55Jay

Throw lots of money at a school and hope and pray your kids will rise above the scrum. 

6 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

ah.  For the last 6 trips I flew EVA premier Elite from LAX.  Loved the big seats and recline. But the latest 777 seats in that class don't seem to have foot rests that recline, and the seats look way smaller.  I looked at Cathay Pacific reviews on Youtube and plan to use them on my next trip.  How did you like the seats/service in flight?

Good/fine, still same reclining seats you see online, separate foot rest under the seat in front.   IMV, as long as we can stay out of regular Eco, the rest is gravy! ?

CX has upgraded us to Business on the HKG>LAX sector the last two trips, but no such luck on the return flights.   I'm not a die hard CX'er, rather select them for price of PE, typically on a promotion of some kind, and the One World FFP connection.  Less of an issue but meh, I seem to prefer HKG over Taipei. 

Wasn't aware Eva changed their Elite seats until your comment, checked it out on YT just now.  Thanks.

If you do fly CX 777, don't book the middle, front bulkhead seats in the PE cabin to avoid the continuous problem of pax trying to squeeze through from the left/port side, to reach the toilet on the right/starboard side.  Not sure if that's an issue in the EVA 777 Elite cabin. 

If all else fails, unplug and remove battery. Might clear out whatever problem is causing it, and then try re-starting. 

Sure others will offer a list of possible reasons as the actual source of the problem, whether it's hardware or OS/software related.

6 minutes ago, korkenzieher said:

@55Jay "Does HH have a sewage treatment facility and reasonable refuse control" - there doesn't seem to be anything like the problems we hear about from the other side of the gulf with this, and the presence of the Palace may well have something to do woth this.

 

Hua Hin's Westerner tourism levels have never really recovered from the Airport Invasion, nearly a decade ago. I moved there in 2007 and evenings in Bintablock were very busy. Since 2009, after such backlog of bookings as there was played through, the season has gotten shorter, later and generally smaller. In contrast to that, the numbers of Thai, Chinese and, increasingly Malay, tourists have made up a lot of the numbers meaning that it can sometimes be quite difficult to get a room in the budget and boutique hotel sector. Of course, Thai and Chinese eat chicken feet and rice and whatever, from the local stalls - you don't much see their presence in Burger King. Much of the increase in condo numbers has gone to Thais and the numbers of Thai during the various local festivals and holidays can get up to plague levels. Even recent efforts to expand tourism via the airport seem to be focusing on bringing Malay and Singaporean golfers to the resort, rather than facilitating access for Western tourists. On the other hand, life has actually been fairly good for the expat population, a few price rises notwithstanding.

Very concise summary.  Exactly what I had in mind.  Thank you! 

Haven't been to HH in a looong time, I think it was 2005!  My wife said it was a good town, kept clean(er) because the King stayed there.  I've been meaning to go back for a look. 

Does HH have a sewage treatment facility and reasonable refuse control?  Pattaya and Jomtien seem to be bursting at the seams with that. 

I would agree the air conditioning is inefficient.   Seems to be the trend designing these sexy looking "modern" airports, but IMO, wastes a lot of money and material on dead space using way too much glass surface area.

Last time out of Swampy, we flew Premium Eco with Cathay Pacific, so didn't have lounge access.  Gave the airport service's paid lounge a try, uses the Air France lounge which I'd never been in before.  Very comfortable, nice selection of hot and cold food, good air con and wireless.  IMO, if you're not flying 1st/Business, well worth the additional cost for a comfortable wait away from the main airport scrum.

3 hours ago, jmacken306 said:

Why do people buy something on the sidewalk or the nearby store Big C? on my daily walk to the little mall building and I see drinks (one sipp gone), pork or chicken sticks and bags, sitting on the wall or near an ATM? One you are correct LAZY, never taught, don't care or another you can't find any trash cans on the sidewalks in this area/Town.

Indeed.   I was thinking more of the black bin bags in these photos, of what I presume to be "regular" household/hotel rubbish, thrown on these roadside dumping areas.   Are there areas of Pattaya/Jomtien without regular trash collection, either private contract or the Tessaban directly?    Happens where I live as well though, so clearly a national problem in a lot of areas. Islands are suffering for sure.

But you're so right on the general, careless throwing of trash, and lack of bins in common/public areas. 

Some parts of the GCC still have a careless public attitude as well.  I've been in traffic in the middle east and twice watched taxi drivers literally clean out their car, everything out the window.  One time, in the car directly in front of me, a fully burka'ed up woman (Shi'ite) in a junky old car used a tissue then chucked it straight out the window.  Her young daughter, bouncing around in the back seat (no child seat or seat belts) pulled a tissue from the same box, dabbed her nose once, then threw it straight out the open window, just like Mom did moments before.   Classic transfer of behavior, one generation to the next. 

OT but, Bahrain (and other GCCs) had an out of sight out of mind practice of dumping tons of rubbish in seaside areas planned for land reclamation.  Tons of rock first to build up a base, then tons of rubbish and dirt, then a final topping rolled out to settle, and up went the next hotel, condos, blocks of flats.   Old Bahrain/Saudi/GCC hands like Tutsi and @Naam may remember the iconic Gulf Hotel was once beach front property.

Circa 1970s.

2009

I understand why people dump things collection trucks won't take, like an old couch, toilet or bed mattress, and they don't want to pay to have it disposed of, or are just too lazy.  

But why bags of regular rubbish?  I don't get it.

Hopefully this provincial, rice bowl mindset will continue to erode. 

Getting rid of fees for transfers, top ups and bill pay, was a good move recently.  

Want a better experience?  One where everything works and hasn't been stampeded by the masses?     Then buy a better class of ticket! ? 

Yes.  Don't let it bloom into a monster.  Nip it in the bud.  Early and often.

The guy in the other thread seemed to make a throw away comment in a rather long post, but this tidbit got cherry picked and turned into a major crisis when there was none at all really.  He's clearly inexperienced with what he was doing, all tied up in anxious knots about his first retirement extension.  He wouldn't be considered an authority on Thai Immigration by anyone.    

Better to have squashed the snot out of it over in the other thread.  Importing it to a new one elevates it, gave it life it never had.

In the end, nobody will ever sift through this thread as a helpful resource.  If anything, probably cause more confusion than it intended to clear up.

19 minutes ago, Bonobojt said:

of course we don't know what the world will be like when I'm in my 60s or 70s which is 40-50 years from now, the retirement age might change, maybe another financial bank crisis, another war, fishless oceans, overpopulation issues, the bees are dying, the migrant crisis in Europe etc.. its hard for young people to trust our governments, maybe I'll lose all my pension money because of a financial crisis

 

then there is A.I  technology that is getting more intelligent, machines are taking our jobs etc..

 

so I kind of want to do what makes me happy before the world gets even more messed up and insane rather than working a 9 till 5 job to pay the bills and the highlight of my life is jerking off to women shaking their ass on webcam and treating myself to a Chinese takeway 

Oh yeah, you are down the depression rabbit hole, or you're trolling.    

In either case, totally up to you. 

Stew in your soup of despair and self pity with the weight of the world's problems on your poor wittle shoulders via too much internet and television.

Or pull your head out, man up and get yourself sorted. 

1 hour ago, Bonobojt said:

I did post about asking if I could get a job in Thailand without a degree and may of mentioned my Kitchen Porter job, this is me asking about any work in general in any SEasian country and I've actually left my job and taken redundancy and booked a one way ticket to Bangkok, not trolling, just want some advice/tips.

OK, no problem, just as I was typing my response, it, and the OP, started to sound familiar. 

You may feel like you're in a dead end life there.  Lots of people in the same boat.  I'm not from the UK but fundamentally, you ought to have more potential opportunities there than here.  Unless you are a very dynamic person, like Dan Cheeseman. ?   Don't piss your redundancy money away on beer and chicks in Thailand.  Use it to get yourself sorted with something else, stick with it and in a year's time, you may find your outlook has changed for the better.    Then come here and piss some money away on beer and chicks.

I've met/know guys here who came young, fell into the teaching jobs, making a living wage month to month, maybe collect a wife and a couple kids along the way.  All the sudden they woke up and they're 45 years old, not much money tucked away, and they feel stuck.   Now, granted, the very same thing can (and does) happen back home.  

Think it over some more and don't reject advice because it's not the advice you want to hear right now. 

In the end, your call, of course.  Good luck either way.///

No offense to anyone who did it differently, but I'm tadump dee dump old school I guess.  Nose to the grind stone in the younger years, exploit your best earning years and THEN, when you've got some financial security, start chilling out.

By all means, take holidays, do some traveling, etc., but don't lose sight of the long game.  Turning 50 is unfathomable, and then next thing you know..... poof!  Try to arrive there in the best financial shape you can.  It won't buy you happiness, of course, but it does give you flexibility and options. 

Endeth the sermon.  Enjoy your trip, good luck. 

Edit:  As I was reading the OP, occurred to me this same story has been posted here before.  I specifically remember the kitchen porter occupation.  And I think I had the same kind of "sermon" comments.   Hmmm.

5 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

A lot of this man up stuff just doesn't work. With mine I tried everything and I have dealt with some nutters in my work life and 5 children back home. Explosive rage...if I would walk away she would actually get worse. Go in the bedroom lock the door she would be trying to kick it in. If I would go out she would break things in the home. If I would ignore her she would be outside screaming or posting our life all over facebook. It would go on for three days. I never found a way to deal with it. Sure I pushed her buttons sometimes but many times it was her all alone...and it sometimes appeared to me she was so far in the wrong and her behaviour so bad it was almost like she wanted me to belt her so I was as far in the wrong as she was. This was a woman who tried to kill my dog because she saw me pat it. I still don't know why I persevered so long and I am still convinced she did some sort of black magic with me.   

 

I have had many since her and now I don't compromise or inconvenience myself in anyway. I have become totally intolerant of any dramatic, childish or selfish sht. I am still considerate and caring to a point but you just can not give these woman an inch. Mae Joe gave me this very good advice a few years ago which at the time sounded harsh.

Don't give an inch, never apologise, never compromise. I pay...my way. It is not necessarily a Thai woman thing either as much as an Asian thing. Asian people have many good qualities but empathy, charity or kindness are not some of them. Acts of charity are viewed 2 ways...

You are stupid or you will want something in return.

 

If you are being reasonable, treating them well and they aren't happy. Move on. There is a queue of about 5 million long of girls waiting for YOU hansum man 

Good post.   I did wonder if you pushed back on the cliche about "manning up" though.  Alternate is "Cowboy up", maybe more of a Yank expression.

As you progressed through your experience, you eventually mustered up the gumption to punt your previous door-kicking drama queen to the curb.   That certainly qualifies as "Cowboy'ing Up".  ? 

Which was the point I was making toward the OP.... to stop putting his marriage on such a high pedestal.   Divorce sucks, and it's a stigma.  Kids suffer, but they also suffer being exposed to the constant up and down roller coaster ride of bickering, fighting parents.  If one side is always jockeying to "win" an argument by shutting it down with the threat of divorce, eventually somebody needs to quit pretending and take care of business. 

10% more sometime later this year, says Carnac the Magnificent.  

Bye bye, dude.  Give our best regards to all your new mates.

22 hours ago, balo said:

Maybe OP is driving too fast. I try to drive within the speed limits , or reduce speed on bumpy roads. I often choose the middle lane for a better view, then I can pass the really slow trucks on the left and the faster cars can use the right lane. That's how I drive on the big roads. If I'm driving at 120 km /h and you still flash your lights from behind, don't expect me to switch lanes, then you have a problem and should reduce your speed.

That's a reasonable, unselfish way to be. ?

Wife and I prefer the far right lane most of the time, because it puts the most distance between us and the shit going on to the left.  Except when we approach one of those suicide U-Turns in the middle of a bloody major highway, adjust accordingly. 

We are courteous to others, and match the flow of traffic in the right lane.   Always scanning, and when we see a car approaching at a faster speed from the rear or someone gets in a hurry behind us, we signal and move over so they can be on their way.  That's what I would like others to do for me.  It's not that difficult.  Although the concept doesn't seem to be shared universally here.

A long time ago, old news already but:

Quote

Zuckerberg: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard

Zuckerberg: Just ask.

Zuckerberg: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS

[Redacted Friend's Name]: What? How'd you manage that one?

Zuckerberg: People just submitted it.

Zuckerberg: I don't know why.

Zuckerberg: They "trust me"

Zuckerberg: Dumb <deleted>.

The day of our move, the 20' container was completely full, and there were 37 boxes left on the sidewalk.  We wound up in a 40' for 37 boxes.  Thought my company would balk and I would have to pay the diff but they didn't.  Man, that sucker was spectacle on the quiet, 2 lane country road in NE Thailand.