jacko

Similarly for me, but the maintenance guy held the computer while a manager entered some codes to pop open the safe. That little bit of Shakespeare gave me confidence. I have used room safes extensively in Thailand, my only real issues was but one. A rural hotel that used lock boxes behind reception and something got pilfered. But you hear of incidents, a pal had his room safe opened while,he believes, he slept in the room. Another hotel loses the complete contents of its safe when it leaves a relatively new employee with the keys..... it need only happen once to be a major problem. Most hotel room safes could be broken into within 5 minutes with tools. Even those that could not can often be carried off and opened elsewhere.

I wonder if they can get away with it purely due to the loyalty of their customers, the Americans themselves. Certainly they have a big-time captive domestic market. But so many are entrenched in their loyalty schemes .....(sorry I watched 'Up in the Air' very recently)...... Like you I avoid BA, a couple of incidents where they screwed/ annoyed me royally in the past, along with misery transiting through LHR ...when I landed in T4 and had to get to T1! I was captive to them too in my working days, wanting to change in UK en-route to/from the USA for work. Thankfully, we now have great choice...sadly mostly via the Middle East!

Jessica Biel

So they already know the election result and have factored them in? No point going ahead then with all that balloting nonsense then! Sure the markets will try and get a jump in, but remember last time, the situation was very fluid, even to the point of who would be running the country after results were in. Didn't we nearly have a coalition of the losers? Like you I feel I have undue influence on exchange rates, last time I transferred the £ plummeted as I slept and my cash was 'in transit'.... I like 50.... easy to calculate things, like shaving gel costing me £6 here.... but I make it up on other service orientated bargains..

Back slightly above 49 baht/£ now, We have been trending up gently for 2 weeks now. Election results (May 7) should provide some direction, depending on coalitions formed or whatever. My trigger level to send some money over here is 50+... could I be premature?

I managed to find a manual in English for my Saeco coffee maker on the internet...... still have it in 'My Documents' and the bloody machine packed in ages ago. First problem was a simple gasket/O-ring for the water container, I think I paid $20+ to have one sent from the USA. Then the heater packed in and that was a more serious repair. Thought about a new one until I saw how much they were! Back to the drip coffee maker. That old machine made a great cup of Joe, it ground the beans freshly too. I made a double serving into a beaker, then frothed up some full cream milk with the steam jet and poured it on top.. I miss that coffee... I used to jump out of bed early as I couldn't wait some mornings! A bit of a coincidence in that I also got a carded bullshit message from the postman a while back.. he was never anywhere near the bloody house. Been to the pharmacy, then to Nerm Plub plink-plonk-wan market and got some nor-mai (bamboo shoots... stuff with pork meat, dip in flour then tempura batter and deep fry, serve with a chilli tamarind dip-sauce..yummy)..then to immigration, lunchtime, so killed an hour with a massage. Then did my 90day reporting. Not fast considering I have the bar-code, about 10 before me and a 15-20 minute wait. The job is done by a couple of young girls now. Internet next time! Then to BigC to buy a new mouse, crappy things must have a shut-down 12 month timer in them! Why do they employ so many goof-balls in there, 75 percent of them are just pissing around on their phones. I got them little vinegar flies buzzing all around me here at the house and they are doing my head in!

Because they are poor and there are few jobs available. Ii's like the Filipinos, mostly happy good natured people but their country is screwed up. Anyhow, being in the USA does not make them not Mexican!

Yes, but isn't she being paid not to be discerning and simply serve. As said, I got an impression the stewardesses resented being disturbed to bring you a drink on the long hauls. Quite the opposite on say a Cathay flight, they couldn't do enough for you.

I recall a report here on the offending gas station more recently than 'several years' ago, wasn't it you getting hit for a second time? Anyhow, good news that they have put a stop to it. And there is more than 1 gas station on Threppasit, there are two practically side by side.

I used to fly a lot to and from the USA. To be honest I avoided the USA carriers because I found the cabin service poor and didn't like paying for a beer. I also did a lot of trips between USA and China and went with a group of USA guys, no way were they not going to use a USA carrier as they all were neurotic about getting their air-miles in. Fortunately it was Biz Class, but I still resented the crappy service by the old-ladies of United, when I could have been on Cathay or JAL!

On the above comment, and admitting I wouldn't know the USA well enough to find the best steak in NYC, I actually went through a lot of disappointment wrt steaks when I was in the USA. From NY State, Pa, FL and TX, I had a lot of disappointing ones. Being from the UK, the land of crappy steaks and pathetic salads, I was expecting so much in that respect from the USA. Then, out of the blue I got the great and likely the best one from an Outback restaurant in Kansas City, MO. Oh and a prime rib in NY once.

Yeah, plenty on North Rd, 2 I think as you head out of town. Sukhumvit itself has loads. Some on Threppasit, again heading out. The cheating one where they don't like to zero the meter on the 3rd Rd/Tai junction. There are still the bottles for sale at various points around town if it is just a matter of topping a bike up. I live well out of town and am in the habit of filling up near the house as a routine Monday AM.

Edward Norton.

I kinda thought I did that a bit already, with my dull tales of prepping durian and odd night out. Perhaps my ongoing (6 years and counting) 'battle' with a rather large and noisy tookay lizard I would like to be rid of. I keep catching her partners and moving them on but she is a wily one. Or how I climbed a ladder recently to block off her hidey hole only to get wobbly up there and come back down before I broke my stupid skull. I was walking down the street like a great white hunter yesterday to get rid of a harmless snake I had caught... easy to impress locals as they seem to fear the most innocuous of snakes. Today is Saturday, mostly stay home, BBQ day sometimes, but she did her wonderful ribs yesterday.

They live in my home town! You could be forgiven for mistaking many Greater Manchester areas for Karachi.

That got me salivating!

But then you would never get there.

Scott Glenn

Ethan Hawke

Laurence Fishburne.

You take me back many years to a trip from Abu Dhabi-UK on Tarom, Sitting in a miserable transit place under armed guard in Bucharest! It was cheap though!