sgtsabai

With the present US fascist "government", headed straight toward dystopia.

I was supposed to go to Bangkok in 1967 but was given a choice, take the R&R and stay in garrison rest of tour or go back out. I went back out. I got that R&R in spring 2002. Bangkok and Pattaya. Was back for xmas/New Years. I eventually gave up drag racing my 2002 Camaro SS, couldn't afford it because I was supporting half of Issan. I was a one month millionaire and loved it. Exchange rate was good, hotels were about half what they are now. You could meet a go go girl, sit and talk with her half naked, take out and when she left the club she would look like a village girl. Out for a meal, lot of frolic in the bed, breakfast, take tour, go see the tigers, eat, drink, and enjoy each other's company. Sometime stay with the same girl for days, sometimes not. No fights. I didn't feel naked unarmed. It was the GFE-Girl Friend Experience and it was good. I was an old FLB customer, some crazy nights there. Those days are gone, never to return. The world has changed and I guess we have changed enough to survive. In and out of Thailand/SE Asia since 2002, lived in Udon now since May 2010. Back to the what is left of America in 2023/4 for Agent Orange cancer in Minneapolis VA Hospital. The one and only time. My life is here.

Either S&W Mod. 19 or a "slightly worked" Gov't. Mod. 1911A1. As my instructor and later friend former Navy SEAL instructor said after asking the class in Officer Survival what weapon we carried, unholstering his and holding it up, "Gov't. Mod. 1911 A1, God's gun." Off hunting season I carried S&W Mod. 19 and later Mod. 586 on belt and SKS brought back from VN in saddle scabbard on horseback. Good coyote medicine. Hunting season, modified Rem. Mod. 700 .300 Win. Mag. Duty, S&W Mod. 19, later 586. Off duty everywhere my concealed and in truck at least Polytech AK-47. Mountains of Northern New Mexico everybody went armed, concealed or not. My ex#2 went armed.

Not exactly on topic but what if you do not have access to either/or computer or printer? I plan on visiting relatives and staying at wife's house in Lao, no printer but computer. I have to go to Hong Kong in a couple of weeks for medical supplies necessary for me to continue to live. I will not have computer or printer access to the best of my knowledge.

As a 10 yr. LEO many years back I will say the ICE "agent" was for one, stupid for walking in front of the suv from behind another vehicle. I've been involved in many traffic stops, roadblocks, vehicle stops when weapon fired, night stops, long night patrols involving overhead aircraft for search and ID gunfire purpose. I worked a great amount of time with NM State Police and Game and Fish. It was outlaw country back then, thousands of acres of mountains and back country roads/trails. We were taught over and over you do NOT shoot a fleeing felon unless that person is an immediate danger to the community. She was not a fleeing felon and posed no danger to the community. The agent, who may have reacted to being stupid enough to put his arm in a fleeing vehicle and being dragged once before, moved and fired his first shot from the driver's side front fender. 2 more shots point blank thru the drivers open window. Now I don't know what happened minutes before, how long she had been there, but blocking the road, no. She waved a car through and was trying to leave. Had I done what Mr. Ross did I would have been fired and criminally charged, and rightly so.

Knock on wood, so far it hasn't hit me in Udon. I know because I've never knowingly had a face scan, don't like them and will refuse if given the opportunity. I know it hasn't hit because my wife uses my card whenever we need cash.

I slipped down to the local picture show and got in by some miracle to see "And God Created Woman". Short few blocks down and back and my parents never found out. Heart attack territory there...lol. To this day I am surprised that the local movie theater owner ran that movie, being a good Baptist an all. Hell the entire town was full of bible thumping crooks, liars, thieves, and murderers. I grew up next to one. Richest folks in town and very high up in $ rank in the nation. Anyway as a youngster I fell in lust with BB. And in retrospect, she was still a beauty and more. RIP

There was a period when I was getting mail on time. A short period. Most of my mail now goes to a friend that remails. My bank won't mail to Thailand. New cards go to a friend for remail. And that mail takes its own sweet time getting here. Packages have been a real problem as many companies will not mail to Thailand. Again the same, mail to friend who remails to me. As I am able to watch progress in the states, it is there the problem comes from. I just watched a package sit in Houston for a week and spend a few days "in transit to a location". It now sits in Chicago, the place where packages go to die. I have had packages that had to have been deliberately destroyed the damage was so extensive. Several have disappeared into the US postal system, never found. All in Chicago. I hope somebody is enjoying the New Mexico and Cajun spices etc. Most fishing gear has to be remailed and the customs scam charges just about doubles the price. Automotive is the same way. I have a '22 Mustang that is barely broken in and I can't fine the speed parts here in Thailand I need. They may be available in BKK but everything I have checked has been in Thai and I can't read Thai. Once/if my package gets out of the states it doesn't take long to pass through the customs rip off here and on to either my house, or the PO for pick up as the PO often refuses to deliver. When it came time to vote earlier this year I sent my ballot thr. the Embassy, did not trust US mail upon arrival. A note on "customs". They once tried to charge me 300 USD for a 75 USD cowboy work hat. I filed an appeal and won. The worst was trying to charge me over 100USD for my own old clothes that I worn or taken with me to the VA Hospital in Minneapolis for my Agent Orange throat cancer operation. New clothes, ok I'll pay your scam but my own used clothes, no way and I didn't pay. Frankly once away from the customs scam and into the real postal system here the service is much better and quicker than the states.

I've had several run ins with the Customs folks via Thai Post. 1st was a 75 USD cowboy hat from the states, I believe they wanted to charge me somewhere in the range of 300 USD claiming that was the cost for the hat. Long time ago, I don't remember exact amount. Fortunately I had original invoice. I won that appeal but did pay some small customs tax on 75 USD. 2nd was recently, last year. I had flown to the states on what was an effort to save my life. I had been diagnosed with throat cancer in an advanced stage although the Thai hospital said they didn't use stages. I flew to Minneapolis VA Hospital ASAP, the best for cancer in the VA system and medically on parr with Mayo Clinic. I had stage 4a. Successful so far, few live past a couple of years even in the states, not that long here. I had clothes that I wore and took with me, winter stuff, one coat that was 30 yrs. old that was a gift from a former employer, that the hospital sent back to me. Customs/PO wanted to charge me 3,000 baht for my own clothes. I told them no, can't speak so I wasn't able to say all I wanted. I appealed and somebody released the package and it was delivered. Customs/PO said oh so sorry accident you must give back or pay 3,000 baht. 3 of them came to my house trying to intimidate me, wrong. I have translator on my phone and made it clear I was not ever going to pay for my own clothes and damn sure wasn't giving back. I gave them a oops my one finger slipped off USMC coffee cup handle, salute as they started to leave. Haven't heard a thing from them since. Battle them at your own risk. Most likely you will lose. But good luck one way or the other.

Get a check ASAP for throat cancer. I had for a couple of years worsening sore throats, mucus, hoarse, voice change. I finally reached the stage where I would get attacks where I could barely get my breath for minutes. The doctors missed it several times but finally did the tube down the throat, had to go under anesthetic, Then they did all the work and discovered the cancer. I immediately made flight to Minneapolis for the VA hospital, equivalent to Mayo for doctors etc. Stage 4a, 8 mos. in hospital with surgery, radiology, chemo. I'm still here but not the same person I was a couple of years ago and with the doctors telling me less than 40% recover, Thai doc says those that have here and have operation have here less than 20% recovery. This is a cancer that can/will come back. My advice, check for cancer ASAP

Yea, 20 years or so ago.

Wonder if he bothered to check the rise of the baht. Ah not that it's rise could possibly have any effect now could it.

Wrangler shorts, t-shirt, sneakers with short socks, outside the house. In the house, as little as possible. Cold weather, ok what passes for cold weather: Wrangler Jeans, western shirt, cowboy boots, cowboy hat outside. Same as I wore for years living and working in the mountains of northern New Mexico.

Ford Thailand is not to be trusted, period. I ordered my 2022 Mustang according to their stated options page on the Ford site and Ford brochure. I ordered the performance package and that is what I expected. What I got was not the performance package it was the Thai performance package in their just released folder of packages available. I raised holy hell about it all the way up to Ford Thailand and apparently the real performance package was never an option. That it was hidden would bring a lawsuit in most countries but TiT. I contacted Ford Thailand for the parts missing and was told they are unavailable here. I contacted Ford America and they won't even send the parts here. I would have to buy, have them sent to a friend to be remailed at great cost to here and pay customs a ransom to get the parts. My Mustang remains without most of the parts. Moral of the story, never trust Ford Thailand. Btw, the Ford mechanics here don't know how to work on the Mustang, jokes on me...lol.

They are a good choice. Very practical aircraft. Of course, will the deal go through and how soon? The problem, China will be happy to have one so they can build counter measures sooner.

I don't believe any far offshore fishing this time of year. Forget bill fish, Ling(Cobia), snapper, grouper, too many barracuda...lol, many fish but they aren't that numerous in the close shore waters. Check with Cap't Jari at the Pineapple Sport Restaurant/Bar on Soi Buakhao. Day trips from now until next "fall" will be available. I've gone out with his guys twice. Once for just a day trip, good day, plenty of smaller fish. Good crew. I just went for 2 nights off shore, we were closer to Hua Hin than Pattaya at one point and we loaded the boat with many varieties. 7Seas Proshop in Bangkok is a good place for tackle etc. They also might be able to point you to a fishing outfit. They did a great job on repairing one of my reels.

You have gotten some good advice. I'll add that treatments may not be the latest. My cancer was stage 4a but had not metastasized. I had a complete laryngectomy in the US last year at Minneapolis VA Hospital. It is pretty much on par with Mayo Clinic. The cancer was missed for several months and I missed the symptoms for much longer. I should have been more alert as Agent Orange has been a ticking time bomb inside for many years. I had both chemo and radio. A PET Scan upon release and another several months later here. From what I have observed I am extremely glad I flew to the states for my surgery etc. You might want to take that into consideration.

What they have done is make next to if not impossible to have friends send you spices, mixes, specialized Cajun foods and Northern NM Foods. They suddenly seem to be against the law, rules whatever. My friends have been sending Hatch Chile powder, posole and salsa's for years, same with Cajun crab boils, roux etc. All products were properly sealed commercial products. One package was trashed and returned another just returned and returned by the USPS because of the new rule/law and is now lost in what's left of the US Postal System after Mr. "NoJoy" has been wrecking it. Maybe if I spend more money on FedEx my packages will get through, those sent by FedEx seem to.

I had personal clothing sent back from the VA Hospital in Minneapolis to myself here in Thailand. I had been in the hospital for 8 months and the box contained older clothing I had brought with me, including some I wore to the states. I probably would have been better off using a shipper. Customs tried to get 3,000 baht out of me for my own clothing, some of the articles, coat etc. were over 20 yrs. old. I refused to pay and appealed. They did reduce the amount but I still refused to pay to get my own clothing back that I took or wore from here in Thailand. Postman appeared with my box after my 2nd refusal and appeal. PO later claimed he wasn't supposed to deliver and came to my house to 'threaten' me with refusing to deliver. I can't speak due to cancer surgery, but I did send them away with a very polite one finger salute. I'm still getting packages, most of the time...lol. Recent changes in the law of what can and cannot be brought in has caused a problem both on the US and Thai end.

Hegseth is unfit to be the dogcatcher in a one dog town. He got his start as a Koch brothers lackey in the anti-Veteran "Concerned Veterans of America" (CVA) formed by the Koch brothers to destroy and privatize our VA. He is a white nationalist christian and has the tattoos to prove plus hiding his past behind the "jesus and my wife" card. He cannot even name one member of ASEAN. He is incompetent as are all the other fascist nominees for positions. His only qualification for anything is bending the knee and kissing the ..... of the incoming wanna' be dictator.

I changed insurance companies last year after an attempt to scam me out of a considerable amount of money. I drive an expensive car, Thai import prices, Mustang GT. I carry first class ins. and always have on previous vehicles. Thai DL for 18 yrs. I'm 79 and still have first class insurance. If your insurance company chooses to not renew, I believe you can find another one.

I'm 79, still able to drag race my 2022 Mustang GT, pay my bills, shop, go visit the bars and ladies, and think for myself. I did NOT vote for the fascist trump. As the old saying goes, "I may be crazy but my mama didn't raise no fool". I don't need anybody telling me what I can or cannot spend period. I disagree completely with facial ID, doesn't always work, and I never use my phone for a money transaction, never. Thankfully I have not run into a problem where I need to pay a bill so large that BKK Bank says no. I am in some ways old fashioned, I grew up in a country that still believed in privacy. No longer true anywhere. If there comes a time when my brain is starting to malfunction I'll just check out. My account does have limits, I set them where I needed them and can change them if needed. Now if I can just remember why I needed to go the the bank, oh yea, renew my debit card...lol.

@fvw53 I am facing the same problem. I need HMEs and lary tube from the Veteran's Affairs Hospital in Minneapolis and they can't/won't send them. Apparently Thailand is a few years behind on throat cancer surgery. So far the only solution seems to be to send them to my US address and then forward here and hope "customs" doesn't want an arm and a leg for the package. They did when the VA sent my own clothes back to me after returning from the states. I got clothes, didn't pay.

The would be tin pot dictator that loves dictators is a lying coward that deserves not a single vote. He, his crime family and their enablers deserve to spend the rest of their unnatural lives in GitMo. At best a wanna be dictator, at worst a traitor. He nor any of the MAGA wacko traitors will get my vote. USMC SGT-Vietnam 1966/67 and I'm not the only Vet that would not vote for the deranged sociopath.

I cannot say why a Veteran would support somebody like trump. He belongs in GitMo for the rest of his unnatural life along with his crime family and cohorts. This USMC SGT-Vietnam 1966-67 Vet will be voting straight Democrat. I love my country, won't live there, and I want it to remain a democratic nation, improving all the time. Project 2025 should scare hell out of anybody that believes in freedom. And no, I'm not arguing with MAGA's, not worth the time. I've said my piece.