Pablo H

The majority of Thais are not taught about past wars in Europe. I have seen youngsters working in 7/11 with swastika tattos on their hands, dont really think they paying homage to the nazis, its just a fad.

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Why should they be? How many European children are taught Thai history?

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I never said they should be.

"Eriksson is clueless, and should have been relieved of his responsibilities after the Euro championship. He has no idea how to craft a team out of what is at his disposal and is too easily led by the media. He doesn't have the bottle to make big decisions, and seems to favour trying to appease those who will criticise him instead."

"I 100% agree with you there Eddie"

I would disagree with both of you on that point. Take a look at Eriksson's past achievements. He has done well wherever he has managed. If the above statement was true then Eriksson must be the luckiest manager alive. You say he is "too easily led by the media", maybe its you who is led too easily.

Life can be &lt;deleted&gt; at times . Things change though, if you feel your at your lowest ebb then there is only one direction to go and it aint down. I found that feeling low/high is all in the mind. Try and take the positives from everything, dont dwell on the negatives, it just eats you up.

Feel glad to be breathing in the air (even the shit on Sukhumvit), feel happy about being able to do what you want, when you want and in the wake of whats been going on througout the world over the last few years br gratefull that you are who you are and that you are still here.

Life is the greatest gift, enjoy it, dont squander it.

Ive been back in England for 8 months, in that time I have seen about half a dozen women who do it for me (three of them were Asian). Reckon I would have seen as many as that on an afternoon stroll down Sukhumvit.

Dont know about the post about English women having sexy accents, dont know if its just me but its a right turn off. The women here seem bigger aswell, well they dont seem bigger, they are.

Also noticed women here are becoming masculine in many ways. Dont know about you pepole but I prefer a women to be feminine. The women here seem to enjoy spitting, pissing in the street and using foul language whilst supping on a pint of lager, not my cup of tea at all. Roll on November.

If it was going to be Led Zep surely Stairway to Heaven woulld me more apt, then again........maybe not.

That song from Midnight Cowboy, Willie Nelson I think, Everybodys Talkin' at me.

As mentioned in other posts, the swastika has been around for ages. I think the nazi's thought it to be an Aryann (sp) symbol.

The majority of Thais are not taught about past wars in Europe. I have seen youngsters working in 7/11 with swastika tattos on their hands, dont really think they paying homage to the nazis, its just a fad.

27th August 2004 - just finished a contract in Hat Yai, was working in Malaysia with the intention of going onto Indonesia in the New Year.

Job in Malaysia went "tits up", the Indonesian job fell through so had to bail out back to blighty by February. G/f found a rich farang within two weeks of me touching down at Heathrow. Took me a month to get work and now starting to freeze my &lt;deleted&gt; off as the winter approaches. Im I bitter? Nah, must admit I was at first but shit happens eh!

Would I change anything, of course I would, but I guess you just got to deal with the hand your dealt. In light of everything else going on in the world my problems are miniscule.

Heading back out (just for a hol) end of November, catch up with a few friends, attend a couple of parties but what am looking forward to most is climbing onto a hammock, reading a day old Bangkok Post (cant get fresh ones where am going) and falling asleep with the sound of the tide in my ears, ahhhh bliss.

My theory goes that something was put in the water system in the 1950/60's by an enemy of Thailand, not sure who but it does seem rather weird that Thailand has more Ladyboys than anywhere else.

Charlton will shock them in the FA Cup

Now that would be a big shock since they are playing Newcastle. Still I think the Toon will knock them out.

Is Blue Nun classed as a wine? How about Thunderbirds?

I hate seeing cig butts on the street. I saw a half dressed fatty flick his still smoking tip onto the street outside Major ratchiotin. Noticing a police hat-chair-thing to my right I turned to my friend and said very loudly, "I wish that guy wouldn't drop his rubbish on the street like that.."

Sure enough, the plea was heard and two boys in brown halted him a few feet down the road.

Fear me and my power.

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Why brag about being a shit scared GRASS?

Chelsea are a good side but not great, if I had a choice of who would win the league between Chelsea and Man U I would always pick Chelsea as I am a Liverpool supporter and "we all hate Mancs".

This season though I dont think Chelsea will do it, Man U will pip them for the league, Barcelona will knock them out of the European Cup, Charlton will shock them in the FA Cup and of course Liverpool will kick arse in the League Cup.

Chelsea will learn from the experience and will be a better side for it next season.

Have you had a bad experience Dr J, AKA Doom Merchant?

I met guys who have ended up down and out and also met guys who have made it in Thailand, I couldn't put a figure on it but I think most guys are happier living in LOS in their fan room and Honda Dream than living back home with the hateful wife and dead end job. As long as the guy with the fan room has enough money to live on and/or a regular income I dont see the problem. I would happily trade a BMW in for a life in LOS compared to having one and working the rest of my life in the UK.

Its always going to be risky (unless you are considerably well off) moving from your home to LOS, if you try and with a bit of luck you can make it, if you cannot make it the trick is to get out of there before you end up completely broke with no where to turn other than a 30m drop from the balcony.

Khaosan is OK for a day/night out. Dont expect service with a smile there though, you will most probably be treated like shit by the guesthouse receptionists, waiters & waitresses.

The plastic hippies marching up and down are a sight, if your feeling like a pick me up the sight of these wipes should certainly give you a giggle.

I often wonder, what they are writing in that little black book of theirs, "today sat on KSR, drank a Chang, stole tissue paper from restaurant (I saved 10 baht on toilet roll) bought a pair of second hand sandels, still waiting for the Western Union from Daddy, must e-mail him tommorrow".

Gullivers is worth a trip at night, dont know what the other poster

no girls...unless you're into sweaty farang ones

If youre staying on Sukhumvit and getting a bit tired of the same old thing Khaosan is definetely worth athe trip.

I was butt fined near Siam Square, the guy had a German and a Canadian in tow with him then caught me dropping the butt into the road drain. Took the three of us, to a small booth and tried to get 2000 thb off each of us.

I refused to pay 2000 but I didn't want to lose my temper with the guy as I reckon they could get you hauled off to the nearest station if you start mouthing off to them. In the end they were demanding to see my passport, I couldn't show it as I didn't have it with me. I paid 500 thb as I had tickets for a Thai movie (Holiday Inn or something) and it was starting within a few minutes. The movie turned out to be a complete turkey although my girfriend enjoyed it.

As mentioned in another thread, I think people are treated like dirt in Khaosan. Pattaya is OK in my book, apart from a few guys leering at my girlfriend (no problem now) I had quite a good time there a few weeks ago where as I stayed around Khaosan last week and got pissed off by the attitude of some of the people who work in the area.

If you had to put up with some of the bozos on KSrd day in day out, you'd be a bit uppity too!!

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Agreed, but what about the decent chaps like me? Should we all have to suffer the Khaosan scowl?

My point is, in any customer service related industry, staff should be trained on how do deal with "bozos" and not take their frustration out on decent folk. Is this possible in Khaosan? Im not sure.

Wow! I've read thru a lot of the posts in this forum, and I've read stories of the dangers of getting killed by bus drivers, stabbed at the beach, people (falling) off balconies, people getting ripped-off en masse, falling to their deaths into holes ete., etc.

Is Pattaya really this bad a place to live?

Is it really this dangerous?

This can't be representative of all Thailand, is there any redeeming qualities to Pattaya?

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Pattaya is what YOU make of it. If you are a criminal you will most likely meet someone of your own ilk. If you like to bar hop, its all there for you. If you want a quiet life then you can have it in Pattaya if you stay in the right areas.

Another thing (still on topic) which bothered me was that I checked into a hotel/guesthouse on the road east of Khaosan and paid 700 thb. The place turned out to be nothing special but my girlfriend was on her way on a long trip from the North East and I wanted us to stay at a nice place that night. I picked up my girlfriend at Mo Chit then went back to the hotel. Before we could step into the lift I was called back to reception and told I would have to pay an extra 150 thb for "my guest". "My guest" has been my girlfriend for three years now and I felt insulted that these idiots (barely out of high school) can make assumptions that she is a bar girl who I had just picked up (luggage and all). After getting back to the room I felt bad, my girlfriend felt bad and was not confident to walk past the staff that night.

I am not paranoid but I am sure they were speaking about us when I went out later that night, its just not proffesional and downright rude. If anyone would like the name of the place I will gladly tell them.

Khaosan Road is not exactly Thailand, is it? You might be expecting this behaviour there.

Try Oriental Hotel and you will be surpised how much smiles and wai's you get. Or just go upcountry (or downcountry) to see a complete different set of smiles. Much better than Bangkok!

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True, however, a lot of people go to Khaosan Rd and a lot of money is made there, if the staff who work there continue to act the way they do then surely tourism in Khaosan will decline. Well, I suppose that wouldn't be too bad would it?

I have recently been to a beautiful public thai swimming pool in Bangkok. I have been looking for a pool for quite a while. I live and work in BKK.

I tried to join and the old man said ''Farang cannot, only for Thai''.

I was taken aback. After asking him why ... and getting the usual blank look ... I got 

Has anyone else come across this racism? And does anyone know a public pool where membership isn't dependent on the colour of your skin.

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I received the same treatment in Chiang Mai a couple of years ago. They had the nerve to complain about the skidmarks in my speedos. Skids my arse, its cos' am white.

I saw one guy at the guesthouse just throw a crumpled 500 baht note onto the reception desk, shout his room number then walk away while I was trying to get my key. That behavour stinks but the receptionist should be trained to be able to deal with that and not take her frustrations out on other paying guest, if not you just get a circle of mutual dislike which in the end will lead to loss of income for the hotel/guesthouse/bar or restaurant.

Crossword puzzles, whistling and map reading are alien to Thai people.

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Along with punctuality!

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What! Do you mean bad timing.

Hi!

We`re arriving Koh Samui on March the 22nd, and my sister and I would really like to go to the FMP on the 24th on Koh Phangan! How do we get there the easiest way? Hope to get a budget bungalow or hotelroom og Phangan, speedboats back home at night aren`t really tempting, especially not after the accident last month!

Do you have a recommendation on where to stay on Koh Phangan this one night and how to get there early on the 24th?

We`ll be staying on Samui First House on Koh Samui - anyone who knows that hotel?? I have booked us in for 6 nights there, but will still be staying 5 more nights on Koh Samui, if anyone reccomends other nice places to stay on Chaweng Beach..

Thanks a lot! am looking SO much forward to visiting this island now, have only been to Phangan and Koh Tao earlier.

  Jeanette

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Why dont you leave Sumui the night before the full moon, get the ferry to KPN then try and get a room on the north side of the island eg:Hat Salat, Hat Tien or maybe somewhere near Chalock Lam. From either place you will be able to get a taxi to Thong Sala and onto Had Rin for the party and then get home safely the next day.