Emil

You should have seen the FA's on PSA back in the late 60's. They were stunning and those uniforms showed alot of leg.

Its not only the unions. Up thru the late 60's the FA's on US carriers were quite attractive and shapely, in fact I had a close female friend get turned down becasue she was a few pounds over for her height and this was a former high school cheerleader and homecoming princess. Then the EEO got involved and everything went downhill.

Just wanted to make sure that you understood the programs and it appears you know them better than me. I don't think UA has made any cuts to their program, at least in the last 3 years. On thing that I do to keep my air expenses low is to use the miles when I know that the airlines have a high load factor, then pay for the flights during their slow season. This current trip I used miles and my next trip in January I'll use miles again.

Don't take this as a sales pitch from me, but a few years back I was like you and took the best deals. Then I learned more about the different levels and stayed with just United. About 4 years ago I selected an Eva flight because it was $100 less than United and it cost me about $800 as I then learned about the different levels. By taking that one flight with Eva instead of United I only made the Premier level for the rest of that year and the following year instead of Premier Executive, thus dening me the opportunity of earning double miles on my flights. On top of that I wasn't allowed free access to the Star Alliance lounges, extra baggage allowance, and preferred seating in the economy cabin.

I rank Cathay number 2 to Singapore. Good food, good entertainment system in economy and cute FAs.

It's at home and I can't remember (Maybe Chase). When you get these offers there is no annual fee for the first year. Then you call them just before the years up and tell them you want to cancel, they'll then (at least with me) offer you a different card with no fee. The difference is that the one you cancelled was giving you 1 mile for every $1 spent while the new one will only give you 1 mile for every $2 spent. Then in about another year you'll get another offer for a credit card which will give you anywhere from about 15K-20K miles if you sign up with no annual fee for the first year. I can play this game forever if they keep making me the offer. Let me know if your interested and I'll refer you.

I could swear that 3rd Rd intersected north of the RG. Crossing any of the roads in Pattaya is not a problem if you have patience are not drunk or blind.

Paid flights and credit cards. Got 20K miles just for applying for a credit card and without an annual fee. If I refer someone to the credit card company they will give me 5K and the person gets 20K, interested? 3 times United was running a special where everyone got double miles, since I'm Premier Executive and get double miles on all paid flights I got triple. One time the video system didn't work from BKK to Narita and they gave me 8K miles. They have many other partners who will give you miles such as rental car companies and etc.

To get the true cost you need to factor in the airlines frequent flyer programs. I will pay more for a flight on United because I will earn double miles and also acquire more mile through other offers like credit card. The past 2 years I've made 12 flights to LOS from Sacramento at an average cost of just under $400. Thats 6 free and 6 paid.

A couple years ago there was a topic of monthly rates. Some posted that the typical budget places charged about 10 times the daily rate for a monthly rate and that has been pretty much what I've experienced. Anyone that would think that a small discount for a 7 month stay is good value I wouldn't pay 25 satang for any information. Tom I took a look at a fellow boardmember's place on Thanksgiving. 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, balcony on the 10th floor overlooking Pattaya Bay, lift and swimming pool for 30k. Cost more than Skytops best room but a little better than a room with a curtain in the middle.

Go back and reread the thread. I originally posted that I had never heard of a monthly rate from anyone on this board about the Skytop. Even from those who have stated that Skytop is a good hotel for value. If they don't want to provide that figure then ignore my post, don't quote it with something that is irrelevant. How the hell can one make a decesion about good value if you don't know the price. One on the benefits of this board is to pass on information to others who are unfamiliar with Pattaya and any newbie has access to this area as its in the open forum. If someone reads that Skytop represent good value they could act on that information and book a room for the month. Then later when talking to another individual at some bar in Pattaya find out that their deal wasn't all that good. Take the daily rate of Skytops largest room and multiply it by 30 and see what you get and I bet that I can find you not only something cheaper but better.

There is no critisism about the thread except when you begin to talk about this place as a bargain for monthly stays. Sounds like a good place for a short stay but how can you decide if this place is a bargain for long term when no one has mentioned a monthly price.

Boardmember redwood has one at the Post Office on Soi Post Office as I was with him when he stopped in to pay for his box.

Jack, That's fine if you don't want to disclose what you paid and I doubt that anyone would get a rate like yours as you stayed mulitple months. At 650 a night back then and it appears that rate has increased then your looking at 19,500 a month which I don't consider a low rate or even close to a low rate. The point I was trying to make is how can anyone recommend this place for a month stay when no one is providing any rates to compare. I agree that this place is a decent budget hotel for a short stay but for anyone to recommend it for a monthly stay and not provide any cost details is irresponsible. The last 3 places that I've stayed for a month I got a 50% discount (that included utilities and daily maid service) and the other 2 I received a 67% discount but I had to pay utilities and maid service was weekly. I'm now in a new 1 bedroom appartment paying 11,300 a month and utilities last month were about 700 baht. I didn't do any extensive searches for these places, they are out there if one gets of their ass and looks. Last week I saw a place that's up near you on Naklua Rd near soi 12. Vela Casa at 4,900 a month with swiming pool, fitness and internet. I know its smaller than what you had but one could get 2 rooms for 9,800 and that way you would have 2 bathrooms which always comes in handly when you have a live in whether Thai or falang.

I use On The Ways aka Khrongfa and they are a Pattaya based travel service which will also provide vans if you have a few other punters. They contract with various drivers in Pattaya.

If a secret's employee got access to your safe they would need either a key or some gadget that can figure out the safe combo. If they are that clever I seriously doubt that they would have left the safe open for you to see that they got it open.

From my understanding its not either or. If you only have an income of let say 35,000 baht per month then you would only need about 400,000 baht in the bank. Reagarding the money in the bank requirement. I heard that there has to be a paper trail on the deposit. In ohter words I couldn't bring over 10K in travelers checks over 2 or 3 trips or remove money from my US bank through the ATM and deposits those funds in a Thai Bank. Again this is only 2nd hand info.

Did I misss something here, or is the monthly rate you paid typed in stealth? This is beginning to look like a political campaign debate where one gets alot of talk but no answers.

I've seen many places along Pattayakland, Pattaya Tai, 2nd and 3rd Rd. Just get out and look around and another benefit is that you might bump into a cute TG looking for some action.

Let me add to my earlier post regarding getting my retirement visa, the only thing that the immigration officals questioned me on was that when he looked at my Bangkok Bank pass book it showed that I had only opened the account the day before as I was not aware that one needed a Thai bank account if they were qualifing by the 65,000 baht a month income. The immigration offical told me that I should have had at least 3 months of activity on my account, I told him sorry that I had just opened it yesterday and then he processed my application. My recommendation to anyone considering moving over here or who frequents LOS is to open a Thai bank account.

I thought I did that indirectly on this topic and I never inferred that you should know what he paid. However I am very surprised that you haven't at least mentioned a monthly price (even if it was in the past) to give boardmembers a ballpark figure considering that you hype this place so much. When Soi 7 and I used to walk around Pattaya and saw a new place open we always asked about the daily rate and monthly rate to pass that info along to others. If you don't know then just say you don't know. If you know of a prior monthly rate then state it and say thats what the rate was at such and such a time. What the big deal?

Joe, I posted my experience earlier on this topic and last year I didn't have any proplem getting my retirement visa at the office in Jomtien having only the 30 day entry stamp.

I use a Pattaya based service that costs 1000 baht + tolls (60) and parking (about 30). I've used them both coming and going over 40 times and never had a problem. Let me know if you want contact info.

I don't know why you waited this long to post something that doesn't shed any light on the question. When I originally asked I thought you might give a prior price or that Jack who was posting on this same topic would tell us what he paid. I guess it's a big secret or it doesn't come close to other properties located in Pattaya. And please don't tell me like you did Tom about the good value for the daily rate as I don't question the value of the daily rate.

If have 25K paid miles a year on UA, you then became a Premier and they seat you in Economy Plus for free for the rest of that calander year plus the following calander year.