jacko

I am sorry to say MLC that good 'Fish and Chips' has to be searched out in the UK too these days. Good chippies exist but so do poor ones.... for example I don't rate those that double up as a Chinese Takeaway. They have started using mystery fish, and if it say 'Fish and Chips', rather than Cod and Chips, you might be eating a Mekong bottom feeder! I have even asked 'what type of fish is it?' and been met with a confused look. (They don't want to tell me or don't even know) Harry Ramsdens is a UK chain for Fish and Chips, last time I ate at one of their places the stuff was pretty good, but over-priced. My opinion might have been swayed by the fact I could get a pint with it!

Care to expand on that? I have bought many things from Ali Express without issue, normally cheap small things I can't be bothered hunting for in Pattaya. One more expensive item I paid for DHL which was fine. Delivery is normally included in the price, but that is China post/Thai Mail and can take quite a long time, 3 weeks + I have had one item not arrive, I got a refund, and another where the daft Thai postman probably forgot to come round my way and took it back to the office and told lies.... I went and got it myself.

I nearly crashed my own bike when I first saw one of these. Thought I was seeing things.

Air Asia might be due to fly there but I am also expecting a lot of Chinese operators would join them. Now that might change the future of Pattaya!

I bet they would have got Apple Incs attention had they called them I-cigarettes.

They might have opened the tunnel and added another one at the Tai junction, you will be able to whiz past Pattaya and go to Bang Saray or Ban Chang instead. A lot of questions in the OP...... Will it remain as it is ? Absolutely not, it has changed a lot in the last decade why should the future one be different. Will it become a different type of tourist destination. Yes, more emphasis on family destination, naughty boy entertainment available but less in your face. Will there be as many bars and entertainment venues ? Fewer bars, more family and good-boy venues! Will there still be plenty of girls available for sex tourism. I believe so, where there is demand supply will follow, but I think the 'authorities' will put the squeeze on reducing it. Will Westerners and Thais continue to buy property ? Yes I expect so, the frenzy will calm but the market will still be there. Will there still be as many ex-pats. If the rules do not change I expect there will be more... but more other nationalities. Will it still be a relatively cheap tourist destination? Compared to where? I think it will be cheaper than many up-market places, but I still expect prices to rise further. But they can only go so far with the current pathetic infrastructure and 3rd world look. Will places like AC, .become more popular for mongers ? I don't think so, the Philippines is a backwards failed state. I do not feel any desire to visit, I am sure others feel similarly. Could it ever become a Gambling destination. Hard question, if opened up it might be given a go, I just don't think they can catch up with places like Singapore and Macau. . As you say and obviously that statement answers most of the questions, change is inevitable, nowhere stands still. We have a progressive Mayor. We have greedy snouts keen to be better fed. Thai people themselves are changing, the place will too.

Rather a patient, near pathetic even, response by the police. Although she may have bust a blood vessel had they handcuffed her! I wonder if she is married!

I knew someone would come along and upset me. I would expect TT or similar to beat the 53 rate I got from the bank, but 55.3 looks like an error!

Agreed on the old 'Premium Lounge' in Doha. You were taken straight to and from it via the bus. In the new airport you have to walk miles to and from the lounge and it is a big impersonal place up the escalator. As I said I just received a promotional email from Qatar and thought I would look at a ticket to Manchester. The price in Biz was about 77,000 baht which is quite good as others are coming in around 100k. But looking more closely there were few seats available and they were either restricted to the very late (0200) Bangkok departure or/and some serious lay-over in Doha. Flights to Amsterdam start at 25135 THB in Economy (680 Euros).

She sounds like a good sensible one Mr Fiend.

I just made a transfer, so I thought I would give YOU advance warning of a likely significant jump in rates. Rate I got was 53.04, minus the usual 500 baht this end..a recent peak! I requested the transfer at 10am yesterday, and money arrived at 9am today, zero charges at the UK end. It is all so straightforward........ I did have to supply my address here in Thailand, the bank is strengthening its anti-money laundering procedures. Possibly something to do with them having to hand over $300,000,000 to the USA DFS!

Isis is in Syria, for Emirates you have to worry about ISID or ISIUAE. (Didn't Thailand just send a lot of Muslims back to China........)

My connections to Manchester are normally 15.5 to 17.00 hrs total travelling time. Both Etihad and Qatar have delivered on their schedule fine. I can't comment on coach class but for business, well Qatar on the plane are better, the new airport is better, but Etihad offer a limo to/ from Manchester airport. I would go on price, Qatar seem to do better there and I just received a promotional email from them with some good deals. I think they lost a bit of business due to their old airport and are now trying to promote themselves with discounts. Abu Dhabi (Etihad) were starting to do some airport work last year when I flew through and my transit was crap. Take a look at Emirates too! If price is your only concern I thought KLM was good! (Anyone got any updates on Abu Dhabi airport?)

I struggled through a collection of Truman Capote short stories and am now reading a Nelson DeMille book. The latter is better for me! What MM says might be relevant with Mr DeMille, it would have worked better had I read his in order. I really should consider a Kindle, I sometimes wake up at silly times and reading for a short while would help get me back to sleep and not disturb her who can sleep on a clothes line nearby.

Duh....... Back to the original question. Someone suggested Howard Miller at the Expats Club, and I believe the old Pattaya mail TV commentator Paul Stratham ?? also is in the property business.

Didn't Armstrong also make some rather poor taste 'Tweets' deriding Froome and his team? Link Perhaps he is right, but not his place to say, nor is he in a position criticize others. He comes over as a right shit.

I ended up in Dennys a few times having 'breakfast'.

On demand.....

Watch out though, some carriers have exorbitant change charges. I just took a quick look at Qatar and it was US$200.

Not so many these days in Amorn.... and when I went they were out of Samsung ones surprisingly. (My TV and DVD players are old models) There is the option of going to the Samsung service centre on Sukhumvit too, but your time is of no consequence to them. I once saw a guy at my local market selling old remotes, but he was never there when I went back. (I live well out of town on the north side). The other thing with Lazada was the English descriptions were very limited.....

I just ordered and received something I ordered via Ebay, coincidentally a remote. Took about 10 days, came from China and I paid using aUK based Paypal account. Advice..... check your remote controls,for leaking batteries !!! I also use Ali Express frequently. Lazada never seem to have what I am looking for but Ali Express seems to have everything, I don't mind paying over the odds...traipsing around Pattaya looking for things and trying to get across what I am looking for is just too tough!