jacko

Steve McQueen

Would be interested to know... I have been getting rather frustrated in the last few weeks with issues of connection, and it is often reported as an inability to connect to primary DNS server. Perhaps some were due to a Firefox bug... but my bet is on True, Thailand!

Karl Malden

Mystic River

Currently on Firefox 52.01 32 bit and no issues.

Same same, place, The Mercure Hotel behind The Avenue on Buakhao 15.

Further to this Atlas, I was at the club Sunday and picked up a couple of flyers. The guy there is offering 2 group plans now. The original one is through AXA. You can enrol up to and including 70 years of age, and renew up to and including 75. An example of the cover is a total of 1,000,000 baht, excluding Out Patient cover, at a premium of 35,800 baht p.a. for 66-68 year old. Last year's price... they usually go up. (3 plans) The newer one is through Pacific Cross. You can enrol up to and including 80 years old and renew up to 90 years old. If between 65 and 80 a Physical Examination Report is required, which I guess is some form of check up. The coverage is more comprehensive and expensive at (for example) :- Cover up to 2,000,000 baht excluding OPD, the premium would be 61,640 baht for a 66-70 year old. (Again 3 plans to chose from) Cover in both cases is subject to a Waiting Period. You should pop in and get some flyers one Sunday, or any easy quick question for me, post here.

To be honest that would impact you USA guys a lot, many seem to travel with just carry on. Personally I am always relieved to get rid of my suitcase and not have to drag it around.. makes the security check easier too. Even when I do a short trip I get rid of my baggage, they would take any toiletry items off me anyhow, bottle of shampoo, can of foam etc! But I would not like to put my laptop in the hold. Chances are, if not stolen, it could be damaged, and the reality is it is important to me. Rather inconvenient for those who are on business trips too, many work while traveling. Used to do so myself for the first hour or so of a long haul, before I would put it away, order a drink and start looking at the movie selection.

A difficult ask as most airports have a large number of departure gates. Traditionally the security at gates was carrier controlled, say for USA carriers. I seem to recall Bahrain is one main building and a line of gates effectively in that same hall. So security for all local passengers and a separate one for transit. I still believe it is a limited supply of machines that can detect explosive materials and those aren't simply X-Ray machines. A lot of airports have just metal detectors.

They go through the machines either way. You always have to pull it out and put it through separately and I recall years ago, in some instances, I was asked to turn it on. Hasn't happened for ages. One thing the machines should be set to detect is explosive materials, even if a small physical amount. Some backwater International airports don't have the machines that do this I guess. Particularly if they are transit passengers. I say the USA should stop accepting direct flights from such places. Trump could issue an Executive order, oh hold on, they are Muslim countries and the individual States would not accept that. They would much rather have the explosions! Big International hubs in the Middle East like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar should have the equipment, but I have felt the checks on transit passengers do not appear thorough.

No pockets in shrouds.......

Home Alone

You should give it to him as a gift. He need not stay there alone...

I chatted to a bank guy the other day and told him how ridiculous it was to give 0.5% pa (taxable) interest. Not worth the administration effort I told him!

I do it quite frequently, Expedia and Agoda, they seem to offer good prices. You can book a room cheaper using your laptop in the lobby than discussing with the receptionist to extend your stay. Just have to be sure you won't be cancelling.

How about software on a Laptop?

If you are talking of the Expats Club Group plan, it can be renewed up to the age of 75.....and a first application can be made up to 69. The premium jumps about 21% at 66. (Based on old prices). I will find out in May I guess when I renew. Point being you can have insurance until much later and best to stay in.

I stand corrected..... not just Indians.

Something along those lines prompted my relatively early retirement. That and what was going on wrt Islamic terroroism.

Sorry if I repeat what GS Joe posted above, but I just got an email from Etihad on this. Seems to imply I would not be impacted flying via Abu Dhabii to the UK, although this contradicts what I was led to believe on a TV report yesterday. Following a directive from US authorities, we have been advised that guests travelling to the United States from Abu Dhabi International Airport are not permitted to carry electronic devices larger than a cell phone or smart phone on board. Mobile phones and medical devices are permitted but larger items including laptops, tablets, cameras and e-readers will need to be placed into baggage that is checked in. This must be done at the start of your journey. The ban does not affect flights leaving from the US towards Abu Dhabi and beyond. These new rules come into effect for flights to the US via Abu Dhabi, starting 25 March. Any guests travelling to the UK via Abu Dhabi are not affected by the directive from the UK authorities.

Ashley Judd

In my environment of living on savings, a few years ago I set myself a monthly budget, a spending limit. If I don't keep to it, I will need to schedule my death sooner. I look at the bank balance on the 1st, and see how we are on the next number one. A substantial figure I thought at the time, well surely sufficient if not generous! It was a nice round number easily guessed. In Thai baht of course, what use would other currencies be. Damned good I didn't set a sterling limit, Brexit would have made that impossible last year. It swung my mood, as on day one, her indoors gets her spending money. Twenty five percent gone already!! On the 24th or so I would get quite optimistic, being below budget, perhaps a night out. Of course I had always forgotten the electric bill is due, as well as pool service! The darned credit card bill too, I had used it to stay on budget, but like many do, I was only deferring the inevitable. Where does it go....the weekly massage, the 2- 3 nights out, or maybe 4. Meals out, usual household bills, something broke, truck needs gas. It used to be easy, but I lately find I chip it or bounce over...... Living here isn't so cheap any more! How is your budget doing?

Yes Somalian I believe..... I always fly via the Middle East to/from UK and from what I see on the news I am to be affected. (I travel with a laptop and use it when in the UK). Booked my next trip already so too late to go non-ME--stop, ie KLM, BA etc

I could manage taking the battery out and checking that in, but would then be hunting power points in the lounges and on board. Woman on BBC seems to think this will become more commonplace like the liquids ban, and will be extended to include mobile phones. I expect the thieving sods at LHR baggage handling are wetting themselves with glee!