js007

There used to be a place over on the other side of Sukumvit from the Majestic Suites, off on one of the Sois. It was called Business Inn, and from what I could tell by sitting in the coffee shop one night, it might qualify as a cheap charlie place. J

With regard to the JFK to BKK flight on Thai Air. Are you trying to book economy or premium economy? Usually, the premium economy is around $1600-$1700, whereas the economy can be round $1200 or less. If it's more than that now, I'd maybe look for another carrier if you're trying to save money. J

I second the advice about the enormous hamburger. Don't order it unless you're really really really hungry. It's just too much food to eat all at once. The chicken shiskabobs are good. And one other thing. If you want iced tea, make sure you tell them that. Otherwise, you'll likely get a pot of hot tea. J

When you buy your tickets, you usually have a choice. Check the particular rules for the class of ticket you're looking at. Some are fully refundable but may cost a bit more. Others are refundable for a fee. Some can be changed for free. Some can be changed for a fee. I always feel better buying refundable tickets, mainly because my life is so unpredictable. J

Owen, I can't foresee any cuts in US federal pensions or military pensions anytime soon, at least for those already retired or otherwise vested. Of course, they can always change the rules for new soldiers or for new federal employees, but don't forget, they already did that for new federal employees back in 1983. People hired after 1983 or so have a different deal entirely from those covered under the older system. The newer employees pay into a retirement system, but they also pay into Social Security and into their own savings plan. When they retire, they collect from all three sources. A

Seems like you're getting some good advice here. Still, off the top of my head. See if there isn't some treaty in effect that would apply to family law situations. If both England and Thailand have signed off on some treaty requiring recognition of certain foreign court orders pertaining to divorce and child custody, that may be an option. J

I've more or less stopped giving money to beggars, but I still sometimes feel guilty about it. Maybe some of them really do need money. I used to live in NYC in the Village near the Bowery back in the days when there were bums everywhere, or so it seemed. About every 15 feet there would be some drunk guy asking for a quarter. I soon realized that if I gave all those guys money every time they asked, I'd be out of money before too long. I finally learned to ignore them. More recently, in Patong Beach, I walked by the same lady every day. She would sit on Bangla Road with one of her

Queesn Vic isn't the only place to stay on Soi Six. The Derbyshire has rooms, as does another bar further on down towards Beach Road (I forget the name). And Don't forget the Butterfly Suites, if it's still there. I never stayed at any of these places, but it might be fun for a few weeks. J

I've never been in the rooms, but I ate there on a few occasions. For anyone looking for a decent, slightly out of the way place to stay, it might fit the bill. The location is good, and the price seems OK. J

A long time ago I looked at this deal. Back then, you had to formalize your itinerary at the time you bought your tickets, and all flights seemed to require a return to Hong Kong. All things considered, it seemed rather complicated. I liked to keep my options open. J

I think it can also depend on the type of ticket you buy. For example, I once had a round trip ticket on Thai Air to Bangkok but used only half of it. I had had pretty much forgotten about the other half, but one day I decided I'd send an e-mail to Thai Air asking about the possibility of credit towards another flight. They told me I could either have a refund or a credit, so I took the refund of around $800. The next time I booked a ticket, I made sure I was buying one that was refundable. It cost a little more, but I felt better. As it turned out, I had to cancel that trip and the

Plenty of people have reported opening Thai bank accounts with no more than a 30 day stamp in their passports. I had a one year visa when I opened mine at Siam Commercial Bank, but I don't think they even looked at my passport until most of the paperwork was completed. Basically, I think they just want your money. J

Call and talk to Bank of America. You may need to set up some sort of a phone password and such beforehand, but from what they told me when I asked, you could request the wire transfer over the phone. So far, I've never tried it, as I usually just use the ATM. I have found a bank that allows for free ATM withdrawals: Washington Mutual. J

And for what it's worth, don't forget to ask yourself what your house will be worth when the real estate bubble finally deflates. You really can't count on prices going up forever.

Inflation adjustments? What a joke. I wonder how long it'll take most retirees to wake up to what's really happening? In the USA, Social Security and other government pensions are indexed to the CPI. And yet the CPI does not rally track inflation accurately. Not only do they exclude food and energy from the mix, but they engage in calculations of "hedonistic" value. In effect, they're slowly robbing the retirees. Maybe that goes without saying, though. Anyway, the bottom line is that it's very hard to do any type of financial planning at all. And lately, everything seems to be even

Fatties is good. There's also a Subway restaurant on that same block, and also a Pizza Hut. Inside the Big C mall there are a bunch of places that are OK. J

What I'd like to know is if there's anywhere that tracks actual sales prices? I've looked at all the real estate websites too, but sometimes I wonder how whether some of the asking prices are just someone's wishful thinking. J

It's probably an OK place. Just be careful crossing 2nd Road. J

It wasn't that many years ago that condo prices in Thailand seemed a bit more reasonable. Now, they seem a bit high, although I can't tell from the listings the actual sale price. Anyway, it would be nice if prices would drop 50%. J

Of course there's risk. Lots of it. The US banking system is on the verge of implosion. It's not just the subprime mortgages. The damage has spread to the larger mortgage market as well. The debt bubble is about to burst. In any event, the last thing I'd buy into right now is a bond fund of any sort. Just a word or warning. J

OK, try looking through this thread. Might help: http://www.phuket-info.com/forums/accommod...uesthouses.html J

I wouldn't go so far as to say there is unsecured WiFi "everywhere" in Pattaya. Sure, you may find it, but not everywhere. When I was staying on Soi LK Metro my laptop could pick up four or five signals, but they were all password protected. J

Just a quick note here. Some of the best Thai food I've ever had was at unassuming little places that you'd never look twice at. Little hole in the wall restaurants. So why not experiment a little? Come to think of it, I've never really had bad Thai food in Thailand. The only problem I ever had was one time in Bangkok when they put so much hot spice on my food I couldn't even eat it. Other than that one time, I've always had good Thai food. J

Just do a search for Patong guesthouses. You should find something in your price range, and the chances are there'll be no joiner fee. Not so with many of the more expensive hotels. J

Just to follow up. I just opened a free checking account at WAMU. Here's what they say about ATM and wire transfer fees: Free ATM cash withdrawals worldwide: Withdraw cash from your WaMu Free Checking account at any ATM and we won’t charge you a fee. Sadly, other ATM operators may still charge you a nonrefundable fee and foreign currency exchange and transaction fees may apply. Free checks—for life: With your WaMu Free Checking account, choose our single WaMu image style checks, and your checks are free as long as you have your account. Other designs are available at regular price