Stekmer

Excuse my ignorance but is that 'MBK' the markets known as 'Mah Boon Krung' ?

Yes - there were 2 replies to the same question on the 8th Feb (at the top of the post)

I've come across a few China based companies selling the Kingston USB DataTraveler drives (white with colour coded stripe for capacity) that were very nicely packaged as being 32 Gig and even 64 Gig devices.

At the bottom of the web page though was a warning, clearly marked in RED ..... 'devices are actually only 4 Gig. and intended as gifts or novelty items'.

It has made me very cautious of buying a Kingston drive (or other USB drive) unless I am able to test it and return it if not genuine.

The sights at Jomtien beach in Thailand are always interesting but this one was a first for me.

Excuse my ignorance.........but what does MBK stand for...........??

MBK stands for Mah Boon Krong, a very large shopping complex adjacent to the National Stadium BTS station.

Very entertaining - great upload :-)

The canal boat ride from MBK to Pratunam along Khlong Saen Saep is quite good fun and I think a must do for any first time visitor. . . . This video is longer than I usually upload on YouTube but I wanted to incorporate the directions into the video. From Pratunam Pier you can head toward Panthip Plaza, past lots of large shopping complexes with AC food courts. . . . If you catch a boat heading the other way (coming from the right) it will take you to the Golden Mountain, another easy and fun trip.

Thanks for the replies .... I'm starting to wonder if it could be topping it up from Australia that gave me 10 days instead of the usual 365 days. I'm positive I always got an extension of any balance for 365 days from the date of top up.

Perhaps it might only be possible to get 365 days when topping it up in Thailand??

I thought I had done it before but perhaps not.

Any idea how long a SIM remains valid for after the baht balance expires??

Thanks for the replys ....

Sadly it looks like the days of 12 month extension when you top up the SIM card are over :-(

Looks like I'll need to new SIM for April...... which plan though

Any suggestions as to which phone company has the best prepaid plan?

Is the 009 prefix for international calls still available with One 2 Call cards?

I've been using the same 'One 2 Call' SIM card in my mobile phone for about 3 years. I usually load it up with a recharge card from 7 11 stores when I arrive in Bangkok and the remaining balance (and top up ammount) is extended by 365 days. I also buy an extra recharge card or two to top it up when I'm at home to cover me.

With trips to Thailand every 6 months or so this has been great. I dodn't need to re-enter numbers in the phone and have a mobile phone number to give family at home (Australia). Using 009 rather than 001 made calls back home very cheap.

My current value expires in March 2010 and I thought I'd use a 100 baht top up card to give me another 365 days - but - all I got was an extra 10 days.

From a quick look at the AIS One 2 Call web site I can't see any explanation and there is an error message when I enter my mobile number to get more details.

Does any one know if the 365 days top up period has gone forever?

Is it available on other pre-paid SIM cards from AIS or other providers?

Does the 009 prefix still get cheap calls?

If my SIM card expires before I get to Thailand again in April, can I recharge it after expiry?

Lots of questions .... Thanks in advance :-)

I used the baggage storage service earlier this year. It is located at the far right of the departure area and costs 100 baht per bag per day.

It can take quite some time to go through the process of providing ID (copy passport etc) and filling in the paper work, particularly if there are a lot of people queuing to store bags. When I checked my bag in it took over 30 minutes - including waiting in line and completing all the paperwork.

When I returned to collect my bag there was no one else there and it only took about 5 minutes.

The last time I stayed in Kanchanaburi (2006) I used the shared 'taxi service' that operated from a street front desk opposite the market. We wanted to leave early in the morning and took the whole car for 400 baht (1960's vintage Toyota Crown) to Bangkok followed by a taxi to Ekami and then the bus to Pattaya.

Are there any other transport options available now for the same Kanchanaburi to Jomtien trip ??

Thanks in advance

Thanks for the replies.

I stayed in The River Kwai Hotel the last time I was there and was planning on staying there again (walking distance to night food area and the river etc) and will now explore options for organised transport.

Does anyone know if there are any local bars (eg Red Kangaroo Bar) have a mini van to Hellfire pass for dawn service??

On my last visit I walked about 2 Km along the tracks at Hellfire pass with the audio kit from the Museum – very moving experience.

Thanks again for the replies :-)

I am planning on attending the dawn service at Hellfire Pass on ANZAC Day 2010.

My intention was to get to Kanchanaburi on the 24th of April and to then arrange a Songthaew to take me to Hellfire Pass on the morning of the 25th and wait for me until after the service and perhaps stop off at some other places of interest to make a full day of it.

The only information I have been able to find so far is for package tours to Hellfire Pass for the dawn service.

Does anyone know what the arrangements are for the dawn service?

Can I just turn up or to I need to make prior arrangements?

Thanks in advance.

I'm with F4UCorsair ...

That Smoel incident was just so embarrassing, not so much for a display of classic drunken Bogan behaviour but for the outcries of unfair treatment from ill-informed members of the Australian public and a politician or two.

Unfortunately some Australians behave extremely badly when out of Australia and start using cringe clichés and drinking to excess with related Bogan displays of bad behaviour .... perhaps because they think it is expected of them …. sort of doing what they think one should do????

For the benefit of decent (lare majority) Australians - stay at home and drink the cost of the airfare.

Has anyone had any experience of getting repeated 90 day visas on arrival in KLIA or LLCT.

I've been told that it is possible to be given a 90 day visa on arrival and to the leave within 90 days (even for a few days) and then get another 90 visa on re-entry.

I'm thinking of spending the colder months (Australian winter) based in KL and would like to rent an appartment for 3 to 6 months.

Tips on renting an apartment also appreciated - I'll be in KL for a week in mid June 2009 to look around.

Thanks in advance

Last month (March) I used the Internet cafe just to the left (facing with back to river) of the Paragon Hotel and was allowed to plug in my usb drive to run applications from - so perhaps they are generally willing to allow usb devices to be plugged in.

I can't remember the name of the place but it was literally 3 to 5 metres away from the Paragon (away from the Hope and Anchor), around 130 St and Sisowath Quay Rd.

Having now traveled with 'Pattaya 4 Leisure' taxi service for their 1,200 baht ride (incl tollway) from Suvarnabhumi to Jomtien I must say that I was most impressed.

They phoned me on my mobile phone to appologize for being 15 minutes late - I was still on my way through Immigration (AirAsia were on time from Phnom Penh) so no big deal.

The car was a newish model Honda and the driver was very good. Made it to Jomtien in 1 hr 30 minutes.

I will definietley use them again.

I arrived about 1830 hrs so the bus option was not one I really fancied.

BED BUGS! I have stayed at this hotel (as the Silom Trinity Hotel and now Rooms@Silom) about 6 times over the past 3 years and have enjoyed each stay. In November 2008 however I was bitten by BED BUGS (42 bites requiring treatment with antibiotics and antihistamines) in room 305. I found 3 bed bugs in the bed (swollen with my blood) and showed the cleaning staff who immediately said "ohhh bed bugs" in perfect English.

The bites start off as raised itchy lumps and then subside with the actual bite marks becoming raised pustules which can easily become infected.

I was given a room upgrade and 1 nights refund.

After letter and email exchange with the Hotel management, reassuring me the problem had been rectified I decided to stay again in March 2009. The manager of the hotel chain emailed me to reassure me that the problem had now been dealt with by professional pest exterminators and a bed bug free room could be guaranteed. Guess what - BED BUGS. This time in room 315.

I presented two BED BUGS that I found in my bed to the Manager and while apologetic AGAIN it looks like they have done nothing to rectify the problem.

This time only about 20 bites but treatment required again. After 5 days they are still raised and very itchy.

I have read in other forums that rooms 319 and room 321 are also affected and that the problems date from April 2008.

The management are apologetic but despite their reassurances it looks like they have done nothing to rectify the problem and do not seem surprised when the room I was guaranteed was bed bug free had bed bugs.

The upper floors are being renovated and my guess is that the little flea like insects are moving lower as the renovations move from the 6th floor down.

I would strongly advise to not stay at this hotel, at least until the renovations are completed but as of earlier this week there is no definite date for completion.

Thanks for the replies.

What threw me was checking Google maps to see their suggested (car/taxi) route as passing by Ekamai and Phra Khanong BTS stations as it back tracked to On Nut.

I sort of have a ritual of eating duck soup at the 4th floor (small collection of food vendors) at MBK as soon after arrival as I can ..... thanks for the other suggestions though.

I'm arriving at 1010 hrs from Singapore (SQ flight) and then on to HCMC with AirAsia at 1555 hrs in a few weeks time.

I don't fancy a 4 to 5 hour wait at Suvarnabhumi and was planning on a quick dash to MBK (duck soup and sim card top up).

Google maps show the route from Suvarnabhumi to On Nut BTS as passing Ekamai and Phra Khanong BTS stations.

Can anyone tell me if this is correct - or should I stick to my original plan of Suvarnabhumi to On Nut BTS.

Thanks in advance

I am arriving mid March on a flight from Phnom Penh that gets in at 6.45 pm and wanted to get to Jomtien straight from the airport.

Unfortunately I'll have missed the last Bell Bus service and don't fancy getting myself to Ekami to get the bus or standing in a taxi que to pay 1,400 + baht.

I've found 3 companies that provide airport pickup for the trip to Jomtien that are within my price range.

The following prices include 'highway' etc.

1. 'Pattaya 4 Leisure' taxi service charges 1,200 baht
   
2. Mr T asks 1,000 baht
   
3. Mr. Toom also asks 1,200 baht
   

Based on experience or reliable reports you have heard - who would you pick?

PS. Last time I took the train and while it was interesting and relaxing enough it's probably a once only type of trip for the novelty value.

I have a flight that gets into Singapore at 1740hrs and leaves at 0830 the next morning for Bangkok.

The Lai Ming hotel at Geylang is very close to the MRT and seems to be a block or two away from the large collection of hotels. It is certainly within my budget for a quick stopover/transit hotel.

Has anyone stayed in either the Lai Ming hotel or Lai Ming Cosmoland hotels?

Thanks in advance

Thanks for the reply SoCal

My interests, or what I want to accomplish for this trip, is to try and get a sense of the history and where Vietnam, sits in relation to it's neighbours in a commercial, social and political sort of way (nothing academic). I enjoyed my visit to Phnom Phen last month, mainly because the sense of local commerce seemed to exceeded the dependence on tourism and it still had a 'wow factor', for me anyway.

I'd like to try to catch a glimpse of local life, away from a main centre (but not too far to be difficult to access) in places that don't rely heavily on tourism for their survival.

Thanks again

Stekmer

Thanks for all the comments - most appreciated.

Has anyone used a 'Visa on Arrival' service from any Travel Co. based in Siagon?

It sounds convienient but I'm worried about the waiting time to complete the process on arrival at the airport.

The usual price seems to be US$25 + US$25 again at the airport.

We arrive in Saigon at 1830 hrs (AirAsia) so I'm trying to weigh up the relative beneits of paying A$70 plus registered post etc to get a visa in Australia v's the cheaper cost and waiting time of the 'Visa on Arrival'

Thanks again

Stekmer

Thank you for the comments SoCal and SiagonDaze.

Still torn between booking with Vietnam Airlines when I arrive and using Pacific Airlines web site to pre book.

I've recently read someones signature of " God laughs at those that make plans" !!!!!