jacko

You have a visa that is valid 6 months from date of issue, that allows you 2 entries, each up to a max of 60 days stay.....(can get a 30 day extension). You come in once, you get 60 days allowance, but if you leave, even if only a day later, that is done with. Next entry to Thailand would be your second and then that visa is effectively done with. Flights to anywhere can easily be bought in Thailand. You can enter Thailand without a visa (30 day permission to stay, shall we call it), you can stay a max of 90 days in any 6 months with this method.

Actually I was treated very well on my departure at Bangladesh..I was travelling biz class on Gulf....personally escorted to the front of all the queues, then to a lounge area. When I arrived the airport was bedlam...... I have seen Biman 'delayed' just too often on the flight info screens around the world...normally by many many hours. And hence would avoid them. Plenty of cheap flights about without traveling on crap like this.

Discussing with your fellow passengers what they paid for a the flight can be real eye opener. The prices vary incredulously. I was quite smug at having a cheap biz class seat on China Airlines as I settled down in Bangkok to my glass of plonk. Until I talked to my neighbour who had bought his ticket in Bangkok, I thought I got a bargain in the UK! What is the price of anything? The maximum someone is prepared to pay for it! I am sure a lot of travel agents have some big secrets....at least the internet has opened this up somwhat.

I would not even consider a 14 hour layover...it's ridiculous. Earlier rather than later is normally best so long as you are SURE your dates are fixed. Shop around a plenty........but you are in the high high season there! .

Yes, Mahon Air... they also come up with the cheapest Biz Class fares too! Anybody know whether you can get a nice glass of Brut before take-off and whether they use Bombay Sapphire in the G&Ts???

Half tempted to say 'it serves you right'........I mean Ethiopian Airlines????? What the meals like?

Well that depends on where in Korat. There is a small group of expats that hang around the main city (Nakhon Ratchasima)...near the Pizza Shop. You can visit Pimai, Thailand's answer to Angkor Wat. Go visit the National Park at Khao Yai. Quite scenic. But to be honest, I tried living there, bored nuts after a little while. The city is big, polluted and driving seems nuttier than Bangkok! Nightlife. Plenty of nice girls with the University, but you will need to go to the Thai disco to meet them, perhaps at the Rachapruk Hotel. I read on Stickman that a GO-GO has opened in Korat. I also tried going off to the 'village', sitting around in the dirt sweating and scratching mosquito bites wasn't fun. But it was nice to meet people who were generous, pleasant and not always scrounging for tips. Just wouldn't want to live there.

Old guy has answer! I flew Air Asia PP to Bangkok and had a great punctual flight. Getting to the airport is another matter! As others say, having 'connecting' flights with budget carriers is a risk, so why not stop off in each place for a day or two and look around! With Air Asia, the sooner you book the better price you will get. And go directly to the budget airline websites, expedia aren't going to offer the best 'budget' deal. I might recommend coming back to BKK though, as you are finding PP is limited choice-wise. Enjoy the adventure!

That really depends on how much the extra cost means to you. Personally I found it difficult to justify spending an extra 'weeks work', just to be comfortable for 24 hours. That said, coach is pretty horrible! I always fly business class now as I am older and the money means less than the misery of being stuck between the crying children and boozy loudmouths on the 747 row of 5. But I use my airmiles, and shop around. I can easily save $1500 on the ticket by shopping around. Trouble is, hard to go back to economy.

I bought a one way ticket through these guys and was impressed with dealing via email... Traveltech.....I sent them an enquiry, and they answered it!!!

Blimey, are you watering the park? I have a 2 bedroom house and a tilac who is always in the bathroom and last month's water bill was 85 baht. And electric charges of 600 baht without an aircon seem high.....I have AC in the bedroom 9-10 hours every night and pay about 1500 pcm. The way electric costs are calculated is on a sliding scale rising with consumption, condos normally double the per unit cost.

Haven't seen much change in the realtors windows yet. (Estate agents). If anything, with high season around the corner, the prices go up and houses are being renovated all over town. I will be looking for a new place to rent next month!

Poor Airline, awful airport. Sorry...

Thanks for the info guys, you probably saved me the time, expense and frustration of chasing an alternative Internet connection. Even posting this reply took a wait of 2 minutes for the reply window....it's doing my head in!

Admitted I have a crappy slow connection here in Pattaya via my mobile phone...... I lose patience and give up, hence my reduced posting rate.....

Good comprehensive reply torrenova, although renting a house for only a month might be difficult. The first month in a rented house is an exercise in spending, getting all those bits and pieces that were not included. After 3 months I now have everything I need, but want to move back over Sukhumvit...closer to the sea. A condo never quite appealed to me, it's a bedsitter in a tower block! Someone above, who likes to wear high heel shoes (Big Chief), could make life annoying. That said, soi dogs can be frustrating when in a house.

Or a combination of 2 , 3 and 4. I worked many years in the Middle East, not paying taxes.

As someone says there are loads of houses with 'for rent' signs about. A lot of people are sitting on houses as they expect prices to go up when then new airport opens. They like to rent to farangs too, they can ask more for rent! My neighbour just moved out and the house is up for rent, furnished at about 12k. There are 3 bedrooms but one is in the roof and hot! Also quite a few in the street here on the East side of Sukhumvit. You need to be here to search around. If you like to keep dogs don't call me! Otherwise send me a PM and I will give details. If you go via an agent the price will be much higher.

Any chance of a bit more detail on this? Forewarned is forearmed...

What, no comment from Little Chief about inserting an extra digit in his little Thai number yet.....

This is a pretty well covered route. The obvious being Cathay and Thai, also Singapore. Bangkok is a stop off for many European and Middle East (Gulf)carriers on the way to/from Hong Kong Dragon Air fly there... ... Try this website.... Hong Kong Flights Or this.... From BKK to HKG

I am sure you can only change the region code 5 times before the selection locks in. So switching between 2 will eat them up too. As for getting around the region lock, well I do not know of a way on my notebook, although I have heard of people reprogramming their home DVD players to be multi region.

Mr Tooms service picked me up in Pattaya...early. Smooth ride, efficient without being frightening. Arrived airport in plenty of time. Polite driver.....recommended.

British people would have no need of flying via Taiwan to BKK. As you have no need of cutlery in what you laughingly call restaurants. It is also less of a problem to have poor teeth when you have been taught to chew with your mouth closed.

I realize that 15th August is not a Saturday, but I do not think Mr Toom can be blamed. Perhaps Mr Manracer needs to buy a calendar prior to complaining!