jingjoe

Thanks for the recommendation, Mr T's number is now in my phone.

I'm one month away from returning, should I annoy him with an email yet, or just call up a few days prior do you reckon?

Does anyone know the latest guesstimate for the completion of the road-works en route? Most painful experience of my last trip was the 2+ hour trip to Pattaya

I haven't seonai, but take a look HERE it may be of some help.

He won't do that again... but at least the headline should cause some unnecessary travel jitters.

Hanoi Elegance 1 or 2 (they're around the corner from each other) a short stroll from Hoan Kiem Lake.

I arranged the reservation directly with the hotel @ US$40 per night for their deluxe room (3rd floor) plus airport pick-up @ US$10.

Both the transporation and check-in went smoothly.

I checked out for a couple of days to take the handspan junk cruise, and the hotel were happy to hang onto my larger luggage. They did request a deposit to hold a room for me upon my return, which was fair enough, and again went off with-out a hitch.

The location is perfect for Hanoi, handspan are just around the corner (accross the soi from Hanoi Elegance 2 on Ma may street.)

The water puppet show just a short stroll away.

The staff at the hotel are attentive, polite, and quite charming. The room was large with all the normal fittings and fixtures you'd get in a 3 star hotel. The daily fruit bowl & fresh flowers were a nice touch too. Each room also has a PC with free internet.

If you have a heart condition, don't forget to ask for a first floor room, I had a third floor room, and then a fourth floor room 2nd time round, and the climb will get you fit or kill you. Nice place to stay over-all, great value for the price in Hanoi.

Check out some reviews HERE

the kids get punished it seems.

Not punished, terrorised!

....as a close friend is suffering through Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (a really bad case of it, too) and her doctor is only partially willing to help with prescriptions. For the most part, doctors just don't offer much help for this affliction at this time.

She needs to find a better doctor, not a dealer.

Another thing to consider, is that many airlines insist you produce the credit card you purchased the ticket with, at check-in.

Looks like daddy's mastercard is going on holidays too now

Can help you with Tim Boutique Hotel, Soi 14, THB 3450 all in and great rooftop pool.

I can recommend Tim's, and I suggest you shop around for the best price, including HERE where the rate you'll get is far better than I've seen elsewhere at around 2600 per night.

I agree, you'll be fine.

From memory the "over the counter" version still gets a label with your name etc affixed to the box by the chemist, which is ample evidence should there be any questions asked.

I always travel with my rack of Panadeine forte's, never been asked about them during any random search, at any airport, ever.

Thai chemist/pharmacies are totally paranoid about any product that contains the opiate, codiene and won't sell it to you (some small pharmacies in border towns sometimes will).

the tattoo artist instead christened Neville's beloved Cats the "Gay Premiers 2007".

3AW's morning hosts Ross Stevenson and John Burns said they would attempt to get Neville a 2008 Geelong membership for his troubles.

Yes, the Gay Premiers tatt will go down a treat at home games. What a Neville!

... an oldie, but a goodie.... young thai woman kneeling before a buddha image, asks out loud..

"oh buddha, please help me I need 700 baht very urgently, this is a life or death situation."

She goes on to tell buddha a truly sad tale of woe. Standing nearby a policeman overhears her pleading, and her story really touches him.

As the lady gets up to leave the police man walks over and hands her a 500 baht note, smiles, and walks away. In the distance the lady is overheard again speaking to buddha, she says;

"thanks my buddha, but next time please don't give the money to the policeman, he took 200 baht for himself".

whinging bl##dy aussies

Thai males WILL bang on the door. How can you say they won,t?

Get a woman to find out whats going on? Thought it would be obvious..............he,s drunk and abusive. He has a Thai GF? Where does it say that?

Spoken like the true two week tourist.

Well even two week tourists can offer an opinion on TV, their experiences are just as valid as your own.

Personally, I wouldn't be waiting around, when you shit in your nest it's time to beat it.

Perhaps the OP's mate could pretend he's possessed by ghosts, just wander around the insulted thai's chanting about "PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeee" rolling his eyes and spluttering froth etc. That should put a bit of distance between himself and the that flogging he's got coming.

I think it's more a case of it's OK unless your a screamer.

Cheers for the guess-timates fella's, very helpful. (It'll be a rental, so shouldn't be a drama if MIB wanna check me out.)

What's the driving time (on average) to get from Central Pattaya area to the car ferry (near Trat), to Koh Chang please? Are there any more frustrating road works?

Advice appreciated.

Eva air BKK - AMS is good, you can catch the Thalys from Schippol to Brussels.

no stupid p###ed up not street wise silly little aussies would do it for me every time and they call us whinging poms why couldnt they let the useless little c##t drown

Stop whinging, he lived, go build a bridge.

It's close between Singapore, KLIA, and Honkers IMO.

Singapore by a nose, with Hong Kong a credible 2nd.

The worst airport in the region, (stretching the Asian boundaries a tad) was Port Morsbey, in PNG, where 4 hours in transit felt more like 8 hours of detention.

I got the 3rd degree a couple of weeks ago arriving in Cairns.. a few days in Thailand, a week in Holland, a few days back in Thailand. I got pulled aside, my passport examined, and then endless questions about why I go to Thailand, what I do there, where I go, why I go alone, why I go SO often, why I look tired in my passport photo and look tired now, which side my cock slips to etc. (It was all about Thailand).

My entry card clearly identified me as a "brother" government agency member, but that carried no weight, I was treated with serious suspicion (of something?).

The more she asked the more terse my replies.

I walked out to FREEDOM (an hour or so later) thinking firstly, that 40 year old white guys that travel alone to Thailand are the new drug mule/kiddy porn peddler stereotypes, and secondly that Aussie customs couldn't give two roots weather you're aussie or not, they just stick it up everyone.

Lucky dip,

HKG-BKK 01 March 08

BKK-HKG 07 March 08

Flying Emirates

7800 Baht (AU$285) Including taxes and booking fee @ www.bestflights.com.au

Agreed, bring a doctors prescription and declare EVERYTHING. These guys are pedantic.

I sipped cocktails last NYE next to the climbing wall thingy near the night bazaar. After hearing about the bomb scare in BKK I found that the fire crackers going off from time were a little unsettling, but otherwise had a blast as the numbers swelled and everyone was in happy/party mode.