Smiler

There is a place on the corner of Soi 8 when you make that cut called the tripy or dripy Tap (something like that anyway). It’s on the opposite side to Lolitas 😉. Good food/music/atmosphere and Beer Lao on draft. 👍🍺

Well it takes a certain level of what’s the word I am looking for ……. oh yeah stupidly to question Larry’s knowledge of gogo employment terms but I think we have a winner. 👍😃

I will never forget the season United were in the 2nd division. We used to go to almost every game on a Bostocks coach from Macclesfield. Now the good thing was it was a time when young teenagers could actually go and support their team (unlike now). The bad side was that, let’s be honest, we were out of control. I didn’t so much grow out of it - we moved to South Wales when I was 16. Looking back it was thankfully life changing for me. Grudgingly and with no choice I started playing rugby and learned to channel my aggression into the game which I continued to play into my late thirties.

https://youtu.be/xat1GVnl8-k?si=8wjlnIw-smif4yTr

Over new year’s in the village seemed like everyone had cold/flu of some sort or other. Not seen Mrs smiler so ill for a long time, certainly worse then when we all had covid. TBH I’m still not over it.

Predictably had to cut short my recent trip and returned to the UK on Friday afternoon. UK border was an absolute breeze, I barely broke stride going through passport control. Nipped into the bogs to put on a couple of extra layers of clothing and when I got to the luggage belt my case magically appeared. Straight through customs and I can’t remember a quicker or easier arrival back to Blighty 👍. But what really made my day was happened at the National Express ticket counter at Central Bus station. The machines weren’t available so there was a queue of maybe 6 or 7 people. Up walks a pair of entitled Arab women straight to the front, ignoring everyone else only to be told by a member of staff to join the queue. They protested but the young guy was having none of it and when one of them asked to see the supervisor in charge, he politely showed them his lanyard - it was him 😃. By this time the queue had at least doubled in length, a number of people, myself included, actually physically applauded as they begrudgingly joined the back. Made me proud to be British 👀.

Doing a boydeste - packing 😎

Having 1 or 2 (or more) solid friends you can rely on if the need arises. Unfortunately I’ve seen/heard a number of people crash and burn for whatever reason in Thailand because they didn’t have an effective support network.

Not at an airport but it happpened while I was waiting to go through Immigration coming into Thailand at the bridge in Nong Khai. Was a Friday afternoon and the place was absolutely rammed. I was playing backgammon on my phone, not really paying too much attention to what was going on around me when suddenly all hell breaks loose at the desk about 3 or 4 meters in front. Immigration officers running about, shouting but above all the sound of a women screaming. A white woman, I am guessing from Russia(??) was refused entry and went into meltdown, then she started tearing her clothes off. Not something you see every day at immigration, nice pair of tits by the way....

Let me make it absolutely clear that I don’t like or support in anyway these magnificent creatures being paraded around etc etc. But this wonderful old boy has been visiting our village for a lot longer than the 15 years I have known him. Indeed he used to work on the land up to 10 years ago. Good to meet him again this morning 👍

Rest in Peace Jan, no more pain ❤️. Thinking of you Gal, sending love and positive thoughts to help you get through.

12 or so years ago I had a kick about with some older Thai blokes and unsurprisingly failed dismally at it. They didn’t do the acrobatics I saw today but all the same, the ball control was way, way beyond me.

Spent an hour or so at the inter village sports tournament. Football, volleyball and this game Damn the players are skilled and athletic. Pulled both my hamstrings just watching 🤕. Lots of court side in game betting going on between the village headmen, it really was exciting (even if you don’t quite understand the scoring 👀) with the game decided on the final play of the match.

Wandering around with my chopper out….. IMG_0341.MOV Making an attempt to tidy the Eucalyptus plantation up a bit.

I threw one for a girlfriend Everybody came You should of seen her face….

An old engineering machine shop floor saying when very busy - I don’t know if my arsehole is punched, bored, drilled or countersunk.

There is a fairly high profile English guy and his Thai wife who blog around Isaan. I managed to endure 5 minutes of one of their vids, that was more than enough of the self importance. I saw them at Central in Udon, he threw a hissy fit over something or other and made a twat of himself. She was trying to disown him. Couple of hours later they walk into the Brickhouse and to their credit, ask Max (the boss) if they can film at a table. He said no, too many people and that was that. No drama, they obviously knew Max and sat at the bar with him for the rest of the time I was there.

It’s the big day tomorrow for the lad who is going to don the monk robes. This evening 90 kgs of moo arrived and now there is at least 25 people preparing the porker. The guys would appear to be doing the heavy work with the big blades ( and loakow of course). The more delicate butchering is being taken care of by the women. Certainly a great atmosphere with lots of laughter. Might get a bit messy later on. Events like this are what family and “the village” are all about. It’s not for everyone of course but I feel privileged to be involved.

Just back from my mate the viking's house. Turns out the bloke in this story https://thepattayanews.com/2023/12/01/norwegian-motorcyclist-drives-into-dangling-cable-and-gets-injured-in-sattahip/ is his brother. He had a 3 year relationship with Mrs Smiler's niece but that is long over and done with. Spent quite a bit of time with him when he first came to the village. Poor bastard is in a bit of a state - broken collar bone, broken hip, 3 broken ribs and a punctured lung. Mrs viking is off down to Pattaya tomorrow to try and make some sense of it all. Seems like the Police are activlly pushing the company responsible for the cable to take care of hospital bills etc.

DM ed you

How long are you in Udon matey?

Well it doesn’t get much more exciting than this thrill seekers. A real “out there” adventure for the adrenaline junkies who like life on a knife edge…… Making “good luck” tokens for a family member’s forthcoming ceremony to become a monk. Each token contains 1 baht wrapped in a brightly coloured bit of fabric, held together by a laky band and even a ribbon for some. I think I may have peaked too early - only another 234 to go. Living the dream…..

I arrived at 14:30 Thursday last week. Was busy but not as bad as your pics. That said I went to arrivals 2. Wondering if one gets busier than the other?? Took around 20 mins to clear immigration but at least 5 mins of that was chatting to the very nice, friendly imm officers. “Boooeeee farang poot Isssaaaan etc etc”. Got into the baggage hall near belt 18 and had to walk down to belt 5. I stopped for a change of clothes and a fresh up mid way at the toilets. Suitcase just dropped down onto the carousel as I arrived. Swampy arrivals was the busiest I have seen since before COVID, not far from capacity I am guessing. Seemed to flow quite well tbh and wasn’t too painful.