nkped

By way of possible explanation, the decision to launch has to be made a fairly low level without much time. Otherwise, you can end up taking a hit like the USS Stark did when an Iraqi Mirage fired two Exocet missiles which struck the ship on 17 May 1987 killing 37. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Stark_incident

I know vendor pays the credit card issuer a percentage when a credit card is used. Not sure about a debit card used as a debit card.

Southwest had one where a piece penetrated the fuselage and a woman died as a result. The stranger report is that it continued flight for a few minutes after the transponder shut down.

Was on the way to the Avenue for lunch and an ATM visit. Had contemplated taking it out of my US account until I went past a T-T booth. Okay, I still have money in Bangkok Bank.

Note that Boris kept his distance from Trump in the run up to the election.

20 and a few satang to the USD in 1975, but a red note went further. Memory fading in my dotage, but I thought the USD was below 30 in the last 15 years.

Haven't done it in 4-5 years, but used to splurge and go to the Marriott on Sukhumvit in Bangkok for a couple of nights (convenient to Nana Plaza). They had staff visible at the doors in the day time. In the evening you didn't see them and a guest didn't seem to be a concern.

Did my 90 report online yesterday afternoon. The receipt said 2:28pm. The email saying it was approved was sent at 4:18pm.

On the other hand, we don't have to have anyone certify our proof of life letter back to social security.

OPM pension check rather than social security, but, yes, you have to go to a branch with both bank books and your passport. Okay for now, but it may be a problem if I am in the hospital on the first of the month.

Direct experience was between May and July this year, reasonably quick.

I'll leave it at I don't watch You Tube rants.

Take your word for it, but that's weird about the fingerprints. A major reason for the fingerprint scan should be to determine if the person at the counter is the same one who got the visa. If they erase fingerprints upon departure, how will they catch people who come back with new and improved passports after having had problems previously?

Grab will deliver far into the darkside. I had the regular ploughman's lunch on Wednesday. While I have had better, I have certainly had much worse.

Pretty sure we have the same flavor of bcbs. Found this on their website. Overseas Assistance Center Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For calls from the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, call: 800-699-4337 For all other calls from outside the U.S., call: 804-673-1678 Email the Overseas Assistance Center at: fepoverseas@gmmi.com

Never boarded one there but I think they load up in front of the high rise building at the market.

The baht buses do run from and to Thappraya. They load up 30-40 meters from Thappraya.

There have been other differences in the requirements for retirement visas and retirement extensions for some time, police clearances and medical certificates for visas but not extensions. That said, the logic of the insurance requirement would apply to all of us. I took the option of the certificate of foreign insurance as a moderately good sign. I had seen suggestions that it would have to be Thai insurance across the board. Of course, it may not help if/when I actually have to ask Blue Cross/Blue Shield to execute the form.

Received an e-mail from the U.S. Embassy about the widely reported requirement for health insurance for certain long stay visas. It doesn't say anything about extensions which is at least a good sign. Knowing a bit about the mind set, if the Thai police order didn't mention extensions, they were not going to say anything either way. Since it specifies O-A and O-X visas, I looked at the original transitional in-country visa I got as the first step to the retirement extension. It was an O.

I believe that Jomtien gets a lot of business, at least on weekends, from Bangkok Thais. Went to one of the open air sea food restaurants. Food was good, the parking lot was large and full.

I have conceded that tones defeat me with rare exceptions. Earlier this year, I knew I was going to need to get a ride to the the Thara Patong Hotel in Phuket so I found it on Google Maps. The screen showed the name in Thai. I told the driver Thara Patong and I got the WTF is this farang talking about. Then I showed him my phone, he says "Thara Patong" and off we go.

There is utility to knowing a bit such as turn right, turn left as well as telling time and days of the week. Same with some familiarity with the alphabet. I won't attempt to write out anything in Thai but if I enter something in English in Google Translate, I can sometimes tell whether what comes out in Thai is what I want. Mentioned to the GFE provider that she can understand my limited vocabulary and that other people in Pattaya might as well. If I said the same thing in Isaan, it would probably be alai na or what. She agreed.

I used to think that the one hour baht bus ride between Naklua and Jomtien Beach was a major attraction for the Russians.

At a catered event, watched a Jewish friend push slices of pork to the side of the plate but eat the rest of whatever it was. Intent matters.

Earlier this year, the kind young lady at the BB office at Soi 7 was quite familiar with the direct deposit form and happy to sign it.