CheshireTom

Maybe 1.5m Baht was the downpayment (25%)?

I don't give to the rent-a-kid brigade but do drop 10 or 20 baht to the limbless characters you sometimes, quite literally, stumble over. As an earlier poster said .... "There but for the grace of God etc etc ".

Kev, It is around 15-20 mins from Siam, slightly longer (5 Mins) from lower Sukhumvit. You would need to get a taxi from Mo Chit skytrain to the bus station.

Swiss LX1273 - Airbus A320 Swiss LX0182 - Airbus A340-300 SAS SK0972 - Airbus A340-300 To find the aircraft type by flight number use ......... Flight Status AS the previous poster mentioned, both SAS and Swiss A340 seat maps can be found on Seat Guru. Edit in ....... nothing like duplicate posts ........

You'd be just as well staying around Sukhumvit or Siam and taking the skytrain to Mo Chit in the morning. A better selection of decent hotels than what you'll find up at Mo Chit/Chatuchak.

The Westin is a good choice if using Starwood points or Thai Airways ROP airmiles to stay there. It used to come up occasionally on Pricewise for around 50-55 UKP but those days seem to have gone. There are plenty of other well-priced options in the Asoke Skytrain/Sukhumvit subway area. The Westin was always planned to be a predominantly business hotel with the Sheraton opposite aimed more at the leisure market so it is understandable why the rates have firmed up over the years since it opened.

What airline's scheme are you with?

Don't you also have the option to fly eastabout on Qatar, Emirates and Etihad (?) nowadays? It may be worth considering a round the world ticket and fly eastabout in both directions. If nothing else, it cuts down on the effects of jet lag.

eltib, The good news as far as the Brits/Euros are concerned is that Bangkok Airways has ordered/agreed to buy the A350XWB to set up its long haul routes to Europe. A few years down the line and a lot can change but a nice option from Thai/EVA to look forward to.

It may be that they will come to regret scheduling so many aircraft for delivery in the first two years .......

It's worth bearing in mind, at least for those guys that fly with Thai, that you can exchange your Royal Orchid Plus airmiles for stays at the Sheraton Pattaya (12,000 for 1 night through to 32,000 for three nights if my memory is correct). Much better than letting them expire.

As BigD kindly posted ................. The latest 3 month delay is to the first flight only and basically they haven't got a clue how long it will take to get certification and get the thing to their customers. One of the major problems they now have is that the first couple of test aircraft are being put together by Boeing rather than their partners so they can only achieve certification for that particular production process. Much the same as Airbus had to do with the A380 and build the first 26 aircraft differently from the subsequent builds.

Nah, I think it's a bit like one of them Airfix models that you finish and wonder where the fuck the six extra parts were meant to go.

Of cuurse eltib, you are 100% correct. The world is entering a financial downturn and it is likely that some of those airlines with aircraft orders (for both companies) won't be around to take delivery of any aircraft. There is an article that I have quoted before that influenced my thinking on the 787. Have a read ....... it turned out to be entirely accurate so far and we haven't even got to the testing certification yet. I'd bet my last pennies that this latest delay won't be the last one we'll see ....... Boeing 787 Predictions

Airbus still has a larger order book ........... and therefore will remain the world's no 1. Don't feel too bad though. I'm sure they'll still manage to get the 787 in the air before you manage to relocate to Pattaya.

You need to consult your fellow stooge Mr Mango for some clarification of what constitutes a sale. Must be all those orders for the 787 .......................... pity no airlines will be seeing it this year either .... Yet another delay and it's not even out of the factory doors yet. Maybe you could start a new thread ........... 787 on schedule to fly in 2007, 2008, 2009

And the last time you worked at an airport (or anywhere else for that matter) was? I can assure you that logistics, as the transportation industry is now commonly known, has moved forward somewhat from your days of driving a post-office truck sometime during latter half of the last century. As I said, excruciatingly embarrassing.

Perhaps Mystic Meg would like to update us on the likelihood of the 787 being delivered before the end of the decade ....... From Bloomberg ......... Boeing May Delay First Flight of 787 Dreamliner, People Say By James Gunsalus and Andrea Rothman Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co., the world's second- largest commercial airplane maker, may delay the first flight of its 787 Dreamliner for a second time, according to people familiar with the program. The 787's maiden flight, which had been moved from August to the end of March, may now be pushed back to June, said the people, who didn't want to be identified because they aren't authorized to disclose the information before a public announcement. Boeing will announce a revised 787 delivery schedule tomorrow before U.S. stock markets open, the people said. The Dreamliner program, which is already six months behind schedule, has been hurt by parts shortages and assembly delays. Boeing has racked up 817 orders for the jetliner valued at more than $120 billion, making it the company's most successful new aircraft in sales. Boeing on Dec. 11 reiterated the Dreamliner would make its first delivery as late as December 2008. The first-flight delay could hinder plans to deliver 109 planes by the end of 2009 and cost Chicago-based Boeing millions of dollars in penalty payments. The news was reported earlier today by the Wall Street Journal. Boeing spokesman Jim Condelles declined to comment, as did Charlie Miller, Boeing's European spokesman. Boeing fell $3.81, or 4.7 percent, to $77.86 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, the biggest decline since June 9, 2003. Airbus SAS is the world's biggest commercial airplane maker.

Maybe we should start calling him Mystic Meg ..........

Or, God forbid, on commission from the moto-sai guys.

The thing that stands out for me is the two farang police volunteers. Why didn't they tell the guy where the compound was? Doesn't sound very helpful at all.

Adjust the schedules? Are you daft or what? SQ pays millions for its slots at Sydney and London ...... even if they wanted to adjust the schedule they'd have to find another airline willing to sell them prime slots within the window that they can fly the routes taking into account flying time, time differences and airport operating hours. But that probably goes straight over your head. You really are becoming excruciatingly embarrassing. Anyway ......... getting back to your original assertion that the 787 is on schedule to fly in 2007 .......... Analysts Predict Further Delays For Boeing's 787 Fri, 11 Jan '08 Long-Term Impact On Program Unclear Is another delay looming for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner? Several analysts predict the planemaker may need to push off its development schedule for the composite-bodied aircraft once more... and the stock market has responded, by driving down Boeing share prices. Any predictions for when it will fly or enter service?

And full of whores, conmen and thieves by all accounts.

Perhaps you want to point out where I mentioned anything about delays. Obviously the inability to grasp that one and one equals two isn't your only limitation.

gonzo, Thanks for that. Good info and much appreciated. I currently live amongst the locals down south and rent a 3 bed/3 bath house but the asking price to buy is 3.1-3.4 m Baht. Since I only pay 10k a month rent it is a no-brainer that renting is a much better option for me both short and long-term. As things stand, the only place I would consider buying in the region at the moment would be Malaysia and even that carries its own risks.