tubehero

Could you pls advise?

Do you know the walking distance between these two hotels, Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok and Mayfair, Bangkok - Marriott Executive Apartments?

On Google maps, they are very near to each other. However, Google Maps said if you walk, it will take 20 minutes, which is strange. 

I also tried Bing Map, which said it takes only 6 minutes.

Do you know which map service is more accurate?

Thank you

Hi everyone,

I will be in Bangkok, Hanoi and Saigon. It has been a long time since I came back to these places.

So I tried to read online what and where to go shopping in the three cities.

It seems that Bangkok still offers much more than the other two Vietnamese cities.

Do you think so? Is there anything tourists should buy that cannot be found in Bangkok?

Thank you

May I ask if anyone here has used the Samsung Tab 3 7 inch?

All the reviews I read said that this is a mediocre tablet.

However, when I played around with it in a store for about 10 minutes, it seems good enough for a budget tablet. But I don't know how good it is compared with other budget tablets.

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

These are my main needs for a budget tablet:

Skype video chat

Ebook reading

YouTube video streaming

My sincere thanks,

Could you pls advise?

I need an app for video chat among at least 3 parties. For example, myself, a friend in England and another friend in another country.

I have been using Premium Skype, but I suppose its quality is not the best.

Is there a more recent app? I heard about Line, but have not tried it.

Thank you.

Dear wym,

Thank you. I'm intrigued when you said free government schools in Singapore can be better than any good schools in the UK. I will need to look more into this important issue.

As I'm still in mid-30s, I feel that if I want to change my career path, I need to move now rather than waiting for another 5 or 10 years, when I myself would be reluctant to relocate (unless I am forced to).

Thank you so much for your latest replies, especially the reply about international schools in Bangkok.

I agree the timing can be tricky at the moment.

We have looked at Singapore, but the costs of living seem too much higher than in the UK: the accommodation cost, or even the purchase of a car. Even my wife said she would prefer to come back to Thailand, if things are right, than living in Singapore.

Thank you for all your kind replies. Let me describe my situation a bit clearer so that you could give me your further thought.

My wife and I are in the early 30s. To a large extent, I can say we are having a comfortable life in the UK. Both my wife and I have good jobs. We are not rich but can say we are close to the ‘middle class’ level (the label may be controversial, but for the sake of simplification, pls allow me to use this word).

However, I get tired of my current job and would like to explore other opportunities in my home country. At the moment I have an offer in Bangkok, with a monthly salary of $3,000.

My wife and my parents do not want me to come back to Thailand. As I have said, we have a good life in the UK. For our children, the education option is also simpler in the UK: free education, and a good state school. (If you try hard and be lucky and your children are bright enough, you may strive for a top state school or a grammar school.) Coming back to Thailand, the education option seems more expensive and we are not sure whether we can afford an international school. We are not even sure if an international school is as good as a state school in London.

My wife also thinks that while she would have few problems to find a good job in Bangkok, the job would be likely to be more stressful than her current job.

There are also some lesser concerns like health care and public safety. But the main concerns are children’s education and to a large extent, whether we can fit in the job culture here in Thailand afer many years abroad.

Dear all,

Could you pls advise?

After 10 years living in the UK, I really want to move back to my home country, Thailand, as I no longer feel happy in the UK.

However my parents in Bangkok do not want this. And I am concerned for my children's education. I believe that they will enjoy a superior education in the UK.

So it seems to me that it is hard for me to find happiness in life. If it were you, what would you do?

Thank you

Dear all,

I used skyscanner.net to find tickets from London to Bangkok next year.

According to the search result, the best deal for me is one from cheaptickets.co.th.

I have never used this site before.

Do you have any advice?

Thank you.

Can you recommend some good books which deal with the question of Western decline, written from an Asian perspective? That is, someone who actually has real experience of Asia and at the same time, can show that he/she understands Europe and the US, too.

For example, most of you know about the celebrity historian Niall Ferguson. Personally I don't find him very credible, even though these days his expertise is talking about the decline of the West and the rise of China. I have read him throughout the years. It seems he can always change his tune just to stay relevant. Just a few years ago, he wrote about 'American empire' or ChinaAmerica, and yet, now he thinks China will eclipse the West.

Hi MiG16, I will go to Central Chidlom sometimes to buy those berries.

Do you know how long it takes for a Bangkok bus to arrive in Pattaya? Two hours or 3 hours?

Hi Mango1969, I am also interested in the Huntsman but have never been there. What kind of music is played in that place?

Thank you, everyone, for your great information. The forum is great as usual. I see that Jomtien beach seems a nice place - definitely better for a family than the central Pattaya beach.

@bartender100: I am intrigued by your suggestion of Bangsaen beach. Could you pls tell me how I can get there by bus?

thank you.

Dear all, I have spent a lot of time trying to find a beach close to Bangkok for a family visit.

At first, I thought about Hua Hin or Ko Samet.

But it seems that in terms of transportation, Pattaya is still the most convenient.

So if a family visit Pattaya, can they enjoy it or is that place now only for sex tourists?

Thank you.

Great replies. I have noted down everything that you said. Thanks a lot.

Hi all,

By 'wife-friendly', I mean a bar or nightclub which is not too loud, where a couple can sit, drink and enjoy watching people.

Can you recommend some places in central Bangkok?

I suppose that expensive Q Bar is not a candidate.

Thank you.

Hi everyone, so I conclude that I should not buy those Japanese strawberries.

However, I have not been able to find good berries here. For example, I bought a small box of American strawberries at Gourmet market, but it feels mediocre.

Any place to consider?

Thank you

Thank you so much for your kind explanation.

Hi AyG, thank you for your kind advice.

I re-read your instruction. Did you mean that you put the rice on the the muslin? Afterwards, is it easy to clean the muslin (or the hankerchief)?

Hi ayG, where can you the aluminium basket?

And do you mean we only need a normal rice cooker?

Hi Stoneboy, I clicked on the link you gave and there is one detail that I don't understand.

It said: "Secondly place the rice in the conical shaped basket and place over the aluminum pot which is full of boiling water. Ensure rice is cooked through before serving."

Does it mean that the rice is cooked on the aluminum pot? If there is only boiling water in the aluminum pot, how can it be enough to cook the rice?

Hi Stoneboy, I have clicked on the link you gave and read the instruction.

There is one detail that I don't understand. It said: "Secondly place the rice in the conical shaped basket and place over the aluminum pot which is full of boiling water. Ensure rice is cooked through before serving."

Now, does it mean that the rice is cooked in the aluminum pot? I am confused. If there is only boiling water in the aluminum pot, how can it be enough to cook the rice?

Thank you.

Dear all,

I want to ask what and where you should buy to make Thai-style sticky rice, apart from the rice itself?

As I'm going to leave Bangkok, I want to buy necessary tools so that I can make sticky rice at home.

My sincere thanks,

Hi Semper,

The fact is these Japanese products are made in China itself. So I was wondering if the quality control is good enough to warrant a "Japan brandname".