November 2000

Dave and Nung Danek
(aka BangkokD)

We factory ordered BangkokD in April 1999 after getting word of our assignment to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok.  My wife, Nung, and I have four kids and we needed something big enough to haul them around without having to worry about how we'd fit into Bangkok's terminally gridlocked traffic.  The third row seat and rear air were two of the biggest selling points (for the practical side of me).  The looks had already won me over, but I couldn't very well justify spending as much as we did on the D just because it looked great.  As a Michigan State alum, Forest Green was a given.  The D was the only vehicle we considered.  Because I didn't want leather, we pieced together most of what an SLT+ has without the SLT+ designation.  The factory options we chose are shown in our photo album entry in the Members section of the DOC site.  In addition to the after market items listed there, I've added a Flowmaster Delta Flow 50 muffler and just recently added Silverstone MT 117 EX 32X11.5 mud terrain tires along with Hellwig helper springs for the rear. I forget if the Rancho 3" suspension lift is listed on our album page or not, but it's on the truck.

Since getting the D delivered to us in Bangkok a year ago today, we've put on almost 19,000 miles, most of which have been during trips throughout Southeast Asia.  BangkokD has traversed roads, near roads, and off road tracks in Thailand, Malaysia, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and China, with trips to Vietnam and Singapore still in the works.  We just finished a tough Labor Day weekend trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia to visit Angkor Wat (a D-zine article is in the works).  In early October, we'll drive to Shah Alam Circuit in Malaysia to participate in the first ever Silverstone 4X4 Jamboree, which promises to be the biggest 4X4 event ever held in Malaysia.  We figure to be the only D out of the couple hundred vehicles expected to participate.  Two weeks later, we'll return to Malaysia for the final Formula 1 race of the season at Sepang Circuit and, in late November, expect to take another trip with our friends from Asia Offroad Centre in Kuala Lumpur to explore northeastern Thailand for a week.

BangkokD was featured in the May 2000 issue of "Off Road" magazine in Thailand and received coverage in the January 2000 issue of "4Wheels" magazine based on our attendance at the Spirit of 4X4 Driving School (see the article in the first quarter 2000 D-zine).  Until just recently, BangkokD was the only known D in this part of the world but with the arrival in September of a 1998 FG D belonging to an embassy colleague, we now have the makings of a local DOC chapter!

Being half way around the world with a D hasn't been as scary as one might imagine thanks to the service I've received from Bangkok Chrysler.  (Getting parts through Arnold Nobles was also a huge help!)  They've performed all my regular maintenance and even been able to do some warranty work, after getting parts sent to them from DC in the U.S.  Like any dealer service department, there've been a few problems, but overall, nothing that has even remotely caused me to regret bringing our D to Bangkok.

We'll be here until at least the summer of 2002.  After that, it remains to be seen where we'll end up, but the D will go with us.  We've spent too much time and effort getting it just the way we want it.  Hope you like it too!

Dave and Nung Danek
BangkokD

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