geisha

Not really expensive if you look at the price of a simple cookie or cheese cake in a coffee shop. I’d pay that for a real French fresh quiche Lorraine with a side salad , delicious,

I don’t usually cry after seeing emotional things, but Cambodia and the death railway museum in Kanchanaburi broke my heart. Not forgetting the two world wars. There you see how evil people can be, and how lucky we are not having to live through times like this. In my opinion , we should all have respect for the people who fought our wars, and the pity and empathy for the ones who died and suffered in these horrific places. The meaning of being « human ».

Well , which girl / lady wouldn’t prefer a guy with money ? Rather someone broke, yes, if you know he’s the love of your life. Ask yourself also, why do THai girls prefer Thai men ? Because same culture maybe. I have a few friends who married well, have great lives , nice homes/ cars/holidays and appreciate their husbands even if they are not madly in love with them. Trouble is, Rich men usually have the choice of the prettiest wives, not poor bargirls.

Borabadur is another fabulous temple. Loved it. Very different to all others I’ve seen. Not very well known.

No comparison !! Angkor is fabulous and fairy tale. Of course if these things don’t interest you , don’t go. If you do go anywhere, wear a hat and carry water. It’s very hot. I enjoyed having a private car driving me around, did the river Tonle Sap ( interesting facts) trip, visited Angkor at sunset, great photos , sunrise, and daytime. Didn’t spend all day there . Had great hotel with pool and good restaurants. Lovely people.

Well he’s been found and is fine. So no more worry for the family.

I have two friends who had successful businesses in SKV. I visited them every time I came to Thailand . They were eventually driven out by the the Chinese casino thugs who took over the town, who bulldozed all the well placed existing hotels / restaurants. Apparently , since over a year now, the Chinese authorities have made a deal with the Cambodian leaders to find/ stamp out these illegal money laundering casinos and call centers . Too much undeclared money is leaving China. Quite obvious, these thugs are not going to set up in Hong Kong or Malaysia or Singapore, so they’ve chosen Bangkok, Pattaya and where else. We’ve seen the beginnings with what happened with the Bangkok run casino where mainly Chinese were present. Call centers are seemingly popular in Chiang Mai . Doesn’t surprise me. Immigration needs to stamp this out before they take over.

I bought the Nexcare hot or cold compress in different sizes. Works wonders if you use as you need, ie 3 or 4 times a day. Bought in Boots or Watsonville. Light exercise and no alcohol too.

Just get your wife to check in the hotels etc, I asked in Jomtien about 5/6 yrs ago and the boss said no, ne need for domestic travel.

He could have made a lot of money over all those years. And maybe not only to bona fide students.,

Hé obviously tried to cut her up and depose but couldn’t. A madman, death penalty is too good for people who do such things.

I think a lot of the Russians buying in Phuket/ Thailand are doing so just in case the worse comes to the worse and they can relocate . I was recently in a 5/star Bali hotel. I spoke every breakfast time to a Russian lady with a very small baby, she hired a Balinese nanny to look after the little one. I asked the nanny if she was living in Russia with her boss, she said no, was hired in Bali and the family had been there nearly 4 months. Quite sure the Russians who have any sort of money are securing their future elsewhere. Phuket has been popular with Russians for a long time, they seem to like the beach. The ground floor apartments in Jomtien where I spent about 5/6 years were all Russian owned. But they cooked at home and the stench downstairs was awful. Whole families were there , grannies kids the lot.,

You don’t need to be skinny or overweight ! Eat normal well balanced diets and exercise. You’ll be healthy, unless a medical problem. Noticed the Thai ladies are getting bigger since a good while.,Rubbish food and eating all day, soda drinks , all unhealthy.,

Sorry to contradict you, but I have traveled twice this year to Thailand visa exempt, staying over the one month and have not been asked for a return / leave ticket., (I did have one to Singapore and Bali). On the other hand, each time I travel with Emirates they ask for a billet de sortie . This apparently depends on the airline, some stricter than others. I have never had any sort of’problem with immigration either , my stays usually corresponding tô EU winters.

I doubt that Indian travel insurance continues paying for stolen necklaces. So why are those people taking the chance ? Maybe it’s because certain people like to show off their jewelry, lots of people do. I personally take no jewelry with me when leaving Europe. And even in Europe do not wear it evenings.

Transgender has always been there. Maybe a few hundred years back they were burnt at the stake like witches, I don’t know. I do know that in Victorian society it was very common , lots of books referring to this, films etc. Some very influential people were known to be of doubtful gender. They weren’t nice times for the poor or people who were different. one would hope that today attitudes are different ! They’re not all hookers in Pattaya or the numerous back streets around the world. From what I’ve seen Thai airways employed many , compared to other airlines. Why would it bother anyone ? my brother who is 84 went to school with a « tomboy ». Poor girl was ignored in class and in life. A quiet nice person that I knew as she / he was a neighbour of my grandmother. I’ve seen an aged lady walking around our town in the south of France for nigh on 50 years. Obviously not a woman but not a man either. It’s a hard lonely life for most. Acceptance would be nice.

Unless he was seen lately , he might not have even been there .

Do whatever you did on your previous stays in Thailand concerning lodgings. It’s just probably a bit more expensive than 2019:. Booking somewhere for one month will be double the price of a one year lease. I think you’re getting ahead of yourself, you can’t ask prices etc when you have no dates, high season, low season, just look at all the different options online. Everyone has different likes and necessities.

I was young in the 60s and 70s , had lots of friends who were mostly normal. There were plenty of drugs about in those days too, and I must say I never heard of kids selling drugs. If you wanted them they were everywhere in the nightclubs and sold by adults , not kids., Parents were a bit stricter too, you never missed a days school , didn’t talk back to the teachers or beat them up !! You might think that’s old fashioned, but now often on my way home from shopping in Thailand the bus was full of kids stuffing their faces with crap food or drinking beer ! Never seen any adult complain. How do you imagine the lives of todays youths , do you believe they’ll have all the advantages we had/ have ???

The huge thing here is the boy was 16 ! Didn’t he have parents, schooling, a job, family life.? Lack of any education again, as seen all over Thailand. Anyway, odds are, he wanted to rent a place for him and his « minor » girlfriend. So they cooked up a job with a local lowlife. Something went wrong , the boy was murdered, the girl either got away on the bike, or is hidden away somewhere. The police might have found her and is keeping her safe, who knows. Other news was the two young Russian kids creating hell in a Pattaya market. Really ?? Are kids that crazy stupid these days , or do parents really not care a damn ?

I think Malaysia actually refuse in / out air passengers , or they did a while back., If it’s a money problem, take a travel agency same day border hop and spend stuffy boring hours hoping the driver slows down !

I add to Brit Tim’s advice, don’t fly back the same day ! A few days somewhere nice, good food,,change of air , and without enquiring looks and even questions on why you are doing this ! Plus, you will still need a visa for Cambodia or Laos, go through immigration and then back again !! maybe not for Vietnam you can check. What on earth is complicated about booking a hotel and cheap taxi ride into town , don’t understand that remark.

RIP dear Joe, I asked for your help over many years and you were always there !: sincere condolences to your family, you will not be forgotten.

Get your passport , Move out immediately, (!!!!) get the bank to cancel all payments Cards etc. Change phone . Get a lawyer , let him work something out that will bring you money. If no money, move to a Nice quiet beach area and chill. Don’t let her know where you are!!!!

Trecking to the hill tribes 40 years ago, being stopped by opium field guards who let us go as our guide assured them we were young tourists. Sleeping in the village huts , being amazed at the beautiful people and their customs. My most frightening experience was the tsunami on Patong beach. Although I was fine, I thought everyone I knew was dead. They weren’t, but I cried for days .