Trvlr

Just to muddy the waters somewhat, I saw a couple of signs on Sukhumvit, before and after Theprassit, that read "left turning through" or similar. They are blue signs with white lettering. I tried to snap a picture but could not. Maybe next time. Or maybe someone else can post it here. Normally a sign like this would imply that left turns on a red are not allowed unless there is a sign permitting it. But given PattayaPete's statement above, I am guessing it is there simply to reinforce that a a left turn is allowed. The upshot of all this is that I have stopped turning south on 3rd Roa

Can someone enlighten me what the rule is in Thailand/Pattaya about turning left on a red light. Is it no left turn at all, unless there is a sign allowing it. Or is it left turn after coming to a stop? I see traffic turning left freely at red lights, but I was stopped the other day at the Pattaya Tai/3rd Road intersection. It was a trap, but if the law says you cannot turn left then there is nothing more to it.

Six dead according to BBC. It is difficult to get confirmed figures right after a disaster. They may not even be sure how many were on board.

I thought so too, even though I won't be here anywhere close to a year at a stretch. What stopped me joining was not being sure if it will stay open long enough. These new places often close for lack of business, or insufficient capital. I didn't see any customers when I was there.

To begin with the hotels are strictly regulated and most do not allow women to join you. But it is possible to get laid - try the massage places. And if you research it, you can find hotels that allow women.

Just go to the American Express office in your area. They will have plenty of $500 denomination checks. And no commission if you show an Amex card. I have been moving away from TCs because the independent moneychangers give a so much better rate than banks in Pattaya - they give about 30 satang more than banks for a US $.

I made a second foray into this possible venture the other day and discovered quite a price difference. Mityon had quoted me 74900 for a PCX150, and an out of the door price of almost 80000 I stopped at a dealer on Sukhumvit, a smaller one. She quoted me 75000 for the bike and out the door price of just 76200. That is more in line with what people here have said. Also, I was looking at a Honda website and discovered that they have many different flavors of the Click, each with a distinct model number. The specs were in Thai so I could not tell the difference, but I am sure they will be p

According to a company release, a Burgman 200 scooter, made in Thailand, will be introduced in November. From the picture, it looks like a handsome machine, with a tall windshield - which I personally prefer for added protection. And the 200 size will be a practical addition to the market. With more room and power than the 150, yet not as large as the 300, which some people seem to be intimidated by. Not to speak of cheaper. .

There is a new one on Wat Bun Road (aka Boonkanjana) on the north side approaching Sukhumvit. It is airconditioned and all, but is expensive. BearGym, and the cost is 2300 a month, or 7500 for a year.

Thanks...that clears up several questions but leaves a few. 1) What does this government insurance cover? Sounds like it is compulsory. 2) The salesman quoted more like 1000 for government insurance, as opposed to 500 suggested here. Was that simply his commission? 3) "I took out cover for damage to other vehicles and also for passengers from the German Swiss group in Naklua road, Naklua. worth it for the peace of mind" - How much did this cost? Do you have government insurance also? And perhaps a narrower location or phone number for this agent? Thanks...

I walked into Mityon the other day just to check out some bikes. I am not sure I will get one, but this is how one starts. The visit generated some questions: 1) In addition to the bike price, the salesman had some add ons. Registration, ok. Government insurance? This is for...? And he also had some insurance offered by Mityon itself. Anyone have any info or opinion on these? 2) They had a bike make called Sym. Apparently made in Taiwan. Any experience with these? I am not so keen on buying un-recognized makes, after an experience with a Chinese scooter. Cheap, but the biggest piece of crap

Onions don't add taste? The classic burger IS onions, tomatoes and a hunk of cow ..none of this cheese, mayo, guacamole and what have you. Maybe you are allergic to onions. I know someone who is, and gets horribly sick with even a small bit of it.

Funny...and so true. Unfortunately the disease is spreading throughout the world, especially if te burger diet takes hold!

Just to close this chapter, the phone DID get unlocked, and for much less money, and less pain, than the people at Tukcom quoted. As stated above, they had asked for 1500 baht and a week's time. Instead, I went to a website called "unlock for cheap". Not a very sophisticated name, and I had some misgivings. But they answered my questions quickly. After I placed the order they sent the unlock code in less than the 12-24 hours they promise. I tried the code and, abracadabra, it worked first time!.The Lumia happily accepted a Thai SIM. Cost: US 10, or about 310 baht.

Thanks to everyone's suggestions. I will check out the coin operated ones - sounds intriguing. As for buying one, I would have had a few of them around if I really needed to monitor that carefully. Board members have no way of knowing this, of course, so thanks for your recommendations. As an aside, I think Thailand has the opposite effect on me - blood pressure falls (I think) - and I want to confirm this before doing something about it. Meaning heading to a physician. This may be due to the fact that I walk a lot here which, in addition to normal hot weather sweating, makes people lose

Is there some place in Pattaya where a blood pressure check can be done easily? Without having to go to a doctor. Similar to the machines in many department stores in the US (and maybe other countries too).

Looks like it may not get done. I went to Tukcom and a stall directed me to another shop. There I was told that it will cost 1500 baht and take a week because they cannot unlock it 'normally'.The handset is one of the Lumia series and apparently cheaper Nokias can be unlocked easily, but not these smart phones. If anyone has any suggestions I will try it. In the meantime I may try one of the Internet sites - they promise to send unlock codes from as little as $10.

Does that remove the apps or data?

They are pretty comfortable with Nokias in Asia, aren't they? I have heard the same response to Samsungs before, that they are hard to unlock. Well, I have a Nokia now, and no time to have it unlocked. Does anyone have any specific suggestion on who to go to in Tukcom (or elsewhere) to have it unlocked?

You may need to be careful because of US laws. New laws are kicking in soon, and even foreign banks will need to report US citizens' assets, or they get placed on the US shit list. One consequence is that you will need to report your assets if they are above a certain limit ($10000 usually).

A multiple entry tourist visa should get you 60 more days when you re-enter. That is what I got a couple of months ago. I had a two entry visa, and the airport immigration gave 60 days. Then when I re-entered by land, another 60 days. Has something changed?

Does anyone have any experience of, or views about, a place called Happy Valley condos/hotel in Jomtien? Seems to be a reasonably priced place and it looks good in the video they have on YouTube. However...

Thanks for the directions everyone. I will give it a shot next time...

Anyone has any directions to Banchang? Next time I am in Pattaya I want to ride out there, not for this restaurant, but just for general amusement. I guess I get on Sukhumvit and head north - so basically I need the point where I turn west to head to Banchang. Some easily recognizable landmarks/distance will be really helpful.

I guess knowledge can be pretty boring for some. I tried to help you by explaining why the numbers on a website and on the ground do not match, but you prefer to remain ignorant. That's your choice and it says something about you. It is the easiest thing in the world to start calling someone names, but I will refrain from it - for the moment.