pattayadingo

When you are looking at the cost also remember August is Holiday time in the UK and prices are higher. If you are flexible the summer hols end early in September

Try Kayak, Kelkoo, Skyscanner.

Emirates, Etihad, Oman Air are pretty much the same. Most have a stopover of abt 2 hours.

It has to depend on arrival time (for those arriving, obviously) but there were plenty of helpful staff directing customers to Immigration, handing out cards and generally helping to keep things running smoothly when I came back on Wednesday morning around 8 a.m. I have to admit the female immigration officer did look surly. Then again how are immigration officers supposed to look.

Through immigration in minutes and also - for once - my luggage too was on the carousel in minutes.

After his problems in Chiang Mai rumour has it that this strange spotted creature was seen looking jealously at some very horny elephants. Shortly afterwards he was seen wrapped around the leg of one extremely horned elephant and mooing crazily about some Bahn for the night.

Tsk Tsk.

Maybe THAT was the ride we were on.

No Ian.......that's not a buffalo.........

But very horny.

After his problems in Chiang Mai rumour has it that this strange spotted creature was seen looking jealously at some very horny elephants. Shortly afterwards he was seen wrapped around the leg of one extremely horned elephant and mooing crazily about some Bahn for the night.

Tsk Tsk.

Happy birthday, blether. You've brought a breath of fresh air to the forum.

Thanks very much Ian........but things are getting serious........apparently the Red Shirts want to put Dick up for an Erection........now Winnie is getting terrified

Oh....oh.....sorry.......election, my mistake

Enter him for the 'Primaries' and maybe he could get into a Bush.

We give you water meter back for free as your late payment was under 100 Baht.

I had a lovely 12 inch Ham n cheese wood fired pizza today. Thin base. Delicious. 199 Baht. Soi 1 Pattaya Klang near the Shagwell hotel / Nirun Condo.

Do what?

Yeah, a bus after that time and the time it takes for immigration and luggage is very unlikely.

You could always ask those other people waiting for their luggage if they fancy sharing a taxi to Pattaya. Many people would be happy to save a bob or two.

i came through immigration yesterday morning (landed at 07-50) and the immigration halls were almost empty. Through in 10 minutes.

Plenty of staff on hand to check landing cards and to show people the way. Also handing out landing cards to people.

All so efficient

Used to happen to me a lot years ago, they take them away immediately as there's a shortage of water meters so you're lucky to have gotten it back same day.

Shortage of meters??? bought one yesterday in Hua Hin shelf full of them?

Possibly because there's not been such a building boom in HH in the last 10 years that there has been in Pattaya and it's a long way for the OP to go from Pattaya to get a meter.

After having just travelled from the UK that day, yeah a trip to HH would have been a mile too many

But I am happy that the landlord was good enough to get the problem sorted as quickly as he did, after all it was my fault and not his.

Beam me up, Scotty.

Yeah, go get 'em. Demonize the impoverished.

If they could house them and feed them, maybe then I could appreciate their efforts, but treating beggars like trash doesn't feel right.

Who are these tourists who complain about beggars?

Maybe the odd one or two beggars is not a problem but if you sit in some of the bars in the streets off Beach Road you get them pestering you every 5 minutes.....

Take your photo, sell chewing gum, flowers, dresses, shoes, lighters and innumerable items.

Many do pester and they can be a pain in the rear. One or two and it would be OK., but you have a hard job ignoring these people and it can spoil a good night out.

In 9 days I got 2 lots of 3 from 5. Boosted my points total a bit Then I got a 0 from 5

Such is life.

Cha-am is favoured by a lot of Thai people especially on a weekend. But there is so little to do and see. You can get a few water sports rides for the kids and that is about it.

They do have cheap beer and food and the big fish market down by the docks but also not for the kids + it can be smelly.

Pattaya seems to have more to do but the beach is not so clean and all the way down from soi 6 to walking street you have soi's full of bars.

Maybe look at some of the other suggestions made.

Used to happen to me a lot years ago, they take them away immediately as there's a shortage of water meters so you're lucky to have gotten it back same day.

Apparently the same guy who brought the meter back is the same one that took it away .... THIS morning LOL. Same time I was waiting at swampy airport. Would you credit it.

Now I can have sh*t, shower n shave and go and have a beer or 3 tonight

Yes they will, especially a truck driver. It is cheaper to pay for a death than the possibility of a lifetimes care. Last incident I know of was about 4 years ago when I was involved with a family who owned trucks.

I suppose it makes sense in some ways.

I'll add that my Thai landlord has gone up in my estimation.

See my new topic about 'Welcome back' and the water meter. Maybe my doubts about him have been incorrect. Though he is one of the very few that have been good to me. Shows not all Thai landlords are bad

Sigh.

I arrived home today after 30 hours travelling time from the U.K. I was so happy to be back after my enforced stay away after hospitalisation and an operation.

A shower. Yes. That is a good idea. OK, turn on the water and a nice cool shower.

?? No water? Where did it go?

I double checked everything and find they have nicked the water meter !! B*stards !!

Both my landlord and one of my friends checked regularly for any bills that needed paying. The electric was paid for me but there was no water bill available until about the 14th of March that my friend D found. But it was too late to pay the bill. It needed paying by 9th March at 7/11 and he did not know where to go to pay it at the water board.

The point being that 85 Baht was owed and between the payment date of 9th March and today 21st March they have been and taken the meter. Talk about quick!!

I phoned my landlord. He sent one of his lads round ( a m/c taxi driver). Quick as a shot he set off to the water board office, paid the 85 Baht bill for me and a 351 Baht reconnection fee. The meter will be installed again at about 5 p.m. today.

Thanks to my landlord and to my friend D who looked out for the bills and also to the quick acting m/c driver. See, there are some good people about.

I tipped the driver 100 Baht and he was very happy

Is a good warning, I know already that I am not going to renew my contract and move on, but as I look around the apartment I so wish I took photos of certain things and showed them to the landlord after I moved in.

Thing is you never notice everything until you have lived in a place a few weeks. Landlord seems ok, so maybe not a problem, but time will tell.

Same with me after I moved into the house I am currently in. TBH I needed a place and this was the best of a somewhat mediocre bunch so I saw it more through the old 'rose tinted specs' and it was not until I had been in several weeks that I began to see the faults.

As it is I have paid 8K as deposit and losing that will not break the bank if push comes to shove.

any aggro from the landlord and I can always set my Issan Rottweiler (g/f) upon him

Those dang Aussie creatures call us Poms all the time. So what?

Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will not hurt me.

Same in UK and USA. You lot must use the wrong doctors because my Thai doctor never gives me pills. When I have had some health issues we've worked together to resolve them. You should find yourselves new doctors if the ones you already have are so bad. But I think most of you make these stories up for a bit off attention. I know plenty of Thai people who don't pop pills, so maybe you hang around with the wrong people.

Why on earth would people make these things up for a bit of attention? I am amazed at the suggestion.

When people are sick and need medication they are generally given some.

What the topic is about and what does happen all too often is that a Thai will see a doctor or a pharmacist and more often than not they walk away with a mixed bag of lotions and potions and that mix usually consists of antibiotics because that is what they believe they need. That is not some story I am currently making up. I have seen it all too often over the years.

Yes there are cases where people have some illness where they do not need medication but they are still offered a handful of pills. That is not the peoples fault. That is the fault of the doctors and pharmacists for not educating the people from the beginning, also part of the problem is peer pressure where their friends advise what to do and take.

So we are not making this stuff up.

At long last some common sense talk. Especially where antibiotic are concerned. Let us hope the people will take notice of this.

Number xxx (and because I cannot read ALL of them)

Teerak, you walk too slow for me.

Teerak, I walk to shops, I not take m/c.