Bazle

If I am remembering correctly what I read on one of the boards (I think this one) a while back, Dr Aree's predecessor left PIH to have a baby. She is now back working, but not at PIH. She works partly in BKK and partly from a clinic located between the Tiffany show and the Dolphin Roundabout on Second Road (240/21-22 M. 5 Pattaya 2nd Road). http://www.dentaldepattaya.com/dentalteam.htm Allegedly, her prices have fallen as a result of not being at PIH. Her name is Dr Darika Taw-Anont, tel. 038 415 512. I saw her a couple of times a few months back. She is very likeable and speaks good English. Her work seemed good, but it was only a filling I had.

I have been told that some TGs won't go there with someone they hope to have around a while as they have a superstitious belief that doing so results in the break-up of the relationship.

Jerry Carlson was brilliant! Do please let us know when he is going to be back - there seemed to be some confusion last night. Hopefully the cameraman won't be around next time!

I'll have to take your word for the recommendation - I've just looked at the website and seen the prices. Whoa!!

A mate of mine is staying at an upmarket place in Jomtien. The room info says there is a hairdryer in the room but there isn't. He enquired why. It seems that one result of the deluge of Russians is that a whole lot of things now go missing from the rooms, so now you have to ask for a hairdryer and pay a deposit if you want one. Maybe Areca have been having similar problems and are being ultra cautious.

It might work; it might not. Just be clear that a few weeks/months together is most certainly not the same as 5 days. Also, have some thought for the girl. Make sure she knows what the score is: don't raise her expectations and then let her crash. Really, by offering her the trip, you will have already raised expectations, so they will need to be lowered.

I think it is great that Pete takes the time to post a detailed reply. However, it is not entirely convincing for me. The aspect that is missing is staff training. It is not just at peak times that service is less than satisfactory. Often I get annoyed because I can't get served yet see several staff sat behind the bar doing nothing, and they see me! Why can't they lift their butts and lend a hand to the staff outside the bar? And why is it that on occasions being sat in one area results in almost being ignored? Are the staff allocated tables to look after? If they are and someone is on leave, is there a proper re-allocation of the tables? And why is food left to get cold whilst waiting to be picked up from the kitchen? Is there no way that the relevant pick up waiter/waitress could be notified? And could the food not be kept warm UNTIL it is picked up? Indeed, I think it is left at a spot which is particularly breezy, so just putting up a shelter from the breeze would help. Maybe the head count is down also because people like me (who used to eat at least one meal a day there) have chosen to eat elsewhere most of the time.

There seemed to be an awful lot of Cobra Golders in WS last evening. Airport (or is that Airplane?) was overwhelmed by them. There was even more testosterone than smoke in the atmosphere there.

I totally agree with the OP and was intending to post something similar myself. I don't agree with Samsonite. I have never noticed it anywhere near as much as now.

I had always been a great fan and advocate of PBG until my Nov/Dec trip, and nothing has changed since then. There is a really big problem with service. * Sometimes I am not even given a menu and have to request one. * Meals turn up at considerably different times from the same order. * Cooked meals hang around waiting to be taken to the relevant tables and are very often almost cold when delivered. Pete has been aware of service issues for a long while and said he was getting them fixed. Far from that, they have got worse. It gives the feeling that he has lost interest in the place. I wonder if he is selling up. It would be easy for him to get complacent as there always seem to be plenty of customers in the evening, but it won't go on forever with too many negative reports.

The heavens opened for about an hour when I was in Big C (2nd Rd) this afternoon. The bus ride back along Beach Road was interesting! The road was under about 5 inches of water from around Soi 4 to the Montien Hotel (a bit before Central Rd).

Nor me. I sat through almost all of the set (I left part way through what I think was their last song) and was disappointed. The vocals were the really weak spot. I don't think we were alone. The audience as a whole seemed distinctly unimpressed.

I also agree about Patricks's. But I imagine that the really best (and expensive) steaks are to be had in the top notch restaurants like Bruno's. Incidentally, on the recommendation of a BM here, TGF and I went to Roger's - an Italian/Thai place near Pattaya Memorial Hospital two nights ago. TGF had a peppered steak and I had gammon. Neither was up to par, although the place was nice and the family owning it very hospitable.

Thanks, guys. Really helpful.

I thought I had read on here a month or two ago that a Thai was able to travel to other ASEAN countries without a passport - just an ID card. So I had it in mind to take a girl to Singapore for a long weekend as a birthday present. Before doing on-line bookings for flights and hotel, I thought I ought to double check the situation. This afternoon, 3 travel agents in Patts told me the same thing - a Thai MUST have a passport to travel to these countries: an ID card alone is not sufficient. Can anyone be 100% certain of the correct answer to this, please?

My very LT bar fine has seen most hotels so I asked her about Fraser when we walked by there last evening. She had been there once and was not impressed as the room had no window!

For me, this makes blind patriotism indefensible.

Which makes me ask again the question I posed earlier: is patriotism a good thing? My country, right or wrong - is that really sensible?

They've made "Slum Dog Millionaire" but I bet "Lovedog Millionaire" would be more entertaining

Indeed, is patriotism a good thing? My country, right or wrong - is that really sensible?

Is $30K before or after US taxes?

No, that is not so. The Egg Benedict was £25 plus service but INCLUDING VAT. The VAT element is split out only in the final receipt, not on the menu.

That is the final receipt that you get - essential for businesses which are VAT registered. However, the menu would have told you that Egg Benedict was £25 and the Continental Breakfast £19.50. People want to know how much a seller is wanting to sell something for, not how he has arrived at that amount.

My point is that people want to know the total cost, not the breakdown. That is why the price has to be displayed inclusive of VAT. Some places do add on a service charge. I wish this were added to the price just as VAT is. However, often the amount is a "recommended" amount and is still discretionary.

It is the law in the UK that prices are displayed inclusive of VAT.