Damrongsak

Perhaps the guy flashed a few bundles of bills and the size/denominations corresponded to what was in the safe.

I like the US in general. Lots of things bug me and the future doesn't look rosy. The Thai relatives that we sponsored to come here 10 or so years ago don't want to go back. All but one are citizens now. Sis-in-law owns/runs a Thai restaurant. Bro-in-law had a little motorcycle repair business in Thailand. Recently he got a mechanic job here at a Honda/Yamaha dealership and he's loving it. He's making up to $950/week with performance incentives.

I had trouble with the eVisa web site hanging up. Had to do it about 4-5 times in total. Once I got all the stuff uploaded and paid, it took 7 days for a 60 day visa to be issued. The money suck part worked flawlessly.

This prompted me to do a bit of searching about major fires - theaters, clubs and high-rise apartments. Despite building codes, inspections and all, it's astounding at how many are due to rule violations and general incompetence. Coconut Grove fire 1942 - 492 deaths, Iroquois Theatre fire 1903 - 602 deaths https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nightclub_fires The Grenfell Tower high rise fire caused quite a stir. It was found that thousands of buildings had similar flammable cladding and insulation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenfell_Tower_fire#Fire_and_structural_safety_reviews

My wife and I had a great time when she went back to Thailand from the U.S. for a couple years. On-line video calls, no problem. She'd show me our garden with fruit trees and orchids, little pet chickens and whatnot.

Like Thailand and every immigration office has different rules. 555.

Maybe they used the feminine form to make it more endearing. 55

Shouldn't that be ai kwai (Mr Buffalo). ai is for men and ee is for women. I refer to my wife as ee-gaa in front of her family and friends. ????

She was my friend. I didn't want to leave her there back in 1978. The last 43+ years have been lumpy, but here we are in the USA. My first and only marriage, I swear. One is more than enough!

Some 40+ years ago was given the name of "Damrongsak" by a venerable old monk in Loei. I forget the meaning offhand, but it's not cheesy. Enduring or some-such. From Thai ดำรง (damrong) meaning "maintain, uphold, sustain" and ศักดิ์ (sak) meaning "power, honour". Pretty cool, considering the other things he could have called me, 555.

Duplicate

I haven't changed out my wife going on 44 years now. Even 120K for a new one every 15 years is cheap. But back on topic, those distinctive tattoos and the chip should be very helpful in identifying the female victim.

Yeah, when they come after your buds ...

I think I found my dream bike, a Singer. Not the old TT model, a newer Wee Wee model.

Maybe: https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Surin/Chang-International-Circuit https://www.thailandee.com/en/transportation-thailand/bus/buses-from-surin-to-buriram

I just applied and got my 60 day visa today ( one week - Thai embassy Washington D.C.). I had trouble with the wonky web site and had to go through at least 4-5 tries. It would hang up after half the docs were uploaded. One time I selected a slightly different option (not the tourist/pleasure one but still tourist). Holy cow, they asked for all kinds of extra stuff like insurance, life history and whatnot. Scared me. My friend applied for a 90 day just prior to me. They gave him 60 days, so he'll have to extend. Both of us have Thai wives and didn't have hotel accommodations. Did have to submit an invitation letter with a tabien baan house registration. ( I paid for that house and the land, just not in my name, 555.)

Joe got started in 1981 and stopped writing guide books in 2006. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/joe-cummings-lonely-planet-thailand/index.html So the bulk of the Thailand guide editions would have been in the 1980's. We were Peace Corps Volunteers in 1977-79 (same group).

Yeah, like the old Lonely Planet Thai guidebooks telling about little-known islands, Khao San road and other little-known gems at the time. A buddy of mine wrote several of the earlier editions. A few years later those places were mobbed. Thanks a lot.

The more paperwork you have, the easier it is to shuffle, misfile and conveniently bury things. [OT, but in the USA, my wife lost/misplaced her certificate of naturalization (citizen certificate). Applied for a replacement, at a cost of over $500. More than a year later, they still wanted more proof of citizenship beyond a passport. They wanted a photocopy of the original certificate. How in hell can I copy something that is lost? The original certificate specifically forbid copying/photographing/reproducing. I had to file a Freedom of Information Act request for any relevant immigration documents. I lucked out, as they did have a digitized copy of the damned thing and a bit of other "paperwork". For $500+, they could have looked it up themselves.]

The weekly charter rate comes to about $75 per minute. Perhaps a group of us could chip in for 10 minutes worth so we could take selfies on board.

Fruit knife ... https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/elderly-woman-cuts-fruit-with-knife-on-domestic-flight-4489245.html

How does the new super weed compare to LSD? I liked the latter, no use for the old weed.

TIT - the land of microsleep, failed brakes, pickup trucks hydroplaning in the rain and all that. Oh, and " I didn't see her-him-it in the road."

I want one of these. One pot, no fussy gears or brakes to mess with - just clutch and throttle. No electric or kick start. They don't go more than about 120 kph, but with about 75 HP, they can do 0-100 KPH in about 2.5 seconds. On dirt. If you can hang on. The bikes have to weight at least 77 kg. ???? Girls seem to like them. (3 of the 4 riders here are multiple time world speedway champs.)

Here's a Japanese race bike set up for 3 riders/90 kg total.