samtam

I have heard that if you take celery seeds it can reduce the pain of gout. Unfortunately I have not been able to find them here, but if you know of someone coming to visit from abroad, maybe ask them to bring some.

No, not to me. Which bank's ATM? The note-counting pay-in machine of UOB ate my card when it didn't like the 1000 baht notes with the new silver security strip. (This has since been resolved, but not before having to rush into the branch to get them to open up the machine and verify my cash.)

Lopburi3 thanks for all your help thus far. Regarding the funds on deposit with local Thai bank, do these have to be in a standard savings account, or can it be on three month deposit? (I've read something about this recently, but I can't find it, so my apologies if it's repetitive.)

Looks good. My experience at this coffee shop was not a good one. Food fine, but the farang (manager and female assistant) staff were awful; they spent the entire time staring at my lunch guest and me, which I found very off-putting.

Thanks. If it's a joint account for the two applicants, can this work if there is THB1.6 million in there for the three months?

We have non-immigrant B visas granted out of UK consulate. Can these be used for Retirement? If not can the requisite (which one?) non imm visa be issued from UK consulate? and the forms photos passport etc submitted in Bangkok? Where do you submit everything in Bangkok? How long does process take?

Thanks a lot.

Can someone please point me in the right direction for application/requirements for a retirement visa for a) British (50 in March 2007) Japanese (53)?

Thanks

Taxi meter (approxTHB200 to downtown) + tolls THB65 + airport surcharge THB50

That really is the dark side

I gave up my career in one of the largest banks in the world to live together with my partner. It was a truely scary and defining moment. We just celebrated our 21st anniversary last week. I do not regret my choice for one single second. These sorts of decisions do tend to concentrate the mind.

I had a problem with UPS. They mis-delivered and it wasn't sorted out for several weeks. They didn't really think that was their problem.

Aoi in Emporium building, (not the one in Paragon).

Not is Sukhumvit I know but:

The Japanese restuarant in Pan Pacific,

The two Japanese restaurants in Charn Issara Bldg Rama IV, The Japanese restaurant above Isetan - 5fl

It aint

What about,

'I could care less if my girlfriend left me'

I would say that was American English. In English we say "couldn't care less". Similarly we say " getting off the train", whereas Americans say "getting off of the train". We say "he was really pissed off", whereas Americans say "he was really pissed", (which to us means he was drunk). I say tomato, you say tomayto....

Canned Salmon

Organic Crisps/Chips

Try Tops Silom Complex

Wilko's reply is comprehensive and I would agree with all the bits I recognised. We stayed recently - 3 weeks ago - in Koh Chang at the Amari. Very nice hotel, if perhaps a bit pricey, but I can't fault it. The beach on which it is sited (Klong Prao) is deteriorating rapidly, (but the bit in front of Amari has had additional sand deposited, so it is very pretty). The rest of Klong Prao is not, and the tide is high during the day, so you cannot walk along it, except in the evening or at night. It was my first visit to KC, and I had hoped that I would find a good alternative to Phuket and other resorts. Sadly, I would not go back, because of the overbuilding, general trashing of the place. There is a lot of land clearance, and then it seems to be left in a complete mess.

Tim207's answer sounds exactly the same as my own experience. For many years I have suffered from deafness after geeting a bout of cold. Then last year I had several colds one after the other, and I began to worry that my immune system was very weak. I went to see the ENT specialist at BNH in Convent and was relieved to know that my immune system is fine, and that I sinusitis, (as described by Tim207). I was given some antibiotics, (and I too hate taking these things), but it has cleared up the problem, and I have had no recurrence.

Regarding deafness, this used to take about 6 weeks to clear and I found inhaling eucalyptus oil in hot water helped clear the sinuses.

Very frustrating, I agree, and you have my sympathies. But if you're in Bangkok, try BNH's ENT department.

Maybe you never thought you'd see me write this.....but I agree with you wholeheartedly!

As any classical economist will tell you, prices of goods and services are NOT set by the seller. They are set by a dynamic interplay of seller's desire, buyer's interest, alternatives etc.

The fact that food outlets are charging high prices tells me only one thing. The market can bear those high prices and a natural price equilibrium has been found.

If those prices were too high, ipso facto sales would drop and the vendors would need to reduce prices to meet their natural level.

It ain't rocket science.

It's called a CARTEL: an agreement among two or more firms in the same industry to co-operate in fixing prices and/or carving up the market...particularly common when there is an OLIGOPOLY:

when a few firms dominate a market. Often they behave together as if they were a single monopoly...., or they may collude informally.

In any case, I was simply stating what it cost me for some items on a menu at a restuarant in the new airport. Whether THB780 is high for the items mentioned is of course up to individual means, and certainly in many major airports, of which Suvarnabhumi is one, these prices are on a par. Compared to prices in downtown Bangkok, they are highly inflated, and I've no doubt the differential is greater than say in London city, and a London airport. I did not have the choice of going back to downtown Bangkok, having checked in; I am merely making an observation about prices. If you see that as a criticism of the new airport, which you have repeatedly inferred you do not agree with, then so be it. Let's agree to differ, as I see from other threads you're like an attack dog on anyone who makes any criticism, (constructive or otherwise) of any aspect of the airport.

Nothing through CAT, (all internet services) is reliable. The speed system cannot be consistent. That said, True are as OK as many others.

Why are people using the price of tea or food in the airport's outlets as a weapon to attack it?

Surely it's up to the individual food stalls to determine their own pricing policy and I would imagine they would do no more than apply the fundamental laws of economics to their pricing - ie, charge as much as they can get away with to a captive audience. It has nothing to do with the airport.

Incidentally, I note that the well known chains (Burger King, Black Canyon Coffee etc) are charging exactly the same price at the airport as they do any other location around the country.

Why not blame the price of airtickets on the airport too?

It's the same principle.

The price of very ordinary food outlets, (excluding the international chains you favour), is indeed part and parcel of the airport in which market forces have little or no effect, as there are no alternatives. Similarly the overpriced limousine services and the King Power cartel. You may want everyone to say only good things about the airport, or features related thereto, but my reason for writing was merely to point out an experience. In another thread I praised the taxi system, which I noted now runs very efficiently.

I agree with that order, as the river hotels (Peninsula & Shangri-la) can get very snarled up with traffic in the evenings, although you do have the option of getting the Skytrain. If you're a first time visitor, the river hotels are probably the more interesting. As a resident of Bangkok, I wouldn't live near the river, for traffic reasons. If you want other excellent options to the three you've mentioned, try The Sukhothai, (next to Banyan Tree), and the Four Seasons, which is close to very good shopping.

Getting used to this monolith. Still not hugely impressed, but it works, however irritating and unsettling it is. Made the mistake of using one of the restaurant outlets - Mango Tree (I think?) - two fried rices, 1 Thai fishcakes, 1 iced coffee, 1 iced tea THB 780.00! Yikes.

Just took at taxi last night at about 10.15 pm to Sathorn. No queue. Cost THB207 + 65 toll + 50 "surcharge". It took about 25 minutes. Highly impressed with efficiency.

Am I being too picky? My wife and I normally fly out to BKK three/four times a year, and have flown on many different carriers, despite the fact that it means losing out on the convenience stakes, flying from an airport less than thirty minutes away, cannot envisage flying KLM again!

Don't know about KLM, but their partner Air France has some serious issues to resolve, and maybe since the two joined Air France's art of nonchalance has become part of the training for KLM. They have one of the worst check in facilities I have experienced, (at CDG and others), and their flight attendants are filled with Gallic indifference, especially in economy. On Business they do display a touch of grace, but only fleetingly. In economy the glorious repast, (a white bread sandwich that you used to buy at Don Muang when you were really desparate), was served as one might throw a frisbee. But as a state airline, I suppose there is little incentive to change.