[DeTomaso] BANGKOK - 1ST 24 HOURS

cengles at cox.net cengles at cox.net
Tue Jun 15 09:34:15 EDT 2010


Dear Dennis,

I am encouraged to read that you are rising to the challenge and overcoming the adversities of an American Goodwill Ambassador in Bangkok. I know it is difficult and tedious work, but someone has to do it. Thank goodness that you are so gifted in diplomacy.

Warmest regards, Chuck Engles


---- Mad Dog Antenucci <teampantera at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Flew in from Tokoyo last night. I have to say I have a new found respect for Mike and others who fly for a living....it was tough enough sitting in 1st class drinking champagne with 'suits' and listening to Led Zepplin, Dobbie Brothers, Jimi Hendrix ont he Apple iPod....I had a couple people ask me if I was on a training mission in Thailand and of course the obvious answer was, "yea it started in 1967 where were you then?". ;-)>
>
>  Clearing Bangkok immigration and customs was a breeze....made sure I wore my old boonie hat and a U.S. SF 5th SFGA tshirt. The Thai officals were great waving me through like the VIP celebrity i am. 
>
> Was waiting for my bags and I had 3 HUGE dive bags plus 2 more huge suitcases that Thai Customs didn't even glance at....could of had 300 pounds of TPR t-shirts and decals or other illegal substances in there for gods sake....do I look like someone YOU would trust? ;-)>
>
> I had not got into trouble in more then 20 minutes when I see this el Qaeda wanna-be pacing back and fourth waiting to pick up his bags puffing his chest out acting like a tough guy....so I got behind him and whispered "al-Qaeda sucks"...he turns around looks at me and gives me this mad kitty-kat stare.....and that was BEFORE I got to the FEDERAL HOTEL. ;-)>
>
> Some of you Nam vets will no doubt remember the Federal and Nana Hotels which was where we spent a blissful happy 5 days of R&R during the war in Bangkok.....the Federal Hotel is STILL here and my old friend "Mr. Chin" who moved to Bangkok after the war has been at at the Federal for 35 years.....like most of the help he lives upstairs above the hotel......anyway we recognize each other right away and I gave him a big hug....within 5 minutes he had me scheduled to see his favorite tailor, his harem of beautiful girls, every major Buddha shrine in Bangkok and a bunch of ther stuff (watches, grass, jewlery, etc) I didn't need anymore....I love the guy though....he's hustling like its still 1969!
>
> within a minute i had toslow him down but here is why old guys should "NEVER" be asked for anything that happened more then 5 minutes ago.......after all the hugs and kisses he goes,
>
> "Mr. dennis where is your wife and children?"  
>  
> I say, "ohhhh Mr. Chin, my wife is OLD  and my children now have children"!!!!!!!
>  
> He goes, "N0000, Mr. Dennis I see you here 5 years ago with family"........I go
>  
> "No Mr. chin that was 19 (1991) YEARS AGO!!!!"
>  
> So we had a good laugh over our revisionist history and the next thing I know he comes back with all the stuff i said I didn't need! ;-)>
>  
> Tonight I am hooking up with a couple old buds who married Thai women who still live in Bangkok and we're headed for a few old haunts.....report tomorrow more on that (Soi Cowboy, Patpong Road, etc)....The Ali-Baba folks have 2 blocks of bars and restaurants now in the City....figure soon as I have some backup like I did in '68 and again in '90 and again at Fort Stockton (Tom DiIulio & JT Taphorn) I'll see if I can start some trouble before all the Ali-Baba's  start screaming
> "alaakbar'".....headed out to pool to drink a well earned cold SINGHA beer.
>
> PS.  I've 'posted' about a dozen TPR decals on various STOP signs and 2 Taxi's in the Sumkimvit area where I am staying...everyone wants a TPR shirt.....Auditioning models for The TPR WetT-shirt Contest for Friday Night.
>
> Good Times



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