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Thanks everyone. I take it that View Talay is a condo-style buildng (in US terms) with individual owners. Torrenova, for some reason I am unable to PM - I guess I have to find out what is going on. (If you know the reason pls let me know - I think I have used the feature before.) Perhaps you can send a message - I will try to reply to that.

Thanks .. unfortunately I do not know what VT1 means. Besides, I am hoping for board members' opinions ... looking at advertisements does not tell me anything about the quality of life in them.

I will be in Pattaya next month, and this time I want to scope out possibilities for a long term move. One thing I need to check are apartments - I have never seen apartments that are for rent (other than the ones the girls live in, which is not what I am talking about). My preference will be for a one-bedroom, with a sea view, possibly in Jomtien, but not necessarily so. Could be in Pattaya itself. Budget? Weeeeell, obviously the idea is to pay as little as possible, but I do not want a hole, and I suppose the market will determine what I end up paying. Based on what I have read here, I am

I believe most Thai banks do not allow foreign nationals to open an account unless they have a work permit, or other valid reason to be there. But a few years back there was one bank that was willing to open accounts for visitors. I have forgotten the name, and dont even know if it still does so. Does anyone know? And its location in Pattaya? Also, is it possible to open US dollar accounts in Thailand? Thanks.

Has anyone ever stayed at One Mansion? This is a huge 'apartment hotel' on Soi 3 - the lane next to the one on which Sabai Inn is. I looked at the rooms last year, and they were about the same as Sabai's 'Superior A' rooms - little run down but okay. There is no safety deposit box, though - just a locker and you have to bring your own lock. I could not find a review in the hotel section, and I would like to know if it is okay - safe, etc. - or if there are any problems. Thanks.

Like many who posted, I too have flown several airlines to BKK. And I agree with those who have singled out United as the carrier of choice. KOREAN: I used to fly Korean, but stopped when they stopped preassigning seats from LAX. I will not fly if I cannot get a decent aisle seat. Also, Korean has changed its mileage plan rules a number of times, which to me seems dishonest. The last time I flew they did NOT give me mile-for-mile. CATHAY: This is supposed to be a great airline. I flew it recently to Bali. Everything was fine, but maybe it is my imagination that the seats are narrower than ot

Terrible diasater though it is, it is not the world's worst by a long shot. The Bangladesh cyclone of 1970 killed at least 500,000. There was no tsunami that I know of, but the death toll was so high for similar reasons - the storm surge caused the sea to rise and wipe out everyone in low-lying islands.. Life hangs on by a thread, and we dont realize we are lucky to be alive until something like this happens...

The food and flight attendants are okay, you can get a variety of drinks, and if you choose your flight carefully you can avoid a long layover. I have never spent more than three hours at Seoul. But you should be aware that last year they stopped preassigning seats from LAX. If you are one of those who like preassigned aisle or window seats you are out of luck (unless they have changed their policy since then, in which case please post it). I quit flying them because of this, and even a $150 cheaper fare will not attract me to them. Also, on the cheaper tickets that most of us buy they

You may also be able to rent a car for about 800. These are parked near the main entrance of the Ambassador (on the Soi, not on Sukhumvit). There is a kind of alley approximately opposite the gate (you will see food vendors) and last year the cars were advertising 800 baht. Having said that, I should mention that I have never traveled in one - I prefer going to Ekamai if I only have hand luggage. On the way back I hop on a van for 250-300.

I have browsed the reviews but didn't find a comparison between the Sabai Inn and Sabai Lodge, and I dont know if it was ever discussed on the board. I have stayed at the Lodge, not the Inn. From the reviews, it seems that the Inn is newer, costs less than the Lodge, is equally guest friendly and is rated higher. The drawback is lack of pool. But there still seems to be a preference for the Lodge ... Does anyone have a quick perspective? Thanks.

Greg, please note that the commission is a 20 baht transaction fee plus 3 baht per check (unless its changed recently). So if you have small denomination checks you will pay a much larger commission - it wont break you, but if you care about such things its good to know.

If they are American Express TCs then find out who the Amex agent in Pattaya is. You will not have to pay a per check commission there. You may even get a better rate. And in many countries they dont ask for passport and so on - I dont know about Pattaya. Everyone else, including banks, will charge you a commission.

Thanks for everyone's input. Just to clarify what Hammer asked. I would book through an Internet agent because: The rates are sometimes - not always and not usually - about 25 percent cheaper than what you can get through the hotel's Internet site. To give an example, the Ambassador Bangkok is offering a special promotion of $58 a room. I can get it for $39 from an Internet agent. The disadvantage is: Internet sites lock you in - there is always a penalty for cancelling - minimum of one night's tarriff. And if you cancel close to your arrival date (varies - maybe less than 72 hours) all hel

Has anyone tried booking some favorite Pattaya hotels through an Internet booking site? Not too long ago it was always cheaper to call a hotel directly. But in the last year or so a few Internet sites have become more competitive. Of course there are other disadvantages, such as cancellation fees, but let's assume no cancellation will be necessary. I am particularly interested in the Sabai Lodge and perhaps the Flipper group - does anyone have experience booking through an Internet site? How was it, and which site was it? I know it is now cheaper to book at the Ambassador - where I stay in

To partially answer my own question, United dropped its LAX-BKK prices by some $90 for November. As of today not all web sites were offering it - Travelocity was one that did. Until Aug 1 the prices had been about 825, all taxes included, plus $5 service fee. Today it is down to 737 (weekday travel), all taxes included, plus the $5. That's a good enough prices for me - may drop farther, but not enough to take chances (unless some catastrophe strikes).

Theoretically both United and NW want the same number of miles for economy to Asia - 60000 ( I say theoretically because I am not sure of availability on NW). But to waive capacity controls NW wants 120000, whereas United will settle for 90000. Star Alliance, of which United is member, is probably the largest and most well know airline alliance out there, including airlines like Thai, Singapore, Asiana, ANA (for Asian trips) and Varig (for S. America). But within the alliance United has the best FF program - I would have preferred to join Thai's program, but United was so much better I settl

Travel agents tell me that airlines do not typically offer special deals until about two/three months before the departure date. Does anyone know what this typical period might be? I am particularly interested in United from the West Coast, leaving end-November. I realize that these days there is no telling when airlines change fares, but if I have some idea what the 'typical' period is I may be able to figure out how long to wait before buying a ticket. United wants 800-plus these days, and that seems high for that time of year. But neither do I want to wait too long and see fares shoot up.

Thanks Tom. Sounds like the seats have an extra four inches or so of width, which is pretty good. That seem about right to you?

Would I be right in guessing that EVA's Evergreen Deluxe is about the same as United's Economy Plus? The seat pitch seems to be about the same, maybe an inch more. I don't know about the width, though. Are the Evergreen Deluxe seats wider than regular economy?

I am puzzled about the 'no safe in room' comment. I stayed at the Sabai last Nov/Dec in a deluxe room (about 1000 b I think) and there was a nice large safe in the room. It was actually large enough for a small laptop (12-13 inch screen). I enjoyed the stay and will use it again if a planned visit in November comes through.

Those sites should come up with a decent price. In addition you can try Mobissimo (http://travel.mobissimo.com/travel/search_airfare.php) which will search travel agents and other web sites for you. And dont forget to ask your local consolidators. I tried Wien-Bkk Sept 15 to 30, and came up with a price of about USD 900, offered by a site in France and Travelocity. No idea whether this is a good price. I have heard Cuba is a fun place ... I would go but for the travel restrictions we face. There are ways of getting round it, but for me the hassle is not worth it.

I used the term Super Poster to bring across a point .. You really think that the comment ': ' I wonder who these 2 guys might have been in their previous lives ...' is not offensiive? That is what I was referring to. No, you do not have a position on this board, but I have come across several instances where long-time members seem to think they 'own' the board. ... by which I mean making comments like you did. It happens. Sorry if you did not mean it that way. You have been to Cuba? Unfortunately it is not easy from here, and our present misguided administration is making it even har

Emil, you first. To answer your questions: You do not get double miles if you fly another airline, except for Lufthansa and US Air. On those two United gives you double miles on flights to Europe. IE: I went to Lisbon a couple of months ago and Lufthansa flew first to Frankfurt. LA-Frankfurt I got double miles from UA. Frankfurt-Lisbon was just regular miles. However, I am sure United changes these, so you need to check with their web site. Overall, I have had excellent experience with United - a few bad ones also of course - and I intend to stay with them. On a trip London-LA earlier this y

Newbie - I have a question for you. I see no mention of any other FF program on Cathay's web site - only AAAdvantage. So what is this FF program you mention? If eligible I would like to earn miles for an upcoming Cathay trip - it is not eligible for AAAdvantage.

Hey Super Poster, I just read your comment and I have no idea what you are hinting at. Do you mind elaborating? While I wish I was a girl's bicycle seat, as Newbie noted, I wasn't. I was a journalist and objectivity was instilled in me, still is. What were you? I stand by my assertion that Cathay's is NOT a good deal, but I am not going to argue with anyone who believes it is. If you do a search on the web you will find several airlines offering a lower price AND FF miles. (Cathay's price is close to 700 with tax). Emil, one thing you did not note is that when you are member of a large netw