chondan

A friend of mine traveled to airport in BK from USA and was going to VN same day. The women IO asked what phone he had. He told her he doesn't like phones and he has not had one for over 10 years. She got very upset and stapled a note in Thai in his passport. He can read Thai. It said "Do not allow this farang back in Thailand if he does not have a phone." He bought a cheap phone in VN. When he flew back to Bangkok the IO asked to see his phone. He showed it to them. He laughed cause it did not even have a sim card. It just lite up saying no sim. He tried to sell it in Bangkok but no shop would buy it. He threw it in the garbage can outside the the shop.

At my house in Isaan when finally water went by, the water dept. came to me and said I need to buy a water meter for 3,000 baht. My neighbors paid 400 baht for theirs. I mentioned that to the officials. I told them I won't use city water, I will just use the 3,000 baht to buy more tanks for rain water. I was very polite to them. The police came the next day and escorted me to the police station. They told me it was against the law to buy tanks without previous permission from the Phu Yai Baan and the Kamnan. Which is BS. They hinted that "I was on their list of trouble makers." They demanded copies of my Visa, work permit, marriage license, house registration, birth certificates of my kids copies of all my relatives Thai ID cards that were living on the same site. I had to go 20 kilometers away to the nearest copier. When I gave them the copies they said to me "wouldn't it be nicer to live in Bangkok?" I bought a water meter the next day for 1,500 baht. No problem after that.

I was working with a village group to dig a much needed canal for the village. They applied for aid of 100,000 from USAID. It took 6 months to be approved. In the week of the approval the Nai Amphur showed up in a brand new Mercedes to congratulate the villagers. Six months went by. When the money arrived at the Amphur it was only 1,200 baht. The Amphur officials used the money to have a teak sign saying that this canal was from the gracious grant from USAID. They had a big ceremony to erect the sign at the site. Only problem was there was no canal.

Years ago the Govt burned 3 10 wheel trucks of weed in Saraburi as a show of a crack down. I just happened to be in Saraburi visiting a friend at that time. We rode our mc to a hill near the site. There were over 200 farangs from Bangkok at the site. Including 4 of my best friends that I had not seen for quite a while. We enjoyed the party on the hill. Some of them camped over night. My friends from Bangkok stayed the night with us at a house in Saraburi. That night I went to the local police station (I was fluent in Thai). I bought 1 kilo of weed for 100 baht and gave it to my Bangkok friends. I was always invited to spend the night at their house in Bangkok and saved my hotel allowance whenever I was in Bangkok on official business. Those were the days my friend.

In the 70's Gov.. workers making 400 baht/month bought Ray Ban sunglasses for 100 baht/month for 7 months.

Exactly!

I have called it the China Virus ever since it happened. I have not given it the ABC PC BS names. And I believe the leak was intentional by the CCP. I will believe that until it is proven to be not true.

Thaksin was angry at the owner of 7/11 for not backing him.

My friend got his yaam (shoulder bag) snatched from him on Silom Road near Patpong in 1973. We were doing annual checkups. The next day we put 9 stool samples in a yaam and walked the same area. He held the yaam but not over his shoulder. Bingo! It got snatched. We went in the Madrid and changed our clothes. Then we went out to a Silom noodle shop to eat and watch the street. Lo and behold we saw the same motorcycle plus another mc with 3 riders going up and down Silom looking at farangs. They looked angry. We had to leave cause we were laughing so hard. The good ole days.

Most of the money is siphoned off before it gets to the refugee camps. Just ask the people working in the camps. I saw it first hand.

I don't read the comics much any more. I just read TAT articles.

It used to do that. Now it is just pork barrel BS.

A lot of "tea money" went to Thai govt officials in the 70's.

one word vocabulary

I lived in Petchabun in 1970-74. I rode a motorcycle from Petchabun to Chondan district very often. One day at the top of the hill I saw mama elephant and her calf at the side of the rode. I immediately shut off the bike and waited until they were approx. 100 meters off the road. Then started my bike and proceeded to the top of the hill and paused to watch mama and baby go down off into the woods. All of a sudden a bull elephant came crashing out of the woods where mama came from. He came right at me. Lucky my bike was on and and in gear. Screeched a wheelie, and got out of there almost crapping my pants. He chased and I could feel breath and spit on the back of my neck. He stopped after about 50 meters, but I went another kilometer down the road and waited an hour. I studied the road and noticed 2 more crossing areas. Every time after that I was very careful. I also rode the Lomsak- Chum Phae road for fun. New road from the Aussies. This was even more remote. I studied the crossings. I visited Petchabun many times 1990-2010. I notice that every single area I noted, now has signs. WARNING ELEPHANT CROSSING. I love progress.

What "allowance" will the Minister of Agriculture get with this scheme.

I live in MPLS. During that year it was one hell of a scary time for an old white fart like me. I had to stop shopping at my usual stores. I had an artificial leg and was still learning to walk. My grocery store is next to a bus stop. Sometimes I was the only whitey in the parking lot. It was one hell of a scary time. Gov. Waltz let them burn down the town. He said "let it burn" instead of calling the National Guard. I lived in Thailand for 30 years. I never was scared in LOS as I was in MPLS. There are many neighborhoods in MPLS that I can't go anymore. Still to this day. We had to shop twenty to thirty miles away during that time. So damn much destruction during that time. We were told by city officials not to call it a riot It was to be called a protest. Arson, shooting, looting for days. Estimated 500 million damage. There is a shrine for George calling him a HERO. They spelled it wrong, it should say HEROIN.

I had similar symptoms. I ignored it. My daughter [nurse] found out. Rushed me to the ER. Blood clot. That is why I am able to reply today. My age now 79. Do not ignore it.

The land dept. always get their share ++

When the riots and arson going on in MPLS the Gov. said "let it burn" his nickname in MN is (Let it burn}

CC = Corrupt <deleted>. Brown envelopes from the highest.

He is known as "Let it burn". That is what he said during the riots and looting and burning. He sided with the looters and all the arsonists. He did not kick ass and take names.

I miss Chalerm. He was interestingly fun to read about back in the days.

Never hit a chicken on the road with your motorcycle. If you stop the owner will say it is a 1,000 baht fighting cock.

I taught M1-1, to M1-7 all boys 12 years old. Smallest class 47 students largest classes M1-5, M1-6, M1-7 was 68 students. 900 students I would say maybe 90 students passed. However (every student passed.) One kid M1-7 weakest class, one student scored the highest grade in the school. I had never met him once. Thai Senators son. Amazing. Two years was enough. I also taught Univ. Senior English majors. I had to use a 4th grade text book. they said it was difficult. Later on I taught in Danang, VN. Kids 6-8 years old in a language school 10 kids per class we finished the book in 2 weeks. I have a masters in English and Educ. I have taught many years. The reason I taught in Thailand was because I had a farm and kids there. I wish I had known about VN sooner. The kids were eager and the pay was double what I got in Thailand.