Us Military In Pataya

[thaiman]

They're here! Anyone know when they are leaving?

[Jingthing]

I talked to some. They are raring to "invade" Burma with humanitarian aid. Sounds like a plan to me. Got to hand it to Burma to make the US government look excellent in comparison.

Actually, had a really funny moment with a crew of sailors. When I told them I lived here, one mentioned, what a shame this place has so much prostitution. I said, Don't you love it? They were headed to Soi 6.

Edited May 15, 2008 by Jingthing

[moo9]

I talked to some. They are raring to "invade" Burma with humanitarian aid. Sounds like a plan to me. Got to hand it to Burma to make the US government look excellent in comparison.

Actually, had a really funny moment with a crew of sailors. When I told them I lived here, one mentioned, what a shame this place has so much prostitution. I said, Don't you love it? They were headed to Soi 6.

Ying Yang.....

[Kerryd]

I talked to some. They are raring to "invade" Burma with humanitarian aid. Sounds like a plan to me. Got to hand it to Burma to make the US government look excellent in comparison.

Actually, had a really funny moment with a crew of sailors. When I told them I lived here, one mentioned, what a shame this place has so much prostitution. I said, Don't you love it? They were headed to Soi 6.

They might have thought you were a reporter, and were possibly briefed on "politically correct" responses to various questions. Should have went with them and asked them what they thought of the place 2-3 hours later !

Probably get an entirely different slew of answers.

[britmaveric]

Ahh so PC these yanks - prob thought his comments were being recorded.

[monty]

Supposedly we will sea a lot of American sailors this year in Pattaya.

They haven't been here for organized R&R for a while, but with the government supposedly stable again this is soon to resume.

First ship in for R&R should be the USS George Washington (CVN-73), with a crew of some 5600...

[MsFigure]

I talked to some. They are raring to "invade" Burma with humanitarian aid. Sounds like a plan to me. Got to hand it to Burma to make the US government look excellent in comparison.

Actually, had a really funny moment with a crew of sailors. When I told them I lived here, one mentioned, what a shame this place has so much prostitution. I said, Don't you love it? They were headed to Soi 6.

PROSTITUTION ?

There is no prostitution in Thailand - isn't that illegal ?

[onzestan]

Ahh so PC these yanks - prob thought his comments were being recorded.

Naaah, not PC he was hoping to get it for free, then it's not prostitution is it?

cheers

onzestan

[tropo]

Ahh so PC these yanks - prob thought his comments were being recorded.

Naaah, not PC he was hoping to get it for free, then it's not prostitution is it?

cheers

onzestan

They do well with the free stuff in the Philippines. How do they go here?

[Pattaya_Fox]

Over the last week or so I have spoken to quite a number of these guys enjoying their R & R..some of them have gone up to three months without leave...the excercises are supposed to finish towards the end of the month.

[onzestan]

Ahh so PC these yanks - prob thought his comments were being recorded.

Naaah, not PC he was hoping to get it for free, then it's not prostitution is it?

cheers

onzestan

They do well with the free stuff in the Philippines. How do they go here?

A free beer here, and a free beer there, and everything else in between.

cheers

onzestan

[wilko]

Met a nice polite "shore police" once...it appears his job was to talk politely to locals and expats to find which bars were anti- American or not.....Can you imagine that?!?!?! Anti American? well I never!

you know...i really hate the expression "Yank"......

Edited May 16, 2008 by wilko

[Phil Conners]

Yank is a lot easier than saying A-me-ri-can. Prefer "septic" ?

[wilko]

As a descendants of Pearlie-queens etc, my family used a lot of rhyming slang...septic tank did not refer directly to Americans (a word I have no trouble pronouncing) but the word it referred to WAS used as rhyming slang for Americans (or rather, "Yank")

[Ungabunga]

Ahaa... so its rhyming slang is it? I thought the term septic tank was used because they were full of sh*t!

I'm just joking. Those who I have met seemed to be nice fellas.

I'd be interested to know how their term 'Limey' came about though?

[barryofthailand]

Supposedly we will sea a lot of American sailors this year in Pattaya.

They haven't been here for organized R&R for a while, but with the government supposedly stable again this is soon to resume.

First ship in for R&R should be the USS George Washington (CVN-73), with a crew of some 5600...

Monty,

I wonder where you are getting your info?

The first ship in port was the USS Blue Ridge, and the second was the USS German Town. At this point it's not lokely that any other ships will be in this month, but no onje knows for sure as the navy does not like it known where and when they will arrive in a certain port.

Barry

[Kerryd]

Met a nice polite "shore police" once...it appears his job was to talk politely to locals and expats to find which bars were anti- American or not.....Can you imagine that?!?!?! Anti American? well I never!

you know...i really hate the expression "Yank"......

Actually, that is something those boys SPs & MPs) have been doing in various places around the world for years. Checking out bars to see which ones may have "anti-american" sentiments, or possibly a reputation for drugs, etc. then passing that info on to the troops/sailors.

We had a (Canadian) guy beaten quite severely in a bar in Hamburg one time. His crime was asking the DJ to play a song. The DJ mistook him for an American and went after him with a baseball bat. Then the bouncers joined in and eventually tossed the guy onto the street where some of his buddies found him.

Afterwards the police told us this was an "off-limits" bar for American military personnel because of the anti-American sentiment and suspected drug-dealing. Too bad they didn't tell us before buddy had his skull cracked !

So yes, as hard to believe as it is, there are a couple of places in the world where Americans may not be as loved and respected as they expect to be !

[Jingthing]

They are not allowed in the gay bars, another symptom of the underlying soft fascism in America. If caught in a gay bar, they would be kicked out of the Navy and lose all their benefits.

(BTW, believe me, alot of those Navy boys would like to go to the gay bars ...)

Edited May 16, 2008 by Jingthing

[wilko]

Ahaa... so its rhyming slang is it? I thought the term septic tank was used because they were full of sh*t!

I'm just joking. Those who I have met seemed to be nice fellas.

I'd be interested to know how their term 'Limey' came about though?

I believe that the term "limey" came from the British navy's policy of stocking all their ships with limes as a source of vitamin "C" to protect against scurvy.

[toptuan]

...another American-bashing thread (cf. JINGTHING, KERRYD) to add to the dozens per month on TV...

Get a life, you guys....

Edited May 16, 2008 by toptuan

[wilko]

Yank from Yankee - a native or inhabitant of New England - was an expression referring to the North in the civil war, which the Brits already used I believe in the end of the 18th century as a form of insult.

Edited May 16, 2008 by wilko

[PattayaDavid]

They are not allowed in the gay bars, another symptom of the underlying soft fascism in America. If caught in a gay bar, they would be kicked out of the Navy and lose all their benefits.

(BTW, believe me, alot of those Navy boys would like to go to the gay bars ...)

Jingthing, it sounds like you are disappointed.

[wilko]

Wasn't there a song????..."In the navy... dada dada dada daa"

[wilko]

In fact if I remember right the US navy were going to adopt it as a theme tne for recruitment, but then something stopped them.....at least in the British navy there's no such shyness...the age old addage of "Rum, Sodomy and the lash" has been its catchword for centuries!

[wilko]

Maybe that's why they wanted all those limes!

[wilko]

To go in the rum of course......

[onzestan]

Yank from Yankee - a native or inhabitant of New England - was an expression referring to the North in the civil war, which the Brits already used I believe in the end of the 18th century as a form of insult.

Actually it was the original nickname for the inhabitants of Staten Island who were Dutch.

Since most of these were named Yan and/or Kees (still popular christian names in the Netherlands) the name stuck.

So remember when you refer to the Yankees you're actually referring to the Dutch.

cheers

onzestan

[Jingthing]

Jingthing, it sounds like you are disappointed.

Perhaps. Always ready to serve my country (and no charge). I love our sailors too mut.

In the Navy, yes, you can sail the seven seas.

In the Navy, yes, you can put your mind at ease.

In the Navy, come on now people, make a stand.

In the Navy, can't you see we need a hand.

In the Navy, come on, protect the motherland.

In the Navy, come on and join your fellow, man.

In the Navy, come on, people, and make a stand.

In the Navy, in the Navy.

They want you! They want you! They want you as a new recruit!

If you like adventure don't you wait to enter

the recruiting office fast.

Don't you hesitate, there is no need to wait;

they're signing up new seamen fast.

Maybe you are too young to join up today

but don't you worry 'bout the thing

for I'm sure there will be always the good Navy

protecting the land and sea.

Edited May 16, 2008 by Jingthing

[britmaveric]

Ahh the Village People - perhaps we should throw in a copy of the movie Philadelphia - get see Ton Hanks/Antonio Banderas in a sailor's uniform!!

[Kerryd]

...another American-bashing thread (cf. JINGTHING, KERRYD) to add to the dozens per month on TV...

Get a life, you guys....

And why don't you.....ah never mind. It's not worth getting a "holiday" for.

Besides, where in the f#ck do you get "American Bashing" out of this ? A little too sensitive perhaps ? Anything humorous pains you maybe ?

In my first post, what I said is quite likely true. I HAVE SEEN IT and LIVED IT wherein we were briefed and told what kinds of things to say (or not say) to strangers asking questions on the streets/in the bars.

Is mentioning that "American Bashing" ? Is mentioning that, after the lads have had a few drinks their responses might be very different, "American Bashing" ?

What, the truth hurts or something ? Is the truth now considered "American Bashing" ?

Oh, by the way. I couldn't particularly give a crap if this was about the American, British, Canadian, Finnish or Peruvian navy. Would you be bitching if this had been about Guatemalan Navy sailors ? I doubt it.

As for my second post, again I HAVE SEEN IT AND LIVED IT. Can't handle that ? Then maybe YOU should be the one getting a life.

It is a matter of fact that the Shore Patrol/Military Police often do recons on various establishments. They often liaison with the local police, and get briefed on various "establishments" that should be avoided for various reasons.

Why ? Because, whether you like it or not, there are people in this world that are not exactly enamoured of Americans for what ever reason. Don't like that ? Tough.

Had our group been large enough, (i.e. had it been the battalion instead of just the anti-tank company), our MPs might have done much the same thing, and maybe our guy wouldn't have had his skull cracked (literally).

And I would have repeated that same story even if it had of been a different situation, and buddy had been mistaken for being a Kiwi in an Aussie bar. Would you be griping that I'm being "Anti-Aussie" ? Again, I doubt it.

Oh yeah, just so you know. Where I am, and what I do, helps to support the 8,000 or so American Army, Air Force, Navy (yep, they're here too), Marines and civilians that are currently on camp (in addition to the other contingents).

So, as you can see, I have a life.