Atticus

Korean film has been making its mark for a few years now. If you are looking for other recommendations mine would be Coin Locker Girl, a 2015 film set in the Korean underworld of organ harvesting, human trafficking and loan shark debt collecting. Fantastic performances by the two lead female characters. I came across it purely by chance on a Thai Airways flight from Brussels to Bangkok a few years ago.

She certainly had a long and distinguished career in public service and academia. Rest in peace.

Probably little change in routine from before. I always like to get up reasonably early, have breakfast and do sight-seeing stuff especially in BKK. After a few days on the ground in BKK I usually then do a trip somewhere else in Thailand or neighbouring countries. Next trip Nakhon Phanom in the far north-east by the Mekong is one of my intended destinations and possibly Mukdahan. Then a few days in Pattaya before spending the last few days back in my beloved Bangkok. Only difference this time is it will be my first trip since giving up drinking. I will miss getting that little alcoholic buzz on and I may find it a bit challenging sitting in the bars with a soft drink but the buzz of the ladies will still be there. I'll just have to spend less time in the bars and more time in the hotel enjoying the carnal delights that may offer themselves to a man of modest prosperity and large girth in his evening meanderings in the Tropics.

It's good to hear the M Hotel in Chiang Mai has survived the ongoing upheaval. I stayed there quite a few times over the years. The location is perfect. Rooms facing the back looking towards the old city are quieter than the rooms facing Tha Pae Gate.

Take a book with you because you'll be three hours too early mate 👍

After that visual image I think it will be a long time before Boydeste eats another butchers sausage. 🤣

I've just done a Google image search on 'Women of Yakutia' and immediately after that ordered some thermal underwear and looked at flights to Yakutsk.

There are quite a lot of countries which Thais can travel to without a pre-arranged visa, including pretty much all the ASEAN countries. Certainly Laos, Cambodia and probably Malaysia are heavily travelled on a daily basis by Thais with little formality. Further afield many South and Central American countries do not require visas. For a rough idea Wikipedia has an up to date list as at December 2021 but, as always, check with individual embassies first to be sure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Thai_citizens

Very interesting video. If you had a nice Yakutian wife and a wood cabin like that featured in the video you could make a good life as long as you are a hard worker who enjoys fishing, chopping wood and manual labour. Going outside for the toilet would be a right pain. Imagine getting the shits one night!! Six months a year there and six months in Thailand would be an interesting contrast.

Just finished reading another Peter May book - Lockdown. Very timely and set in London at the time of a pandemic but written before Covid. Not the best book I've ever read but ok to while away a few hours.

Fixed it.

This sounds way too complicated and far too much work. Just buy a tv, plug it into the electric socket and use the little bunny ears to get good reception. Job done!

Armenia. If we get a second choice then Georgia (the country not the Peach State)!!

I agree that is a good hotel, but at about 190km away from where the OP wants to be it could be a little further away than he is comfortable with. 🚌

It has been more than 5 years since I was in CR but used to visit quite a lot from 2007 to 2016. At least three or four times I stayed at the Wiang Inn Hotel (not to be confused with the nearby Wangcome Hotel which is/was also fairly decent) very close to the Night Bazaar and bus station. Great location. I don't recall what I used to pay but you can certainly find a lot cheaper than this hotel. I quite like a bit of comfort so don't mind paying a bit more. The breakfasts were great. Naturally I cannot speak as to whether the hotel is operating normally, or at all, but here is a link to the website. http://www.wianginn.com It is a great little city. If you are there on a Saturday evening go to the Walking Street market which is a bit more relaxed than the one in Chiang Mai.

I bought a really cheap version in Khao San Road. There was a bloody good reason it was so cheap

Just a few minutes ago the Aubrey-Maturin series was the subject of a Mastermind question: Who was the author? I knew that I should know it from these posts but struggled to remember Patrick O'Brian. The contestant did not know either.

According to a very skinny man on the interweb Bullies is set to reopen in early March. The iconic Bull will remain in place.

RIP. Remember her well from watching On the Buses as a kid. That is pretty much the whole cast passed away now.

RIP Gary Brooker. In a decade of iconic songs A Whiter Shade of Pale is up there among the immortal legends of 1960's music. I always liked his 2006 performance in Denmark.

One night in Krung Thep Maha Nakhon........

Excellent rates there. My go to place in BKK was Vasu Exchange, an independent money changer on the corner of Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 by Nana BTS. For those who are unfamiliar with it it is not a booth but an old fashioned shop type operation. It operates standard office hours, 9 - 6, and is closed on Sundays.

One of those booths was Super Rich. Great rates. If they are closed now I am confident they will re-open as the masses return.

Cliff Richard Justin Bieber Paul Hewson (the pretentious pratt who calls himself Bono)

Lou Reed Roy Orbison David Bowie