SlipSlopSlap

Well, maybe mongers aren't the only ones who have been to Thailand... http://www.internetslang.com/555-meaning-definition.asp http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_555_mean

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Not in line with the OPs question, but 100 pipers Scotch Whiskey was the cheapest whiskey I saw at Big C last year..less that half of cost in OZ, aussiechic take note if you like a tipple.

AIDS from monkeys, mad cows disease from...mad cows, in 10 years we will all be tracing the new foot rottting disease from mutating marine diseases in pattaya foot nibbling tanks. sent from my JD phone using 40% by volume

I did buy one high end Canon L lens from World Cameras in Tukcom last April: http://shop.worldcamera.co.th/index.php (scroll down the page, there are english links to prices.) The price was better than in Melbourne, but this was just after the tsunami and all the discounting had stopped in Melbourne with prices shooting right up. Be wary with camera warranties, I did confirm with Canon Australia that they do honour L lens warranties bought overseas (as long as you have the receipt), but apparently they DON'T honour O/S warranties on camera bodies (some story about different body models sold around the world) Also, there was a lot of discussion on camera forums that Canon was close to stopping even honouring O/S warranties on L lenses, so check in your country.

Hi Pete, I used a place called dentist@beach (that's the name, not their email) in central festival: http://www.dentistbeach.com/ Got a post and crown done in Feb 2010, about $380AUD all up. They specialise (as a number of others do) in catering to the 2 week type of tourist. I broke my crown the day before I was leaving on my prebooked holiday and they were excellent with immediate attention. Their receptionaist spoke excellent english and her first question was 'When do you leave?' Regards SSS

Well, Attached is the form I used. Make of it what you will. Apparently, there are a bunch of visa types where you can have 'Other'... This form looks nothing like the current form used by the Sydney consulate which is more like the arrangement CT is talking about. My point is still the same (as I came to realise last year), visas can and are set up differently according to that visa office needs. Visaapplicationform.pdf

Hi Cheshire Tom, For the record, Type 'O' can have another category, simply called 'Other'. When I approached the Thai consulate in Melbourne last year for a 3 month holiday and got tangled up with discussions of visa runs etc, he said just use Type 'O' and use the 'Other' category on their form...which I did. My reason on the visa was long service leave. Without upsetting the Thai experts, could it be a matter of (1) all english visa forms are interpretations of thai language, so it can be interpreted differently, and , more importantly, (2) offices in different locations in Asia and the rest of the world interpret visa rules differently (as reflected on their version of the form) on purpose, to suit their requirements.

I like everybody else have seen the law in operation, but I'm pretty sure on those nights i wandered back to the loom after 12am and decided i needed in the loom that I was able to get a bottle at the local little grocery mart. I'm talking about those places on beach road down at the soi 2 end. What I'm saying is you can always TRY IT ON and see how go... PS being a booze artist I was amazed at the cheapness of some of the whisky...100 pipers was super cheap in the supermarket and almost exactley the same price in the local mart at (what I think was) 1am... Hiccup.

The BJ Holiday Lodge in Soi 3 gets my vote. Stayed there 3 times in the last 18 months (total of 14 weeks!!). Clean, pool, quiet, and currently 1000 baht per night: http://www.bjpattaya.com/02_room.htm

I'd agree with Wato. Bangkok and Phuket feature in all the thai travel advertising, don't think I've ever seen advertising for Pattaya at all.

The British, coming from the rainy Isles, are unused to the sun and so do get in a dither a little too quickly. American tourists are a little better behaved because they cannot travel with their sidearms, so they tend to be at a loss as to what to do when something goes awry. We in Australia will continue to set the example in good behaviour for our american and english friends.

I like Mekong too, but the best rum for a rum and coke you will ever find is aussie Bundaberg rum...

I'm a cheap charlie who likes a drink of thai whiskey in the loom. Mekong has not been available in Big C for the 5 weeks I have been here, but when I first asked about it Big C just said "No more...can try 7-11' Haven't tried to buy at 7-11 as Samson (98 baht 700ml, fuck the spelling :-) works ok....but happily getting Mekong at bar beers. (Which reminds me, I'm out of....)

Hi, FYI.................................................. Having worried about visa questions and posted questions in the past and heard all about 60 day stays and double entries and visa runs et al... My 12 week holiday stay in LOS in July: Applied for Non immigrant type 'O' visa on Monday (fill in form, supply passport, 2 passport size photos, copy of air ticket, $90) to consulate office. Picked up passport with 90 day visa stamp yesterday. YEEHA............................................................................................... ..........................................................

As a flollow up up to the discussion, I have a booking with BJ's in Soi 3 made last Feb for the 12 week stay. Rate is their standard long stay rate of 24,000baht as on their web site. I was happy with my stay there and 24000 was a good as I could find at that time with the right mixture of location/room size/quality/pool/girl friendly/no joiner fee (no, I tried negotiating at the time but they gently declined changing their price...maybe if I was only booking now I could negotiate a lower price, but hard to renegiate now after having committing to booking since last Feb) I considered apartments, but the cost wasn't that low and when you add in laundry, electricity, water etc the monthly rate at BJ's was good, given it includes all standard hotel daily servicing. I didn't want to stiff BJ's on their booking, but given the situation I had to at least see what would happen with my enquiry (and I really liked the Dolphin cottage rooms at sabai lodge) Sabai would have to come down to 1000baht a night max on these particular rooms, which they didn't look like they wanted to even come close. With the aussie dollars losing 10cents american in the last month (fuck you Greek cunts), I can manage $3000AUD for BJs but not $6000AUD for Sabai lodge. Looking forward to July, just booked my plane ticket an hour ago....

Sorry, just noticed you were talking about the Sabai Inn, but my comments still accurate for Sabai lodge.

When I stayed at the Sabai lodge last Nov (Dolphin cottage rooms) I saw the 8oo baht signs. So when I decided to go back in Feb I enquired about the cheap rate. I just assumed this would be for their lowest priced room in their room rate table. WRONG. A few emails went back and forth and I came to understand that these rooms are NOT on their rate table or even mentioned in their room specs. They are in fact the rooms by the walkway next to the carpark. The carpark is a busy place day and night I I suspect you would hear car doors slamming all night. The rooms are along the breezeway between reception and the hotel bar, and would have guests and staff using them 24 hrs a day. I could be wrong, the rooms may be ok, we would need a review from someone. I ended up staying at BJ's in Feb and have booked their for 12 weeks in July.

The 800/700 baht rooms at Sabai lodge are for rooms by the car park with a walkway outside that is used 24 hours a day by staff and guests. It would be a crummy location I think. (They do not show these rooms in their room desciptions) I have stayed at their Dolphin pool cottage rooms at 2250baht last Nov. (It is currently 1850baht low season) To test low season/riot price I emailed them on the 23 May and explained I wanted a 12 week stay low season stay in dolphin cottage room (12 july-1Oct), I offered 900baht inc breakfast. Their response? They offered the room for 1800 baht inc breakfast!!! I emailed them back and said I was surprised they would only give a 50baht reduction for an 82 night booking!!!!!! But their hotel, up to them. They emailed back with with an offer of 1650baht inc breakfast. They will not get my 82 nights of business.

Hi Cicero, I stayed there for 2 weeks in Feb this year. Rooms are plain but clean. Open shower in bathroom means toilet gets wet every shower, but what the hell. Girl friendly (no joiner fee) but girls will need ID to stay and they will charge a fee if you bring in 2+ girls (I think 200baht....it wasn't charged on the night but at the end of my stay, I think I was pissed that night. But I did ask for, and was supplied with extra towels, so ok in my books). Pool is ok, but overshadowed by next door hotel, so not much sun. Didn't bother me, I couldn't give a shit about a tan. Pool is normal chlorine pool (or my nose is so fucked up it seemed that way :-) Restaurant is OK, el cheapo AB breakfast at 60 baht... Staff are excellent and helpfull. I felt vey comfortable. Morning breakfast crew was about 80% mongers with a few buying their girls a breakfast, and 20% 'normal' couple tourists (which seem to be on the rise in patts). Wifi only works on ground floor (ie in the restaurant), not in the rooms. Noise from outside hotel non existant...sound proofing between rooms seemed ok to me...I was either drunk, or tired, or girled up so that noise did not raise itself. I have been to patts 7 times over 15 years (not much compared to the keyboard warriors on this site :-) staying at Bayshore L.ek etc, it ticked all the boxes for me. I have booked at BJ's for 3 months in July... The whole other issue about soi 3? I like this end of town, quiet beerbars and a pleasant 10 baht ride to walking street. Big C shopping centre a few mins away. Short walk to soi 6... In fact that is my shtick....sleep in late, brekkie at restaurant, or better coffee at Big C, play in soi 6, lunch at Queen Vic, nap, arvo beer bars around soi 3, of to walking street about 10pm......drag a victim back to soi about 2am.. play pool or whatever, off to room and attempt sex (!) release victim and start again. Gottaloveit. Regards SSS

Why doesn't she ask her brother (who is actually there?) to find a hotel? Is it a surprise visit? She might get a big surprise herself if she fronts his hotel room and finds him doing a pair of ladyboys :-)

Well, I have no particular axe to grind here about the RG, but I will point out one thing for the OP, rooms with kitchens, seperate bedrooms etc are usually at least twice the price elswhere............ OP, why do you think the price is half what you pay for similar quality elswhere? FLB rate (some), BOONIES mostly! Anyway, make your decision, and have a good holiday :-)

Hi wonder, Not sure if you just need 60+30 or need to keep extending... I am planning a 3 month visit next July (LSL) so have started investigating on the net. I got lots of different views of what is possible, but some seem dated and conflicting (not having a go at anybody here). Also some implication on a stickman page that re-entry visas were not as simple or safe anymore BUT NOT TRYING TO START AN ARGUMENT WITH ALL THE EXPERTS WHO ARE DOING IT RIGHT NOW :-) What I want to point out is 3 weeks ago I rang the thai consulate in Melbourne and explained I wanted 3 months holiday and needed to check that I could get a 60 day visa and exit and come back for 30 days, that this was all generally kosher blah bla... He immediately pulled me up and said no, get a Non Immigrant Type 'O' visa for 90 days, I just needed some basic documents (I think passport, birth certificate, maybe something else, I don't have my notes to hand) and that was it. Simple. He also cleared up another confusion for me which was that the length of validit included the stay so I shouldn't apply till next April. Now, his advice seemd far too easy after all the border run stuff i had read (including the 1 day border run bus trips to Lao(??) at baht2000 which is nice to know if needed), I am still to verify that this guy wasn't on first day of work in the consulate and gave me wrong advice!! Anyway, the excerpt is below (and no, he said the type 'O' only needs basic docs, not all the stuff mentioned in the full blurb) . The Thai embassey in Canberra and the Thai consulate in Sydney don't have the exact same wording in their explanations on their web sites (and melb doesn't even have a web site), but nothing to contradict my melb consulate advice). Attached is a visa doc I *think* from the sydney site. Good luck 2.3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA 1. REQUIREMENT This type of visa is designed for applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom for the following purposes. - to perform official duties (Category "F") 2 - to conduct business / to work (Category "B") - to invest with the concurrence of the Thai Ministries and Government Departments concerned (Category "IM") - to invest or perform other activities relating to investment, subject to the provision of the established laws on investment promotion (Category "IB") - to study, to come on a work study tour or observation tour , to participate in projects or seminars , to attend a conference or training course , to study as a foreign Buddhist monk (Category "ED") - to work as a film-producer, journalist or reporter (Category "M") - to perform missionary work or other religious activities with the concurrence of the Thai Ministries or Government Departments concerned (Category "R") - to conduct scientific research or training or teaching in a research institute (Category "RS") - to undertake skilled work or to work as an expert or specialist (Category "EX") - other activities (Category "O") info_visa.pdf

Bigbad, Have you been to pattaya before, and how long are you going for now? If no to forst, and few weeks for second, my comments about the in your face exoerience stands. Sta in north or south pattaya, but stay in a hotel where you can immerse yorself. Give us some details of your mongering experience and get some guidance...

So, no one is actually disputing anything I've said, just my choice of words. Well, boonies I sez and boonies I meenz!