bkkjames

Give the OP a break. He does have a point.

70Baht a beer to sit in the street is taking the p*ss.

See how many are sitting there when the weather gets hotter.

Maybe just call it 'Charlie's Bar' from now on

Obviously you havent been to soi 8 bar in the evening, outside area is packed with people drinking 70 baht beer, try cowboy until 830ish, outside areas full because of the same reason.

Yes, full of old men.

The refreshing thing about Charlie's (I think they dropped the word 'Cheap' from the sign, correct me if I'm wrong) is that you get farang of all ages, and not just men.

sorry, define old, do you mean 30-50 professional expats? seems like the same crowd at cc's last time I passed by there.

Hi there,

I would like to work up a tan while being here in Bankok. This will probably qualify me as crazy or weird in some Thais´ opinion ;-) And even in some farrangs´.

Are there any good places in Bangkok for this? I mean public swimmingpools or private (if not to expensive) or somewhere else?

I am staying close to Victory Monument so it would be nice if it is nearby. There is a small and very nice park a 5 minute walk from my apartment, but the pond doesn't really qualify as a swimming pool ;-) And I don't really think that the park's visitors would appriciate me lying around sunbathing.

Thank you in advance!

Alan

Check with some of the hotels to see if their swimming pools are open to the public, obviously there will be a charge.

I use a hotel swimming pool at a reasonable charge two or three times a month, albeit not in Bangkok.

there was / is a gym in thaniya plaza that you can go to on a day pass basis that has a pool - fitness first?

someone said rumours of a Chelsea sale out to Arabs has been put to bed>>>???

not according to the BBC today

Arab tycoon considers Chelsea bid

Fahim is part of the Abu Dhabi United Group that bought Manchester City

The Arab tycoon who led the takeover of Manchester City has revealed that he and a group of German investors are considering a bid to buy Chelsea.

Blues owner and Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has insisted that the London club is not for sale.

But Dr Sulaiman al-Fahim said: "It would not be cheap... but through a number of investors, there is money available to put together a deal."

Abramovich has invested around £600m in Chelsea since taking over in July 2003.

Fahim, part of the Abu Dhabi United Group that bought Manchester City, is understood to have drawn up a proposal with Falcon Equity - a Swiss-based private equity partnership.

He added: "Nobody wants to be over-exposed on one deal... first we need to see if we're in a position to buy it."

Even though Abramovich's personal fortune is understood to have been affected by the global economic downturn, Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon insists the club is not for sale.

"Next year we expect our operating profit to break even," he said.

"Our financial accounts for 2007-08 are published in February, and any notions about the owner losing interest are dispelled in that.

"The owner does not have to sell Chelsea and he doesn't want to."

Still, it is believed Fahim and his investors are weighing up a bid.

The chief executive of Abu-Dhabi-based Hydra Properties also chairs Falcon Equity, which is run by Holger Haims, former managing partner of 'DVC' - Deutsche Venture Capital.

Heims said: "I don't believe anything is not for sale if you come up with the right price.

"We have looked at some European clubs to see if the numbers added up, and now we're doing the same with Chelsea.

"I can't go into more details at this stage. It's not about trying about to buy a football club but about a business.

"You don't make money because 11 guys run around the pitch, you make money because of all the other commercial aspects that go with a football club, particularly real estate and television rights."

Located nearby to the airport are Subhapruek and Thana City golf courses. Their mid-week green fees should suit your budget. It should be about a 20 min drive from the airport to get there.

Also, you could try Muang Kaew and Lakewood, however green fees are a bit more expensive.

All the above courses are situated off the Bangna Trad expressway.

I haven't played any of the abovementioned courses over the past month, however, Subhapruek consistently receives good reviews from many golfers.

my thoughts, thana city nice course, generally mediocre service and slow play (popular with locals so packed), better option is lakewood 5 mins further down the expressway, suprabruek is a nice track but a bit far and strange booking conditions although cheapish green fees.

<deleted>!! Out of the Fa Cup losing to Hull's reseve team. Another meek surrender to inferior opposition. Even though Newcastle have an injury crisis, the starting 11 should still have been able to beat Hull's reserves!!

If Newcastle lose to Fat Sam's Blackburn on Saturday, I expect all the "Cokney Mafia Out" demonstartions to start all over again. Even if we do manage to stay up this season, it's still going to be the same old shit next season unless Ashley pumps some money into the club. It's all rather depressing.

What is even more depressing is that in the financial statement released today the payment to Allardyce and his staff totalled 4.6 million quid.Is that money well spent when you finish up with Joe Kinnear ?

obviously not, but not like they can get it back.

An elderly B757-200 is more fuel-efficient than a modern A330-200 ??? Perhaps they're forgetting to allow for the considerably-greater cargo-capacity offered by a wide-body vs a narrow-body ? Seems strange anyway.

yep, someone at the airline figured we can fool these guys : operate a smaller plane, consumes less total fuel = more fuel efficient.

perhaps Ginny needs to be retrained in the art of bullshi$

Thank you James.... I've always thought you had occasional interludes of "comment" sense...

I'm not part of any "brigade" as mentioned above... But I am a non-smoker, as was my lady companion that night at Crossbar. So for us, the smokey environ was rather unpleasant... and the place wasn't even that busy... If it had been busy with smokers, I don't even wanna think about it.

The bottom line for me is: that one establishment at present, for whatever reason, is making no effective/meaningful accommodation for non-smokers. So for as long as that continues to be the case, my feet, my baht and my business will go elsewhere.

well, considering all you do is complain about it, me thinks they won't care, hahaha kidding

player coach anyone ... from the Sun today...

West Ham midfielder Jack Collison thinks manager Gianfranco Zola is one of the best players at the club - even at 42. "Some of the things he does in training makes us look silly, to be honest. It's just a joy to watch him out there," said the 20-year-old

yeah, it's been charged to my account. I foolishly didn't pay via credit card though, so I don't have the option of getting the cash back from my credit card company. A school boy error. I shall learn from that mistake!

I searched the guys name which showed that the email I received is from the owner of the business. It just pissed me off that he's saying Thailand is 'listed' as a 'scammer' country! What's that implying? That I'm scamming him? or it's been stolen in the post? It's an unprofessional response at any rate.

I'm thinking that maybe there's a delay because of the recent protests at the airport. Perhaps there's a huge backlog of mail that they have to sort out. Wishful thinking perhaps... Note to self: purchase on credit card next time!

after getting the whole story, sounds to me like america is the scamming country

hmmm ok, fair play to them,, but I gather if you polled 50 people who watch football, 49 would come back not knowing that.

nah, it's pretty common knowledge james. just because you didn't know it doesn't mean that real football fans don't.

not bad stevie, really not bad for someone with no hair, and an "I love liverpool tattoo" on his butt

Many bars in Bangkok are still smoking bars but the majority are not so it's quite easy to find a place if it bothers you that much.

Hands up i am a smoker but even i prefer to go outside for a cig because i have to admit it's a lot cleaner atmosphere and it's not as if it is a great hardship.

Brian from The Crossbar is a non smoker so must be some reason why he allows it maybe his business is more profitable by doing so. Who knows?

i would also agree with jfc (this cold has gone to my head), even though I am one of those bad people, Crossbar can get very smokey, needs to open the door or do something about the ventilation IMO.

speaking of sponsorship, i find it a bit strange to see Unicef on the front of millionaire footballers, like saying "hey everyone, help the starving" while taking in 100,000 pounds a week.

really? outstanding hypocrisy there james. barcelona don't take a penny from unicef and advertise the charity for free, as opposed to taking the oodles of commercial dollars that the likes of united and liverpool do. what barca pay their players is irrelevant to them advertising a charity for free. i wish more football clubs did it.

hmmm ok, fair play to them,, but I gather if you polled 50 people who watch football, 49 would come back not knowing that.

Ok, well if i was to start the Poll, i'd be the one who knew it...

sorry ms, stevie beat you to it. next quiz perhaps.

So, I'd give Crossbar maybe 5 on a scale of 10... and less if you add in the pub's blatant flaunting of the BKK smoking law.

When they opened last year it was smoking outside. Guess the owner must've had a change of heart. Bad for business blablabla.

Personally I prefer the Offshore. (which is non smoking btw)

never heard of it, where is it (not for me, but for JFC and the non-smoking brigade )

speaking of sponsorship, i find it a bit strange to see Unicef on the front of millionaire footballers, like saying "hey everyone, help the starving" while taking in 100,000 pounds a week.

really? outstanding hypocrisy there james. barcelona don't take a penny from unicef and advertise the charity for free, as opposed to taking the oodles of commercial dollars that the likes of united and liverpool do. what barca pay their players is irrelevant to them advertising a charity for free. i wish more football clubs did it.

hmmm ok, fair play to them,, but I gather if you polled 50 people who watch football, 49 would come back not knowing that.

(Note to self: never listen to bkjimbo again)

A wise old bird told me that the pre KSR backpacker mecca was around Soi Ngam Duphli, down Sathorn way. Any old duffers care to back this up/shoot it down in flames?

And, still on the subject, how were backpackers viewed by the locals 'back in the day'?

From afar.

here is an idea for you... start a new section for higher class backpackers. Call it, Premium Backpacker. slightly more upscale than regular backpacker but less than tourist.

I think you're talking about "Flashpackers" right? Like they do here?

actually no, i was just being a smart as*s.

Don't forget, one of City's sponsors is Singha. I hope you are boycotting them too

not a problem that man, like i said, i've no axe to grind with city. singha's my favourite thai brew anyway, so no boycott there.

that said it's quite difficult going through life never buying sharp, air asia, nike, samsung, chang, budweiser etc. . . .

Yeah, and I'll give you one guess as to who I don't buy my Insurance from

speaking of sponsorship, i find it a bit strange to see Unicef on the front of millionaire footballers, like saying "hey everyone, help the starving" while taking in 100,000 pounds a week.

Mr Joe Mangles, tell me (regardless of our "historic relationships" with the Middle East), the percentage of oil supplied to the UK by Ciddy's owners....?

We went through this when they bought you....!

Bedpus, i don't know the percentage of oil supplied to the UK by Abu Dhabi but they do supply oil and i can't really be ar5ed searching for the specifics. They also have a JV with Shell, so a percentage of Oil that Shell deliver to the UK market will be tainted by our owners profits.

Now don't forget, keep your tank full

Now I know why I don't drive much anymore.

Thanks for the mass of interesting replies, everybody.

There is not such a clear defintion of the word backpacker, pity that too many people seem to associate it with the unkempt smelly drug taking haggling over a 15 Baht motorcycle taxi ride variety.

Though I operate a tourist business which is geared towards the middle and lower end of the market, I hardly see anybody of that kind.

But maybe that would be different if I would be doing the same thing in a place like Pai or Koh Phangan.

here is an idea for you... start a new section for higher class backpackers. Call it, Premium Backpacker. slightly more upscale than regular backpacker but less than tourist.

It's geared at those who have money but don't want to show it off. You could include hair length regulations, tattoos, and general grooming guidelines. On your site, you can offer upgrades to LV backpacks with GPS, special edition camaflauge (sp) coloured Blackberry's.

Could it be that years and years of conditioning in our own countries as to the way 'the world works and should be', has been slowly shaved offed layer by layer by those travelling afar?

You don't miss what you never had.

Aside from the family and friends of the victims it seems that the whole tragedy of zantika is already being forgotten...

I went to high school in Thailand and have recently returned hoping to work here but currently enjoying a vacation and I love Thailand. The last couple of years Zantika was the place to go for my friends and I on a Friday or Saturday night(yes at the time we were all underage), in fact we were going to go on new years as it was the last night but luckily decided to go with a larger group to Narz. After the fire I realized how much danger I was in each time I went there for fun, without even being slightly aware of it. Now I am going to places and only seeing the lack of safety (narcissist is deathtrap, that main dance floor; which i have seen with easily 200+ people on it, has a fence around it with a two narrow entrances both up several stairs....) After the fire I was hoping to see some changes that would restore my personal confidence in safety here for when I am out having fun but now it seems to be becoming an issue of the past already. I am concerned with the lack of follow ups or investigations into the current laws or maybe I am just poorly informed I am not sure, hence posting.

It is all well and good prosecuting those responsible for the tragedy but I would like to see more about safety laws and actually making businesses compliant.

Anyone able to alleviate my concerns? Or have an opinion on what they think will happen or not happen as a result of this tragedy?

I am surprised that it has taken so long (to be forgotten)

Things might (big might) improve in the short term but in the longer term it will go back to the same old, same old way that things get done (have always gotten done) here in Thailand.

Proprietors of places of entertainment, hotels, theatres, malls, etc., etc., are only motivated by one thing and one thing only, and that is money.

Thats why I am going to frequent bed more, reward owners doing the right thing. It could be a idea for someone to set up a service which promotes venues that meet these standards or some way of finding out which venues have put in these extra precautions and efforts.

you mean like a standards thingy, wow interesting concept. Member of BBB and the like?

I ordered some tattoo ink for a friend way back in November. The order has yet to be delivered so I sent a politely worded email to the company (which is in America) just to let them know that the order not been received.

This is the response I got:

"why are you shipping to an address in thailand that the US government has put on there list of scammer locations in Thailand?"

What "list" are they talking about? Should this be expected when ordering items from America? Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

I'm completely dumbfounded by that response...

Assuming you paid via credit card in advance, I see no reason for this reply....unless your address is 1234 PO Box 666, Soi Scamwongwong

Actually, we are going to do away with shirt sponsorship all together and follow the example of wh earlier this year with just a number, but in our case it will be #1.

How about Air Asia, wouldn't shock me. I really dont see Saudi Telecom at all.

does my head in that partnership you lot have out here with air asia. costs me a fortune to boycott the fuc_kers.

so are you saying you don't sip on the odd Chang Beer either? Maybe, just a home where nobody can see you.

If you pay any money supporting your Club like i'd assume you do, then you contributed to paying my Club 14m for Bellamy the other day so you're alright in my book J&D..

If you pay any money putting petrol in your vehicle like i'd assume you do, then you contributed to paying my Club so that we could pay your club 14m for Bellamy the other day. So you're alright in my book Singhy

apparently in response to this united are changing their sponsor from AIG to LPG.

Actually, we are going to do away with shirt sponsorship all together and follow the example of wh earlier this year with just a number, but in our case it will be #1.

How about Air Asia, wouldn't shock me. I really dont see Saudi Telecom at all.

on a more upbeat note, it seems the LP are going the way of City in terms of owernship.

what do you LP supporters think of this. From American to Kuwaiti.

"Hicks's camp are in tentative talks with representatives of the Al Kharafi family, whose head Nasser is the 48th richest man in the world with an £9 billion fortune". Daily Telgraph

To be honest its way to early to comment, Seems we are linked with someone every week. As much as we all want the Americans out. I some times get the feeling 'out of the frying pan into the fire' I don't think its the route to go...

there was a lot of people very angry when we got taken over by the american, but seems that true to his word, he just let gill, saf and the boys get on with winning trophies.

if your sale goes through, out with Carlsburg I guess and in with Kuwait Air. Nice place Kuwait is, if you are an expat standing in line at a convenience store and a local comes in, you are obliged to let them go ahead of you. Apparently, this idea was brought back to Thailand (as witnessed at your local 7/11 or family mart on a reg basis) by the thousands of thai construction workers. Now you know.