WinnieTheKhwai

If you put all Thai transvestites head-to-toe you would span the globe twice.

OH, and note that there are also Thai language 'apartment finder' websites that are VERY useful in sourcing longer term (or even per day/week) accommodation. You'll need help from a Thai speaking (reading) person to navigate those though.

I need to find a place to stay around my campus and my university recommends going there first and finding out where the other students are staying.

Yes I agree with that advice; or perhaps not even so much 'where other students are staying', but more what you feel is your own preference after staying in Bangkok for a couple days.

This means I need a hotel room for a couple of days. Is it important to book in advance or is this not necessary in bangkok?

This depends on the type of accommodation. If this is mid to higher range hotels then YES, book in advance through the booking sites like Agoda or Asiatravel and so on.

However if this is budget traveller / backpacker style accommodation, then you cannot even book those reliably on the internet and especially not at those booking sites. So in the lower range you can just check some websites or travel guides and show up. (doesn't hurt to contact the place in advance if possible, but that won't be a guaranteed reservation and you won't be required to pay in advance) Heck, it's low season anyway, you'll be okay.

Where are you studying? In Bangkok location means everything or you will kill yourself getting to places and back.

I often wonder why family types go to Pattaya for holidays anyway, considering all the other options available in Thailand.

If you don't know much of Thailand, everything looks good in the promotion. If I remember right I saw Pattaya promoted as perfect for families with kids in Austria.

That might be because it *IS* very good for families. Two weeks ago I visited the Pattaya area with my wife & daughter and my parents. Had a great time. It was affordable, convenient to get to, great value for money for food and accommodation. Was my kid's first trip to the beach and she had a blast on the beach and in the pool.

I guess pictures speak louder than words though.

Jomtien Beach

Sometimes referred to as the 'dark side' on this forum.. Not sure if that's apt.

Samae Beach on Ko Larn island.. Fun and cheap boat trip too

Don't know the name of this beach; it's down from Pattaya Hill behind the Cosy Beach hotel

Hotel we stayed.. Brilliant value for around 1000 baht.. Nicely furnished rooms, sea view, good breakfast included. Would cost at least double at any other beach destination in Thailand, quite possibly triple. ( http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya...eeze_hotel.html )

GREAT and affordable seafood dinner ON the beach.. (A little North of Naklua, sort of in between Laem Chabang and Pattaya)

Wong Amat beach.. (North Pattaya)

Sunset at Wong Amat

There are only legal games, the PS3 has never been cracked. Games are slightly more expensive than PC games and range from about 1500 - 2000 Baht.

A site with more info on pS3 games in Thailand is http://www.PS3-games-thailand.com - this lists prices from different shops for loads of PS3 games. Might want to have a look at that.

Oh, and for PS3 games, MBK is better than Pantip or Fortune, much larger selection.

No one can deny that parliamentary or representative democracy has been ridiculed around the world as being limited and incapable of facing world crises where evil capital is in control of things.

LOL... Bunch of clowns have *COMPLETELY* lost the plot.

What a bunch..

Gotta do a project for Uni. So here I am asking for your opinion about Uniforms in Thailand (for University

Would be nice to get some Opinions.

Just like how you like them?

Tight, short and wet.

Do you think they are too short (the skirts of some girls) or maybe not short enough?

Most definitely not too short.

Do you think they are nessassary or they just should be abolished (as young students should be aware of how to dress politely in a university)?

No, I think school uniforms are good for several reasons; most of all they are polite, tidy and cheap clothing; without them you'd get a fashion-contest in which students with less money will lose out.

Is there a sense of Unity or... not really? If you are (or were) a student, do u like or not like ur uniform and why?

Same reasons; it makes clothing easy and cheap.

Thanks for those links Tigerbeer..!

How much did the conversion cost at that Proton place? I drive past there sometimes and it doesn't look they're doing THAT much business?

On Ko Samet, don't stay on the very first beach; it really gets much better the further you get from the main pier.

Sorry to say it, but Hua Hin vs Samet is no comparison at all... The beach in Hua Hin is plain ugly, the town is very touristy and expensive. Samet is of course getting more expensive too, but at least you got the turqoise waters and snow-white soft sands.

700 Year Stadium

Huay Tueng Thao area.

If you're at the level that you're worrief about curbs and obstacles, then don't drive in Moo Bans. Please.

Hm, not much response other than mine.

I do. Do you?

Please also state the city/province.

No, I won't admit to it!

My approach was this:

To just about everyone I knew I did not present it as 'moving to Thailand'. I presented it as an extended holiday or longer term exploration. This was partly true, though in my mind I already knew I was going to try everything I possibly could to stay for a lot longer.

And realistically it's not much of a goodbye these days.. this is not the 1900's when people boarded ships to go to the New World, knowing they'd probably never set foot on home soil again. These days going back 'home' for a visit takes about as much time as any longer distance drive/train ride in Thailand. Plus there's the internet, Skype & Webcams, all the newspapers from your country on the net, a lot of the sports from your home country on TV.. It's not as much of a departure as you'd think.

Also in Thailand I think it's good to initially approach it as a temporary stay and not invest big in either money or hopes & dreams. You're a citizen of the World, you might move again a couple months or years down the road. Nothing in life is permanent, including life itself.

Sorry to hear that.

I know some people experienced break-ins in Chiang Mai as well. I think it depends the most on the immediate area, not so much the province. This can be either through support in the neighbourhood, or through formal security through a housing compound. I think a combination of both is good.

Of course if you're thinking of moving, there's a lot more that enters into it than 'chance of break-in', which is small to moderate just about anywhere. Why not come over for an extended stay and see what it feels like? Often perceived security and feeling at ease, safe and comfortable is as important as statistics, if not more so.

What is true is that Phuket, like Pattaya and Samui has a HUGE amount of migrants from poorer parts of the country, as well as the inevitable fortune seekers, hustlers, scammers and criminals. While people migrate to Chiang Mai as well, I think it is more from the region, and Chiang Mai is a bigger place overall compared to the beach destinations. In Phuket or Pattaya I bet you can go for days without ever meeting someone who was actually born there. (Being from an area implies having family/social support & a degree of social/family control). In Chiang Mai that is indeed different.

However, if you live in one of the beach resort areas of Phuket, another alternative might actually be to move WITHIN the province, for example somewhere near Phuket Town, or in the countryside of Phuket. The social structures there will be a lot more like the rest of Thailand compared to the beaches.

In very simple economic terms, every ticket surcharge simply has to reduce demand. Is is going to stop some sex perv from making his Pattaya run? No, but it might dissuade retirees or middle class families from coming, both from US AND Europe.

I think it's almost hartwarming to see that the two mainstays of Thai tourism, the ones that established it and allowed it to grow will once again be the most prominent. (Sex tourism and backpacker travellers)

I'm here for the girls; my wife and daughter first and foremost.

I think they should make you a moderator Sriracha; you definitely have the knowledge and dedication!

Yeah, just what Thailand needs, a big fat dose of political correctness, and a public media committee in charge of deciding what's allowed to be funny.

And then Thailand will be just like home and we will all be satisfied.

...also difficult to imagine safer, more easy going, value for money, etc. And face it, South America is only closer by for North Americans.. Americans are not the mainstay of Thai tourism anyway.

The Chiang Mai one looks nice on the website, but absolutely terrible by just looking at the place.. (Haven't been inside admittedly, but at 1300 baht a room (900 baht after midnight, incl. breakfast wouldyoubelieveit), it's rather pricey... there's a newly built semi-hi-rise hotel a bit further down the road that charges 499 a night, no matter when you check in.

The main issue I guess is the layout, which is a typical 'short time curtain hotel' where you drive into one of those boxes.. That experience is decidedly un-classy, no matter how cute the room. Then again, I guess I shouldn't knock it until I try it.

The world really doesn't need more babies.

Thailand does need babies. The birth rate is WAY down and actually lower than the birthrate in the USA. The population will barely sustain itself at the current rate.

Um, you can't even comfortably move a single stroller around anywhere in this country because you're running into things, and you're going to attempt it with one that's twice as wide.. I'd say that's a brave attempt!

I don't think strollers work in this country; most certainly not for outside use anyway, due to uneven pavements, obstacles, too bright/strong sunlight, etc.

(You might find limited use for them as a semi-mobile place for kids to sleep, and for strolling around department stores..)

That's ridiculous..

This was an official (and very successful) policy aimed to fight the illegal lottery that was rife at the time (and now is once again) by adding a lottery format for which there was (and is) obvious popular demand.

You really wonder what's up with the courts in this country in willing to pursue official policy that was approved by parliament and officially signed into law. It makes Thailand look ridiculous.

I vote Coup, just because I would like to see the Baht drastically devaluate.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. (sincerely, actually, I'm not trying to be sarcastic)

This because your comment helps a lot to explain and put in perspective the poll results and general attitudes I witness on this forum when it comes to topics of this nature.