peterdigger

I avoid flying with Thai Airways if there is ANY other carrier available on the same route, even Phuket Air. I have had 2 horrendous experiences with Thai. In 1997 I was on a Thai Airbus frpm BKK to C'Mai. No sooner did we take off then the pilot announced that we were returning to BKK for an emergency landing ! Skimmimg the ricefields at about 600 feet is no thrill. Neither is one engine shutting down as we landed. Imagine my shock as I sat in the left front Business class seat after landing. They brought the ground engineer to the front door on one of those steps with wheels. The pilot came out to talk to him - they looked at me and seeing a farang they assumed I could not speak Thai. Wrong. I am fluent in Thai. They had a heated argument, turns out the cargo door was not shut but that is nothing to what comes next. The pilot abused the engineer and yelled to the effect " you idiot, who flew this plane last night, it has not been refuelled"! We had taken off on vapor. The bottom line is, a REAL pilot would have checked his instruments before taking off - just ask John Denver ! The second incident was similarly nasty. I think someone has it in for Phuket Air - doesn't the PM have an airline flying domestic routes ? Hmmm. I still avoid Thai like the plague. Their service sucks too.

I have been here more than 20 years - NO I repeat NO cop EVER does hard time here. You folks out in cuckooland (i.e. the real world) should also be advised that it is A CRIME here in LOS to even comment on the outcome of a court case here, such is the bent judiciary and cop force. He is a murderer and should have hanged. He changed his plea, but then he gets "let off" for admitting his guilt EARLIER ! Shiiiiiiiiiiit! Better you all get together and next visa run bang in a hundred USD each and get him REALLY wasted.... just an idea, a pleasant fantasy aaaghhh ! I went to the C.M. cemetary today as the wife had to pay the electricity over the road. I stopped in front of the grave of Keith Tate, a 66 y.o. Brit who was murdered here in 1998 by his darling wifes' brother, allegedly. Nothing ever came of it. Time elapses, no one cares. Then there was my friend Mike, another Brit murdered here about 4 years ago. Five Thais go to jail, change their story, let out after a few months...... There is NO justice here. End of story. (sorry !)

I was working in Laos in March. You CAN take your car there - it is in fact quite easy. You can cross the bridge to Vientiane, or put your vehicle on a car ferry at Mukdahan and cross to Savanakhet in about 20 minutes. You must either have the car papers showing that you own it, or if it is a Thai's they must certify that you are allowed to use it. I think you also have to buy Laos insurance at the border crossing. You can drive right to the Vietnamese border. Laos is a great place to drive in, except that I come from a place where they drive on the left !

I flew with Phuket Air from Chiangmai to Udon in March. The plane was nearly as old as me - it did not even have overhead lockers, but it did have Rolls Royce Dart engines, the same ones I believe that some Lancaster bombers used ! We flew in heavy cloud and the flight was perfect, I noted that the pilot was a farang aged about 55 -60. I could not fault the trip, or the price. I reckon if your time is up, its up.......

This entire story is crap. Check the facts. The legal age for consentual hetero sex in Thailand is 15, not bloody 16 ! There are a billion whores in the Kingdom. Read between the lines. Who did he upset ? Or was it just that he took pretty pictures and did not pay enough ? Who knows ? Who cares ?

The first line is the person's name. The second is a village name. The third should be spelt as "Changwat" which means province or area. Good luck - I tried finding a girl in 1989 with that sort of address in another part of Thailand. I spent weeks and $$$ for zilch !

Been here in LOS for 18 years, been on a bus once only, 18 years ago. I would rather WALK from BKK to anywhere, than take a Thai bus. Driving or motorbiking here requires guts, but anyone who has seen my fantastic collection of Thai auto accident photos, mostly buses and trucks (or both head-on) would NEVER consider going on a long haul bus in the Kingdom. Nuff said.

As frumau says, what happens if the wife dies ? I have a good Thai spouse (after 2 bad ones !) and we have been together 4 years. I not only speak Thai, but I can also read and write it. While I was learning to read and write it at night, a new guy joined our class. Older Brit, in his sixtees. Been here for years. House, land, car every-darn-thing in her name. Fine, except she got breast cancer and died. He was learning to speak and read Thai for the forthcoming law battle, as her family wanted to "see him off". Better than another Brit expat here in Changers a few years ago. Married his Thai, lived in UK. Built a house here. Retired to find her brother in it and no idea of leaving ! Big verbal fight for several days, then the expat was brutally murdered outside a 7/11 store. No, the cops did not find out who did it. TIT. Good luck in the land game !

Maybe his name might help?

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His name is "Billy" (William) but I do not think he would like his surname plastered on the net - he is a good friend of best selling author and ex SAS man Chris Ryan.

Anyone know a fellow Toon Army (Newcastle United) supporter ex Parachute Regiment UK ? The big Geordie was my friend in Sakhon Nakhon about nine years ago but we lost contact when I sold my house and moved. I am peterdigger at hotmail.com

I have heard that alvocados are grown in the Chaing Ria area. I wonder if things such alvocados, peaches. grapefruit and grapes can be gron in Issan I currently live in Udon. Thee seem like expensive items and may well be worth creatin orchards.

Any ideas?

Ray.

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Ray, avocados are as cheap as chips here in Chiangmai - they are grown by the hilltribe folk and need cold weather and high altitudes to do well. The other fruits are usually imported from China, down the Mehkong. The Thai avocados are very large but really quite tasteless when compared with the imported variety. I used to live in Sakhon Nakhon and tried to grow fruit and it was a disaster - too dry and too hot. Good luck !

I used to live in Sakhon Nahkon where I had a few drinking mates. If any of them are still there, I live in Chiangmai now. I am ex Oz army. Several of them may remember me. Any advice about expats still there will be welcome !

Are any of you expats out there in LOS currently living in Sakhon Nakhon ? I lived there for nearly a year in 1993 and am wondering what it is like now. There were only about 4 expats there then and NO farang food at all. I live in Chiangmai now and wonder about my former drinking pals. Happy to hear from anyone ; I am [email protected] if you prefer it ! Cheers !

Do not know what all the fuss is about - I drink with one old UK chap regularly who simply gave the Immigration Police in C. Mai 1500 baht and got a one year stamp. T.I.T.

I have lived here for years and this administration is the most pox-ridden I have ever seen. I too am a LP supporter, (even sat up in bed on my wedding night to watch them win the 1973 Cup Final). I despise Toxin and TRT I guess after supporting my team for so long, I will have to finally listen to all my Thai family and support Man U..... I could not stomach seeing that arrogant Chinese billionaire collecting credits for someone elses hard work..... makes you wonder though, why LP did NOT accept the bail out offer of a wealthy UK fan......

My wife and I live in Mae Hia (renting while we build elsewhere) and I can only confirm that there has been no survey in our Tambon. My wife's Thai family live 2 doors from us and WANT the airport extended, as there is a solid rumour in our suburb that houses may be bought by the government as part of the extension plan. I like aircraft, but not noise and that is why we bought land in town away from the flight path. There is plenty of land available in our suburb, but with all the new airlines we see and hear umpteen planes a day. Incidently, they would have to extend the runway about 3klms before it would affect our suburb ! Guess the compensation AND the survey are just rumours....

good luck with the Oz embassy - they are the most incredible xxxx in the immigration area, especially the Thais who work there.. You will need to stay here for at least a year or go and come umpteen times. They will interview you umpteen times too. They want letters you have sent with dates on them etc and as much proof as possible - you must realise that a good percentage of those applying are rejected, as they have had huge problems with Aussies marrying bar girls. You can not blame them for that. It is the hardest country in the world to get in to. I know, been married twice to Thais and had to move heaven and earth to get no2 in . Be prepared for a long haul......

I know that Carlsberg stopped making Carly in February - I can stand that Chang rubbish - does anyone know if this is a permanent thing ? I am furiously stocking up every Carly can or bottle I can find and it is getting hard to find any ! Any good news would be welcome !

I realised today after reading the forum rules that I should not have used a persons family name, hence I now know why I never got a response from cyberland re ; does anyone out there in Issaan particularly in the Sakhon Nakhon area know the whereabouts of my two former ex-UK army drinking mates, Keith and Billy (the big Geordie) ? I now live in Chiangmai and have not been to Saknak for 10 years. Anyone who knows or even one of Keith or Billy can contact me at [email protected] thanks a million !

Hi guys - I used to stay at the meeting place too, back in 1994 when I lived in Sakhon Nakhon. Does anyone out there know if English Keith from Sak-Nak or big ex-para "Geordie" Billy McLeod are still in Sak-Nak ? I live in Chiangmai these days and they were drinking buddies of mine.

Does anyone out there in the land of smiles know if Billy the ex-para soldier who was living in Sakon Nahkon in 1994 is still alive and if so, where he is now ? Tell hime to email me peterdigger at hotmail. Ta !