Eduardo's Tecnam has returned to Nok Airfield.

Funerals are in remembrance of those who have died, and we attend in order to support the community of friends and relations who have experienced some of their time with the person who has passed on.
In my case I was Eduardo's instructor for the Private Pilot's Licence, his confessor when he made mistakes, and his go to when he needed recurrency and review flights in both the Tecnam and the Malibu JetProp.
We flew together many times since he achieved his licence; a form of after care I suppose!
I'm not wealthy (that's an understatement), but if I can possibly do something as important as supporting my community of friends, I will go out of my way to do so.
So on Wednesday 13th May I flew to Bangkok, and onwards to Chiang Mai (14th May).

I had to think about spending £1,100 or so on a ticket to fly Thai Airways to Bangkok, but I had enough reserve in my Canadian account to do this, it could be done, so it should be done.
In my financial experience I have never been able to hang on to money, it will go for any reason. I have tried to save, in fact I have to save as not much money comes my way, and what does goes in expenses!
Earn £45 flying with someone, pay £20 for petrol to get there.
But on the other hand, with little money, I seem to be able to get it for a 'right reason', so in my past I bought aeroplanes, and rented them out, while I could not buy a decent car! The aeroplanes were business and income, whilst I could get to the airfield economically in a Vauxhall Viva HA at 40mpg.
Hopefully the expenditure on this event will go around and come around, we'll see.
Just nobody die for a while please.

The service on Thai TG911 was very good, but the meals contained what they called
an omelette, but what had the texture and taste of the pencil rubbers I used to chew
when I was a child at school.

I was concerned about the reaction of Thai Immigration to my returning after just over two months. The rules are changing and I had already had just over three months in Thailand this year, and was only absent for just over two months.
Thailand is only giving 30 day visas on arrival now, and allowing only limited stays...
I told the Immigration Officer that I was only there for two weeks, for a funeral, but my Passport was still stamped for sixty days... (Why am I back here now????).

Khun Koi with Eduardo's picture at Wat Pa Paeng

Just as it was boarding time I looked at the Thai App on my phone and it showed over 6,000 Baht to fly to Chiang Mai, too expensive, but the next day it would be 2,400 Baht.
I would arrive the next day so rather than risk a high price on the day I booked the cheaper ticket just as my boarding call came up.
I made a booking on TG106 for about four hours after my BKK arrival time just in case I had trouble with Immigration.

After arriving at Chiang Mai I took a taxy to K K Motors and picked up my car.
It's tax, MOT, and insurance were still valid.

The funeral would be over four days Thursday 14th until Sunday 17th when Ed's body would be cremated.
For two of those days I had a brief role to play in the ceremony after the lead monk's sermon, and the arrival of the other monks who would carry out their chanting and prayers.
Funerals take several days to allow people to travel to them in order to pay their last respects.
Cremation was on Sunday afternoon... I was a bit late that morning as I had contracted bronchitis from the long flight from London.
I chose not to pass the open coffin in the crematorium (most Wats, Temples, have them), as it is pointless. I'd rather celebrate life by remembering the vibrant character I knew.
Buddhism has its 'merits', does not rely on a God figure, but insists you be a good person in accordance with five precepts.
Since the brain is a repository of knowledge I don't believe the memories of this life can exist after death, unless there's some sort of upload to the 'cloud'. Perhaps though there's the operating system of our minds that may exist in another form?
We modify this operating system through being good human beings.

The Will was read on Monday and the two aeroplanes were inherited by two close friends of Eduardo.
It was written in 2020 and one of the inheritors was no longer in the country, so there was a little controversy; a reminder that one should evaluate one's Will once a year as circumstances change. 
This does not affect me at all; as far as I know I am not mentioned in the Will.

During my last visit I helped Ed move his stuff from the hangar at Nok Airfield to the new Phusanfah airfield, and now this all has to be moved again. So on Wednesday we went to evaluate the situation, and collect all of the Tecnam related materiel and move it back to Chiang Mai.
Khun Koi and myself flew the Tecnam P92-JS back to Nok for convenience, and it's future is uncertain.
Disposure of assets as required by the Will has to be approved by a Thai Court of Law.

Airfields in Thailand are now subject to regular renewals of their licences, and included in the renewal process is the approval of the local communities.

Originally I was booked to fly back on the 27th May, but Koi suggested I travel with him to Phuket and Krabi where two one thirds of Eduardo's ashes were to be delivered to the sea. Another third would be returned to Eduardo's cottage garden in England where his family would conduct their own ceremony.
And so I paid the $100 fee, and changed my ticket to return to England four days later than planned, on the 1st June.

Next I booked a flight to Bangkok on Thai, thence to Krabi on Thai Airways, Thai Air Asia: Krabi to Chiang Mai, and Thai Airways Chiang Mai back to Bangkok.
This trip was costing me more in airfares, but Khun Koi was covering accommodation and road travel.

Thursday 21st I took TG107 to Bangkok, then the airport train to Phaya Thai, and walked to the Victory Hotel.
The next day I took the bus from Suvarnabhum Airport to Jomtien, the cost is now 162 Baht, up from 143 Baht last time.

On Saturday I went flying with Khun Som; she said it was like flying with her dad! I suggested 'granddad'.

On Sunday David Tuck invited me along for a flight too... Somehow we ended up rolling, roll off the top, quarter upward clover leaf, and barreling around the sky. We must be terribly unstable.
And then Khun Som took me for another evening sunset flight.
Sunday night was Pizza Night where Jim Matonti, long time operator at Eastern Air Park, serves up pizza and beer. David Tuck then gave me a lift back to Bangkok, and I was soon back at the Victory Hotel.

After obtaining a fuel pump, hopefully I can fly this TMG.

On Monday I was invited to fly with Khun Mao in his Cessna 172 from Klong 11 to Phitsanulok and back, and so I took the BTS Skytrain to Khu Kot (end of the line) where he picked me up.

We passed Ayutthaya which was the capital of Siam until the Burmese sacked and burned it.
It is a World Heritage site, and now has its own airfield.

At Phitsanulok the ladies were pleased to see me again.
They told Khun Mao that I was "very professional" as the last time I was there they witnessed my briefing.



Back at Klong 11 there was this contraption.

I flew to Krabi and met up with Koi and Eoody.
The next day we drove to Phuket via a project Khun Koi is involved with...
Eduardo had a base at Phuket Airpark from where he would conduct survey flights on behalf of a marine charity which aimed to conserve the population of Dugongs.
Ed's wish was to have his ashes scattered in the sea off Phuket and off Krabi and the marine conservation people organised this.

We checked Ed's shed for tools and equipment to be sent to Chiang Mai.

The first third of the ashes delivered to the sea off Phuket.

Koi booked us into a resort by the seafront.
This did not go down well with me... I opened the bed to find insects within the covers, and so I slept on a towel on top of the bed.
In the morning I noticed 'bits' and cloudiness in the bottle of water I had not drunk... Oh dear, that other bottle is probably the cause of the terrible gastroenteritis I was to suffer that afternoon.
Do check the water bottles, a good named source, clarity, and not refilled with dirty water perhaps from a tap.

I have made this image square as it might not show correctly on your browser.
A shagcat greeted us at breakfast.

A characterisation of a Dugong

Mission complete, lunch on the beach, but I could not eat much, and later it all came out.

The journey back from Krabi was not easy for me, I had a major incident on arrival at Krabi Airport, and then a bit of a fever, and the need to be close to a loo for the next couple of days.

Khun Koi was also my PPL student at the same time as Eduardo was.
I flew with him in the Tecnam to make sure he was comfortable.