BanTamo

Does anyone recall how, in the early days of T's 'war on drugs,' when the eastern border was closed to the traffickers in the WY, Khao Phra Wiharn became their main route into the country? Surely HS knows what he is doing with this polite little overture?

I would like to hear more from batblaster... c'mon, mate, pour it on...

Brilliant post. Thanks for the link to the original.

The long arm of the law...

After a week in BKK (our non-aircon house in Pakkred, aircon hotel in Suk soi 11) then the overnight aircon sleeper to Ubon, a night on the family farm and then a night in Nam Yuen I woke up with a sore throat that I knew from experience heralded wretchedness. So I grabbed some 500mg Amoxycilin caps in Nachaluay on the way to Pakse and headed the dam_n thing off just as the lung infection bloomed. Unfortunately it was cold in Pakse and on the return I stayed in the hotel behind Wrong Way in Ubon and the aircon brought it right back. Feeling poorly I chose to fly back down to BKK. Another week there, with a fair amount of debauchery, and I chose to stock up at Suvarnaphumi. Despite 2000mg / day treatments I sit now in bucholic, pollution-free Soccorro, New Mexico with a full-blown cold (though at lease the chest infection is gone). I'm sure the million-hour confinement in the back of a full Cathay Pathetic bus didn't help either. Obviously I swear by the antibiotics. If Zythromycin had been available in banoke I'm sure I'd be just fine now.

Thanks for sparking the memories! Spent many fine days at those falls 6-8 years ago.. Will return soon and your post reminds me to include them in the visit!

I have used Chaowattana as well. Many times. They're cool. Also a lady who has a counter inside the airport, but don't recall her or her company's name. I never had a problem with overcharges at either one, and I don't read Thai so couldn't have reviewed any contract anyway. Doubt you'll have a problem. Enjoy your trip!

Perhaps Khun Sondhi will soon be the second Thai owner of a UK Football club!

Because of these kind-hearted foreign husbands, sick Isaan buffaloes have access to better medical care than many people in America! And that's a very good thing. Yes, I say we keep it up!

Oh OK then! Been meaning to get back up to see what's become of my wee house over the border in Nam Yuen and free beer Chang is just the kind of motivation I needed! Thanks lads and see you then!

People in situations like this one are killed all the time (as any cop knows). For a small fee judges can (and do) 'pierce the corporate veil' and divest foreign-controled Thai corporations of land, especially if, for example, any property tax is even minimally delinquent, so you are in no worse shape for your so-called foolishness. Only you will decide where your values lie, and the 'ngun duan' (pension check) arrives at the weekend so I'd bet you'll do so by Monday. Here's hoping whatever choices you make sit well with you later in life (when you'll not have the ability to undo them). I know of at least one 'old Thai hand' who could not abide the way he had acted when he was at the same crossroads at which you now find yourself and he went to his maker in a bad way. His kids, whom he had kidnapped from their Isaan mother (while supposedly taking them out for a lunch of 'gai yang' in Ubon) and spirited away to his western country of origin, had very little to guide them when he met his untimely demise. And the mother, never really stable anyway, lost what little sanity she'd had as a result of the kidnapping. Tragedy all around. Jai yen yen! I for one hope you give a thought to the laws of karma, not just the legal system. I navigated a similar situation eight years ago. I was devastated and sometimes I'm still haunted by what transpired. But my daughter is now nine and she's a lovely girl. Young and helpless as she may have been when it all went down it was she who pulled me through it all, and she most likely knows it. Good luck mac.

Full marks for the Ratchathani Hotel. It is a bit of a boutique hotel, at least for Ubon. The restaurant is good too. The Laithong might be more fun but the Ratchathani is not to be missed, especially at Loy Krathong.

Tomatoes were a popular commercial crop in A. Nam Yuen C. Ubon ca 2000 and did well in open field conditions, but verticillum wilt is rampant and the relevant fungicides somewhat costly. I believe most have discontinued. They're also growing them up on the Bolalvens in Laos but having to deal with nematodes. I've heard there's more of a tomato industry up near Chiang Mai but haven't seen it with mine own eyes.

Hey Mac - The Pratumrat had a nice facelift in 2003 - lobby was totally changed. Didn't see the rooms after my stay there in 1999 (they were just adequate then) but the nightclub was pretty good while I lived in Ubon (1999 - 2003). But you're right about the breakfast there: was still about as nice as what you could get on the overnight train from BKK! Curious about the Lao camp; there's a rather large Lao community in Albuquerque that dates to the mid 70's. There's also a big Air Force presence here. Can you give me any background on the connection? I mean there are lots of air bases in the US; how did it happen that so many got resettled in ABQ? Do you know of any published history of the resettlement program? I remember when all you guys showed up in Ubon for the World Team skydiving event; more than made the papers! I always wished there were some way to access the stories of you guys who were in Ubon during that era. Seemed to me from my vantage point at the turn of the millenium that there ought to have been some of you left somewhere around the Changwat but I never found a one, and I did poke around pretty good.

I flew Gulf Air between HKG and BKK more than 100x during the period 1992 - 1997 and they were always great. Cabin crew were primarily UK female, always casual and pleasant. Gulf always had a 2 for 1 deal on business class tix which made the round trip slightly cheaper than economy, but totally flexible. Counter and office staff at each end took the trouble to know me by name. One night I showed up at Kai Tak and I only had flight coupons for the BKK>HKG leg on me. They let me on the plane on the promise I would have the proper coupon delivered to them (at Kai Tak) in the morning, which I did. In 1999 or 2000 I moved a whole bunch of personal effects from HKG to Thailand. I put my beloved cat and over 80 EXTRA kgs on that plane and they waived ALL charges and took good care of my cat! I was for some time the only gold card member Gulf Air had in Hong Kong and they treated my royally! I would give them a vote but as far as I know there's no such airline as 'Gulf Emmirates'

You might just get away with sodding the neighbors (as long as they're both of the opposite sex). In fact it may be that the Gov't of the Rep of Sing recently made hetero sodding legal as part of their celebration of the launch of this new 'suites' service. Does it strike anyone else as odd that it was SG that was the first to put into service these flying 'love hotels'?