onzestan

dr oliver used to be on pattaya tai, his ads are in the paper and the tourist handouts. he'll do it or direct you.

Thank you for that - is Pattaya Tai an street name? Any idea of the correct address, a phone no. or e-mail?

Thanks agaian,

M&M

look here : http://www.dr-olivier-clinic.com/

Cheers

onzestan

A staff car pulls into the AOT executive parking lot.

And dressed as Farang too.........

I also noticed that there are NO visible cracks in the road

Cheers

Onzestan

No UK consolidator will offer this package. Does anyone know of a Dutch or German consolidator offering AMS-BKK? AMS is the only European hub which covers Bkk direct AND the budget airlines.

Try dutch website of China Airlines: http://www.china-airlines.nl/

They now offer AMS/BKK direct at Euro 645 (abt 440 pounds sterling) all included.

Cheers

Onzestan

Seriously your impessions are just that, impressions based on your limited knowledge and experience. Impressions are never right or wrong so hard to address with a logical explanation.

Have you flown all of these routes and carriers? How often? Over what time period? Can you support your impression with any relevant data?

If these remarks do not imply that I don't know what I am talking about, then I can't imagine what would.

Anyway end of story

Cheers

Onzestan

I have the impression that a lot of airlines use their oldest aircraft on the BKK route.

etc. etc.

I wonder why ?? Anybody with a logical explanation ??

Onzestan

"etc. etc." What does that mean? You have other examples?

And yes, it would help if you could share your impression of what defines "...their oldest aircraft..."

Seriously your impessions are just that, impressions based on your limited knowledge and experience. Impressions are never right or wrong so hard to address with a logical explanation.

Have you flown all of these routes and carriers? How often? Over what time period? Can you support your impression with any relevant data?

Carriers operate fleets of aircraft of varying age. Many factors affect specific airframe rotation throughout a route structure but age of the airframe is not one of these factors. It's absurd to suggest that carriers somehow go to great lengths to insure the oldest airframe serves a specific destination.

Carriers are constantly updating the interiors of aircraft, and across a fleet of 10 ~ 30 B747'es this can take upwards of two years. TG has 18 B747'es and has updated 12 to date. So some routes do get a dedicated subset of airframes to support consistent class of service amenities on a particular route. For example TG has the latest B747 interiors (10F/40J/325Y) on FRA (2X) and LHR (2X). (I flew FRA-BKK twice last year, both times on the same aircraft, "Chao Phraya". For BKK-FRA it was an evening departure so did not get a look at the aircraft name/number.)

TG's B747 fleet is 11.7 years old, as an average.

Carriers are also re-branding (new livery) aircraft, TG is of course in the middle of such an operation now. This can take a very long time. Airframes are not repainted based on age so I wouldn't assume old livery indicates an old airframe.

Generally speaking BKK is served by many carriers with long-haul, high capacity aircraft. It is a high-density, budget/mid-tier tourist destination, so many carriers offer service to BKK. B747'es make up a significant portion of these aircraft, and many of these have been in operation for a long time.

OK to make things perfectly clear (and forgive me if my english is not perfect)

I have been Emerald Member (and you have to fly allot to get that) with China Airlines for 4 years, (AMS) till their B747's looked like a dump with completely worn out seats, whilst their newest aircraft serviced other destinations.

I have tried EVA Air to Amsterdam in 2003 in their B747 same same as CI.

I have flown Emirates in 2003 business class is not worth the price plus Dubai will NEVER see me again but thats another story.

I am gold member with Gulf and they fly their unrefurbished and clearly very worn A340's on the Bahrain/BKK/Hong Kong route while the refurbished A340 service Australia via Singapore.

Between all this I have flown LH and TG same same

In the last 15 years I have flown return to europe nearly 100 times so I think I do have some experience.

Anyway in my original topic I clearly mentioned that it was my impression and never stated that it is a fact, so next time before you accuse me of not knowing what I am talking about please read my statement carefully.

Onzestan

p.s. Are you maybe affiliated to TG ?

I need to stay in Khon Kaen for a few weeks. Can anyone suggest a cheap hotel? (I don't mind fleapits so long as the fleas speak good English....)

Thanks

Simon

Hi Simon,

Go to : http://www.khonkaen.com/english/hotels/ they have them all.

Avoid Charoen thani Princess.

Regards

Onzestan

Working International and based in BKK I work both new and old aircraft. I have worked a 22 year old 747 to Amsterdam one week and 2 weeks later a 9 month old 747. I have yet to see a patern. Though as they replace the old with the new I find BKK is always the last to get the new aircraft full time and then by that time new aircraft/seating is being used on different routes. I think it has to to with cost.

Hi There,

Your experiences confirm more or less my point of view. By older aircraft I meant older seating type.

China airlines for example, their business seats, are a joke compared to Etihads B777.

Anyway I am convinced that the more succesfull a routing is, the less incentive to upgrade.

Regards

Onzestan

yesterday on Star Series they showed a very small Resort on top of a hill/mountain. has anybody seen it? I can't remember the name, but looked very nice, seems to be very quite up there.

I haven't seen it, but I guess it must be the :

Ingsila retreat & Spa between Chaweng and Lamaai

Cheers

Onzestan

I have the impression that a lot of airlines use their oldest aircraft on the BKK route.

This impression is based on my own experience and some of my friends.

Airlines in question :

EVA to and from AMS

CI to and from AMS

KLM to and from AMS

GULF to and from Bahrain

LH to Frankfurt

TG to Frankfurt

etc. etc.

I wonder why ?? Anybody with a logical explanation ??

Onzestan

Try Etihad Airways..... you may get a decent rate there as well if you fly with them. Office is listed on their website.. it's in M Thai Tower, All Seasons Place. The staff there are very helpful.

If you fly etihad and have a long stopover they used to put you in a hotel anyway

To be honest I'm a bit fedup with Etihad

First I booked to Brussels because that's the most convenient for my final destination, and also because Abu Dhabi/Brussels had the new A330 with flatbed in Pearl. (Thats imperative for me). Then they changed their routing Brussels is now not the transit port for their flights to Canada anymore but a destination in itself. Changed the aircraft used, to older planes without flatbed. So I changed my booking to Frankfurt because they use aircraft with flatbed on this route. Since then they have changed the timetable 3 times, and refuse to put me up in a hotel because I am booked for the evening flight with 13 hours transit in Abu Dhabi, and they claim that I have to take the next morning flight from BKK with only 1 hour transit in Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile I have allready paid for the ticket!!!!

I refused this because of 3 reasons i.e. 1 hour transit time makes it questionable for the luggage to make it, even if they are on time (which with Etihad is not a given). I am of a ripe age with limited physical condition, and I am unable to run in order to catch the connecting flight if necessary and last but not least, this connection would guarantee that on arrival in Frankfurt I would be exhausted and still have to drive about 400 kms with rented car to my final destination.

Anyway since they refuse to put me up in a hotel, and since the airport hotel is in the transit hall I would like to have a couple of hours of sleep, a nice shower, and breakfast before flying the 2nd leg, but once again I cannot find any website where I could book a room in advance i.o. to avoid any surprises on arrival at abt midnight..

Any help would be appreciated

Onzestan

Anyone have any recommendations as to what is the best way to get from Bangkok to Khao Lak?? Would renting a car be a good idea to make this trip? If so, approximately how long is the drive?

Thanks!

Another possibility is to rent a car or minibus with driver the you can relax and also stop where and wen you want.

Cheers

onzestan

I have made a complaint with the police and instructed them that I want the airport authority charged with theft.

Making ridiculous demands like that will only make them dismiss you with a laugh or rolled eyes. You need to be a little more sensible when asking for (not demanding) help.

Take this as a lesson learned. This doesn't only happen in Thailand. Never leave valuebles in your luggage.

It happens everywhere indeed, but that doesn't make it right. Stealing is against the law in every country, and I for one am gratefull for people that do not accept this and inform the police. If more people would act, maybe the police would do more, and maybe the culprits would be caught, and then maybe wannabee thieves would think twice.

The attitude of - never mind - is completely misplaced.

Onzestan

Hi There,

I have been trying to find a booking site for the Abu Dhabi airport hotel.

All I can find are telephone and faxnumbers, but would like to book through internet.

Anybody ????

Thanks

Onzestan

Does anyone know the daily fee for long term remote parking at the New Airport?

Go to following website : http://www2.airportthai.co.th/airportnew/s...ark.asp?lang=en

and have somebody thai translate for you. According my wife it's 140 baht per day with a maximum of 600 baht for 1 month.

cheers

onzestan

Not all their aircraft have the flatbed seats! Some do all the way through and some only half way through. Check at the time of booking as when your seat is booked they will know what aircraft is being used. I have seen the flight out of BKK to have the flat bed but the flight out of AUH not to have and vice versa on the return. Though all the seats are comfortable in Pearl Class this can be very annoying if you have been in the new flat seat and are changed to normal business class seat on the flight into CDG/LGW/FRA.

Exactly,

I know they use older versions of their A330 to Brussels and Paris, which do not have the flatbeds.

Etihad Bangkok confirmed me by email they use the newer A330 with flatbed to Frankfurt.

Now for me since anyway I have to hire a car on arrival, it is not so important where I fly to.

Frankfurt is 400 Km, Paris is 380 km to my final destination so not much difference.

For Brussels I know from a friend they use the older aircraft so this is out of the question

Anyway my original question was if anyone had flown the route Frankfurt to confirm they use the new A330's to this destination.

Thanks beforehand for any reply !!!!!

Regards

Onzestan

Totally agree with you Florin. There's no comparison in my mind between the two. Suvarnabhumi is far better. Lots of people here with loads of free time on their hands and like nothing better to do than complain. I'm also a very frequent traveller - been through Suvarnabhumi 12 times this month - and like anything new, it takes a little getting used to. So for the infrequent once-a-year travelers who don't like something new, their disapproval of the new airport is perhaps understandable. I think though that they are simply a vocal minority. There was a recent post about a survey of world-wide airports and Suvarnabhumi got 3 out of 5 stars, on par with LHR. And that was for last year, with the new opening and all it's problems affecting the results. Not bad I'd say for a new airport, and certainly shows that the general public does not feel the same as so many of the complainers on this board. I'd bet the same poll taken this year would rank it higher. It's certainly way better than LHR in my mind.

With regard to Mark's comments about the Rolls, yeah, maybe it was touted as being a Rolls and didn't deliver, that is if you believed the hype. I never believe the hype, so wasn't disappointed. But I think a more fair assessment would be the Thai government was promising a shiny new Rolls and delivered a nice, slightly used, Toyota, that needs some touchup. If you think Suvarnabhumi would be like a '59 bug, then Don Muang to me would be like an old bicycle with two flat tires.

I'm not saying the people complaining about the airport are wrong. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and certainly Suvarnabhumi isn't perfect. Maybe the few problems which seem minor to me, are of major importance to others and thus the complaints. My guess is that maybe 10% of the complainers are being totally honest in their complaints and that 90% of them just like to complain and Suvarnabhumi gives them an excellent opportunity to engage in their favorite pastime

Dear Soju,

I have but one problem with your posts. You seem to be better at wording my opinions than I am, but then again I presume that english is your mothertongue and for me I am a flemming from Belgium

Anyway keep up the good work

Onzestan

Given that the "I Hate Suvarnabhumi" threads here outnumber any other sentiment by probably 100 to 1, I think a poll is not necessary...for me, it's been faster, cleaner and better-looking than Don Muang.

I like the fact that I can eat a nice sandwich at New York Deli before departing, that the curbside dropoff is MUCH better designed than in Don Muang, and that the access road to the airport is a HUGE motorway and as such does not involve the traffic bottleneck I experienced many times in DM, etc. etc. etc. But hey, what would a forum be without a couple of fanboys and a million nitpickers? I just seem to notice that FREQUENT travelers are much less bothered by the new airport and that most negativity comes from the once/year travel crowd.

Exactly,

Having used suva a couple of times now, I must say that even if I don't like the colour scheme, the airport facilities are far better (newer) than at DM, but most importantly, coming from Pattaya it saves me a lot of time negotiating the traffic. Anyway, and this may start a new polemic, I have once read the following :

"The mark of intellectual honesty is the solicitation of opposing points of view."

I think that this quote sums up the purpose of this forum.

Regards

Onzestan

Hi there,

Once or twice a year I fly to europe, I have a choice between FRA, CDG and or AMS

Paramount for me is to have the best comfort possible i.e. flatbed seats.

Has anybody flown the route to Frankfurt with Etihad in pearl class, if so how was the comfort level of the seats in flatbed position ? Skytrax have no info on flatbeds from Etihad.

Thanks beforehand

Regards

Onzestan

I am usually departing from the E-area. Just before going through security you will find a coffee-shop/bar with a huge smoking room to you left.

Thanks Axel, much obliged

Onzestan

Hello There,

Except for the smoking rooms are there any bars/resto's/lounges airside where one could lightup.

I know it's unhealthy so please no comments on that issue. I'm too old to start changing my lifestyle !

Thanks beforehand for any usefull information.

Regards

onzestan

Its a hole of a town. I got stuck there four days... was terrible, sorry but thats the truth.

However when I got to the Islands was nice after all!

Thank you all, heading too trat this week and will give you a update on what I find.

Hi Retiredusn,

Further to my earlier reply here are some details about Suan Poo Resort :

Suan Poo Resort

199 Tambon Nongkansong., Muang, Trat 23000

Phone(1): 039-512-400 / Fax : 66-039-512-400

Rooms : 15

This place used to bee a shrimpfarm, then extended into woderfull seafood restaurant and since 3 or 4 years they also have accomodation including a nice swimming pool.

Go and have a look you"ll love the scenery.

Regards

Onzestan

p.s. i'm not affiliated to the resort but I love the place for it's wonderfull seafood.

Does anyone know of a good hotel in Trat?? Not the island's but Trat The Town.....................Thank You

Hi there,

I know Trat pretty well although my last visit was over a year ago.

As far as I know there are no decent hotels in the town.

About 5 km outside town there is the Suan Poo resort which is not to bad although expensive.

Not far from the covered market are a few guesthouses ru by expats, but I never stayed there so

no review possible.

Hope you find what you're looking for.

regards

Onzestan

There are touts at all airports and tourists attractions worldwide

What a f*****g liar you are. Give some examples to proof your point.

I've been in service management for almost 30 years and have seen more airports than hotel rooms cos very often I would leave a country the same day I'd arrived.

Looking forward to your selection of airports.

I don"t know a lot of airports but the ones that I do know have touts, try Paris CDG and Frankfurt.

Cheers

Onzestan

Hello All,

I am coming back to Chiang Rai and would like some recommendations for gifts that are not to expensive and that will not take up much space in my luggage. I would like to bring something for a Thai Women (friend and lover) and a Thai man (friend). I am in the U.S..

What would you bring for a couple of good friends?

Thank You

Michael

Hi there,

I always bring some nice perfume for the girl, no idea what to bring for the male.

Regards

Onzestan

Yep... might as well just shut down the Suvarnabhumi Airport Forum.....

at least until that catastrophic accident does occur.

Yep...great ideea, could keep all the moaners and whiners away. Once you get older, nothing new is a good news for you, you keep remembering how you were coming on Don Muang some decades ago and everything was cheap and your favourite wench was waiting for you and all the good times you had with hundreds of them while spending less for a 1 month holiday than you would spend in 3 days back home and all the army memories...few people will ever manage to get passed that, so moaning and whining about the new airport and all the work thousand of people put for it in the past 7 years might be a good start to cheer up...

Come on, even when you have new shoes, first you doubt about them, then you go complaining that they hurt yor feet and then, in time, you decide to declare them your favourite ones...We all know that the new airport has some problems, but even I am convinced that everything will be just fine, so wuit whining and complaining about it, this country has other more bigger problems than this

Exactly,

Nothing we can write here will change their minds. They have decided that the airport is bad, so let them vent their frustrations here and ignore them.

regards

Onzestan