Niall

I can top that. Budge Poutney, who had never been to Scotland before deciding to play rugby union for them (and subsequently becoming captain) qualified for the team because he had one maternal grandmother borne in the channel islands and therefore free choice of UK country. Mad, and it ended in tears...

We have a Great Britain rugby league team for reasons I have never understood. Rugby union is seperate. You could say that union is far bigger but historically this was not the case (amateur era).

I particularly love the 'business has been open for two months but is already predicting profits of 400 gazillion baht'. I suppose the point is that adverts in cyberspace cost virtually nought and their MIGHT be someone stupid enough to fall for it. I'd get your bars on there if I was you Mr. T.

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http://www.airport-parking-quote.co.uk/air...ge/heathrow.htm £16.50 here. T3 is a dump plus everything is wildly overpriced and crowded as you say. G&T's would be £4+ in the bar so 4 and your in funds. One warning, food tends to be snacks crisps that sort of think, nothing fancy. Go for it.

Sennheiser PXC 250's are £66 + postage on UK Ebay.

Expensive (typically £1500 LHR/BKK) and absolutely sucks. Seat slightly bigger but thats it. Same check in, food, shitty attitude from the staff (what is there problem?) as economy. For £1500 you can usually fly full business class on a decent airline, China Airlines for example via Amsterdam usually £800 including feeder flight from any UK regional airport. If you MUST fly this way then ensure you get on the Qantas aircraft (they code share with BA) as the staff do not seem to have the BA sneer.

Flew full Eva business class last time (£1,000 + taxes) and it was just heaven! Way way better than BA first class!

I stayed there for my last trip, keep meaning to do a trip report but too lazy. The 800 baht big rooms are phenomenal value for money. Hotel is girl friendly and the owner (Eric?) is a great guy who will make sure everything is fine for you. A 10 minute walk to Walking Street max, to get there you either walk through an arab section or a gay section. Neither a problem. BUT it is very very noisy. There is construction going on in the building over the road (above the 7/11) and in the field to the side of the hotel and it is a very noisy area anyway. I would say you MUST get a top floor room pointing away over the field, not in towards the town. One night some twat on a motorbike with no silencer was going round and round the block for hours. Not the hotels fault but annoying nonetheless.

For what its worth, when I move to Pattaya I intend to get my teeth fixed, which will include two implants and extensive correctional work including a brace, you know how bad English teeth are. I have been researching the issue and talking to expats and BPH seems the way to go. As someone else said this is NOT an area you want the lowest quote for. Also planning laser eye surgery and again BPH seems the way to go. No personal experience but thats my research.

$168? You mean US? You could BUY Soi 8 for that!

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The best is STRIKE. By the comedy store. Scargill and the miners strike done hollywood style. Makes me laugh just thinking about it.

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I discussed this with Ting Tong when I was in town. My experience was quite the opposite, guy standing there with my name on sign, car was a new Honda Stream, all went well and he knew how to circumnavigate the traffic to get to RG (it was a holiday weekend) so I had a very positive experience. However, I will boycott these people as I think their business practices stink and I know Ting Tong was really worried about reprisals.

Do not book the front row seats in Evergreen Deluxe Class where these seats are at the front of the nose of the plane. In front of you are fold down baby changers. They put the children under 2 here. Shit and screaming all flight. NO THANKS.

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David Beckham?

All good fun but one word of warning. Was hanging around in a Go Go (surprise!) waiting for my target of the night to appear and fell in to chat with her friend. She gives me this long speech about how she's got no money as she's making payments on a motorbike for her 'cousin' back home in Issan who'se sick and can't work. Now, I'd had a few by then and I'd been reading all this stuff on the internet (you bad people) so I just burst in to hysterical laughter and she is going 'why laugh, why laugh?' When I'd got my breath back I said 'me not stupid flang, is motorbike for husband or boyflend back home?' Mr. Tact OK. She went BALISTIC, starts shouting about how all falangs think Thai women are stupid for working whilst their husbands/boyflends laze about... Took me 20 minutes and a few lady drinks to settle her hackles back down...

Last call people. Last call...

Come on guys, don't make me have to harass people at the luggage reclaim again...

The bus may have a toilet but it is small and evil smelling. Only for emergencies.

Arriving Bangkok airport 13th February 2004 15:55, looking to share taxi to Pattaya. Anyone interested please leave contact details below, or PM me if you are a member.

I stay at Residence Garden and like it and will stay there again next time. I will write a hotel review if I can ever be arsed. I have read the reviews about rooms not being cleaned etc, all I can say is that my room was spotless, the cleaners turned up every day at 13:00 so that became my wake up call and I sat on the balcony (with TG) whilst they cleaned and they SCRUBBED everything every day. I always ask for a double bed and check to see I have one. If it was not I would have them change it. The only potential issue I can see is location. The RG is about a 15 minute walk from Walking Street. I prefer this as during the day I like to be away from the nonsense. Some people want to be in it all the time, for them the RG does not make sense. I generally walked in to town of an evening stopping off at a few bars on the way, but you don't need to, the baht buses run in a line from the next street over from walking street to Jomtien and back again, past the RG's door. These buses run 24/7. I have never had to wait more than 30 seconds at any time day or night. Cost is 10 baht, which is the small change you would not do anything with anyway. There seems to have been a huge debate on this board about how much falangs pay. I pay 10 baht (per head) and this has never been questioned by the driver. I think the tip is you don't talk to the driver, get on the bus, get off, hand 10 baht through the window and walk away. Easy. I personally don't like the motorbike taxis, I am wearing a t shirt, shorts and trainers, hitting the ground means a skin graft, not pleasant. So as long as the location is not an issue for you I don't think the RG can be beaten.

DOH! As my good friend homer says. Email done and gone... I think anyway email account a bit dicky at present. Bloody NTL...