ccarbaugh

My favorite, (along with many other guys

that I know,) is Baccarra's on Soi Cowboy.

Although "pricey," and the music is terrible

and waaaayyyy tooo loud- the "scenery" is

to be found nowhere else on the planet!

Thanks for such a treasure of wonderful memories!

I first came to Thailand in 1973 as an Air Force

Postal worker. Fortunately, I was stationed in

Bangkok for the entire year and a half.

(Although I did do a couple of "Temporary DutY- TDY,

stints in Ubon, Tak-Li, and Utapao.)

I lived in the Villa Club- Sukhumvit Soi 33. There

were 54 U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force servicemen there.

All 54 of us were "kids-in-a-candy-store" with the

"free-flowing girls and smoke."

Patpong was heaven- no trinket-selling! Soi Cowboy

was just starting-up. The small Nana Hotel was a fishbowl.

Our usual "haunts" were the Grace Hotel Coffee Shop (Soi 3,)

and the ultimate- Thermae Coffee Shop! (100 Baht for any of the

large selection either on the sidewalk out front or, at the

tables inside.)

(Baht was 20 to the dollar and they had yellow 10 baht notes

and purple 5 baht notes.) Fried Rice (kow-pot,) was 7

baht. Goothieo-Luk-Chin, (Monkey-Ball Soup,) was 3 baht.

Taxi/Tuk-Tuk from Soi 33 to Patpong was 11-12 baht.

Thais seemed much MORE friendly. No AIDS, although

"the clap" was frequent. Guncha was available,

affordable, and tolerated by all- NO Ice, or

Meth!

Pattaya was quiet and pristine.

.....Just some ramblings from a (now) old-codger.....

Politicians using this law to attack their foes unjustly should be dealt with more severely than somebody who actually breaks the law in my opinion. To me this is 10x more disrespectful.

Who knows if it's unjust or not? It can't even be discussed.

I read about the accusations and defenses of them in the newspaper fairly often. The certainly can be discussed if done appropriately.

"can be discussed if done appropriately." - oxymoron?, contradiction-in-terms?, WHO decides "appropriateness???????"

In the U.S., if they fail, their held back a year and not allowed to go forward with their fellow students.

That USED TO BE the case, but now the PARENT

must give permission for the child to be

"held-back" or not.

Why is this not enough to make them content? After all, they already have the money from the divorce settlements....

It's because they want us to be as sad and lonely as they are.

No point in getting the money if the guy doesn't really care and is happy to have escaped at any cost.

(Only speaking about my former in the UK by the way)

She got the house, the kids, and a lot of the pension.

I got a new wife half my age and a new baby on the way.

Happy ...... you bet I am!

ABSOLUTELY SPOT ON!!!! (Im in the same situation - except no wife and no baby on the way!)

As for the comments about bringing your Thai wife to the US and the risk of her dumping you for a younger, richer man I think it's pretty funny when men embarrass themselves by admitting their poor judgement and describing how a Thai girl took them to the cleaners. Sour grapes from men who played the game and lost. Most of these loosers likely deserved what they got.

Well said.

Yes, poor judgement 20 years ago. "He who is sincere in love is not the idiot." Just a real shame for the 3 wonderful kids to find out that their mother is like that. - I only hope that I will live long enough to be as perfect as you profess to be.

Rule number one never take your thai wife to america.You're just setting your self up for a world of hurt.

It won't take long for her to meet other americanized thai women.They will quickly teach her how to rid her self of her "old" husband. There will be plenty of young studs chasing her believe this.

The experienced thai women will take her in hand and show her how to divorce the old man get him to pay support and all her maintenance / True all true.The american courts will be sympathetic to her.

I witnessed this happen to a close friend. They did't want to let her in but he pestered them until they relented and let her go to US. She made his life a living hell. Cost him a lot of money and caused him much grief.

WoW! - I'm not the only one!!! - My "ex-wife" is Japanese and NOT a "Bargirl" (by profession.)

After 16 years, having 3 beautiful kids, (in America,) getting her Green-Card, getting her Driver's license, getting her University Degree, she was then free to go back to Japan, hook-up with her old "Love-of-her-Life," (who "dumped her" after getting his fill of her,) dumping the "old-man" (13 years her senior,) and playing the

California "Family Law" system to take every possible thing of value from me. Therefore, I concur - "DON'T EVER TAKE YOUR WIFE TO AMERICA!!!"

(As for this "Visitor's Visa,") - sounds like everyone is guilty until (pursuasively) proven innocent.

"....for the land of the FREEEEEE, and the home,of the, - BRAVE" - hahahahah

Sounds like you have more money than you have sense - really, just stay in a good hotel "a few weeks of the year."

I live near the Major Cineplex- Ekamai. I have suspected that the (rich) Chinese owners of "Major" to be "anti-farang" as evidenced by their (subtley) not advertising the 60 baht discount rate on Wednesday nights anywhere in English. (Also, throughout Thailand and Thai society in general, those with some amount of "power"- political, financial,... encourage the masses to be "resistive" to farang "aliens," and the common-folk fall for it!

We have been to a few 7-11's on our last trip to bangkok and the people behind the counter new some english or got one of the other workers that spoke english.

To me this is a step in the right direction.Any help is better than none,

Finally, an intelligent "comment." - Thanks!

I stopped in Kohn Kaen about 2 months ago and stayed at the "Kohn Kaen Inn." It's only about 2 blocks from the bus station and it was delightful for only about 500 Baht- with breakfast! Good Luck

I don't understand your question. - What are you asking?

I am a retired American teacher that has been

living and travelling throughout Thailand for 2 years.

I have been looking for a teaching job here but,

because of the undesireable working conditions,

meager salaries and social and beaurocratic

nightmares- I haven't as yet found any positions that

have even come close to making me consider giving

up my ample free time to conduct an effective

educational program. I'll continue looking......

Mac, best wishes for your success and enjoyment!

Again, (as usual,) Jingthing is "spot-on!"

Yes! - Great News indeed! Thanks!

Interesting enough, this tells you that the Ban Nok's are not a bunch of idiots like the self proclaimed red leaders who knows only to sing, talented public speaker , trying to be gentleman in politics , not organized , no unity , coward , playing with emotions of the simple Ban Nok's feeling and worst of all committed slaying of red comrades.

First time mistake is not enough , these so called leaders have to commit twice.

There is this saying once beaten , twice shy , third better you die than we die.

This is so much love and respect the reds or the nation have for the big bullies and murderers alike.

Ban Nok's don't need academician , professors , pretty boy leaders or cowards to hold their nose up and follow them around.

They have their own head of province , under ground guerrillas warfare specialist and they have their own food and culture.

These groups of politicians, elites , bullies and murderer is going to have a hard time figuring out where and when there will be riots and burning of buildings and tires as a warning.

Thai nation don't need to pay protection fees to bullies for protection. The Red's are a bigger bully themselves.

More troubles is on the way until the bullies step down and hand the nation back to its people.

Bloop

Hmmm - is this "Bloop fella for real? Is he suggesting that the 99% of peaceful, hard-working Thais hand all the power over to the 0.1% of lawless thugs and their convicted, fugitive leader?

As usual, Jingthing is spot on!!! As an article in last Fridays BKK Post (correctly) stated, the Red Shirts haven't proposed any meaningful benefit for Thailand - they just want to inject their own corrupt members into Parliament. Thaksin should be ashamed on himself - genuinely disgraceful!

Just my usual - Pot C.E.U. I am happy to be HERE

and to be able to avoid the Thanksgiving/Christmas "traditions."

I agree - Everytime I go to Immigration, I am thinking to myself that all

this could easily and quickly be done online. But, then a lot of "officials"

wouldn't feel the huge "power-rush" that they're accustomed to.

Yes, VivaLaFrancfe and Ulysses understand the facts of the matter.

I would like to thank everyone for their comments and wisdom. It

has helped me to be able to "air" my personal "cry-in-your-beer"

sob story and learn that there are others that have experience/witnessed

similar tales-of-woe.

I am now working on the premise of "Do you want to be right or do you want to

be happy?"

I am choosing the latter.

Thank you all again,

OP

There is/are NO investments.

(I don't where that started- came from?)

Yes, I live on $450 a month and it is not easy.

The judge based the child-support on my full-time

salary as a schoolteacher at $1500 a month. So,

even though she gets half of my pension, $450,

I still go in arrears $1,000 per month. At the

last hearing, (Feb,09,) the lawyer I paid did

absolutely nothing, the judge didn't listen to

a word I said and gave her everything- the house,

the kids, the car, and kept the child-support at

the level of my (working) salary which I hadn't had

for 8 months already.

Just for the record- although technically irrelevent,

is the fact that during our 16 years of marriage, she never worked,

and ended up screwing one or more of her drinking buddies.

I was working full-time as a schoolteacher, and

raising the kids and taking care of the household while

she was out "socializing." I agree that I was thoroughly

duped by her and I am paying the price for that- but,

allowing her to use the kids to have me support her

is not something I'm willing to do. I'll go to jail first.

I did not flee the U.S to avoid child-support.

I was stationed in Thailand 36 years-ago when I

was in the Air Force. I went to court ($$$$!) to get the

amount "adjusted" to my retirement level

but the judge refused. My wife committed perjury

and succeeded in getting a restraining order so

I was stuck with a 200% payment amount,

prohibited from going near my own home, and

only rarely able to visit my children.

JingJing and Ulysses are "square-on."

MrRichard isn't understanding the reality of the situation.

We are ALL petty criminals. I can assure you every member on this board has broken one petty law or another at some time in their lives, and most probably lots of them. Overly restricting citizens right to travel, and having a passport is a basic requirement for that right, is something that totalitarian countries do. I consider overzealous policies to confiscate passports as an assault on our basic constitutional freedoms.

I just read my copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights and can't find anywhere that it says citizens have the "right" to a passport.

If it's a "right", why does the passport still belong to the US Government?

LOL your kidding right?

They didn't have passports back then and the freedom to travel was never an issue. To them that would have fell under "Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"

when i first read the op situation i was waiting to have someone call bs on him but i am shocked to find that big bro is now going international to get into civil matters. imho that is going way over the top. what next if we have unpaid parking fees they will grab our passports?

It looks as though I have no choice but to return to the "Land of Liberty," and be subject to the ex-wife's, her lawyer's, and the judge's whims. I will gladly accept incarceration there as I am left with only 1/2 of my pension ($450) which, in "the land of the free," isn't enough to eat on. I agree with Thoreau that we have a moral duty to "passively resist" immoral laws.