Something a bit different: City Scapes

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/1_rama9_bridge.jpg
Rama 9 Bridge - Bangkok, Thailand

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/1_bangkok_river_cruise.jpg
Bangkok River Cruise

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/1_bangkok_night.jpg
Bangkok Night

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/1_bangkok_night2.jpg
Bangkok Night 2

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/1_elephant_bangkok_street.jpg

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs215.snc1/8223_1132147905606_1284518409_30324227_4161130_n.j pg

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

I just can't resist posting this photo. It reminds me so much of the look my ex-wife used to give me! LOL

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs032.snc1/3231_1050074333818_1284518409_30116552_127405_n.jp g

[ncboman]

thanks for the unusual pics.

Never been there but I use to frequent similar places ...

http://sydor25.com/Pictures/Dallas_Skyline_0540.jpg
Dallas, Tx

http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicv/vfiles5457.jpg
San Antonio, Tx

http://i.pbase.com/o4/74/459774/1/52752741.AustinSkyline.jpg
Austin, Tx

... until I found one to bring home. ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/ncboman/Deb/Deb.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/ncboman/Deb/MydtripJan1505040.jpg

not bad for a grandma. :D

I've never looked back. :)

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

The shot of Dallas is really nice.

Your wife looks lovely. I'm guessing she doesn't enjoy travel.

I think that I've finally convinced my mom and dad to come over to Thailand for a long vacation. Damn... it was like pulling teeth! ;) Having lived (at least part-time) in Thailand since 1998, you'd have thought that my folks would have visited before now! LOL

[Bushman]

Bill, "Having to watch your step off the beaten path a bit, as you may run into a cobra hiding under a banana leaf or something" (your post from the fishing forum) might have had something to do with mom and dad having been hanging back a little.;)

[ncboman]

Thanks, I doan know what she ever saw in me though. :rolleyes:

She LOVES travel. We just can't afford much of it. :D

What kind of license, etc is requred to fish in Thailand?

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

Bill, "Having to watch your step off the beaten path a bit, as you may run into a cobra hiding under a banana leaf or something" (your post from the fishing forum) might have had something to do with mom and dad having been hanging back a little.;)

LOL... maybe... Dad hates snakes, but Mom hates flying even more and I know she will not be a fan of that 12 hour flight over the Pacific... and that's just to get to Tokyo!... another 7 or so after that... Hahaha...

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

What kind of license, etc is requred to fish in Thailand?

The fishing permit/license varies a little depending on what you're after... i.e. freshwater or saltwater... wild river or lakes, etc... but it's cheap and always included with any guide service or boat charter service. Although I speak Thai, I do not read the language (not very well anyway and Thai has it's own number system too--a system of script that I'm forever confusing) hence I always let my local Thai fellas handle all the licensing details but as I recall my last freshwater lake permit was only around 200 Baht ($6 USD) for a 2 or 3 day permit. It's all very much 'small money' compared to what we're used to in the States. I've always had the saltwater permits included with the boat hire, so I'm not even sure the actual price of an ocean fishing license.

[ncboman]

It's all very much 'small money' compared to what we're used to in the States.

why am I not surprised? :rolleyes:

Are there any like regular fish over there? bream, white perch, etc ...

[purple heart]

Hey NC, you are a lucky old dog, having a pretty wife like that.:D:D

She doesn't have a twin sister does she?:D:D

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

Are there any like regular fish over there? bream, white perch, etc ...

I'd say for freshwater, the most 'regular' fish (by American comparison) would probably be barramundi, followed by the many varieties of catfish and then probably jungle perch.

http://www.anglingthailand.com/data/pics/barramundi/1051712608_Barramer41.jpg
Barramundi

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/Striped_Catfish.jpg
Ex-Girlfriend with Striped Catfish

http://www.anglingthailand.com/data/pics/jungleperch/759805403_11,1%20kas.JPG
Jungle Perch

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/JunglePerchCatch.jpg
Nice Catch of Jungle Perch

Of course the saltwater fish species tend to be pretty much the same as you'd expect anywhere in the Pacific or Indian Oceans.

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

A few more 'city shots'...

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/PatViewNight.jpg

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

Other direction...

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/PatNightView.jpg

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

My favorite shopping center in downtown Bangkok... everything is here... from Armani to Zippo

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/BangkokMBK.jpg

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

Bangkok at Christmas time...

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/BangkokChristmas.jpg

[Bushman]

Bill, not many people on the sidewalk in that last shot. Probably because they are all in cars and busses! 8-9 lanes of one way traffic! I thought that only Houston had traffic like that. Where do all those people park? I am getting an education that Thailand isn't all ox carts, rice pattys and rain forest.

That Barramundi looks like one strong fighting fish. That tail like a canoe paddle sure doesn't taper down much out of the body. I'll bet that they pull pretty good.

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

Hey there, Bushman,

Thais generally HATE to walk! They will walk to the corner to grab a cab or bus... or to a train platform (the 'skytrain' is a super elevated train service in bkk). The sidewalks tend to have mostly western tourists or expats like me. I walk most everywhere I can... just enjoy seeing all the oddities of the streetlife.

Yep, I'd say that Bangkok (at times) has the absolute worst traffic of any city in the world. Yet, at other times it's fairly open going. There are now some really good expressways to the airport and such that have really improved things a lot and with both an elevated train system and new underground subway.... it's getting better all the time. Just don't jump into a cab during the 5pm rush and expect to get anywhere fast. This is where a good motorcycle comes in... you can actually drive up on sidewalks without most policemen so much as frowning at you! LOL

Thailand is mostly farm country and forest and beach areas, etc... but there are a few major city areas that are quite 'grown up'. I kept a place in downtown Bangkok until this last August, but my other place - on the coast - is also in a very modern small city (the pics above with a coast). My 'bush house' is truly out in the rice paddy country... no nothin out there... some big fish, some wild boar and water buffs... some home-made rice whiskey... friendly locals and a whole lot of quiet.

Yes, the barramundi is a strong fighting fish. I find them very similar to catching really big large mouth bass. Serious bass fishermen tend to love barramundi fishing.

[Wild_Bill_Hiccup]

New Years Eve

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/Patt-NewYear-Temple.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/wild_bill_hiccup/PattThai-New-Year2010.jpg

[apples]

Stunning pictures, Wild Bill! I like the way each of the first four is dominated by a particular color. The elephant and the car crossing paths is kind of surreal. Ever have any pachyderm/car collisions? God, what a mess that would be!