jacko

It is some years since I went through Abu Dhabi, but then it was small (convenient if the place is empty, not so if busy), crowded and stinking of cigarette smoke. Smoking booths are of no use to me and the OP did not mention business class. Likely it is still better than LHR, I doubt whether checking in on-line would make much difference there as I would still have to do security at 2 airports and 2 gates and go through that horrendous connections centre, queues and packed buses.

Marmite on my side of the globe mate. Although can't beat a Sunday late morning full Monty English! Partial to a fried slice of black pudding (blood sausage) with mine..... now that should help our USA pals to eat their beans up!

The airport in Abu Dhabi is a negative.....

Yes, an English thing..... jam (jelly) or maple syrup are less 'odd' things to mix in with eggs and bacon aren't they?

Arriving into Bangkok you can buy duty free at the airport too. But you will be at the back of the queue at immigration. Coming back the other way is the real annoyance. You are already in the EU in Amsterdam so duty free there is not available. They will take it off you if you buy in Bangkok. There wasn't any available on the plane either, I thought they might sell it in sealed bags that I could carry through AMS, no such luck.

Not at all, Thai ones are a regular addition to 'Nam Prik Ong', and as mentioned, readily available in the inevitable plastic bag with the impossible elastic band. In fact I now prefer them to UK style as they are just the skin and fully rendered. Last time I tried some 'UK style' I found them disgusting, hard, overly salty and horribly greasy. Next to the food plaza in Carrefour Mall, they often have Northern food on sale, plenty of fresh (they must be) pork scratchings, and very good Chiangmai sausage.

Nasty time for me to drive to Manchester Airport, the motorway is stationary about then.. have to travel on a Sunday. Long layover coming back from BKK too. I shall see how much SQ Biz can be had for... or perhaps I should save lots of cash and get into economy, last time I did SQ (BKK-SIN-DPK) they were good back there. Getting hard to justify ever increasing differential. Thanks for your efforts.

If the layover is over 3 hours, along with the extra flying time going via the Middle East, I would not likely be impressed. My last journey via Emirates seemed interminable. At least the KLM connections and overall travel time (about 14 hrs) get it over with quickly. So SQ no longer fly via Delhi then? Although my searches rarely pull up attractive prices in Biz class with them. (Better ex Bkk or ex Man??) It has been a long time since I flew Swiss, I thought they were going bankrupt. Are the Thai codeshares easy to spot? Again are you booking ex BKK or ex Man?

Hey big spender............spend a little time with me. Charoen Hotel, 549 Phosri Rd. Tel 042-248155 I recall it is near the bus station and treated me well... although not sure if they are as cheap as you require. ( I paid about 500, but some years ago)

Thanks Tom. I was about to switch to Qatar and take advantage of the competitive fares ex Bangkok in Biz class. (After a long association with KLM who keep squeezing up the fares ex UK). I have had some confusion looking at transit times, I basically couldn't believe them. A saving of a few hundred pounds does not justify a 7 hour layover so close to my old (much disliked) workplace, KSA. I may consider the KLM-China combination for my Manchester trips.

I certainly don't want to be sending my passport in the post to get a 1 week extension or a residence letter! Doesn't sound practical and hence would be a perfect move for LOS.

I would be surprised if Pattaya (Jomtiem) closed, that place is making money that Bill Gates would be proud of. Unless they would like that money to be going into the Bangkok coffers.

I did China Airlines Biz Class (I think it is the one with a big pink flower in the tail and flies on to Taipei). I went from Manchester on KLM and changed in Amsterdam. The flight was punctual and service pretty good. It isn't business class like BA, but it isn't their prices either. Wide seat that didn't recline fully, like Biz class was 10 years ago in the big carriers.I thought it was very good value at the time (£650 about 2 years ago), but they have come up some since.

Copy of my rental agreement (take the original along too), 2 photos, copies of passport (picture page, TM card/ stamp and visa...non-Imm-O in my case). Original passport. Completed form and of course 200 baht.That did it for me, had 3 residence letters in the last 2 months.

Converting to baht in the UK is madness! I do as you ask, also with the Bangkok bank, and the money is converted to Thai baht, in Thailand, at a very good rate (65.2 on Tuesday). If the account you are sending to (which must be specified) is indeed a Thai baht account, then it will be converted to Thai baht at the TT (Telex transfer) rate by Bangkok bank. No special arrangements.

Even my GPRS/EDGE has been bad (it's all relative, it was never good). If I get up any earlier to use it, there won't be any point going to bed.

Beware, one gets a sense of a double pricing structure. What you see advertised by the bigger agents, presumably looking at the tourist or uneducated market and what Expats pay. Sadly over Sukhumvit, or the 'darkside', is where prices can be more sensible. Check out the newspapers online, Pattaya mail classifieds etc. http://www.pattayamail.com/mailmarket/Prop...sesVillas.shtml

Try Air Asia for Northern Vietnam... Bangkok Airways to HCM. Nok Air for Hanoi.... Pacific Airlines http://www.attitudetravel.com/vietnam/lowc...rlines/#airasia

Upstairs in Tops.... same owner as Soi Buakao. Although it is a different one on Soi Buakhao than mentioned above. Turn right off Soi Diana, quite a walk, left hand side before the market.

Thought provoking and saddening thread. It certainly has me thinking. A couple of recent trips to a major hospital here for minor ailments, and seeing first hand the rip-off process they apply without remorse, has emphasized this. Those able to bring heath insurance from home to retirement in LOS surely are fortunate.

1) Get on the telephone to them. 2) Take your ticket into a Pattaya travel agent and let them get on the telephone to the Airline. (100-200 baht) 3) Find out where their office is in Bangkok, then get on an early bus from Rongruen bus station to Ekamai, you can be back in Pattaya by the afternoon.

Sell these old 'transport boxes' at home and have lots of cash for a good life over here. Find a new hobby, or might I say 'fetish' . For getting about, buy a nice pickup with 4 seats in Thailand, under 1,000,000 baht, and perhaps a little motorcycle for nipping to the 7-11 (50,000 baht). You might be able to buy a Jag here, but luxury imported cars are silly money and really an indicator of 'more money than sense' or pretentiousness..

http://www.jetairways.com/

Not for me, economy is a truly vile experience. I have budgeted for business class and hence it doesn't hurt me. I certainly don't budget or pay £3800 pounds though. If you can be flexible and book ahead, avoid peak times, it should be about half of that. There are other benefits like mileage bonuses that make the free upgrades or flight tickets come around more quickly too. No more snoring fat guy drooling on my shoulder and the noisy kids gawping at me over the back of their seat.