Zidane

Great photos.....I've stayed on Sukhumvit 11 on quite a few occassions and always enjoyed it. A bit surprised at the Bed Supper Club closing.It was one of Bangkoks trendiest venues.I wonder if it has re-opened at another location ? Q Bar is another good place on the soi.

Nice to see Liverpool hauling themselves clear of the relegation area,anyway.

Jomtien Thani on Soi 5 and Nirvana Place on Soi 4 are both a couple of minutes walk to the beach. Island trips.....locally theres Koh Larn but better is Koh Samet.An hours drive from Jomtien past Rayong and catch the ferry at Ban Phe. Koh Samet has nice beaches and decent accomodation. Zidane

If ever you are in Jomtien for breakfast try Papa Davids. They have got many varieties.....English,Irish,German,American,Swiss,Norwegian,Healthy etc.and all at reasonable prices. Zidane

I've flown Etihad from Manchester a couple of times and they are fine. The connecting airport to Bangkok is Abu Dhabi which is small and compact but you can do a bit of shopping,have a bite to eat etc. The waiting time for the connecting flight here is usually no more than a couple of hours,anyway. For that price I'd say youve certainly got a good deal. Have a safe trip & enjoy your stay over here. Zidane

This time last year we were getting 72 baht to the pound. I've been here when its been as low as 42 before the SE Asia financial crash but certainly hope it wont go down as far as that as it will certainly affect a lot of peoples lifestyles over here. Zidane

Definitely transfer it from the UK in Sterling and have it converted to Baht over here. The pound is slipping against the baht,at the moment,but you would still get about 63 baht to the GBP. If you had it converted to Baht in the UK,though,you would get a ridiculous conversion rate of about 56. So thats quite a loss to take....ie.for 100 quid you would only get 5600 baht as opposed to 6300. Zidane

Gary, Yes,400 baht is the price for the old wing of the Karin Hotel. The 700 baht price is for the new wing in the building to the right of reception. Both are OK.....depends what you want to pay. Zidane

I only went to the Immigration Office to check on the requirements for the visa,other than financial,really. Things like marriage certificate,proof of income from bank,pictures of house,wedding etc. I knew about the 40,000 baht monthly rule but when he started spouting on about income of 800,000 baht in the bank or 65,000 monthly,it threw a spanner in the works ! Oh well,we'll see what happens in June...... Zidane

I'm married to a Thai girl and am currently over here on a Non-Immigrant O Visa,valid for 12 months. In a few months time I want to change this to a Marriage Visa so last week I went along to the Soi 5 Immigration Office for advice as to how to go about this. My understanding talking to expats and looking on the internet is that from Oct 2006 the financial requirement is 40,000 baht per month. I told my circumstances to the Officer and he asked...... How old are you ?............53. Will you be working?........No. Then he said the requirement is either 65,000 baht per month or 800,000

The chef from the City Lodge called Andy left last October and I believe its not so good now. Irish Clock.......850 baht,includes English breakfast. Karin Hotel.......700 baht,includes the smallest breakfast ever. Top Mansion.....350 baht but no breakfast and hard mattresses,so I'm told ! Charoen Hotel...900 baht,no breakfast. Zidane

Sorry to hear the story of this guy.It sure makes you think. But there are probably many guys living over here who havent made provision for failing health as they get older. Thinking about it,he could have continued living in the UK had a miserable life and died in a couple of years. At least in Thailand he had four good years before he passed away. And his wife may well be able to claim a one off lump sum from his pension. Its a sad story but at least he had a pension......not living off just savings. Zidane

The only way you can win with timeshare is for you to use it as often as possible. As well as the,say,two weeks you have paid for you can usually get bonus nights at a 70% reduction of the going rate.So a place costing usually 3500 baht a night you could get for a little more than 1000 baht. BUT really you would have to live in Thailand to make this work. If you live in the UK,for instance,the cost of coming over about 4 times a year would be prohibitive.Also if you only use it once a year you will never get value for money and the maintenance fee is just as high as two weeks in a hotel.

I use Nationwide Flexaccount and have never been charged for my transactions by card in Thailand. If you live over here for any length of time I think Nationwide is the obvious way to go if you use your credit card a lot. When I used to holiday here I used Travellers Cheques plus my Nat West card......Nat West charged 3%. If you live here permanently and spend,say,10k a year on your card then 3% works out at 300 quid for the Bank. Zidane

You could try the Jomtien Thani on Soi 5.This Soi has quite a few bars and restaurants on it. Tuk-tuk just 10 baht to Pattaya but dearer coming back depending on where you get it from. Best place is near the traffic lights on the soi up from the end of Beach Road....turn left instead of going down Walking Street.

In Pattaya it has to be Rosie O'Gradys on Soi 7....been a favourite for years. In Jomtien I would most certainly recommend Papa David's for breakfast......huge choice,English,Irish,American,Swiss (my favourite),German,Danish,Thai etc.

I've lived in Thailand permanently for about 15 months and visited several areas. The cost of living varies not only from your lifestyle but also where you live ie.Isaan much cheaper than,say,Phuket. But from my experiences I would say this is what you need monthly to have a good lifestyle not a crazy lifestyle.A crazy lifestyle would be go-go's,massage,heavy drinking,different women every night etc ! (possibly you might be dead within 6 months but what a way to go ! ) A good lifestyle is maybe a game of golf a week,out for lunch most days,out for a meal and a few beers four or five times a

Guys, My Thai wife has heard that if she lived in the UK for 2 years on a Settlement Visa,she is then eligible for a UK Passport. Does anyone know if this is true and,if so,would the UK Passport be dependent upon her staying in the UK permanently ? ie,if she moved back to Thailand would the UK passport be revoked ? Thanks for any info. Zidane

Alan, View Talay Condo is a good location for renting for,as you say,its on the baht bus route. But if you are thinking of paying 18000 baht per month,you are near the top of the range for the location.There is a big difference between the standard of the condos which is reflected in the price range 10000-20000 baht per month.I would have thought that you could get a really decent place for 15000 tops,so be sure to take your time before choosing one. Electric and water around 1000 baht per month extra. Also if you are staying long term be sure to get a discount on the monthly price. Livin

This visa issue is an absolute minefield.....everyone seems to have a different view of what is available and where to get it. From my own personal experience I got a multiple entry non immigrant o visa from the Thai consulate in Birmingham for 90 pounds and without a problem. Under the terms of the visa I have to exit Thailand every 90 days which I do out and back to Laos within 3 hours from my home. However,I believe that it is possible to get a Retirement visa in Thailand.There is a company called Sunbelt in Bangkok,Phuket & Chiang-Mai and their managing director,Greg Lange,is very h

My wife comes from Chaiyaphum.I've been a couple of times and would not consider living there under any circumstances although,admittedly,it is very cheap. Only one farang bar in a population of 35000.Its a Danish bar and is very good,doing excellent food but your social prospects are limited to say the least ! Theres also a hotel that does farang food and has some pretty girl singers plus a disco but thats about your lot unless you want to be part of the thai only scene. Shopping,too,is limited.There is a place about half the size of Mikes Shopping Mall but other than that its just market

Guys, Thanks for all your responses.....they are much appreciated. It will give me and the missus something to consider....hey,I know what would be her preference ! But then again......I'm just a cheap charlie Englishman !! Thanks again. Zidane

Guys, Can anyone recommend a decent hotel near the British Embassy in Wireless Road,Bangkok,please ? I will probably need to go to the Embassy for a couple of days early next month and to stay in close proximity would be helpful. Thanks. Zidane

I've tried both the Ali Baba and Indian Experience in Jomtien which were good. Also the Shere-el-Punjab on Beach Road did an excellent Madras,as I remember ! Theres the Kohinoor on 2nd road near the VC hotel which has a buffet for 198 baht and seems to be popular with the Indian population.

Bill, I've flown Nok Air economy class from Udon Thani.The trip was fine and on time. You are not offered a free sandwich or drink on the flight but can purchase a soft drink for 30 baht.You are only flying for an hour so that is no big deal. However,beware the luggage allowance.....you are only allowed a 15kg allowance and there is a charge of 50 baht per kilo over.Thus,if your luggage weighs 25 kg you will be charged an extra 500 baht which makes the trip not so cheap ! Also I read about another guy who flew first class with Nok Air (Nok Plus) paying almost double the economy fare.The