YimSiam

These happened in Afghanistan every so often, in girls' schools - usually there was an initial press report placing blame on Taliban for poisoning the girls, but it generally worked out that it was some collective thing that happens with young teen girls. Now, if there's any demographic that is for good reason under a shitload of stress, I'd say "Afghan girls going to school" is a prime choice! Not sure what stressed out the Thais, other than some kind of possible cellular aversion to a course of ethics... or perhaps simple yet severe cognitive dissonance between what they are being told in other parts of their lives, contrasted with the messages they were receiving on more conventional ethical principles. On the other hand, who knows what kinds of additional stuff has been recently added to their curriculum, maybe it just blew their minds it was getting so weird...

Well, booked it. We'll see how it goes - I'm not betting on any parties with flight attendants, but hopefully a relatively decent, possibly on-time trip!

I think that list is a long-term cumulative list - seems they've only done about 40 in the first six months of this year, so those numbers are for many years of warnings... anyway, the way you stay off the list is being a reliable ally of the US, and US has - until recently - been the very definition of that.

Not surprised it's finally shown up on lists - I've been disappointed since day one (well, day three, actually - first arrival at the new airport for me was 30 September 06). They've tried to make improvements since then (add-on A/C units everywhere, for one), but for a big showpiece project for a tourist mecca, not exactly what they should have hoped for. I got no problems with Delhi - seems to work for me, and I like the outdoor smoking area more than the usual cloudy traps. Kuwait Airways biz lounge has better food than a lot of others, even if overall the whole thing is not so great. But yeah, weird lists.

Indeed, many fond morning and afternoon memories of the place. Early 2000s, I could pretty much guarantee I'd meet someone I knew who'd be worth ST at least from there, including the remarkable Miss Fall-off-the-Bed, who was a drinker of cheap booze and a brilliant lay. Filthy good girl. They don't make 'em like they used to. Recent years, I'll at least stop in for a bite or a few drinks, but the goods on offer have been so utterly repellent that not even nostalgia could move me to consider anything more than a polite nod...

Anyone flown Bahrain to Bangkok on Gulf Air's business class recently? Decent seat, am I going to get some sleep? Getting a bit confused looking at skytrax and Gulf site - and don't feel like finding myself in an old school chair on my way to town, even more so dragging my hungover self back to work after a week of holiday... Price is right, hope the service is too. cheers, YimSiam

I think you mean "Black Hawk Down"? It's on Netflix.

I guess I lost my 'smart traveler' status somewhere along the way... Most of the last 5 years spent in one or the other...

And having made, what - 30, 40 - trips to LOS in the same years, I wonder just as much how I'm not among the stats for LOS damage...

Having made a few trips to Pakistan during that period, I would wonder what the hell 100k Americans were doing visiting the place?! Wonder if it counts dual nationals.

Golly gee, can't imagine what would have tipped off the hotel to look into her prior work history...

Been quite a few of these over the years - gun down the dad, scare the spouse and children out of the country. Australia's a better place to land than Finland, at least, where Chea Vichea's family ended up, in their flipflops in the snow...

Thanks, Flash.

Pabst Blue Ribbon serves its American purposes at times - a $2 beer in a $10 cocktail joint, say. Brooklyn and many other smaller breweries are good, Sam Adams has gone the way of the corporate swill, but Lagunitas is fucking brilliant - I used to have a housemate who completed a master's degree in brewing, and was making his way up the brewing ladder - eventually ended up as a brewer at Lagunitas, which was pretty much pinnacle - and got us free beer in the house! Unfortunately the long commute from Berkeley to the brewery ended up with him leaving Lagunitas, but damn, that was and is good beer. Lagunitas IPA is to me as good as it gets in USA.

Any of you geniuses able to direct me to some good information about depression and treatment with anti-depressants, in Thai language? Have a friend who is clearly depressed, and self medicating with alcohol and so on, but cannot bring herself to go to a doctor and ask for a prescription to try some SSRIs/antidepressants. Any help to direct her to Thai language explanation would be appreciated! Thanks, YimSiam

I figured the eight beers you should stop drinking immediately were maybe beers number 9 through 16, depending on tolerance...

Man, I'm losing my touch! Can't even keep track of Songkran anymore - raises a real risk that I might accidentally end up in Thailand during the holiday at some point, and I've had enough of that by this age...

No sitting in the back of pickups? That's how half the country moves around! That's ridiculous. One thing that's strange is that Thais so often choose to sit at the very rear corners of the pickups - I grew up with pickup bed travel, and we always sat up near the cab, usually back to the cab, for the smoothest ride - why do people sit in the back, at the bumpiest spot, in the worst sun and wind? Anyone can explain? Thai peepen tingtong.

Wonder how the KSR no-guns-sexy-clothes-or-booze thing went? The usual rigorous enforcement, or this was for real?

I had some of my (perhaps unfortunately) formative days hanging out in the tunnel area - there was an internet cafe with a hair salon upstairs, and down the hall they rented rooms of particular disrepute. Still in touch with some of the characters I met there ten-plus years ago, but man, that was bad news in there! Still, love to scrape along at the edge of the gutters of the little sois - much more fun and interesting that walking down the broad avenues!

Good lord, they will not stop until the city is scoured clean of any interesting nooks or crannies - and a city needs it's nooks and crannies!

I'm guessing native tongue may be Bar Girl? I like watch people, maybe some market nearby. See you drink beer

If you can't get the big fish, at least give his former little fish 44 years, it seems. Can't be too many charges still pending and actionable from the pre ought-six period, so make the most of the ones you got?

Stopped, er... reduced it.

Sometimes at 2 am Swampy I almost think I actually have become Darth Vader, especially after a long week in Pattaya, say.