themechanic

Rawai Condotels

Thank you for the suggestions I will call them tomorrow.

Is 10,000B/mo reasonable? For 4 classes/week

I think I would learn better in "my lair" without the distractions of going to a class with other students. And I'd have the ingredients ready to make the same meal for myself again.

Is there anyone who will come to my condo everyday to teach me how to cook? Thai food primarily, and also open to other cuisines.

Actually the opposite, since neither type of visa allow to work, no Thailand income can be demonstrated, that is requisite.

For other questions see

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/74654-cameratas-guide-to-the-permanent-residence-process/

The Elite guys say they can get you a work permit. What then?

Will the elite ("Easy access") visa or ED visa lead to permanent residency? After all, both are renewed yearly. And the requirement for PR application is 3 years residency yes?

Anyone?

Where can I buy blades for my Gillete fusion, a straight razor, some shaving oil & aftershave?

Any good personal trainers in Rawai/Nai Harn OR Karon?

Not too expensive, my idea is to just go to a local gym everyday have them motivate me to work the weights and machines, and show me the correct exercise technique.

I'm an Indian passport holder. Usually we are scrutinized more than citizens of first world countries at immigration. This time I purchased Bangkok Flight Service's Arrival service.

As soon as I got off the plane I was met by a lady who had a sign with my name on it. She was dressed in the livery of "Thailand Elite".

I got on the buggy and was driven to the "Premium Lane". No queue at all. The immigration officer didn't ask me anything, didn't say a word. Just took my passport and stamped me in.

The lady then collected my luggage at the baggage claim and got me a taxi to my destination.

It was a very pleasant experience, exactly as advertised.

Time taken from disembarking the plane to getting into taxi: Under 6 minutes. Cost: 1600 THB. Highly recommended.

I stayed at Taipan.

It's a stone's throw away from Soi Cowboy.

Safe hotel and friendly staff. Nothing happened to my laptop. Popular with European guests, and this is reflected in their food menu. Very good Spaghetti Bolognese (though you may want to order 2 servings if you're hungry).

But for the price it could be cleaner. The closet was dusty and everything was decidedly mid range.

They charge 800 Baht for a limo to the airport. I paid 400 on the way from the airport including surcharge but I took the limo nevertheless, as I didn't want to walk in the heat with hangover and black eye.

As for Soi Cowboy that's a different story. I had a fantastic time at The Dollhouse and Bacarra but got into a brawl further down the road. Still have a black eye. Oh well.

I also went to Annie's massage (Raja Hotel) which seems to be well recommended online but I found it to be substandard for the price. Very rushed service. For a little more money, could go to Utopia.

Yes but my question was more about, will there be roaming charges for a sim bought in Bangkok if used in Phuket? And will the 3G work just as well in Phuket too?

The reason that I am so skeptical about VOIP is that these are business calls from customers and potential customers, so there's no margin for error or bad call quality. I may have to go the roaming route if nothing else.

We have a toll free number set up from which I can forward to Thai cell (Grasshopper.com)- how much is incoming call to a Thai sim from a US toll free number?

Is it possible to rent a room on a weekly or monthly basis inside a Soapy? Some of them are really plush and comfortable and of course, the location is ideal.

It is something people usually do? Ballpark prices?

Ideally I would like something that I can buy within Thailand. 20c/min sounds a bit too much.

Skype will certainly do the job, but it needs internet and I am not sure how reliable/fast that is over 3G.

I understand that there are calling cards available to call USA, but what if you want a US number to receive calls on your Thai phone? Is there any way to do it other than Roaming or VOIP?

I'm landing in Bangkok and will spend a day there before heading off for Phuket.

If I buy a phone and sim in Bangkok, will that be more expensive to operate in Phuket, and will 3G internet still work?

Which sim has the best internet speeds and coverage?

Can anyone recommend a safe, trustworthy driver+car to go to Phuket from Bangkok? Someone talkative (English) who won't mind stopping along the way and pointing out places of interest.

I assume the trip takes ~12 hours? What is a reasonable fee to pay?

Thanks all. I booked Taipan.

Does anyone know if a Kensington lock is available at the airport or nearby? I would hate to lose my laptop on the very first day.

So my recommendation is... Sell your laptop and come to Bangkok with an extra $5,000. That extra $5,000 will give you a few more days of fun at Soi Cowboy.

The problem is, it was 5000 when I bought it 2 years ago. Now it may be worth 3500-4000 new and I'd be lucky to get $1200 if I sell it on ebay or anywhere else as used.

Besides, I really do use it for running virtual machines etc.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I won't bring anyone back from Soi Cowboy. I have business the next day and hopefully a flight to catch to Phuket so I'll just have a few beers and maybe shoot pool with the girls, and repeat at Patpong and Nana before finishing at a soapie and coming back to the hotel. Been a while since I went to a real strip club (my country doesn't have any lol).

By safe I mean safe enough to leave a $5000 Alienware laptop and luggage in the room. Please suggest.

No. You will need to show passport to the airline for the purpose of checking your identity.

But no immigration officer right? Just check in and board correct?

If I fly from Bangkok to Phuket will I have to go through passport control or immigration of any sort, at either airport?

Would Burma be a better option?

I haven't used a smartphone for a long time so not really sure about what's out there. Assuming the 3G data service is good in Phuket, what phone and app should I get for Phuket? I would really prefer it be on a phone as I'd like to be able to use the browser and other apps as well.

There are some hangover cures that really work, and some people like yourself who get very mild hangovers or none at all even after getting wasted.

But a hangover is one of the worst motivations to quit drinking, even though it seems like a no brainer when actually suffering a hangover. Simply because, you will forget it. The human brain is wired to remember pleasure and forget pain. You will remember the good times but not the hangover, so after it fades you will eventually drink again.

If a guy like you who doesn't suffer severe hangovers finds it within you to stay clean for a while, you have a much better chance at making the most of sobriety and a longer clean run- because your motivation doesn't stem from temporary suffering.