joinme2leave

if they really rate Chaweng beach as a quality 4star beach.....dear oooh dear......my own little 1sq.mtre garden beach in austria must be AT LEAST 10 stars.....what a crap study that is....Chaweng never ever even 1 star...

my 2baht

in one word: PAENG !!!!!!!

by far not to be compared with Samui.

Samui became a real big shiiiithole (imho)

maybe that's one of the reason u think about relocation....hehe

roads are much better on KC but it is quite looong distance between beaches.

main beach (white sands) is comparable to Chaweng (just smaller): so better forget that particular location.

opposite coastal is pretty much unexplored (but a wonderful NEWLY built road...something u would WISH ever to have anywhere Samui).

hmmm.got much more to tell u if u wish but it is dinner time 4me.

maybe more later and 4sure some input frm other members too

;-)

gonna be back KC in feb....personally prefer KaeBe ....not the best beach but a good share of both affordable (but quality) accomodation and some (but not really exciting) nightlife.

not sure but i think i heard about TOMATOE plants are not mozzies best friends...

if it wasn't about the food....i'd choose CHINA (not the big cities though)...

otherwise....i totally agree with ITALY.

flight: AirIndia seems to be cheapest BKK-PVG

hotel: i normally check in at Motel168-chain. It is good rooms approx 190RMB, lotsa locations all around Shanghai.

check their website (not sure if in english):

www.motel168.com

bookings via CTRIP might be an alternative.

enjoy nightlife if u have the time.

be prepared to pay a fortune for your beers

austrian television news update 21 aug 06 - interview with Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe.

His brother is in Malaga autopsy and they shall continue investigation. Rumours about suspicious needle injection marks on his body.

source: ORF, Thema, 21-8-06

both austrian and swiss citizenship.

family property all over europe but his mother princess Ira Fürstenberg permanently lives near Vienna.

not one of the famous family members though.

his snobby appearance might have been the main reason for his death. if he'd applied for extended visa (his onward flight to Hawaii was unavailable) it would have been no problem at all but he did it the "easy" way.

Those kinda things might have worked for him in austria but definitely not in Los. Not a lot of ppl will miss him here.

The most famous member of the HOHENLOHE family is his brother Hubertus who use(d) to participate in several Olympic Winter games (though, with Mexican citizenship).

it's been AUSTRIA's Prince Christoph von HOHENLOHE, aged 50.

AS SOON AS China has realised their possibilities about international tourism (not the backpacking scene) ... AS SOON AS southern europe travel destinations have realised that they have to reduce their prices ... AS SOON AS exchange rates euro/usDollar reaches 1,50 .... Thailand would be happy to accomodate those 2005 based 9 million ppl ever again. Then.....only then TAT might reconsider new tourism-friendly strategies. Too late, imho.

4x500=2000. how much for a tourist visa back home? 1-2 days overstay i would not worry about a visa and just pay....but anything over 2 days....better do what the other expats told you....

i second Vorranuch's proposal: Phaholyothin Rd area is GREAT, mostly SILENTGREEN. Take a look around...you gonna find something 4sure even if it's just for 6 months. I use to stay that area as well (15k BKK-budget). Ari BTS nearby. Nonetheless u gonna experience SOON that using the service of a motobike taxi will be your first choice even if BTS is just a 5 minute walk away. 5 minute walking=1 new shirt needed....anywhere around central Bkk...lol

AIR INDIA...yes.

most ugly and unfriendly flight attendants I've ever seen in my life....

yet again....it's just 4 hours ...;-)

my last trip HZH has been via Shanghai. return ticket ex BKK (AI) was 10000 baht. Train SHG-HZH 2 hours, 48 RMB. AI isn't a good airline but 4 hours....who cares?

eeermm...excuse me...in case somebody here wanna critisize my last comment...gonna fly China tomorrow and cannot reply in whatever way. Will be there for some weeks and similar there follow the rules...MY rules...in china as anywhere else around the globe....tip or no tip is....up2me...

wishing you a happy SONGKRAN

SO WHAT we (you)are all talking about 4 pages now? Tipping in general is mostly an AMERICAN tradition isn't it? European way of tipping is...well...you give IF you give whatever you consider to give coz of good service blabla....imho, IT IS TOO LATE (far too late) to talk about how much to give...it's been the americans who destroy(ed) that kinda behaviour/misbehaviour years ago. No offense to americans though. LOS - thanks to Thaksin and companions - is a country LEARNING about HOW to make easy money easily...and they adopt well. For an expat I agree these discussions turn into so-to-say future trouble as - believe me - tipping won't be less than nowadays - in the coming years. Nonetheless, beeing some kinda mix expat and more than frequent traveller (and european) I tip what i tip whatever standards may tell me about it....

have a nice day.

my last rfound of golf with thai biz partners......medium expensive course (b 800/round+200/caddy).....I became ashamed of myself when I saw the thais giving the caddies (friendly but unexpereinced ones) a 200baht tip. Ashamed coz I gave only 90 (that's what i had left in small money). My caddie was the best one out of those 4...

as about massage: thai massage if done well i tip a 50b. in 100% tourist areas i do not tip at all or max 20.

came back frm KC today. Most said previously I have to agree (unfortunately). Eco-tourism seems to be a no-no. Another Samui is growing fast.

Definitely pre-book ur accomodations there in case u intend to stay over festival times or at weekends. Lotsa thais, real lotsa thais there. Farang - imho - the package ones at White Sand, the cheap charly (KaoSarn) ones at Lonely Beach and the rest, well if there is any....they are anywhere else.

I can recommend KaiBee and Klong Phrao. Silent (verrry silent the last 10 days) and some beach spots to be found too.

Did not have a pre-booking but got a swiss friend living at KC for 7 years now. He arranged reservations at Mam Bungalow, KaiBee. 500-600 baht fan beach front bungalow. Survived one day in there. Thais arriving in hordes, cooking and karaoke all day/all night long just behind my room. Incredible noisy (as u u maybe can imagine). Changed accomodation next day 7 in the morning (after having got a wake up call by thais starting their pickup engines to use the car a/c). Went 100 metres left of Mam Bungalow into yet-to-finish front service desk of "KaiBee GrandVill Resort". Rooms with a/c, fridge, satellite tv (though mostly russian???), nice, silent (!!!!) location normally sold for 2500 a night all of a sudden where available for a thousand. Could not resist to say yes. AND I LOVED IT.

Final comment regarding ferry: so far, nobody told you about the ferry time schedule, right? BE AWARE that last ferry to/from KC (LaemGnob is best) is something around 5 pm.

Anyway, try to relax there as long as it is possible. I do not want to know how KC looks like in a couple of years. Sigh.

gonna arrive Bkk wed 15 mar. i will bring along some swedish SNUS with me (u may compare that with smokeless tobacco, e.g. Copenhagen). It is eur 4,50 per box (50 grams). If u r interested PM me within the NEXT 12 hours....

Are you suggesting that if I play pool and have a drink after 2 am I will catch AIDS?

including a/c under 1000 ---no way.

without a/c --- still lotsa choice.

got a swiss friend running a very fair priced travel agency in KhlongPhrao (close to Kai Bee) ---- his name is DANIEL (speaks english) and his homepage is

www.koh-chang.ch

give it a try if u want.

enjoy KC ( i miss it).

imho, u should choose EITHER austria OR switzerland. Landscape is about the same...cities aint. Thinking about this years Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 250th birthday celebrations I would recommend austria (and, as stated previously definitely SALZBURG + Vienna), rather skip Switzerland and choose Italy (Milano, Firenze, Venice) instead. Not that far from Salzburg to Italy whereas Salzburg-Geneva is quite loooong train trip.

Anyway, have fun and enjoy.

I'd suggest the same: do not stay alone (as a temple short time stay would be) ---- get around (maybe not Pattaya though) --- talk with people, even talk with strangers, do not talk about the past, talk about the future, about ideas, about your plans ---- concentrate on anything but past ---- and stop drinking.

ooooh, AND: a bit off-topic but essential to mention:

the loss of a beloved dog may VERY WELL be as tragic as the loss of family members. I do feel with you.

But life WILL go on. Believe. Live!

as mentioned previously.....whenever, wherever ..... taxi boat is the BEST alternative !!! I even try to coordinate my bkk travel schedule each and every morning. Some bus or motobike taxi runs straight onto next accesible pier. Furthermore, it is fun to watch the tourist having no idea at all where they should disembark....lol

as far as i know there will be a high speed RAILWAY connection built up within the coming years (......) - that will make HH a MUCH BETTER destination then.

ref. Pattaya investment: yes, infrastructure is almost perfect. But, how to get rid of the germans?

for bkk traffic i totally agree. needless to have.

but i would not wonder if overland busses (sepecially KaoSan rental) do have some other missing parts as well....;-)