khunstuart

"Worst airport in the world" - lol <deleted> ???

Have you guys ever tried any other airport ? im amazed how much complaining going on here.

Im going through numerous airports every month, including suvarnabhumi, and for me its one of my favourite airports, i actually enjoy going through this airport and cannot recognize any of the complaints here.

Expensive food, not enough toilets, long immigration queues, bad-mannered officials, mafia at the parking lot, crooked taxi-drivers, no free wi-fi, too far to walk

Expensive food ? - NOT compared to 99% other airpots.

Not enough toilets ? - ive never tried to come to a toilet that is full or even close to being full, and never seen dirty toilets.

Long immigration queues ? - yes they can be long, but just something we have to accept in an airport this size with SSS safety regulations in the world we are living in.

Taxi mafia ? - few airports that doesnt have them, and compared to many other asian countries bkk is a dream. Never had problems with public taxi's.

No free wifi - maybe i can agree it would be a nice one, but many airports lacks this

Too far to walk - hey, its a big airport !

Additionally i can add that its an airport where you get smiles by the staff everywhere, even immigration can smile which is rare in so many other places, and ive never had anything but good service in this airport, actually i love it.

I would just like to agree with you i dont travel to Thailand much anymore but having been in places like Gabon, Congo, Libya, etc how many airports have these guys been too, bad is being robbed by the the imigration people on your way in and out of a country ''dirty toilets'' Point Noir has bee seen to be believed. i could go on but wont

Thought you might want to see this photo i took and maybe it would explain the 'attack ' on Macdonalds!

just shows the incredible lenghts gone to keep the ingredients of the secret sauce safe

They've invaded a hospital, messed with TV signals at Thaicom, blocked highways, stopped public transit, frightened sick women and children, threatened arson, committed terrorism, kidnapped people, taunted police, closed shopping malls, canceled Songkran, ruined the tourism industry, poured blood on the streets, stolen bodies, barricaded public roads, cost thousands of people their jobs, broken numerous laws, intimidated politicians, harassed citizens, fought the army, and threatened to send Thailand into a downward spiral of civil war that could tear the nation apart for decades to come.........

But McDonald's. You've gone too far, you've supersized our anger now!

"Reach for the skytrain yellow shirt"

Adds a whole new meaning to

a ''MAC ATTACK'' add a while back

I have driven all over thailand in the last 15 years with my family, I now own a fortuner and for long distances and comfort i would recomend that any day. But if you are on a budget i would go for the next level up from a Jazz or something that size as they are in all hovesty two small for a family to travel in. Personally the pick up trucks such as vigo's have very uncomfortable back seats as well. A mid range toyota, or Honda car such as a Soluna may be ok for you, there ar a few models and makes that sort of size to choose from. In all my time here i have never needed a four wheel drive to get to parks etc even in the rainy season, so dont worry about that, most main roads here are in pretty good shape (its the drivers you need need to look out for) all joking apart drive carefully, small motorcycles here do not look where they are going and cars often change lane without any indication, leave a reasonable gap, somone will fill it etc, be patient dont get angry as that will make things worse, people drive a bit slower in the north east etc and there is less traffic so its not so daunting, Bangkok and Pattay and most tourist areas are different story though you need to really watch out. Get a good map or set of maps and study before you leave sighn posting is in thai and english on most major routes as well, One other thing, if your not booking hotels etc in advance and are just winging it ,get a lonley planet guide or something similar when i first started started travelling here, it was a great help in finding decent places to stay and where to go eat etc in towns i had never been too before.

Enjoy the trip i am sure you will

Anybody know a place to see currency charts like you can see for stocks on finance.google.com?

I know lots of place to get the current price but I'd like to see the trend line.

i use this website

http://www.gftforex.com/resources/

Am I the only one waiting for the baht to take a whacking great hit against the pound so I can transfer some money at more than 50 bhat to the pound.

Pound and Euro have been tanking since late last year. Lets hope a little "hiccup" is in the wind!

:D

Me also its linked to the dollar so we will be waiting a while i think

I find this a bit disturbing Control centres sounds like something Hitler set up in the 1940's. Next all Red shirts will be asked to wear an insignia on there shoulder.

How on earth would I know what colour it was ?

I pull up, flip the tank open, he fills it up, closes the tank, I pay and rive off.

Can someone please tell me how I am supposed to know whether it is yellow, green, red or polka dotted ?

Just look in the mirror and see the colour thats running down the side of the car as he squeezes that extra 2bht of fuel in there

This government was not elected !!!

plain and simple fact

elections are the only true way to see the view of the people, apparently in your eyes taking over an airport and costing the country billions is not a crime but protesting about it is

hmmmm

We pay our Thai secretaried 50,000 Baht a month so how do they reckon Franag salaries should eb so low?

I have to say if thats a thai company you are paying well over the avaerage. My thai Niece just graduted university and works as an enviromental scientist and only earns 17,000 a month. Average petrol pump attaendant ears about 10,000 a month.

whats the company i will get my niece to apply lol

In one simple reply, Issan go to the north east of tHailand. once you go right up to the area around the border with Laos you are in one of the poorest areas of the country. People will try to help you out a bit there so ask arond and theycan point out places to stay many do speak English. There are many local guest houses etc as many locals travel. Unfortunatley I think your about 20 years too late if your looking for the cheapt beach huts of the past in the tourist areas thats, all long gone.

Its a shame but many of these films etc always er to the bad side of the country and not the good. I am british live in thailand and have been happily married to my Thai wife for 17 years with two children both been brought up speaking thai and English and went to UK schools tand still are to get Educted. She has never tried to conn me or extort money in any way. In fact i would say she is more frugal with money than most western women i know, we lived for 9 years in the UK. When you grow up not having much, i think you respect money more when you have it not in all cases i am sure. I am not saying all Thai women are like this by any means, i have met the guys in the bar with the old I bought her everything includaing a bar speach. But when your 55 and going out with an 18 year old get real. My Wife and I are only a year different age wise that probably helped. Yes she likes her Thai gold etc etc but no more than most. Thailand has allot of faults but more good things than bad i feel. Easy solution is dont marry a Thai and dont live here if you are so cheesed off with the place, as seems to be a common thread. We left Thailand for a few years and lived in Gabon and around west Africao with my Job, beleive me, Thai people have nothing when it commes to extortion compaired with some countries.

small point the uk is considering and has been for some time taxing its citizens overseas same as the US i wont be registering any time soon might be a nice way for them to locate you in the future!!!!

Remember one thing , you go to ATM or Bank to take money and the thai people go to bank to deposit your money, who is clever now

With this line you confirm what you decry.

I bet there not going to the mank to deposit as often as previous years. Many people have gone elswhere just because of people like that. Talk about bitting the hand that feeds.

I think people will be surprised how much support there is and will be from the north and eastern provinces for the red shirts. From what i can gather speaking to people from there, despite all the Bad aspects of Taksins time in office, we all know these stories, he made substantial diffrencess to the standard of living of many people in these provinces. There were road projects building projects etc all fueling the increase of there standard of living. Many now feel under the present regime that they are going backwards. Lets face it the yellow shirts bassically wanted to reteurn to the old ways with a plentifull supply of cheal labour so they can become even welthier thats why there power is In Bangkok. Sorry but fractured as there policy is and i dont want Taksin back either i think the reds are the ones in the right here most of them want what we all do the right for a good statndard of living.

One question i have is how they know so quickly it was C4 usually takes a fair bit of investigation to find out explosive tye etc. Still pretty horific stuff though.

laugh i almost fell off my seat

Somchai live on Channel 3.

Did any of our fluent Thai speakers watch this?

What did he say?

from what i understand he has told them all to leave the Airports or they will take action against them. The police have been given the authority to move them,

Just a bit about bying votes etc. I have been in the noth east during elections one group comes down the road and shouts and screams the villagers all come out in there yellow red or whatever shirts take the freebies and go back in, the next one comes and low and behold they all have that colour Tshirt. No one is giving a hoot, half dont bother to vote, if they do they do for who they please not who gave them the most free rice/ baht etc. I think we should forget about the vote bying issue and worry about whats next. there is almost civil war ready to erupt in this country, rich against poor???

Not sure what you mean by that but i am sincere and we are leaving sorry you feel this way

I do not think that the person he is referring to is you. Just like my previous post was not in any way aimed at you

Cant say I agree but i did the honour of checking his posts pretty much has a go when he has the oportuntiy so lets just get back to thhe thread this is a waist of time

Not sure what you mean by that but i am sincere and we are leaving sorry you feel this way

This is terrible i feel so sorry for all these people I am waching this on the news from Africa. My family and I have lived in Thailand for 18 years on and off my daughter was born here and my son has lived here for most of his 8 years. when the Bali boming took place threats were made against expat schools in asia and in Thailand ours had to hire an armed poiceman for six months because of the parents concers, what will happen now I can tell you for me with great regret i called my wife and family today and asked if they wishh to leave. We have decided to go enough is enough thailand is spiraling down hill the new regime may be as bad as the old i fear for the counry and what is next Civil war, i think we all know the people fueling it today is a very sad day the land of smiles may soon be one of tears.

with a name like Rocky Donald doesnt sound like a Aussie

It was a boat that should have had sails if it was true to its title. where was his epurb you must carry one by law and no food just one more yaghty living on nothing and looking for hand outs he should have gone to Bali.

I agrre sounds like a made up story to raise some pitty money to get home

I feel soory for Julien the truth of it is it probably was not his fault i have been harassed for extra money numerous times in thailand over the years by taxi drivers and tuk tuk drivers. I will very rarely use a tuk tuk now as it happens time after rime. Lets see what happens if the police make an exaple of this guy perhaps it would stop. I would like to see if the driver is prosecuted this would be attempted murder as it was done with intent to cause the man harm you have to think what you are doing to go get a knife open it and then attck someone what aere the witnesses saying dont seem to be hearing much on that and there must have been some scared to say anything perhaps!!!

Even though politicians have been trying to do this from the crack of dawn.

Do you really mean "the dawn of time"?

the "crack" of dawn sounds more interesting