ChiFlyer

I got my permission to stay date wrong in my head by 1 day. This will result in a 1 day overstay, when I exit Thailand next month. I was halfway down the path of thinking through what I needed to change to leave on time, when it occurred to me that the fine for the one day overstay (500 THB as I understand it) is probably significantly less than what the cost of the changes (air, hotel, VN Visa) would be, not to mention the aggravation of sitting on hold waiting for the parties involved. I have never had an overstay before, but my take on it after reading available info on the net is this is not a serious matter and that it is handled rather quickly when one is exiting Thailand. Any comments?

Penne in Vodka Sauce I used to order this dish frequently for lunch at a local restaurant while I was doing a 5 year IT infrastructure build out for a Chicago Bank that became part of JPM. Jamie Dimon was the CEO of the organizations that employed my services. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Dimon Jamie and I were not on a first name basis, but some of his direct reports participated in tech review meetings that I spoke at. Jamie did start to recognize me, and had a lot of faith in my boss, whom I owe a lot. Anyway, I never made this recipe at home while in the US, but started to think about it while I was grateful for how I came to have the resources to live my current life in Thailand. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/penne-with-vodka-sauce-recipe-1973607 This recipe is easy to make at about 1 hour and has a great taste IMO. Some pics In the pan Plated

Kind of a dual post here. I research via the net TV shows to potentially watch. I noticed "Pachinko" a KTV soap that spans close to 100 years in the history of a Korean family. My initial reaction was I had no interest in watching a KTV soap, but I noticed that the IMDB rating (8.4) and the user reviews were exceptional. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko_(TV_series) I gave it a try and I was glad that I did. The story is beautifully told. It is a bit much to get started with as there are several actors playing the same characters, due to projecting their age over time. One might want to do an episode recap for the first few episodes. I did and it helped. I am posting about it here in the Music Section, as the series opening song is one that I had long forgotten about, but have very recently earned a greater appreciation of.

Excellent advice. There does need to be a basic cleanup after the 10K doughnut crumb mark. I bought a small laptop vacuum device from Lazada a while back and it seems to help. Certainly not the end all. Here is the link to the subject on Lazada. I do not see the one I bought several years ago. https://www.lazada.co.th/catalog/?spm=a2o4m.home.search.2.11257f6dY7FGIG&q=mini vacuum cleaner laptop&_keyori=ss&clickTrackInfo=textId--8042373179294161720__abId--303285__Score--0.021564661757977947__pvid--a516aaa9-7665-4070-9834-12afad506ef2__matchType--2__matchList--2-3__srcQuery--mini vacuum cleaner laptop__spellQuery--mini vacuum cleaner laptop__ctrScore--0.19700942933559418__cvrScore--0.0034564293455332518&from=suggest_normal&sugg=mini vacuum cleaner laptop_1_1 Another thing that I do is when I sit down with Mr. Computer to start the day or what not, I look for any small particles on the keyboard or screen and clean them away. My higher end $3000 USD laptop has now lasted one year. I run 24x7 on it. I should probably buy a better protected tower device for the 24x7 part and better protect the laptop from this degree of duty.

Pork Chops, Apples, and Pancetta https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pork-chops-with-apples-and-pancetta-recipe-2107440 I started cooking at home more seriously a little over 10 years ago in the US. This was one of my early on recipes. I still make it 2 or 3 times a year today. The TGF also likes it. I was probably initially attracted to this recipe by Giada DeLaurentis' excellent looking boob job, and I am a naturals kind of guy. A key to this recipe is obtaining a pancetta that one is "happy" with. I buy mine at "Stile Italiano" on Second Road near soi 5 in Jomtien. This is a more than decent Italian Deli IMO. https://www.facebook.com/italianodeli The recipe is written for US style bone-in Pork Chops. I have never found the American version of these in the Pattaya area. Loin Chops, such as sold in Villa Market work almost as well. Loin Chops are a little bland, but there is more than enough flavor in this recipe to compensate for that. There are most certainly bone-in Pork Chops available in the Banglamung area, but I find the way that they cut them is rather fatty and larger than the US version to the point that they are impossible to get into a pan without crowding things. Crowding a pan prevents one from effectively browning said chops. I use Cognac for the Brandy ingredient. Buy a VSOP, if you go this way. The recipe only uses 1/4 cup, so you will have some decent sipping materials for the coming week. A few pics Finished in the pan Plated

Beef Stroganoff https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/beef-stroganoff-recipe-2124411 This is one of my go to recipes. I make it 2 or 3 times a year. Surprising me the TGF very much likes it and calls it American Beef Panang (but different). She does have a point. A few pics Off of the stove Plated

Since we are sort of on the topic of Pattaya tourist attractions that are worthwhile, ...... Back in the day (2002 or so), before I became an expat, I used to do get-away long weekends and holidays to Thailand while I was working in India. The company allowed me to work remotely from Bangkok for a while. As you all know, when one becomes the devil that the ladies know things can get more interesting. Anyway, while staying primarily in Bangkok at the time, I would make side trips to Pattaya and other places. While in Pattaya I met an MP lady that I clicked with to a degree. I took her to Koh Samui (before it became over developed). We spent a day just trekking around the island. It was a very nice time. We flew back into Utapao. She spoke a bit in Thai with our taxi driver and then asked me if I wanted to take the long road home to see a few things. The price difference was not much, so I said ok. About 30 minutes South of Pattaya we saw the "Buddha Mountain". Definitely worth a one time visit IMO. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_Mountain_(Thailand) Just the amount of work that must have gone into the effort is staggering. We also visited a temple near the mountain and the serenity and beauty of the temple and near by grounds was beyond impressive. Sorry, but I cannot remember the name of the temple. I was probably concentrating a little too much on getting her back to the hotel room.

Thanks for the honest review of "Tiger Zoo". I had been debating a bit about making the trip the next time the GF's nephew visits for a few days. He is probably still too young (6) to do the Noog Nooch required walking. Sounds like the "Khao Kheow Open Zoo" might be my best fit for a highlight of a young kid's visit. I tied arms (kind of like being a godparent in US terms) with his aunt when he was born and try to make a little effort to follow up on that pledge.

Agreed - I have never been, and will likely never go, as I have heard that similar to the Bangkok Floating Market it is a bit of a tourist trap. Glad the OP had some fun and sorry if I am sounding condescending. Places that I think are better attractions in the Pattaya area are: https://www.nongnoochtropicalgarden.com/ -> lots of walking if you have younger kids. I read in the Pattaya News that they recently added two baby elephants. Chonburi Tiger Zoo -> https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297916-d550369-Reviews-Sriracha_Tiger_Zoo-Chonburi_Chonburi_Province.html This place is about 1.5 hours North of Pattaya. I have never been, but have had several ex-pat friends say this is THE place to take younger visitors to. Again a fair amount of walking. https://www.elephant-village-pattaya.com/contact-us This place has been listed as open, closed, reopened, ...... Make sure to check before making the trip. It is about 1 hour primarily North of Pattaya. On the plus side, I took the GF's nephew and niece there to feed the elephants and they were wowed and it did not cost that much. Also not a lot of walking for young kids. Make sure to call ahead and there are some internet location sites that are incorrect, or at least there used to be.

I do not believe that Micky Dees has what I am looking for. I live in Thailand.

My game plan is to buy an iPhone 13 after the iPhone 14 release date. I am expecting the price for the 13 to drop at that time. I am not a heavy mobile device user and much more depend on my Windows 11 laptop (old dog that I am I guess). My motivation is that my current iPhone XS is beginning to have problems. It was a great phone, but it is time to upgrade. The most important thing to me is maintaining the dual SIM capability. Better camera abilities would be nice. From what I have read the Thailand release date for iPhone 14 is estimated to be October 14th, 2022.

Those are some good looking English muffins, very similar to the American Thomas version. Did you buy those in Thailand, and if so where please?

English Muffins vs American English Muffins vs English Crumpets A very generalized food purchase question here. I am an American. Back in the states I liked having some Thomas English Muffins on hand. I really liked the taste and the craggy tops were great for spreading jam, honey, or whatever. https://thomasbreads.com/products/english-muffins Here in Thailand that product is not available, but I did notice an English Muffin product available on Lazada. https://www.lazada.co.th/products/4-english-muffins-i3013319782-s11079243263.html?exlaz=d_1:mm_150050845_51350205_2010350205::12:17557799160!!!!!c!!11079243263!264278322&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7Kfy-KCD-gIVfp1LBR2ImADPEAQYAiABEgKhB_D_BwE I have bought these a few times and the taste is similar, but lacks the craggy top. I have done some internet searches on this topic, and noticed that crumpets do have the craggy top, but the recipe is different (I suspect that affects the taste) and for some reason they are only cooked on one side at tea time. Any comments?

And also "Stranger to Himself" is more than worth a mention.

Another cut I liked from the "John Barley Corn Album" -> Freedom Rider

Well of course this led me to the incredible material on the "John Barley Corn Must Die" album.

Actually, while looking at that link I rediscovered a link to a song that I listened to while in college > Traffic >"The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys"

I Liked that youtube cut you posted from "Sgurr Nan Gillean". Where are they from?

Back in 1993 I was going through some pain due to going through a divorce and learning how to go forward with raising my children as a divorced dad. I decided to quit drinking. That lasted for 12 years This cut from the "Counting Crows" eased the pain, as I got to know a Latina GF where things did not work out, other than a 5 year relationship where I learned to speak Spanish. At the close of that relationship I took a Las Vegas quick trip and drove up to Zion listening to this song several times.

I started listening to "The Kinks" when I was in my mid-teens. I came back to listening with the albums they produced in my forties. My favorite cut from that time was -> "Destroyer" from the "Give the People What They Want" album.

One of my favorite cuts by "Humble Pie" was "Black Coffee". https://th.video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-airfind-07&ei=UTF-8&hsimp=yhs-07&hspart=airfind&p=humble+pie+black+coffee&type=55#id=1&vid=5f9d5dc4b0258325257a5c79a1a84522&action=click

That one brings back some memories, not all of them good. After college, some friends of mine from the old neighborhood and myself, drove up to Milwaukee from the South Side of Chicago for some kind of Fall Music festival. The featured group was Humble Pie. While "30 Days in the Hole" was being performed, the crowd went nuts (I mean the entire audience) and raided the beer booths stealing all of the beer. The festival people were smart and announced "ok the beer is now free". I guess they did not want to bring in the cops and have a bloody riot ensue. It wasn't that long after the Kent and Jackson State murders. A lot of the rest of that particular weekend is a bit of a blur. Some significant events were: One guy got displaced and ended up calling the rest of us from the Lake Geneva jail after getting a little too frisky with an underage girl. We are still wondering how he got from Milwaukee to Lake Geneva in the first place. Charges were eventually dropped. At one point we "borrowed" a boat on some lake, drove it around for an hour, and got it back without felony larceny being detected. Oh, to be a young 6'10" man and bullet proof. O yeah, that doesn't work out in the long run, or any kind of run for that matter.

That is most certainly an iteresting cast. I added it to my to watch list. The 6.7 IMDB has me a little suspicious. Not to say that is a defining characteristic. I have watched 6.x movies before and also flushed ones rated considerably higher. One of my favorites films with a strong cast and a 6.x rating is Bullet (1996). (IMDB of 6.4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_(1996_film) The cast includes: Tupac Shakur (The man had charisma) Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire) Micky Rourke Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs) Adrien Brody Donnie Wallberg Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) It is not a classic movie by any stretch, but I enjoyed watching it.

Cajun Chicken, Sausage, and White Bean Stew. I have had this recipe in my inventory of recipes to try for a few years, but never gotten around to trying it. I decided to give it a go tonight and I was very pleased with the results. https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/chicken-sausage-and-white-bean-stew-3645485 I have several comments about the changes I made to the recipe. When this recipe was written (more than a few years back) by the much esteemed Emeril Lagasse, it was generally assumed that cooking beans from scratch produced a better product than using canned beans. This is no longer true. Canned beans are in fact the superior product and reduce the complexity of many recipes by a considerable amount. This was born out in an America's Test Kitchen (ATK) analysis. When in the US I would use the ATK recommended Goya product, until the CEO started using the platform of his company to make political statements that I found to be abhorrent. I switched over to Bush Beans at that time. Anyway here in Thailand Goya is not available, but Bush is. This recipe was written to use from scratch beans, so I had to change it around to use canned beans. This presents several problems. The cooking times are much reduced and one has to calculate what are appropriate times. I reduced the time from when the broth is added to 30 minutes. I added the beans (rinsed) and browned chicken at that point and continued for another 30 minutes. At that point I temp checked the chicken and it was at 175F. I had used chicken thighs and that is the correct temp. Dumb luck on my part. The recipe as written would be too much food for my household. I cut everything in half and only used 4 chicken thighs A tip is to make sure the oil is hot before browning the chicken, otherwise you will be doing a saute. You want the browning (Maillard) effect. The TGF and myself very much enjoyed this recipe and I will be making it again. A few pics Coming off of the stove Plated

Another thought - and everybody's situation can be different. One can currently get a 45 day permission to stay with an upon arrival visa. Once on the ground one can extend that to a 90 day permission to stay. I live in Thailand, so I may have things in place (bank account, long term rental contract, etc) that makes this approach work better for me than it would for other shorter term visitors. Just saying that the OP might want to take a look at this alternative. It eliminates the e-visa process and cost.