drlove

In a couple of weeks I will be home and setting up a new Samsung Tab 4 for my girlfriend. It's been so long since I set up my android phone I don't remember a couple of details. I've searched this question but I just see ambiguous answers.

My g/f is tech resistant, but she was given this tab and thinks she wants to use it. She does not have a google account or gmail. She will fight me when I tell her she needs one. She will be upset when I tell her she needs to give bank or credit card info to get free apps from Google Play Store. I'm not sure, but that's how I think it works. Am I right?

Do you have to give payment info in order to download free apps from Play Store?

Do you have to have a google account to use the pre-installed google apps like Maps?

She uses yahoo mail. Can you get that free app elsewhere without giving payment info?

My guess is that you can probably do some of these things, but it will be 10 times more difficult to get apps or run them. When I set up my android phone I had gmail and I think I just set up Play with Pay Pal. I didn't like giving personal and financial info, but it seemed reasonable and I didn't think I had a choice.

'Messing' with a farked up Thai swimming pool can cause you a lot of problems. I would not stick my nose in this mess. To the original poster, have you ever thought about joining a health club, that is, if you want to use a pool?

Wow! I would never put anything in their pool! You don't know these creeps. They wouldn't stand to be corrected.

If inspectors came in, I bet they would close the pool for a month. I might do that anyway, although I'm wondering if I contacted Tourist Police, they would care enough to follow through to health department. Any opinions on that?

I have read about what might be in the water and it is highly recommended not to let it into eyes or ears. I have excellent goggles and earplugs so I can prevent that. I haven't gotten any skin rashes and the regular swimmers seem to be coming back everyday in one piece. I do belong to a gym and sometimes I swim there, but it's a 20 minute walk and I don't do taxi motorbike.

I do like the idea of testing the water and I might do that.

I'm staying in big building Pattaya - 200 units.

Pool gets heavy use and is getting dirtier and dirtier. They have stopped putting chlorine in the water. There is a dried up old barrel in the pool maintenance room, but no more has been purchased for months. The pool is cloudy. I doubt the water is ever changed. Who knows what bacteria is in it.

Thai management is absolutely defensive / confrontational re all such issues, so I can't go to them. They wouldn't do anything.

A few years ago I saw some guys - I think from Health Dept? - going around testing pool water and talking with staff. It was very civilized. Who are they? Can I contact them?

The situation is ridiculous as it is.

Other recommendations? It's a nice pool and I don't want to move.