DirkGently

and the name of this dreadful place is.......................................? Just so I don't find myself in there.

Can you rent apartments for 3 days? If it's possible it may be the way to go.

Thanks for the pointers.

Never seen a trainer worth their salt.

I have watched dumb-struck as a trainer with a superb 'trained her ass off' body was making a chubby 'sat on her ass' women do extremely complex actions witha cable pulley thing.

Save a bunch of money and read on line or pick up a decent fitness book/mag.

From the way I see it Thai adults are barely more than teens in the way they act and are unable to show their own children the way to behave and what happens if they don't.

Couple this with the way children are treated like idols and your on the right track. I agree children need praise but it seems a Thai child only has to sit up and scratch his nose and he gets a round of applause.

Parents pushing their kids infront of adults in lines and on the BTS gives all the wrong ideas to the child. "go on honey! push that lady with her shopping out of the way. it's all about you sweetie".

Along the same lines, has anybody noticed how many FAT kids there are in BKK. 8 year olds that have to walk with an odd gait to allow for their bloated limbs. Teens that look like they are stuggling to move. I was at the airport bus station when I saw two brothers in a uniform of blue shorts and white shirts, so they were under 18 and they must have been 20 stone a piece. One had a comic glued to his face and the other a massive 7-11 slurpie drink.

This, in my view, is part and parcel of child care that Thais are crap at.

I am having trouble finding a decent budget guesthouse in Jomtien.

The thing is I promised to take the wife's neices to the seaside when they visited us during this school holiday, but I don't want them to see anything weird. Let's face it there is some pretty weird stuff going on around Pattaya. So I guess Jomtien is a better bet.

So, your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to recommend a decent, but budget range, place for us to stay in Hat Jomtien. There is no need for pools, gyms or suchlike. Just a decent place that is 'family friendly', close to the beach and not attatched to a knocking shop.

Many thanks.

6600!!!!!! I flew to Udon and spent 4 days in laos for that. Had a great time. Dont think of it as paperwork, treat it as a holiday.

Thankyou one and all. Personally my idea of hel_l is spending too much time in the empty spaces and glare of the paragon. I have been to Ocean world and it is as good as you say, but i recall it was 400 baht or so each. With food and travel that could add up. As much as i like them, they are not my kids. I was thinking more outdoors and/or cheaper options. As for Imax, at 10 years old I am sure they will be just as 'wowed' by a regular cinema.

What do people do with kids in the afternoons? I remember making stuff with my mum. If anybody could give me some pointers i would be very grateful.

You may ask why I am bothering. Well I sort of feel sorry for them as it seems to me their parents are less interested in their education than they should be and I would hate to see them grow up sweeping leaves or something. On the other hand it gives a great deal of kudos with the family and my wife loves having them around. Big pats on the back all round for me.

So the hours that I am left to my own devices i want to do something fun. I grew up in a house where the TV remained unplugged for days at a time. It sends me cold to see Thai youngsters glued to the most IQ sapping crap ever to be broadcast.

Anyway, thanks for everything and keep it coming.

Thanks GoingHome, the science museum is pretty good and we may go there again, but not sure about ice-skating. I have tried befoe and just spent most of my time on the floor and it is sure to be their first time.

Thanks for the suggestion all the same.

Oh come on! Who hasn't done something stupid when asking "I wonder what would happen if..............?" I put petrol on some trainers once and tried to see how close I could put my foot to a fire. Now that I think about it, I declined anesthetic when I had a peircing done when I was younger, just to see how much it hurt.

As for 'great balls of fire', sometime after a Thai meal....a friend of mine....whose name is...err! Joey Joe Joeson was 'rewarded' by his wife and it soon became clear that Chilli oils cling to the mouth long after the meal has finished. I'll leave the rest up to you.

Every school holiday, my wife's neices visit us for a week or so. This year is no exception, but with my wife's schedule being very busy and mine being loaded with free time, it seems I will be, quite literally, left holding the baby.

Now, I should point out that this is not something I am dreading as they are nice kids and we are all used to each other, but I don't want them gawping slackjawed at what passes for entertainment on TV.

So what would you suggest? In the past I have taken them to the science park at Mo Chit and Lumpini park. However, this time I will have to entertain them during the early evening.

I have been thinking about something fun, but educational. As their English is very basic, I thought some kind of learning activity would be good. I can only presume their other skills are average due to the dire Thai education system.

I would be very grateful for any ideas as to where to go in the afternoon and what to do with two 10 year olds later in the day.

Thanks.

Dirk.

I thought I would add a new rule for the ladies.

Never ask 'Honey! What are you thinking?". Unless, that is, you are prepared to talk about Chuck Norris, welding or how drunk Terry was last night.

I love you all cupcakes. Now how about a sandwich!

When I was young i wanted to be a stuntman. I think I watched far too much 'Fall Guy' as a kid. I have since broken a few bones and was happy I didn't take it up.

During Job Advice week, I insisted tht I wanted to be an Astronaught. Aimed a little high there.

In my teens I wanted to travel and find myself lost. I attribute that to my mother taking me to markets in France and village events in Spain when I was 10 or 11.

I have realised that with 22 countries under my belt.

Have been using thw water machines for years. Only one problem after drinking and cooking with the stuff. Look at the overall clenliness of the machine. The problem was due to allowing a Thai to collect some for me. She used a differnt machina than I normally used. Let's put it this way, I did a lot of reading in the bathroom over that weekend. However, the machine in my apartment is spotless and heavily used.

If nothing else, the impact of 10000000000s of bottles on the enviroment is lessened.

Another way is to ask the staff at your place or any local and they can put you in touch with a company that delivers the huge barrels of water.

Tropo, would you really move evrytime you found something that you don't like?

Where are you from? Did you move here because there was something you didn't like?

Where next?

Are you seeking utopia?

Where is perfect?

So! What is the verdict?

Is there something else or not? Are the non-beleivers missing out or are the beleivers seeing something that isn't there?

Ouch! A lesson for us all. A bag Vs a bullet.

Ask some of your friends while you sit in the alternative Thailand that opperates on a different frequency to this Thailand.

Oh come on! Like I said, Praying has never ever in the history of the universe given anybody a single tangible thing.

So what if prayer can calm a troubled mind! Nothing tangible there. A good foot massage can do the same thing, are you going to suggest that a foot massage is somehow holy?

I agree it is up to the individual to spend/waste their time as they choose.

Let's face facts. This is 2007. For every single 'miracle' there are a million prayers that are ignored. Just because little Lucy Smith gets over her heart problem it does'nt mean a thing when thousands of Africans die for want of water or people cry out lord save me, before they drown.

The same as waiting for santa.

Why should anybody admit or deny what they have chosen to do with their children? Tony Blair or Bob Smith down the street.

Silence is not guilt. You are the same as the worry worts that panic about bread, milk or plastic wrap. My auntie is the same as you. She looks sick as hel_l. You panic about autism, but what of the illnesses should you contract one of those nasty diseases?

So, Dantilley, everybody else is wrong and you are right. Let me tell you for 100% sure people do stare. I live in a very Thai neighbourhood and folks do gawp slack jawed at us. Now before you climb on your high horse. My wife and I are the same age, we dress well and there is nothing out of the ordinary about either of us. Yet the locals continue to gawp and comment if we walk back with shopping.

Some western women, for 100% sure, do stare and make comments. I have had it and had friends who are smart with office type wives say it.

Are you sure it has never happened to you or anyone you know, or are you just being a smart ass.

I'd drink it without a second glance. The crap that makes its way into our systems just by breathing and drinking tap water makes your list sound like glacier run off.

The FACT is that the risk we run by not taking preventative measures is high. Who in Thailand has not been to the docs and asked for innoculations. I have had everything going. Only once was I a little poorly after a jab. I have done a great deal of scary traveling into places where sickness can strike. Some people are made ill by aspirin, but who in their right mind would ban it.

Name One! Just one! Can't do it, can you? Pray and stoop all you like and your loved ones will still die, the news from your doc won't be good, you will still lose your job etc etc.

if nothing else, prayer has to be the single most dissapointing thing one can do.

Both are great for stripping the enamel off teeth and expanding waistlines. Pizz.

If this is for a visa run as opposed to a day at the tables, beware. I have 2 friends that were forced to leave the bus as a couple of hi-so tossers wanted 2 seats. They were told to get off. As i understand it 1 of them was doing a visa run, but both intended to spend money in the casinos.

I agree with the OP, but I'm not sure i'd allow a situation to sink to violence for 10 baht.

For those who say "forget your principles". I say this. If you knew your neighbour was doing something wrong with drugs/robbery/fraud/people traffiking/insert crime here. Would you ignore it "'cos this is Thailand!