondropkid said:

I've signed up for a 5 week beginners Thai Language course. 

The course doesn't start till mid January,  and I'd like to learn a little before then. 

I know almost zero Thai, where to start?

Can any BM's recommend 

- any Thai language app for total beginners. 

-any text books, see so many in Asia books but are any worth buying.

-anything on YouTube?

All suggestions gratefully received 

Just start with "Mai Pet" when ordering any Thai meal. It will still come at least medium spicy.

On my second trip I let a Thai girl take me to the "Ruen Thai??" restaurant in second road and let her order a meal for the two of us. I wanted it to be an authentic Thai meal so I told her to order for me just as if she was ordering for herself.

It took my head off and my mouth would not  stop burning. I was told to just eat plain rice but that didn't help. I used up copious amounts of water and that did not help either. Half of the Thai staff were around me helping the farang in distress. 🤣

Mai Pet, for ever after!

2 hours ago, KWA said:

Shouldn't it be made effective immediately as if you are incapacitated before then it won't pay out?

Unless of course you have other cover up until that date.

I wanted it to start from the 1st December because I plan to make a second monthly trip to Thailand for the month of November 2024. I will take the chance on my trip to Tenerife on the 6th December.

5 hours ago, Krapow said:

Okay, but they did try, and i suppose if you have none to be found, then you have none to be found.

But i think for most of us, if they pull your regular GP ones, as they will try if they want, then everything's on it.

I mean, when i had food poisoning, was in Pattaya Memorial for a few days etc, they didn't pull anything. 

But i think if you really needed them, had a heart attack or similar, something major, they definitely would. They've told me they would, as did my GP.

I have just completed an annual travel Insurance policy effective from the 1st December.

From a monetary point of view that is a no-brainer as the cost of a single trip cover for a monthly visit to Thailand is only 30 pounds less than the annual policy. With such a monthly trip booked for March and a week in Tenerife early next month my anticipated further travel next year will effectively cost me nothing as far as insurance is concerned.

I really didn't consider this but reading the small print I find that should any new medical condition, treatment, investigation or prescribed medication arise during the year I have to immediately advise that to the Insurers.

10 hours ago, galenkia said:

 

Our Ford car could not understand Sai's Thai accent and she used to get really annoyed when she couldn't use the phone voice control.

It didn't work either for the Thai salesman at Ford's in Pattaya and I had to use it for him after he told me what to do.

I use Alexa for music but not much else. The sound bar I linked to my smart TV is brilliant.

55 minutes ago, Zeb said:

I suppose most of us would expect regular exercise to help with our sexual health.

Urologist Dr Rena Malik MD sets it out -

Scientifically Proven Way to Improve your Erections Without Medication

 

She is hedging her bets!

Yesterday I noticed her U-Tube video was on the subject of the respective merits and which was best out of Viagra and Cialis.

Basically, her conclusion was that it was a draw but as Cialis effects apparently last for 36 hours they are much better value for money if one can still shag more than once in 24 hours particularly if used in the generic version such as Apcalis.

She didn't actually mention "Apcalis" by name but that is what they sell in the Pharmacist in Second Road just past The Robin Hood.

So they tell me. 🤣

I tried quoting a member's post in the "What are you doing now?" topic a few minutes ago and that would not work for me either.

I am making up for the last two years when I could hardly walk and certainly couldn't travel.

Been finalizing the details of my month in Thailand in March this morning.

Bored this afternoon and the weather in Scotland is shite as usual.

So I just booked a week in Tenerife on the 6th December  with Jet2. 🤣

10 hours ago, galenkia said:

I only remember dreams for a few minutes upon waking then when properly awake have forgotten them.

My dreams are mostly like that and I often get quite annoyed with myself that I cannot remember the dream  that seemed so detailed and real apparently only a short time before.

I have a quite regular dream where I am driving a car up a steep winding hill and suddenly the car is going backwards down the hill and I cannot control it and I am in a blind panic waiting for the crash that never happens.

The most lucid dream I ever had was when I was being attacked in the street and I threw several punches to defend myself. When I woke in the morning I found dried blood on both my hand and the bedside table. It was very fortunate I had been sleeping laying on my right side throwing left hooks. If I had been laying the other way round I might well have decked Sai.

The first week in November was always the time when my golfing buddies started to return to Pattaya because you could count on the rainy season ending like throwing a switch.

Not this year and I was told in a message yesterday that it does not look good throughout the next 10 days or so.

Up "North" the rainy season normally ended a month earlier than down in Pattaya. Not this year as when I spoke to Sai on Line this morning it was pissing down in Mae Sot.

Some Lab in China has f***d up the weather everywhere!

On 10/20/2023 at 8:08 AM, forcebwithu said:

Agree, it seems Pattaya the hoops they make you jump through are designed to get you to use an agent.

One point, even using an agent you still have to show up at the immigration office. They take a photo of you to prove you were there.

That comment is spot on.

The last occasion I tried to renew my Retirement visa having done it myself for years I found that they had moved the goalposts. Having effectively forced me to apply initially for a short term extension the guy in IP said to me

"Why didn't you use an Agent?"

A few days later I gave up and went to see Secrets Thai accountant who had my passport returned correctly stamped within a few days. The "fee" was the going rate for "Agent" renewals.

I hate change!

If one is happy with Windows 10, assuming it is doing everything one wishes it to do, why move to Windows 11?

The laptop I am currently using came with Windows 10.

I absolutely hated it and followed a tutorial which made Windows 10 in appearance look like Windows 8. At least I think it was 8 so I was happy once again. 🤣

8 minutes ago, Butch said:

It's also nice to see a bar changing hands rather than being closed down for whatever reason. We've had enough of that happening over the last few years.

 

I can only base this comment based on watching U-Tube videos but it seems to me that there are new bars here there and everywhere in Pattaya. What there is not is anywhere near enough potential customers to make the majority of them viable.

Prior to Covid there were already far too many bars all chasing a diminished number of potential customers. If it was bad then, and it was, surely it is far worse now?

Or am I watching the wrong U-Tubers?

8 hours ago, Lemondropkid said:

I thought he looked tired and he hadn't shaved , but then if I was being filmed just now, not sure I'd look that different😀. He did also seemed subdued.

Maybe if it was Baloon Chaser filming it, he tells Phil to have a shave and cheer up a bit, at it comes out different? 

Anyway I'm off to have a shave now and brighten up my appearance, in case this Richard character starts eyeing up my assets!!!

 

 

 

Phil looks as if he needs a good rest and a chance to recharge his batteries. Finally finding a buyer for Milk cannot have come a day too soon.

I look forward to seeing a rejuvenated Phil in Le Pub when I visit in March.

I just saw a U-Tube video from Phil announcing that he has found a buyer for Milk.

I will be surprised if it ever becomes a rival to Le Pub next door.

Milk's girls staying put?

My first car was a "Sit Up and Beg" Ford Popular which burned engine oil almost as fast as it used up petrol. I used to pour used oil which came from taxi's into the sump.

The following is an example of the same car as mine except mine looked like it had been used for stock car racing.

I failed my first driving test aged 17 in a motoring school car. I then did 3,000 illegal miles in the Ford Pop putting the L Plates back on at the test center and sailed through my second test. The test "Examiner" loved the car not knowing that none of the indicators worked.

I paid 25 pounds for it and it lasted a year when a drunk driver crashed into it whilst it was parked and wrote it off. I received 37 pounds from his insurance company in compensation and 10 pounds from the policeman who gave me the bad news but wanted the four wheels.

Starting today, back on my virtually zero carb fasting diet to get rid of the excesses of my 9 nights in extremely sunny and nonseasonal hot Benidorm.

No problems flying with my now 7 week old new hip other than setting off the alarms on the body scanner at both Edinburgh and Alicante airports. 🤣

My hip stood up well although I was somewhat nervous in getting on and particularly off the sunbeds round the pool as they are so low down.

The resort, particularly the British Strip, was heaving. Every Nightclub with hourly live performances by tribute acts and politically incorrect comics was standing room only.

Fortunately, as I have no pretensions of class, I enjoyed my nostalgic return to the scene of my first overseas holiday all those years ago.