tonititan

If this has to do with safety or movement on the plane then why is their a size difference between a female and a male?

Not sure if you have noticed lately Nisa but men are built a bit bigger than women. They would be flat out finding enough men with a 32" waist, and who would lift all that heavy luggage for the frail females?

I'm pretty sure she understands the physical differences between men and women. I get her point. If the issue is flight attendants being able to safely and efficiently move down the aisle without bumping into people, and only a waist of XX inches will comfortably fit through the aisle, then it shouldn't matter if the person having that waist size is a man or a woman.

Thanks. The one reservation putting me off Koh Samet is the reservation system. I'll be going there with my mother and wife. I want more than just a phone call saying they might have a room for us but don't know the price. A lot of these places state no email contact on their webpages. That puts me off and might choose Koh Chang instead because of it.

Well, maybe other people have had better luck with making reservations at Tub Tim's.

And FYI.....I forgot to mention that Samet Villa DOES have a good booking system, which is another reason I prefer it. You can call or email, and you can choose the exact room type you want (they have many different types on their website.....not to be confused with another resort, Samed Ville!). They do require a 1 night deposit, which I pay by bank transfer within Thailand. Not sure what they do for people booking from outside of the country. I've probably stayed there 5-10 times, and I've always received exactly the room I was promised, with no hassles. I prefer the peace of mind of having a firm reservation.

And if your mother is elderly or has any mobility issues, I'd also vote for Samet Villa - it has nicer lit, paved footpaths to get around the resort, lots more staff to assist, and in my opinion, the overall level of comfort is much higher. At some of the Tub Tim's bungalows, you have to walk through sand or on a dirt path to get to your room - which does contribute to the "not a resort" vibe, if that's what you are looking for.

I've stayed there many times in the past few years. No major issues with the place. The restaurant is great for dinner, the rooms are generally clean enough. One thing to consider is that there is a BIG difference between their different type/levels of bungalow. There's some not-so-great ones in the back, lots of decent ones, and some spectacular ones (the new ones that were built about a year ago on the bluff at the end of the beach). Of course the prices varies depending on the room.

My main issue with Tub Tim is their reservation system. I've always had to phone, and they usually can't confirm an exact price over the phone. They usually give me a range and say they won't know the exact cost until a few days before my reservation. They don't ask for a deposit, which can be nice for some, but it always leaves me feeling a little uneasy about whether I actually have a confirmed booking or not. It seems that they also don't like to take advance reservations - they may tell you that a certain weekend is fully booked, but if you call back a few weeks before your trip, suddenly they have tons of rooms.

Like someone said, the price of Tub Tim's keeps going up, and I find that it is often about the same to stay at Samet Villa, which has nicer/bigger rooms, tv, better breakfast, and more overall comforts. Tub Tim's has more of a remote "bungalows on the beach" vibe going on, whereas Samet Villa feels more like a resort. But after living here for years, I could care less about that. The thing Tub Tim's has going for it is it's location on the beach. Also the fact that it's not by any major nightclubs/bars, so it tends to be quieter at night than certain areas of Samet Villa.

Heres my tip: Fly business class

knew there would be one, there always is !

heres my tip back !

in business class on take off and landing you dont get a nice looking hostess sitting opposite you with her legs crossed.

from what i have seem you usually get some old battle Axe that the airline cant wait to get rid of.

Seriously? You'd rather be uncomfortable in economy class so you can look at a pretty flight attendant, vs. comfortable in a nicer class where you are "forced" to look at an old flight attendant? Your choice - hope you enjoy that pretty flight attendant when you're crammed into your tiny economy seat.

Good thing you didn't ask this on the Thai Airways flight attendant thread. At 6'1" and 100 kilos, many of the posters think that you should have to pay extra for your added weight!

A number of airlines do require very large people to buy an extra seat and this seems like a fair solution.

Sorry but I guess thats BS, How would they do that? I never been asked for my weight when I booked a flight online and never heard someone is asked in a ticket office.

Can you name some Airlines please?

I will give you five that I know of .... Continental, American, Delta, United, Air France

Edit: Being from America I read these stories or have witnessed it first hand. Obviously this is not a big issue in Asia at this time but I also believe I have read it happing on Asia Airlines too but cannot recall which ones. Being fairly thin I really don't keep up but the bottom line is it is a safety issue in terms of being able to fit between the arm rests and not intruding on another passengers seat. If someone cannot do this then they obviously would be required to take up two seats if the airline noticed or somebody complained. However, the airlines I mentioned have actual policies in place regardless if anybody complains. Oh and South West in the US also has policies in terms of large people occupying two seats.

I have also heard of other international airlines doing the same, but I can't remember which. I'd have to do some research to figure that out......but I'm not going to waste my time doing that just to appease Mr. "Well if I have never heard of it, it must be BS!" And FYI Moskito, they don't ask you about your weight when you buy tickets....it happens when you show up, and the gate agent or flight attendants deem you too large for one seat.

I've been twice in September and October, plenty of water and fairly good weather

Thanks, good to know! I don't think Sept-Oct will be an option for me because of work, but I'll keep it in mind. Anyone been in May or June?

Check out the article in today's newspaper. It indicates that 41 employees have been affected so far (they were bigger than the requirements). However, 28 of these employees were men. Yes, it seems that MEN are the ones having issues, not the ladies.

I kind of doubt that there are that may grossly overweight Thai men working as flight attendants. Rather, I suspect that this shows a flaw in the requirements, namely, the BMI requirement. Most people who understand anything about how BMI is calculated knows that it doesn't reflect different body shapes or body compositions (of fat vs. muscle). So a muscular thin guy is going to have a higher BMI than a thin guy with very little muscle mass. I wonder how many of these 28 guys were "fat," and how many had larger body frames & more muscle. Now THOSE are the kind of flight attendants I want on my planes!

In a hospital I want a nurse that can perform the physical duties required (flipping a patient that cannot move so that bedsores and other things can be addressed!) I don't need or even desire beauty. (I don't want "Nurse Ratchet" personality-wise though! On a plane I want pretty (men and women) that can maintain some grace and a smile. The air-marshals can deal with the miscreants

Not me. On a plane, I want flight attendants that are polite and helpful (regardless of looks), and who are physically strong.....for opening doors in case of an emergency landing, helping to restrain unruly passengers, helping with overhead baggage, etc.

Any suggestions on the best time of year to visit? I've been meaning to go for years but haven't yet gotten around to it. From websites I've looked at, it seems that it's wise to avoid January-April, as there may not be enough water in the river for floating, etc. But other than that, any particular time that is best?

I guess specifically, I'm wondering about May & June. Thanks!

I used my Halifax UK bank account ATM card, that's why I'm confused that a B12,400 international withdrawal was allowed

Oops. I didn't know that Halifax was a UK bank.

I have a Bangkok Bank account, but for any ATM I've used in Bangkok, the limit has been 20,000 - sometimes restricted to 20 individual bills.

Obviously some important details are being left out of this story. The story states that the women expected to be surrogates and even agreed to the payment. It doesn't sound like they woke up one day and suddenly noticed that their bellies were larger. They didn't come to Thailand to be a waitress and then were held in bondage. So what went sour? Once they were pregnant did they change their mind and decide to keep the baby themselves, or perhaps negotiate a higher price? What caused the girl( to change her mind and reneg on her contract?

It may have changed when their passports were taken away and they were held as slaves...may have had something to do with the change of heart?

Yeah, there is an updated article in the newspaper today (the one we can't quote) that indicates that the women came to Thailand with the promise of well-paying jobs. They didn't know about the surrogacy until they arrived, and they were supposedly told that if they refused to comply and accept the offer, their passports would be withheld.

Yeah they could. Besides being filthy & unsafe for fetuses, the women could have been physically, verbally, or psychological abused.

Yeah, could have been. That's why I said we don't know what the conditions were like - not that this actually happened - so we can't fully understand what "crimes" were committed based solely on the information contained in this article.

I understand the downplaying of what I am saying, but firstly I am not describing "America"; North, South, or Central. Those are totally different cultures and mindsets. Also, what westerners make the mistake in doing is deciding that the rest of the world needs to be "Americanized" and there you have the problem!

Your interpretation of physical, verbal and psychological abuse more than likely do not fit in with Thai standards, as these standards are played out in the "the daily norm" that I am subject to continuously.

I posted two separate replies for a reason - my abuse comment & my comment about you saying that your trashy, poor neighbors represent the "Thai norm" were two completely different issues. I obviously realize that you weren't talking about any of the Americas. The only reason I mentioned "America" was to point out how ridiculous it is to generalize an entire culture based on one small subset of that culture, whether it's in Thailand or in a western country . It's unfortunate that you seem to think that all Thai people behave the way your neighbors do.

I understand your view, but I gave that one up long ago; way before stories about 2000 dead fetuses and other heinous acts by humans towards one another.

Do you? What exactly do you think is my "view?"

But that's ok, because by any other name; it's Thai living as a norm.

Where I come from we definitely have some "trailer trash" parts of town that sound similar to what you described. That doesn't mean it's the American norm. Maybe try not to generalize so much.

Not to mention that we don't know what the conditions inside the houses were really like.

They could not have been any worse than the native people who live just down the street from me: A filthy brick shanty with flee ridden curs who regularly urinate and poop in the footpath, and lay on their outdoor concrete table eating surface to escape the Sun. The same surface that never gets wiped down when the people eat on it. And several grubby children running all around the area and on the roads dressed like Nigerian poster kids. The mom and dad regularly visit the monkey house due to their drug habit and dealing the stuff. You got it; grandma lives there and takes care of everything.

It looks like the mom is pregnant again, as the man does not have a job, and they must lay around all day and breed babies (as the article suggests).

But that's ok, because by any other name; it's Thai living as a norm.

Yeah they could. Besides being filthy & unsafe for fetuses, the women could have been physically, verbally, or psychological abused.

I don't really find much wrong with what they were doing. I believe in reproductive freedom.

The prices they were charging seemed high and they were not paying the surrogates good wages, but isn't it a free market?

There seems to be so many stupid restrictive laws and so much righteous indignation everywhere.

Nobody does anything about street kids on drugs. But if someone tried to put them to work in a factory and feed them, then people get upset about the exploitation.

Look at all aspects of this article. Read the website....

The article isn't completely clear, but this paragraph implied something that might be "wrong" with what they're doing:

Vietnamese women, some of whom were offered thousands of dollars per baby, were held in two houses in Bangkok and had their passports confiscated.

I also have no problem with paid surrogacy. But if the women agreed to be surrogates, then were held against their will, to me that is a crime. Agreeing to be a surrogate does not = agreeing to be a prisoner. The fact that the women's passports were confiscated (if true) shows that the women weren't completely doing this freely. Not to mention that we don't know what the conditions inside the houses were really like.

the op asked for views of the women posters to comment on the premise that so many men on thaivisa like to categorically state that ALL women are only after money. the point of the thread was to disprove these bitter rants against women & how they are having to "pay for it" all the time.

I think the replies from the women so far have proven that this isn't the case. what other women do is up to them, the fact remains that not ALL women are looking for a wallet.

Yeah, and I'm not going to waste my time arguing with guys who are still convinced that it's true. They are welcome to go find the girls who do only want money. I know what important to me.

You're right - I wanted to hear from other women, so I appreciate the ladies who have taken the time to reply.

Quite what?

It's still there.

The travel insurance response was interesting, do people still buy this?

Do people actually still use travel agents?

That's why I always try to book all my connecting flights together, either through the same airline, or through codeshares. If I have to book two completely separate flights, I allow myself a lengthy layover in case of delays. I know that the second flight could care less about why I'm late if they had nothing to do with it. You have to be smart and know how to play the game.

I agree in our home countries, being a housewife is way undervalued. Here in Asia for households with 1-3 nannies/maids i think being a stay at home wife is way overvalued for those large groups of expat housewives who let the nannies and maids take care of the house and kids and then spend their time on endless coffee mornings, long lunches, afternoon shopping trips/salons/spas. (And yes im bitter because id love to live an indolent life of doing whatever i fancied for a year or two like some of these expat wives!!)

Yeah, good point. I think that the families most of us are talking about aren't the well-to-do expat families with multiple staff to help that out. That's different. I would never argue that the stay-at-home mom who has nannies & maids is doing as much work as a "regular" stay-at-home mom. In my posts, I was mostly referring to families living and working in the West, where most people don't have hired help.

I would love to live that like for a couple years myself. I should point out, though, that the situation isn't limited to just expat wives. I work with plenty of women who have full-time jobs in Thailand and have brought along their expat husbands (or boyfriends). They may not do shopping & spa trips, but a lot of them spend their days going to bars, watching sports, sleeping off hangovers, and hanging with buddies. Some of the expat dads who have young children at home even have nannies so that they don't have to stay home with the kids and can hang out all day instead. I think that expat couples in which only 1 partner works is a totally different phenomenon.

I know a lot women who stay at home to look after their kids & home, an agreement between both man & woman. Does that mean the women is a gold digger or isn't entitled to a claim on the martial income if the relationship breaks down? Not in my book but one of the major whines from alot of men posting here is how their ex-wives in the west took them for half they had, as if they were the only one contributing when they invariably are overlooking the fact that their wives either worked too or requested their wives stay home & raise the kids, have their dinner on the table & spend her formative earnng years taking care of the families needs. I rarely see many men take that risk but if they did, I'm pretty sure that they would be demanding their 50% in any divorce proceedings.

Nothing to do with being a gold digger & all about fair payment for years of service.

Definitely! I get really annoyed when I hear that type of bullshit argument from men, whether it's in the West or in Thailand. I'm not saying there's not lazy women, because there are - just like there are lazy men. But when a woman stays home to take care of the house and raise the kids (either out of financial necessity, or because the couple decides that is best for the kids, etc.), it's ridiculous that when the relationship goes sour, the man starts saying "Well, she never contributed anything to this marriage....she's not getting a cent of my money!" Um, yeah she did contribute....she cooked for you, cleaned for you, did your laundry, raised your kids, ran your errands, took care of the house, and all the other many things that stay-at-home moms and dads do. Should she be left with absolutely nothing just because she gave up a career to take care of the family? Hell no. What's worst is when men don't want their wives to work, or even "forbid" it because they don't want to do any housework themselves, or they just want to be able to have more control over their wife because of the wife's financial dependence on the husband. Then when they get divorced and label the wife as "lazy" for not working, they just look like giant douchebags.

It's a little unclear what you are looking for. Are you wanting to take a sign language class for fun (or for educational purposes)? Or, are you deaf, sign in another country, and want to learn some Thai sign language so you can communicate with Thai people? If you are currently a signer, I'm sure you already know that different countries have different "languages" of sign - just like spoken languages, it's not universal. In the US it's ASL - American Sign Language. I'm not personally familiar with the type of sign used in Thailand, but according to Wikipedia, it is similar to ASL, so that's good if you happen to be American. If not, I have no clue how similar it would be to the sign of your country.

To find classes, you could check with universities who might offer courses, or contact audiologists who may be able to point you in the right direction. I also came across this blog:

http://discoveringdeafworlds.blogspot.com/2008/03/first-impressions-of-deaf-community-in.html

Maybe you could find out if this Jay guy is still working in Thailand, and try to find him through his university. If he is an advocate for the deaf community, he is probably aware of sign language courses.

If aliens with six legs and arms came down from outer-space they would take back with them, one Chicago style pizza and 20 Thai women. The only really great things that earth really has to offer.

If you look at the opinions of the men who live in Thailand or frequently travel here (and the ones who post on TV), of course Thai women will be their "gold standard." There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But, if you asked the guys who spend all their free time in South America, I bet a lot of them would say that the bronzed, curvy Latin women are the most beautiful in the world. Etc, etc, etc, depending on which expats you are sampling. I never said that Thai women aren't beautiful, just that your opinion does not equal the absolute truth, and just because another guy doesn't agree doesn't mean there's something wrong with him.

Miss Universe contest. There accepted standards of beauty that have to do with symmetry, shape and other universally accepted criteria.

Is that your justification for calling Thai women the most beautiful women in the world? Because Miss Thailand one a photogenic award this year? Take a look at the Miss Universe statistics, and see how many times a woman from Thailand has won the competition. If we're going to go with your Miss Universe theory, great....I believe that the US is the most winning country, therefore American women must be the most beautiful in the world!!!! KIDDING! Still think that the Miss Universe should be the standard to follow?