Aitch

As a burger aficionado I have tried a great variety, and among the "junkburger" set I have to agree that Carl's Jr. is the best of the lot. That being said, there is not much difference between stepping on dog shit versus cow shit - the latter is just messier. The Thai prices are a joke - much like the Subway in Patts - they actually charge MORE than in the USA! In California the "six-dollar" burger is the same, but REGULAR burgers at Carl's are only $1.29 (and occasionally $1 on special promos), while in Patts they are $3.29. In Cali they are almost as big as the six-buck burger that goes for

I think he means the Suttangrak - it is a huge 600+ seat open air restaurant north of the Blue Crab. Kevin Syson plays guitar there four nights/week (and Friday nights at Lolita's) along with a good house band. There are pools of fresh fish and seafood from which you choose your own dinner. It is not the cheapest in town but I have never found better. It beats the Blue Crab hands down for both price and quality.

Exactly. The only reason there are lines on the street is that they hadn't run out of paint in the bucket yet.

Last year at this time there was a Sunday open stage at the Bristol Music Bar in Jomtien Soi 6. That bar is now defunct and the ex-pat music scene has moved. I was given a soft description of where - somewhere on a Soi 4 in Jomtien, but not the one off Beach Road - somewhere north on the way to Patts, but I was unable to find it last night. Can anyone fill me in on the new location, perhaps with a detailed map?

Considering the information you want I know of no more honest and to-the-point book than "Why Thailand" by Steve Seltzer. It prepared me well for my maiden trip last year, dealing with ALL the issues which you will find important, and some important ones you will not have thought about at all. I strongly suggest you should read, re-read, and study it. You should find it at www.whythailand.net.

And Canadians are even more respectful of other cultures. Why, they even tolerate Americans...

Thanks, Greg. Not many people make an effort to cover someone else's ass.

I have never been "stupititious" myself (I love neologisms!), but I agree that "When in Rome" is good advice for anywhere in the world. I respect anyone else's right to believe what they wish, so long as it does not infringe upon those of myself or others. I had a great time at the Loi Krathong festival last year in Jomtien with a lovely lady I had BF'd from the FLB half a dozen times over the previous two weeks. She floated a krathong while I waited on the beach; this she did not mind as I had a freshly stitched wound on one foot from puncturing myself by stepping on some sharp rock under

Out of curiousity....what do you guys pay for a case of 24 bottles of water and where do you buy it?

It does indeed! Thank you very much. I have had a copy of my PP made now for just that purpose. I will be there for 60 days, so I will suggest a compromise. Again, thanks for your (and everyone's) input.

Thanks for your replies, fellow mongers. I will be arriving in LOS next week, having made reservations in a VT condo, and they have asked both for my PP and cash in baht up front. I have made a copy of my PP, but I am uncomfortable fronting out multiple months of cash (or even carrying it). Of course I will demand a receipt, but as I have family back home in ill health it is always possible that an emergency may demand an early return and I suspect the act of handing a Thai (or anyone) money is not quite as easy as getting them to hand a portion back, no matter the reason.

For those of you who have stayed in any of the View Talay condos in Pattaya or Jomtien: Did they ask for your passport when you arrived? (I personally do not feel comfortable relinquishing my passport for any reason.) Further, did they request for you to prepay - in cash -for your entire stay? What happens should an emergency require one to return home early? Is the amount prorated and refunded?

In my opinion Jomtien is a better place and better beach for the festival; fewer people than Pattaya beach (but still many) and easier to get around through the sand to release your own fire lantern with your lady. Be certain to have your camera with you as you will wish to take many pictures that include local ladies and families in full festival costumes, both with and without you and your lady. Further, restaurants with outdoor seating and beach views are better and more conducive to the overall experience.