London Lowf

I think that we all knew that this forum was primarily older ex-pats - but I'm surprised just how high the numbers are. What happened to the other point of interest - male/female/other. I'd guess at least 95% male.

The irony!

Fair enough - you seem to have good reason to be dissatisfied.

Now that I have a lot of my stuff in Thailand I only need a carry-on backpack when popping home to the UK - I would never put soft luggage into the checked luggage system. Whatever works for you is fine.

Yes, I just checked and Thailand is one of the few countries where Samsonite don't have a service centre. However, their website is excellent and so I would imagine you can get spares online.

I use Google all the time and ocassionally it will ask me to review a place that I have visited - nine times out of ten all I did was ride or walk past it. I've Googled my own name - nothing! Last time I looked all of my money is still in my bank/savings account/retirement fund and secret hiding place in my apartment. No worries. (And I'm a worrier!)

I would recommend a Samsonite clam-shell with clasp fasteners - I've had mine for about fifteen years and it's been all over the world. It's got a few scuff marks but is otherwise as good as new. The only downside is that it's heavy, about 7kg I think, but that's the price of ruggedness unless you can afford carbon/Kevlar. One thing that I would NEVER buy is a case with zip-around fastening - I've seen too many on the carousels that have split open. PS: Samsonite supply spare parts (wheels, handles, locks etc.) should you need them - I never have.

I wouldn't be too sure of that - they have invested a lot of money into properties (from individual villas to huge condotel developments) and are here long time. My neighbours are a Russian couple in their thirties and they told me that the war was just the tipping point for their plans to emigrate and they have no plans to ever return. And by the way, she is as open and friendly as you could hope for but he is the archetypal miserable xxx and it is an effort for him to even acknowledge a "Hello". I have no problems with them or any other Russians - if some of them want to be rude and miserable then that's a shame but I can understand why they have become that way.

I bought an ADV last June from Honda Thalang (Phuket) - I searched around and the only one I could find in stock was a "Limited Edition" Marvel model at B109,900. The standard colours were B99,900 but a minimum three month wait at that time. B10,000 for a few vinyl graphics is a bit steep but the alternative was to carry on throwing money away on a rental and so I grabbed it. They're all over the place now - even the so-called Limited Editions.

Since you mentioned Blue Lotus and Smilie Bar I'll jump in as I was in the former last night - as I have been many nights over the last month. They always give me a huge welcome (the "Guard", the owner, the manager, the servers) and I don't know why as I NEVER buy ladydrinks but do always tip 10% - maybe they are accountants (as was I in a former life) and have calculated that my frequent modest visits are actually worth more than a once in a lifetime splurge from a two-week millionaire? I love people-watching and most of the girls in Blue Lotus are extremely ruthless in their pursuit of ladydrinks and provide an entertaining diversion for me - the standard modus operandi is that a paleface buys a drink for one of the dancers but is immediately surrounded by three more and is too embarrassed to refuse a highly inflated round of drinks. Some guys are quite happy with this but some do look rather sheepish when they convert the tab back to their own currency. And on that subject there was an interesting incident last night - a couple sat down and ordered six shots, two each and two for the server and that was how they were arranged on the table. However, it was clear that he was expecting all six to be at the same price and was somewhat peeved to see that, what he thought was a generous gesture, was treated to ladydrink pricing. He then re-arranged the six shots as three each for himself and his partner and had the tab re-issued at standard pricing. To be honest I was surprised that the bar played ball, but good on them! Smilie Bar must wonder what they're doing wrong. The number of times that they are virtually empty while Blue Lotus next door are packed must have them scratching their heads. They did have a pole dancer (Xylophone's favourite!) but this week they have moved her stage a few metres so that it is now within Blue Lotus and I do wonder if this is a pre-cursor to a takeover. As a footnote, I never notice any Russians on Bangla!

I sold up in the UK and "emigrated" to South Africa in 1986 - an amazingingly beautiful country and I was better off financially than I ever was before or have been since. However, after four years of living behind barbed wire, burglar bars and 24-hour security I realised that money isn't everything. The main topic of conversation of expats was who got burgled/robbed at knifepoint/murdered/raped in the last week and it just wore me down - in most countries you are simply robbed but in many parts of Africa they want to also maim or murder their victims (black or white) for good measure. A few years later I did a six-month stint in Camaroon (Yaoundé) but it was more of the same. Thailand really is Lalaland by comparison.

I was going to contribute to this thread but, like so many others, it's gone off on a tangent and down the pan thanks to the usual mob. Thanks guys! (Rhetorical post!)

I was at the WSB races in 2019 and there was an alcohol-free day due to an election. No booze in Buriram town but the track obviously had an exemption - unfortunately only Chang due to sponsorship.

I sometime think that I exist in an alternative dimension to many other people. At 2pm in glorious sunshine I rode from Kamala to the north end of Layan beach and the roads were practically deserted - even the bottleneck approaching Cherng Talay police station and then around the corner to Boat Avenue was a clear run for the cars. It was quite eery - took me back to my Sandbox days!

But were there any customers using them? Last night, at 10:30pm, I went to (maybe?) the premier bar in central Kamala - I was the only customer for close to an hour. I left at 1:00am and there were two customers left. Okay, their regular music offering is very poor on that night and the weather wasn't playing ball, but it was a Saturday night after all!

I have the usual "lost" dreams and one recurring variation is desperately trying to make it to work on time. I worked in casinos for many years and have had numerous dreams where I'm trying to get my uniform (tuxedo) together, find the building and then find the casino floor - I don't think that I ever made it! Odd that I never have similar dreams about finding my way to any of my office jobs.

What, like they've done with the Smart Bus for the last few years? I wonder if some of the posters on here have even been to Phuket because they seem totally clueless.

Maybe it'll be the same insurance company that covers the Smart Bus?

What, you want it to the nearest metre? Every time I've seen them operating there it's been on the southbound side of the main through road, i.e. right outside the police station.

Yes, I noticed that today on a rideout - the proper heavy-duty standard white plastic loungers that live on the beach rather than the light-duty fold-up aluminium tat that I assume they used to pack up at the end of each day. Can't say I'm bothered - I don't know what it is, but Surin (beach and town) just don't do anything for me. Nai Thon and the National Park beaches do not have loungers, or jet skis, or parasailing.

I must be a bit thick because I can't for the life of me understand the relevance of "..... in Thailand". Why can't you simply go onto the official site and buy a monthly or annual subscription? It's cheap at the standard rate so what are you hoping to save? I've be using it for about seven years - auto-renewal annually at GBP 59.99 and it's never increased.

If they say "No" then they will still keep the £150 application fee.

No, that is not a problem. The number of days is calculated and displayed during the application process and I am currently on my third TR60 visa, all applied for using a return ticket between 60 and 90 days. Immigration are well aware of 30-day extensions.

2001: A Space Odyssey Performance Silent Movie

Tiger is fully open while your contact claimed that it was closed - that is not my opinion, that is a glaring fact. Yes, my statement that Bangla seemed reasonably busy and the people happy was indeed an opinion.