craigt3365

Well why don't you check below:

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=Spain&country2=Thailand

I would say that is pretty spot on. Definitely cheaper here, and the weather is warmer. For better or worse. We were there in early spring and it was cold. Jackets for sure. But that was Madrid and Seville. Same with Southern Portugal and north from there. Plus, S. Portugal was dead, dead, dead.

There are many great things about Spain. And some issues. Corruption is still an issue there.

Check out Agoda. I've been to koh Larn a few weeks ago.

My accommodation was near the pier on the East side of the Island in the city.

4 beaches nearby; 10 mins by rented bike Max.

Finding accommodation during the week is no problem, but during weekends many places are booked.

My accommodation was Suntosa Resort, 5 mins walk from the pier.

I've been there a few times, but never spent the night. How did you like it? Just curious....

Mine died a few years ago. Didn't last very long. Got a new one from the manufacturer. I think it was 800B.

Can these other remotes also do the timed start/stop? I quite like that feature.

Great post. Thanks!!

It's probably best to shop around for this. I'd also try Global House and maybe even Thai Watsadu. The new HomePro on Sukhumvit has a bunch of stuff. Great place to shop and lunch there is also OK!

I installed some at my Dad's house in Vegas. Stood up pretty good there and the sun is brutal on everything. It did get smashed down a bit in the areas where people walked a lot, but didn't look too bad. This was 10 years ago. I'm sure the stuff's gotten much better since then!

If you are in town next weekend, there will be an exciting event out near Lake Mabprachan. A battle of the bands competition with at least 7 bands competing. Including some of the best local and foreign Pattaya based musicians.

It starts at 2PM and runs until 9PM. Father Ray's will have a charity box on hand for those wishing to help out this great organization.

The Venue is quite large and can handle a lot of people and the stage area has recently been updated with all new equipment. It should be quite an event. Please come out and help support Father Ray's as well as the local musician community.

P.S. As I've said before, I've never met the owner and only been to this place a few times. But thought others might like to know about this fun event. Hope to see you there!

I think it's the airline check-in staff that would create the biggest fuss. And you just never know. I just got back from Europe on a major airline. They couldn't figure out my retirement visa. Basically because I've got 5 of them, with different dates, 5 multi entry stamps, entry/exit stamps, etc. The agent just gave up and said I'd have to deal with it if I had problems upon arrival! LOL Never had that happen before.

I know a Thai DL will work, not sure about a copy of your passport or WP. I'd call Bangkok Air to check. Can't hurt to ask a few. And just because somebody did it one time doesn't mean it will work again! LOL

Fantastic! We've got a new hub!!! LOL

Agriculture company Monsanto expressed an interest in turning Thailand into a "seed hub", given its perfect location for seed production.

US tells lies the same as the Thais.

He met with multi-national corporations. Not with the government. These companies have substantial investments all over the world.

I did some a few pages with stuff I got at Office Depot. I'm in Pattaya, but maybe there's an office supply store there?? Was easy to do myself and so far, 3 years, it's working great!

I just did a 5 week trip and found it necessary to use almost all of them! Some properties were only listed on one site. Plus, I found AirBnB to be pretty god.

Actually, Vietnam's accident rate is very high. And according to the WHO, probably higher than whats reported. At least double that of the US. Road road is a huge problem here in Thailand. Can't comment on Vietnam, but in my one month of traveling from the south to the north, I was shocked at how many accidents I saw. Chaos for sure. But organized? Not so sure about that ! LOL

http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/road-traffic-accidents/by-country/

I use to like to walk along Beach Road in Pattaya. Can't do it during the day any more as there is NO shade. They ruined it. Sounds like they are doing the same thing in Jomtien. I use to walk from near Soi Wat Boon to Dongtan and have a bite to eat there. If no trees, I won't be doing this any more.

Very few tourists here in Pattaya also. Was with a friend last night who just came from Hua Hin. Said it was dead. I remember not long ago when KC was packed with tourists! A bit of a relief now I guess?

Dengue has always been a problem there. And especially during the rainy season.

Thanks for the pics! Looks like you had some nice weather!

I've found second hand shops here to be very disappointing. Poor selection and quite high prices. You can find a gem from time to time, but it's rare.

Back in the US, second hand furniture could be a steal. My brother fitted out his entire 3br house like this. Off craigslist. He got some amazing deals. Here, I think many pass along the old furniture to their relatives. Or, just keep it! LOL

I think you're on the right track regarding checking out CM. Both cities are fantastic. If you can, I'd even head down to Phuket. You can work anywhere, so why not checkout some great beaches also? Phuket has some lovely ones.

I was in CM recently and was impressed by the number of young foreigners there. The surrounding area is absolutely fantastic to check out also. You'll be busy!

Good point about keeping your head low regarding online work. It is a difficult area, potentially against the law, and thus not allowed for discussion on this forum. Especially when discussing ways to circumvent the law. As an FYI, keep it to yourself. You never know when you'll run into somebody who'll try to use this against you.

Love your point about the traffic. Hard to get hurt when the cars are only moving 20km/hr! LOL. Unless you are on a scooter....

Be careful of what you read on the internet. Bangkok is a great city, with accident rates about the same as any other major city around the world. With the exception of scooters...they are the #1 problem here. Most are hurt/killed on these things. Drivers here aren't as careful as they are in some countries and a majority of the time alcohol is involved. Avoid scooters and you've avoided some 75% of the problem.

The other biggie, as was pointed out above, is intercity vans/buses. Especially overnight ones. Avoid those and you'll have pretty close to the same safety rate as you'll have almost anywhere else.

Bangkok has a fair mass transit system. But it doesn't cover everywhere. Stick to places near the MRT/SkyTrain and you'll be fine. Travel away from areas covered by them can be difficult. Taxis are very cheap, but many times won't go to certain areas because of the traffic. Water transport is a tough way to go. Not for the faint of heart.

I use to walk everywhere in Bangkok. April to June is tough though. As is walking around in the mid-day sun. After sunset, it's wonderful almost any time of the year.

I also wouldn't rule out Chiang Mai. It has a wonderful and very vibrant expat community. Traffic is tough, but no different than Bangkok. The burning season is tough, but other than that, it's a great place to live.

Funny that someone is looking for free wifi in 2015... Even Myanmar labours are unlimited on their phone ♡♥♡

I just did a 5 week trip across Eastern Europe. I was amazed at the places with free internet. Even every gas station had it! Which was great, because I traveled across 7 countries and it was impossible to get a reasonably priced SIM card that would cover all countries. In the end, I didn't need it!

I don't want internet on my phone. I've got enough of it at home! LOL Just pointing something out that might be of interest to some. I do see posts here quite often with people looking for a place to relax and have free wifi.

There was a super deal last year for a 1 bedroom unit at Somerset Thong Lor. Great to have 2 rooms! It's near my friends, so was convenient for us. Pool was in the shade and it was February...so it was freezing!!! LOL

He was a very nice man and was involved in a lot of expat activities around town. RIP Bob.

You need to have a loyalty card, but it's on offer now! Unfortunately, it times out really quickly. I ended up giving up and just ate my lunch. But saw many others happily browsing away.

FYI This is for the one on Thepprasit and Sukhumvit.

I signed up with the loyalty program to get a deal at the Somerset in Bangkok. Actually, it was an incredible deal. Took 2 minutes to signup.

From the article:

However, hotels that use Booking.com will still be barred from charging cheaper prices on their own website, except for customers with loyalty cards.

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