Mat268

...a colleague has just had the same experience.. get to Suna Plu ASAP once you realised that you lost it. Get it sorted as he had a work permit and the permit was not extended as Immigration could not extend without the TM6 card. he ended up going back to the entry point and having a new card issued plus needing a police reoprt...

congratuations!! am in my fourth year of Residency so will be starting the process l guess next year....!!! great tips and yes, patience is much needed !!! Sawasdee pee mai krab !

..contact user 'deared' on www.gayromeo.com as he has a bar in Hua Hin and he is quite happy to let you know of other establishments there also !!

We are looking at organising a furniture clearance sale in Hua Hin at the beginning of 2008. I would be most grateful if you could advise the best local newspaper/magazine for us to advertise in.........Thanks alot...........

I am holding a Thai residency permit. i would like to inquire to see if it is possible to acquire a mortgage here in Thailand for me to purchase a house (5-6 MB).

i dont think you will find any...have to go to Hua Hin......you wont be the only gay in the village by any means....maybe you could open the first distinguished establishment in Cha-am....

...been there done that got the T shirt !!!! Holiday Inn will most PROBABLY charge you for their gala dinner on 31st (as most hotels do on Phuket) Expect the island to be over booked ... all night partying with the local authorities picking up the people along the streets who cannot stand up anymore !!!!! If you want a nice meal somewhere, book NOW !!! Great restaurants book up very early as us expats living here have booked already...sorry !!!

hi there, btw, it is not Sawasdee .com but a villa company. After our shouts yesterday, the agent had two of their staff up here mid afternoon !!! they saw this website.....a neighbour in the next villa also came round with exactly the same problem, so a new route was found around a boatyard to avoid the 3 feet of water....got down the hill and arranged for two 4 wheel drives to rent !!! this morning we have a much brighter day, so lets hope that things can only get better.....thank you Samuicoconut!!!

the road at the bottom of the hill has dingies on it....the roadway is now pure 'din deang' and mud slides.......

...yes - we can see the lakes from up here quite clearly.....

i got one from Central (Supersports) - good service and a great bike...l bought a Mongouse.....around 13,000 Bht l think...try them ...

do agents here on the island not remember where their customers are ?? as the villa owner said, the agent was just after their commission and not interested in customer care,,,, hence there decision to leave the agent and rent direct in the future !!!! well l am sure that the agent will contact us when we are unable to check out !!!!!

Flooded in bophut as well i expect lots of talk again of fixing it and very little will be done AGAIN !.

been here on this tropical island since last friday.....we are stuck up a hill in Bophut in a villa here on vacation.. not managed to get down since Saturday as road impassable...any sugestions how we can get down the road.. agent never contacted us so dont suppose they could give a dam about their customers !!!!!

Hi there, l used to live in Hua Hin/Chaam for 9 years as l was employed by a hotel chain there. There is a great choice of boutique and very friendly hotels in Hua Hin. Although Cha'am has its very own charms, the main market is the weekend domestic market so expect alot more 'Thainess' when you stay there. For a reliable travel agent in Hua Hin, l use Western Tours (Khun Jom)

For the nightlife, look on gayromeo.com and look for 'Deared' as he owns a small establishment near to the Hilton hotel.... Not many places in Hua Hin, but you will still find the friendliness of the locals!

Happy holidays....

Hotels and appartments are different requirements...hotels are checked yearly when they re-new their operational licence. HOtels MUST have fire alarms by law, plus sprinklers/heat detectors etc etc. Any responsible tour operator from Europe ( l come for Europe so can only advise from there) would check all this out before allowing their guests to stay there! If not, tour operators are liable for damages to if they use unsafe hotels !!! Some responsible tour operators will bring UK Fire Brigade personnel (at the tour operators cost) to Thailand to check prior to allowing guests check in !!

For appartment blocks, the law is different, hence so many new boutique serviced appartments etc....Anyone who owns an appartment good idea to check local regulations !! check fire doors also to make sure that they do lead to an OPEN area at their end !!! Some doors are locked l bet !!!

As I have an apartment that I use in BKK, my hotel usage is limited except for holidays outside BKK. However what this does raise is the question of (a) fire regs in Thailand and ( their enforcement. Are there regular inspections? If yes, by whom and how often (and are the reports then public docs)? If no inspections, what is the point of having regulations!?!

Another fire broke out at Mandarin Hotel

A second round of fire broke out at the Mandarin Hotel after firefighters were able to put the flames under control this morning (September 5th). However, officials believed the fire would not spread violently.

The Mandarin Hotel went ablaze last night, but firefighters were able to smother the fire this morning. However, another fire broke out at 08:00 hours on the second floor of the hotel where the storage room is located. Nevertheless, the flames were not as intense as the fire last night, and firefighters believed they could prevent the fire from spreading to other areas.

Meanwhile, Thai and foreign tourists at the hotel are still alarmed of the incident, but firefighters already allowed some of them to check their belongings in their rooms. The hotel guests will be transferred to Tawana Ramada Hotel, and the Mandarin Hotel will take care of all their expenses.

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin (อภิรักษ์ โกษะโยธิน) also traveled to the Mandarin Hotel to inspect the fire incident.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 05 September 2007

..at least 20 years old.. I stayed there about 18 years ago when we were aircrew......

I know a lot of the places I stay have sprinkler systems, but some don't. How old is this building? I would think a luxury hotel would have them.

Edit: Oh, I just checked room rates and it sounds more like a mid-range hotel.

.............learn to speak Thai fluently like me! works wonders and goes well with body language !!!

...what influenced me to come over to Thailand .....???

...the airline and tour operator l was working for at the time (20 years ago) sent me here to set up a team to open their new route Gatwick UK to Bangkok Don Muang.......stayed at one of the very few top class hotels (in those days) the Meanam and Asia Hotel (with our crews).................

...after 18 years was granted Thai residency........no reason to go home........

...went to Hua Hin this weekend, came back last night..the stage is starting to put up outside the Sofitel Central...great weather but very sad to see the town so quiet!! ....nice weekend BUT watch out, the roads are horific!!! Took me 90 minutes from Hua Hin to the Cha-am Fishing Park !!! Single lane traffic as they are building new bridges and then again just before Samut Songkram.......total traveling time back to BKK last night was 5 hours, 30 minutes !! Sorry, just cancelled my hotel for next weekend as not willing to have to drive through that lot again...PS left Hua Hin at 17.30 hrs in order ot miss the afternoon traffic.!!!!!

..was sent here by the airline l was working for at the time, some 20 years ago and never went back!!! Now a Thai resident, never regretted a moment....

try the Sirin Hotel. Along the same road as Sofitel Central Hua Hin.....nice small and friendly hotel...

Congratulations......l am about to start the process......l remember my Residency Permit taking about 18 months so l am sure that l can be patient...must admit the 40 persons listening to you singing the two anthems is rather a daunting prospect.........good luck and enjoy your new lease of life....

..used to work on samui some 4 years ago and it was becoming a problem then. i did talk with the owners of the hotel/development concerned.... visitors should tell their Hotel General Managers of these cases - write them a letter so that they can foward to the hotel associations/police etc. Also, if you see a Tourist Police person, then tell them too....

Air Asia, Tiger Airlines, - internet bookings cannot be beaten!!

HMV is a must in SIN

hi, looking for a 2-3 year old Vios, Corrolla, City or similar. Must be in good condition and be registered here in Bangkok. Email me pleaes at [email protected] with picture and specs. Thanks alot.