BanTamo

A certain hanger-on at our farm in the wife's Isaan village used to revel in calling me 'bakseeda'. Eventually I came up with a successful retort, calling him มะขาม (makham - tamarind). Both are names of fruit that can be used derisively for people, rather akin the a Chinese's use of ''babana' to indicate one if their own who they feel has become thoroughly westernized (yellow on the outside but white within). Of course a tamarind is brown on the outside but white inside.

My use of very basic Thai to 'politely' but very directly confront that guy over his disrespect won me a modicum of respect. I'm called Uncle now: definitely a promotion in rank.

It took me three times as long as you've been there to get to a rather rudimentary level of Thai so don't beat yourself up about it but it really is a prerequisite, not only for some minimal respect, but also to be able to actually take part in daily life anywhere outside the tourist havens (in other words, anywhere worth living, if not somehow engaged in the tourism economy). Just my two baht's worth. Good luck to you.

In my own experience those with such superiority complexes inevitably take a hard fall. And IF they ever get up again they spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out what happened. Most never do; they're finished for this life. But the fall at least works to their advantage in the karmic accounts.

Just rent the girls. And if you must build (I certainly did, and thoroughly enjoyed the process) be prepared to walk away. You may never need to but it keeps one from fretting too much. We can all do that at home

As Mr Houton feels it appropriate to quote the Talking Heads over this matter may I suggest he at least choose a relevant song?

Life During Wartime

Heard of a van that is loaded with weapons

Packed up and ready to go

Heard of some grave sites, out by the highway

A place where nobody knows

The sound of gunfire, off in the distance

I'm getting used to it now ...

This ain't no party, this ain't no disco

This ain't no fooling around

No time for dancing, or lovey dovey

I ain't got time for that now...

I got three passports, couple of visas

Don't even know my real name

High on a hillside, trucks are loading

Everything's ready to roll, I, I

I sleep in the daytime,

I work in the nigh time

I might not ever get home

Trouble in transit, got through the roadblock

We blended in with the crowd

We got computers, we're tapping phone lines

I know that ain't allowed

Get it straight, mate. This is a war in the making. And there will be blood.

Goodun samran. The interminable whinging that goes on in here is really quite something, particularly from the pensioners' brigade. I suppose those "otherwise unemployable" government workers who post the pension checks to silly buggers in paradise could be more productively reassigned to answering calls at a government nine whine whine hotline for missing pension checks.

The Thai Consulate General in Savannakhet is rarely used and very courteous, in my experience. We went to the "trouble" (it was actually very entertaining, and we were in KK anyway) of obtaining a visas from the Lao PDR Consulate in Khon Kaen, even for the Thais travelling with us, which seemed to impress both the Lao immigration officers and the Thai Consulate staff, so perhaps that is also worth remembering. At the time I had dozens of Thai entry visas in my passport, both non-B and tourist (single and multiple re-entry issued primarily in Hong Kong), and hundreds of entry/departure stamps, having lived in the Kingdom for over a decade. That didn't phase them. Savannakhet is also a very pleasant place for a few day's respite. Getting there is a bit more complicated but those who have lived upcountry for any length of time should have no problem. The boat from Mukdahan is really cool (or has the promised bridge finally materialized...)

just a thought ...

This thread needs to come back you OPs 555++

For quite some time now my simple, very small file photo has not been appearing with my user name when I post. It worked for donkey's years, and its still on my own page, but its otherwise vanished. Any suggestions on how to fix that? Could it have something to do with the fact that I only ever log in now through my android smartphone?

Cheers

I wouldn't doubt it for a minute. Dad might have had to make more than one phone call, but fewer than five

Chicago and New York are Consular offices. There is only one Embassy in any country and it's always in the Capitol city, in this case Washington DC. Which is not to say that the Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles Consulates are "professional" or not (though the diplomatic world generally aspires not to "professionalism" per se, but rather to diplomatic protocol which, in my own humble experience, especially with American diplomatic operations, is anything but professional). Having said that, the Thai Consulates in Los Angeles and Chicago have always provided polite and competent service for my family and I. Which, as another poster noted, is far more than can be said for the Keystone Cops outfit otherwise known as the American Embassy in Thailand.

I hope USNret made his free (actually not free, but rather paid for by the rest of us) flights to Thailand. Let us all know how your trip works out for you. I wonder if we should ask for a written report, or at least a postcard, given we paid for your flight? :-)

Living on the border in Nam Yuen in the 90s and 00s we frequently heard of the Thai Border Police tossing the bodies of slain poachers back into the Khmer side. Mixed in with these were local (Thai) small-time yaba dealers, their IDs having been removed from the corpses.

Those two love birds will be able to play kissy face across the corridor of the Graybar Hotel, at least for the weekend. It should be quite a bonding experience for them

I have, good sir. And kindly forgive if my weak attempt at a humorous play on the words of the OP offended.

"For precisely what? For being a foul-mouthed failed Footballer from Falmouth?"

No, just for being from Failmouth.

Excellent point, Kananga. SouthernMan? Don't need him around anyway.

noitom Today, 21:54

Doesn't seem like the type of guy who would be a hotel safe box thief

- http://www.24-7press...-who-241539.php

Stanford Who's Who Executive Publishing will print whatever you want upon payment of a small fee.

But who knows?

I think it'll be very worthwhile to pop round to Klong Prem to see how he's enjoying his stay in the LOS. Perhaps I'll start an annual program in, oh, say 2020. I'll be sure to bring him some American magazines and whatnot. And some KY if he's polite.

nob

anyone got odds on how long he lasts?

Yaba bobo!

Tres bum, dudes

I think I'll pass...

having logged about 30 visits between 1999 - 2003 i can assure you the site is certainly not a 'pile of rubble.' its a spectacular part of world heritage and incredibly fragile without a proper management plan. but it is a fact that the new government will have this damaging situation back in order within days of taking office.

Actually no, we couldn't build 10 more Preah Vihars. We'll be lucky to be able to preserve the one. This is yet another very, very poor showing by Abhisit and his ilk. Shame on them.

i have a couple of them, slightly used. pm me for prices