sgtsabai

I came in 2002 for the R&R I had to turn down to return to the field and never got. I told my buddy, VN Vet for ah some "company", "I'll be back at xmas/new years and if I like it as well as now I'll be moving as soon as I can retire". I came for the sex, the booze, the parties, oh those nights at the old FLB. I broke a cardinal rule, never bar fine from your drinking bar. Married her, unknown she was a gambling addict and now had my money to play with, and lost. Caught out after taking the money for the house and gambling it away and refinancing the paid for truck. Bought, well almost, house in Udon 2008, I was living here by 2010, after only working for 9 months for a couple of years. Soon the marriage went to hell and off I went, after a bit we made another try, but the gambling had her. I met a 30 yr. Lao lady up in Nong Khai, couldn't get her out of my mind and through ups and downs, bad times and good we are together now. Things have changed, Agent Orange finally got me, and cancer took my voice, left me crippled. I've been back to the states once for an 8 month stay in Minneapolis VA Hospital, the cancer hospital for the VA. Party days are over, not only have I had a forced change, Pattaya etc. is not the same and never will return to the glory days that I got to enjoy. I've still got my Mustang GT to play with, if I could get the tires needed to keep it in a straight line. Thailand has changed along with the expats coming now. Some actually don't come for the pussy. Weird...lol. Even with the changes here, I have no desire to return to the dictatorship of Amerika. Semper Fi.

I dropped Part B soon after arriving here permanently in 2010 after being a one month millionaire for years and mistakenly marrying and buying house, for her in 2008. At 100+% disabled the VA/FMP covers most of my medical and all related to my service connected disabilities with the exception of meds not on the "approved" list. I did fly back to the states for immediate cancer surgery at Minneapolis VA Hospital. A cancer hospital without rival in the VA system. Btw, Medicare Advantage is a scam and should be done away with asap. My 8 month stay in the states was 8 months too long except a reunion in Chama, NM with old friends, once "outlaws" now the upstanding citizens of the Chama/TA area...lol. I had been considered an "outlaw" long before become a LEO. Nice to spend time with son and family. That's it, barring an unknown unknown I will not return to the dictatorship now known as Amerika. I have no need for Medicare in any form.

Thinking if I were 20 yrs. younger, didn't have this damned Agent Orange caused cancer that took my voice and I was left crippled from the portion of my leg surgery took to give me a funnel instead of a throat and had plenty of money I doubt I would stay in Thailand in it's present state. While I missed the 90's 'boom' I got here in spring 2002 for the R&R I never got to Bangkok. That Thailand, yes I would stay. Today if 20 years younger and with enough money I would travel in SE Asia to find a place to put down roots. I probably would not stay in Thailand were farangs are only wanted for our money. I've been to today's Cambodia, no way. Years ago when Snookie was a great little place with enough women, oh yes I'm a sexpat and tough s--t if you don't like it. PI, I liked back in 2011 but for the guns, I'd have to acquire guns again. I haven't been back to VN and with my health now probably never will. Good looking women, but even in Cambo I slept with one eye open with them. And the do-gooders ran them out of Cambo. I like Asian women so SE Asia would be first choice. Puerto Rico would have been on the list and was many years ago. But the fact is everything has changed and few places will ever match Thailand in the 90's and early 2000's. I'm here, I have my love, my Lao lady of many years. I have my Mustang GT, well pretty much parked for now, thanks to an idiot that started a damn war. Nice house, nice neighbors and a young boy still in Lao. Wife's (ok I can call her that) house in Lao. I can't stay in Lao because of the lack of medical much of anything. But I've met some good folks there and they actually seem friendlier than here. So here I am and here I will die. Semper Fi

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

I first came to Thailand and Pattaya back in 2002 and felt quite comfortable to not have to "carry". I never saw fights and never worried too much about watching my 6. I began to notice change several years later. By 2010 it was really different. I was there for about a month in 2010/11 and many of my old hangouts were gone or changed to a degree that something just wasn't there that used to be. I returned again with a stay in Jomtien visiting an old friend from England and the FLB bar days with my Lao lady (who is still with me). FLB for one was gone, kinda' of a meeting place for many Americans when they used to come in more numbers. The beer bar complex just before walking street was changed with some of the old bars gone. Some of it could be that I had changed, spend more time up in Issan, bought a house for wife (mistake-divorced), retired and was no longer a one month millionaire. Last time I went it was a sorry shell of its former self. Frankly to see what used to be a great party town made me sad. Much older now, crippled and can't speak thanks to Agent Orange cancer, I've no desire to return. I've got the memories of a time that all the younger new commers will never know and a Lao lady that has stuck with me all these years.

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.

@ morrobay I do believe I've been to that bar, and a lot more. Started in 2002. Back in the old FLB days when Americans came and weren't ashamed of what their country had become. I was a one month millionaire back then. Retired and moved to Udon 2010. Pattaya and all that went with it is but a shadow of its former self never to return. Prices are triple, the women ah well, most are women. Plenty of Ladyboys if that's your choice. Around 2004 Pattaya started getting the younger crowd that had no respect for the women. I said back then if you treat the women like whores then we will all be treated like Johns. Became true quickly. Many back then were looking for someone to care for them and making money the best they could. Lack of education, jobs etc. sent the young women of Issan south. Many did not really want to be there. That is no longer the reason. As the education levels rose so did the jobs. I would wager most of the lookers these days are there for money. And yea, the internet. The glory days are long gone never to return. I've got the memories and some surviving pictures. A nice quiet house, a wonderful Lao lady that takes care of me after knowing each other for 13 years. Agent Orange took my Larynx, but thanks to the VA I'm still alive. I've got my Mustang GT that I need to get on the drag strip. And while I can complain, ain't nobody gonna' listen...lol. Semper Fi, 250th Marines.

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