Razzler1973

How do you have a 'report' that comes up with this conclusion? What did they investigate exactly, that guys go overseas and have sex for money? Did we need a report for that? Somehow this conclusion has manifested itself into some kind of law?

Absolutely zero chance of anything happening. A campaigning group says it should be so ... but it just won't, will it

Nothing to see here

Depends how far you want to go but even down in Ko Pha Ngan you can stay away from the whole party vibe, head to Thong Nai Pan or Bottle Beach and spend some time relaxing, can get places from 500 baht upwards, just look around, check booking sites, negotiate, etc

Prachuap Kiri Khan a good shout and Nakorn Sri Thammarat also

Total lack of info in the article

Is this being investigated? He was in a bar alone and no one saw the attack and no one has any knowledge of it? GF was there at the time?

Just a whole ton of stuff not mentioned here other than this guy got attacked :/

Totally agree, love to travel by night back in the day mainly cause of my loves I mentioned above Bit of food, few drinks. I rarely sleep on any form of transport but the bed type deal on trains with the window open and the shutter down getting that breeze on the bottom bunk ... that's as close as I can get to a proper sleep on any form of transport (plane, trains, coaches, etc)

However, these days, prices of flights aren't a million miles away from train prices and also, my days of spending months travelling around are a bit in the past. These days if I have a few weeks in Thailand I'd prefer to spend that night somewhere rather than overnight on a train just from a time perspective

One of the main reasons for rating as the world's no 1 place for motorbike accidents, is that for some utterly inconceivable reason, motorbikes and scooters are hired on only passport details. and not driving licences. None are asked for. The rider might be a total novice, having never ridden one before, but believes that he or she must be able to ride O.K. !! Add some alcohol to the mix, and other faster riders overtaking and rushing past, and there are the ingredients for a accident, fatal or otherwise. At least start addressing the problem by insisting that renters MUST have a valid licence for what they are hiring!

Agree.

The motorcycle lessors are lazy here.

They rent their bikes out for 150- 250 (scooter) a day,

Why they do not sell one hour driving lessons or more for foreigners, who have never driven a motorcycle before?

Show them how to use the brake, front and back.

Show them to drive slow.

Show them where the direction indicator is, and how to bring it back into neutrale position.

That would be a win - win situation.

Foreigners do not lost there lifes, and the thai lessors can charge 150 Baht more.

That would include an hour drive and braking exercises.

I would appreciate that you could thereby save around 100 - 200 lives per year on Koh Samui.

Isn't that sort of what a driving licence is for?

I can drive but never driven those small bikes until I used them in Thailand. Show me how to start, don't use the front brake on steep hill ... erm, that's it. The rest is kind of common sense if you can drive and I have never had issues on various island windy roads (Koh Pha Ngan/Koh Chang). These vehicles are not at all complicated to be honest, couldn't be easier if you know how to drive

If you need instructions on simple things like that then you most likely have neither a licence or common sense so shouldn't be renting

I love the trains in Thailand and I love having a few beers along the way with some of the food that goes round or that I bring on

Only a few months back I was on a train, it was afternoon time so didn't feel like a beer and only 4 hour trip. I thought, yeah, I'll have a couple of cans before we arrive into the station, arrival only about 5pm and then I started seeing all these no booze signs :/

Was surprised and I doubt it will change but had no idea and a bit sad. Not cause I need a beer to get me through the day but I enjoyed chugging along and just chilling on the train with a few cans and some food, that was one of my favourite parts of being on the train

What could have been a genuinely interesting thread obviously had to descend into the usual tired jokes we have heard a million times, dating threads, hi-so, bar girls, etc etc blah blah

Head to Suk soi 107 (bearing) on your LH side will be plenty of fairy lights, thats the place you want.

What sort of place? Coffee shop? Restaurant/bar?

With "fairy lights", he might be referring to the ugly girlie bars in the middle of 107 ... FYI, half of them have been recently demolished.

The bars got demolished or the ugly girls?

Dating websites are also a sign of desperation for westerners.

I think you need to get with the times. Back in the west there isn't much of an issue with dating sites even amongst younger 20-somethings, I'd say especially amongst that age group. No issues at all, no stigma or anything. Just another way for people to connect in this digital age

Wish it was around when I was early 20s!!

That song was huge in Asia in general back when it came out, played it everywhere not just Thailand

Bunch of mostly older guys trying to be young again by jerking their head to the beat of AC/DC rather than the Neil Diamond they're actually familiar with. Meanwhile, the youngsters are desperately trying to impress each other with an endless stream of BeeEss.

....Just like back home.

I like how you've gone with AC/DC of all bands as the counter-balance to the 'old' Neil Diamond there as though AC/DC are the up and coming band of today

At 21, BKK is ace, you don't need to be in Pattaya

BKK is a great city, cheap, lots of things to do, cheap food, cool bars and cheap bars

If you're thinking elsewhere then maybe one of the Southern islands? It all depends what you intend to do. Samui is big and has plenty of facilities. I am more a fan of the smaller Koh Pha Ngan. Your budget it won't be an issue anywhere really so it all comes down to finding a place you want to hang out

I can hang out in BKK for years, no problem but not everyone the same. You're a short shop to Pattaya if you really want to check it out plus not far from Hua Hin, Chang and Samet if you fancy a few days away

If not BKK I'd probably aim for Koh Pha Ngan, myself, partially as I know it quite well but it's a great island and plenty of farang living down there who will know the ins and outs, can get whatever you need and it's more relaxing

No doubt catering to the out and out tourist types rather than wiley expats and regular visitors

I can eat fried chicken from the street for next to nothing, wings need to be coated in gold to make it worthwhile at those prices with a 500 baht note wrapped round them too!

If these kind of issues are common place you might want to reconsider your GF situation. Is this what you want for your immediate/medium term future?

Don't call the police or do anything. Whatever needs to be done needs to come from your GF, not you. Don't instigate anything, let it all happen.

I assume even for a drunk there are periods in the day when he's sober and thinks he's being an angry tit. If he's SMS'ing threats chances are he won't carry them out, what kind of thugs lazily SMS' his threats??

Pretend you're not there ... what would your GF ordinarily do? Probably shout at him a bit and ignore him a bit. If it's doing your head in tell the GF you're off to the beach somewhere for a couple of weeks as you don't need this shit ... then think about whether you do need this shit and if this is the best situation for you to be in

Life's too short for me to be deaing with this rubbish, man

OMG they are out to get us ... all of us ... RUN!!!!

Yes, his GF brought up a very nice young man there Should let her know that too

Good stuff

I'd have a bet that a majority of people posting here have never actually seen an actual hiso thai woman in their lives

Having a car doesn't make you hiso, you know.

There was no chance of that. One of those wooden window frames with no glass, bouncing all over the place. Even stopping in the hills while they dug a road out and flattened it so we could cross. Turn up in Vang Vieng with your hair full of that orange dust. Can't believe it's only 4 hours now!

Those were the days

One of them k-pop type songs will do

For me it would depend on time, if time is a factor then it's maybe just about double to fly and save a hell of a lot of time, Air Asia will no doubt do all the links but you're 'losing' a night on that train and trains aren't peanuts to really make the difference in cost a major issue, it's more about time, for me

Phonsavan is 4 hours drive and 4 hours to Vang Vieng?? Are you kidding??

Wow, changed a hell of a lot. I visited Phonsavan from Luang Prabang 15+ years ago and there were pretty much no buses or they'd only go some of the way and I'd arrange local transport. Think the actual bus from Phonsavan back to Vang Vieng back then was at least 15 years and was one of those bumbling wooden things!

Jeez, transport has really changed Good news, mind

Why not book directly with the hotel? That way the 18+% the hotel has to pay the booking companies can be used to offer better amenities/services for their guests.

I have checked stuff on booking.com and agoda for places that I sort of know about or have stayed in the past. I have called them and asked current prices if I haven't been for a year or so and often quoted lower prices, particularly in low season. Have told them more expensive on agoda or booking and then agreed the price with them

Even paid using paypal and got the booking confirmation direct from them or given them a small deposit

Maybe that's a low season thing but a couple have requested I do that rather than pay the 17 or 18%. One in particular I wanted a certain room overlooking the sea so called to check if a particular room number was available then I will book 'sea view' on agoda and make a note I want that room (now I know it's available) but they said no, no, no ... do it direct, etc

I was living in Asia at the time and yeah, some guys I worked with may go over and indulge but I don't think it is the extent it is now.

I wish we had all this internet stuff for meeting girls when I was that age!

I was going to say I know someone that went in July and they said it was nice but quiet, not everything was open and a bit more basic/old skool then than other islands (although that could have been him!)

Koh Lipe is not too far and lovely too