tomcat76

I never rent cars in Thailand, but times change..

I think there's already (or just about to be) a flight between Utapao and Siem Reap. It's mentioned on another thread here. I too doubt they'll ever use it for any of the long-hauls, but natural to expect more int'l options within the region.

No no. Not a driver. This was a uniformed immigration guy. After I was all finished, had paid & received my visa, and was on the way out, one stuck out his hand, kind o' smiled, and said, "Tip!" The driver I ended up with was great! I have nothing but compliments for the guy - if I could find his card I'd mention his name here.

It's sad. The media is full of how much we support the troops, but so many still can't be bothered to lift a finger. Some of the older crowd are still sullenly reliving their protesting of the war in Vietnam, where they could happily indulge themselves by spitting on the troops. Have times changed? Yes. Many examples of citizens & businesses reaching out to welcome troops home and show them their gratitude and admiration, and helping them with their disabilities and transitions back to civilian life. Has everyone changed with them? No. Some obscenities like demonstrations at military funerals and court-approved lying about service & awards. If you run into guys on R&R in Pattaya, at least think about reaching into your pocket and buying them a round.

For Muslims, their freedom to do or not do is not the point. Prohibitions on what YOU can write, read, and say (and eventually do...) are very much on their agenda if it relates to Islam.

Too bad there's not some software out there that would monitor the thread and prevent entering repeat info. The Electric Horseman

Topgun!!

I have no idea what all the facts were in this case, but quite often ships will weigh anchor and leave port to avoid an approaching storm. Even the Navy in Norfolk has gotten itself underway to avoid stuff like this (not sure what was done in this case, but it can probably be googled). NOT always safer in port if it's in the path of a bad storm. This storm involved a lot of predicted surge, so I'm thinking ships that could sortie DID sortie. As for Bounty, no idea, but I wouldn't want to armchair quarterback it. She was already underway from Connecticut to Florida I believe. Maybe they thought they could outrun it and simply underestimated. Pierside somewhere they possibly figured she'd be toast (and that might've been true).

One of these days I'm gonna' have to learn the game...

Well, I'd say you simply DO have to hawk your drinks, no matter how many you've had. If you're out alone & headed for the toilet, either finish it or order a fresh one when you get back. 'NOT saying it can't happen but less likely to be served a drugged drink than to have it monkeyed with after. Maybe save your heaviest drinking for the bars that you know & trust and that maybe know you. Back in the room, simply don't accept a drink from the lady guest unless you see her open it and it never leaves your sight (reading about it here like it happens all the time, but in 20y+ I've never had a girl try & do that). If you are drinking in the room, then again, either take it with you into the bathroom, or drink whatever you want of it before going and then consider the rest discarded. Possibly more important, try not to do stuff to be "targeted" in the first place. Don't wear expensive jewelry, don't flash wads of cash or a wallet full of credit cards, don't piss off the locals, try and stay beneath the radar. Some guys will insist that freelancers are a greater risk than girls from bars. DO pay attention to your gut feelings. If you're getting any red flags, they may be false positives or they may not, but play it safe and just move on right away. Oh, and don't be using drugs to begin with! It's just not a perfect world, and there are no 100% fullproof precautions, but I believe you can greatly lower the odds of becoming a victim. (BTW - these substances we're talking about are I'm pretty sure all odorless, tasteless, and colorless; don't expect to be able to taste-test or otherwise detect them in your drink, no matter how sober you are.) There's another thread here somewhere - a few years old now I think - discussing these drugs and their effects in some detail. If this is a concern for you, it might be worthwhile to dig it up.

US$99/B2850. Not bad. Cost me more than that early last year - 'think that was on Bangkok Airways.

Here we go. And in a memorial thread to the fallen, too.

I've never had issues either, but actually plan to start using CCs less anyway.

Yeah. After you're all done, they'll stick their hands out and say, "Tip!". 'Not sure what happens if you don't give them something; I wasn't that anxious to find out and so did.

The drugging risk has been threaded here before from time to time and is an ever-present risk. It pays to take some precautions and keep your wits about you. The more you drink, then the more important the precautions are. Seems a little hard to believe that a girl would go through with this when she's had to provide her ID at the hotel's front desk. 'Would NEVER, under any circumstances, open my in-room safe with the girl there - MAYBE if she's in the bathroom or out on the balcony or something. If it's a matter of money, just tell her you have to get to the ATM first thing in the morning.

Arizona Memorial Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Arlington National Cemetery All three very very moving places to visit and remembrances (among many others). No veteran should miss them, but that actually goes for everyone.

Two new hotties?

These things are ALMOST getting into my arrival window... Just a few more weeks...

A retirement or pension with a sufficient income stream yes, but cash assets, including even substantial IRAs or 401Ks, no. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have "annuitization procedures" acceptable to them, but not all banks, maybe not even most banks, follow them. 'Can be difficult for retirees to refi in the US.

I'll be staying there for a few days early-DEC. 'Hope some new stage of construction next door doesn't suddenly kick in... But if it does, it'll only be 4 days.

With a low-enough loan-to-value ratio, and the property itself as collateral, and perhaps yourself as a co-signer (you don't have to be on the title to be a co-signer, or at least I assume that's so in Thailand)....and maybe some money under the table to the right person...? Do you or your girl know any local Thais who might be financially qualified & willing to act as co-signers? Is it possible to walk into a bank in Thailand and just start working your way up the chain until you're sitting across a desk from someone who can accept your "incentive payment" and have the authority to deliver the loan decision you need? I don't know - just thinking out loud.

I just can't imagine what it must've been like on the Bataan death march, or to have been a Japanese POW or internee, or one of their medical or weapon experiment victims, or an innocent civilian in Nanking, Manila, or any one of a list of other occupied asian cities, or otherwise mass-brutalized or murdered at the hands of the Japanese. Their atrocities compared to those of the Germans are definitely under-reported. But having a knowledge of those things, I can almost approach an understanding of what must've been going through your Mr. Cook's mind... I'll bet the list of friends he lost at the hands of the Japanese was a long one. I know of no Japanese equivalent, but watching "Valkyrie" I'm aware of the monument the Germans have erected, and hold a formal memorial observance at every year, to the Valkyrie conspirators who were executed. They do actually & with sincerity honor those conspirators. ...One of the reasons - there are others - that I believe in something I'll refer to as German "national remorse", and can forgive contemporary Germany for the war. I couldn't possibly ever "honor" or respect any German veteran's service in the war, but I can accept that Germany deserves to be allowed to move on without continuing recrimination.

I had the privilege of knowing as a child a Polish RAF veteran (Spits) - flew for Poland and then begged to fly with the RAF - a veteran of the Battle of Britain - who had immigrated to the US after the war. How he and my dad became acquainted I don't exactly know. I was too young at the time to really appreciate his background, and to have witnessed his jovial and utterly self-effacing personality, you'd have never guessed it. He'd suffered some kind of injury while flying to one leg that left him with a bad limp - shrapnel or gunshot I guess - but it was totally insignificant to him. He just limped around and got where he was going twice as fast as everyone else. You had to ask him to get him to say anything about his experiences, but doing so he'd refer to "Nazis" with some obvious lasting bitterness. He was the friendliest guy you could ever be around - loved us kids - but oh how he LOVED American freedom and HATED communists! I remember wondering at the vigor of his attitude toward communism, and not even knowing what it was! An interesting guy. Full of good humor. Even more full of humility. I only wish I could've known him later after I'd become old enough to understand all the significance of the things he'd done and ask him more about his experiences. To have known him, you kind of know what the war was about for many people I think...

Change of topic really, since you were talking specifically about his visit to Munich. I don't think anybody has held Chamberlain to have been completely & consistently incompetent. His record is forever tarnished however by the Munich Accord disaster. Again, nobody blames him for the part about wanting to avert war; what he's blamed for instead is the manner in which he was played by Hitler. (Hitler to Ribbentrop immediately after Chamberlain's departure re "the desire of our two people to never go to war again." --- "Oh, don't take it so seriously!") What a relief that must've been to Hitler; how much easier it must've made what came after.

NObody but a moron or a psychopath would blame ANYbody for "trying to avoid another war". What he's blamed for is his naivete in making such a stupid deal with Hitler, and trusting Hitler to honor it, after all Hitler had already done and said. THAT arguably increased the ultimate body count enormously. Equally moronic to not learn anything from that debacle.