onzestan

Don't know if you live in Thailand or outside the country. Makes a big difference.

Concur.

If you live in Thailand I would say it is near to impossible unless a lot of under the table, and extended help from your embassy.

cheers

onzestan

Before anyone gloats about the Stansted police, 54 protesters or a couple of thousand, that's a BIG difference.

Not that I condone the PAD actions. Just trying to keep everything in perspective.

cheers

onzestan

and think it shows an insite into the Thai Psyche....they do judge a book by its cover..

And if I may ask, where did you get the idea that westerners do not ??

When I walk in a shopping mall with my Thai wife, in my home country, you should see the look on the faces of many passersby,

double and triple checks of passports at European airports etc. etc..

Anyway, I believe that hotel managements have to right to have their own pricing policies, based on whatever experiences they may have had, it's up to the customers to accept these policies or not.

cheers

onzestan

The fact that the protests at the airport were so incredibly well managed and that no damage was done shows just the opposite about the PAD.

So the police cleared the roads and let them in , just as they gave free access to all the food and supplies that they needed?

Bizarre!

Nothing bizarre about it. The whole incident has the earmarks of a military operation (without the uniforms).

Orders from above maybe ??

cheers

onzestan

Have you been to a resturant early. The say that they are open, but need another 10 mins, but we may sit and wait first. They even allow us to order first. However, our food did not arrived until 1.5 hours later.

Wow how funny

Anything wrong with having some hope ?

onzestan

Onzestan - hope to see you at the airport if Gulf make the same announcement.

Hi Chaimai,

I'll be at the airport the 9th at Qatar check-in at 5 p.m.

What time does Gulf check-in?

cheers

onzestan

Let's not fool ourselves please.

It was a well orchestrated event, and probably King Power is a PAD sponsor, and told them : " don't touch my shops".

The fact that nobody (including security and immigration police) did anything to stop PAD should be put in it's right context.

Orders from above !!!!

cheers

onzestan

Have you been to a resturant early. The say that they are open, but need another 10 mins, but we may sit and wait first. They even allow us to order first. However, our food did not arrived until 1.5 hours later.

Wow how funny

Anything wrong with having some hope ?

onzestan

Onzestan - hope to see you at the airport if Gulf make the same announcement.

Well I'm not holding my breath anyway, can easily rebook for later date if necessary, however that would mean rebooking rental car, hotels etc. in Europe also. Pain in the a.. but not to big a hurdle as far as my trip is concerned. I was thinking of other passengers who might have a lot more problems than I do.

cheers

onzestan

Have you been to a resturant early. The say that they are open, but need another 10 mins, but we may sit and wait first. They even allow us to order first. However, our food did not arrived until 1.5 hours later.

Wow how funny

Anything wrong with having some hope ?

onzestan

Here's the notice from Qatar's website.

http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/bangkok-alert.html

Since I should have flown on dec. 1st, and rebooked for dec. 9th, I hope that I can fly next week.

cheers

onzestan

I'm not allowed to open a new topic on this forum, so I'll post it here.

According to the Belgian newspaper I read daily, the PAD have authorized the transfer of 37 stranded aircraft to other airports.

51 aircraft are still blocked.

I guess that the aircraft released are Thai Airways and will be used to evacuate stranded tourists.

Here's the link for those who understand Dutch. http://www.gva.be/nieuws/buitenland/defaul...1-3F710ECBE775}

cheers

onzestan

thai got no diamond , little oil in bound , low minieral resources , is not a slave country ,

sorry Nato will not come whhaha -

NO MONEY NO ACTION

On top of that the airports are closed. How would they come in

onzestan

On my last visit earlier this month I asked the friendly lady at the desk if the online reporting was functional.

She just looked at me, smiled, and shrug her shoulders so I don't think it will be implemented soon.

BTW Thai driving license is OK as proof, if not, copy of a utility bill with your name and address on it.

cheers

onzestan

I do agree with the number of inane posts on TV that are simply there to ridicule people or are just plain asinine, and that was the reason I stopped posting here for quite a while, but I just can't buy your argument that the OP is someone who feels threatened and in need of a weapon for self defense.

If you cannot understand that a person who has carried a gun for thirty years professionally, and having been in daily contact with the darker side of humanity, feels uncomfortable without it, then I rest my case.

cheers

no malice intended

onzestan

Not a day goes by without nearly everyone on this board shouting how dangerous Pattaya has become.

Then someone asks about legitimate self-defence and out come the same bunch condemning this person.

Oh dear Oh dear Oh dear.

onzestan

I think it's the "gun-toting for 30 years" macho approach and the OP expressing his desire to carry one around Thailand that people are generally ridiculing.

Besides, the vast majority of us cope quite well leaving the house everyday without a weapon -- relying on common sense and street smarts to stay away from touble. Although I've never given many cops credit for much common sense, surely they should have enough street smarts to see potential problems and be able to avoid them. Pointing out to others that theft and voilent crimes are on the rise, especially in places like Pattaya, is different than agreeing that arming oneself is the right thing to do.

The keyword is self-defense. I'm not talking about arming oneself to the teeth.

Some people don't have street smarts, some people feel the need to have some protection and I was merely pointing out that shouting about danger on the one side and then condemning people that feel threatened and want to have protection on the other side is not very neighbourly.

I agree that OP could have formulated his request in a more civilized manner but that's not the point isn't it.

You can't ask anything on this forum without being ridiculed in one way or another.

onzestan

Not a day goes by without nearly everyone on this board shouting how dangerous Pattaya has become.

Then someone asks about legitimate self-defence and out come the same bunch condemning this person.

Oh dear Oh dear Oh dear.

onzestan

I may be wrong on this one, but I always believed that making the customer pay the 3% fee is against the rules of

credit card companies.

correct me if I'm wrong.

cheers

onzestan

Thanks James

But a bit more specificity would help

As bkkjames said no comparison.

I used to fly Gulf but after 2 disastrous travels not anymore. I prefer Etihad en Qatar now.

Qatar is just a little bit cheaper but has reclining flatbed seats in business whereas Etihad has fully flatbed,although a bit narrow.

Dedicated lounge in Doha (Qatar)is excellent (separate building). Lounge in Bahrain (Gulf) is not to bad but in the old building which is a bit shabby.

Service on board with Qatar is excellent, much much better than with Gulf.

In short Qatar is 5 star and Gulf is 2 star.

The choice is yours.

cheers

onzestan

Anyone flown to Hanoi (from bangkok) lately?

Am heading over for a holiday in Jan and looking for best flights/price or company. Have seen tickets from 6000bt return to 19000bt return

cheers

Cheapest fares are Vietnam Airlines starting at 3900 ++ for 15 days advance purchase, but for peace of mind I would take Air France at 5400 ++

Just google massic travel.

cheers

onzestan

it wasnt too hard no,but slightly pointless as i dont see how it helps any other members whereas informing of crime/scams and all the bad things that happen here would help newbies/tourists and keep them on their toes and might stop it happening to them.

I absolutely disagree with this one.

Whenever I told newbees to avoid a certain place, that's where you would find them on their first night out.

It is my experience that negative reporting has absolutely no effect on people, and if any then it's just the opposite.

Anyway as my father used to say, experience is the best school.

cheers

onzestan

Sorry cant seem to upload the flv file

cheers

onzestan

A bit like international friendlies, not needed nor wanted.

It maybe not needed but try and tell that to all the fans that turn up on a Tuesday/wednesday night to watch the match, i think its a discrace i really do..they all get paid shit loads to play football and they cry about having to play mid week aswell..the whole idea of proffesional sportman is or should be there will to win every time they get competitive, fans turn up and pay good money to match the 1st team play not the reserves who are crap the 1st team, most team especially the top four have enough 1st team players to field 2 full strength teams so there is no excuse..

Well I think the Arsenal Babies put a dent in that theory didn't they.

Also I read in an Arsenal blog that ticket prices were indeed reduced.

cheers

onzestan

I am traveling to Thailand again in 2 weeks and for the 1st time my girlfriend is going to be meeting me at the airport. However i have had a slight memory block and am un-clear of the location of the actual meeting point as the only map i have found seems to be confusing.

She will be getting a Taxi there what is the best Door number for her to aim for? Also am i remembering correctly that she just then needs to go down one floor from a standard escalator and then hang around near Door 3 on the 3rd Floor (the check-in floor being the 4th according to the map i found anyway).

I did try and search before posting so i apologize if i missed a duplicate topic.

Mike

Meeting point is on the 3rd floor (where the walking bridges to parking lot are) exactly in the middle.

Look here : http://www.airportthai.co.th/airportnew/sun/map3.asp?lang=en

hope to have helped

cheers

onzestan

Flanders remembers !

onzestan

Does anyone know how I can book a seat on a train from Paris to Bordeaux (and connect to a local line) from here in Bangkok?

I shall be arriving at Gare du Nord on April 2nd and need to get down to Bordeaux on the 3rd.

Any advice is appreciated.

www.sncf.co.uk/

cheers

onzestan

get rid of all the empty space between lines .... and it wouldn't be a long thread.

I don't agree !!! There would be just as many words

cheers

onzestan