stevemcm

Tip- Air asia aircraft are usually parked at a remote stand, so hang back and ignore the fight to get on the bus and get on last, you'll have to stand in the door well, but at least you will be one of the first on the plane. Stevoh.

All Seasons Travel on 2nd Rd. opposite Friendship Supermarket is good. Stevoh. Sorrry I must be jet lagged All Seasons Travel is on South Pattaya Rd. opposite Friendship Supermarket.

I flew to Penang recently, you just have to print the confirmation screen which has a reference number and take this to the airport. I did not get an email nor did they reply to my email asking which terminal the flight left. The eticket doesn't include this info! I had to book in at Terminal 1, Penang is an international destination but I think internal flights also depart from Terminal 1, check because it is a long walk to the Domestic Terminal. You board a bus which takes you the length of the airport to a remote stand. Try to be last aboard the bus then you'll be among the first to board the aircraft and can take your pick of seats (They don't issue seat numbers at check in) Stevoh.

TAKE CARE - generally tickets are not transferrable. Stevoh

In Pattaya they don't seem to be enforcing this the driver must have a helmet but it seems the passenger doesn't. This said I notice that increasing numbers of Motor cycle taxi drivers are carrying a spare helmet. They are having a crackdown on checking licences and paperwork though so if you rent a bike make sure that you have a copy of the rental agreement and your licence on you and that the 2 road tax? documents are on the bike these are the ones with the year date thai fashion (2548) on them and are often fixed to the bike under the seat. Stevoh.

These SMS text offers from Westeast Travel really are last minute and usually have very limited availability. The one in December was for flights on only 3 specific days for instance. Nevertheless it is worth registering your mobile with them they never send junk messages and some of these offers are very good but you have to be very quick to respond. Stevoh.

Princepattaya, Yes I expect that is the deal. I agree that EVA is undoubtedly deteriorating but I'm tied into them at least until I get my next free flight & I like the legroom in Evergreen at a price that the few other airlines who do enhanced economy on this route can't get close to. Stevoh.

Yesterday I received a Text message from Westeast Travel 319GBP economy return tickets in April. Didn't get details 'cos already have next ticket. Also have erased the message but it had a good price for Enhanced Economy so I guess the flights are with EVA Air. Westeast Travel is in the UK on 0870 2201001. Stevoh.

With EVA if you fly Evergreen Deluxe or better you can change you return date (after departure) on a 6 or 12 month ticket for free. If you change before your departure a new ticket is issued and a charge applied. Stevoh.

I am told that Jetstar asia have cancelled the UTP - SIN service a passenger said he was told that his flight was the last one. Stevoh.

The Hua Hin - Cha Am - Pattaya ferry stopped years ago. In high season 2002 a travel agent in Pattaya Soi Post Office was selling tickets for a boat trip to Hua Hin and Cha Am operating once a week on a Thursday (I think). I went across and returned the following week but had to make a prior arrangement. The trip took about 6 hours with a half hour stop at Cha Am. It was not available last year. Some speedboat operators list a fare, it is a lot and be warned it is a hell of a long way to go in a speedboat. Ask around the travel agents in Hua Hin. The U Tapao - Koh Samui - Phuket Bangkok airways flight used to land at Hua Hin but this has stopped. Last year I went by car & thought there was a bridge across the river nearer the coast than BKK, there isn't, we had to go into BKK, cross the river and all the way back out and it was horrendous journey (also 6 hours) probably worse because I went on a Friday afternoon. Best of luck - sorry the info is all negative. stevoh.

BigDUSA - Near as dammit north from both BKK & JFK, it's a polar route. stevoh.

You should be able to get business class with EVA in January for ~£1000 or Evergreen Deluxe for £593. Both Thai & EVA business class is a bit dated and not up to the standards of Cathay or Singapore or Malaysia. Forget BA/Quantas they are just too expensive. For EVA try Ourstravel or Westeast Travel. Stevoh.

I've not been in the place but a TG friend lives opposite and I can confirm that it has been recently renovated. BTW the food court on the ground floor of Carrefour on Pattaya Klang opposite Soi Arunothai is excellent and amazingly cheap. You have to get a card from the booth which you top-up with cash to buy food at the stalls. The road across Pataya Klang is Soi Yume near the North end of which is the Lukdod Shop the best place for cheap and naff souvenirs and is especially good for sunglasses. Stevoh.

Yes it's the so called 100 businesses problem and has been going on for years. One restaurant which had built a floor out over the sea had it demolished by the city council a while ago but otherwise not much has happened. There may be something coming up however because one of the most popular, if not the most popular, Go-Go in town was offered for sale recently. No it isn't the subject of a recent post on this forum. Stevoh.

Mobile phone - yes, Ipod - no. Generally electronic hardware is more expensive than in the UK and warranties aren't much good. The lower end mobile phones are cheaper than in the UK bearing in mind that you are buying an unlocked handset which is free to use with any telecom provider. In the UK a locked Nokia 3310 on a pay & go contract is about 30 GBP an unlocked handset is 60 GBP. The Thai equivalent Nokia 3315 is 25,000 Bt for an unlocked handset including a 1 2 call SIM, this is for a new phone from a reputable shop. Secondhand phones a very cheap. High end phones are more expensive than in the UK. You will need to buy a shaver adapter to use the phone charger in the UK and unless you are going to the US will not need a tri band phone. BTW phone batteries (copies) are available in the markets for 200 to 300 Bt and while not as good as the real thing are OK for a year or so. Stevoh.

The 3 I use are ebookers, West East Travel & Ourstravel. All are good the first 2 often have special restricted ticket offers (No refund/change of date etc.) Ourstravel don't have these very often. However they are consistent throughout the year and have a large number of seats allocated to them. For example last year the earliest January evergreen seat I could get (this was in August the year before) was on the 14th Jan until I contacted Ourstravel who had a seat for me on the 3rd Jan. The only criticism I have heard is that not all their representatives are completely fluent in English, I have never had a problem. It helps if you know exactly what you want and days EVA flies etc. Stevoh.

The price shown on the Ticket itself is always the full scheduled price not the price you paid. It is something to do with IATA agreements - airlines are not allowed to sell cut price tickets direct to the public. This is why bucket shops and consolidators exist. Have you been robbed of 20p, my ticket for 2nd November shows a price 1615.40 GBP, I paid 539 GBP. Stevoh.

What Echster says is quite correct. If you want a good price for a seat particularly in high season you have to book early, really early. I hit a problem because I go out for three months leaving just after Christmas. I cannot book as early as those people who are only going for a month. The booking system only allows booking about 300 days in advance and that is for the whole trip return included. Thus the 1 month visitors can book their January departures 2 months before I can; as a result the cheapest deals are gone by the time I can book. Yes I know you can get undated open return tickets but they are extremely expensive. Non-stop London Bangkok flights are always booked very early since BA and QF combined their flights after the asian economy crash in 1996, prior to this both a BA & a QF aircraft used to fly now only one does. BA/QF do not show much interest in re-instating these flight because although they could probably fill the planes to BKK they would not be able to do so for the BKK - SYD leg. This leaves only BR and TG with non stop flights on this route and even if they wanted to they cannot get the extra landing slots at LHR for extra flights. I'm sure EVA would love to fly Mon and Fri to give them a daily service. Stevoh.

I was loaned a pair of NCT Noisebuster Extreme noise cancelling headphones to use on a recent flight, the owner bought them 2 years ago in the USA. These headphones were excellent and at 40 USD good value, unfortunately they are no longer made. A search of the internet gave several hits including Bose, Magellan Plane Quiet and Sony models. The Sonys are out because they are of the in ear type, which I don't like. Of the others the Bose are too expensive at 299 USD but the Plane Quiets got good reviews and at 79.99 USD I thought I'd buy a pair. Logged onto the Magellan website and sure enough there they were at the above price but they do not sell to the UK you have to got to the UK website, the price? 79.99 GBP!!! Robbers Dogs! Nearly 80% higher! Out of interest I checked the UK price of the Bose headphones Yes 299.99 GBP. I'll wait till I go to the USA or more likely Canada to buy them. This complaint apart I can heartily recommend the use of these gadgets on aircraft. Most come with adapters to use with the IFE system in addition to CD/Minidisc/MP3 players. I believe some airlines provide them in First Class. Stevoh.

When BA first introduced World Traveller Plus it was on certain transatlantic routes. They were boasting of the bigger seat pitch (34"), not very good when most asian airlines and Air New Zealand use this in Economy. It was after they first introduced it on an asian route (LHR - HKG) that they realised it was inadequate compared to the competition and they slowly upgraded their aircraft to a 38" seat pitch. Be careful not all aircraft heve been upgraded and the class is not available on all routes. The cheapest LHR - BKK return fare I have seen in this class was over 1000 GBP!! The only advantage BA have for flights to BKK is that you can have a free shuttle to LHR from regional airports not as good as it sounds because long haul departures leave T4 and shuttles arrive at T2 or T1 as a result especially since 11/9/2001 BA insist on allowing 4 - 6 hours at LHR to transfer to T4. Stevoh

It depends what the parcel contains it will have to run the gauntlet of both the Thai customs and in my case the UK customs. A friend used to send football shirts back via Fed Ex and reckoned on 1 in 4 going missing. He has since stopped as the losses have increased too much. Stevoh.

The short answer is NO! A friend received about 2 dozen Christmas cards last year about half had a message saying they had enclosed money for the orphanage. All had been slit open and had the money removed. Stevoh.

I use the Kodak shop between the KR bar and the beach at Jomtien. It is not private so the more risque pics are on a seperate card for printing at home on my Epson Picture Mate which is excellent and doesn't need to be attached to a PC. As for memory cards they are much cheaper in the UK from the likes of Dabs.com or Jessops. They are not cheap at London or BKK airport duty free either. Stevoh.

Got one but had to take flight on Tuesday 2/11/04 wanted Sunday 31/10/04 but was told that all Evergreen seats at offer price for Sat & Sun flights are sold now. Some Sat & Sun seats available in Economy. They also have similar offer with TG but didn't enqure 'cos want the FF miles. Stevoh.