js007

From what I understand, there might be some hotels right in the airport. Maybe it's time we have a list with prices.

For anyone caught up in this weight limit issue, there's a luggage store near the Thai check-in counter, if you need to buy an extra bag to check.

The best thing to do would be to establish a treatment relationship with a Thai hospital clinic. Perhaps bring copies of your medical records for the doctor to review. Most hospitals have pharmacies, I believe, so if you have a problem, you could always call you Thai doctor.

For just two weeks, I'd just stay at a guesthouse or hotel. There are plenty in your price range. Or, you could rent a condo. Try Dancewatchers.com.

One time when I flew Thai Air from LAX, the plane stopped in Japan to be re-fueled and cleaned for the final leg to Bangkok. They made everyone leave the plane, but they said it would be OK to leave your carry-on bags on the plane, so I did. I was a little nervous about that, though, as I had some valuable things in the bag. More recently, it seems as though I've had to change planes if there's a stop.

For all the stuff I'd rather not have stolen, I try to pack it in my carry-on. Maybe I take too much stuff. Anyway, on the flight in question, I had a laptop, cell phone, DSLR, and three or four expensive lenses, along with my passport, some medicine, etc. The less expensive or not important things went in my checked bag. But from now on, I'll be traveling with a minimum. I even have a lighter laptop, a MacBook Air.

I wonder why they have these rules in the first place? It's OK to put weight in the checked bag, but if it's in the carry-on bag, it's somehow a problem? It's all going on the same plane. I've come to the conclusion that I can travel with almost nothing. I can buy what I need when I get there.

I found a place that makes pretty sturdy bags. The have a few nice carry-ons, and they don't weigh to much. http://www.redoxx.com

I wouldn't count on any kind of relaxed enforcement. It's been a few years since I flew LAX to BKK, but when I did, the girl at the counter insisted that I place my carry-on bag on the scale. It weighed a lot. 19 or 20 kilos. She told me I had to take enough stuff out of the bag to get the weight down to 9 kilos. The only problem was that my checked bag was already full. Somehow, I managed to do it by using my laptop as my "personal" carry on item and shifting some of my camera lenses and other stuff to my checked bag. I didn't really want to do that, though, as the lenses were expensive

That was my first thought. Must be a really neat apartment for 65 million baht!

I once waited for my flight in the Bangkok airport for 18 hours. Lots of people seemed to be hanging around for a long time.

One time I lived in an apartment in NYC (Greenwich Village). Me and about 200K cockroaches. We got along OK.

Face it, guys, Mr. T isn't the only guy who can arrange a taxi ride.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdpW7cSggjY

Yep. These are the versions I've seen. Music is different and they were uploaded by the original maker.

The original author may well be a member here. On the recent upload, someone has changed the music. I swear to God, two of the girls in the video must be the grandmothers of two girls I used to know in Pattaya. Bizarre. Tehycould be exact duplicates.

Sooner of later, the little girl will grow up and the father will have to figure out another way to make money. Every time I see her there I feel sorry for her.

They should be able to fix a server problem. I hadn't heard about the business being sold, but maybe that's true. Ead recently opened noodle shop. Maybe they decided to go in some other direction.

Just out of curiosity, what's wrong with Building B? I've heard bad things about View Talay I, but I've never heard the difference between View Talay II A & B.

Assholes "beyond belief"? I guess some of them weren't too nice sometimes. I never got upset by any of them, though. I just ignored them. Anyway, it's sad to hear about Nicke. The last person I would guess to be killed in an accident. The last I heard from him he was using a driver to and from work, just because of the crazy traffic. I'm just about to the point where I know more dead people than alive people in Phuket, all from motorbike accidents.

There are beer bars all over Phuket. The Mai Thai bar was different, in that Nicke, the owner, had the good sense to start a web site to promote his bar. The web site had thousands of members, and most would likely stop by to have a drink when in Phuket. I guess it worked well, as his bar was open 12-13 years or so.

Wow. That's too bad to hear. I haven't been checking the Phuket forum lately, but one of the first bars I ever went to in Phuket was the Mai Thai bar. I guess that was in 2000, and Nicke hadn't been there that long at the time. Some time later ran across the forum and have followed it semi-regularly ever since. Nicke had a wife and two kids, I believe. He was a nice guy. From Norway originally, I think. Maybe Sweden.

The only Phuket forum I know about is Phuket-info.com. I just tried it, but it wouldn't load.

There's a posted rate for cash, travelers checks, and so on. It changes every day or more frequently.

I went to look at the place a few years ago. Even then, it looked like it was on life support. Someone once wrote a good piece on Washington SQ. that appeared in Salon, or one of the online magazines. Maybe 15 years ago. I'll see if I can find it.