geisha

I find Sihanoukville ok, it needs a good clean up though. Some quite nice restaurants with good European foods.. Fresh seafood on the main drag..Cheap. 

Not much to do though, Beach is ok, Otres beach quite lovely. It's all still very third world in Cambodia, lots of terribly poor people, homeless. I would advise staying a month or two in each location ,and see how you like it before taking the plunge. 

Zulu

Bridge over the River Kwai.

Sheryl is right, have a coloscopie . I have diverticulitis and it's important that I have regular bowel movements. I eat All bran nearly every morning, vegetables, fruit, some prunes when I feel I need to. As for laxatives, buy Forlax, much better for you than the usual laxatives ! I've bought them in Boots. Also, a brisk walk every day and a swim, excercise helps.

So, maybe some do " belong" to crooks, but what if they don't ? Do you expect them to get a job ? I suppose we've all seen some of these people who have gone through hell . The lady sitting in front of Svensons on the main road in Hua Hin center with half of the top of her head gone for example. There was a young boy last year on crutches , looked beaten and bruised , sitting on the beach road in Jomtien . What to do, it's a terrible life for them whatever. A little empathy doesn't go amiss.

Hello all, this coming winter I will be spending 3 and a half months in Thailand. Arriving 1 December, leaving 14 th March. I will leave France with an SETV  2 months . Before the two months are up I will be going to Langkawi /Penang for a  week. I know I can come back into Thailand on a visa exempt stamp for one month.  My question is, can I extend this stamp for a month to cover my 3 and a half months stay ? Or should I get another SETV in Penang ? Actually , I am only needing a whole week when coming back in from Penang. I don't mind the extra cost or bother of another visa if it's necessary. ( in the past I used double entries which were perfect for me but no longer available  unfortunately, I do not qualify for retirement or METV) . Thanks .

Most countries including Europe , Britain and the USA have quite strict rules concerning visas. I don't see what's wrong with Thailand following , especially when there are a lot of un savoury travellers hitting the sky these days. I think a bit more screening is necessary, everywhere. 

The way to go all over the world is walking zones, pedestrian areas, clean and smoke free. A few high rise parking lots solve all the parking problems. Make a bus park . All easy and cheap to do. Except in Thailand that is. 

Why not work out what you need every week/month to spend , plus a little, and have this money transferred automatically to your wife's account. If she doesn't have one, set one up. If you were in hospital, can you pay ? Do you have health insurance ? If not, I would definitely go back to your home country as soon as you can travel. 

If you can pay, and have health insurance, there are hospital coordinators who speak English and they would sort all that out for you.

lots of people deal with illness, you can too. 

Yes happens to me all the time with incoming calls from France. No idea why. My friends are using their iPhones on normal lines. 

This is a subject that comes up often. Phuket is ruined, spoilt, plundered.

The authorities who ran/ run it, should be deported, or in prison. Once a beautiful island , there's no going back now.

You  can buy RDA holders to put your credit card in. 

Yes, airline compagnies  are checking . Any ticket over a month valid, or anyone without a visa .Last winter Emirates wouldn't let me check in online , when I asked why at the airport, they said they had to check I had a visa. Get a visa, easier. 

I think probably they will stop buses and cars using this route. Clear the streets , make a good project work. They put in tram lines in the centre of Nice, which is a very busy city, and it's fantastic ! Cars only allowed at drop offs for hotels and hospitals. Bus / taxi park outside the city. Great idea. It's not that big in central Pattaya, easy to do if done right. 

These idiots should not get publicity. Ban them.

I agree , most dim sum restaurants in Thailand sell factory made frozen. Some brands can be quite edible, some awful. The only good dim sum I've had are in Hong Kong and Singapore. Singapore restaurants were fantastic!

Be good if viewers report the machines (?) being installed in Bangkok Chiang Maî and Pattaya. 

This is where the most famous taxi thugs n Phuket hang out.

ThaiWai, what has happened to Kata beach is a crying shame. Once, one of the most beautiful beaches on Phuket and the rest of Thailand, it has turned into Brighton on a hot day, the water is dirty and the jet ski thugs /parasail are everywhere ruining your holiday. I used to live there, I feel so sorry !

Aha , as i agree with most of your ideas which are dreams of the impossible , I'll add my pennies worth, turn thailand back into the beautiful mystical country it was 30 years ago. 

The scruffy thieving taxis in Pattaya and Phuket are too stupid to realise that if they put their meters on, they would have a lot more customers ! 

Rats were one of the reasons I  moved away from hua hin. They were even seen in restaurants , running under the tables. Ugh.

Emirates prices are higher than last year generally. Lots of people I know are now open to other suggestions as it's not a question of price anymore. With a huge tourist slump going on, I don't think it's a good idea to up'the prices.

Im in France at the moment and have had my account blocked !!! Apparently all scams.

Sorry to say this but Indian people are generally not very clean, and I've spent about 5 months in India. Of course, most poor Indians have little access to proper bathrooms , soaps, déodorants etc.´The oil  they put on their hair smells very strong  too.Their kitchens can be appalling , no words to describe ! I've seen their kitchens in GB, France, and Thailand, and frankly, they scare me to death. I love Indian food,but rarely can find one that is clean. Must say that a lot of the waiting  staff , even Thais, are not very cleanly dressed. 

I've  very often  used the toilets in the shopping  malls which are clean. What I do notice is that the kitchen staff from the numerous restaurants leaving the room do not wash their hands ! Also, take a look ( or don't if you wish to eat in those restaurants again) at the kitchens. Some of the worst offenders are the sushi shops and the Chain restaurants you see in every mall. The individuel portions of chicken, pork, prawns etc are piled up in little white trays and not in the fridge. They could be there all day. As for the Indian restaurants, I, who love Indian food, will not go near them.