rgs2001uk

Tanya Park Mall north of Onnut has upscale restaurants as well. Phanttanagan has many nice place close to Stinakarinda road. Paradise Park Mall has lots of good restaurants. All easy to find.

Tanya Park Mall

Just for your information, your mrs can re new her Thai passport here, on the second floor.

To the OP, I dont know where you live, I am just back from Pattaya after 3 nights, its DEAD.

I am well aware of the bars on 2nd Rd, they were empty.

From riches to rags, I was at the Hilton cocktail lounge (34th floor) it was heaving from 5-8, BARGAIN, 2 for 1, worked out about 160 baht per cocktail.

Drink up and head for the cocktail carts parked outside Central, yes they were heaving.

The internet and toursits reviews are killing the place.

To Rags, was sat in Big C food court today, some guy supped 3 big Archa bottles of beer before 1 in the afternoon, no doubt living the dream.

Pattaya is what it is.

Is that a nightly happy hour. whats the dress code ?

Yes nightly, I was wearing shorts and a polo shirt.

The cocktails are priced about 330 baht, buy 1 get 1 free.

To the OP, I dont know where you live, I am just back from Pattaya after 3 nights, its DEAD.

Yawn. Same "discovery" as 7 years ago. The "terminal" part seems to be taking a while, though. Or are we exhuming the dead again?

. . . I arrived home yesterday from Pattaya, so thats about up to date as I can be. . . . Pattaya dead, dont know if rigour mortis has set in just yet, but its certainly in terminal decline.

Poor choice of language, I was using the word dead in the colloquial sense of quiet or empty.

My findings were based on the following, how much traffic there was in town and how long its takes to drive along Suk Rd, both were almost empty.

The amount of foot traffic, again, almost none, the empty baht buses crawling at a snails pace looking for non existant customers.

How busy Central is, including food court.

And finally the amount of empty bars I noticed.

Its not a scientific survey an no doubt others will have differing criteria with which to measure.

Non business owner, the place was DEAD.

Wonderful Beer Bar on 2nd Rd DEAD.

The above is used as an example but represents many other bar beers.

To the OP, I dont know where you live, I am just back from Pattaya after 3 nights, its DEAD.

I am well aware of the bars on 2nd Rd, they were empty.

From riches to rags, I was at the Hilton cocktail lounge (34th floor) it was heaving from 5-8, BARGAIN, 2 for 1, worked out about 160 baht per cocktail.

Drink up and head for the cocktail carts parked outside Central, yes they were heaving.

The internet and toursits reviews are killing the place.

To Rags, was sat in Big C food court today, some guy supped 3 big Archa bottles of beer before 1 in the afternoon, no doubt living the dream.

Pattaya is what it is.

Soi LK Metro always popular with Brits and many Falang owned businesses. I agree with the poster below who says

Without actually counting there must be around a dozen agogos in the soi that vary in quality but with the majority continually proving popular.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/920983-the-changing-face-of-pattayas-lk-metro-by-the-pattaya-sleuth/

I believe you have to take the opinions of JT with a grain of salt because he didn't make it in Thailand and has to go home if his other posts are any indication. A better source would be the Inspire group who actually works in Thailand.

LK Metro was busy the last time I visited a few months ago. I have found that some places are busy and some are not.

For those old timers, do you remember Pattaya Land soi one and two. This area had about 8 gogo bars and the streets were crazy with punters every night. The bars were packed for a few years and then just like that it started to die and now it is dead ... The hot spots change every 7 to 10 years and Soi LK Metro will follow history. I just wonder where the next hot spot will be ?

For those old timers, do you remember Pattaya Land soi one and two.

I rememebr them well, that placed stared dying by greed about 16 years ago when the Anzac Hotel forced out due to the rental increase.

Remember Daves GB Bar when it first it was on Beach Rd,then moved to PL, then moved to nakon nowhere on Second Rd?

Where is Palmers Bar now?

Its the rentals these guys have to pay that kills them, not the lack of customers, strange isnt it, the Thai owned places are still going..

Not mentioned above about PL 1 & 2 was when BoyzTown bars from PL 3 started creeping in.

I suggest you read up on Thai law.

The husband will be held responsible for the Thai wifes loans, vice versa.

Thats for free.

Nothing anti farang in it, its the law.

^^^^ I went to 7 today, I bought my usual crap, they asked me to fill in a questionaire, I left the purchases on the counter and headed for Tesco Express, no questions asked.

For me there are no "drawbacks" and I believe this to be a "troll" topic which will, of course, attract "low class farang" comment.

Having to fill in endless questionaires which ultimaltely make no difference to my stay here.

This is a prime example.

Signed, low class falang.

My thai gf first application for visit visa (now my wife) several years ago where I was the total sponsor and no supporting funds from her.... was that the current account had to indicate regular monthly income for the past 12 months or you had to have savings of something like £50k-£60k in a savings account for a previous 12 month duration rather then just showing a lump sum recently transferred into an account.

It's not clear from you question whether the 20000 thb your fiance earns is paid directly into her bank account each month and then subsequently taken out, as if she submitted 12 months worth of bank statements it should clearly show 20000 thb going into her account around the same period each month.

With regards to the £2.5k you were contributing, they say there was no proof of where the £2.5k was coming from and sounds like none was submitted, other then your word? I actually purchased the plane tickets and submitted proof of purchase of said tickets as part of visa application and also showed proof of where my gf was staying in the UK when she came to visit.

In terms of the actual application they are looking for:-

1. She can support herself financially whilst in the UK (whether that be by her own means or with your assistance) and require physical proof of that. This is to satisfy the officer reviewing the visa submission that she would be a low or no risk to becoming a burden on the UK benefits system.

2. Proof of where she will be staying for the month whether that be hotel, accommodation, parents place etc....

3. Proof of travel/return ticket with dates

Unclear as to whether you will be staying at your parents home or friends or relatives home, but if you are would suggest you get the people whose place you are staying at to write a letter of invite to your fiancee welcoming her and yourself to stay with them whilst she is in the UK. Obviously if you are staying in paid accommodation Hotel, BnB etc... you will have to show proof of purchase of accommodation for dates within the period of her stay in the UK.

The visit visa application is very much a tick box exercise where the Visa application reviewer looks at the responses to each question and for them it is very black and white no grey areas... it is either Yes or No. Whilst you or I might think we should have got a Yes to a question they can invariably say No with no shades of grey taken into consideration at all. My gf visitor visa she got first time but 2 subsequent Fiancee visas got rejected on what I consider pretty unfair marking, the second time of rejection I sought legal guidance about appealing and it would have taken up to 6 months to go to court, cost loads of money and no guarantee over overturning the result.... so in fact it was cheaper to reapply for a third time with legal help and she passed. In terms of appealing against the result .... not worth it for a visitor visa just reapply and hopefully you will get a tick in all the right boxes next time. Good luck

How could she ever have actually become a 'burden on the UK benefits system' during a one-month period in the UK ?

How could she ever have actually become a 'burden on the UK benefits system' during a one-month period in the UK ?

Look up the term, health toursits to the UK.

Not so long back the UK was the destination of choice for people of other Asian countries to come on holiday and give birth in UK hospitals at the taxpayers expense.

Cities are like sharks. If they don't keep moving forwards, they die.

The best thing about Bangkok is that it's constantly reinventing itself. Why cling to the past?

I dont see cities such as Quebec, Montreal, New York, London, Paris etc reinventing themselves, and to this day they still prosper.

Maybe we should tear down Buck House and turn it into another shopping mall.

Lose your history and heritage, lose your soul.

^^^ personally i dont give a "kee", if you want to see the future of Bkk head to Jakarta.

Context is essential. Thai is very ambiguous. When I started learning Thai and asked native speakers for the meaning of a phrase inevitably they replied with: who said that, where, when? I thought: does it matter? But soon found out that in most cases it does.

I got answers like: if the person who said this was sad it means X but when he was happy it means Y.

Also here context might give some clues although in the end most of us farangs can only translate word by word at syntax level and then give their personal interpretation of the overall meaning at semantics level. Semantics level is where it gets complicated and even chances are that if you ask two native Thai speakers that they come up with two different translations/interpretations.

Context is essential.

A lot of truth in what you say.

I can listen to two Thais talking and not understand a word of what they are talking about, for the simple reason the situation was never expalined.

คำถาม, ไปไม่?

ตอบ, ไม่ไป

I can understand what is being talked about, but I have no clue as to whether its in the past or the future,

it will only be understood between the people talking.

would that pre-date the Nana Disco, which is now operating as EQ Bar?

Yes it was there before the nana hotel and the manhattan check the pics

http://checkinn99.com/pdfs/2-art.pdf

Beats the hell out of tatty a go go's and overpriced hotel spots

Beats the hell out of tatty a go go's and overpriced hotel spots

The heart and soul of Bkk was ripped out about 20 years ago.

Chinese shophouses, no more, wooden Thai style house, no more, klongside living,no more.

Petchaburi Rd, no more.

Issan Darling, no more.

Dara Cafe, no more.

Washington Square, no more.

Prakhanong Cinema, no more.

All being replaced by bloody shopping malls and condos.

I have seen the future of Bkk, it aint pretty, its called Orchard Rd Singapore.

A totally soulless place devoid of character.

For a look into the past, head to Sam Rong, get there quick before the bloody skytrain gets there and destroys the place.

Also thank you for your responses. I appreciate all advice, input, and constructive criticism. I'm 23 years old by the way if that helps. I have a girlfriend too, who I've been with for around 3-4 months now, so that's another thing I need to consider, she's Thai.

Forget the girlfriend she is just that, a girlfriend,

As the Thais say, not my family not my problem.

Good place to live or good place to work?

What skills do you have?

What do you have to offer?

Coming over here to throw your future in the bin.

I learned along time ago on here not to mention salary, too many haters and jealous types.

Get a proper education and job, and get sent here on a MNC contract.

Seen it way too many times here, guys wasting their time, by the time they wake up its too late.

There is more to life than earning 80k per month as a TEFLr.

If you want to live for today, go for it, if you think about the future, go elsewhere.

Can't see the benefit of moving from Lop Buri province to any of the places you've stated.

May as well head to one of the bigger cities in Issan Khon Kaen or Udon Thani if you want opportunity.

Concur, persoanally I would rather live in Lop Buri than the 3 places mentioned.

If he wants golf and opportunity, head to Ayyutahya.

I know the area you talk about very well.

First question, is it about finding jobs for her family?

If so forget it.

Pak Chong and Khao Yai are two of the most more hyped, over priced and over rated places north of Bkk, much loved by property types, in all honesty, nothing special.

In all honesty, Korat is a dump,

What is it you want?

Better going to Bangkok, north of the city, Chiang Mai, or Pattaya area (Bang Saen).

If you must go to Korat, suggest you head for Pak Thong Chai, just south of Korat, Rooks golf course is just up the raod.

Not mentioned, naam teuam korat, that means flooding to you and I, not mentioned lack of water in korat, not mentioned the bloody heat and dust.

Korat, no thanx, much better places in Thailand to live.

Too be honest, I really cant understand why you picked out these 3 places.

Do you live in Thailand full time, or are you a FIFO type of guy?

"Today while waiting for a bus to get back home I saw a bunch of Thai ladies flagging a cab and getting flat out refused by I'd say 80% of the drivers".

That 80% figure is meaningless without knowing how many taxis were involved.

"If you are an Indian customer it's much worse. You'd have to negotiate the price."

Says who? Did you witness the much worse situation of Indians having to negotiate the price? Why is it much worse for Indians to have to negotiate than Thai girls?

I have seen severe racism against Indians in Bkk. One example: I went to one of those money changer windows on the street on SUkumvit. I changed a 100 dollar traveler's check. No problem, quick and easy. Behind me was an Indian man. He was well dressed and very polite, almost self effacing. When I was finished with my transaction and the Indian stepped to the window, the woman inside simply pretended he was not there. He politely spoke to get her attention, she still acted as though he was invisible. She just looked down at her paperwork, and scribbled on it as though there was nobody at the window.

Thais tend to have severe racist attitudes.

Really?

I don't see any political parties dedicated solely to the repatriation of non-Thais like there are in Europe.

I don't see gangs of them roaming around lynching farangs

They don't strike me as overtly racist compared to other nationalities like, say, Brits or Italians

Stick around a bit longer, learn the language and watch the news.

You will be aware of the racist terms they use for each other?

Yeah, London beats Bangkok for eye candy for sure.

What????????????????????????

Yep. By some distance, I might add.

Everyone is entitled to his opinion.

Personally I prefer New York, London, Paris and Sydney.

Bkk wouldnt even enter my top 20.

Craft beer , over rated, over priced, trendy rubbish. with a poncy label making you think its great.

suckers.

Chang out shines them all.

Chang has been emasculated now it's down to 5% from 6.4 and the smaller bottles. Cheers Riceberry is not bad but only 5% as well, agree about craft beer, stupid description for beer snobs.

When ever I read the term "craft beer" two words spring to mind, home brew.

Thanks lads, need to make sure the tones are correct, we all know about the "moi" jokes.

A knew one for me a while back was,เมาสี, meaning a builder who was high on paint fumes

You forgot to mention the slapheads who think by growing a pony tail it disguises their baldness.

You forgot to mention Harley riders.

You forgot to mention "Tuna" drivers.

You forgot to mention those idiots who wear bandanas to hide their baldness.

Checked the visa today, it is valid from, intended date of travel, NOT date of issue, only mention this because I have seen this question asked before.

It is appropriate for them to question missing documents but not much more.

How would VFS staff know about missing documents?

From what I read on the website, its says submit documents applicable to your application.

The ECO will make the decision based on the ..........

It may have been a poor choice of language I have read on here of people saying their partners were interviewed, the mrs told me it was more like small talk, not an interview as such.

By everything photocopied I mean, no originals were handed over, photocopies of all paperwork.

As a side note, the passport came in a sealed envelope that contained all the documents submmitted, I am sure the last time we just picked up the passport and the supporting documents came later by post.

All in all a pain free experience.

If being abandoned in the middle of nowhere is the problem, why not suggest he pulls over somewhere for a nap and a coffee before continuing? Better late than dead.

Where exactly in the middle of nowhere do you suggest he pulls over for a nap and an M roi, or Birdy?

Where exactly in the mdidle of nowhre do you suggest the driver gets a coffee?