law ling

RIP. Way too young to go at just 14. Just shocking. Yes, these deaths are a too common read here. It's a death, so gets reported. Could have survived, but in a wheel-chair for life ... which probably wouldn't have gotten reported.

1. Air con can be so frigid that I've had to move out of my second class seat and sit in third class. 2. Food and water services are hit or miss (plus I read now no alcohol). 3. I've had windows covered in adverts and could hardly see the countryside. 4. Hit or miss to find a western style toilet available.

From the OP: "The bribery involved payments totaling US$36.3 million” as is often the case here, you almost have to admire the scale of the corruption ... (... and the snail-pace of the investigation.)

Anyway, good to know that if the Thai authorities are looking for you, it's a piece of cake (apparently) to just slip into Cambodia.

... and don't forget the 5 D's: - double pricing - dangerous roads - disrupted pavements - dogs everywhere - dangerous ladyboys

Indeed. But note only to the end of this month. Be warned they break for an hour for lunch (I think 12-13). If you have a yellow vaccine booklet, they will fill it out there and then.

1. I remember someone here once gave a glowing report on Phang-nga (north of Phuket) - which I think has most of your requirements ... I've not been there, but you might investigate it. 2. Where ever you do end up, please report back here on what you found.

How to deal with soi dogs. (I'm still not on top of this.)

You're getting off topic, Sir ... but without limit, although I reach exhaustion first. Back on topic: budget living (at least in Pattaya) does require collecting a "gik" or two (or marrying one) - bar crawls, pub drinks, bar fines etc, will eat up funds very quickly.

Yes, once a week is enough for me (and if I ask nicely, she might even mop the floors before she goes).

Pattaya monthly expenses: Rent (incl WiFi): 7,000 Elect + water: 550 (don't use the aircon) Medicines: 2,000 Weekly: "Regular Visitor": 1,100 Tobacco: 1,000 Laundry: 40 Water delivery: 40 Cafes: 600 That's about 20,000/month. Do my own cooking. Don't drink. I'd find it hard to go over 40,000/month ... but yes, I don't do bars, massages, restaurants. But some needs are not cheap: fancy razor blades, deoderant, some western foods. And some irregular costs might push up the yearly average: dental especially, and medical.

Indeed ... as well as taking a B6 million bribe, as reported elsewhere today.

Yes, a very strong, unambigious denial from the police ... so it must be someone else ...

Yes, very unfair if he paid the asking price, but was not released. Wonder what will happen to those involved ... we rarely hear the tail-end of these stories. And where will the B6m end up.

RIP Sir. When I read these stories, I think of my phobia: snakes (likewise for the guy found dead in a field behind a hotel a few days ago).

Yawn. Anyway, good luck to them. That's a lot of grand words, concepts and ideas .... but I suspect it's only put forward to justify and get their budget - and once the budget is approved ... we'll see. Pity there's no plan to move on the soi dogs.

Quite a few issues raised in the OP ... but I'm not happy to read that pilots are being pressured to speed up their take off procedures - I'd say it's safer to let pilots take as much time as they want at such a critical time.

Yep, nice work if you can get it. I wonder if all committee members get an allowance.

Well, it's better than the usual hazing story ... which involves a witless newcomer being beaten up ... sometimes until dead.

Indeed, it's "buyer beware" when ordering food delivery.

Well done on Chang Mai's success! It also sometimes wins "the world's most air-polluted city" too!

A crafty con: I suspect the victims were truly trying to not get in trouble with the police (re the "drugs" in the box) - rather than having any thought at all of hoping to profit from the box's contents. It's one's worse nightmare to have drugs planted on you.

Well, Thais would know if it's B21 value or not - and if not, I hope the anti-corruption PM steps in and has a total shake-up of the system - so the kids would get better lunches for two or three weeks ... before it slips back to normal.

Yes, a shocking story. I still get the creeps as the baht-bus swings past the place. (Was reported on these very pages, a few months ago, that the same place had an incident with smoke ... and if my memory is correct, the smoke-detectors were found to be not working.)

1. Credit where it's due: Well done to the police. 2. Luckily these snatch theives usually don't carry a weapon - otherwise the staff could be at much greater risk. 3. A criminal record like that (where I'm from) seriously restricts getting a government job and prevents visas to certain countries ... so is no small matter. 4. The crew-cut aspect is neither here nor there ... but helps us differentiate these fools from the others: "the guy who left his wallet behind" ... " "the guy whose bike number-plate fell off" ... 5. Wonder if he'll do serious jail time.