Service

[udon]

Have you considered moving to a diff province?

[Aviador]

With your philosophic outlook and attitude, you'll win here too Cap'n 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey, thanks Doc.

I don't think I will ever win, but I may adapt (god forbid )

I have one Farlang aquaintence here. Has lived here for over 10 years. He told me recently: "You have to stop thinking American. Think "Thai, I do now".

This guy, although likeable is unreliable, untrustworthy, drinks too much, exaggerates and not relly a shining example of what I think I would ever want to become.

Greets the ol. Capt.

PS. Rainy season ???? It hasn't rained here for a week, except when some black clouds overhead blanked out UBC and the kids missed their favorite show just at the most interesing part.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Same same as flying an airliner nose on into a wild storm Mayday, Mayday. Mayday

[Aviador]

Same same as flying an airliner nose on into a wild storm   Mayday, Mayday. Mayday 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And heeeere we go again.

Guarantees, or the absence of such.

I have a 14 year old boy living with me since the Tsunami. His father is a cop in town as is his grandfather, a Major with the local constabulary. His parents had marital problems. The boy came to play video games and had stayed overnight on December 26th when the tsunami hit. Lucky for all concerned, the father was in Phuket and the mother in Bangkok visiting relatives, because the wave obliterated their home here in Baniang. They literally lost everything. Both parents begged me to take care of the kid in the meanwhile. Remembering raising two teenagers myself it was almost too much to ask, but the kid was really no problem. His dad had promised him a Motorbike for his 14th birthday prior to December 26th which now was impossible. With much moaning and groaning on Don’s side, I offered 13,000 Baht towards the purchase of a new 23,000 Baht Honda Wave. (Well, I am a softy when it comes to kids anyway.) At first I was dead set against it because Don seemed too immature for his 14 years. But I relented with the stipulation that the vehicle not be registered in my name.

Yesterday the bike had a wobbly rear wheel making all kinds of grinding noises. I suspected a defective rear bearing and suggested driving it slowly to the local Honda Dealer only 8 km from here, since it only had 5000 km on the odometer and a supposedly 15,000 km warrantee.

Hahahaha, LOL. Shades of Mitsubishi. He came back with a bill for 650 Baht.(yes it was a bearing) Later I queried the owner of the dealership who told me, since the bike had been purchased in in Phuket it should have been taken to the dealer there for warrantee service. What if they had bought it in Bangkok ???

Like RIPLEY used to say: “Believe it or not,” or: “There’s sucker born every minute.”

Trying to think Thai ? It ain’t easy.

Greets, the ol’ Capt.

[TokyoT]

That washing machine repairman make a visit yet? You gotta’ be running out of underwear.

[Aviador]

That washing machine repairman make a visit yet?  You gotta’ be running out of underwear. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No. TokyoTsan.

It needs a timer, because it stops at a certain spot and has to be advanced manually.

I have repaired many a washing machine in my life, but I'll be darned to to take this one apart myself. For once, I want warrantee service, even if I have to stand here and move the timer by hand for the next 2 years

Sayonara.

[TokyoT]

That washing machine repairman make a visit yet?  You gotta’ be running out of underwear. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No. TokyoTsan.

It needs a timer, because it stops at a certain spot and has to be advanced manually.

I have repaired many a washing machine in my life, but I'll be darned to to take this one apart myself. For once, I want warrantee service, even if I have to stand here and move the timer by hand for the next 2 years

Sayonara.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good to here you at least have clean skivvies. Thailand is entirely too hot to consider the alternative. Now all you have to do is sit around and wait for h*ll to freeze over, and the repairman will be there soon after.

You do realize they are waiting for your warranty to expire before sending said service man.

BTW the repairman is the brother of the TOT lady.

[Aviador]

That washing machine repairman make a visit yet?  You gotta’ be running out of underwear. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No. TokyoTsan.

All it needs a timer, because it stops at a certain spot and has to be advanced manually.

I have repaired many a washing machine in my life, but I'll be darned to to take this one apart myself. For once, I want warrantee service, even if I have to stand here and move the timer by hand for the next 2 years

Sayonara.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good to here you at least have clean skivvies. Thailand is entirely too hot to consider the alternative. Now all you have to do is sit around and wait for h*ll to freeze over, and the repairman will be there soon after.

You do realize they are waiting for your warranty to expire before sending said service man.

BTW the repairman is the brother of the TOT lady.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh the joys of living in LOS.

Two weeks ago Friday the phone went dead again. it wasn't raining or anything. No dial tone on Saturday and the same in green on Sunday. Monday morning a call to TOT's cusomer service to some broad who does not speak English was answered via one of my Thai speaking friends with “I will check” and that’s about all the response I received every time I called.

True to Thai culture, no one will ever admit to not knowing anything. That would mean loosing face. So it is always: “we will check”. The Thais seem to accept this with a shrug of the shoulders, a c’est la vie attitude which I am afraid I will never get used to.

Later in the week I received a phone call from someone at TOT. “We are changing the lines. No shit Sherlock. You had 6 months to do that . I drove to the village and noticed 10 or so lines laying on the ground. That was a week ago Wednesday.

OK. Factor in:

Thursday and Friday being a Buddhist holiday followed by the weekend, it doesn’t take a mathematical genius to figure out that nothing is going to happen until the following Monday. (maybe).

As a youngster at the age of 18 (more than 50 years ago) I worked briefly for New Jersey Bell Telephone Company in the USA. We were replacing some of the ancient telephone lines in the village where I lived. Just about the same thing as they are doing here, EXCEPT:::

The new lines were strung, leaving the old one’s in place temporarily until “cut over”. At that time, subscribers were notified that there may not be any phone service for about 3 to 4 hours.

Well, guess what ? Nobody was without phone service for more than 2 hours.

In my travels as a pilot I spent a great deal of time in South America. I remember a hotel in Manaus Brazil about 30 years ago. A place where native Indians ran around butt naked only an hour’s canoe ride up the Rio Negro. The Hotel however did have telephone service. I wanted to place a phone call to the USA just to tell my company that I did indeed arrive. Several attempts of the desk clerk with a hand crank phone did not elicit a reply from the “operator”. ¨”Senhor pesaroso, said the man, but the lady may be out feeding the chickens”. This was perfectly acceptable as something occurring in a third world country.

But some of the lame excuses TOT has should not be tolerated in today’s LOS.

Well, day before yesterday the 27th of July I finally had had it. I got a hold of someone who speaks Thai, dialed the customer service number and while he was talking to this tomato, I screamed an hollered in the background using every English profanity I could muster. “I will talk to the engineer” was her reply. Voila !! 1 hour later my phone worked. Even though I did get disconnected 4 times within 30 minutes attempting to retrieve my e-mal.

The same afternoon TOT's truck arrived. ADSL is back. Well, it isn't god's gift to internet connections, but at least (I thought) I would not be diconnected every 5 minutes. Not really. This morning punctually at 8 AM, (the Thai national anthem was playing on the satellite TV), DSL went south. Nothing worked. Switching to dial-up everything was honky dory. Oh well.

I don't know if I posted this before.

TOT’s bill for June arrived a few days ago. Always a joyous occasion and the reason to keep several antacid tablets handy prior to opening.

Everything of non-importance is in Thai as well as English, like previous balance, paid amount, and post -bill adjustment (whatever that is) All that is missing is a smiley to really rub it in how they screwed me the month before.

The left side, first line contains the current charges (all in Thai), with the exception of something in parenthesis (M2) Beats me what that is. Well, it’s only 200 Baht, so be it.

Second line all hieroglyphics: 1,557.00 Baht,

Next line, ditto: 18.00 Baht,

Last but not least ditto but

(Audiotex) ?? behind it: 6.00 Baht (big deal)

VAT 7%: 124.67 Baht

Grand total: 1,905.67 Baht

My Thai friend tells me the above represents “LOCAL CALLS” placed from my Telephone. I know for a fact that there were absolutely no calls made from my phone, because I don’t even have a handset hooked up to it . I use the line strictly for the computer.

I can just see the old bitch in Takuapa telling me again: “You play internet, you must pay”.

I used “TRUE” as an ISP which dials the 1222 number at 3 baht per connection and pay, True I think 490 Baht for 30 days unlimited access.

Last month the line was more dead than alive, in fact between the 15th and 21st I had no more than perhaps 2 days on uninterrupted service and at one point there was nothing for an entire weekend. Whenever I did manage to get a dial tone, I was rudely interrupted every 10 or 15 minutes, because the line went silent again.

Assuming, (I know “assume” makes an ass out of you and me :>) but in reality, at 3 Baht per “connection” I figured I would have to have been re-connecting 519 times ? (IMPOSSIBLE)

Even if it were true, it means that I am paying 2,385.67 Baht a month for the privilege of lightning speed dial-up with: (let’s see 15.9 kb/sec at this moment while I am to posting this here.) Asinine !!!!

Hand me another antacid and pour me a stiff glass of Johnny Walker Black label.

TOT’s logo should read: Bend over, we’ll drive you home.

Hey, the sun is shining, the washing machine still ain't working. (Maybe I should try the profanity spewing telephone call with the repair guy too )

All in all it ain't a bad day. I had sent my Thai connection to court in Phuket every day this week. We were suing the Insurance company which screw me out of 300,000 baht. I think they settled yesterday for 80%. But better than nothing. lawers do come cheaper in this country.

Greeting the ol' Capt.

[udon]

Cap, we're still waiting for a pic of the Takuapa bitch.

You have a camera and the gift of the gab.......... get one!

Congrats getting 80% back, well done!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

He's bloody good isn't he Udon ?

[Aviador]

He's bloody good isn't he Udon ? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmm.

My Thai connection called me Thursday with the news that he had a settlement check for 244,000 Baht check in his hot little hands. Joy to the world. That’ll buy a few beer Changs, since I had already written it off as a lost cause. He sent me an SMS that he would be home around 6 and would see me then.

However……….That was the last time I heard from him. I get the usual “Kathod kaa” solly the person you are tlying to leach is not avairable whenever I dial his cell phone number. Could it be ? To a person who makes 12000 Baht a month whenever he is working, 244,000 must seem like a lot of money. Naaaa impossible. He is such a nice guy and Thais are sooooo honest. I did go to court with him the first 2 days, but sat around like a dummy, because I didn’t understand a thing during the procedure. Why travel 2 hours per day each way ? I have better things to do, like argue with TOT .

A propos TOT. I am looking forward to my next meeting with the ghoul of womanhood to argue my case. Yes I do, rather I did own a digital camera. A Nikon cool pix for which I paid $ 490.oo US 2 years ago. However, one of my little urchins dropped the thing about 2 weeks ago. I sent it to Bangkok for repairs. If it turns out like my first washing machine, which sat at the repair shop for 3 months waiting for a micro processor and now rests somewhere at the bottom of the Andaman sea, I am not hedging any bets for a speedy return. While in Phuket, I ordered a cool camera. Canon Powershot S2 supposedly voted the best for the money in several on-line magazines. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/Avia...powershotS2.jpg, 19,000 Baht plus VAT. Delivery on the 28th this month, coinciding with the receipt of the check for the settlement. Hmmm. Add that to 244 grand, it would be a cool quarter of a million for someone.

I haven’t lost faith in humanity yet, although it is difficult, having bent over so many times getting screwed in the short 15 months I have lived here.

Don’t worry about everything, nothing is going to be alright my sainted mother used to say. Greets the ol’ Capt.

[udon]

A Canon S2........ I wish......

Def not a toy for the urchins to play with..... Good luck.

[Aviador]

Savasdee crop once again.

I have been suffering from a nagging back, as well as anal distention problems these last 3 or 4 weeks. Nothing serious mind you. It’s only the result of bending over too many times in dealing with financial situations in this LOS.

Remember my “Thai connection”, whom I sent to court in Phuket ? Well, I received an SMS from him after about 10 days of utter silence with the following message: Need to deposit check from insurance company right away into your account, but need your power of attorney for the lawyer’s fees to be deducted first. I am sending my mother to your house tomorrow. Please send your pass book signed paper and your passport. She will also bring you your new camera. (I am firmly convinced that preung nee could not possibly be interpreted as being “tomorrow”, because is never has, at least as long as I have been here.)

Shoore ’nuff, the old lady showed up 3 days later with the camera and a box of Dunkin doughnuts. I had met her before while she lived here in town, but moved to Phuket after her home was destroyed by the tsunami, and had no reason to be suspicious of any misdeeds on my “friend’s” part.

After that, totally incommunicado. No phone calls, no messages, no nuttin. Well the fellow has plenty of family here, including a wife and new son, but they too where mystified. I toyed with the idea to drive to his mother’s house in Phuket, but realized that he would probably not hang out there in the first place. My visa was running out on the 16th , I needed my passport, if nothing else. I had left word with his wife and mother in law to somehow get a message through. Sunday mom returned with my passport and nothing else, except the unlikely story that her son had to drive to Chiang Mai to visit his sick old grandmother. Foreboding thoughts crossed my mind. Monday morning, passport and account number in hand, off to my friendly banker man, with the request to retrieve a balance of my account from his trusty computer. Theeeere we go…….The printout. And me, mouth agape.

Previous balance: 960,855.90 Bht. Current balance : 121.90 Baht. Well, this would buy me a small bottle of cheap Thai whiskey I suppose.

OK stupid: 960,855.90

Plus: 244,000.00

Total: 1,204,955.90 A new Millionaire

Not bad for a few days work I would say. For this he leaves his wife and son ? Actually this doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Most kids around here don’t have their real father living with them. It somehow seems too easy in Thailand for the guys to just take off and leave when they get tired of the scene.

Gandma in Chiang Mai will probably be ill for the next 20 years.

Luckily I still have an account in the US. Completely broke I ain’t, but coming close. At least he left me the camera.

And the washing machine repair guy still ignores me as well.

Greetings, the ol Capt. Down, but not out (yet)

[udon]

Geez Cap, you have had some bad luck in the LOS.

I'm very sorry to read what happened.

Your trust has been betrayed....... Grrrr!

Any joy with the cops?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Trust no bugger Cap'n

[Sir Burr]

Captain, you have turned 'being ripped off' into an art-form. I really am surprised that you would give your passport to anyone who was not an official.

Sorry to hear about your latest travail, you really are too trusting.

Edited August 17, 2005 by Sir Burr

[LivinLOS]

On one hand I feel sorry for you but on the other... What the ###### were you thinking ???

Passbook + Passport to a guy who had already had you over for a 1/4 mil ???

[Aviador]

Well, a few words of explanation are in order.

I have known this person since I arrived here 17 months ago. His wife’s family is one of the largest and richest property owners here and the house I rent belongs to them also. He and his brother were the one’s who drove all the way to Bangkok to ransom my container out of the hands of this creep Piddipong, or whatever the f… his name was.

He spoke reasonably good English and was invaluable when I had the accident in Phuket last year, negotiating with the police. He knew everybody and everybody knew him. I was invited to all their family functions. During my last visit to Phuket I was invited to the studios of channel 7 in a fancy hotel. While there, I noticed a picture, someone passed around. There he was with one of the biggest Mafia-bosses, a guy who owns the largest fishing fleet in Tap Lamu. He called me Papa and I treated him like a son (he was 30 years old and my youngest son just turned 36) he had possession of my passport many times, trying to get me a work permit from the Phang Nga immigration office where he was always greeted like a long lost cousin. Whatever happened, I don’t know. One SMS stated: Papa, I now have big problem, but will be resolved prueng nee. (here we go again, I am beginning to hate this word)

His family, or rather his wife’s family are understandably upset, in fact his father in law delivers breakfast to my door every morning at 6:30. I haven’t completely lost faith in humanity although I am getting close. But that's one reason why I don’t want the police involved.

It must be me (What was the name of the kid in the Peanuts comic strip with the cloud overhead ? That‘s me?) When I dissolved my household in the US, I did not want to leave for Thailand from JFK again. The flight via Alaska and Taipei is over 22 hours just flying time and stretches into more than 2 days. I had sold my Mercedes but still had a vintage 1985 BMW 524 dt Turbo Diesel in mint condition. I therefore decided to drive this car to Florida where I had “friends”, leave the car in the care of some guy, whom I have known since he was 17 (he’s 64 now) start from Tampa, stay overnight in San Francisco, where I have a brother and leave after a good night sleep for Phuket, via Taipei. My friend, now one of those church-going-bible-thumping-Methodists who was going to be eternally grateful to me, because I took care of his 82 year-old mother in New Jersey for 10 years, promised to sell the car for me. Done deal. That was in March of 2004. As time went by, I kept e-mailing him, inquiring about my automobile but received nothing but evasive answers. Until one day when his sister, who lives in the state, e-mailed me that he had sold the car to his minister for $ 5,000.oo but kept the money for himself. Now there is only dead silence. Really, the guy is not destitute. He drives a new Fort Explorer, owns a fancy boat, as well as a nice house.

Go figure. Greetings the ol’ Captain.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/Aviador/Dogfox.jpg

[Aviador]

I know it is getting to be "old hat" but:

In anticipation of the onslaught of visitors the next season promises, it’s construction time down-town our fair village. Widening the thoroughfare to 4 lanes of highway, broad sidewalks, installation of storm-water drainage pipes, you name it. The area looks like a war zone. Pity the poor business owner who in his haste or ignorance to expand his business, had encroached on the “right of way” property of state owned real estate. The bulldozers know no mercy.

Since utility poles are placed at the edge of said land, it is up to the skill of the operator manipulating these monster machines to work within inches of said carriers of life giving juice. Well, one eager beaver managed to knock down the concrete structure, wires and all. I was typing a rather lengthy e-mail around 11:30 AM Thursday when the lights went out. Naturally all my work disappeared in cyberspace. Once more, I must tip my hat to the electric company, because 3 ½ hours later, all was well again, except for dear old TOT. Deader than the proverbial doorknob. Some fellow arrived in town driving a TOT truck, surveyed the jumble of wires littering the ground, but decided to have lunch, since the mess was right in front of a restaurant. Afterwards he departed, figuring it was probably too late in the day to do anything, so “preung nee” was sufficient.

Later I went downtown and took some pictures. I can’t for the live of me understand, why, after almost 8 months, having had the chance to re-do everything in a professional manner, the “rat’s nest” junctions are still in vogue. No sense of esthetics I suppose. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/Aviador/Ratsnest.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/Aviador/TOT001.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/Aviador/TOT004.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/Aviador/TOT003.jpg

It is now Tuesday the 23rd of August, 6 days after the power failure. After numerous phone calls to TOT, only to receive the same old answer: “We will check”, I resigned myself to just wait, because after all the weekend was coming up, when sure as shooting nothing would be done anyway.

Just now, the geniuses from TOT arrived, laden with electronic equipment. (meters, oscilloscopes etc.) After thoroughly testing the incoming wiring, as well as the line inside the house, the “PROGNOSIS”: Nothing wrong with your line, must be further down in the village. NO SHIT SHERLOCK, I could have told you that.

A phone call right at this moment confirmed my suspicion. Just like the last time. They hooked up my line to someone else‘s phone.

Life is never boring in the LOS.

Greets the ol' Capt.

[sadman]

I haven’t completely lost faith in humanity although I am getting close.

Don't lose it, cap'n. It's what sets us apart from ...... from ....... well, just don't. Other peoples' actions say more about them than they do about you (although, perhaps a little caution is called for?) Keep the faith.

If all else fails, you can fly for Phuket Air.

[Pattaya_Fox]

Well, a few words of explanation are in order.

I have known this person since I arrived here 17 months ago. His wife’s family is one of the largest and richest property owners here and the house I rent belongs to them also. He and his brother were the one’s who drove all the way to Bangkok to ransom my container out of the hands of this creep  Piddipong, or whatever the f… his name was.

He  spoke reasonably  good English and  was invaluable when I had the accident in Phuket last year, negotiating with the police. He knew everybody and everybody knew him. I was invited to all their family functions. During my last visit to Phuket I was invited to the studios of channel 7 in a fancy hotel. While there, I noticed a picture, someone passed around. There he was with one of the biggest Mafia-bosses, a guy who owns the largest fishing fleet in Tap Lamu. He called me Papa and I treated him like a son (he was 30 years old and my youngest son just turned 36) he had possession of my passport many times, trying to get me a work permit from the Phang Nga immigration office where he was always greeted like a long lost cousin. Whatever happened, I don’t know. One SMS stated: Papa, I now have big problem, but will be resolved prueng nee. (here we go again, I am beginning to hate this word)

His family, or rather his wife’s family are understandably upset, in fact his father in law delivers breakfast to my door every morning at 6:30.   I haven’t completely lost faith in humanity although I am getting close. But that's one reason why I don’t want the police involved.

It must be me (What was the name of the kid in the Peanuts comic strip with the cloud overhead ? That‘s me?) When I dissolved my household in the US, I did not want to leave for Thailand from JFK again. The flight via Alaska and Taipei is over 22 hours just flying time and stretches into more than 2 days. I had sold my Mercedes but still had a vintage 1985 BMW 524 dt Turbo Diesel in mint condition. I therefore decided to drive this car to Florida where I had “friends”, leave the car in the care of some guy, whom I have known  since he was 17 (he’s 64 now) start from Tampa, stay overnight in San Francisco, where I have a brother and leave after a good night sleep for Phuket, via Taipei. My friend, now one of those church-going-bible-thumping-Methodists who was going to be eternally grateful to me, because I took care of his 82 year-old mother in New Jersey for 10 years, promised to sell the car for me. Done deal. That was in March of 2004. As time went by,  I  kept e-mailing him, inquiring about my automobile but received nothing but evasive answers. Until one day when  his  sister, who lives in the state, e-mailed me that he had sold the car to his minister for $ 5,000.oo but kept the money for himself.   Now there is only dead silence. Really, the guy is not destitute. He drives a new Fort Explorer, owns a fancy boat, as well as a nice house.

Go figure. Greetings the ol’ Captain.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/Aviador/Dogfox.jpg

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well at least the Fox seems to be enjoying himself

[Aviador]

I haven’t completely lost faith in humanity although I am getting close.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't lose it, cap'n. It's what sets us apart from ...... from ....... well, just don't. Other peoples' actions say more about them than they do about you (although, perhaps a little caution is called for?) Keep the faith.

If all else fails, you can fly for Phuket Air.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If all else fails, you can fly for Phuket Air.

Well, once I turned 60 they, (the FAA), wouldn't let me fly the "big ones" any more, which did not present a problem with me, because afterwards I did have a lot of fun driving Lear-jets and the Astra, looking "down" on the airliners from 41 and 43,000 feet who barely made it to FL 390 (39,000 feet) and then only after burning off a lot of fuel.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/Aviador/Astra.jpg

I also realized later on, that my reaction time was not what it used to be during the grueling simulator and/or check rides required every 6 months. So at 68 I decided to opt out, while the going was good. I would liken it to a boxer, who after being the champion after several bouts decides to quit, while he was still the "champ" and not attempt a come-back, only to be disgraced by a younger man.

It was cool to be the "boss". Once I threw an FAA official off my airplane because he came into the cockpit without "MY" permission. After flashing his badge, I told him in no uncertain terms: "I am the Captain of this boat and nobody, I mean NOBODY comes aboard without my permission".

Hey, I could'nd even pull this shit with my wife.

Greets the ol' Capt, who really doesn't miss flying that much.

[sadman]

I also realized later on, that my reaction time was not what it used to be during the grueling simulator and/or check rides  required every 6 months.

You'd be perfect for the job.

As an aside, I logged a few hours on light aircraft, and even (with 3 friends) bought a small one (a TB9). However, while I could take off smoothly and safely, fly straight and level without difficulty, stall, turn etc etc and even land without killing too many people - I couldn't navigate to save my life. I did enough to pass the CAA exams, but after much effort, I realised that I would be a danger to myself and others because of my complete inability to navigate or even grasp where I was.

Saddened me very much, but I stopped.

[Aviador]

I also realized later on, that my reaction time was not what it used to be during the grueling simulator and/or check rides  required every 6 months.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You'd be perfect for the job.

As an aside, I logged a few hours on light aircraft, and even (with 3 friends) bought a small one (a TB9). However, while I could take off smoothly and safely, fly straight and level without difficulty, stall, turn etc etc and even land without killing too many people - I couldn't navigate to save my life. I did enough to pass the CAA exams, but after much effort, I realised that I would be a danger to myself and others because of my complete inability to navigate or even grasp where I was.

Saddened me very much, but I stopped.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Haha sadman.

Navigation ? Today, who needs it with GPS.

I remember one trip about 25 years ago after being laid off by a now defunct Arline in a Piper Navajo (twin engine turbocharged recip) from NY to California, when the boss asked me:" Where are we? Is that the painted forest or the grand canyon below ?"

"Sheldon", (that was his name) I said. "I know where I came from and I know where I am going. Anything in between is immaterial"

Greets the ol' Capt, happily retired.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I F R = I Follow Rail lines

[Boatabike]

After reading all your post capt. i am not sure if i should laugh or cry, but i will say thank you for some very good posts, nice to read some real life stuff, and it must certainly make a few people living here think about how lucky they in fact are and put their own whinnings and complaining into a certain perspective, myself included!

keep up the good work.

[Aviador]

I F R = I Follow Rail lines

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh, did I wish they had them back then. (Rail lines that is)

One of my trips to South America some 30 years ago, again between jobs, involved ferrying a small single engine Piper Arrow from Florida to Santiago Chile. In the "olden days" airliners like Lockheed Constellations and DC 6's had at least a navigator with a sextant, or whatever magic he used to tell us where we were supposed to be, but here I was on my own, all by myself with the latest editions of US Air Force ONC charts ("Operational Navigational Chart") which had a note at the bottom: "Unexplored territory. Elevations "believed" not to exceed 4,000 feet".

Cool. I left Georgetown in Guyana and pointed the airplane south. Oh great. A road right where it was supposed to be, going straight at.......into the jungle and now covered by vegetation.

No problem. Just hold a heading like they thaught you in basic training back in 1958 and keep going south towards the equator and Manaus/ Brazil my intended stop.

ONC chart #1 was running out, but it did show a rather large lake at the bottom of the page with the coordinates (so many degrees latitude north and whatever degrees longitude west. Sorry I forgot the exact coordinates) Looking at the second chart. Hmmm, no lake anywhere near those co'ordinates to be seen. Just keep the airplane heading south. After encountering the ITC (inter tropical convergence) where I was sure I was flying a submarine, because of the torrents of rain, I had some time to look for that blasted lake. Sure enough it was about 150km west of where it was supposed to be on the other chart. The US Air Force actually used this crap?

There must be an easier way to make a living I thought a the time, but the mortgage had to be paid and kids needed to be raised. Then along came another airline job, flying almost the same route at 31,000 feet, dodging huge build-ups trying to convince my young crew that I was down there once in light plane. By their facial expressions I could gather, that they thought: Boy this old guy is full of sh...t Back then crossing the Andes VFR from Santa Cruz Bolivia via Cochabamba and La Paz at 16,500 feet, no oxigen and smoking a pack of cigarettes on the way down to Arica (Chile) with 22 and 25,000 foot mountians of majestic beauty next to me was unforgettable and something to behold.

Maybe we should change this thread ??? Off topic, as far as Thai incompetence is concerned

Anyway, best to all. "It ain't over 'till its over" said Jimmy Lasorda during a baseball game, when his team was definitely going to be the looser.

The ol' Captain.

[yeti]

Maybe off topic, but you have few addicted to your stories anyway

[sadman]

Operational Navigational Chart which had a note at the bottom: "Unexplored territory. Elevations "believed"  not to exceed 4,000 feet".

Here there be dragons?

[Aviador]

Maybe off topic, but you have few addicted to your stories anyway

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, the English language yeti.

you have few addicted to your stories anyway

Few. This would mean that only very few, a small minority really gives a rat's ass about what I post.

"A" few, would probably be worth the effort.

Quien sabe ??