jacko

Great, going over the mountain wasn't bad when I went in January...... not far after that, going to Chokchai .

It is over a year since I got stuck in the most shamblistic, disorganised, congested mess of road works I have ever had the misfortune to suffer, when I drove back towards Pattaya from the NE. Never again I said.....since then I have turned off the 331 at the 3241, headed towards Laem Chabang, and picked up the motorway (7) into town. Going the other way is annoying as I always seem to have to head unnecessarily towards Laem Chabang before I can U-Turn and get back onto the Eastbound route. So are the roadworks done, on the 331 between the 3241 and 3240 junctions around Amata City? So much easier to come down the 3240, and turn at the lake to Soi Siam Country Club.

Agreed, I did a bit of Internet reading and was surprised as to the commitments and plans of Emirates. I wonder if they will surge ahead despite the economic downturn, which I believe is seriously hitting Dubai too with property prices and salaries tumbling (although there, you are not supposed to talk about it). I think SQ are better planners so they might be going the right way. Emirates doesn't really suit me, as the Middle East is not 'on the way' to Thailand. I don't like the extra travel time, I don't like the huge crowded airport at Dubai, nor am I particularly fond of the region. But being a Heathrow despising Manchester lad, my choices will be limited!

NO,I don''t click on the blue ball, that marks the whole forum as read and takes me nowhere. Balls are round, boxes are square! I click on the red text, which takes me into the forum.

Joe covered it, but I would like to add..... At first I was unsure if you would try to obtain the retirement visa in your own country..(Non Imm O/A)... possible but it is easier to do in LOS. Arrive on a Non-Imm O and convert it to a retirement extension. Item 5. The funds have to have been available for 3 months, and I hear comments like 'they want to see you using the money'..rather than just leave it sitting. But I know of people who do just that, and have the money on a fixed term deposit, and get their one year extension just fine. There is a reasonable write up here... http://www.pattayaexpatsclub.com/visainformation.htm Hard to beat Joe's response but I would like to say.... do it!

You should travel up front.. The passengers take their time after landing there as they know the riff-raff will be held back until they have deplaned!

I don't think the import juty (sic) is an issue, it sounds like it would be second hand and personal property, there would be no duty providing it was not new. Shipping costs would be the issue.

Depends on where here is...... Here, where I sit, they do work. I guess because my MO is to click on a Forum that has a blue ball, indicating new posts. I have also learned that to click on that 'Blue Ball' itself seems to mark the forum as read! It's full of little gems isn't it this internet stuff.... ...I'm confused.....

Have you been to talk to The Bangkok Pattaya Hospital? As it is the biggest in the region it would be a start. See if Dr Iain Corness will talk to you and advise.

I used to use Edge via AIS, as stated above, most definitely not broadband, and here in East Pattaya it would get really slow at peak times... bordering on useless. It was extremely convenient though as I could take it anywhere in the country with my laptop. Even used it on a blue bus! It was also extremely cheap, you could buy a fixed number of minutes pre-paying for the month. Excess usage was charged at 1b/min, cheaper than a Bangkok netcafe. No dongle required, went through my Samsung mobile phone...connecting to that with a USB cable (or bluetooth).

There may also be an alternative method whereby you can add money to any Thai number via a Thai bank ATM (as I can do from my HSBC ATM,in the UK, just have to put in the UK phone number). I heard this mentioned once, but when I tried to investigate on the AIS webpage, I'm afraid my lack of the Thai language, stopped me. Now get yourself off to bed!

They tell you if you have posted in that thread, (black dot) and it changes to red if it is a hot topic. They also are 'grayed out' if tou have read all of that thread.

I spend too much time on this board, but it has become my routine over the morning coffee. I see the following 'annoyance'..... seems to be repetitive, and both in Firefox and IE. I have a single instance of Pattaya Talk Open... but perhaps another Tab on something else. I go to an active Forum like 'The Members Bar'. On Page 1, there are 14 topics, perhaps 13 with the Little Blue Boxes, 'Go To Last Unread'' I will start cherry picking the boxes and 'reading the unread', via the blue click boxes. Then returning to the 'Members Bar Forum' using the convenient 'Go' at the bottom right corner. All seems to work well, the little blue boxes clear as I read, unless someone else posts in one subject. So I have 2 or 3 little boxes left, posts to read in 2-3 subjects...then I decide to post. After I have posted, the little blue 'Unread' boxes are all back, all 13 of them, the only new post on the Forum is likely only mine! The tracking of what I have read in that forum, is not maintained across a posting event! Sorry MM, a bit complex and trivial, just wondering if it is something I am doing wrong!

Yes well it would hardly get onto 1-2-Call network in the UK. As I said try a balance check...*121# To top up....*120*# Someone above suggests that the SIM will still work after the balance has expired, but that would depend on the timeframe... the number might get reclaimed.

Check whether you have international roaming enabled first. Put the SIM in an unblocked phone and see if it can get onto a network. If it doesn't, sorry...end of my knowledge.If it does, do a balance check to see if that works....... If so, now you need a top up card. Send £1000 to my Paypal account and I will toddle off the 200m to the 7-11 and buy you a 100 baht one, and PM you the number!

Also Jet airways were offering deals to London. Saw it on Pattaya One news......

Although I haven't sat comparing the two, I think they are indicative, and the D2D menu seems similar to wehat I recall. Anyhow it gives you an idea and since I couldn't find anything else......

I have been to Korea, have worked in Korea, have eaten in Korea and had sex in Korea... since you asked.

And in case you missed the posts above as well....yes, barfines reduced to 500 baht!

Optimistic outlook but I think flight prices are dropping because business is down!

Your wish is my command... Menu

Take a look at the OP, it's at the top of page 1.

There is only ONE 'biggest', not 'one of the biggest', that is a catchall phrase used by those who do not want to research or know the details. Emirates are most certainly stepping up it's services and presence, to Oz with the A380 to Sydney and services to Brisbane and Melbourne. They are looking at a bigger share of the UK(Europe)-Oz market, their sponsorship of sports indicates that. You may be correct, but a few times I pushed my trolley past the Emirates check-in towards KLM at Manchester, the queue did not look Australia bound! Probably seasonal. Most certainly Manchester serves more leisure travelers. Perhaps they need to start flying in some support for Manchester City from Abu Dhabi! That could fill a few A380s.

Great airline but I couldn't afford them anyhow? Emirates will make up their own mind, but they feed a different market, Middle East and sub-continent. One day I will use SQ to Bangkok, in business class, have to start saving!