Baloo22

If it didn't exist, paranormal freaks would have to invent it ......wait a doggonne minute - that's what they did? ....or I should say, they invented the hocus pocus about it.

Am still waiting for one piece of tangible proof that UFO's exist, or have landed, or ET's have surgically fiddled with anyone. Just like with crop circles (100% hoax, but excellently crafted), there's not the tiniest shred of hard evidence for ET's or UFOs.

Do intelligence life forms exist in other parts of galaxy? Absolutely. Have any visited us? Doubtful.

They probably have visited us. I'll bet they took one look at us Earthlings (and our societies) and quickly decided to get the heck away from us!

Sometimes the choice of booking site is just personal preference. I like the website layout and search methods on Agoda.

I have used Agoda to book hotels nine times here in Thailand. Most of them have been for hotels that Agoda had discounts at the time. Never had any problems with their service. I print out the voucher they send via email and present it at check-in. Never had any problems at check-in.

I tend to look at the reviews for specific hotels on Agoda and check reviews on Tripadvisor for the same hotel. Once I find a hotel of interest, I do check that hotel's website. Many hotel websites have "special offers" pages with deals for early booking or booking for a certain number of nights. I have managed to get some decent deals that way also.

I have been through TSA check in the USA many times. No problems. Treated very well. Of course, I don't walk in there with a such a big chip on my shoulder!

Been through Airport Security, Immigration, and Customs in a number of different countries and I have never had any problems with any of them. I do it the same way every time. I put a smile on my face, treat them with courtesy and respect, answer their questions honestly and politely, and amazingly, I don't run into all these problems the whiners are crying about.

Remove that knot-headed, entitled attitude, and also the big chip on your shoulders, and you will have a much better experience!

And what gives you great insight into my attitude towards the authorities. I pitch up at the desk all smiles and pleasantries, but because I am an Alien, I am treated like garbage and yes do end up leaving the airport with a chip on my shoulder. All I say to the Americans is you should try going through your own entry clearance if you don't hold a US passport or are travelling with someone holding a US passport. When I was flying there I was going on business so was well dressed and had all my business plans for inspection but was still accused of trying to illegally obtain work. If the guy doing the accusing has a gun and attitude I just smile politely take his abuse and leave, now my contracts go elsewhere.

I have gone through immigration, customs, and airport security in over eleven different countries and have never had problems. Amazing!!

I hear the whiny blah-blah about immigration in this or that country,and yet when I go there; no problems. Amazing!!

Been through one country's airport security screening with physical pat-downs and guys with submachineguns on each side to ensure compliance. Put the smile on my face matched with a good attitude and guess what; no problems! Amazing!!

Heard all the whiny blah-blah about TSA from both Americans and non-Americans, yet every time I go through TSA screening; no problems. Amazing!!

I've even taken personal weapons through U.S. Customs with no problems. Of course, I had the proper paperwork, cooperated with their inspection, and had a good and cooperative attitude. Guess what; no problems! Amazing!!

I have met many other people from both Asian and European countries that have gone through U.S. immigration, customs, and TSA with no problems and pleased with the experience. Amazing!!

So how do I (and many, many others) avoid all these horrible problems when going through immigration, customs, and airport security? If it's not my good disposition and mature attitude, then it just must be my charm and good looks!

Wow... you are just one truly amazing guy. We should all be more like you.

Yes! You are correct!!!

with all the money spent on those gadgets

and nuclear warheads

the US could have gotten a SOCIAL SECURITY / HEALTHCARE like most western nations...

You mean like Greece and Spain? From the number of demonstrations and riots, it doesn't seem to be working out quite as well as previously thought.

You mentioned upper Sukhumvit. In 2012, I stayed in the Amora Neoluxe Suites on Soi 31 Sukhumvit Road. It's a fairly new hotel, and nice and clean. Staff was friendly and professional. It is within your budget. In fact you could probably get one of the larger rooms.

If you and your wife will be using your computer(s), you will love the computer desk setup. It has a connection panel with power outlet, LAN and telephone jacks, and multiple connections (VGA, USB, HDMI, and other types)to the large flat-screen TV.

They do have a small pool. They also have a small fitness room with treadmill, stationary bike, eliptical machine, several resistance machines, two benches, and a rack of light to medium dumbbells. The room also has a safe to store your valuables. The included buffet breakfast did have a not a huge selection but was tasty and satisfied me. I took a three-day trip to Kanchanaburi and Amora Neolux stored my large suitcase for me, no problem.

You probably know this already but for others that may not be familiar with the area; From Amora Neoluxe Suites, you are a short walk to Sukhumvit Road with plenty of restaurants, pubs, and shops. If you take a left on hitting Sukhumvit a short walk brings you to Villa Supermarket where you can plenty of western type food and drink. (Much cheaper than the minibar prices). You are also approx equal distance (around 500m) from the Phrom Phong and Asok BTS stations. Also right next to the Asok BTS station is the Sukhumvit MRT subway station.

Two other Wats in Chiang Mai that I liked were Wat Chiang Man and Wat Dok Eung. They both have really beautiful paintings and other artwork. They also tend to be a little less overrun by the tourist crowds. Bhuping Palace (Bhubing) is also worth a visit, IMO. Some really beautiful flower gardens, bamboo groves, and nice place to visit. I enjoyed Bhuping Palace much more than the crowded Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

Personally I prefer staying in Jomtien for long-term (several months or more). Tends to be a little less frantic but still has plenty of good restaurants for many different kinds of food and they have a growing collection of bars, especially down by the market. When you want to go into Pattaya, there are plenty of baht buses on Thap Phraya Road. I've rented condos in View Talay 2 twice. They have restaurants, laundry, coffee shop, and a big pool all right there.

I can recommend Dancewatchers/Khun Tik. I have rented a condo from Khun Tik for three months in 2010 and for seven months in 2011/2012. She treats you straight and delivers what she promises. I had a problem with the sliding door to the balcony. She had a repairman there that same day. She does not pad the electric bills. She charges the government rate. I had heard multiple horror stories about managers/landlords not returning deposits. Not so with Tik! In both my rentals with her, I did no damage to the room, so I got my deposit back. Simple as that. No problems. No arguments.

Nok Air.

Much better website and business style than Air Asia. Not the hidden rip-offs.

Yes, sometimes Thai companies can be better than foreign.

"Not the hidden rip-offs." It always amazes me that some travelers seem to have so much difficulty is declining or accepting the few options offered.

Individual baggage weight

Seating position selection

food/drinks

trip insurance

Obviously they are all "rip offs" ........ and each one is really cunningly hidden. Nok Air is fine also.

I agree with tig28. If you can book far enough ahead and are flexible with your travel dates, you can get some decent "Promo" rates with AirAsia. I flew with AirAsia twice last year. Each time I booked using their website. There was no "hidden rip-offs". Just check no for the extras as you step through the booking process and you get the cheap rate. I've flown Air Asia round-trip Chiang Mai <--> Phuket, and Chiang Mai <--> Bangkok with no problems. You can even print out your boarding pass through the web before your trip! Worked great for me.

I've booked domestic flights with both Thai Airways and Nok Air for this year. We'll see how those flights go!

Well, I'm in Thailand now and I just purchased a book from Barnes and Noble using my Nook and it worked just fine. Purchase worked fine and the book downloaded to my Nook automatically.

I find it hard to believe that both boys slept through this ordeal.

I'm also finding the entire incident mysterious, not that I'm expert on snakes.

So presumably you've got two sleeping boys.

Or do you.

Is it possible something broke from the snake's movement and made a loud NOISE awaking the boys and provoking them to show excited fear behavior?

Then the snake freaked out?

OK, I get snakes killing for prey.

But killing two boys and so far I haven't heard any reports that the snake swallowed either one of them.

Does that make any sense at all from the snake's POV?

http://news.yahoo.com/african-rock-pythons-killing-humans-getting-struck-lightning-215827584.html

I get what you are driving at. How can one put it, this appeared to be a nasty snake! Animals normally only kill for one of two reasons, they are hungry or they are threatened. Some of the few exceptions in the animal kingdom are Hippo's which can go from placid to rage in nano seconds and kill more people each year in Africa than Lions, and the Fox. A fox will kill every chicken in a pen and not even eat one of them. Even a lion will kill one zebra, lie down and eat it and then other animals 50 meters away graze unthreatened. Why did the snake kill without attempting to eat? Were the two brothers cuddled up? At that age still a small target for a big snake, were both crushed at the same time in that case? Too many questions. If I were the Father I would be in jail already.

I had similar thoughts too; concluding that it either killed them both in one go, i.e. they were huddled together and crushed as one...or something is not quite right.

Will be interesting to see what the post mortem concludes...

When I was young, I kept a number of snakes as pets. Much smaller snakes. They were well fed and well cared for, not mistreated. I was also surprised that the snake killed both children and yet did not eat either. Snakes normally do not kill without need, either hunger or defense.

One theory that I heard on a news report is that the snake may have attacked one child for food and the other child may have attempted to help that child and been perceived, by the snake, as a threat. Sometimes a snake may kill and then if disturbed leave without consuming the kill.

Yes, people should do their due diligence before visiting Phuket. Do their due diligence and then stay the hell away from that place!

OK. I just finished a "online chat" with Barnes and Noble's Nook Support. The first "support" person read my question and transferred me to "Digital Services Support". Here is what he told me:

B&N Support: Yes, you can download and make purchases from your account from anywhere, if you have U.S issued credit card and U.S billing address in your online account.

Me: When you say "online account", do you mean my Barnes and Noble Club account?

B&N Support: Yes, you are correct.

Me: And the Nook HD+ will download them even when it is connected to the internet overseas and is using an IP address from overseas?

B&N Support: Yes.

I live in the USA, but travel to Thailand frequently. I have owned a Nook for the last 2 years. I originally purchased it instead of the Kindle because at the time, my local library did not support the Kindle. It is an excellent product, with one drawback. I cannot purchase books from Barnes and Noble when in Thailand. I too have a US address and credit card, but Barnes and Noble blocks international purchases. I can borrow books from my local library and transfer them to the Nook, but cannot purchase books or periodicals when in Thailand. In my case, I load books onto the Nook prior to departure.

@landslide:

You might want to contact Barnes and Noble support to see exactly why you cannot download books into your Nook while overseas. And how to fix the problem.

Is it just me, or does that photo NOT look like "Three Philippines Armed Forces vessels perform a maritime operation exercise in Manila Bay?"

Here are two hotels that I have stayed at, and liked, in the Sukhumvit area. They are both clean and everything worked. They are both fairly close to BTS and MRT stations.

Amora Neoluxe Suites on Soi 31 Sukhumvit Road. It's a fairly new hotel, and nice and clean. Staff was friendly and professional. If you are a techno-geek you will love the computer desk setup. It has a connection panel with power outlet, LAN and telephone jacks, and multiple connections (VGA, USB, HDMI, and other types)to the large flat-screen TV. I took a three-day trip to Kanchanaburi and Amora Neolux stored my large suitcase for me, no problem.

They do have a small pool. They also have a small fitness room with treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine, several resistance machines, two benches, and a rack of light to medium dumbbells. The room also has a safe to store your valuables. The included buffet breakfast did have a not a huge selection but was tasty and satisfied me.

You are a short walk to Sukhumvit Road with plenty of restaurants, pubs, and shops. If you take a left on hitting Sukhumvit a short walk brings you to Villa Supermarket where you can plenty of western type food and drink. (Much cheaper than the minibar prices). You are also approx equal distance (around 500m) from the Phrom Phong and Asok BTS stations. Also right next to the Asok BTS station is the Sukhumvit MRT subway station.

S Sukhumvit Suites at 403 Sukhumvit Road (Asoke Intersection). Clean and everything works. The room also has a safe to store your valuables. No pool though. The standard rooms are a bit small and it's a little more expensive than the Amora Neoluxe. With your budget you could probably get one of the larger rooms. The big plus for this hotel is that it is literally right next to the Asoke BTS station and the Sukhumvit MRT station. So traveling around the city and back to the hotel is easy.

If you don't plan on staying in your room very much, another hotel that I have stayed (for two nights) is the S Sukhumvit Suites Hotel at 403 Sukhumvit Road (Asoke Intersection). Clean and everything works. No pool though. The standard rooms are a bit small and it's a little more expensive than the Amora Neoluxe. The big plus for this hotel is that it is literally right next to the Asoke BTS station and the Sukhumvit MRT station. So traveling around the city and back to the hotel is easy. Agoda has the standard room for 1717 baht right now.

You might check out Amora Neoluxe Suites on Soi 31 Sukhumvit Road. I have stayed there and liked it. It's a fairly new hotel, and nice and clean. Staff was friendly and professional.

If you are a techno-geek you will love the computer desk setup. It has a connection panel with power outlet, LAN and telephone jacks, and multiple connections (VGA, USB, HDMI, and other types)to the large flat-screen TV. I took a three-day trip to Kanchanaburi and Amora Neolux stored my large suitcase for me, no problem.

They do have a small pool. They also have a small fitness room with treadmill, stationary bike, eliptical machine, several resistance machines, two benches, and a rack of light to medium dumbbells. The room also has a safe to store your valuables. The included buffet breakfast did have a not a huge selection but was tasty and satisfied me.

You are a short walk to Sukhumvit Road with plenty of restaurants, pubs, and shops. If you take a left on hitting Sukhumvit a short walk brings you to Villa Supermarket where you can plenty of western type food and drink. (Much cheaper than the minibar prices). You are also approx equal distance (around 500m) from the Phrom Phong and Asok BTS stations. Also right next to the Asok BTS station is the Sukhumvit MRT subway station.

Nook ??? Why ??

Have you not heard of Kindle ?

totster

Really not interested in getting into an argument over Kindle vs Nook. I've never owned a tablet computer and the Nooks were on sale plus I had a coupon for an additional discount. Reviews of the Nook HD and HD+ were good also. So far I've used it more like a tablet than an e-reader but that will change. It runs Chrome for browsing, has apps for email and facebook that work well (so far at least), and more that I have not gotten to yet. I'm not about to spend $500 and up for a iPad or other tablet. The Nook HD+ 32GB for $165 seems to be working just fine for me.

I do not have Nook but have been using Kindle in TH for several years now. No problem, same as in USA re your existing account.

Thanks Keeniau96! I've checked a number of discussion boards, etc, and the general consensus seems to be that if I have a US address and US credit card, I will still be able to obtain ebooks, movies, and tv from Barnes and Noble. Also found some instructions on ripping video from DVDs and then being able to play it on the Nook. Have not done that yet. Saving that for when I have some more time.

I am in the U.S. right now and recently bought a Nook HD Plus. Never had a tablet before, the Nooks were on sale and I also had a coupon for an additional discount. So I went ahead and got a Nook HD+ 32GB. Been exploring it and learning how to use it. So far it's been good. Quickly hooks up to the wireless network at home and also at coffee shops and other hotspots.

I will be returning to Thailand soon. For those that have been using the Nook in Thailand; Is there any specific items that I should get here or anything I should arrange before I leave the U.S. for Thailand? I already have a Barnes and Noble account with U.S. address (and U.S. credit card).

Thanks in advance for your useful advice!

is there such a difference? Is someone gonna measure the paper?

You know what these Yanks are like, anything to be different.

Are you two auditioning for the 'Dumb and Dumber' sequel?

Well, "Dumber" is demonstrating a good fit for his board name!

I would recommend the Green Bus company. They are reliable and tend to drive at reasonable speeds and with some sanity. I used them for one trip Chiang Mai to Mae Sai and back, and also one trip Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai and back. They depart from the Chiang Mai Bus Station #2, known as "Arcade Station", in the north-east part of Chiang Mai. In Chiang Rai it stops first at the Chiang Rai Bus Terminal #2 which is south of the city (5 minutes) and stopped again at the Chiang Rai station in the middle of the city.

Here are three places that I would recommend to you. You can get fairly close to each of them via the BTS or the MRT.

1. Lumphini Park. Nice park right in the middle of Bangkok. Gardens, plants, ponds, and you may run into a nice Water Monitor Lizard! This is a good one to do early in the morning. Below is a friend I met in Lumphini Park, September 2012.

2. The "Snake Farm" at the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute. Great snake "zoo" indoors and also a number of informative displays with info in both Thai and English. They also do a snake handling show at 2:30 every afternoon Monday through Friday. You want go to the show early to get the best seats down in front.

3. Take them for a boat ride on the Chao Phraya River. You can take the BTS to the Saphan Taksin station and a short walk to the Sathorn Pier. There you can take a "Tourist Boat" (basically it has someone up front telling about the sights on the river in English) up to the Phra Arthit Pier (N13). A short walk from there is the Santichai Prakan Public Park and the Phra Sumen Fort. Also, I ate lunch at the Navalai River Resort's restaurant. As I remember it, decent food, not the cheapest, but not that expensive either. Nice spot right on the river to watch the taxi boats and other river traffic while you have your lunch. Then you can walk out to the pier and take a boat back to Sathorn Pier.