Big_Brian

It was my first board about Pattaya. I don't log in for a mere 5 or 6 years and it folds...........

The pool looks OK, but the girl with the rifle is a bit worrying.

On a motorbike you wouldn't dare stop. Some Thai driver behind you would plow right over you.

Whoa, four words and all insults, but together they are a compliment. Impressive.

Almost makes me want to buy some............. crocodile steaks.

Booked in August for April 2011. When I found a price, airline, times and dates that I could live with, and could confirm that I could get the time off work, there was no point in NOT booking.

What has this got to do with IQ? Its a test of knowledge, not intelligence. OK, I'll give you the square root one, but who sang a song, or who was in charge of a country at a set date have nothing to do with IQ - the alphabet one alone is meaningless to most of the worlds population. A super-genius from many cultures would fail this.

I'm still hoping to sell up and move to the Pattaya area in about 6 years. As a final test, my work already knows that I need 8-10 weeks off in around 5 years - I'm "banking" 5 days of leave each year already in preparation. The plan is to live as an ex-pat, on the budget I'll have in retirement - as far as possible anyway. Not being very well off, with few investments, there won't really be a way back to anything reasonable here, and I would hate to burn my bridges then find that I didn't like that lifestyle. Some things I just won't be able to do in an "ex-patty" way; I won't get the deal on accommodation for 8-10 weeks that I will for a long-term contract, I won't be able to buy a bike, set up my own utilities contracts, etc. Those will have to e adjusted in whatever figures I end up with. At the end of this I expect to make one of 3 choices; I like this, it's go for a move in a year. I like this, but will need more cash, keep working for a few more years. Nope, holidays are fine, but I can't live like this. It's a bit far off I know, but for anyone on a budget, I think it's the right thing to do. OK, flame away.

My bad. sorry.

That was what I thought, however check this; "For APD purposes connected flights are treated as one journey and APD is charged according to a passenger’s final destination irrespective of the number of flights that they take to reach this, provided the flights are connected." Full details (and I do mean FULL) here; HMRC website (scroll down to section 4) I hope that it doesn't mean what it says, but it seems pretty clear.

Why would you want to unplug it from the TV. Unplugging the other end from the DVD player and plugging that end into your laptop would surely be simpler.

Rent one every trip. Haven't crashed yet. You do have to keep your wits about you though, no rubbernecking while riding, that way lies problems - especially if your GF is on the back.

Always tap water and never a problem.

That'll be pink then.

Pete, it works fine right now. If it ain't broke.............

Red lights at a junction are one thing, and even those aren't well respected. Red lights at a pedestrian crossing where there is no cross traffic will, IMO, prove less successful.

Doesn't work in Firefox, does in IE. Looks useful, thanks.

Are the Ugly Brothers available?

How can he be unfamiliar with a roundabout? Don't they have them in Canada?

Putting these up is one thing, will they tell the Thai drivers what they're for? The Zebra crossings on 2nd Road never worked, mainly for that reason.

In bars and restaurants the universal language of "point and grunt" works just fine.

I got emails from both Expedia and Opodo about a BA worldwide sale. Unusually, no restrictions on travel dates, only that you must book before 14 September. I know that a lot of folk don't like them, but I can't remember any great problems using them. IFE not good as I recall but I usually read a book anyway. The dates and times work for me - with many flights I can't get to or from Heathrow on the day, so they mean an overnight train or a night in a hotel, these don't. So I'm booked for Easter - AFTER Songkran. £588 - actually it's a Qantas booking, but a BA plane. They were the same price (within pennies anyway) and, given BA's recent troubles, I thought maybe safer. Only 236 days to take off. It's for 5 weeks in fun town though.

A fine piece of tail indeed.

Mozzie coils, not candles - sort of like a coiled joss stick. Make sure that it's on something that won't burn, light it, blow the flame out, and it'll give off a smoke that mozzies don't like for hours.

It's more a serviced apartment than a room. 2 rooms, 2 air-cons, 2 TVs, in-room safe, full - if sparse - kitchen (more than enough for a few weeks holiday), wifi. You can't compare it with a normal hotel room.