xbusman

Well it was the 90 day run to Poipet today on Jacks Golf Tours. Great service by the way, quick efficient and painless. Took a lovely stroll around the bridge taking in a full dose of the Cambodian border to remind myself how lovely it is to live in Bangkok with the responsive and responsible authorities we have here. Nothing like a dose of Cambo to get your head on straight about Thailand.

Well my three year caused quite a stir this time. Glad I had Jacks Golf on my side. For some reason my passport was the very last one to be returned and was delivered to the bus minutes before pulling out of the station. The guides all took a look at the three year visa and I think the immediate assumption is that I must know someone in a high position.

So I am in year two and back in Bangkok for another 90 days. Seems to be holding up and looks like I might get three years use, at least until the rules change again anyway.

Here was my route

xbusman's route

Correct change only please. Move to the rear.

Okay, just for a walk down memory lane, a partial list.

Close friends beer and night out

Chubby Checker (musician)

John Daly (golfer)

Gallagher (comedian)

John Force (drag racer)

David Copperfield (magician)

First name basis

Clint Eastwood

Kevin Costner

John Madden (announcer)

Ray Charles (deceased) closer to Joe Adams

Bill Gaither (musician, most famous for writing lyrics for Elvis Presley)

George Bush senior, much closer to Barbara one of my all time favorite people

Michael Landon (deceased)

Richard Petty & wife Linda

Dale Ernhardt (desceased)

Might remember who I was

Bill Clinton (he forgets nothing, ever)

Al Gore

Jesse Jackson (politician and civil rights activist)

Merle Haggard (musician)

Sybil Shepherd

Tom Cruise

Ernest Borgnine

Art Carney

Ozzie Osborne

Johnny Cash (deceased)

Would probably not remember me

Kevin Bacon

Deon Sanders (american football)

Frank Sinatra (deceased)

Mohammed Ali (boxer)

Sinbad

Michael Feinstein (George Gershwin protoge)

Rose Marie Clooney

Mr. Matsushita (deceased) founder of panasonic

Ray Kroc (deceased) founder of McDonalds

Dave Thomas (deceased) founder of Wendy's

Augustus Busch, knew his son in law better, Bernie Little owner Miss Budweiser team

DeVoss & VanAndel (amway founders)

Would never remember me in a million years

dozens of race car drivers

hundreds of hollywood minions

thousands of musicians beating a living out of their bus

hundreds of atheletes that really werent sure where they were anyway

a few lottery winners (guaranteed to self destruct), a few people who were famous for their 15 minutes, a few politicians and world leaders that gave scant attention to minutia such as us, a few evangelical preachers, a few of the Saudi Royal family (now there were some WILD stories), a few world class professional cons (Evil Kneival for one and that SOB would remember my name if still alive, his liver was toast when we went nose to nose back in the 80's), and others I am sure I have purposely forgotten.

It was an interesting job, tons of stories. My boss was in his 70s and had been close with an amazing variety of people from Oral Roberts to Little Richard. He literally invented the motorhome as we know it back in the late 40s. They converted coaches and put the entire entertainment industry on the road. The stories were wild and you would find people like Loretta Lynne sleeping on the couch in the bosses living room when dropping by.

One day I might go back and try and collect up some of the road stories. Mix alchohol and drugs with big money, too much free time and a skewed personality celebrity and some of the stories were off the edge. Fame is a horrible curse, dont let anyone tell you otherwise. I met very few people able to handle the damage it does, at best it makes for a reclusive life. You have to see it up close to appreciate how ugly it is.

I used to sell converted coaches and hang with the rich and famous. They were some messed up people, I can assure you that with very few exceptions I would greatly prefer having a beer with ovenman, I bet his one liners are as good and quick in person.

A few favorites though were alot of fun, one was a comedian by the name of Gallagher, that guy could honestly get everyone lauging so hard they would piss their pants. Another favorite was Ernest Evans, stage name of Chubby Checker, he must be pushing 70 now. A kind gentle man who fell in love with his coach we built him. For the most part about 99 percent of my rich and famous group were just plain the most talented god awful @ssholes you ever would like to meet. It was interesting, always thinking about writing a book because I got to know most of the people when their guard was down, unlike professional media doing interviews and such.

Ovenman, you missed your calling. There is a big demand for one liners and you have an amazing talent. Whatever your doing, give it up and call jay Leno.

Hope the tails can stay on these.

Isnt the jury thing strictly American? I thought it was some odd idea of Jefferson because of abuses in the colonies due to the low quality of English judges willing to live in the wilderness. I think the English system uses three judges now and to the best of my knowledge Americans are the only ones laboring under the uncertainty of non professionals reviewing evidence. I could not imagine what the outcome of this farce would be if guilt in this case were determined by a "jury of peers".

The manufacturing might of America is almost too large to grasp. Its just so easy there because of the overwhelming infrastructure and educated labor, its also so expensive. The advantages alone are almost too numerous to list, from cheap oil to easy transportation to raw materials. There is no doubt that the low skill high volume mass production of items like toasters and cell phones have gone to places like china but in the end there is very little money in commodities operating in mature markets. Its what keeps the labor force unskilled and unpaid. Manufacturing in america has just moved to electron microscopes and satellites, airplanes and pace makers. Anyone who says that america doesnt manufacture doesnt have a clue about industrial output. I would agree that they are losing low skilled manufacturing but its just a stage of growth and development. Japan and Germany are having the exact same problem, the bad news is their governments work to prop up their failing industries to keep their people working instead of moving with market.

Having worked all over the world, I can tell you that no other country comes even close to the size and strength of the American industrial base. Japan has it dialed but still lacks raw materials and space.

I have the exact same "problem". Went to Chicago last March for a one year non imm B visa. Paid the $125, came back in three days and my visa was stamped valid until March 2007 (three years). I examined it at the Consulate and slid it back through asking if the date was mistyped. Answer "signed by Thai Consul, no mistake!" needless to say I beat feet.

I have worried about this ever since. Have been through Don Muang 20 times in the last year and only once got a frown and follow me. Got pulled to the little office where the many ribboned examined the visa with magnifying glass. Told me there are no three year visas, go immediately to immigrations in Bangkok to correct. All the other times it was stamp and smile, stamp and smile.

I did go to immigrations in Bangkok, at least five or six times in the past year. Every time I go I get another opinion on the validity of my three year non imm B. The process is identical each time (I do so love it here). I hand the passport and ask if the visa is correct, I am worried about "sam pi", they glance and say its good, no problem. I hand it back and say that I have never heard of a three year visa, I want to be sure to be legal. They glance and hand it back and say its good, no problem. Then I ask them to sign my passport with their badge number as having reviewed my three year visa and found it to be good, no problem. At that point they take my visa, look at it so carefully and I can see the exact instant it dawns on them that I have a three year non imm B. Their forehead gets all worked up and I can see the terror of something not of this world. Immediately my passport go through about 15 sets of hands with the same look of terror and finally the original officer hands it back and says, signed by consul, no problem, no sign, get out. I can hear the audible sigh of relief as I depart.

I have also shown this visa to the Work permit folks, used it to register my business, and have done everything except flag down Kuhn Thaksin for a quick opinion. The result is always the same. A form of beaurocratic terror followed by no problem, get out.

I spoke to Greg at Sunbelt asia and he gave me what I think is good advice. You got it, you asked, use it until you have a problem, sort it out then. Well the visa turned a year old last Monday and I am scheduled to do my 90 day run in April. If they have internet in immigrations detention, I will let you all know how it worked out.

Well found it in many tobacco shops in Chiang Mai at about 90 baht. Khao San Road is a rip off area but at least its easy to find there. I think one of the airport bus routes goes right past Khao San which would make it easy for a round trip jaunt if on lay over in Don Muang. At least I hope thats where that bus is going with that crew it usually carries.

The only people that smoke in England are French tourists or the unfortunate few that catch on fire. I would guess by now its cheaper and easier to buy drugs on the street than tobacco and to think they are the ones to start the whole thing.

Sorry, Golden Virginia is a little hard to come by in Bangkok. I buy mine on Khao San Road but its a bit pricey, 125 baht for the pouch. Depending on where your friend lives it might be best to purchase on the internet from one of the Spanish tobacco sites.

How could they crackdown on hubs when Thailand is the hub of crackdowns? I think they have to crackdown on crackdowns before they can become the hub of hubs.

Time for my nap.

I agree Harmonica, I looked at that, thought of all the work involved and 25,000 baht wouldnt make a good deposit. Now if its a dissertation on say.... short time, and expenses are included.......might be just about right.

I read it as "Masters degree level" not "for" a Masters degree.

I thunk it just means like use big words that nobody can understand much.

Dats what I am thinkin anyhow.

I make high end billet aluminum motorcycle parts for a few baht of profit. Most of my work is in Taiwan but I am slowly (and painfully) bringing it into Thailand. I have a number of extruders, milling machines, laser cutters, polishers and chromers that are all doing top drawer work in Thailand. Send me some info on what your trying to make and I will see if I can help.

Kevin Rodgers

Siam River Intertrade

Bangkok, Thailand

Toastwars, you have a great sense of humor and a very easy attitude but in this case you dont have the foggiest clue. I am the last one to worry about tsunamis, earthquakes, terrorism or for that matter anything the press would like us to worry about, but the bird flu could unleash something so terrible that you obviously cant imagine the magnitude of the danger.

I will tell you this, having worked with FEMA, the Federal Emergency Response group in the US, they are not worried about nuclear bombs or poisonings, okay a few millions or tens of millions die and we lose half a state, what they are terrified of beyond articulation is.... small pox. Number one terror, number two is a nasty flu exactly along the lines of H5N1. What they described to me as the progress of either disease would keep you up at night. These are some pretty solid people with some very deep understanding of what they speak of. This was ten years ago before our Bird Flu raised its ugly head. Every account I read rings exactly along the lines they described to me.

I for one am going to go out and enjoy life even more understanding how ultimately fragile this technilogical society is that we live in. BUT TAKE IT FROM ME, A DOSE OF TAMIFLU IN YOUR MEDICINE KIT MIGHT BE THE BEST INVESTMENT YOU EVER MADE. We might not have any control over our demise but I wear a condom and have a dose of Tamiflu.

Good luck

You stand your windshield wipers up immediately on parking.

I would like to take exception to a few comments about major building projects being late all over the world. The Japanese have become zen masters of precision large scale planning with large projects hitting schedules right on target over and over. In particular, the last winter Olympics held there was one of the best planned and operated in history.

No, this whirlwind of incompetence is plain fun to watch in Thailand. I think it is best when I take a cue from the Thais and laugh with all this zany posturing and not at the people involved. There is a differance between offending your host and enjoying the show. It will eventually open when it is ready to be open despite the best efforts of either political party. It will be rife with operational start up bugs, there will be at least a few corruption cases associated with it, and in the end we will all be coming to one of the nicest airports in the world stuck right in the middle of nowhere with a three hour taxi ride to get to Bangkok.

Now there is a good subject for a betting pool, guess the date the new airport officially opens for daily business. I keep hearing from subcontractors on the project that it has a long long way to go. Major operational system designs have not been approved yet by the government, much less finalized and put out to bid. I just changed my address and it took two weeks of paperwork, I cant imagine what its like to design and procure a radar system for a major airport.

I bet it opens in the last half of 2007 if there are no economic earthquakes.

I think John B Good is spot on when he says that 90% of the work is in the last 10% of the project. Its really easy to pour concrete but sealing roofs and getting communications working can be a beast.

When you begin to see the little green busses as evil.

When you wonder what all those lines are painted on the road for.

The first time you dig in your nose in public. WAY TOO LONG.

When it jumps, I don't think it will much matter if you live in Korat or Kentucky. The advantage of living in the west is they might be able to slow the transfer (stop international travel) and quarantine the initial infection for a short time. So living in the west you might get a week or two before it escapes there. Living here in SE asia with the government trying to keep a lid on information, you might have it before its announced to have jumped.

I have read a little on various opinions regarding Tamiflu, I dont think anyone is 100% sure it will help but everyone is pretty much agreed its the only thing available that might help. If thats the best odds I can get I think I will buy a little to have on hand.

Yes, The Who is confident that mortality rates will be greatly reduced with only some 20 to 50 million people dying. I have met and spoken with survivors of the Great Flu pandemic of 1917, Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. (George Santayana), and the devastation was horrible, far worse than any war on this planet to date. While some people might feel better off if the diet and exercise gits all succumb to the next pandemic when some simple precautions might have helped, I hate to see the weak minded victimized by life.

How scared does a government have to be to conduct a 24 hour complete and total destruction of domestic bird such as Hong Kong did back in 97. For all the hysteria in press, believe me when I tell you that they are toning it way way down, the people in the know at places like WHO and CDC are building bomb shelters and stocking them with food.

Toast wars, I am going to lay in a stock of Tamiflu if I have to fly to Roche in France myself. I will have some for sale if you ever need any. I am absolutely praying you are right and it will be the worst investment I have ever made.

Here is where a forum like this can make a huge differance. I dont want the cheapest stores to find Vegamite or the best pizza, what I would really like to hear of is a pharmacy that stocks and sells Tamiflu. I think its critical to lay in a supply. If anyone can find such a pharmacy, please post its location. I have checked about 20 pharmacies around Sukhumvit and found nothing.

I had the pleasure of spending some time with the Director of the Las Vegas tourism council, the main body for promoting Las Vegas tourism and learned some interestng things. Back in the late 80s a few moral nitwits decided to promote Vegas as the "family" destination. It came very close to completely bankrupting the city and opened the door to many other competitors such as Atlantic City. As a tourist destination, you can be Disneyland or you can be Vegas, you just cant be both. The Thais are in for a very bad time if they want to close their Vegas to open a Riveria. The costs will be monumental, at best it can only be marginally successful, and in the end they will have a tourism industry as well developed as say Bangledesh.

The best model they could use would be the mexican model. The Mexican government built "tourist only" resorts on the Yucatan and left the border towns wide open for the riff raff. These resort areas are heavily secured by the military and off limits to the Mexican population at large. I was always rather put off by concept of creating tourist areas that are off limits to the local population but unfortunately it works and works well.

I keep seeing outlines of this framework in Thailand. I think they are going to make places like Pattaya wide open and eventually build tourist areas with casinos that are walled off from the world.

You posted "can I really lose everything?" and here is the answer I have gotten for ten years from people who know. YES

You have no rights here, you are not a resident or even a guest. You are tolerated as long as you meet the minimum investment requirements. The Thai government for any reason or indeed for no reason could knock on your door, take you by the hand to Don Muang and send you off with the clothes on your back. Just like Astral wisely said, never ever invest more here than you are willing to walk away from. I have heard this from anyone who has been here long enough and is willing to be honest.

That doesnt mean you should not invest. Lots of farangs have invested and made far better returns than they could have made at home. At the end of the day however, it better be your milk money and not your life savings.