theoldgit

Learnt that yesterday. No guarantee the incompetent Thai police can or will do anything to help me.

They will if you pay them.

I wanted to lay charges against somebody and wanted to make a complaint to the police, my lawyer advised that they would want too much money. I took the view that all the time lawyers offered this sort of advice things would never change, so I issued court proceedings myself.

Well - you got that one quite wrong. Makasan is close to the MRT Petchaburi Station. I think the only point at which the Airport Link meets the BTS is right at the end = Phaya Thai Station.

Think it's fairly close to MRT Petchaburi Station, well you can see Makasan from Petchaburi Station, though you will still have to walk to, and accross, Petchaburi Road, there is no link.

Not sure how close the Airport Link is at Phaya Thai Station.

I live in Thonglor and a taxi costs me 250 Baht, I will stick to that I think.

I will have someone in Thailand check me and my 2 friends in for the BKK-CMX via SMS. We wont have to even go to the counter (no checked luggage). We just get our boarding pass from one of those electronic kiosks.

You can check in online up to 48 hours ahead with Air Asia and print you own boarding pass.

You still need to clear Immigration as it's your first point of entry, then hot foot it to the domestic terminal.

It depends where you are flying from I suppose, if it's from overseas you wouldn't be allowed to fly without your passport, if it's a domestic flight ant photo ID would do.

A friend of mine told me to only ever go into Thonglor Police Station with a lawyer, oh yes my friend is a Police Sergeant - at Thonglor

It's very worrying when you get through the MasterCard SecureZone and the website hangs with no confirmation of flights. There's a good chance I may have three bookings now!!!

If you go onto the manage my booking section which seems to be working a tad quicker, you can enter your card details and it will tell you if there are any bookings charged to that card.

I did it this morning after the site timed out after I had entered my card details, before trying again I checked that section and it confirmed my flight had been booked, the confirmation of my booking arrived 30 mins or so later.

Finally managed to get 2 return tickets from BKK to Surattani for next year. 321 Baht total.

I knew you could do it

I woke up this morning determined not to book any flights, my determination lasted all of 15 minutes.

There is a warning about delays on the site which is understandable, but I managed to book in about 30 mins, and I did suffer from Gateway timeouts as well, think you need to be really patient.

One word of warning, I even got a timeout after I had submitted my credit card details, before I tried to book again I went into their system and checked the "manage my booking" function and lo and behold it was there, the itinerary arrived in about 15 mins.

The free flights are out there, I have just booked flights to Bali next summer, 1600 Baht return for the two of us, including their new "convenience fee" that has crept in for using a credit card - of course you have to use a card to book on-line.

Me thinks that's a good deal.

I very much doubt it, it hasn't started yet.

AA website says the flight offer is up to October 2010, but the drop down menu dates only go up to July 2010. <deleted>?

I can only assume that the dates will be available on the drop down menu when the offer opens.

those 99 baht "far in advance" tickets will be on offer again tonight starting midnight for May - October 2009

Yes, that's why I started this thread

We are flying to Bali on Monday with Air Asia, booked in February paying 2,340 Baht for the two of us, not a bad deal me thinks.

Yes, the buffet is a bit limited but the selection was ok me and the quality is pretty good.

The wine flight is ok, but the sizes are pretty small.

Went there a few times during their two for one promotion during September and October, but at the full price I think there is far better value in town.

Well I've just given you one - not sure if that sounds right

Funnily enough my girlfriend had to fly up at short notice yesterday, we booked on Sunday night, to see her mother.

She told me this morning that her mother knows your wife's salon, though I didn't think she uses it, she says yes I know the salon "they have falang sit outside too much"

Unfortunately I could not come but I promise I will soon.

Air Asia are running their latest free flights promotion from 00.01 on 11 November for travel from 1 May to 30 October 2010.

http://www.airasia.com/site/th/en/promotio...e=rr097#Bangkok

Vietnam and Laos are indeed good examples as are Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea and I'm sure there are others, but India is not one of them.

Those countries allow visa free travel but not necessarily hassle free

Thanks to all for the replies, very helpful and informative.

I have been living in Bangkok for a couple of years, after a while in Hua Hin which didn't work out for reasons nothing to do with Hua Hin and it's way of life. After working in a fairly stressful job in London coupled with the daily commute via rail and underground Bangkok doesn't really phase me, and whilst I have a fairly good circle of friends here it's not really what I came to Thailand for.

My good lady is from Namsom though she moved to Bangkok to work in her families business and of course to find me, and whilst she has not spoken about returning "home" I think we both need to explore all options, though I am worried it might going from one extreme to the other and in fact be too quiet. I have been to Namsom a few times to visit my good lady's parents and have always been made most welcome, her father repairs agricultural equipment and has been having a hard time of late, though seems to be just about hanging on.

Anyway thanks again for everyone for taking the trouble to write the helpful replies, and "Lickey" the next time we come up I will certainly try to include a fish and chip night and I could probably to with a hair removal.

On another tack, here's a question for non- UK passport holders or residents: Does UK immigration stamp your passport on entry and exit, either or both? Or neither?

Non EU citizens will normally have their passport stamps on entry to the UK, but as there are currently no embarkation controls passports are not normally stamped on leaving the UK. I say normally because at some ports there are UKBA desks on departure but they are not always staffed, and if they are they will rarely stamp your passport, unless there is evidence of an overstay.

Thanks Dave

And I see you are from South London, as am I, the posh bit - Stockwell

Have visited Nam Som, fairly near Udon Thani, a few times but have never seen any other Farrangs there.

Place is very quiet, and I suspect too quiet for me, but never rule anything out. Would be interested to learn if anybody has any experience of this town.

I am considering taking a job with the company who saying that I must be eligible for a work permit.

I entered Thailand a little over two years ago and have extended my stay twice based on retirement. If I decide to take this job would I need to leave Thailand and get a new visa or can transfer my stay in country?

Thanks

Not really a dinning deals question, but I have just received a 1000 Baht voucher for the 55 Restaurant at The Centara Grand after renewing my Bangkok Post subscription, and I wondered if anyone had any experience of this place. Is the food any good and as 1000 Baht going to go any way for paying for a meal there, or is the voucher just a teaser to get you through the doors?

Sorry to ask on your thread JC, but I figured out that the people to read your column, sorry thread, might have an idea.

OMG! Really?! Can I still book the tickets now?

Yes, the sale started today.

http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/...7C3-Day%20Sales

I noticed that Lufthansa are advertising a three day sale in today's press, with prices to Europe at 5,000 Baht, plus taxes and surcharges. You have to book from today until Thursday, with travel from 1st December until the end of June 2010.

I certainly found seats available at 5,000 Baht for the dates I was interested in but was a little shocked at the extra charges of 20,000 Baht for the extras on flights to the UK, though I suppose 25,000 Baht is still not a bad price.

Other European countries had lower charges presumably because they do not impose the same APD as the outgoing Labour Government are now charging.