besth

You can get them made to measure, Sukhumvit Soi 52, a bit out of the way, but they will install them for you and very good prices.

personally, i hate salt pools, i don't like the feel of the water. if i want salt water, i'll swim in the sea. chlorine feels fresher and cleaner to me.

also, i think salt pools are more expensive to run, a lot more electricity and maintenance on the gear

I too dislike salt pools.

The water doesn't feel clean, it feels a little bit sticky, the water doesn't have cristalline color like the chlorine pools, even the smell isn't as good.

That's my opinion as a user.

don't know about costs, but I believe salt pools are cheaper to run.

I was without a swimming pool for a long time (other than in the condo in Bangkok, but never use it) and now that I enjoy one again, chlorine maintained pools are a lot better than they used to be. hardly any smell, not aggressive to the eyes. As the previous posters have said, salt water pools are a lot cheaper to maintain, but don't feel as good. Check the fact that most hotels have them - and they sell them as more natural - but a lot less popular with private owners.

Just curious. I recently moved into a new house and there is an abandoned property in the moo ban, I went there to have a look. Hundreds of mosquitoes flying all over as i walked by. There is not one drop of water in the property. I thought they only lived near water?

As with so many absolute truisms, it is simply not true that food stalls (all food stalls) have no sanitary measures, nor that they are not patronized by Thais.

In Bangkok I would be happy to show you more than a dozen that are cleaner than many "proper" restaurants and most customers are office staff, mid class if you consider income (although I agree that there is no real class description here).

Sorry to go back on topic (it seems almost wrong), but I think the OP has a good point with his comment. When I was in Europe last Christmas, my nephews insisted in going to a Thai restaurant. The food was excellent - best masaman curry I've had in a very long time - and the price quite reasonable, but I remember I did resent a bit paying for it because it was, understandably, more expensive than it would have been here. I guess some cuisines are traditionally accepted as expensive, like French for example, others are not, without a good reason.

Do, as in claim for something, forget it. Not because TIT, in any country doctors would cover

their ineptitude with excuses of why they diagnosed wrongly (never accepting that the diagnose

was wrong).

Consider yourself and more importantly your friend, lucky that she got examined and properly

diagnosed at Bumrungrad. Hope she recovers completely soon.

Unless it is a strongly branded name, people in other countries can register the same company name. Most of the time that is done without any ill intention, simply the names are popular.

I have a radical idea!!!!!

How about the police enforce the regulations. Fine the people who break the rules, or even impound the vehicles.

Do you think it would work?

Following the rules? What a silly concept. You are not from this planet, are you?

Interesting that Uruguay seems to be a favorite for many people. I had only thought about it as some

sort of safe but not particularly interesting country. Obviously I need to learn a lot more about it.

Exception for the poster who thinks Pattaya has both an English and Thai pronunciation.

I'd say most posters with half a brain know there's more than one "correct" English interpretation of Pattaya. Note correct is in parentheses, because in reality, in the international community there is never one correct way to pronounce anything.

I agree and I would not dare to suggest there is only one correct way to pronounce it... If we get understood, that is enough for me.

Mispronunciation you <deleted>.

"Miss Pronunciation", I've been waiting to meet her. No doubt she's related to Miss Spelling.

What are my chances of meeting a Miss Adventure in Patts ? Haw haw haw - we could go on like this for days, but I fear that eventually my brain cells may grow back and I'll learn to control myself. And walk upright without dribbling - happy days.

I would also love to meet Miss Pronunciation, Miss Spelling (not Tory, she is ugly)

or Miss Adventure (although have had enough rubs with her so that she doesn't sound so exciting any longer).

If I remember correctly, the great Gerald Durrell had a book named First Class Ticket to Adventure. I wonder if he would have written something similar about first class ticket to pronunciation.

have you already tried hobby linc? expensive but they ship to Thailand.

I have received an email from the building managers in BKK saying to expect some short water cuts during those days.

Minimal storage (basic for toilets and that kind of needs) is recommended, drinking water as usual from bottles, not a big deal, it seems.

Maybe the OP would like to try Je Tum in Jomtien. Communicating what you want will be a struggle

(even in Thai), but they are very willing and eventually they will probably come up with what you asked

for. Give them a try. Very fresh product, not cheap but you get what you pay for.

JSixpack you are improving yourself every year.

I just hope you are wrong and the future will bring some sort of normality to us, but excellent work.

Myself I will enjoy that time in Bangkok again, same as last year, if the mobs allow it.

Yes, only in the evenings. I hope you enjoy them.

Quite a bit off topic, because it is not a restaurant in itself, but I don't think it is worth to open a new thread for it,

so I mention it here.

For those of us who like mussels (yes, those tasty filters of doom), there is a new(?) seller at the Rompo market

in Jomtien that cooks them for you as you wait. A bit of basil, a bit of chilli, tiny bit of water, their own juices.

Delightful as they come or with a bit of lime and/or a bit of homemade aioli (you make it). 60 Baht per portion,

if you want to make a dinner out of it, better buy 2.

When I bought my car, I knew what I wanted, I had sent a 3 different Thai people to check prices, discounts, etc.,

they all came back with the same numbers. I went to buy, didn't argue the price, got the same and the seller

threw in without even asking the same bits and pieces that have already been mentioned here. I guess the car

dealers are at least one step ahead of us.

I have heard of big discounts in top end cars and brands (BMW, Benz), but that is out of everyday people's league

and may be an urban legend as well, maybe what made you think about the OP.

Not many years away from retirement, I would love that Thailand is the right place, but I must admit

I have been considering alternatives too.

In Asia I definitely would like Vietnam, but who knows how easy/difficult it will be by then. Cambodia I

would explore, but less appealing.

In Europe, Spain, lived there for many years, have friends and family, speak the language, not that expensive,

all would be a big plus. Malta I only visited briefly a long time ago and is more appealing (the unknown I guess).

Nowhere in Africa appeals to me.

In America, I always thought Costa Rica. I spent a very nice short holiday there 20 years ago, so it has stayed in

the memories, but obviously it would take much more than that to make that kind of decision. I had also thought

about Panama, although never been there. Unexpectedly for me, recently a friend told me he is doing business

in Peru and very happy with the way it goes and the lifestyle there. I would never even have thought about it,

but I have it now in one of those places to go one day and consider.

A lot of information to be digested in this topic, but very interesting.

If it is Tapenade, which is what the title suggests also to me, Villa in Sukhumvit 33 usually has it (also from

green olives).

If it is any of the other 2 things AyG mentions, never heard they exist. A bit more information from the OP

might help to help.

(This probably would be better in the Western or International food? Definitely not Thai)

For whatever is worth, I have been stopped this morning - again - on the motorcycle on Second Road.

The usual check on tax, insurance and driving license. Then the policeman has asked to see my passport.

Not aggressively but quite firmly. I had it with me (I only started carrying it a few days ago after reading about

all this, never had for years) and have been sent on my way without any problems, but they seem to have instructions

to check.

It must be the flavor of the month, probably it will fade away soon.

Thai people do pay or do not pay? . If they don't pay, it s discrimination and illegal and this place must be shut down.

Villa also has both. Foodmart in Jomtien also.

Has anyone else noticed an increase in this as I indicated in the OP?

I have.

I have noticed the gay Iranians for years now, but recently seeing more obvious gay Russians and gay South Asians (can't really tell if from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, etc. though).

A question I have maybe someone can answer.

The other day I saw some really cool looking Russian lesbians wearing illegal in Russia gay propaganda accessories (rainbow stuff) and I really wanted to say something supportive to them, but didn't know what to say.

If they did speak at least some English (not sure) how would one politely express support to gays or lesbians coming from oppressed countries?

Unless you got into a conversation with them for some other reason, don't you

think that going to them to express support for what should be normal all over

the world, would defeat the purpose a bit?

Who knows, they might love it, but in an ideal world you wouldn't even have noticed them for the fact that they were lesbians. The fact that here they can behave like that might be what they look for. Next time try and let us know.

Regarding the OP, I think gays are already coming to Pattaya in big numbers.

They are a generally mid to high end spending group.

Suggesting TAT to promote that kind of tourism, considering their usual rate of "success" in their campaigns and new ideas... really?

My experience here is that menu prices are normally quoted gross - ie all in. The food would have to be exceptional for me to go back after seeing '7+10' added.

I think it is deliberately misleading and therefore dishonest. Like buying a new car and being charged extra for the wheels

So if the price all in on the menu is 234 baht you would go back. But if the price was 200 baht plus 10% plus 7% which works out to roughly 235 baht you would not go back even though it was marked on the menu that the prices were to be added.

Don't know now but when I left Canada they had a provincial tax added on at the bill plus a federal one on some items and if you bought six of them some did not get it. 30,000,000 Canadians got used to it.

When you come right down to the bottom line the people who add it on to the bill are being honest they are right up front with how much for their meal and how much for tax.

I much prefer when the listed price is the total price to pay, but I agree with you.

At the end of the day, what is important is the final price.

Specially with the 7% VAT, that is something that doesn't go into the business, they are just acting on behalf of the government, no reason for them to be seen as making that money.

The 10% service charge is different. Whenever that is added separately it means I am not given the option of choosing to leave a tip, or make it smaller. Also, the feeling that the restaurant owner may be pocketing some of it, as is the case many times, doesn't make me feel particularly happy.

That reflects into a 0 extra tip, which probably only hurts the staff.

Still, if the meal is good and I enjoy the experience, I will be back to those restaurants as long as the bottom line price is fair for me.