Smiler

6 minutes ago, KWA said:

Looks to me like it's still only the border areas where there are frequent bombings etc.  These restrictions have been there for a while.

Mate you are right - thank f**k for that.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand

EDIT - just the southern borders as usual, thanks KWA 😀

Edit 2 - good idea Bob it 😀

Good luck with the treatment Lanza, sending positive thoughts.

Just read that trump is going to build a "surgical health" wall around the USA and get the Corona virus to pay for it....

Had confirmation yesterday for 3 days work in Dubai (last week in March) so I will fly to Thailand from there..

Interesting answers on this thread and like a lot of posters I favour flying direct. Last 3 times it has been with Thai and no complaints really. Apart from the wait for bags at Heathrow which I guess is not Thai's fault, oh and the stingy measures of red wine....

Breaking News

Apparently something nasty is happening at 21 in Korat. Sorry no details just a load of FB stuff from my daughter. A soldier is shooting at random....

I have been having a look at flights from the UK end of March. EVA £550, Thai £670 direct. Emirates £520, Etihad £480 and Qatar at £430. Oman are cheaper still but one of the stopovers is stupid so not worth considering.

Who would you choose and why?

Sarcasm mode OFF

Nice post TS, what does SITREP mean? I think it's interesting to hear how people handle one of the biggest transitions of their life. Add in moving to another country plus the relationship challenges. Fair fucks to you mon ami 🙂

The German guy I met at Xmas was talking about a new care home for dementia/altziemer sufferers in the planning stages near Udon.

The way I understood it the place would be for any Europeans. Some big corporate money behind it apparently.

I really don't like driving at night over here, even locally. Far too many without mirrors, driving too fast, tanked up on Laokow and just to complete the circle of lunacy, the F**kwits take the back lightbulbs out so "pee" can't follow them home on the motorbikes. 

41 minutes ago, KhunDon said:

Ladyboy in the centre?

Yeah, looks like it to me. I mean what's going on with the crotch piece?

At UDtown. Once you see it...

Some fool - that will be me, bought the kids fancy arse skipping ropes for Xmas. Terak lek got it straight away as she later admitted she uses one at her fitness class. The lad just couldn't do it.

But this morning, working together and helping each other, both him and I managed to get up to 25 skips each. Sat here drenched in sweat, heart pounding with a tremendous sense of achievement. Age is just a number.

That's me knackered for the rest of the year 🙂

At young smiler's school Xmas concert waiting for his year to do their thing. 

This is a dual faith school and no matter how many times I visit it, the Buddha stuff next to traditional Christian iconography always looks strange. I am not knocking it - seems to me it works and there is a great atmosphere around the place. 

Packing up the car ready for a night out camping. There are 2 cars and 3 pick-ups going from our village - should be a good laugh. It's like trying to herd cats getting everyone together though 🙂

At the Singha Junior Cup footy tournament in Mahasarakam. Absolute chaos as you might expect but  good fun nevertheless . Come on you mighty Udon Power academy machine.

I brought this over with me and was trying to save it for when we went camping later in the month. Fancied a glass last night but unfortunately the whole bottle got drunk. Damn it was good 🙂

Sat round the Barbie, wrapped up in blankets with the Mrs and kids trying to decide where our next road trip will be.

Looks like we will be checking out the sky walk near Nong Khai soon...

One of my mates had his van broken into while he was in Tesco the other week. £2k worth of tools gone in less than 10 minutes.  There were some CCTV images but nothing has come from them. 

There are thieving, robbing pikey bastards everywhere ( even heard of a church in France getting done over recently, but nobody died so... )

I feel your pain though Gary. Happens a lot in rural areas, even if it's nailed down. We had some wood taken from a shack on one of the farms, Yai was really upset because her hubby not only built the place 50 odd years ago, he also chopped the tree down and prepared the wood. Wasn't a huge amount that went it was the principal.

As a postscript to the above, around 6-8 weeks after the event 2 people turned up at the house begging Yai to forgive them for the theft. Apparently their family had a horrible run of bad luck which they put down to their actions. Yai said no...

1 hour ago, forcebwithu said:

 

The other pic he posted at least had the cars driving on the correct side.

What, you mean it is a fake picture?

🙂

From stickboy: If you believe my sister-in-law about how cold it is in Udon right now...

25 minutes ago, thegrogmonster said:

That must be very near my wife's village. Highway 2021 maybe?

That is left of the main highway 2 when traveling from Udon to Nong Khai (I think). We are on the right.

The Ampur district is Phen, which is a pain as when we lived in Udon I found Ampur Muang Udon (Udon Central) so, so much easier to deal with. Really is a hideous ordeal trying to deal with anyone or anything in officialdom at Phen.

Yep, chilly early on up here in the jungle about 20 Kms north east of Udon this morning. Nice and sunny at the moment but a bit of a breeze so all the locals still have their hats and coats on.

"Now baw?"

"Now mak"

I love the weather at this time of year - just great for wandering around the farm, doing a couple of jobs or getting some exercise.

I have been drinking Chang (over ice of course) for the last couple of weeks. Not constantly you understand but a couple of large ones every other night or so. Kin sick of it now TBH and it hasn't helped reading this thread.

A shopping trip to Udon is needed.