Rex7777

I liked the place better when you could get a room for 850 baht (rooms by the large pool). Stayed there in December and paid 1650 for the same room. I can't say I noticed a decline in the place, though. Still, for that kind of money there are better options. Rex

He looks a little older than that, doesn't he? Rex

I wonder how much more they'd have to charge in order to make a profit? For those people wanting a non-stop, what if they tacked on another $100 or so? Would that make a difference? I bet people would pay it. Rex

I can't see how stopping enroute wouldin any way save money, unless they use a different type of plane. Rex

The Derbyshire, right on Soi 6,has some Thai food on the menu. Rex

Gary, Just a thought, but I thinkthat you can check the status of your application right on their web site. I remember doing that. It took them a few hours to approve my account. Rex

Gary, I'd bet the delay has to do with the fact that you're not using a USA address. Just send them an email and bug them. Tell them you still haven't heard back from them. It shouldn't be any big deal to open an account. Rex

I'm currently in the process of doing this as well. Got a one year multiple entry non immigrant O from the Denver USA Thai Consulate, although I still haven't gone to the US embassy for the letter. I don't forsee any problems, though. If need be, I could verify a current income of 350,000 baht per month, from the USA. If necessary, I could open a Thai bank account, but I'd rather not put a lot in there. Just to be on the safe side, I may open an account with 100,000 baht. I'll have to see if that works. It's too bad they don't have more clear cut rules. Rex

I've had a Netbank account for several years. No problems, so far, and no Netbank ATM fees, even in Thailand. REx

I've tried it both ways and have to say I don't really mind a short layover in a place like Tokyo. Rex

I've sometimes had trouble myself. I guess it depends on how businesslike the peole running the hotel are. If you simply have to have a confirmed reservation, try www.sawasdee.com You can pay for your room in advance, and they'll have your room ready when you get there. Priceline also works well. Rex

I left all my stereo and video components in storage, back in the states. But if I ever buy a place here, a new home theater setup will be one of the first things I buy. Anyway, the system looks great. Can you imagine how things will change over the next five years. Hell, it's only been about 10 years since DVDs first came out. Same with the widespread use of the internet. Rex

The planes aren't all old. My flight from JFK to Bangkok was on one of the new Airbus planes. A 17 hour flight in economy, but not too bad. Each seat had its own movie screen, and there were plenty of channels for movies, tv, music. The food was decent. One thing, though, the service seems to have declined since the last time I flew Thai air, in 2000. Rex

Personally, I'd like to see the US real estate market crash big time. It's gone wacko in some areas such as California, DC, and NYC. Too many people buying property as some sort of a speculation, borrowing money they'll never be able to repay. A year or so ago, a co-worker of mine sold her house for $125,000 over the listing price, in some sort of a bidding war. She laughed all the way to the bank. Of course, I'll be affected, to a degree, by any crash, since I have some property, although not in a bubble area. Still, they need to put a stop to the nonsense. Hasn't the market already crashed in Australia and England? Prices seem kind of nuts here in Pattaya. I was going to buy something, but not at the prices I see. Rex

I always have to remind myself that the US dollar does not exist in a vacuum. At some point, it'll stop dropping. Of course, that's no excuse for the current crop of idiots in charge of the US economy. The money supply is pretty much off the charts, and they're doing it deliberately. They've stopped publishing the money supply numbers. They must think that that way, no one will notice. With all those dollars floating around though, it's no wonder the trend has been down. Hopefully, things will stabilize if the newly elected democratic congress begins to exercise some sort of fiscal responsibility. Rex