JimsKnight

I'll add to that excellent post about when I went to Phuket.

Well I got their and like a complete goose I left my passport in the cab once I stepped out to check into a guesthouse.

Oblivious to this and blissfully breezing about the thriving streets of Patong and lording it up I got the news two days later that the cab driver, while sorting through the cab had found my passport!

The reception girl had to tell me 3 times cause at first I honestly believed I still had my passport!

When I saw it wasn't there the heart pumping realisation kicked in.

With visions of what could of been with police checks or getting into trouble and so on buzzing about i awaited for the taximans arrival.

Part of me feared it might be the wrong passport and I'd lost it elsewhere

It was the middle of Songkran and the roads were jammed to boot!

The taximan still made the journey. It took him 5 hours to get to the Lucky Mansion but he made it.

I was a happy man and get this, he wouldn't take a satang of money for gas or anything.

It really is a case of people doing their thing and playing it forward / good karma deeds man

He is the unknown taxidriver and I never learnt his name.

Maybe he's still out there driving about and doing his bit as one of the Saints of Taximen

I only wanted help getting my money back mate .

If I'd know that I would have peddled a bit faster and a lot further.

Heh, maybe this is the latest scam, some in LOS might have heard about the 700 billion bailout and maybe misconstrue that expats are getting free hand-outs and can ask for cash????

Glad it turned out for you alright though.

I've had some stranger psycho hassle me before down in Ranong and just kept on walking. After a brisk marching pace of 2 miles he soon gave up

I appreciate your candor, but I dare say after you get a few years under your belt, you may not see the harm of older men looking at younger women. There is a huge difference between looking and taking concrete action.

I love to sit in a bar somewhere along Walking Street (right across from the Marine Bar is a good spot), and "people watch".

Great entertainment on some nights. Like the time a farang woman had a screaming match with her husband, while their 3 kids stood watching (at one point she stormed off, came back and tried to kick the hubby in the nuts. Then stormed off again. Then he went looking for her. The 3 boys (maybe 10-15 years old) were left there. I left about 15 minutes later and they were still there, waiting).

One of the funniest things I see on a regular basis though, is some guy walking along with a gorgeous girl. He's looking around to see if everyone is noticing how pretty his girl is, and never notices that she is also looking around, scouting for the next mark !

More than once I've caught a girls eye as she's gone by, only to have her turn up at my shoulder an hour or so later, all alone and looking for love.

It's amazing how much information can be passed between two people just by raising an eyebrow or a quick wink.

Freshly plucket no doubt mate

But thats cool man. Because what I like about Thailand is single guys, some young a fair few old are out there enjoying themselves and keeping it real. Far away from the dreary rat race and Victorian mentality prevelant back home.

This poster I've just quoted is in that catagory too and good on him

Whether that's in the lively bars with the BGs or in campus hang-outs with the student babes

It's all good boys.

And for me yes like UG says 99.9% of us came for the sex that includes me although it's more like occasional sex.

Be it BG, student or shop girl etc but more for lifestyle, adventure, the Sanuk groove mentality the Thais still have!

This is despite a succession of farang who seem to be grumpy gimps

Four for me.

Let the shares fall I say.

Cash is king and you need to save money not live off credit.

Saving money is the new groove now.

There is not one serviceman in Australia who has to buy any part of any uniform. All uniforms & the parts thereof, are supplied by the Australian military. If any Australian military personnel were required to buy any uniform or part thereof, it would be 100% tax deductible.

All of this sounds very strange to me. The Thai government obviously know that many people in Thailand are poor. If some of these "poor" people are CONSCRIPTED into the military, how on earth can the government expect them to pay for uniforms? This sounds like a scam to me. Maybe the person who has been conscripted is from a wealthy family & maybe certain Thai military personnel know this & are now trying to get a few extra dollars (illegally)? Maybe the son is the one who is trying to get a few extra dollars?

For British Officers, SNCOs (Senior non-commissioned officers) and some JNCOs (Junior non-commissioned officers) you have to buy 'Mess' Dress. That is to say ceremonial uniform to be worn in the eating areas.

There is some other types, like the 'Sam Browne' kit officers where with their other uniforms as well.

So it could be the Thai system is to 'copy' the US / UK system and do this as well.

The way some 'hi-so' posters go on here there must be some that have an insight in the idiosyncracies of Thai Army Doctrine.

Well £ Sterling is teetering on the 60.6 marker and I know that its getting hairy.

I'm not even relying on £ Sterling at the moment but I know a lot of UK dudes are getting edgy right now!

Boy! Some posters are really showing their age on this one!

For me it was in the Early 80s with the Vic-20.

Games were so much simpler then, but no less enjoyable

It's sort of funny saying "Sex, but no kissing". I'm scared to kiss. LOL

errr....but do you need to kiss on the lips, when sexing?....must U??

There are other places that .....ummmm better than that!!!

Teacup, MD

Don't you?

I use Anglo Irish and believe me have been trying to get to the bottom of it.My Money is in the Isle of Man and is safe under the Irish Governments 2 year thing.Guess that means offshore.

EPG.

Never check these banks are fakes you will be crying soon.

They are all owned by New York Bankers

Really? And which ones aren't then?

Let me us know with your answer...

I have an icelandic account.

Internet online and its pretty good

Can't you get silicon implants in Thailand that don't have a 'replacement time'???

Otherwise it sounds like a bit of a scam to me.

Looking at this from an expats perspective not yet in LOS i can see this having the potential to ruin plenty of older dudes relying on banks and pensions for monthly interest payments and the clunking into their banks here in LOS.

But that is only a possibility, at the moment.

It only restricts your peripheral vision if you have the eyes of a fruit fly. Part of defensive driving is to turn your head often, and use your mirrors. The alternative is to lose your jaw or your good looks when you fall. I have been blind on one side for over 40 years with no peripheral vision problems while wearing full face helmets, which have saved me from several severe blows to the jaw and face.

Heat is bearable, with ventilation.

A thai made helmet is slightly cooler than the imports due to its weight and slightly thinner/weaker plastic.

The imports are more tough and robust but weigh a bit more and you will have a hot head.

ALL full face helmets restrict your vision. But an experiences rider will not be phased or rattle by this.

Sorry not A neg.

Hope your friend gets well soon.

The Americans want him arrested and locked up, because if anyone is going to sell weapons to 'two bit dictators' it's going to be the Americans.

once again, somebody who can't think for themselves and and has the habit of then talking outloud. If you are going to be stupid please do it on your own time....

So you're saying the US or it's Allies don't sell arms to dictatorial countries?

They sell arms to 'Sovereign' countries which tend to be more accountable if they cross the line.

Dictatorship or not (most countries are dictatorships so the point is moot), they are 'recognised' sovereign countries.

The money goes into the treasury of a country for the benefit of the country (ideally).

This guy was selling arms to rebel forces and 'unknown entities' who are not accountable and could topple a government

The money was going to one person, him, benefiting fewer people as a result etc etc.

Metal Gear Solid.

Brilliant Game. Snakes older but still kicks ass and saves the day once again.

New moves and new bosses who put you through your paces.

I rate it 9.5 / 10. I'd rate it 10 but for the fact snakes an old man in this one.

The boys at gamespot tell it like it is:

Take it away boys

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the most technically stunning video game ever made. It's also a fine example of storytelling prowess within its medium, combining gameplay and narrative so slickly and beautifully that it's impossible to extricate one from the other. It's likely you will emerge awestruck from your first play-through, wishing the experience would continue yet nonetheless satisfied with its conclusion. It's difficult not to sound hyperbolic when discussing MGS4 because every part of its design seemingly fulfills its vision, without compromise. There is no halfway.

The story is both convoluted and compelling.

Fully realized, lengthy story sequences will come as no surprise to anyone who has played a Metal Gear game. You'll spend a good half of MGS4 watching cinematics, but it would be a grave misinterpretation to assume that great gameplay takes a backseat to the story. Rather, these two elements are tightly intertwined, and this tapestry is held together by an important technical thread: Cutscenes that are rendered fully in real time within the game engine. It's impressive enough that these scenes look as good as any prerendered cinematic you've ever watched. It's even more amazing when those same scenes transition without pause into gameplay, and the same hulking mech you watched lumber about in the cinematic is looming above you. The subtle animations, the lush environments, and the rich textures are the same in and out of story sequences, and the effect is so seamless it may take your breath away. You can skip past the scenes if you prefer, but doing so would soften the experience. The story sequences carry more weight because of the intense gameplay that precedes them--and the gameplay feels more compelling because the story gives you powerful reasons to care about your mission. The high point of this fusion occurs in an exciting and memorable split-screen sequence that simply must be experienced.

Talking about what, exactly, is going on in the plot in the midst of MGS4's grand sweeping gestures is to risk spoiling each little surprise as it emerges. Snake, suffering from the rapid onset of aging, now must cope with stiff joints in addition to the looming specter of Liquid Ocelot's newest plans. This is Snake's final hurrah; yet as the story reaches one height after another, the juxtaposition of huge set piece battles and formidable bosses with Snake's deteriorating body creates tension and gravity even beyond the series' usual pretensions. Some new plot strands emerge while others get tied up, and old friends (and enemies) refuse to be forgotten. You'll also bear witness to a few reunions--some bloody, some teary, and some legitimately shocking. Parts of it are overblown, to be sure. The musical score gets heavy-handed and the voice acting and writing are frequently dogmatic, so while there are plenty of subtle moments, subtlety isn't really MGS4's strong suit. But it doesn't need to be. After all, the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and judging from a few silly attempts at humor that don't work, developer Kojima Productions was wise to err on the side of melodrama.

The gameplay proper is familiar to fans, but it's been cleaned up and expanded, holding as many twists and surprises as the story. For starters, both gunplay and close-quarters combat are more satisfying. Regarding melee, the controls have been streamlined, making it less cumbersome to grab an enemy soldier or perform a stealthy blade kill. Shooting mechanics are even more improved, so much so that shooting your way out of a pickle is just as enjoyable as sneaking around it. There are a huge number of weapons to play with; so many that you'll probably finish the campaign without using many of them. Yet, quality wasn't sacrificed for quantity: Every weapon feels just right, from your handy operator sidearm (best when upgraded with a silencer) and standard issue assault rifles to a powerful railgun. The standard over-the-shoulder view is fine for the most part, but you can gaze down the sights from a first-person perspective. Both views can be further improved with various enhancements, such as laser sights and scopes.

Not that you don't have all the tools for completely avoiding your enemies if you choose that route. Snake's got the basics covered: crawling, hugging walls, peeking around corners, and hanging from ledges, for example. Cover mechanics are tighter than ever, so you can crouch and take potshots from behind cover with ease. There are also a number of important gadgets that will make your life easier in this regard. The most obvious of these is your OctoCamo suit, which takes on the texture of your surroundings when you're prone or pressed against cover. Not only does this make it simpler to avoid watchful eyes, but it's also a cool visual effect. Eventually, you'll be able to camouflage Snake's head, and a few of the available camo options are bound to stir some fans' nostalgia. The Solid Eye is your other major tool, as it expands your compass into a sonic-sensitive radar and allows you to use night vision and a tactical first-person view. These are helpful gadgets indeed, even during boss fights, like a stirring encounter in a blinding blizzard.

Shooting is always a viable option if you don't want to sneak.

Other gadgets, such as portable hiding places (cardboard boxes and rusty barrels) and the Metal Gear Mk. II (a stealthed robot that you can command as a scouting device), are useful to anyone who prefers the sneaky approach. Not every gadget is a welcome addition, though. For example, the much-ballyhooed iPod is a neat touch, but to use it, you cannot have another gadget equipped, so you'll quickly forget the option even exists. But aside from these nitpicks, one of the things that makes the core gameplay so enjoyable is that you're rarely strapped into a single style of play. Shooting your way through requires more thought and care than you'd put into a standard action game, but you never feel as though the gun mechanics are stuffed uncomfortably into a stealth game. If you'd rather sneak, you never have the impression that stealth was shoehorned into a game that's meant to be played as a shooter. Sure, you're Solid Snake--you're not supposed to get caught. But if you're stuck in a jam, breaking stealth isn't a death sentence, and in fact, facing certain enemies head-on is often a heart-pounding, challenging experience. The few levels that do force you into one style, such as one in which you shadow your target through an Eastern European city, are still great, if not quite as impactful.

You'll need to keep an eye on Snake's stress levels and psyche. Though these aspects are more peripheral than health levels, they fit nicely within the plot. When Snake gets stressed (if he gets cold or encumbered, for example), his psyche gauge starts to deplete. The lower the gauge, the slower you will move and the less quickly you replenish health. Generally speaking, the psyche meter is rarely a factor, and should you notice Snake groaning a bit more, there are items like compresses you can use for a pick-me-up. Should the meter get too low, you won't be able to hold up your weapon or rush for cover. This doesn't happen often though, and while you'll need to keep a close eye on your health for obvious reasons, you won't need to pay too much heed to psyche.

Regardless of the tactics you use, the level design and enemy artificial intelligence work in tandem to create unparalleled gameplay. If you go stealth, hiding in that rusty barrel isn't a perfect solution. Your foe may look at it suspiciously, kick it a few times, and eventually blow your cover, so don't expect to be able to trick your way through as you might in other stealth games. In full-on firefights, enemy teams will flank you, use cover to their advantage, and throw grenades with precision to force you out of hiding. Most of your surroundings, inside and out, are littered with objects and cover opportunities, from a trek through a South American jungle to a nostalgic journey through a snowy island base. Each level is more-or-less linear, but within the confines of these areas, you still have remarkable room to explore the various gameplay options and test the limits of your foes. Some enemies are standard soldiers, though many others are wonderfully imaginative. The colossal mechanical Gekkos, for example, are unpredictable and keep you on your toes, while female operatives that pounce from wall to wall intensify an early escape scene.

There are ample cover opportunities.

Later in the game, a few set piece battles deepen the core gameplay even further, including a few peerless on-rails sequences. One of these, a motorcycle chase, is as close as any game has gotten to translating the excitement of similar moments in films to a game format. Another level, which features a gigantic automaton, showcases destructible environments where walkways collapse on top of each other and the screen fills with smoke. In all of these cases, the controls are excellent, with the exception of that same mech's third-person view a bit later on (the first-person view works infinitely better). The interpretation of Metal Gear Solid as an interactive film still applies, but in a way you may not have expected: These levels make you feel like the star of your own action movie.

Boss battles are stimulating, though they aren't all that difficult. Nevertheless, a few of them are tricky and require you to put some thought into your tactics because just riddling the boss with bullets isn't going to ensure victory. Early on, it's clear that you'll be encountering the four members of the Beauty and the Beast unit--female supersoldiers that are as psychologically complex as they are fun to battle. These battles are long and normally require you to fight other enemies in addition to your primary target. In one of them, you can use your night vision to track your target's footprints and use the wind direction to your advantage. In another, you'll dodge missiles from flying creatures while taking on the main boss.

The gameplay and story would, perhaps, not be as effective if Metal Gear Solid 4 did not look and sound so impressive, but truth be told, it's an amazing piece of technology. From the gritty textures of concrete walls to the effective lighting and shadowing, there are few aspects you could reasonably fault. In the biggest battles, billows of smoke fill the screen and blood splatters against the camera--all while meticulously designed helicopters fly overhead and ad-hoc team members take potshots from behind grungy dilapidated vehicles. Yet in the midst of the visual drama, it's the little things that are likely to provoke awe. Small details, such as how Snake rubs his sore back when his stress levels get high or the authentic manner in which he ascends staircases, create as much atmosphere as cluttered underground tunnels and war-torn Middle Eastern cities. You will have to wait through some scattered install periods (just under 20 minutes worth, in total) and the occasional loading screen, and you may find some frame rate drops and low-res textures here and there, but these aren't issues in light of MGS4's impressive graphical accomplishments.

The sound design comes together nearly as well. The soundtrack on its own is rather pompous, but in context, it works just fine to create the appropriate mood for any given cutscene or battle. The voice acting follows suit but succeeds far better. Because the growling voice of David Hayter's Solid Snake is so good, the rare hamming from the mostly excellent supporting cast is easily forgotten. But the sound effects are unforgettable and excellent across the board. The Gekkos emit blood-curdling moos like gargantuan cows, explosions are outstandingly obnoxious, and everything from the clicks of the Solid Eye to the laughter and screams of the beastly bosses are top-notch.

Snake's final hurrah is a remarkable technical achievement.

On top of it all, Metal Gear Solid 4 offers some enjoyable online 16-player action to complement its superb single-player experience. Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch are represented, of course, and they play just fine, assuming you don't approach the online component as a standard shooter. The maps are beautifully rendered and packed with detail, and while not every mechanic is as wonderful in multiplayer as it is in single-player (hiding in your cardboard box won't usually get you far, for example), it's all good fun once you adjust to the pace. The multiplayer star, however, is sneaking mode, a Team Deathmatch variant in which one player plays as Snake and another supports him as the Metal Gear Mk II. Shooting others is amusing--but sneaking enthusiasts will enjoy the violent, stealthy game of hide and seek you play as Snake. Playing support is equally entertaining because as Mk. II, you can go invisible, creep up on other players, and zap them with your electronic tentacle. It's a blast. Other modes include base mission, in which teams compete to conquer bases; a capture and defend mode; and rescue mission, which is similar to the same mode in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. Unfortunately, the process of creating an online account is laborious, so expect to take a few minutes to enter a litany of information (a pain if you aren't using a keyboard). Thankfully, the variety of customization options and sheer numbers of players online mean that this process is quickly forgotten.

If the story-heavy presentation of previous Metal Gear games taxed your patience, Metal Gear Solid 4 won't change your mind. For anyone who appreciates games that rise above the simple act of pushing a few buttons and pulling a few triggers, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a stimulating ride that you won't soon forget. You'll want to see what happens next, yet when its long campaign draws to a close, you'll wish it would continue. That's not just because it's a well-told tale, but because that tale is woven through a thoroughly impressive game that tops its predecessors.

Nice one George I'll fire up a thread and see if I can get the forum christened with its first game review

Alas, Xbox live is also a problem for out in LOS, both speedwise and for games that are pirated / for chipped Xboxs.

Well said HoT.

You're best bet Richie is to not put your eggs in one basket and hit the ground running and see what comes up when you get out here.

Don't expect the streets to paved with gold though...

Sorry mate but, as a rule, you're in the wrong country.

Best places are Koh San Road and backpacker places.

Act like you've just got to Thailand too. Then she won't think you're in with the local thai birds.

Island destinations can work. But you will find most of the farang chicks have already got hooked up in Koh San / BKK first OR just brough their own bloke with them OR with their mate.

The independent / free spirit girls are the rarest but usually a good bet.

Good luck.

Bumpity-Bump

The pound teeters....

For me I'm still young free and single, settling down in Thailand before you hit 45 years old seems a bit premature, you need to explore around a bit first and get to know a place and its people first.

But some folks get a bit lonely so that's cool in a way them becoming house husbands .

Basically they must be clutching at straws to find any excuse to get rid of the gimp.

If it works then it works guys

Yo, welcome aboard.

But you might of jumped too late into the party mate

Try another avenue, it might be better.....

BUMP!

Agreed, the old dude pensioners rattling about in LOS must feeling the pain on this!

If it dips below 57 b to £ I will be reconsidering LOS as a potential winter retreat this November