KIWIBATCH

No I havent experienced Air Asia travelling with an infant but can only suggest you get to the check very early..I mean be standing at check in while the red suited girls adjust their hair and check their teeth with small mirrors before opening up for business......and secure your bassinette seat.....good luck...and by the way...because you have "requested" a seat.....rather than having one allocated automatically to you by "their system" you will be asked for around 250 baht per passenger for the "privilege" of asking for a specific seat...Air Asia charge this...its in their company small print somewhere....its annoying....but they are a good carrier...clean modern planes good on board service....they beat "Aunty Thai Airlines" handsdown every time.

I took a trip recently to visit a mate who is an english teacher (Canadian) in Hat Yai southern Thailand at Songkla University...he's been on the job 3 months sat in his office for several hours whilst he shuttled back and forth to classes...he gave me some of the english test papers (university generated) given to students to complete ...oh my god....unbelievable stuff...totally useless...badly concocted vernacular...sentence construction...shocking.....have a mate in BKK with a thai GF who attends one of the local uni's.....have looked at her test papers as well....same story.....

And I agree with an earlier poster and have even experienced it myself first hand...ask a thai person the following questions...who was Hitler....have we sent a man to the moon.......what are the names of two planets in the solar system...and the cracker of the lot....name two countries that border Thailand...they simply dont know...or I guess more importantly have never been taught...and it doesnt require an english native to teach them those answers....the "educational system" whatever and whoever are the number of cogs turning it is....in Thailand is sadly lacking.

Pathetic .....pathetic...pathetic Thailand....."all sorts of gambling is banned"...except the Govt lottery and the horses...so....gambling is not therefore banned is it...??? duhhhh....."all types of prostitution is banned" should now read...."except missionary and BJ positions"...BIB "policing" and setting up 24 hour surveillance centres...and on "high alert" for the expected cashflow...oops sorry.. for the illegal betting that is going to take place....c'mon Thailand you are becoming a joke...get the BIB off their lumpy wallet filled backsides and doing something constructive...

Does anyone know of a reliable car transporter company that could uplift a Honda Jazz sedan from Onnut BKK and transport to Yala in southern Thailand and then from the same delivery address in Yala uplift a 100cc Honda motorcycle and return it to me in BKK.

Take the BTS to Mo Chit....down the stairs...taxis abound...the taxi drivers know exactly where to go...about 100baht journey to the site...set aside the good part of a day for travel and processing...dont arrive at 3pm as it simply wont happen.....they have a "help" desk as you walk in to check you have all the right paperwork...photos etc...then the usual queue ticket is issued..take your place in the queue...seems always to be busy...and smile smile smile....the imm girls are a bit abrupt at times but so would I be after the endless day in day out processing that takes place there...but all in all a pleasant experience...no hassles

You need to go back to the Kasikorn bank and ask for a K-web shopping card.

This is a virtual card (you do not receive a physical piece of plastic) which is backed by visa and you can use only on line.

It lets you purchase goods and services on line only. It is not actually a credit card, but an on-line debit card

If you have Internet banking you can also apply for this card on-line

Thankyou for the above info....no mention of the K-Web card to me at the KK bank by the "Customer Service" people...amazing....

I wouldnt consider ever buying/renting an Asoke apartment (again) as long as my bottom points to the ground....I have had it with that area ......shocking air quality, noisy 24/7...traffic gridlocked most of the day....and the best part of the night.....I had a two bedroom apartment 17th floor 1km up Soi 21 from the Asoke BTS 35k a month (overpriced)...My apartment was not street frontage but in fact 8 back from the street on the 17th floor...the traffic noise became overpowering...along with the parking warden 1 block down who started up his whistle at 6am in the morning and finished at about 7pm at night including weekends....he's still there doing the same

The area is devoid of convenience stores, restaurants, and taxis seem hel_l bent on not picking you up from about 3pm in the afternoon until 8pm at night.. the footpaths are so bloody atrociously maintained that you run the risk of a snapped ankle or worse. Its an area full of office blocks with the odd apartment building scattered amongst them....for some unexplained reason the rents there are very high...I have no idea why...there are far better places to rent/buy an apartment than Asoke for sure and alot cheaper

Went into my local Kasikorn bank today and asked for an application for a credit card...I was politely refused as the banks records show (and are correct) that I am a student on an ED visa and dont have an income. I do have a debit card with the KK bank and have lived in Thailand for 9 months minimum balance in this a/c has been 300k of THB throughout my 8 months here...I pointed this out but still no go.

The reason for my credit card request was to have the ability to purchase items online...airtickets etc etc....it wasnt as if I asked for a 1 million baht credit facility at the KK bank.

The stupid part of this is that my classroom attendance is 2 days per week for 3 hours per day...leaving me with a heap of spare time in which to be able to participate in some employment...but my ED visa is clearly marked including my passport that employment is prohibited.

In my experience elsewhere most students are hard at work following their class lessons earning those extra $.

By the way I am 57 years of age and have a genuine interest in learning the Thai language hence my attendance at the school, and am certainly not at the language school for an easy way out on visa extensions.

The KK bank informed me that my debit card can only be used for ATM withdrawals...and this appears to be the case. I have tried to purchase items on the internet with the debit card details and my password but these transactions simply dont proceed

1. Does anyone know of a bank that would issue me with a credit card (subject of course to their conditions)

2. Is it correct that a KK bank debit card can only be used ATM withdrawals or have I been "blocked" behind the scenes in the banks system viz-a-viz my student visa ED status.

Appreciate some thoughts answers from other folk...thankyou

Does anyone know where I can purchase LEGO products in Bangkok...(the iconic plastic kids construction toy)...I have exhausted all avenues, the web, and searching the major department stores.

Can anyone help with instructions on how to instruct my laptop keyboard to type Thai. I have a late model Compaq purchased in Bangkok (3 months ago)...it has both the english and thai lettering on each key. I run the (genuine) english version of Windows XP.