jacko

Didn't the GGBs on soi 13/1 and 13/2 get instructed not to open before 5 or 6 a while back? I rode down 13/2 about midday and it looked like they were getting ready to open.

Good heads up! Did Lufthansa settle their problems?

Manchester has at least 7 Mid East connecting during summer season. No direct yet.

Most likely.......

I don't think they are worried about anything... but are always prepared to chase more business. This does not appear to be aimed at those already living here on retirement extensions..... although that is something I personally would very much like to replace. With something less onerous! As it is a Visa, I believe, like the multiple tourist, you will have to obtain it in your home country. It requires you to tie up 3 million baht, and the conditions allowing you to spend some of that are undefined. Also medical insurance from a Thai company, for 5 years. How on earth does someone currently living in the UK obtain that, and why would he/she prior to being granted a Visa? The same applies to putting £71,000 in a Thai bank account. Medical insurance is usually based on 1 year renewals. If they turn up with an extension that is valid for 10 years, or 2x5 years, yes I will pay more for that , 10,000 baht is about the same as 5x1900.) And usually I pay more each year for Re-Entry permits. I am unlikely to want to tie up a small fortune for 5 years, but could live with putting it in an account to obtain a 5 year extension/visa, but want to be able to start living off it immediately. I am afraid this could be another duck egg, like the multiple TR visa! But let us wait and see. I was told the previous rumour of this was all BS!

Yes, on Thursdays, Friday in the pink and Saturday rosy, Sunday peachy, Monday feeling blue and Tuesday ruby, Wednesday i see red.

500%, probably not unusual on SML!!!

And untold it shall remain.... as I remain inviolate.

That is a Cat isn't it? (Just remembered, I went from Chumphon/mainland) I did that trip and it was fine, but the Thai Mrs had to go on the upper deck, she gets seasick if I show her a picture of a boat.

I get the impression this sort of shit happens more as we get into low season. Places and staff are making less money, and try to compensate by cheating in some way. The owner suffers but the staff won't care. I was given a bottle of beer that had been 'messed with' recently... ie I believe the contents where not fresh SML, I have been drinking the stuff for a decade or more and know what it tastes like. Fortunately the mamasan changed it for me and the taste of the replacement was fine and very different. I also had to send a beer back for being warm in LK Metro, I am not paying 150 baht for a warm beer, They nagged me because I had squeezed my lemon in it and tasted it, but at least it got replaced. (You just know the top will be banged back on and someone else will get it!) I try to be positive and think, well years ago, getting it replaced would have been hard!

Can't afford them!

I will only be in the UK for 3 weeks. My SIM validity is not an issue as I top up regularly, which keeps that at 12 months. Yes I could let the credit run to zero and my weekly plan will not renew, but I wonder then if an SMS will be transferred to the UK on roaming with zero credit on my phone. I need that for some aspects of mobile/internet banking. Last trip/year I just kept the weekly plan alive, with plenty of credit on my phone. Problem was, I ended up staying in the UK a lot last year, and for each week there paid for my AIS '123' plan .... rather wasted money!

Well the tunnel is stil not open. I have been told the dealy is with some of the services and safety features... like lighting, fume extraction and fire detection. There is a U-Turn opportunity if you are heading north just before Siam CC Rd, at the Bangkok Bank sub branch. Bikes could use the same place if they were previously heading South too. Someone has moved the barriers out of the way, whether legitimately or not who knows.

So you don't have Marks and Sparks on your list of 'to dos'......? Nearly everyone returning to the UK visits M&S!!

I often latch onto an actor after seeing them do a good part but then something happens to make me think less of them. An example might be say Kevin Bacon in Mystic River, then seeing him prancing around like a dick head in a bright jump suit advertising a UK phone network! Harvey Keitel now sells insurance..... I agree Ben Affleck has been doing some more challenging roles recently when his earlier stuff was 'lightweight;. Also a few I admired seem to have had mental or drug issues (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Williams)..... Always felt Peter Stormare was good but he started out being very silly in The Big Lebowski. So for me my admiration is usually linked to a particular roll.

Restaurants have a limited life span here, 10 minutes up a very rough dirt track Rd in Rumpho (not Jomtiem one) to find a place we used to use had closed recently.

Well we are discussing avoiding data usage whereby you, like me, avoid telephone call charges by using data! Except for me it is the other way around, I am using a lot of data in the UK. Much better packages available there. Anybody who uses AIS (1-2 Call) have a suggestion of what to change my tariff to while I am in the UK... seems silly to pay my current weekly one when I certainly will not need the included minutes. SMS and data, but may need some roaming SMS receiving capability for the internet/mobile banking.

No I don't...... wheeling it from the baggage hall to the hands of the waiting driver in the arrivals hall is as close to risking a coronary I want to get!

I think the future for Kodi is limited as the copyright police aim for the Add-Ons. Phoenix shut down...

You are effectively asking me to subsidize the tourists who come here without insurance and get drunk and ride motorbikes! Given a choice I would prefer not to....

I was of the opinion that these costs also often came from people whose claims were rejected by their insurers or forced them to pay up first and get receipts. That would mean the insurance itself would need to be inspected an approved. I just don't see how 8-9 million Chinese can be checked to see they have adequate insurance.

It has had quite a few breakdowns..... Thousands stranded as airport rail link service disrupted again. Thai PBS