Trvlr

3000 baht a month, plus utilities, is actually quite doable and should get a decent room. I know of many girls in the Soi Buakhow/Pattaya Tai area who pay that much. Farangs too - I have talked to a few who pay 4000 - 6000 baht a month. 6000 baht will actually get you a room with aircon, but that is beyond the OP's budget. For myself, I admire this kind of initiative. Stay cheaply, but get to see distant lands. Why not? Everyone's comfort level and expectation is different - why apply our's to someone?

I did not see any such option...I looked.

You must be sending money only when you are in the US. Some of us also need to transfer money from a US account to a Thai bank while we are in Thailand. I cannot make Bank of America do that, unless you know of some way? I just tried to add a Thai account to the BOA transfer process. The problem is they want to authenticate by sending a code to my US mobile phone each time I initiate a transfer. There seems to be no other way. Since I will not be able to accept texts in Thailand on my US number, this process is useless for me. I tried adding a Thai number, but the system will not accept i

You could try XETrade, as I mentioned somewhere else recently. You will have to sign up with them, and they seem to have some specific requirements. Once you are signed up you designate a bank from which to withdraw money, which would be your US bank. Then it is a matter of letting them know online how much you want to send and where. Their fee is $22 for up to $10000. They also make money on the spread. Unlike many commercial banks, they do not send US dollars to Thailand. Instead they convert US dollars to Thai baht and send the baht to your Thai bank. I checked about a week ago and their

A lot actually. People are remarkably similar the world over, though they may have different toys and different ways of expressing themselves. What I was saying was that if I, and a whole bunch of other people, were comfortable using gas grills in condo balconies in LA, then maybe MM will get used to it also in Pattaya. I was just offering to hold his hand (in a totally non-romantic way!). But Gary above says that gas canisters are not allowed in condos in Pattaya, so I guess using a grill is not a possibility. Somewhat surprising, seeing that people instal kitchens in their balconies. Mayb

I guess you are going to wiggle your fat ass (I am guessing) and try to grease your way out of putting your foot in your mouth (again). Well, I am not vindictive, I will let you. But I hope you keep in mind that hurtful statements about everything Thai does not earn you any marks, especially when they are untrue. I am sure some Thai people read this forum too. Even if they don't, the point is, when a tree falls in the forest, it does make a sound.

It does not have to be so intimidating, not after you do it once or twice. Gas barbecues (not charcoal) are allowed in L.A. by most condo associations (and apartment complexes) and lots of people use them. The majority of barbecues I see in stores here have two burners, and that's all you need. I have used two burner barbecues for years, including in condo balconies, and they have enough acreage to keep 7 - 8 people well fed. (Haven't had a food riot so far!)

I don't know why you are so contemptuous of Thai products. I have seen some good helmets in the general stores, and I am sure specialty stores will have even better ones. Of course, if your budget is 400 or 500 baht then you will probably not get a great helmet. But a few more baht should get you an acceptable helmet. Some digging may even turn up a standard that some Thai helmet manufacturers follow. The PCX 150, incidentally, is also imported into the U.S. One big difference here is that Honda cannot put in the feature that turns off the engine at prolonged stops. Safety reasons perhaps

Helmets that meet the DOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) standard are also fine. Though the Snell Institute has somewhat more stringent parameters. I wonder what to look for in Thailand? The helmets must have to meet some standard - what is a good one to look for?

The tickets were bought at a travel agency called Six Star in Pattaya, according to a Bloomberg report. Both passports were stolen in Phuket.

They are not allowed on balconies? Most places seem to have balconies out there.

About 75 percent of a bike's braking power is in the front brake. But it is not such a good idea to scare beginners into not using the front, or using it hesitantly. It is not that easy to "upend" a bike in normal driving. The most common cause of spills is actually the rear brake - though it is more likely with foot operated brakes than the hand operated ones on scooters. When people brake hard with the rear brake it locks the wheel and the bike slides with a screech. The most commong reaction is to let go of the rear brake - and that is the problem. When that happens the rear wheel skids s

There is little question that the PCX 150 is the best bike amongst the ones most commonly used in Pattaya. It is also some 20,000 baht, or 40 percent, more expensive than most of the other bikes. So there is really no comparison there. I think the real answer I would like to know is which of the 125 cc bikes people will recommend, and for what reason. I am interested in a bike with good shocks so road bumps are smoothed out. The OP had his own set of questions.

Ouch!

Broadly speaking, American beef is the best in the world. Almost everyone I have discussed this with, of any nationality, agrees with this statement. I say this objectively ( at least I believe so), and not because of some patriotic fervour. There are pockets of specialized beef that are better, but you can get those in the US also. But go to a grocery store, buy the regular priced beef, which most people do. and American beef outdoes everyone else dollar for dollar. I have had excellent steak in Argentina - but that quality of steak is not available at most Argentinian places. And you can g

As Pope said, hope springs eternal in the human breast. Without that you wouldn't be seeing all the women who flock to Pattaya in search of a farang, or a huge payday. And so many other delicious things. Nothing wrong with looking for a good copy of a phone. It is their own money and they calculate how much risk they are willing to take. If, for a fraction of the original price, they can get away with a passable handset - maybe that's a gamble worth taking. I have taken some gambles myself. The worst being a Chinese scooter I bought here. Worst piece of machinery I have probably ever bought

I don't know how much these copies cost, but you could consider the Nokia 520 series. In my opinion - supported by some sites that review phones - this is the best value in smart phones. It was introduced last year and I bought one in the US for about $100. It was locked to Tmobile, and I unlocked it using an Internet site for $10 I think (posted the procedure at that time). I had intended it to be a second phone to use in Thailand, but I soon abandoned my Samsung, which cost about 4 times as much, and started using the Nokia. I think it costs between 4000 and 5000 in Tukcom. The only issu

I did have trouble a few months back calling one of the US toll-free numbers using True. I believe it was an 866 number. True would not connect - kept giving me a message about incorrect or invalid or something. I switched to a DTAC phone and it worked fine.

You seem to know a lot about lady boys...do share for the rest of us who are in the dark.

KY is not good enough?

It is interesting to know that there are so many girls willing to take part in a threesome. I have known some Beach Road ladies for years and usually ask them about their adventures. Only one has ever been out with a couple, and even then she had strong feelings about lesbians - did not want to take part in it.

Most ATM cards these days are debit cards and those are either Visa or MC. That being the case, people are paying a 3 percent foreign currency fee whether they realize it or not. You have to do some research and footwork to get a card that does not charge these fees. For Thailand, cash seems to be the best bet these days, especially after the recent closure of many of Amex's travel offices. That's where I would get $500 denomination TCs fee-free. I have bank accounts in Thailand and can stash money there, but people who do not can explore the various methods of keeping cash safe - sometimes

It was still there a couple of months ago...I looked in on it. There is another on 3rd Road near the flyover across the Jomtien road. It is attached to a Thai massage joint.

Thanks for the intent to help, but everything was resolved. Maybe read the thread again? I posted the resolution to aid others in similar situations. I was not that far out, but Bell only recognizes a specific list of locations - not every building in Pattaya.

I like using the Bell bus to the airport. They maintain a safe speed and the size gives me a sense of security (maybe false!). In this case I was going to Bangkok. And - you may have missed it above - the place I was staying is not on Bell's list of pickup places. Taking Bell would have meant getting a taxi to a place where Bell would pick me up. Then transferring at the bus station from the van. And then again in Bangkok transferring to a van to be dropped off at the hotel. Not something I want to go through - I would have rented a car instead. A van that takes me door to door for 500