To Those Who Can Write In Thai

[tuky]

I am just about to head off with my wife to sunny Azerbaijan, I have tried to prepare her for the worst but I guess as we all do she is thinking about the positives. We are taking our 3 month old baby with us.

Can any of you guys who can type a message in Thai send me a pm that I can show her?

I am talking about a message of encouragement and so forth. It would mean a whole lot to her and so much to me. She only knows Thiavisa as the distraction that keeps me awake at night, if you guys could send her a couple of bon voyage messages I would be so appreciative (perhaps even let you post some bad stuff in one of my moderation forums, ok not likely ).

Silly as it sounds, as the weeks drag on she will remember what you guys have said, and so will I...

Cheers

[dr_Pat_Pong]

How long are you going for Leith ?

[Boon Mee]

Ah, Baku in the springtime. It could be worse - like Nigeria!

Don't have Thai fonts on this computer, Leith, or I'd try to scribble out something.

Best of luck!

[tuky]

6 Weeks Dr Pat.

I am working on a 6 and 2 rotation.

Now that the bubs is a little older we decided there is no point in both of us being lonely, so they are coming with me.

The Russians left Azerbaijan a little over a decade ago, and left it in a mess.

After communism failed the people are left with virtually no skills and yet a country to look after. If you know anything about the way the USSR operated you will have an understanding of what it might be like over there.

Luckily there is a Thai restuarant called the "Pink Elephant" just downstairs from my apt. so my darling wife can eat her somtum, yep they have a Thai chef.

I have spoken with the chef and he tells me he hates it too.

Everyone looks like Saddam Hussein, and believe it or not my apt. sits nearly on top of the Iraqi Embassy

Being an Islamic country, it is fairly stable as everyone just wants to get ahead, the biggest problem we face as outsiders is muggings and corruption, it is generally the police who are the muggers.

The company I work for is the only mob in Az at the moment looking to produce oil, and therefore help the economy, so they have some sway with the Govt, they are slowly improving things for us. We now have special ID cards to show the police and a number to call if stopped, kind of like an immunity if you like.

I know a lot of people will think we are raping the country for it's resources, and in a way the company I work for are, but the locals do not have any way of developing the oil fields themselves so in a real way they need us at this time.

We employ an 85% local ratio and spend countless hours in training.

Once we have finished with the construction, commissioning and have first oil the local Azeri people will be left to run the show.

Google "oily rocks" and you will the Russians attempt at producing oil, not a bad one I might admit.

The James Bond movie "the world is not enough" was filmed in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, and the pipeline featured in the movie is just what the comapny I work for is building, from Baku to Tbilisi then on down to Turkey. In the movie there is scene where JB is driving through a whole pile of nodding donkies, this is Baku. The whole place just smells of oil, and it actually seeps up through the top soil.

Anyway, enough of that.

I have to catch a plane now, see you all in a few days.

Cheerio

[tuky]

Ah, Baku in the springtime. It could be worse - like Nigeria!

Don't have Thai fonts on this computer, Leith, or I'd try to scribble out something.

Best of luck!

Was originally working on an FPSO bound for Nigeria, but decided against it, they were even offering a lot more money

Some things just aint worth it

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Good luck Leith.

[tuky]

Thanks Boon, appreciate the thought.

[tuky]

Good luck Leith.

Cheers Dr Pat.

[chonabot]

Yes G'luck to you and missus , hope you can continue to continuing contributing sir!

Same same with Thai font , but will try to hash something together from work Pc later.

[Boo]

Tuk, Can't write in thai but have justed pm'd you with suggestion, hope it helps.

Boo

[taxexile]

before you go try and get hold of a book called THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, A JOURNEY TO THE FRONTIERS OF ANARCHY by ROBERT D. CAPLAN isbn 0-679-75123-8 for some superb travel writing/reportage/background to that part of the world. informative and very very readable. a good chapter on bangkok and the borders with laos too.

[Pink Mist]

havnt got ability to type Thai fonts, what about if I get the missus to write something, scan it and post or email?