Pattaya Thailand, Wednesday, November 27, 2024

 Hello all, from a warm...34 degree Pattaya. I arrived here at noon today, after a two hour drive from Bangkok with some Thai friends. Since this a high tourist destination this week, the highway was very busy.  We found out upon arrival that Friday and Saturday will feature an International Fireworks Competition.

On Monday , I had my appointment with My Dental Team at Bangkok Smile. One full hour cost me 68 dollars Canadian. As I have said before; when one sits in that chair, you get the full attention of the dentist and an assistant. They do not have five or six chairs going at the same time. The charges here are so much less than in Canada. What makes me a bit annoyed is the fact that the dental association in Canada and many of the Insurance Companies there have become buddy-buddy and now, the insurance companies will not pay a claim from outside of Canada unless the dental work was the result of an accident. One would think that it would be more economical to pay the cheaper claim. 

I and my Thai friends will be here until the 10 day of December. We will return to a hotel near  the Bangkok airport on that day, and I will return home via Vancouver with Air Canada, then on to Toronto and then Ottawa. The flight to Vancouver will be around 15 hours. I did not mention the route here to Bangkok from Vancouver on 20th of this month. From Vancouver we flew up over Palmerston Alaska, down over the Aleutian Islands to Tokyo, Hong Kong and on to Bangkok entering Asia midway between Hue and Da Nang Vietnam. A total of around 8500 Nautical miles, according to the Air Canada route map that I followed.  I will do an update in about another week. Take Care

Bangkok, Thailand November 23, 2024

 Hello all ;  I arrived here as scheduled on Friday morning after a 16 hour flight from Vancouver; As we were departing from Ottawa, the massive storm with 200 kilometer winds that had hit the B.C. coast for several days had diminished to nothing. We were in a 300 seat Boeing 787-900 type aircraft from Ottawa to Vancouver, and another of the same type here. There were no empty seats on either flight. A great many of the passengers were American, who came up to Vancouver and enjoy the long, non stop flight to Asia. Most of those I spoke with were going onward to other countries.

Upon arrival at Bangkok, we were put into a subway  car and taken at high speed for a three minute ride to the main terminal. There, I was treated to a big surprise. A Customs officer whom I had spoken with several times here was at the main entrance to the Customs/Immigration stop point. Here there are two routes to Customs/Immigration...one for Thai Passports, one for All other Passports. When he  saw me, he said...''you Canadian Thai, go to Thai Passport gate.''  I had three ahead of me....hundreds in the other line up.

Another big surprise at the hotel. After I checked in, the lady at the counter gave me a large vase of very colourful flowers. On the vase was a note...''Well come back Kuhn (friend) Donald Bedier, nice to have you back''. This morning several of my friends from the north of Thailand arrived here, and on Wednesday, we will go to Pattaya. This morning, I walked the one block to Bangkok Smile, my dental office, and confirmed that I am here and will see them Monday morning at ten.

My next update will probably be from Pattaya, a two hour bus ride south of here. 

Ottawa, November 17, 2024

 Hello All;  I do not have much new to report, but wish to say a few words before departing.

In 72 hours, I will be on my way to Vancouver, then Thailand. I depart here on Wednesday at six in the evening, Ottawa time, for the five hour flight to Vancouver. Three hours there, then off to Bangkok. 

I am in the big city for five days, then we go down to Pattaya on the beach for two weeks. The hotel we have is on the beach of the Gulf of Thailand. (Back when some of us were in school, it was known as the Gulf of Siam, as was the country).

I will be doing updates from time to time as time allows.  Take care