game4shame

Khao San Road it is!

Any hotels recommended on this road? I have stayed at Khao San a couple of times before, but only in november/december never during thai new year.

Location is probably more important than cleanliness for this night of chaos!!

I don't think 'cleanliness' exists on KSR.

Ok Ok game4shame. I'll give localphone a try when I'm next back in the UK - I promise!

I was also using "Phone Cheap" on 0844 200 9898 and had the same trouble as you. But now they have changed the number to 0844 200 2525 and it's back to 0.5 pence a minute, so give it a try. ( you can still get through on 0844 200 9898 but not for 0.5)

Having looked at my BT bills, calls to Thailand from a UK BT landline via Phonecheap on the number 0844 200 9898 now cost 10p for the first minute or part thereof if shorter duration than one minute (call it a connection fee if you like but then you should add that the first minute is not additionally charged) and 0.5p per minute thereafter. Those prices are inclusive of VAT.

Thanks to the OP for pointing out the change in respect of the first 'expensive' minute. I probably would not otherwise have noticed for a while yet.The 2p per minute bit quoted by the OP is not what I am being charged and calls are still in theory relatively cheap if you are making say one long call a day, rather than lots of little ones. A 30 minute call still only costs 25p, which is pretty cheap in my book. The problem is, as anyone who uses VOIP cheapy services well knows, sometimes the call does not properly connect so you may end up accumulating a few 10p aborted calls over a typical month.

Andyg75, can you confirm that you have used the 0844 200 2525 Phonecheap number with a BT landline and that the first minute charge is 0.5p, not 10p?

I give up......

I'll just enjoy the luxury of localphone along with 'popmybubble' and 'kratiam'...

looks like everyone else is sticking to the 0844 rip-off merchants!!

Since most of us on the fourm are in Thailand...anybody have any tips on calling out from here to other countries ?

009 worksfor me (UK)00944.......then no.

I use 008 - does it depend on your company?? I'm with DTAC.

www.localphone.com.

the best by far.

Fully agree.....you have to set up an account (minimum is 3 pounds I think) then it's 0.5 pence per minute plus the cost of a local BT call. If you have free minutes on your UK mobile you can use those so the total cost is....0.5 pence. Trust me!

yip, I use localphone from both my mobile and home phone - I get 300 inclusive minutes from vodafone on my mobile and inclusive landline calls on my home phone so all I'm paying for is the 0.5p per min to localphone.

the connection/line is good and the website is very professional and as I said previously there's no connection charge or charge for no pick-up - I honestly can't compliment localphone enough.

no access numbers too - just thinking of the old dark days of 0844 numbers makes me want to vom

I'm not an airasia fan but I've just snapped up a one-way flight chiang mai-phuket for 1550THB.

the only competition on that route is thai air - over 7000THB for the same date (26/06/10).

personally, its bangkok airways all the way where I can but sometimes airasia come up with prices that you just can't ignore and unlike 1-2-death I feel safe flying with them.

I watched the game live - the actual tackle didn't look that bad at first (although the TV cameras were some distance away) but when they did a close up of ramsey on the deck with his foot hanging it was pretty grim.

full marks to glenn whelan who attended to him whilst the physios came on.

hope the lad makes a good, speedy recovery. only 19yo with his whole (potentially glittering) career ahead of him.

However, what on Earth was the reaction all about ?? Campbell, Fabregas etc all ??

arsenal feel that physical teams like stoke try to crunch them out of the game rather than play honest football - this incident shows how that approach can end up causing serious injury.

arsenal are always going on about it and to a certain extent they have a point - they're not exactly the biggest or strongest team, especially in midfield and they pass so well that teams of inferior ability eg stoke have to combat that with physical tackling.

Good luck to the lad and I hope he makes a full recovery, although not many do come back the same after those types of injuries.

henrik larsson came back to continue being an excellent player for celtic, barcelona, man utd and sweden.

fingers crossed for young ramsey.

A frend of mine is comeing on 3 april I belive Jet air. Paying 384 pound's ret: 1hour 40min stop over both way's. So your's is not that cheap or great.

jet air? great, leaving from LHR I take it? very useful for me living in aberdeen.

I'll just walk to heathrow shall I?

a little over £500 return, from scotland, in june, is good in my book.

I'm telling you people - Localphone.

try it - you wont be dissapointed.

I used to pi55 about with those 0844 numbers until I discovered the gem that is localphone - no access numbers, no charging for no pick-up, no connection charge <deleted>.

just register then give localphone the international number you want to call and they give you a local number for your area - save it in your contacts and hey presto.

thailand is currently 0.5p per min.

ian brown - stellify.

lamai long-term expats do tend to claim ownership of the area - nice enough people in general but the clique thing is something lamai could do without.

it's not in your face but it is noticeable if you spend alot of time there.

funny thing is, alot of them can barely speak a word of thai and think by drinking 15 bottles of singha a day they are partaking in the thai culture.

sorry to hijack this topic but the 380THB bus and ferry through panthip co - does it work both ways? ie from URT to samui? if so, does it require pre-booking or is there a desk at the airport?

I see from airasia's website that flights can be as little as 699THB from BKK to URT and I'm sick of forking out the butt-raping rip-off fares to USM.

any advice appreciated.

any change you have better options ( other flight schedules or airlines ) and no long layover?

flight is already booked through emirates website - I was aware of the 9 hour stop but the price was unbeatable (a little over £500 (approx 25000THB) return from glasgow).

I've spent full days delayed in airports before so 9 hours shouldn't be as bad as it sounds providing I've somthing to fill the time, hence the query re the health club.

I like a tipple too but 9 hours on the razz in an airport doesn't quite do it for me. plan is a few hours swimming + lounging in the sauna/steam/jacuzzi followed by a few drinks and then it should just about be time for the flight.

Why not visit a famous Thai resident, perhaps he has enough money left to buy you a drink.

well, whilst I wouldn't have a drink with him, I would gladly accept some of his billions of corrupt cash. better a decent hard-working citizen like myself spends it than that joker + at least I'd put some of it back into the thai economy.

my next jaunt to thailand involves a 9 hour stopover in DXB ( ) so I'm trying to think of things to do to fill the time.

I'm into swimming, steam/sauna, jacuzzis etc and I hear the g-force health club can be used at an hourly rate.

I've done a few google searches but the prices seem to vary.

anyone had any experience of the aforementioned health club? prices? worth the bother?

cheers

game

www.localphone.com.

the best by far.

If you book for them you'll need to check they can board without showing the card that the tickets were bought on. I believe that most flight companies insist on this now and they could be refused boarding. Not a nice way to start their holiday.

agreed. it could cause problems if the booking is made by someone who is not travelling. when booking online, many airlines request the credit/debit card used for booking is shown at check-in, however alot of them don't actually ask when you go to check-in.

Netflights seem to be the cheapest/best from the UK IMO. you could give them a call or drop an e-mail to check if there'd be any problems with regards to the booking person not travelling.

the other suggestion of transferring the money to your family to buy the tickets is a good one.

personally, I always check netflights first then check the airline websites to compare the prices eg if emirates are showing cheapest on netflights I would check the emirates website too, to compare prices/conditions.

Thanks for the Info, Banyan tree is nice, but I think State tower is better, I think you get a better view of the city you are close enough to see the river, not sure which one is higher. I think the drinks at State tower are less expensive too.. Can't recall what I paid last time at Banyan tree. Really surprised at the Khao san rd place, never been to that place but have been around Khao san and cant say anything I have seen around this is anything close to the quality you get at Banyan tree.

state tower is a total ripper - 290THB for a singha iirc. what a load of wank.

Pay attention to what is being said. I didnt say it was cheap, I said it's less expensive than Bayan tree. I agree both places are expensive,

when I said it was a load of wank I meant the prices at state tower, not your post.

some of these may have been mentioned before but here's my contribution:

-farangs shouting in that pathetic vomit-inducing broken bargirl english 'I go with you daaling', 'where you go daaling' etc.

-farangs on KSR who sit and ....actually, just farangs on KSR in general.

-farangs who shout at thai waiters/waitresses like they are animals (I have seen the lowest form of this once at the landmark hotel restaurant - farang ar5ehole shouted to a thai waiter 'hoy mong - get my f*cking bill' - no word of a lie).

-farangs who complain about meals, hoping to get it for free.

-farangs who stride down the likes of walking street with their tops off - usually well built guys. most whores don't care how good you look providing you've got the coin you gimps.

-farangs who ride around on huge motorbikes and rev them up as they are passing. ye'know what they say 'huge bike, tiny c*ck'.

-farangs who get pi55ed up and start getting wide, loud and aggressive - usually totally unaware that they will almost certainly get a doing from the locals if they continue in such a manner.

-farangs pi55ed on motorbikes.

-farangs dancing around go-go poles. awful.

-farangs in shorts and t-shirt arguing with a hooker in hot-pants in the middle of the street.

-farangs thinking they own areas because they've been a local sexpat for the past 3 months - lamai, koh samui is a prime example.

-farangs fighting over bargirls - honestly <deleted>???

-backpackers wearing tye-dye linen.

-backpackers eating 20THB phad thai coz it's says it's a 'must-do' in the lonely planet.

-backpackers in general.

etc etc etc

<double post>

Thanks for the Info, Banyan tree is nice, but I think State tower is better, I think you get a better view of the city you are close enough to see the river, not sure which one is higher. I think the drinks at State tower are less expensive too.. Can't recall what I paid last time at Banyan tree. Really surprised at the Khao san rd place, never been to that place but have been around Khao san and cant say anything I have seen around this is anything close to the quality you get at Banyan tree.

state tower is a total ripper - 290THB for a singha iirc. what a load of wank.

<snip>

whilst I feel this thread has just descended into a lame slagging match, I must admit this video gave me a giggle. nice work.

whilst I feel this thread has just descended into a lame slagging match

whilst I feel this thread has just descended into a lame slagging match

whilst I feel this thread has just descended into a lame slagging match

What ya gonna do about it?

what am I gonna do about it? Em, nothing. It was merely an observation.

have a nice day.

<snip>

whilst I feel this thread has just descended into a lame slagging match, I must admit this video gave me a giggle. nice work.

I know of a guy who got pi55ed up and lost a leg in a motorbike crash on one of the south islands - eventually had to be flown to bkk for treatment. he had no insurance and apparently the bill ran into hundreds of thousands of THB.

my annual policy is approx B2500 - limited to 60 days cover, but if you need a longer term I suggest you weigh up the pros and cons of shelling out a few thousand baht for a policy against a few hundred thousand baht bill if the 5hit hit's the fan.

it happens.

I thought this was a pi55-take but just googled it....bloody hel_l.

I've experienced sleeping staff in thailand before....literally.

in departure lounge at koh samui airport for an early morning flight to bangkok - the bangkok airways assistant was sitting behind the refreshments counter sound asleep - I woke her up to ask her where the sugar was for the coffee....she genuinely looked at me like I had just stabbed her mother.

thai customer service at it's best.