CheshireTom

I wish I'd read this yesterday. My local Sizzler is on what they are calling a 20% menu - which means that 80% of the menu isn't available. It'll probably be closed today.

That wasn't too long a wait ...

Thai Airways doesn't have any A380s.

Thanks. Such as those reported in The Arab News - "According to eyewitnesses, the main gate of the intermediate school, located in the Hindawiya District, could not be opened immediately because the key was with the male guard, who was away". I haven't disputed the actions of the religious police, only what their actions/inactions led to/didn't lead to. I'd already read your link.

Sorry, Sam. A slip of the finger ... I didn't mean to respond to your post. I think True has signed up Thailand, Cambodia and Laos from next season through until 2015.

I spoke with some friends about it tonight. They claim the issue was only with cable operators. If you were taking your feed from another source it was OK. I've no idea how accurate that summary is, but it sounded plausible.

The first external link specifically states "No one was burned to death. The girls rushed to the gate to escape, and the victims were trampled on," the official added", followed by, "The official Saudi Press Agency said the fire was caused by an electric short circuit. Relatives said that the school — a three-story building — was overcrowded and lacked proper safety facilities. This is the second time fires have broken out at the school's rented building." That's a bit of a contradiction from what you're stating as fact.

When you do, can you please provide some reference to these girls burning to death and the actions of the religious police being directly responsible for that outcome. That's what you have stated, and are asking folk to accept as the basis for the rest of your argument. Your "The Word The clergy The congregation" could make for a good debate though. We could start in Glasgow.

I actually thought the service levels are better simply because the customers wouldn't tolerate what's accepted in Pattaya (and the business wouldn't survive). Not a lot to do with the girls fitting in, but more the realisation that they'd be out of a job. In my experience, the actions/inactions of the boss dictate a business's service levels and there's an awful lot of ex-postmen, ex-miltary, ex-engineers trying to make a living in service-orientated industries in Pattaya. All IMHO, of course.

I knew they had lost the broadcasting rights to True, but that was from next season. I think.

I'm a bit confused by the reference to this Saudi incident. I can't find any credible reference whatsoever that indicates the 15 girls were burnt to death.

Your link is a general report about the religous police, this thread is about the burqa. I just wanted to know if there was an investigation into the deaths you cited. You know, a bit like Hillsborough.

As a general observation, much of what you said is probably true, but it doesn't explain Mick's point that service standards have suffered in Pattaya to a much greater extent than they have elsewhere in the country. He sees it in Khon Kaen, I see it in Hat Yai and Dannok - in many cases the bars are staffed by exactly the same girls that travel to Pattaya during the high season.

The trash can. It could be that the lower price was applicable if it was bought with something else, e.g. a mop and bucket, and 422 was the full price. Tesco has lots of these 'linked' offers but they are normally not too difficult to work out. Carrefour was the same, but I find Big C can be a bit of a nightmare if you don't read Thai. The example you gave of the warranty situation is the same as I've experienced. In my case, it was a printer/scanner/copier that had issues with the scanner. Took it back after 2 days, their techie guy had a look at it, and they gave me a new one. 1/2 weeks seems to be the normal timeframe for return and replace issues at the store but lots of appliances/aircon units etc carry a 3/5 year manufacturers guarantee - it may stretch your patience in having that guarantee honoured though. As an aside, is there any particular reason this thread is in this part of the forum. Edit in: There are some household items (buckets, basins etc) currently on sale at Tesco, but only if you are donating them to the Tesco Flood Appeal. Or, at least I think that was the general drift.

If you drop the "really fast' requirement, you might be in luck.

... as worn on Walking Street in Pattaya. Maybe the OP got it wrong and they were just a bunch of Thai buddhist, transvestite nuns. They get around you know. I couldn't find anything in your link that said the deaths were tolerated by anyone. Was there any sort of inquiry into the fire at the school that you mentioned? The link you provided was a BBC report that was written a couple of days after the fire.

You need to learn the difference between Arabs and Muslims.

ISOC was authorised to 'process' 1,000 Rohingya refugees who were subsequently towed out to sea and left to their fate (deaths) simply because they were Muslim. They bear the responsibility for these completely avoidable deaths. But because their actions were on the behalf of their government and their religion, they did no wrong, No hypocrisy here, no charges either, no moral guilt............. Just goes to prove there's bad fuckers everywhere. As an aside, it appears our government thinks those Saudi folk are OK ... but those nasty Iranian Muslims ain't. Which is a bit of a shame as I've got a thing for Iranian women.

Good call! Where the game was won ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJt0sDEDf8

Frankel triumphs as world's best racehorse on Britain's richest ever race day at Ascot It was the indecorous rush of normally respectable race-goers, Ascot members who don't normally break into a trot, jostling and pushing their way from the grandstand to the winner's enclosure to get the best vantage point that was the give-away. Champion the wonderhorse: Frankel stoms to victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot Photo: GETTY IMAGES By Marcus Armytage 5:38PM BST 15 Oct 2011 Frankel, the best horse in a generation had just strengthened the argument that he should be lauded among the best ever by imperiously romping home in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, barely coming off the bridle, to take his record to a perfect nine wins from nine starts.

I think there is no doubt that the Thais attitudes in Pattaya have changed, but to be fair I think a lot of that is a response to the attitudes of a significant proportion of the tourists that the town manages to attract. It's not just a case of the girls being worldly-wise as a result of the internet and access to media devices as some folk claim - if that was the case attitudes would have been negatively impacted across the board and, as Mick highlighted, that isn't the case. Just as Pattaya has a reputation of attracting the worst types of tourists, it also serves as a magnet for some of the worst examples of the general population. If folk are demanding 1k hookers on tap, that's exactly what they're going to get - and everything that goes with it You reap what you sow etc. On the flip side of the coin, if you're coming from UK (or anywhere else) and all you want to do is get pissed and shag with minimum effort for a fortnight, there's not a lot of serious competition.

There is no passport control behind check-in row A for rank and file passengers, only a boarding card/identity document check for Domestic Departures.

I agree ....

Seconded.

25k miles gets you a biz class return from BKK to either HCMC or Hanoi.