Specialist

It isn't that simple. The Thai GSM system uses completely different radio frequencies than the various US systems. These days, pretty much all phones will work on all frequencies, but this was not always the case. Also, depending on your carrier and your plan, international roaming for US customers can be ludicrously expensive. I own an old, cheap Thai GSM flip phone, that I use only in Thailand. It is so old that it think that years after about 2014 don't exist, so I have to play games with the year setting to get the calendar to match reality. But it works. Also, why would I want US telemarketers to be able to call me in Bangkok? MOST of the calls I get on my cellphone are illegal telemarketers.

I'm landing at Swampypoom very late 1 September. I should catch the tail end of the rainy season.

Trip insurance is now in place.

And... T minus 2 1/2 months and counting. Airline reservations in place, hotel reservations in place, just need to set up the trip insurance. First half of September in Bangkok.

I miss Hollywood Rock. It was my go-to reliable place for years.

Reservations not in place yet, but I'm aiming for the first half of September.

This is pretty much par for the course with JAL. They really are that good.

The JAL flight attendants are STILL pretty and polite and always smiling. Even in Coach. Every time I think I've got JAL calibrated, every time I think I know what to expect from them, they find a way to surprise me, and it is ALWAYS a nice surprise. One of the reasons I'm getting unhappy with American Airlines is that they're making it difficult (and expensive) to fly JAL for the final leg into BKK.

There is a good pharmacy on the north side of Suk, just west of Soi 15. They're my go-to place for my asthma meds when I'm in town.

No, it means he knows where the campaign funds were and were not spent. Not the same thing AT ALL.

I was in Bangkok over Songkran once, years ago. I learned my lesson.

The two dragons at the desk have been there forever and they were dragons back then. They had one checkin clerk several years ago who was VERY good, and very good people, enjoyable to talk to, but she moved on a long time ago. The rest of the desk staff is so-so at best. I stayed at the Nana a few times. Finally ran the numbers HARD, and realized that, when I added in what I was paying for Internet passwords, Royal President was cheaper and FAR nicer. Royal President is now my home away from home in Bangkok.

I reserve the right to grow old curmudgeonly.

If you don't need to get out any time soon, there's a simpler solution. Valve core tool. All four wheels. Make sure nobody sees you do it. If you REALLY want to deliver the message, Superglue the valve cores to the front windshield, on the driver's side.

I don't know, was it? It was a very interesting chat. The guy also gave me a VERY good bit of advice, with examples. If you HAVE to have some dealing with the Thai government, HAVE YOUR THAI WIFE TALK TO THEM. She knows how to deal with them, how to play the games. You don't.

A few years ago, I spent a few hours at the Thai ham radio club meeting, talking with one of their members. He STRONGLY advised having at least three Thai women in the household. He explained. With one wife, she will CONSTANTLY be testing you. With two wives, they will CONSTANTLY be competing for your attention. With three, however, one of them will ALWAYS take your side when the other two try to gang up against you. I do not recall asking whether he was putting this into practice.

Check out "Making The Team" on CMT. About the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and what it takes to make the squad, it has been running for years now. They do a new sequence every year, starting with tryouts. Those girls work HARD to make it through tryouts, through workouts, and through the cutting process that ends with that year's final Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad. The pressure on them is INCREDIBLE, and NONE of that pressure is artificial or TV drama. The head of the organization once said she'd love to put every girl who tried out onto the squad, but then it wouldn't be the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. One of the fun moments every year is seeing how she finally tells the final squad that they've all made it. My personal favorite: she'd had them lined up in two lines. She told them to line up in one line, as though for kick line practice. "Look to the left." Everyone looked left. "Look to the right." Everyone looked to the right. Look straight ahead, at yourselves in the mirror." Everyone looked straight ahead. "You are looking at the <year> Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders!" It took a moment for it to sink in, and then the girls went crazy, screams of delight, tears, you name it.

I was just in Bangkok for two weeks. I stopped by there twice. Both times, it was closed. The first time, I saw a sign that said "Open Jan 22". The second time, no sign visible. I didn't ask the neighbors.

It is 9 PM (21:00 for some of you) here in Huntspatch, and a balmy 19 F (-7 Celsius). The airfares were utterly outrageous, or I would have arranged things to do New Years Eve in Bangkok again this year. Maybe 2018...

I bought a cheap Thai-only GSM flip phone years ago. it is so old it thinks the current year is fiction, so I have to play with it every time I go to Bangkok, to get the calendar days and dates to line up. But it still works just fine for what I need to do, which is phone calls and the occasional text.

Back in September, I think it was, a guy got onto the skytrain with something that looked a WHOLE lot like a Japanese sword. I looked, and said "Please tell me that's an umbrella." He laughed, and confirmed it was an umbrella. Apparently, Japanese have an interesting sense of humor.

If you're going to have it done in Bangkok, I used Dental Design Clinic some years ago, after someone else had previously recommended them to me. They did an OUTSTANDING job for me! I recommended them to a friend of mine a while back, and they did an outstanding job for him, too! They used to be on Asoke, moved recently, I think they're on Suk Soi 19 now. Check Facebook, or do a web search.

I will be in town the second half of January. Arriving very late Sunday 14 Jan, flying out early Sunday 28 Jan. I'm going to be in seminars all day Thursday-Saturday 18-20 Jan and Mon-Fri 22-26 Jan.

The "long queue at Immigration" is EASILY fixable. Hire a few more Immigration workers. Staff more than a small fraction of the immigration desks when the big birds arrive from Hong Kong and Tokyo. It is EASY to see how many booths are manned and how many are sitting empty.

T minus 4 weeks and counting. All systems are GO.