CheshireTom

As jacko said, you are going to get a lot of yes and no answers. However, you can cut down the chances of getting negative reactions to the different bacteria you'll come across by eating a bio/live yogurt every day for a week or two prior to your trip. Keep that topped-up by drinking a small bottle of Yakult on a daily basis whilst you're in Thailand - they're available in every 7-11 in all sorts of flavours/sizes.

I think the rule of thumb is there are schools which market themselves as providing Thai language courses and the visa is secondary, and those which market themselves as providing the visa and the language training is secondary. I suppose it depends on your priorities which one you'd choose to go for.

LOL. And the next step is ... to enrol on the course please send me (Mr Anonymous) 25k baht and you will receive your visa paperwork in 5 weeks time. Or, maybe not.

Nowt wrong with Walen per se - their system might not suit everyone, but what system does? Any BM looking for an ED Visa would be best advised to pop into their offices in Pattaya (next to Carrefour) and get the info from the horse's mouth, so to speak (and speak to people who are currently doing the course).

No, you didn't. You said, "You get 2 one hour lessons per week via skype or in our office for this price". Walen's website indicates that the minimum requirement for an ED Visa is 2 x 2 hour lessons per week (180 hours per year).

For starters, The Walen School provides twice as much language tuition as you are offering for the same price - four hours per week, as opposed to your two. That said, their claims and guarantees are very similar identical to your own ...

Surely the most appropriate thing would be to say exactly which language school you are touting for and let the BMs decide whether or not you have plenty of credibility. You provide no website, only obscure claims as to what you offer.

What's the name of your school/company and where is it located? It would appear to be quite difficult to "just come in and pickup the forms and meet with our staff" without that sort of info. Don't you have to go back to your home country to actually get issued with the visa from your local Thai Consulate/Embassy?

That's not the case on the PCX. The left lever operates the CBS, the right lever operates the front brake only, i.e. it by-passes the CBS master cylinder. The problem with the PCX is that the rear brake can't be applied in isolation.

That's what forums are for ...

It makes you wonder what he thought he was getting for the extra 15-18k Baht. The two big pieces of plastic surrounding the engine perhaps.

And just about any other country you care to mention. There are also plenty of places in Thailand where the service levels are out of this world. As for the PBG, it is notoriously difficult to run an operation that is equally both a pub and a restaurant, especially on the scale of somewhere like the PBG - lots of places try, but few places manage to do it successfully.

If you're travelling as a couple, they do. The problem usually arises when your "guest" isn't actually named on the reservation submitted by the agent.

How many hoses have you got going into your front brake? If it's only one, the salesman must have swapped your PCX for a Milo when you weren't looking.

I considered living in both BKK and Pattaya ... for all of about 5 minutes - I've never been a 'big city' guy and absolutely hated the time I lived in Hong Kong. Whereas some guys see having a large ex-pat population near at hand a bonus, I'm perfectly happy mixing it with the locals. I don't view the Russians, Chinese, Indians, Japanese or Arabs in either Pattaya or Bangkok as any sort of problem - quite the opposite if anything, and they all contribute to the cosmopolitan feel of both places. That said, when I head north for a visit these days, I tend to head into BKK rather than taking a cab to Pattaya. For me, as a visitor, the Big Mango still offers the variety that Pattaya can't match.

It's a bog standard offer that, in the case of the Amari, has been available from most reputable UK travel agents for the last 20-odd years (slightly less for the Royal Garden Resort/Marriott). As for the Company, it's part of the Global Travel Group. Plenty of info about them online.

I had a look at the PCX and decided that the additional expense wasn't really justified for features that I'd just as soon do without. The Combined Braking System (CBS) was one of those features and it came as standard. From Honda's own website ...

They also have promo prices if you're travelling next month. The likes of Yangon and HCMC can be had for under 3k Baht incl, return.

They also have promo prices if you're travelling next month. The likes of Yangon and HCMC can be had for under 3k Baht incl, return.

I was really after info on bikes in the 125-150cc range. I already have a 110c bike and had pretty much discounted another 110 as a replacement. Thanks for the info on the Scoopy though.

Gary, Thanks for your helpful comments - and I agree, the Fino and Scoopy are designed for uni girls who've had their skirts tailored a bit too short.

When I first moved to Thailand I was eventually forced, by necessity rather than choice, to purchase the obligatory bike for getting around locally. Not being a big fan of motorbikes, I got myself a decent enough, second-hand Suzuki which has served me well for the last 4 years but it's time to change now that the rainy season has finished down here. Trouble is that I'm a bit clueless when it comes to bikes and trucks so any practical, comparative advice on the pros and cons of the Suzuki Raider 150, Yamaha Spark 135 and Honda Wave 125 would be appreciated. The majority of my driving would be in town with the odd rural trip up to around 100 km maximum. I'm looking at something the the 45-55k Baht bracket.

How much are the taxes? Edit in: Fly nonstop, Thai Air - almost USD 500 more ...

I practically live in Adidas kit. The "official" outlet is in Bangkok at Muang Thong Thani - they restock on a Thursday, so Friday is the best time to visit. Be aware that items destined for the local market are a totally different cut from those destined for EU/US markets. There is also a Levi's outlet on Sukhumvit Rd in BKK - around Soi 99, or thereabouts.

Supersports is no longer available in Thailand - the SA provider switched from C-Band to Ku-Band transmissions. I'm now on Astro Malaysia and their website indicates that Star Sports will be picking up the RWC.