grs90

I bought a small jar of then in Tops on Central Road about a fortnight ago. A bit pricey, about 120baht if I remember correctly.

Bang Saen is a great place for a day trip, or for a couple of days if you have hooked up with a decent girlie. If you avoid weekends it is dead quiet and laid back. There are some cracking seafood restaurants and hotels at reasonable prices as well. I nearly always spend a couple of days there to recharge during a couple of weeks in Pattaya. A relatively easy way to get there is to walk along 2nd road to Pattaya Klang, then get a baht bus that is going up to Sukhumvit Road (not one that is turning in to Soi Buakhao). Near the top of Pattaya Klang there is a left turn, slip-road which takes the traffic on to Sukhumvit Road. Walk along that slip road and the bus stop is just a few yards away. Busses seem to come along every 15 minutes or so. Most will be going to Bangkok. When the bus stops shout Bang Saen or Nong Mun at the ticket collector and if he says yes then get on. He'll come around collecting the money later - you don't pay as you get on. Price is about 60 baht. As stated before, you actually need to get off the bus at Nong Mun market which is on Sukhumvit Road. The stop you need is quite easy to spot because there are millions of stalls selling dried fish. But, if in doubt, just keep asking Nong Mun every time the bus stops, from about 5 or 6 stops after it parks up outside the Robinsons Supermarket in Sri Racha. When you get off the bus you will see bright red baht busses. These work in a similar way to the Pattaya ones except the drivers are usually decent blokes and don't seem quite as yabba'd up as Pattaya ones. You need one that is going in the same direction as the bus you just got off. Check with the driver if he is going to Bang Saen beach. If he is jump in the back. Its about 6KM to the beach. Get off when you see the water and give him your 10baht (although I think the right price is 8 or 9 baht). Now, sorry to hijack your thread but seeing as its about Bang Saen.... I gather a branch of the Thai bar/restaurant Tawan Daeng has opened up there. I've been to one in Bangkok and it was a cracking night out. Does anyone know exactly where in Bang Saen it is please?

Tropical Berts soi 6/1. 700 per night including breakfast. Nice big, clean rooms, WIFI, in room safe, satellite TV, big fridge, free water, tea & coffee daily. No ID check though as you don't go through the bar to get to your room.

Hi I've stayed at all three in the past; Grand Sole is probably the pick of the three but none of them are brilliant. Chaba used to be my first choice until about three years ago. Unfortunately it suffered the usual problem with hotels in Thailand, which is that as things broke they didn't get fixed. In the end I gave up on it. I think you could probably do better that these. It might be worth while posting what your requirements and budget are so that members on here can suggest alternatives. Otherwise, I suggest you book the Grand Sole for a couple of nights and, if you don't like it, you can look for alternatives. Cheers

I normally use a debit card for the simplicity of it. I also take some cash (sterling) in case I have a problem with the card. If exchanging cash, and if I'm in the area anyway, I use a licensed money changer opposite the bigC on second road. Its on second road, about half a minute's walk from Soi 2, on the left when walking towards Naklua. It typically pays half a baht per pound more than the normal exchange booths. So a whopping 50baht extra per hundred pounds changed. Like I said, its not worth going out of your way for but if you are in the area anyway......... I've only ever used it in the day time so no idea of opening hours.

I normally take the TG910 and 917 as well. In around 20 returns over the past 4 years I have NEVER had seat back screens in Economy. The planes are old and really could do with an upgrade. Having said that, because they are night time flights I don't really miss the entertainment. I get on half pissed, finish the job off during the next couple of hours, and typically fall asleep before 3 hours have gone by during which time I'm being fed or am reading a book. Normally wake up with a couple hours to go, have breakfast, then read the book again.

I returned from my latest trip on a flight out of BKK at 1.00am Monday morning, 7th September. On departure from BKK the arrangements were as normal with the hand baggage being scanned immediately prior to entering the bit where there are dozen or so departure gates. When I was at the airport I was chatting to one of the ladies in the TG lounge and she told me things were due to change later that morning. The scanners at each of the departure gate areas were being removed and replaced with ones immediately after the immigration check. Assume this would be on the slope down to the terminal shopping area. Same sort of arrangement as at Heathrow and Gatwick. Overall there will be less scanning machines in operation. In addition, departure and arrivals were going to be totally segregated. No access from one area to the other simply by going up and down between the levels like we can do now. Arriving transit passengers were set to have their own security scan on the arrivals level. Check in at the transfer desk, then through security and on up to departures. No further security check prior to boarding. The lounge attendant telling me this seemed to think the changes would cause chaos. So has anyone departed or transited BKK since Monday 6th? Were any changes implemented and if they were what was the impact?

Sorry I can't answer the question about Oslo, but now that most of the UK is non smoking these days I've solved my problems by getting an electronic cigarette from here. http://www.theelectroniccigarette.co.uk The one I have got is the Titan510. And it is fucking magic. Can use it on the train, in the pub, at work and also in the airport and on the plane. Gives you the nicotine plus the all important burn at the back of the throat. I often go most of the day without smoking a normal cigarette now; a reduction from 30 a day to about 5. And no second hand smoke for the non smokers to worry/complain about. It is supposedly safer than normal cigarettes for smokers as well. It is claimed there are none of the carcinogenic chemicals that are present in normal cigarette smoke. I can totally recommend it as an alternative to suffering the usual flight withdrawal symptoms. Though having said that, if and when I get a fucking great tumour, I'll try and sue the sellers for trying to kill me.

Well, their usual website is back and seems OK now.

Thanks for the responses. Possibly just an issue with their website then. Good to know they are still going as I've been very happy with the service and prices. Will phone them instead. Cheers

I've been using westeast for a few years now as they usually have good deals on Thai Airways flights. As of this morning their website just lists links to other sites. Have they gone bust? If they have closed down does anyone have recommendations for other UK agents who give good prices, in particular for mileage earning (q class or better) Thai flights? Cheers

I'm far too fucking tight to do that But I do get one out of the flights each year upgraded as a result of gold card upgrades and miles. And you are right, I am as slow as I can be getting off, just to fuck-off the peasants!!!!

I flew back on the TG910 yesterday, in economy. The main benefit versus the old 747 was primarily the seat back screens with a good selection of channels. Plus, being a bit smaller plane, the onloading and offloading was quicker and less people hitting immigration at the same time. On the negative side it seemed more cramped than the old 747. Thai claim the seat pitch is the same at 34ins but it didn't seem like it. The seat I had was definitely narrower than the 747 seat I flew out in the week before. On a side note, on landing why are there so many thick cunts jumping out of their seats and opening the overhead luggage racks within 2 seconds of the first wheel touching the tarmac? Apart from the safety issue, (not bothered about them breaking their necks but will be pissed off their bag lands on me), do they really think they are getting off any fucking quicker?

Based on a stay for 2 days in January, Best Western in Naklua is clean and quiet with no construction nearby. Great rooms, brilliant breakfast buffet. No Joiner Fee for guests and ID 100% required. It was a bit out of the way though, about 10 minutes stroll from the dolphin roundabout, with no busses going by and no motorcycle taxis outside.

Markland at the bottom of Soi one. Fairly pricey, average food, but good value for happy hour cocktails at buy one get one free between 4 and 8pm. Don't know if they have a website. In my opinion its better going there to sit outside the main restaurant and have a few half price drinks. There are stunning views.

Tonka - Apart from the occasional drink I haven't spent a lot of time in the bar but have been there often enough to recognise the same faces there having a drink on a fairly regular basis. I think the British Legion guys also meet there at least once a week but can't remember which day it is. When I'm staying I only eat a couple of meals there each week, Not because I don't like the food - far from it - its just that I like to get out and about and vary where I eat each day, The Thai food gets a thumbs up from my regular but, given the variety of disgusting shite she puts down on occasions, I don't know whether thats a good thing or not! Personally I'm happier having Thai food from one of the market stalls or one of the very basic Thai cafe style places - it tends to be cheaper and, in my view, tastier than the stuff you get in foreign owned places, Whether a meal is good or not is very subjective though so suggest you try it yourself and make your own mind up. Cheers

I've been using this place for the past couple of years. Very good value at 700baht per night. Rooms vary in size but all contain big bed, small fridge, tea & coffee kit, tv and dvd plus table & chairs or sofa. Bathroom is the basic "wet room" type but big enough that you aren't sitting on the bog to take a shower. You have a separate entrance for the rooms so no ID check which may be a concern to some. I normally stay with a regular so no problems for me as I know her age and trust her not to pinch anything. Safety boxes are in a store cupboard next to the bar so only accessible between 7.00am and 11.00pm when the bar is open. The wardrobe & chest have lockable drawers where you can keep stuff overnight if you take a girl you don't really know back - you just have to hide the key somewhere she won't find it (and remember where it is when you get up the next morning!!). No phones in rooms. No room service as such but they will bring food and drink up to the room if you can be bothered to go down to the bar and order it. Food is pretty good. Bert, the owner, lives in one of the rooms there and will help if any problems. Staff are friendly. Unfortunately they were fully booked when I tried to get a room there for 1st week in September so unless they get a cancellation I'll be trying somewhere new then. But I'm booked in again for a fortnight in November. If you've any further, specific questions let me know. This was posted while I was typing mine. I just spent a fortnight there, leaving on 23rd June so surprised if it is closed?

Well, to answer my own question, and in case it's of use to others, much googling has revealed the following. From BKK to DMK Take the free airport shuttle bus from outside the airport, (its signposted apparently), to the Airport Transportation Centre. From there you can take either air conditioned bus no.554 or bus no.555 to Don Muang. Buses take slightly different routes via the expressways, with stops along the way, and will drop you outside the airport. Buses run 24 hours a day departing every 30 minutes. Journey time is 50 to 90 minutes depending on traffic and cost is around 35 or 40baht. From DMK to BKK The above busses are circulars so will also take you from Don Muang back to BKK airport. Bus numbers, journey times and costs are the same. A metered taxi transfer between the two airports will cost around 350-400 including tolls so is probably the best option unless funds are particularly tight. Cheers

Cheers for that - all seems ok now.

But would this explain why its only this site that seems to be affected? I've had no problems getting in to other sites, irrespective of where they are hosted. I've done all the normal system scans for malware and nothing is showing. Is there anything else I can check?

For the past 3 or 4 days I've been getting a "loading" and "waiting for www.pattayatalk.com"message nearly every time I try to access the board. All my other sites work OK its just been this one. I've only managed to get in 2 or 3 times, including now. I get the same problem irrespective of whether I use firefox or explorer. I connect via virgin media in UK if thats important. Looking at the posts made while I was locked out it seems the board has been working fine so any ideas why I've been having problems? And its taking about 30 minutes to post this!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Guys What are the options and costs for me to travel from the new BKK airport over to the old Don Muang? Taxi is the obvious choice which will take what, about an hour and cost around 500? But are there are busses shuttling between the two airports? Cheers

I know its hard to do, but you need to just wait and see what happens, unless you absolutely have to be in Thailand for the 19th. The strikes for 17th/18th may not go ahead. Things may be resolved before then. Even if they do, Thai will be working to sort out how they are going to get umpteen hundred people booked to go with them on 17th/18th through to Bangkok. Some will be put on later flights, some will be put on different airlines, some will be routed via Thai flights from other destinations. Thai may even put on a couple of extra flights during the next couple of days. If you do need to get there for 19th then one thing you could try is to see if Thai will let you change your outward flight to one from one of the other european airports they fly from. Then you can get a cheap flight from UK to there to connect with it. Could be cheaper than just getting a 1-way EVA flight. As I'm flying on 16th I spent Friday morning sat waiting for the news about strike dates and fortunately for me I lucked out. You have my sympathies.

Both good lists, thanks for making the effort. I think Joiner Fee = Yes/No, and price if Yes, is a pretty fundamental bit of info for any Pattaya hotel list though.

Stayed there for a few days in September. Very good overall. In room safe, good size fridge, nice, new, towels and bedding. Free internet PC for guests in the lobby. They have a very strict guest ID policy. Basically they will not let your girl in at night without her leaving an ID at the desk. Not quite so strict in the daytime when the owner or manager is generally there and will use a bit of common depending on who you take in. Its not top of my list due to location but I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again if my current, usual place is full.