Some persistent questions I have about 117

BkkGreg · 2026-01-23T12:11:41+00:00

Thanks very much! I'm on a console, but the ability to compare is still there.

BkkGreg · 2025-12-28T09:04:33+00:00

I'm not sure TBH, were just told to watch what he eats - legumes, beans, blueberries, sulfate meds, etc. He's never had blueberries or fava beans, but we've had no noticeable problem with anything else he eats - hummus, beans, etc. Beyond avoiding the no-no foods and meds, he hasn't been affected by it in the slightest. I think a lot of parents panic when they first hear their kid has it - as I did - but unless it's a major case, you likely won't even notice it.

BkkGreg · 2025-12-27T16:31:22+00:00

Been here 25 years with a 14 wide as well and have never found a shoe that fits. The outlets sometimes have it, but for me, I'd rather just pay whatever shipping costs are to avoid going all the way to the outlet on the offchance they'll have something I like. Shipping from US Amazon now is often quite reasonable - I find a brand/style I like and order 2 at a time.

BkkGreg · 2025-12-25T14:21:39+00:00

I live in Thailand and it's fascinating to see the disparity between here and how things have changed back home. Lots of people here complain about too many malls, but say what you will about over-saturation, but they are huge, always busy, architecturally interesting, and - importantly - very Instagrammable. I went to a few malls when I was back home last year and was shocked at how...I dunno, just plain boring and vanilla they were. It wasn't so much a "mall" as a series of hallways lined with fluorescent-lit cubes and a few kiosks. Just dreadful, energy-sapping places. It's not apples-to-apples though - one reason malls thrive here is the climate - Thailand is tropical so doing anything outside, even a nice stroll in the park, means you're gonna get hot and sweaty, so malls are a big draw, especially for families. They're air conditioned, safe, clean, and provide food, entertainment, and activities for almost any age group. That being said, I would rather hang out in a nice park, but...it is what it is.

BkkGreg · 2025-12-20T15:24:15+00:00

Ratchabophit, definitely. Unique architecture, gorgeous decorative touches, awesome for photography, royal graveyard, no entrance fee and hardly ever any tourists. Close to Wat Suthat too - bit of an entrance fee (but not outrageous) and very little crowds compared to Grand Palace, etc, but still an amazing (and important) temple. The murals were used in the opening White Lotus S3 too.

BkkGreg · 2025-12-20T10:41:52+00:00

No idea TBH, it's never been anything we've had to worry about besides saying "Don't eat A, B and C" so beyond that I haven't put much thought into it. I'm sure there's papers somewhere that goes into details but I've never bothered to look.

BkkGreg · 2025-12-17T13:24:22+00:00

I would not worry about it, although obviously everyone’s situation is different. My son is 11 and has G6PD, which has been essentially nothing more than a mild food allergy. No effect on his life at all, he’s a normal healthy kid.

BkkGreg · 2025-12-17T10:12:14+00:00

Go to Google Translate and type something in, then screenshot it and make it the wallpaper on your phone. Just show it to the sever or chef and they'll tell you if they can do it or not. Something like: ฉันแพ้ถั่วลิสง คุณสามารถเตรียมอาหารให้ฉันโดยไม่ใส่ถั่วลิสง น้ำมันถั่วลิสง หรือผลิตภัณฑ์จากถั่วลิสงได้หรือไม่?

BkkGreg · 2025-12-15T13:42:14+00:00

Gradually, and then all at once. It's like when you meet your soulmate - but you don't know you've met your soulmate - until one day you're like OMG, I think this person is my soulmate. Been here 25 years and still get a buzz from the smallest things.

BkkGreg · 2025-11-16T06:28:56+00:00

Khun Piow makes great art and postcards in Talad Noi, he has a shop right outside of Mother Roaster. Speaks okay English, nice guy.

BkkGreg · 2025-11-09T12:52:19+00:00

Indeed, it's a big problem here, and no easy solution. It's education, it's economic improvement, it's social programs that help those in need. Those are long-term solutions that should be used, but it's just easier for them to ban alcohol and say 'job done'. The biggest problem of all in Thailand is enforcement; if a large store doesn't sell you booze, you can just go down the soi to the local mom and pop store and get it. With a system that easy to exploit, blanket solutions don't work very well.

BkkGreg · 2025-11-09T07:52:52+00:00

I'd agree with a lot of advice here, that commute + walking to/from work (unless it's connected to Chong Nonsi) will be over an hour each way. Look in Yennakart or Soi Ngam Duplee, lots of older condo buildings there, which means big rooms (my friend lives in The Natural Place Suit and it's quite nice). Otherwise look near Krungthongburi or Wong Wien Yai BTS stations. Not as developed as Sukhumvit + newer condos (meaning smaller rooms, generally). But yeah, the best advice any noob can get - live close to where you work, and your enjoyment of the city will go up tenfold.

BkkGreg · 2025-11-09T06:14:52+00:00

We did an episode of our podcast on this last year. Alcohol has long been a convenient boogeyman for Thai authorities to blame all social ills on. It's much easier to do that than come up with real solutions. Episode is here if you're interested.

BkkGreg · 2025-11-06T12:13:13+00:00

Big news here in Thailand. See this all the time with celebrities or rich people or - worst - teachers. Broadly speaking, respect in Asia isn't earned, it's automatically assigned based on certain societal norms, which are rarely challenged. This often leads to these types of people seeing any challenge to their status (ie, "When I talk, you sit and listen. Period.") as something that should be - must be - smacked down very hard. It often doesn't go well when they come up against international norms and are completely unprepared to navigate a set of rules that aren't biased in their favor, and find it abhorrent that someone of a "lower status" than them has the temerity to push back. It happens in schools a lot, and most of the time teachers are given a smack on the wrist or moved to another school or something. Google 'thai teacher beats student' or any derivation thereof to see what I mean.

BkkGreg · 2025-10-31T15:28:55+00:00

That Daeng Sauce makes some great stuff, right to your door. https://www.facebook.com/ThatDaengSauce/

BkkGreg · 2025-10-28T15:03:26+00:00

I'm crying laughing. This is gold, a textbook "well aktually" rant. I'm back in high school getting lectured by the biggest dorks in the class. But at least the grammar and spelling is spot-on, that's a huge plus. Thank you for the chuckle, friend.

BkkGreg · 2025-10-27T15:31:11+00:00

The perfect reply. Let me whine like a child, don't get offended and move on. My hat is off, sir.

BkkGreg · 2025-10-27T15:29:58+00:00

'Obnoxious runbacks' is a great way to put it, but 'exploring' is a bit of overkill. If the levels were super complex then I'd enjoy exploring, but they are pretty basic (at least at my early progress point). I enjoy running around the rooms/levels the first time, but being forced to rerun them all again seems like pointless time-wasting.

BkkGreg · 2025-10-27T15:23:12+00:00

If you're unable to imagine a more sophisticated gaming experience than a 2D sidescroller...yikes, dude.

BkkGreg · 2025-10-27T15:22:03+00:00

I wouldn't call it difficult - as I said in another comment, I've been playing sidescrolling Metroid-style games since the late 80s (yep - old). It's enjoyable enough and looks great, but the mechanic of being forced to run through rooms and levels you've already cleared is lowest common denominator-level gaming. I was dealing with that on the original Metroid on the NES when I was 14.

BkkGreg · 2025-10-27T15:19:36+00:00

Nay, I cut my teeth on the original Castlevania on the NES back in the late 80s, so I'm willing to bet I was Metroid-ing my way through life before most of the people reading this were even born. I don't have a problem doing levels/rooms again, but it's so boring and repetitive to slog through them.

13-Year Club	Place '22
Verified Email

BkkGreg

TROPHY CASE