jacko

I would not say HUGE problem. It might happen you will be blocked in some of the Thai owned places. But Indians with money are becomming common here and mostly welcome. Tag along with a few new pals from the FLB!

Too expensive out there..... once hammered my Amex...., drunk in charge of a credit card!

Book Mr T or Mr Toom to pick you up, or just get a taxi, there will be some available and you will zoom to Pattaya at that time. Bite the bullet and pay for a room that night of arrival, you will appreciate it! Some places might not let you check in until 2pm, you are planning to stay up all night and the next morning after a long ass flight to save 1200 baht?

Sightseeing primarily, I live in Pattaya so partying is nothing new. Good suggestions.Is Luang Prabang rather cold this time of year? I am getting a sense that a British passport would require a visa for Vietnam, or some pre-approval to receive a visa at the airport. Is that correct.

I nearly missed your last word and had the torch ready! ......This guy is looking for an alternate that might have space over New Year?

At the end of January I need to do a visa run and don't fancy the Cambodia border minibus. A 2-3 night break, someplace nearby would be nice....no problems with a Thai passport required. A flight of 1-2 hours! Plan 1, was a week or more in Oz... but the tourist visa requirements for the TGF are onerous. I have done Singapore, twice (with Cathay) and Bali (Singapore Airlines), and stayed in Nong Khai and done a day trip to Vientienne. (Bored with the minibus to Cambodia after umpteen trips) Anybody know a good special with the airlines? Anybody who has enjoyed a trip with the TGF that can suggest a venue?

The cleanliness of the Penthouse has been discussed here before.... it was reported to be infested with cockroaches. The Cat Club ...... isn't it called Kitten Club? Not to be trusted......katoeys are also mixed with the overpriced drinks. http://www.thai-anxiety.com/gogo.asp The $40 may not be bad, some hotels force an expensive Gala Dinner down your throad on New Years Eve.....

Beware, there is no longer a sticker for the insurance, you do still get a disc for the tax. Must be displayed on a car, I carry it on my bike.

The same as bringing it in at the airport, correctly as you say 1 litre.

For Thais white is regarded as a funereal colour. I often wondered why white roof tiles weren't more common!

Was that free or do we all have to send $84 someplace?

You can avoid that too by applying before the old one expires.. a month ahead is no problem if you already have the insurance.

Tom, I see a definite upward trend, and oil prices are dropping. I'm in!

This is good advice, spending £350 for the shares and getting a 10% discount... well that would be covered by 1 BA Club Class ticket to Bangkok. Sorry about your opinion that BA are one of the best carriers around.... you need to fly more.

Sure, I see plenty of people there at the office wandering around with a fistful of papers doing exactly that. Just ensure you are paying a modest fee, Generally the mark-up to a falang can be high..... I prefer not to give them the opportunity. The comp insurance for my Nuovo was 323 baht. The disc is about 100 baht only..(plus 1 baht/day if overdue) Supplemenary Insurance should be about 2500 baht... again for a scooter! Theft Insurance is best obtained when you buy from the dealer. Elsewhere it is expensive and not worthwhile.

I just loaded Firefox... I was always worried some things would not work correctly, like my 'secure sites'. It's a vast improvement on IE7.

It is up to the OP to verify his cred! But of course I am not sure this happened, the same way I am not sure the sun will rise tomorrow. Employees managing to run off with money, or employees organising a nice little scam are not unheard of. Of course someone's first post might not be taken seriously, but it just means he has no experience of posting, not that he has no experience... (MM taught me that...)

Why should they? I thought this was just for the initial purchase!Go along to the vehicle registration centre on highway 36, near the 'School of the Regents'. Take the book, green one. Receipt for the compulsory Insurance...or if that has expired, you can buy insurance at the vehicle registration centre. (I recommend supplementary insurance, as the comp one does not cover your bail sufficiently. It would be better if the comp and supp. insurances are from the same provider...see a broker) Money...... (The bike is only 1 year old so no mechanical check required) It really is quite easy but a helpful TG gets around the language issues.

No, most of the time they stand around while the adverts are being played out on TV. These fat guys need to rest up after running for 20 yards!

Any idea how these will tie together with the Bangkok flights? I have stayed away from Ethiad and Qatar as I don't like to overnight in airports.

Of course I was being a bit cynical..,,, they can always build a big buildings close to the sea if they want... normally between you and your view!

He also normally attends a lot of ceremonies and parades on his birthday. They last a long time and I would expect them to be arduous.

So it won't be that close to the sea then, otherwise a building of that height would break the building regulations.

Thanks, I though I recollected seeing one of their aircraft a few times many years ago when landing at Manchester. I was worried I was daydreaming. Best connection is still via Singapore then, if you can afford it!