Sa-teef

Roof Garden Inn has great walk-in glass showers, easily fitting 2-3 occupants. The rooms run 650-700 baht and it is less than two years after renovation I believe. And they keep 'em spotless from my experience. Just up the road (toward Jontein) from Residence Gardens a couple hundred meters on the right. It's walk-up though; no lift . -- Steve

Flash and others, the rate quoted you maybe for the lower (2nd & 3rd floor) rooms without a seaview. Room 01.10-30.11 01.12-27.12 28.12-05.01 06.01-31.01 01.02-30.11 Standard 990 1,190 1,490 1,190 990 Suite 1,990 --------- --------- --------- 1,990 That is the same price they quoted me directly from the hotel: " The room with sea view is 1200 baht/room/night. The standard room on the 2nd and the 3rd floor and the front view room rate is 990 baht/room/night. The suite room with sea view is 2500 baht/room/night. The suite room with front view is 1990 bath/room/n

They busted the floating casino back in October: http://www.thaivisa.com/index.php?514&back...rce&tt_news=593 I would presume they weren't paying the right Brown Shirts? ??? ??? ??? -- Steve

" My wish for songkran " Hey Chris! Don't forget to hope they stay at the Apex & come down with a bad case of bug bites as well, hehehehe..... [smiley=grin.gif] [smiley=grin.gif] [smiley=grin.gif] -- Steve

" the signs are in english" Yes, in most of Pattaya and parts of bkk the signs are in English, particularly the Sukumvik area (the falang guetto) but get yourself a good map if you plan to wander afar without a pooying along to keep the taxi meter pointed right. And don't count on the young & inexperienced girls to know shit about the streets. Some never wander far from their route between their squalid apartment and the bar/go-go. bk, Your experinece is much different than mine. Many thai who have an eduation can read and write english much better than speak it.

Mid-September there was a guy with a cart at the west end of Soi Cowboy that was selling kabob. I BF'd a Viet girl from Tilac Bar and both nights she just HAD to have one! I should of tried one then, darn! "did you forget the cut and paste"? You're right Chris! I did! I'll be sampling the 2nd Rd kabob THIS WEEKEND while you're freezing your kahunas back in cold, rainy England! ;D ;D ;D Thanks for pointing that out for me! 8) 8) 8) Stay warm, Steve

" I hate ALL forms of Techo, Drum & bass, trance etc etc etc" Well, I guess that's why I said "if".... ? There are 3,500 members besides Mr. Crackpot. I never liked it in the past, but now it just brings back good memories of warm nights with a gaggle of Thai girls at Xzyte. Not something I would listen to regularly but I guess it's the same thing as Pattaya. Part of the experience and a good memory of my visits there. We all have different things in our lives which stir memories. This music does that for me. Take care, Steve

If you like Thai Techno music (produced by a German DJ !) this is kinda cute. No girls and it's a hugh flash file (11M) but if you have DSL it only takes a couple minutes to download. Called Apedance. http://affe.rnsystems.de/version1.html --Steve

You guys have me intrigued now. Gonna have to try one of those! So is it true what they say....Soi dog tastes just like chicken? ;D ;D ;D Take care, Steve

You're right. Two is hardly a start. Seems the paper they give you is usually thin enough to see through as well! A lot of the newer hotels have the bidette hose or whatever they call it. The Thai girls seem to like 'em and I think they have something there. ANYTHING beats that little bucket of water sitting next to the hole in the floor in some of the more "rustic" locations... [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Take care, Steve

" and they give you 2 pieces of t/p" Hey Chris, The obvious response is: If you didn't have such a big A$$ you wouldn't need so much! Hehehehehe....did I say that? Oh gosh yes. :( Just joshing with ya my English friend. ;D ;D ;D Ya'll have a good one, Steve

Yes, it does seem goofy to have the TP outside the door, so you can announce to everyone what your intentions are.? "they put the bog paper outside the cubicles" But the ones that CHARGE you a baht or two to get the paper out of a machine outside the bathroom really irritates me. I've only used that bathroom once in that store along Beach Rd and fortunately my TG had some small change along...... > > > +++ Steve

Sixteen days & twelve hours before I'll be boarding. None too soon because the little Hmong girl at the grocery store is starting to look awfully good! Mysteriously, I frequent the local stores that happen to have Vietnamese or Lao immigrants working.... As close as I can come at the moment to a Thai girl! 8) 8) 8) +++ Steve

Hi Emil, Hope you took my intro with a grain of salt? No insult intended, buddy. Note the little winks? The only problem with looking at the top of the page is if you set the time difference on your profile page. It adjusts the time at the top of the page to your home time then. Have a great time in LOS! 22 days and I'll be wheels-up for a short visit too! +++Steve

I think somebody is full of shit. You need to add the 8 hours , not go the other way. Simple exercise: 1) Check the little clock thingy in the bottom right corner on your computer. Try to remember it. 2) Go to this website and note the time in Bangers at that same moment. http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=28 Remember it will be AHEAD of any time in the USA. In my case here in the Midwest, it is approx. 13:00 hours or 1 pm. It is approx 2:00 or 2 am in BKK. That means BKK is 13 hours ahead of Central Standard Time. Pacific time would be approx.

Aussie cuisine.....Kinda like marmite on a stick? ??? --Steve

Another option on your way out of Thailand... The Soi 11 Clinic off Sukumvik Av in BKK is open late (but you have to wait for the results 'til the next day). They will tell you in person, by phone or e-mail you with the results. It's on a small sideroad off Soi 11 actually but there is a sign. This last trip I stopped there in the evening before flying out in the morning and the test results were waiting for me when I got home 24 hrs later. 500 baht /person for HIV screening and they confirmed my results and the Pattaya girl who saw me off at the airport. +++Steve

s_b, I have a reservation at The Pig & Whistle first ten days of December for 650 inclusive. I already know it has good food so I'll check it out. I've always stayed farther south in town (Lek/Pattaya Cetre) or on the way out Prattanak Rd toward Jontein so it will be nice be up on Soi 7 for a change. I'll be playing Cheap Charlie this trip so bf'ing from Soi 8 and walking back should be a pleasant change. I always hate getting a baht bus after midnight and trying to head for Jontein. Walking to Second Rd and heading north is always easy. +++Steve

" You sold your soul to the devil when you bought that ticket " You got that right, Sparkey! Most of us farangs are woefully ill-prepared for the emotional and sensory over stimulation of LOS. I'll never forget the first night I showed-up at Sukumvik/Soi 4 in a taxi. I was this innocent accountant showing up in BKK to do some work for a client and arrived in Sodom! I had heard a few things about Thailand from friends, but it really catches you in the gut when it's in your face. Enjoy your trip and try to remember not everything is as it seems...... ---Steve

El Puerco, I completed the 60 hour, two week TESOL course at ECC Thailand the first two weeks of September. I'm planning to make the big move next fall and I'm glad I took the course. A bit of a humbling experience really, since we native english speakers take so much for granted about the language. I would encourage you to learn everything you can before taking the plunge, in or out of an organized course. I have a degree and have taught part-time at the college level before, so I wanted to take something with a certificate that is accepted by the Thai gov't to help grease the wheel

I actually met three of them in September without a phone: --A freelancer from Surin working out of Soi 7 beergarden in BKK, --A Vietnamese girl dancing in Tilac Bar in Soi Cowboy, --A newbie dancer in Pattaya (who bought one a week after I left. Guess I tipped her too well?) I tend to lay down the law about them. Before I pay the barfine I tell 'em they turn them on silent from dinner on, or find another guy. When I head into the shower and such, I remind them they might want to check their calls....... Seems to work. --Steve

"I wish I had kept some baht now " Yup, it's not a bad idea to save 4-5k of purples and reds for your next trip. I always arrive on Northwest or United at 2300 or 2330 so I'm not looking for another line to stand-in upon arrival, just lookin' for a long hot shower! Saving that much will get you to the hotel, buy some liquid refreshment and a bed warmer for the first (short) night. ;) If you know you're addicted to Thailand it's not a matter of "if" you return, it's just a matter of "when"... ---Steve

"and soi cowboy is smaller then you would think" The Pattaya jungle drums work awfully well too. My last trip in September I spent 8-9 days with Tigerlady and after I ditched her she kept very good track of me. I ran into her the day I left and she knew who I was with & what days, so if you want to stay out of sight it's best to keep a very low profile. I'm not one to slink around and it seems the veterans have amazing communication networks. Hank, I wish you luck on your first trip and try to remember that plans tend to go out the window 24 hrs after landing in LOS! Just smi