zink

My advise would be.....

1] spend the first week in Pattaya or BKK 'releiving the pressure' so that you can make a rational decision with your big head and not your small head.

2] then begin your search in the provence....Issan is full of nice friendly girls that seem to like falangs maybe due to the exposure of the bases during the vietnam war]. Once there, you will receive many smiles that may or may not lead to what you are seeking.

one thing to keep in mind is 'easy come/easy go'....the easier the girl is, the easier she will be to give you problems in the future.

good luck and think with your big head and not your small head.

This is great advice. Whatever your strategy is to meet someone for a serious relationship you'll be better off to do that with a clear rational head. Take care of other needs other ways.

That's a very poor advice in my opinion. Why waste one week for "relieving the pressure" especially in a place like Pattaya? Don't people realize that you can "relieve the pressure" while simultaneously looking for a nice girls in virtually anywhere in Thailand, especially in larger places like Bangkok, Chiang Mai etc.... These two things are not mutually exclusive.

You make a good point. I was making the difference between the two different objectives. The location is flexible. Go to dinner with the nice girl and have fun afterwords. I'm not promoting anything one way or the other. Just that mixing these two things can cause problems for some people (and for some it's worked out fine).

I understand now and I also agree with that. I think this is a good example of cultural differences between Thailand and western countries.

My advise would be.....

1] spend the first week in Pattaya or BKK 'releiving the pressure' so that you can make a rational decision with your big head and not your small head.

2] then begin your search in the provence....Issan is full of nice friendly girls that seem to like falangs maybe due to the exposure of the bases during the vietnam war]. Once there, you will receive many smiles that may or may not lead to what you are seeking.

one thing to keep in mind is 'easy come/easy go'....the easier the girl is, the easier she will be to give you problems in the future.

good luck and think with your big head and not your small head.

This is great advice. Whatever your strategy is to meet someone for a serious relationship you'll be better off to do that with a clear rational head. Take care of other needs other ways.

That's a very poor advice in my opinion. Why waste one week for "relieving the pressure" especially in a place like Pattaya? Don't people realize that you can "relieve the pressure" while simultaneously looking for a nice girls in virtually anywhere in Thailand, especially in larger places like Bangkok, Chiang Mai etc.... These two things are not mutually exclusive.

I have friends who work for BTS.. I keep asking...and they keep telling me they haven't been told anything in the way of start dates for either of the SkyTrain extensions... But...if you go out there, you can see they're working on them... both beyond OnNut and across the river...

Does anyone have an idea when the few stations past On Nut will be open, as they look well on there way, or is it a case of waiting for all of it to be done.

Reason of asking i have been thinking about buying in one of the condos close to where the new BTS will be, they are 40k per m2 compared to 60-70k at On nut

On Nut extension was started in mid-2006 and was supposed to be completed in 3 years. So I guess it should open in 2009 but 2010 would probably be more realistic estimate.

By the way, I visited Bangkok in early 2003 and Skytrain pillars were already erected to other side of the river. 5 years later they are still working on this 2.2km extension

Offer her 15 - 20k per month, no sin sod, no marraige, no kids and no 50% of your assets later. After a few years upgrade if all isn't going well. When I married I paid no sin sod, nor was it requested. It is a personal choice of course but above is another (cheaper) alternative.

the old lease vs. buy decision.

As the sellor, what do you think the vendor would agree to in this circumstance?

My feeling is most of the types that would insist on a sin sot as per the OP would also prefer not to lease out their wares, on account of the ability to sell their wares more than once to more than one buyer.

As they may have often been doing on a shorter term sales plan in the not too distant past.

It is also important to look at this from buyer's point of view: if one vendor doesn't agree on 15-20k/month deal, there are many others who would agree. Supply and demand...

This started already in last year. Hotels which were available before for about 1000B cost now 1500B or more.

Road between the border and Siem Reap was not that bad during the dry season as long as you took a car.

Between SR and PP there are countless of buses, I took the cheapest one for something like $3.50 and it was adequate. I don't understand why some people want to take an expensive, dangerous and overcrowded boat.

The funniest thing about these sinsod threads is people telling other people how to spend their money. If I want to gamble my cash away, drink it up, invest it, give it to charity or give it to a poor Issan family it's my money and my choice.

There is nothing wrong with spending money away, as long as you are paying a going rate. Overpaying is a very bad thing because it raises prices and expectations for rest of farangs. I don't like getting ridicilous price quotes and having to spend time to haggle them down to reasonable levels just because some clueless farang overpaid in the past.

If you want to donate 1M baht to poor Isaan families, please marry 10-20 Isaan girls and pay 50-100k of dowry for each. Don't give 1M for a single girl.

Sinsot, if not returned, is just a rip off. Poor Issan farmers selling their prostitute daughters to some stupid farang for way more than a Thai would pay (like read zero for a hooker) is laughable. Respectful Thais ripping off the westerner with requests for mega gold and tons of cash just make us look stupid when we cave in and pay them for their daughter.

I agree, it's like a night market in a tourist trap where everybody is asking 2000B for 100-200B fake rolex. Some farangs agree and as a result, future farangs will get even more ridicilous demands.

It is also important to know that a sinsot in "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity, sinsot for a woman which marries a second time is also 0B. Sinsot for an ordinary Isaan farmer's girl would be probably something like 20000-50000B (just a rough estimate). 1M Baht would be a reasonable amount for some young hi-so girl or a popular actress, but I doubt that OP is marrying one

First they need to get extra money from goverment so they can pay 100000B (over $3000!) for each lightbulb.

To be fair, its hardly surprising these lights cost as much as $3000 each, after all they are a specialised product.

Even if they are specialised products, over $3000 for each lamp is a very high price. For example here: http://www.oksolar.com/n_cart/search.asp?cat=Airfield most of airport related lamps have prices ranging from $500 to $1500. I wouldn't be suprised if AoT officials would take a large part of allocated money to themselves.

Maybe since it's an airport, they could get the lights from overseas and fly them in!

Then they can have a meeting to decide who should install them.

Then a subcommittee can be set up to consider the installation.

Then........

or perhaps each Burmese who is caught on the runways should have to do community service by changing light bulbs!

First they need to get extra money from goverment so they can pay 100000B (over $3000!) for each lightbulb.

If you have any Thai friends or staff, I would suggest going to one of them and asking for a really small flower shops and using a motorcycle delivery. Even on Valentine’s Day, you can get a dozen roses (good ones, not the crap the flower girls sell) for very cheap (under 1,000 Baht) and then pay less than 50 baht to have them delivered. You just need to find these places.

Very cheap??? Few years ago I visited a flower market in Bangkok (near Chinatown) and for about 100 baht you would have ben able to get a dozen orchids or a huge bouquet (at least 20-30) of roses. Maybe prices are now higher and maybe they are significantly higher on a valentine day, but 1000 baht for dozen roses still seems to be very expensive.

Let's suppose that two persons travel together with a single AirAsia ticket. Can one person make check-in for both (the second person doesn't have checked baggage) without the other person being present?

When the gate usually closes for AirAsia flights? Is it 10 or 15 minutes before the departure?

By two people travelling on one ticket, I presume you mean you have paid for two persons both of whom were named at the time of booking and appear on the confirmation Email from AirAsia under the Booking Reference that you both will need to check in. As fa as I am aware (and it would be frightening otherwise from a security point of view) all passengers travelling on one booking have to be present in person at check-in. How else can they control who is actually flying. I don't think "I'm checking in mow for me and my friend who is arriving later" will wash.

And the gate closes 45 ninutes before departure but others who have arrived at the very last minute and there has been a queue for other flights have warned that you may be caught in that queue and your flight will go without you, so advisable to t6urn up at least an hour. 10-15 minutes would be impossible to ensure safe boarding etc.

Thanks for the info. With many airports/airlines a person DOESN'T have to be present at check-in desk since it's possibly to do check-in online or in a self-service booth. Airlines control who is flying by checking IDs on the gate. I guess Air Asia doesn't use this practice in BKK.

By "gate" I meant the actual gate that opens for boarding usually 30 minutes before departure. I know that a check-in closes 45 minutes before the departure but it's a different thing. Since there is no immigration, I would guess that one will make in time for boarding domestic flights even if one makes check-in only 45 minutes before the departure in BKK?

Let's suppose that two persons travel together with a single AirAsia ticket. Can one person make check-in for both (the second person doesn't have checked baggage) without the other person being present?

When the gate usually closes for AirAsia flights? Is it 10 or 15 minutes before the departure?

The best option for hotels and some flights is to book online yourself through a travel agent

For rest of flights the best option is to book online yourself without a travel agent.

Ummm how unusual from an airline to do this. I would accept the tickets and thank them. Most airlines wouldn't do this you know.

Agreed, accept the tickets

From this site http://www.airsafe.com/complain/bumping.htm

Delays and Cancellations for European Union Related Flights

Unlike the U.S., the European Union (EU) does provide for compensation for flight delays and cancellations. In most, but not all, cases involving a delay or cancellation of a flight, a passenger is entitled to compensation under European Parliament Regulation (EC) 261/2004 for delayed and cancelled flights. There are three levels of compensation:

• in the event of long delays (two hours or more, depending on the distance of the flight), passengers must in every case be offered free meals and refreshments plus two free telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or emails;
  
• if the time of departure is deferred until the next day, passengers must also be offered hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the place of accommodation;
  
• when the delay is five hours or longer, passengers may opt for reimbursement of the full cost of the ticket together with, when relevant, a return flight to the first point of departure.
  

This regulation applies to all airline flights departing from an EU airport or to any airline licensed in the EU if that flight is departing from an airport outside the EU to a destination at an airport in an EU member state.

Ooh err is the penultimate paragraph legally binding...could i really claim a full refund plus 4 return tickets to bangkok ??? or have i misunderstood it ???

They have actually offered two (not 4) return flights but only as far as abu dhabi which is about as much use as the proverbial chocolate ashtray...hmmm...2 week holiday in abu dhabi...nice.

IF that regulations would apply here (it's not clear if this regulation apply to Thailand-UAE-UK flights), then you could have gotten 4 one-way Abu Dhabi-BKK tickets for free + refund on your "unused" return journey (if you had UK-BKK-UK tickets, then you would get 50% of the total price back). However, this refund only applies if you decide to abort your trip because of the delays and return to your point of departure (BKK) immediately. Since you agreed to continue to UK, you are not eligible to this kind of compentation.

According to EU regulations, airline should have provided extra meals for you and nothing more (delays weren't significant enough to warrant a night in hotel). I think those free tickets (if they are indeed free) are much better compensation than a cash refund for 4 meals...

Suing will get you nowhere, regulations clearly state that aside of providing care (meals, night in hotel in case of overnight delay, etc.) and giving a possibility to cancel the ticket for refund, airline isn't obliged to give any kind of compensation in case of delay.

I don't think it's the case with hotels in bangkok

Why not? Prices for many hotels in Bangkok have increased by 30-50% in just last couple of years. There is a definitely a strong demand for hotels in Bangkok.

The problem here is not the devaluation of the dollar, that is mostly irrelevant except to US exporters and expats, but the devaluation of the RMB which is pegged to the dollar.

RMB is not pegged to the dollar anymore. During the last year dollar declined by about 8% compared to RMB: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=USDCNY=X&a...&q=l&c=

Xbusman is right and you as well as my [not so] humble self are wrong Zink. inspite of the appreciation an artificial peg of CNY to USD still exists.

Peg implies a fixed exchange rate. RMB was pegged directly to dollar in the past but not anymore. Currently China still restricts movement of RMB, but the rate between RMB/USD isn't fixed.

If I remember correctly, RMB is now pegged against a basket of currencies.

The problem here is not the devaluation of the dollar, that is mostly irrelevant except to US exporters and expats, but the devaluation of the RMB which is pegged to the dollar.

RMB is not pegged to the dollar anymore. During the last year dollar declined by about 8% compared to RMB: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=USDCNY=X&a...&q=l&c=

Even in high season Cambodia is significantly cheaper than Thailand.

For $10-$15 should get a decent accomodation. Going rate for additional recreation starts from $10/$20 (depending of the lenght of recreation).

Just like in Thailand, many people in Cambodia try to overcharge clueless tourists. That's why it's a good idea not to tell everybody that you are visiting Cambodia for a first time, especially when negotiating the price.

This is a good news, if implemented properly.

Will these visas only be available in ones home country?...will you be able to go to the Thhai Cambodian border and get one?

If you want to visit Cambodia and need a visa, then you can get an ordinary Cambodia visa at the border. I don't see a change here.

What about the $20 fee in Cambodia? will they just let you in on a visa from either country or will there be a special one?

They way I understand it, this is about a special visa that lets you visit 2 (or more in the future) countries on a single visa. If this is implemented correctly, then the cost of this special visa should be below the combined cost of Thai tourist visa + Cambodian tourist visa.

Haven't come accross more rediculous piece of news, since april's fool .. Well a bit late this year.. Thais & Cambos still demand visas from each other citizens, how can anyone imagine any sort of single visa ?!?

What does this single visa idea has to do with Thais and Cambodians demanding visas from each other?

I was just wondering why many farang in Thailand use the bizarre term "Western People" when referring to other farang. Some of the farang are from west of Thailand, but many are from east of Thailand, and still others from the north and south. It seems terribly ignorant to assume that all farang are from Europe, Bangladesh and other countries west of Thailand.

I use it to avoid the discriminatory word "farang" which some westerners have adopted into their vocabulary in an attempt to "go local".

How we should refer to farangs who are from Eastern Europe for example? Or to a person born in Germany with Thai parents? Is he a "western person" also?

Using terms "western people" too broadly is very misleading because:

- not all people who come from "western countries" are "farangs"

- not all "farangs" are from "westerm countries"

That's why describing the race (farang) is much more accurate is most cases.

Thank you all for your replies.

I have been looking on other travel websites to Asia as well as Thai Visa, and I have been unable to find any threads on pricing of merchandise at outdoor markets. The replies are "basically offer what you feel is right". I thought it would be helpful if some research was done and posted that an item could be purchased at X amount in local currency.

For Instance

Tee Shirts ______Baht (average price)

Shorts ______

Sunglasses ______

Designer Replica Watch______

And go down a number of popular items, and list the price what Thai's pay, or what a "fair Price" should be without trying to rip off the Farang. It sure would make it less hectic and humiliating for both the buyer and seller. It would make the playing field a little fairer if we knew what the true value should be.

We all know that there are different prices for nationals and farangs in the National Parks, but if someone did research and post a comprehensive list of products at the markets, it would be beneficial to all of us.

Those prices will depend on exact quality of the goods and it's difficult to tell accurate values. If you have never been in the country, you should visit department stores like Robinson, Central, etc.., prices there are already reasonable (and you can often get 5-10% discount).

Prices at outdoor markets in tourist areas are usually so inflated that you have to haggle a lot in order to get the department store price.

It's really simple:

1. Ask for the price (preferably in Thai)

2. Ask for a discount (again in Thai, NEVER tell your own price before hearing seller's second offer if you don't know the real price)

3. Walk away and watch their reaction (they will probably offer a new price for you)

4. Repeat this for several stalls that are selling the item you are interested in

Difference between prices in steps 1., 2. and 3. should give you a good idea what is a real price. The bigger the gap between an initial and "walk away" price, the lower is the actual price.

About T-shirts: you can get a decent shirt in MBK for 100B probably without even bargaining.

I have a friend who visits Thailand for 6 months of the year. My friend has a very good retirement and is certainly not hurting for money. So, while he is here in LOS, he makes sure that the local staff and service people whom he comes into contact with are very well compensated. Actually, "very well compensated" is probably an understatement.

As an example of his generosity, I will relate what transpired today at a buffet lunch. My friend ordered a mixed drink while my gf and I drank the water provided. The wait staff delivered my friend's mixed drink and kept our water glasses full. They didn't bring us any food, as it was a buffet, we helped ourselves. At the end of the meal my friend settled the food bill which amounted to 520 baht. Despite my objections, his tip amounted to over 300 baht.

This is quite typical behavior for him. He once tipped 1000 baht to a food vendor who chased him down a soi to return him a bag of goods he had purchased and had left behind at her stall. The cost of the goods he had forgotten was about fifty baht.

Whenever I chastise him, he shrugs it off by saying, "I can't take it with me." Or, "They need it more than I do."

What is the opinion of the folks reading this? Do you think that this is acceptable behavior for someone who has "money to throw around? What possible harm could come from my friend's generosity? Or is there another aspect of this that I am overlooking? What are the repercussions, if any, of over-tipping to such a degree?

Its all relative..a 1000 baht note to one person is the same as a 10 baht coin to others, in terms of disposable funds.

I know a guy in LOS who could burn 100K baht a day just off the net interest in his bank account(free money).

What disposable funds have to do with tipping? Do rich people pay 100 baht for a can of coke at 7/11? Why they should pay 500 baht for a 100 baht beach massage?

If you have a lot of money to spend, wouldn't it make more sense to spend that money on special and more expensive things, instead of just wasting it by overpaying for basic things?

One poster mentioned giving extra tips to "honest" taxi drivers (i.e. the one which are doing their jobs). Taxis are called "taxi-METER" for a reason, I don't see any reason to give a extra tip for driver that is doing his job by turning on the meter. If the driver refuses to turn a meter right away, then it's actually a good reason to not to leave any tip.

above avarage service above avarage tip is justified.

I strongly disagree. I wonder why some people think that a big tip should be automatically included? You are already paying for the "average service" when you pay the "list price"! In Thailand I rougly apply the following:

- poor service: no tip, or very small tip

- average service: small tip (max 5%)

- above average service: average tip (5-10%)

- really, really, great service: above average tip (10-15%)

Above applies to situation where "service charge" isn't included in the bill. When there is a service charge, I don't tip anything (unless the service has been, really, really great).

BTW, I like China's tipping policy, it's plain and simple: NO tipping anywhere!

% wise isnt always correct, IMO.

today had a haircut. cost 50 B, gave 10B tip. so, guy is happy, genuine. anyway, he always cut my hair when in thailand. all cost 2$.

at my country pay around 10$, tip 1$. cost together around 11$=340B.

the tip was still a 1/3, haircut the same. but if i only look %, 20% tip. WOW!

I rather look moneywise in this case, doesnt cost much. Call it my charity

I agree, I forgot to mention in my post that % depends on the value of the service. For example in cheap and good restaurant I might leave a bigger tip in terms of percents, in more expensive restaraunt tip-% can be smaller (the actual tip would still be bigger).