geisha

Yes, Emirates is often a 777 from Dubai on. Although Swiss air has single seats in 777/300 , which I had , wonderful. Great as the Zurich Bangkok flight is direct so you really get the full meals , great drinks , rest on nearly flat beds , etc. Have definitely abandoned Emirates unless no other choice.

Your second flight is not necessarily 90 mins. Lounges are also great when you are departing a country , especially if you arrive early for your flight. Emirates has many desks open long before in most country’s . Just travelled With Swiss Air business Bangkok to Nice via Zurich. The layover was 3 hrs, so I got a nice meal and drinks. When an airline offers you an upgrade, the price depends of how close your flight date is, or vice versa. Also I like the free pick up to your home in a nice car, ( depending on distance , less hassle. Then also, you get better food and drinks with business, Altho I must say Emirates is not as good as it was. Hence my flight with Swiss Air.

Definitely reception. I stay in Erawan area and always use the reception safe. It’s in a sealed off buro in a proper safe room. Personally, I’d never stay in a hotel that doesn’t have one. Where I live 5/6 months a year I rent one.

No, most Thais burst out laughing when I try to speak Thai !! Doesn’t bother me.

That’s probably right .

I doubt very much that if there was a chance of imprisonment he would not come.

If anyone needs arresting it’s Prayut ,Anutin and gang. Thaksin is not a convicted criminal, and was tried in absence. The whole story was political.

I do think thé the OP was referring to border hops, and not venturing into the mountains to be attacked by ethnic rebels !

Yes, they do put the child in care or make them be psychologically evaluated. Depending on age and what they have done, adolescents often end up in special services., I know they do this in Europe and the UK, not sure about the rest of the world. The police/courts also take into account of the parents lack of care, most are from the poorer of society with their own problems. Some children in UK have been in retention for years, especially In cases of extreme violence. The authorities would have a field day in Thailand, where child cruelty, murders and grave assault, teachers hitting kids, is a daily occurrence.

It wouldn’t take much to put up fences around schools, and one teacher seeing over departures. It should be law that stipulés the names of the people allowed to pick up. Then , it’s down to education, first , I see many kids walking home or on the public bus from school. I have seeing the older boys smoking or with a can of beer ! Maybe this isn’t so in the small villages. Parents should pick up or have designated family/ friends on the list who can. Education terribly lacking in children, parents and Thai males, who famously are known for their bad behavior and violence. The children who grow up in Thailand will one day be like their parents.,

I understood that if you’ve had chicken pox when you are young, the virus stays in you and can come back later in life. Very painful, and ugly rash. Find out if you’ve had chicken Pox first.

Try Vietnam specialities such as Bahn Cuon’, and the famous « nems » which are delicious eaten wrapped in a salad leaf with mint and soja beans., Cold spring rolls , not cooked. Pho soup, Hu Tieu soup, and of course Honey roast Duck. Caramel pork à simmered dish.,

True. My young niece stayed there, so I visited often. Right on the river, fab pool, good breakfast.Plain rooms as all Ibis have, but spotlessly clean. Cheap . Easy to get to Iconsiam , fab mall with great rooftop bar , often live bands, great cocktails , loads of restaurants great photo opportunities especially evening. . Ferry over the river to Thaksin river boat stop, Silom nearby lots of shops and restaurants, also very near Asiatique .´ As for Saigon, I would choose near Ben Thanh market for the ambiance, and easy walk everywhere, Great restaurants in Saigon, Vietnamese food is super.

I know one man in Phuket who’s wife and her antics drove him crazy ! She eventually got pregnant and he bought her everything a baby needed . He talked about it often at the pool. Pleased as punch, until the baby arrived and he did not look like a Norwegian baby I can tell you. She dumped the baby on him, which he accepted , and spent her time gambling , out every night. Personally, I wouldn’t have blamed him if he took the baby out of harm’and burnt the house. He should have, cause one day he was found dead. The wife’s brother had done it and was later found selling the husbands watch etc. Some of these girls are really bad through and through, seems to be quite a few in Thailand who go way too far. Not saying all wives are like that of course , I know super nice normal ones as you all do.

Got it « Hajiali » !

There is one on Silom’, next to the big building , a center that sells gold and gems. Can’t remember the name but it was delicious and had many well off people dining there. Main rd, not far from Holiday Inn.

Some of those watches cost 40/50 thousand euros a piece, so he must be getting them from somewhere . Dead friends I’ll be damned !

You can buy a similar villa beach road on the Côte d’Azur for that price or even a bit less. With spotless beaches and azur sea water . I do wonder who’s going to buy that one in Jomtien, is it the new places near Cosy beach /Rabbit resort ??

Don’t forget that Russians who have stayed in Phuket/ Pattaya for a longer time will teach the newcomers how to cope. They stick together, buy condos and have relatives / friends etc staying and paying. Lots of Russians have kids , then they can get visas having kids scolarised in Thai schools. I have two friends who have their kids in Phuket private schools for a few years now, so they have visas with no problems. Pattaya also have loads in Jomtien, especially in that huge condo with a big pool on the seafront. They have a few businesses there too. I often take a short cut through there from second rd .

Hé should at least be black listed for life ! Attacking policemen with a skate board, unbelievable !

I find it helps a lot to properly air your condo a few hours a day. A fan also helps. Phuket was terribly humid , nothing dried, and Bali it’s horrific. A closed condo is why you had this problem.

Maybe he was hinting at a possibility. The only problem is, we’d all know who did it !

When food is prepared with dirty hands ( ugh!) staphylococcal poisoning can be worse than anything . I also had a very bad poisoning in India, and I was only eating vegetables ! It was awful, I passed out 24 hrs and high fever. Took 3 days to clear up:and a doctor. Luckily I was also in a 5 star and they were really helpful. For the rest of my long stay we had a Villa with staff who had always worked for foreigners , so the food was healthy. Then had food poisoning in Patong , Italian restaurant, another one that knocked me out. It’s not nice.

It’s the human race that is responsible for the decrease in tigers and many other wild animals. Take a look at the zoos in Thailand with their drugged tigers, bears , chained up elephants etc etc kept in unhygienic surroundings/ cages till they drop down dead. ( Phuket zoo left their animals to die during Covid, it was only when a few foreigners managed to get a look over the walls did they see the undernourished animals left alone. Disgusting. ) Thank God it was reported and people helped and fed them. Then there is the trade in wild animals, often to China, horrifying mistreatment. There is also proof that the majority of fires are man made, And, who is to blame for the polluted water , and dynamite fishing ? It certainly isn’t climate change that manufactures plastic bags !

It is not Thaksins fault that there is a problem with the new government ! It’s the Thai people who have been robbed of their choice . Thaksin a criminal ? He’s just like the present government, come to think of it, he’s much better than the present government that has practically ruined the country. Personally, I’d rather Thaksin than the other gang of thieves, one of which is a real bonafide criminal.