donna

Sorry to disappoint you Dave. I'm definitely NOT from Essex.

Why thankyou, Kind Sir.

(My Samii Noi seems to think so)

"donna you come across as rather patronising in the flesh, and I have never met you."

Sorry if I offend you DJ. That is not my aim. I can actually be quite nice sometimes.

"I don't HATE backpackers, I think they are a pain in the arse when they start unfunnily haggling over really f**king stupid pathetically cheap things "just because Lonely Planet says it's in the culture to do so""

I never said you HATED backpackers. I said you DISLIKED them. And, I agree with you on that point, DJ. I also dislike them haggling over cheap stuff. I hang my head in shame sometimes when I see it.

"I also think they are complete masochists striding down Sukhumvit Road in the blazing heat holding a map upside down with a backpack on their backs AND their fronts. Is that a fun way to see the world in all honesty? Why not budget a bit bigger and stay at a normal hotel, spend a bit of cash and relax and ENJOY IT. "

They may be on their way to find that 'normal' hotel. Some of these people are students who have saved up all year for this trip. A typical UK student comes here on a round the world ticket that takes them to Bangkok, Sydney, New Zealand, Hawaii and then home. Normally, they get the cheap part of their holiday over in the beginning and save their money up for Australia, where they know everything is going to be more expensive and for NZ where they all want to go bungee jumping. I'm not definding this, just letting you know the reasoning behind it.

I DO agree with you about not liking stinginess, DJ. I have mentioned this before. To tell you the truth, I could think of nothing worse than staying in one of those little dog boxes down Khao San Rd for 150Baht a night. Yuk. And drinking warm beer (or warm anything for that matter). Not my idea of fun. But maybe it is theirs?

"Backpackers I see nursing one beer all night with their heads in a book may as well be at home."

Again, I AGREE with you DJ. But most of them don't do this every day. They may be just nursing a hangover. (If you see the same ones doing it every day, then feel free to slag them off).

I think that the cheapest is 4-5000, the next quality is 6-7000 and the best (well, better) quality is about 8000+.

I recently had surgery at Bumrungrad. I have nothing but good things to say about that place. Rooms are excellent, nursing service was excellent, and my Doctor was also excellent. I am recovering very well and am currently about 4 days ahead of where I should be with my physio.

I can also recommend BNH, but have had no stays or surgery there.

I don't know about the two hospitals you mention, but wish you good luck with them.

Professorfart, you are a man after my own heart!

We are all tourists. And no matter how long we live here, we will always be 'outsiders' to the Thai community.

I, too, am guilty of calling a place 'too touristy' but I am lucky enough to get to travel to other more culturally rich places as a part of my job. Not many others have that luxury, and I feel priveliged to be a guest in most of these places.

As I said, the abovementioned places serve a purpose, and serve it well. We should be thankful that the majority of these people aren't running around the rest of the country!

Pablo

Why do you care what other people think of your girlfriend? If you love her and think that she is beautiful, then good for you. If other people have a problem with that, then it is THEIR problem, not yours.

If they make any comments, either ignore them, or have a good line to throw back at them. Can't think of one off the cuff, but I am sure you can (or any of the blokes on this forum may be able to help you out with that).

Phuket, Haad Rin, Chaweng, Khao San etc. all offer the tourist many places to spend their hard earned money. The Thai's (and farang bar owners I might add) seem to have no problem in relieving them of their $$, they are happy to pay it, so there doesn't seem to be much of a problem to me.

Would you really want those sorts of people trekking into hilltribe communities in the north of Thailand? Many of them are really good, culturally aware tourists. Many of them aren't.

You can ask yourself what is better: chilling out at a bar in Khao San Rd, or chilling out in a girlie bar in Silom? It is all personal preferance. I don't particularly like Khao San, and I don't frequent girlie bars, but there are plenty of other places to hang out.

As long as people are keeping the economy afloat, they can do it wherever they want.

It wouldn't hurt 90% of visitors to Thailand to learn a little more about her culture, but that ain't gonna happen in the forseeable future. So, you just gotta deal with it.

DJ Pat doesn't seem to like backpackers, but he still frequents Khao San Road and then comes here to complain about them. He has a choice, we all do.

If you don't like it, don't go there.

Good luck, Pujun. Gay, straight, whatever floats your boat. But a broken condom is a broken condom.

I wish you all the best of luck with your tests.

Sounds like an order!

Group leader with an Australian company.

Been here 5 years. Love it. Carry a backpack. Also have a wheely bag.

Play nice, now.

Just for the record, Scampy, if it were me you were trying to help I would have been very nice to you!

Ravisher - I wasn't saying that YOU were generalising. Many others on this forum do, though.

I can't believe this post is still going! God. Do you guys have nothing more to do with your time?

Backpackers (a person who travels using a bag with shoulder straps) are generally regarded as the great unwashed. This description, fortunately for all of us, is very much a generalisation.

I work with backpackers, and NONE of my people smell, argue over the price of pad thai in the street, or the price of a chang beer (who'd drink it anyway?).

I was over at Sukhumvit today. Not a backpacker in sight. BUT, there were plenty of stinking farang over there. Smelt like they hadn't washed in a week. (I checked my underarms - it wasn't me).

Ravisher - I don't think it matters what nationality your current wife is. You've obviously tried 'em all! It is the fact that you have finally met someone you are compatible with that is the real point.

Irrespective of nationality, if you go for someone you are compatible with rather than searching for someone of a particular nationality and THEN seeking the compatibility factor you need, you're gonna be a lot better off.

Far too many people generalise in this forum: All Thai girls are beautiful. All farang girls are fat. All Thai girls are sweet. All farang girls are bitter and twisted.

Wrong, guys. Sooooo wrong. (on both sides)

I liked Ong Bak.

Also the Mekhong Full Moon Party (I think it was called that). Not too sure of what it was actually called in Thai. The scenery was absolutely stunning and the story was lovely.

Very hansum man. You ting he wan a girlfrien?

I use Pierre Tailors. The branch I go to is in the Viengtai Hotel in Banglampoo. They are really nice blokes and do a great job.

I think they have other branches but don't know the addresses.

Cut the thing off and put a photo of her in your wallet!

Sorry. BILL. Not will! Oops.

I have had to pay a deposit if I have stayed in Bumrungrad. This is usually well and truly over what your will is expected to be. Recently I had to put a deposit of 180,000Baht for arthroscopic surgery.

You shouldn't need to supply ID, but have it with you just in case.

If it is just checks and outpatient stuff you shouldn't need to give any ID I shouldn't think.

I love Bumrungrad. They have saved me a few times.

Try Khao San Rd. (But don't tell DJ Pat you went there). Full of girls just passing through.

Don't the Thai girls swear by seaweed masks? Could be wrong there, but I think that's the one.

Forgot to check today but will do tomorrow.

Hmmm... Ko Pha Ngan is hardly the hub of beauty, hey? All my friends there are Thai so I can't help you there.

I will PM you a number of a girlfriend on Samui and she may have an idea where you can go on Samui for highlights.

I bought a cheap and not so nasty at all oven from Central. It's a Tomex brand which may be Thai. Cost me only 2800Baht (I think) and it's great. Bakes biscuits, cakes etc.

I think you can get the fast one in a day, or the regular service in around 3-5 days. Your local travel agent can do it all for you.