Razzler1973

I have arrived at Bangkok train station twice on my bike, and both times been totally disorientated by the one way system and turn left/right only signs

That was my problem a few years ago in Yarrowat. I was literally going in circles for an hour trying to get out of the place.

Mate, I am like that around there when I am bloody walking so christ knows what it's like when driving!

Koh Chang has plenty of beaches to explore with restaurants and things on all of them, waterfalls too, nice place to bike around and also massage type places too

If you're happy to relax during the day then I think there's plenty for you to do and enough bars and food places open until 2am too

A whole 10 minute walk, dude?

Firefly, not heard of them but also only Had Yai and Samui, tricky little buggers, would have thought KL would have had these cheap airlines spreading out a lot more

Anything going on in Haad Yai?

Looking for a low cost airline that flies out of KL in Malaysia to various points in Thailand

To my horror it seems Nok Air only flies out of Penang in Malaysia and not KL and Air Asia seems

to fly to BKK, Krabi, Phuket or Hat Yai ... are there any others out there maybe fly to smaller

places such as Nakorn Sri Thammarat or basically just a bit more choice?

Well at least it's a good location... Easy to access already ugly enough

Whereabouts will it be?

You CAN rent bikes at the pier but depends which pier you arrive in. There's the regular one with the big 'Welcome to Koh Chang' sign in front of you and there's one a bit further (left) down the highway that some boats come in at that one (you can't walk)

I am not sure if the main pier has bikes, may have a few but the 'other' pier has a lot more (but less songthaews). Problem is they are keen on passport and if you don't want to play ball with that you may end up not getting one

On White Sand there are some bike rentals that'll take your driving licence to hold instead of passport, the one outside of Alina Resort (on the right - hole in wall type thing)

I LOVE dogs but some of them in Thailand make me very wary

I remember on Koh Chang, before they did all the big developing in the middle bit there was a bit of 'no mans land' of near half kilometre with little in the way of light where you'd run the gauntlet of ropey dogs

They'd start off with a mild growl and do that thing where they're getting closer and you're not sure if they will go for you or not

I used to pick up a couple of rocks 'just in case'

People come always first. When people get hurt by dogs then something needs to be done about the dogs.

For strays its the responsibility of the local authorities.

of course , you can have private a dog, as long as you take over your responsibility.

dog control is not a western thing: look at singapore, hongkong, taipei! its possible. even in malaysia i didnt see plenty of dogs roaming. in vietnam they are eaten like beef.

only some brain and respect is necessary. respect in thailand is only between people? give yourself the answers.

I think the lack of dogs in Malaysia is a Muslim thing, they're not into dogs. You do see a fair amount of stray cats about in Malaysia.

Same here in Dubai, you do get family dogs with expats but they're not a favoured pet in (most of) the Muslim world (dirty) but we also have plenty of stray cats here

On White Sand I prefer to walk right along the beach even past 15 palms, Rocksand & Independent Bo and laze about around there

Love it!

I put 8 but that's no indication that I don't absolutely love it it's just that I absolutely LOVE so much Thai food!

We know why they refuse to do it but that's hardly the fault of the passenger who wants to go from A to B

My suggestion was don't be a cabbie or take up your concerns about the system with the taxi authorities.

Cabs in Hong Kong operate on 'Hong Kong side' or 'Kowloon' side and there was a (legit) fee to cross over the water. Maybe there can be additional charges for going close to certain areas

We have that at the moment in Dubai. Minimum fares and going close to problem traffic areas (Sharjah) it's an automatic AED 20 fee and everyone knows this, it's written there. Let the authorities decide on the best way to satisfy passengers and cabbies and me not have to worry about it

I bet those Thai forums are fun, does she hide the farang comments from you but just look at you sideways after threads like 'how to get them to do what you want' and stuff like that

As I mentioned earlier, we have a complaints type central taxi depot here in Dubai and we have the same issues about not wanting to take passengers will I call that number up and report their taxi number and they get fined 200 AED (2K baht)

I see someone mentioned above you have a similar thing in BKK now, although not sure if they'll actually get fined, here, they do get fined. I have no qualms about using it either. I don't want to report but I live where I live or I want to go where I want to go and it's not up to cabbies to tell me they don't fancy it

What next, bus drivers just deciding they don't want to stop at certain stops and taking a short cut?

Personally, I have never had a problem but I have heard that it happens

Isn't it usually the 'oh you dropped your ciggie' littering thing?

Try MBE (Mail Boxes Etc), they've got a place on Prom Phong BTS amongst other places in Bangkok.

Are they post boxes to deliver your mail or actual safe boxes? I assume if someone cracks it open then your gear is done for?

I really don't care if they are legally obliged by the terms of their licenses to take you where you want to go.

Who really wants to get into a taxi and make him go somewhere he has said he would prefer to stay out of ?

Wait and take another one for gawd's sake.

Bangkok taxis are about the world's cheapest.

This is just one more example of your basic silly TV reader tosspots who get into a snit because hey can't "enforce" the standards and practices from over 'ome, over 'ere. The wai things ah doon in the Youuu Kaaay.

Most taxis, even the drivers who can speak a little English can't understand the fractured pronunciations these idiots bring to Thai place names anyway.

While your sweeping generalisations are fun, taxis refusing to take customers is not strictly a farang issue, they flatly refuse Thais as well that aren't going 'far enough' or in traffic or in the rain

I would say aside from Haad Rin to Thong Sala bit of Koh Pha-Ngan the rest of KPN is quite 'runnable'. From Thong Sala in other directions even running on the roads in any direction to the other beaches shouldn't be too dangerous, it's hardly rush hour around there

You can definitely turn up and get a ticket for same day or next day, that bit is no worries

Look at forum list ... right-click and open new tab a bunch of different forums ... right-click, open new tab a bunch of different threads. Read and/or post ... done

Breaks my day up

Why would you add pages instead of just renewing? It needs renewing

Seems like all passport renewals require you couriering your passport back home to Liverpool now rather than consultates doing it

Changed in UAE and Middle East, not sure about Asia

Jolibee is the national food!

They are firmly near the bottom of the Asian food table

As said though, adobo is ok, pancit canton (basically fried noodles of sorts) and anything remotely Chinese influenced is not as evil. Bicol Express has a bit of spice, like a coconut milk type curry Thai food fans should be familiar with

They like chucking stuff in a pot and mullering it for hours over there. Don't even get me started on kare-kare. Evil ****

Very rude drinking company you had! Hope you said thank you and walked away!

Not all do, i think. But a lot of tourists are prejudiced, sadly.

I did make an exit about 10 minutes later. I joked that I hoped that my wife was never a bar prostitute thinking what an incredible xxxx the guy was.

How would others respond?

The thing is, even though you said that and then left ... I bet that guy thought to himself your girl was a hooker and you just don't know!

Basically, it's his problem. He's used to only interacting with working girls and probably goes around saying things like "we all pay for it one way of the other" and stuff like that

On a serious note I don't think all tourists think that, I think a lot of them probably don't think at all about the situation. Wherver you go nowadays there are interracial relationships, here in Middle East, back in the UK even so fairly common site

Damn - 17 pages, this took off, didn't it, I guess I should read more it then! :/

I just saw this thread and wondered whether it was the French lad dying and remembered it was Cambodia

Terrible.

I am a huge fan of the US version of the show

What kind of water rates and electricity at these places being mentioned. OP mentioned government rates what about these others?

Also, OP, you seriously think you were kicked off cause you're a farang then? What reason did they give you?

Plenty of good nightlife in BKK IMO. Thong Lor, Ratchada, RCA, Ekkamai, Victory Monument, Banglumpoo, Ratchathewi etc. Next to no hookers, no pissed up farangs, no trouble.

I think it obviously depends whereabouts in Banglumphoo you are in terms of the volume of pissed up farang and hookers these days for that matter

So, this is a real thing? I never thought it would ever actually happen. I am surprised.

Is it going to ship in massive package holiday type groups then, can't see it being less than the over priced Samui prices to fly there

End of days, last time I was there couple of years ago they were totally rennovating that bit across from Chicken Corner, looked like some hotel or other, that's a legendary corner or Haad Rin from waaaaay back