jamieson

Interesting that in todays Sydney Morning Herald, Thailand is rated as the most dangerous place for Australians to visit, claiming 105 died in Thailand in 2008/09, that despite it being second to Bali in terms of tourist numbers (58 died in Indonesia).

You can read the article here.

when the boomerang returns, australia may be next, if not, on top of the list.

air asia is by far the cheapest via KL. Also they have business class seats on the KL - Australia sector at about Bt 10,000 each way to Perth

yes, very cheap airline.....until one realises all the add-on costs including a cup of cheap unknown brand coffee or hot noodles at five times the cost of the same thing elsewhere and never served on any other airline.

cheap eh?

Its people like Cross Bones and co who complain the loudest and demand all sorts of compensation when they get stranded in some remote airport for days on end. I would never buy one of those stupid cheap airfares with all sorts of conditions attached,particularly over the net.Pay the extra few dollars and fly direct with Thai or Qantas. No complaints.Cant stand amatuer travellers. All whingers!

wow!

didn't realise we have non-amatuer traveller on board here.

so what are the qualifications for an expert/professional traveller?

"all whingers", "stupid cheap airfares", etc. etc.etc.

wow, quite a load we have got here.....

Just found some flights to BKK from Australia.

Check out http://www.bruneiair.com/

About half the price of other airlines. Many flights return less than $600

Long (6-12 hour) stopovers in Brunei but you save $

It looks like you get a free tour of Brunei on your stopover

GOOD AIRLINE.

planes are new and services, EXCELLENT.

TAKEN IT TO AND FROM LONDON TOO!

Good recommendation, must say.

AIRASIA??????

iffy AIRLINE, MUST SAY -WITH cancellation OF THE NEW PLANES ORDERS AND delays IN SOME. THEY APPEAR STRAP FOR CASH TO UPGRADE AND THEIR finances appear to be tatters and many of their planes are OLD.

read all about it "MALAYSIAN BUSINESS', SEPT 16TH-30TH,2009 ISSUE, AT WWW.BERITAPUBLSIHING.COM.MY.

No more risk from one airline to another imho.

Statistics prove you wrong though. While some airlines may be unlucky, others have major flaws in their training, maintenance, and other areas which make them far more dangerous to fly.

well said. period.

The EC's credibility is sitting on the edge of the toilet right now as a result of its response to the Airbus pitot static tube problems. Despite knowing there were problems related to the Airbus, EASA only ordered the pitot tubes changed last month subsequent to the AF tragedy.

Pointing fingers elsewhere is a nice way of avoiding serious issues at home. But then who wants to take on Airbus?

what are we to make of the new Airbus380?

care to comment?

I will also do as before, i.e. stick with large, experienced budget airlines. In Thailand, AirAsia and Nok Air are not any more likely than TG & such to have problems.

read in www.beritapublishing.com.my's "malaysian Business " on this heavily-in-debt budget airline, latest issue sept16th-30th,2009.

conclude yourself what an airline in dire straights would do when they seem to keep expanding so fast in less than five years of international flight service.

read about their cancelled/delayed new plane orders.

in other words, like lion air, indonesia, most planes are still old here.

nok air, don't see any such report on it.therefore , no comments.

fly safely and ignore the "blacklist" elswhere on this TV thread at your own risk

I noticed that Indonesia Air Asia is on that list. Are flights to/from Bangkok and Bali operated by Thai Air Asia or Indonesia Air Asia? Would that route be considered unsafe?

it is the plane - not the thai or indonesian office.

a malaysian newsmagazine - MALAYSAIN BUSINESS , WWW.BERITAPUBLISHING.COM.MY - recently ( SEPT 16TH-30TH,2009) talk about how airasia is cancelling/delaying orders for new planes apparently because airasia is cash-strapped.

the only thing one can think of is cut-backs on this and that.

result: shudder to think or even want to board one of of these planes after a thread here in

TV about how one flight wanted to take -off and the planes door could not lock -besides many other problems with this low budget airline that has flown to australia for barely two/three years.

I'm too easily annoyed to spend the rest of my life here I think. For the most part it's good and maybe I just need to get out of Phuket? Was happier in BKK and CM. It's also too dam_n hot for my Canuck blood and the way people drive here really makes me want to pack up. I miss fresh salmon and hockey night among other things the west has to offer.

Perhaps you miss the Canadian Police chases.....

a canadian friend of mine did not last a year on his one work contract in singapore - all because of the weather out there.

he was getting sick most of the time simply because the weather would beat him down.

of course all the modern amenities are there in singapore but do not forget the very cost of living there and the heating bills to cool you down - the latter of which will chomp off half your pay-check almost.

canada was where i last lived and grew up.

wouldn't trade thailand for anywhere else.

yes, i had some weather adjustment problems too in phuket and so i left phuket for the north - where it is eternally summer time like in the canadian summer ends.

trust me, after thailand, the canadian winters will be impossible when age catches up with you and your mobility gets reduced to near zero.

I am sorry if this is a gloomy subject, but I find it interesting.

Are you quite happy to live out the rest of your days in Thailand?

Would this decision change if you became really sick or infirm?

I am happy in Thailand and a firm believer that life will take me where I need to be. I have lived in Thailand over six years and would say I am used to living here, but it never feels really like home. Still, I'm not complaining about this. I am happy and think that it is a good place to bring up my son. I am in my late thirties so hopefully have a few years of health left. If I became really sick I am not sure what I would do, but would probably just stay in Thailand.

What about you guys?

your son is very lucky to have you thinking this way.

just ensure you have several good insurances and you will be fine.

besides, you are still very young.

i have been here more than ten years and my farang neighbour's son has served his compulsory military service and graduated already and is now sponsored by the navy for his tertairy education in a field of study that will enable him to work anywhere in the world if he so desires in the future.

believe he can also claim benefits on your behalf on medical grounds since you are his father.

will confirm on this and let you know in due course - or better still, can someone provide an earlier answer than me?

I have booked a long haul flight for next month,the 10-pm Air Asia Flight out of Chaingrai

gets me into Bangkok at just the right time to check in ETC.

Anyone had any experience of this flight being Delayed, Cancelled

or any good reports about being on time ETC

I am only interested in this flight i know my other options

ThaNKS

be sure you have no connecting flights out.

otherwise, you may be very disappointed and may not fly with them ever again.

I am not really clear what you are looking for in this thread.

Do you want a list of negatives of living in Thailand? For any conscious person who has lived here awhile, that would be a long list. Hopefully, they could also write a long list of positive points. I know I could do both, but am not in the mood.

I will say this though. Living in Thailand is not the same as having a holiday in Thailand but you can't really understand exactly what that means to you personally until you actually do it yourself.

well said.

been living in a few countries out west before and not many come close to thailand.

the salubrious air, the people,the freedom, the locals, and less one forget, the cheapness on basics which have really gone with the wind out west and down-under. (last lived in canada and oz).

been here for more than ten years.

yes, you can get all these back home but they are incomparable with thailand.

note all positives and advice mentioned here and note well.

negatives? well, avoid some of the local foods unless you are very very adventourous, really!

if you meet a rock whilst going downstream or the mountain in thailand, skirt around it and carry on and you realise very soon there is no place like thailand that you can call home - if not, a better home than the first home you left behind.

great country for the descendants too for as long as you stay focus on why you want to be here.