gpdjohn

Hey Jack..this "vacation" sux! This place sux, big time. Got my bills paid and finished hauling nuclear grade materials xcross this great big hunk 'o shit. Should be back soon.

Naw Andy, spent it at Wat Promkunaram out here west of Glendale, Arizona. ( it's actually located in Waddell, AZ ..the temple where several monks were shot to death in a burglary 16 or so years ago..sad story )

Temps were down in the 40's, which were at 100 degreesF 3 days ago and it was raining. Burrrrr Food, not to plentiful, but was alright..wife got her fill of somtom balat, yep..balat. Couldn't believe they actually had that crap stuff over here...

Too cold for me to have anything but some fish ball soup 'n noodles.

I had told the wife when the guy and his family were playing, that if they did play Hotel California we were going to go home...but I actually stayed awhile longer to chat w/ some old friends.

And I came home sober.. another first.

Amazing Obamaland!

So, here I am..back in the Big Suck for a few months. Off to the Songkran festivities at the local Wat.

No problem..good Thai food, see some old Thai friends I haven't seen since I had moved away. Felt like I was right back at home in the Realm.

1 guy on a guitar with his 2 kids singing songs... not bad. Some Santana, sang a few from other artists.

And then it happened....

They laid into the Thai national anthem..

HOTEL CALIFORNIA....

Olgit,

Maybe time to take a short vacation outta country...

Free your mind.. a couple weeks outta Thailand can be a cleansing thing. Allows you to return and face the realities again.

And to remember..

There are no police in Thailand

There are two types of "innocents":

1- innocents who did nothing wrong all their life

2- "innocents" who are innocent of the crime they were done in for, but live a criminal life otherwise (i.e. known drug dealers, rapists, etc.)

I have no problem with category #2 sometimes going to prison for crimes they didn't commit. And the real culprit would probably be punished for some other stuff anyway...

So, no big damage here.

What I am really concerned about is category #1.

Who has examples of cases where allegedly innocent "good people" were found guilty by the Thai judicial system and imprisoned or executed?

I do.

My brother in law, Thai, is currently serving 29 years in a Thai prison.

Long, long story.. but will put it in a nutshell.

BIL worked as a glass maker ( lab glass ) for a older thai woman for several years. After marrying my sister in law and having a few kids, he decided he would strike out on his own. He is good at what he does. The older woman employer knowing how good he is, told him that if he leaves her company she will bring charges that he had stolen formula's etc. She told him she knew it was untruthful, but in order for him not to be a potential threat to her business, she would spend no expense to shut him down, whatever means necessary.

Move ahead 1 year... we are living in CM and this is going on in BKK.

Thai court formally charges him with 27 counts of theft and he has to respond. Off to court he goes with my uncle, a Thai lawyer ( he's the #3 guy in the Narcotics Control Board, an office in Govt House, lawyer type trips back n forth to the USA to meet with his counterparts in the USDEA.. a respected guy in the Thai legal circles by all means) After several court sessions, some legal haggling and sidebar trips from the womans attorney to the judges chambers.. 1 more court hearing to determine guilt/sentencing. My uncle pleads with my BIL to not go to court on that day..actually tells him that her lawyer has paid off the judge and he's gunna get bent over. Done deal. The money is in the judges pocket.."please don't go" he tells him.."give me time to fix it".

BIL dosent listen and struts into court. " Guilty" the judge says and then sentences him to 29 years. 29 years!

The woman ( who has since died ) reportedly paid a very large sum to the judicary to make it happen. My uncle has told me the correct amount, but that's not for here. ( I'm currently back in the US, will return in a few months and want to live a longer life, so will remain tight lipped on that..)

We are hoping for a Kings pardon this year.

Bottom line.. he did nothing legally wrong except to leave his former employment. No, he did not steal any formula's, etc. He just became a business threat.

And like MCA said responding to the "i can accept anything up to a 5% error"... unless it's you.

Believe me..it sucks.

I heard somewhere there is to be one in Ubon Ratchathani.

There is one currently operating in Nakon Nayok and has been for several years.

Smaller test reactor.

No, I would not joinn the Thai Army...

I hate doing landscaping and just the thought of how sore my forearms would be using a weed eater all day makes me cringe.

Nothing about Chiang Mai?

How can black Africans openly deal drugs in the Nana area of Sukhumvit and escape detection? They stick out a mile - so I've heard!

My good man, he was asking about Chiang Mai, not Bangkok.

Thanaval Village 2

You just have to watch out for this younger british guy who loves football and has a manshredder bulldog!

สุขสันต์วันปีใหม่ :jap:

Happy New Year to all.

Soon Thai police will be in the same level as the Mexican police - world class corruption..

I think they have the Federales beat.. with the RTP being recognized by the UN as a criminal street gang tops the list.

Mexico is currently "weeding" out it's undesireables.. by execution

I flew back on 01 Sept. Delta Airlines BKK-Narita-Seattle-Phoenix.

Not too bad. Normally fly into LAX, but chose Seattle this time. US Immigration seemed much nicer in Seattle than LAX.

Paid 56K baht.

Wife is flying over 02 Dec, same flight and paid 50K baht.

Last year flew United. Not bad, not great and the plane was packed like a sardine can, for me.. I will stick with Delta.

And it's getting cold over here. Wore pants and shoes for the first time in several years yesterday.

Have a nice, safe flight.

What's a "chaiyo"?

"Cheers"

Reminds me of a song...

" To dream the impossible dream.."

DEA not in the NL?

Amazing that 2 of my friends are agents currently operating out of a small office in Den Haag and have a Dutch Politie assigned with them.

I'll answer..

Yes, some operations are indeed allowed if the US is the lead agency. Been involved in a few with UK and NL authorities. Don't ask, because I will not go any further. It is the same in this case. The Thai authorities were in the lead..authorized US authorities to run the game.

The DEA

It is a fereral law enforcement agency and yes, dope is it's chief concern..but if other violations of US law come into play such as weapons, explosives, etc, then they are allowed to act. ( including moving ATF agents to work with them..just not named as the DEA would be the lead agency. Called a Task Force and could also include officers from LLEA joining in.It happends all the time, city badge goes in the drawer and the fed badge and ID are now in the pocket.. Been there ..done that. )

There is not always a need to detain or stop/arrest a suspect as he travels the globe with the possibility of him/her commiting other crimes. A few phone calls to the authorities in the countries in which the suspect is heading, and you can figure out the rest.

.

Easy to say you were involved in secret operations but as a matter of fact I know for a fact (don't ask me how I know...) that The Netherlands' government will NEVER allow US secret agents to operate on their soil with their knowledge. NEVER.

Period.

That doesn't mean that they (US) didn't act on foreign soil, including the NL, but it was NOT allowed; you might not even have known or aware that you weren't allowed to operate.

It's the same as that the US is really p_ssed off that the European Parliament stopped the demands by the US that they wanted access to ALL European bank accounts.

You know, still no answer to my question if the US would allow the same operation on their soil as they did in the Bout case on Thai soil.

DEA: I'm not a specialist but are you saying that DEA agents can switch from drugs situations into weapons deals where ever they are ? hmmmm.....if that's the case it is even more worrying since that would allow permission of the country where they operate.

LaoPo

Let me try again... your question was if the US would allow it.

I answered you.

YES. I have worked with UK and Dutch law enforcement WITHIN THE BOUNDRIES of the United States without a problem and were happy to have them with us.

It was thier case, not ours.

Does the USA allow Foreign Intelligent Services to (illegally) operate on American soil, luring foreign arms dealers and (have them) send them back to the the luring country ?[/b]

It was a joint operation between Thai and US authorities.

Bangkok was desired by the US authorities because there was already a well trained group of Thai operatives and a support network in place, The Thais were already cooperating on other files.

Thailand doesn't just have close working relationship with the USA. Both Australia and Canada have federal police officials and operatives worrking in Thailand, despite the public image that there are none. The DEA agents were not operating as rogue agents. They were in Thailand with the permission and the assistance/support of the Thai authorities.

The Bout apologists are running out of justifications for the man if they have to push the US secret police argument.

You talk like an insider...

Since when is the DEA also operating and dealing as a weapons' undercover agency, working on foreign soil? I thought the DEA was exclusively operating as a drugs and narcotics agency. That's at least what they say on their website.

I understand, that the DEA is working together with many other countries, trying to catch the bad guys involved in drugs, but weapons ?

Your remark about Bout apologists is silly.

We're talking about the legality of an operation by a far away intelligence service on a third countries' foreign soil.

I would have said exactly the same if this would have happened elsewhere.

And, what's more, still no answer to my question if this could -EVER- have been allowed on US soil...

You know what?

I don't think so

But, the US apologists refrain from a clear answer since they KNOW the US would never allow such an operation on their territory and that's why some of you chaps avoid answering that question.

LaoPo

I'll answer..

Yes, some operations are indeed allowed if the US is the lead agency. Been involved in a few with UK and NL authorities. Don't ask, because I will not go any further. It is the same in this case. The Thai authorities were in the lead..authorized US authorities to run the game.

The DEA

It is a fereral law enforcement agency and yes, dope is it's chief concern..but if other violations of US law come into play such as weapons, explosives, etc, then they are allowed to act. ( including moving ATF agents to work with them..just not named as the DEA would be the lead agency. Called a Task Force and could also include officers from LLEA joining in.It happends all the time, city badge goes in the drawer and the fed badge and ID are now in the pocket.. Been there ..done that. )

There is not always a need to detain or stop/arrest a suspect as he travels the globe with the possibility of him/her commiting other crimes. A few phone calls to the authorities in the countries in which the suspect is heading, and you can figure out the rest.

.

NOT A PROBLEM

Tell your wife to get a new Thai passport. The U.S. Embassy/Consulate will not "transfer" the visa to her new passport. She just needs to travel with BOTH passports. Shows the old passport with the U.S. visa at airline check-on, probably needs to show it to Thai Immigration on departure, too. Then when she arrives in the U.S. shows BOTH passports to U.S. Immigration.

My Thai wife has done this several times, and indeed, right now her 10-year visa is in her expired Thai passport, not in her new one.

Mac

Thanks Mac! When I get back I'll have to buy ya a cup of whatever your drinking at Future Park!

The best that you can do is go to the U.S. Consulate, Wireless Road, Bangkok and get a Marriage Affidavit. You will provide the details of your marriage, sworn under oath, and they will notarize/certify said affidavit. Cost $50.00 or equivalent baht. The affidavit then should be translated into Thai and certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

That's not a "consulate" on Wireless road..that is The US Embassy.

( petty I know, but there is a big difference )

to keep it short...

I'm currently back n Obamaland for a few months and want the wife to come and visit.

She just realized that her Thai passport has expired & still contains her US tourist visa ( good until 2016 )

Can she, upon getting a new Thai passport, have the US Embassy transfer the US Visa into her new Thai passport by making a visit to the American Embassy or is this just wishful thinking?

Thanks in advance

( another question would be, is the US Visa even still valid if her passpor has expired?)

Side note:If you think Thai Immigration is bad..The US has 'em beat in every way to make life difficult.

<BR>

<BR>

<BR>. <BR><BR>Anyway<BR>Has anyone noticed that when you get away from tourist areas, nobody pays any entrance fee to National parks.<BR>They are free to enter..<BR><BR><BR>

<BR><BR>Not true.<BR>I live on the "other" side of Khao Yai NP.. Prachinburi.( Actually a small village less than 6k from the park entrance) Not very touristy at all. My uncle, also an evil American, who has lived here for 30+ does as well. We are charged 400 baht everytime we show up at the gate..that's why we do not show up anymore. ( and most of the time the person working the gate is from our village, knows us and still demands 400B )<BR><BR>It might be alright with you if you only are here a few months outta of the year "visiting", but when you live here full time, it's horseshit.<BR>

<BR>Comes down to the residency non residency thing. If they really differentiated between residents and tourists I could live with it.<BR>

.

Anyway

Has anyone noticed that when you get away from tourist areas, nobody pays any entrance fee to National parks.

They are free to enter..

Not true.

I live on the "other" side of Khao Yai NP.. Prachinburi.( Actually a small village less than 6k from the park entrance) Not very touristy at all. My uncle, also an evil American, who has lived here for 30+ does as well. We are charged 400 baht everytime we show up at the gate..that's why we do not show up anymore. ( and most of the time the person working the gate is from our village, knows us and still demands 400B )

It might be alright with you if you only are here a few months outta of the year "visiting", but when you live here full time, it's horseshit.

Own a '09 Toyota and the wife uses it. My trusty 31 year old Vespa P200 is my primary mode of transportation.

I was expecting the anti smoking brigade to attack me...

no one, eh?

Well, how 'bout at Narita?

Some serious charges there, but one thing to keep in mind. Rape is a legal term meaning different things. For examples, there is the violent assault kind of rape and then there is rape because of sex with anyone underage, which is not necessarily a violent assault. There is no info here about what kind of rape he is charged with, whether it was violent, and also the specific age of the victim at the time of the crime.

..most Westernised countries define rape, in part, as 'penetration to the least degree of any orifice without consent'.

Use of any violence is an 'aggravating' part of rape, assault etc. and is considered by the court whereever the matter is heard.

One should also bear in mind that legal definitions can differ from most countries and even states, counties, provinces within those countries.

By that definition;

If I stick a finger in your nose or mouth and it's rape.

I suspect that is missing a few phrases of clarification.

If I stuck a finger in your nose that MIGHT be assault, but never rape.

Rape

Nope.. where I worked ( 17 yrs -criminal street gangs/ organized crime ) it would be an assault.. "Touching to provoke"

This guy is a tool and makes us all look bad. As a ex-cop and a FOJ, he's going to get some hard time..some really hard time.