popshirt

No, not speaking too soon. I met my Thai husband 5 years ago and we are happy to be together. I feel very lucky to have found such a good person, he is smart, well educated and has a great job. Next week we leave for 5 months in the US, four months study for him and one month travel before returning to Thailand. His father is young enough to be my son, but our difference in age has not been a problem.

Pardon me, but isn't shaving pubes very 20th century? Trimming is ok but totally shaved pubes always reminds me of a chicken neck ready for the soup pot, a total turnoff.

When it opens, let us know what the noise level is like.........I mean amplified music (?) noise........I may join if the decible level is reasonable

Villa Market should consider moving to Jomtien Complex.

He doesn't limit his assistance to British Subjects either. He helps all who come forward with questions. I think he is a spelendid person, thank him, and wish him well.

Country remains roughly split down the middle. You don't notice it so much because almost all the media is in one camp, and/or practicing self-censorship.

It doesn't really matter though because power doesn't sit with parliament or elected government in this country. Your question would be more relevant in a democracy.

Spot on!

Also reds are not all married to Thaksin. If he were to disappear, their agenda remains both vital and vibrant. This is a circumstance wherein the 'hearts and minds' of the people have been won over and informed already. Thailand is at the beginning of a new political process, and in my opinion, this is true democracy at work, perhaps in its infancy, but working nevertheless.

I agree that it is scaremongering, just like the banner ad a while back that attempted to shock us into buying insurance "Because Your Laptop Will Be Stolen".

I bought a box of the Heladiv the last time they were on sale. I think it is very good tea and will stop buy to replenish my larder!

This doesn't happen only in Thailand. A friend of mine just moved from a hiso gated community in Guadalajara Mexico because of the same problem, most days he could not exit his driveway and he elicited no cooperation from the offending drivers/parkers. He is Mexican/American and speaks Spanish, so is not treated as a 'farang'. I also remember the same thing happening in Panama. Maybe just growing pains we must endure in third world countries?

I didn't come here for the food, either.

I'll second that! And I really like Indian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese food!

Thank you all for your informative replies. We'll get it sorted out and soon I will be driven hither and thither.

I have heard there are driving schols in pattaya that offer lessons and then walk the new driver through the licensing procedure (which can take all of an entire day). I wish my employee to drive the car and will arrange for lessons if I can find a good school.

I searched this Forum using the search engine to no avail although I recall some posts on this subject.

Any advice or recommendations appreciated. Thanks.

A friend of mine bought one at Central Dept. store in Pattaya.

They are also available at Zen in Central World, Bangkok

hmmm.......didn't know it was called jet wash, we call it The Bum Gun. But I agree it is in the top ten best things about Thailand, they are now installed in my US home and I take 3 or 4 high end ones (excuse) with me twice a year when I travel back and my friends love them, so efficient, sanitary and, well, it really kind of perks you up as well.

Last week I was waiting to have fruit and produce weighed at Makro where there was a queue of about 4 people, all farang. An elderly non-farang woman ignored the queue and continued to place her bags to be weighed on the counter in the jumping-the-queue manner we all have experienced so often here. After several tries the Makro employee told her in no uncertain terms there was a queue and to go to the back of the line. (I was prepared to tell the woman "dtam queue na krap" when I reached the head of the queue!).

I have never seen an employee intervene to enforce no queue-jumping in Thailand in the six years I have been here!

For this, and other good reasons, I am very favourably impressed with Makro in Pattaya and I wish them success.

One thing I have been unable to find there is low-fat or zero-fat milk and yoghurt milk (boxed individual servings). I hope they stock it soon as they do in other Makro stores.

Congratulations Makro Pattaya!

take both as hand luggage and in bangkok put one of them to your hold luggage

good advice, and if questioned say "old one for beach"

I agree with the "Oblivious Parent" as being #1. But it is not always that the parent is oblivious, the child may be sick, it's ears hurt from the pressure, it is just cranky or whatever. Better for all concerned to have a soundproofed "nursery" section to the plane and we can all relax.

But my #2 irritant is the stowing and retrieving of heavy "carry-on" above my head. I will no longer sit in an aisle seat as I have been struck in the head by luggage being stowed above more than once.

Two days ago I was waiting to have fruit and produce weighed at Makro where there was a queue of about 4 people, all farang. An elderly non-farang woman ignored the queue and continued to place her bags to be weighed on the counter in the jumping-the-queue manner we all have experienced so often here. After several tries the Makro employee told her in no uncertain terms there was a queue and to go to the back of the line. (I was prepared to tell the woman "dtam queue na krap" when I reached the head of the queue!).

I have never seen that happen in Thailand in the six years I have been here!

For this, and other good reasons, I am very favourably impressed with Makro in Pattaya and I wish them success.

One thing I have been unable to find there is low-fat or zero-fat milk and yoghurt milk (boxed individual servings). I hope they stock it soon as they do in other Makro stores.

Congratulations Makro Pattaya!

...............about the rock thing, I've been using it for years, found it first in a natural food store in California and it was a product of Thailand. I have bought it here at one of the Chinese pharmacies at MBK in Bkk, one of my Thai family members brought a bagful of the rocks in their natural state from Pakchong, I don't know where he got them. Some of these had sharp edges, just as you might expect from a crystal rock and I had to sand them down a bit before being comfortable using them. But the product for sale in stores (and at MBK) is ground, bound together and resembles a dry stick deodorant. I paid 59 baht for one that lasted me for over a year. The name of the company is Lee Intercorp Thailand and the name of the product seems to be "Natural White Crystal De O". It is made from a natural mineral salt and does not contain the aluminium chlorohydrate commonly found in most deodorants. I perspire heavily and it has proven to be an effective deodorant. On the label there is an email address: house of [email protected].

I have a friend who is a doctor there and he just told me there is discussion about a two-tier pricing scheme, one price for Thai and another for farang. He thinks this will eventually happen but needs to be approved at various levels of military and government which will take time.

Bangkok Pattaya Hospital should be ashamed!

People should register their dis satisfaction by not using Bangkok Pattaya Hospital for their medical care.

Ok, you've convinced me. I've been undecided about whether to invest beaucoup baht on 3 dental implants at either the Dental Clinic at BPH or at Phayathai in Sri Racha (drive a little, save a lot). I will go to Phayathai for the work!

I also vote for top loading Samsung. I have two of them, they run a lot of the time and never a problem.

Cost around 7k to 8k baht, shop around.

I acquired a giant food cooler in order to load up at Makro here in Bkk when I come to Pattaya........I think their frozen food selection is the best in Thailand and reasonably priced. I especially like the frozen fruit although certain fruits seem to come and go, but I have puchased apricots, peaches, blueberries and raspberries that I use in blender drinks for breakfast. Also for those who are weary of cocktail size paper napkins or the "see through" type so familiar to Thailand, Makro sells good quality farang-lap-size dinner napkins and is the only place in Thailand I have been able to find them. They also offer white cotton bedsheets and cases, hotel quality. I approve of the no bag policy and keep cloth bags in the boot of my car for transport. The Makro I frequent in Bangkok also has a special counter for TGM meat products at lower prices than Tops, Tesco and Carrefour, I hope for the same in Pattaya, will find out next week!

They are for medicinal purposes due to neck problems/relief

I've brought many such novelties into LOS over the years for Thai friends as gifts but have never had to open a bag at customs, just thought I'd deal with it if it happens, they seem only interested in booze and tobacco anyway.

On the other hand it did happen once at Panama City airport, the female customs agent yanked a dildo out of my bag and asked "what is THIS?" I replied in a very loud voice (loud voice is ok in Latin America) that I had just had a haemorrhoid operation and that was a therapeutic thing to keep the passage open whilst healing" which was way too much information for her, she dropped it quickly into the bag and sent me on my way.

didnoel, we drove from Bkk in our car, about 1.5 hours to K town, then .5 hr more to the resort. It was useful to have the car, we chose to see the falls nearby instead of Erawan and took the extra time to see the Thai film studio sets at Prommitr (www.prommitrfilmstudio.com) and found it interesting and a great place for fotos. Didn't see the Tiger Temple, just a personal decision. Maybe next time...........