Who is the most unique individual you have known or associated with in Thailand?

[Bernard Flint]

Answer is THE KING of THAILAND of course . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y263zmpfziY

.and Elivis ....THE TWO KINGS

.........................

You know the kings then????

[soihok]

Mid 90's.

Whilst travelling about Thailand, kept meeting with a tall American guy, mid 40's with a long beard, in places such as Koh Chang down to Penang.

Mad as a hatter.

Called himself " Laura Solomon Sargan Light". From time to time he used switch personalities from himself (what ever that may have been ) to a being a " young English schoolgirl ", complete with English accent.

Half the time he used sing his conversations instead of talking, most of the conversations were off on tangents.

He was quite clever with his songs at times, bursting out into verse over some of the most trivial instances that were taking place at the time.

Last time I saw him he was making his way to Sumatra, in a muddle.

Wonder where he eventually ended up.

[chrisinth]

Robert. Where this guy originated from I'm not sure but a guess would be Burma, possibly moving there from India in his infancy. One of only a few subjects he wouldn't talk about.

I first met Robert in 1999 when I moved to Phitsanulok, where he had been living for decades before my arrival. A person without an identity in that the only identification he had was some sort of humanitarian global passport (which in itself was questionable) that the American marines from Cobra Gold had provided him years before when he worked as an interpreter for them during their annual exercises.

Robert had little as far as material possessions went, but was one of the happiest people I have ever met, who, if it was in his power, would help anyone in need. Fluent in more languages than I could name with a mind and memory as sharp as a razor.

During the second world war when the Japanese invaded Burma, at the age of nine, he self taught himself Japanese and became an interpreter for them until the eventual surrender at the end of the war. It was his only means of survival at the time. During the Vietnam war, he assisted the American forces over there without being officially enlisted being looked after by whichever battalion he was with. And, as said earlier, at least up to 5 years ago, he would be an interpreter for Cobra Gold every time they came for the exercises.

All the above was verbal from him, but I have no doubt about the truth in what he ever said. His passion was reading, drinking tea and helping people, in most cases without looking for reward. I used to save all the newspapers for him in the bar and he always had free range to the book library. He would visit in the afternoons about 2-3 times a week and I honestly looked forward to those meetings.

When I think back to what may have worried me at the time, any problem I may have imagined would fade into insignificance in comparison to what Robert had undertaken in his life. For me, a truly unique person at complete peace with himself.

[fred Kubasa]

Most humbly I submit -- ME !

[JLCrab]

Most humbly I submit -- ME !

Humility is easily faked.

[anon4546543]

nawee, my wifes' uncle. He is 77 years young. I helped him build "a house for chicken and duck" for me. He cut down the eucalyptus trees for the poles. They use these rows of trees as land dividers here. I stripped the bark off. He then built the chicken coop. He did not use a tape measure or use a level, just an old piece of string. Seeing him climb up a post so that he could work on the roof was inspiring for me. In 12 hours ( spread over 2 days) he had made the coop. I offered him TB3000. He handed me back 2000 but asked me to buy him a box of Leo. The TB1000 he charged was for the cost of the timber and bamboo. He is also some kind of lay person for the local temple. He leads all the funeral processions and is held in high esteem by the village. Even the headman pays his respects to him. I speak very little Thai or his dialect but we manage to communicate quite well. My wife says he likes me and enjoys my company. I have nothing but respect for him and his still beautiful wife.

[stickylies]

Bertil Lintner

[JLCrab]

Answer is THE KING of THAILAND of course . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y263zmpfziY

.and Elivis ....THE TWO KINGS

.........................

Also with the 'King of Swing' (Benny Goodman for those unfamiliar):

[mikiea]

If you happened to have one honest, trustworthy, unselfish Thai friend, than you have

done very well for your self.....

I can only speak from personal experience but I find that comment very unkind and not representative of the Thais I have known. (It should be then not than.)

wawawawa hall monitor are you .....

[Alwyn]

Easy. Without a doubt this title would have to go to Howard, the owner of the Green Man in Chalong! Happy, go lucky with a large portion of eccentric in there! A legend and I'm proud to call him my friend!!

[seabear]

Kukrit Pramoj,

Long Po Khun,

[northernphil]

Ok my Thai wife met her on my very first visit in 2004 and the reason I came back here. Ah but the bestest Thai mate is a ladyboy I met in my nearest pub out here in the provinces.. She/he has the most wonderful sense of humour , My Thai is limited so is her English but we see fun in things like the music or the folk who come by the pub..

Example. One day a few months ago I asked for one more coke to go with my Sangsom. He bought a soda. I said I didn't want it, " oh solly , mestake " I said yes mistake. A few minutes later he sat down with a tiny steak and afew fries. Whats that I asked " Me stake ' came the reply. He tries to sing the English songs at my pub and I the Thai ones . Larfs all round. Ma & Pa don't work he is the bread winner but if I by him a beer he shares it with all the staff. Lovely chap , my best mate and even the wife gets on with him/her.

[Jools]

A nurse from Chiang Mai who took me to a local restaurant where I got food poisoning and then went out and bought antibiotics and rehydrating supplies and gave me a sponge bath. That's professional dedication.

[squarethecircle]

For f-rangs an ex Us Army Ranger named John, a 51 year old man from Florida, USA, first expat I met in SE Asia and 4 years later still the greatest (we met in Vientiane), ironically he was dead within 3 days of our meeting, but it did not seem tragic as he sort of hinted he had lived long enough. He said he did special operations work for the us army and took a hit from a 12 year old with ak-47 in his upper right shoulder in somalia in 1993, after which he killed the 12 year old terrorist.

I took it with skepticism but 3 nights later he took me out for a big bottle of Johnny Walker Black on the front of the Mekong. We drank the bottle and then I took a walk around the riverfront, came back after the bar was closed and he had arranged a hooker for me and a hooker for him, and something else which I won't mention. I considered the situation, thought it seemed like a bad idea, and returned to my guest-house.

The next day about 10 cops were banging on my door, I scrambled up and was shocked to hear the words, "John is dead." We had just met 3 days before but were natural friends, so I was physically shaking.

I insisted to identify the body for the Embassy lady. We went to the morgue and there he was, John alright, unclothed and body decomposing, and I looked at his shoulder and sure enough, clear as day, a 3 cm diameter scar exactly where he said it was, from the ak47 shell.

Still to this day the most honest and front-forth westerner I've met in the far East, like a quick surrogate father to me, and in fact he introduced me to ThaiVisa and I first browsed this site with good John sitting next to me. The world is worse off without him but I think he'd had enough of this life and (consciously or otherwise) decided to end it.

Edited July 4, 2015 by squarethecircle

[chrisandsu]

My old mate Ted ... Absolute legend of a bloke , I met him 12 years ago and got on like a house on fire !! I trust him 100% I visit him for a few days every year and really enjoy it ? he's 80 years old and I'm 35 it's like having a surrogate granddad and a best mate rolled in to one .

[sam3384]

[soihok]

Sadly I never met Glitter Man, although I exchanged many a PM with him.

Quite a character.

[zlodnick]

By chance, I met and traveled with The venerable Maha Gosananda.

A wonderful man and a life changing experience.

[ghworker2010]

I met an old farang who helped me out once and I compensated him for this help. After that for many months he asked me many many times for monetary and other things. I had to say no each time. He finally got the hint. He was strange and I dont think he realised it. He had no shame.

[mrdome]

If you happened to have one honest, trustworthy, unselfish Thai friend, than you have

done very well for your self.....

I guess I must be an albino unicorn - in that my best friend and declared brother is Thai (although he left Thailand last decade when he was still a monk. I met him when he was a monk in CM. he has been living in Scandinavia since then and done very well for himself as a chef at high-end restaurants)..

[Wat dee]

i have this older guy, must be a friend of my wife or so,

He always steps in to me when i go in the bathroom, when i shave, when i brush my teeth...

He just looks weird and old...

If i ask my wife who this old man was, she just smile's and she looks happy...

So i don't care... he must be the best person in Thailand, coz he makes my wife smile...

You should tell your wife it's time for her brother to move out.

[fang37]

Does the guy sell Avon or encyclopedias?

Is he handsum?