cowboy

trvling, I am trying to get a room at sandy springs on short notice. They are all booked except for suite (2500 baht) and they said to call them asap or that might be gone as well. I may just stay in BKK.

Thailand places some pretty high tariifs on certain items becuase they are trying toi encourage a local industry. Electronics is one of the bad items to shop for in Thailand. Cameras, DVD players, computers I have never seen anywhere in thailand where the prices were lower. At MBK in bangkok I found some cameras that matched the prices in the USA, but the only place where I found lower prices on computer gear was trhe IT center in BKK and that was only software. Hardware was still higher priced than I can get it at Frys here in the USA. My suggestion if that since almost ever laptop runs on DC current and has a converteor for Ac to dc they usually all work in LOS. I am on a IBM thinkpad X31. So I looked at the convertor. LOL it says Made in Thailand written in english, chinese, french, and german. The laptop itself was made in China which is why it was almost $500 dollars higher in BKK than the price i bought it for in the USA.

Camus, If you try the walk in style of booking be sure to post your experience on this Board. I have found that the hotels I would be interested in staying at usually are full even thought the bars may be very slow. I think the walk in approach depends on the type of hotel you are looking for. If you are after a specific hotel or a hotel that charges say 1300 baht or higher then I think booking in advance gives you the best chance of getting the best rate. Most high end hotels offer the lowest rates until they are 80% or 85 % after that they raise the rates. By high end I mean place like the marriot or hard rock hotel etc. So booking in advance is the best way to go for them.

Martin you should have recieved a 2000 baht donation from my wife. 1000 from handle and 1000 from us.

So has anyone used VOIP in pattaya???

Maybe I am wrong on this but it was my understanding that the diamonds you typically buy in LOS are not from local sources. Australia, India, are sources and there is not particular reason why diamonds would be cheaper in LOS. This leads into my undertsanding of buying gems there. Unlike some place in the west LOS is strickly CAVEAT EMPTOR. Small differences in diamonds can result in Big differences inthe prices. I shopped for diamonds in pattaya but could not find anything even close to the prices of my sources in the US. Pattaya was much higher in price and that is assuming the quality of the stones was as they described them. I am sure that if you are a dealor and know what you are doing you will be fine and if you are shopping for rubies, or any of the pecious stones found in asia can get a great deal. We must have at least 1 gem dealor on this board that could post some tips and warnings.

Well, The tarheels are going to get an idea of what it is like to play in the Big Ten. they handled Wisconsin but they really had to work to do it. I thought the cheeshead just might pull it out. Now they have to face Michigan State. What a game that was with the wildcats!! I am not a spartan or wildcat fans but it was a thriller. Not to trash talk too much but I think the Illini draw against Louisville is a the best path for the Illini to the final. the tarheel and Spartans should be another great game. but I think the Spartans match up very well against tabbacco road. I think it looks god for an all Big Ten final. Go ILLINI.

Damn, the wildcats really gave me a scare. I knew arizona would be a real test for the Illini becuase of the big guys and the wildcats speed. But the Illini came through. What a game though. Both sides really put it up. and BTW Rhino the illini rolled on severeal teams. 25 of their wins were by more than 10 points. 11 of those were by 20 or more points. I don't think that wisconsin can slow down the tarheels enough to get by them. Just too much talent from tabacco road. The spartans are another story Kentucky has real talent but the spartans have heart. Should be a great battle.

snicker snicker, I heard commentators talkin trash about big ten and other conferences and talkin how the ACC was obviously the best confernce becuase they had so many teams left after the first round. Well the elite 8 now has 3 big ten teams. Who got there rollin on the ACC. And the final four could wind up with 3 big ten teams. But I think the tarheels will beat the cheeseheads. So make it 2 of the final 4. Go Illini!!!

Very sad news. When my wife called to tell me I was heartbroken. Om taught me many words in thai and was always a smiling face. She was one of the staff that really imporessed me and I know that the next time I walk into FLB I will feel the difference. If any americans want to make a donation, PM me and I will send you my paypal information. My wife will deliver the money to FLB and I will post a listing of donations so everyone knows the money got there. I will miss her. cowboy

My fighting Illini took care of the trolls, now on to Arizona. It should be a good fight, but the Illini will face the tarheels in the finals and that will be the show.

I have a friend that will be taking 6 months instruction in thai at a university in bangkok. supposed to be very good.

The internet shop at Big C has always let me plug in my laptop. the internet explorer shop that is right by wlaking street has connections for laptops as well. The internet shop at tops market let me plug in last year. Dynasty would not let me use my laptop and several internet shops would not let me plug in. Seem to be a hit or miss thing. Wireless seems to be coming to more places in pattaya but it was at the starbucks on beach road my last trip.

knockknock, you maybe in luck. My wife's cousin works that bar I believe. The 3 hours drive is to Korat (same hometown). I'll ask her to ask her cousin about suki. It may be a dry well but I'll give it a go. PM me if you have more info that could help. cheer

I went drinking on the bar cruz with some ozzies one night. Those guys got so sot it was amazing that they could even crawl. But funny as hell. All the americans I have met in LOS I met though bar girls. So I guess the American hang out at the BG pussy. They always seem to want to match you up with other punters from the same country.

The new Majestic Grande with 251 rooms is now open. http://www.majesticgrande.com/default.asp

As an Illini Alum I would have to say the orange and the blue all the way.

Baitranger, I will stick to the idea that women are more devious than men. How many woman are paying child support for a child they are not the mother of??? Woman are more cold hearted. they just don't show it.

My experince is that singapore premium economy is the best economy I have ever flown. Same goes for singapore business class. I have never flown EVA delux but from what my friend have told me I surmise that the seats would be bigger on EVA. If you are a big guy that might be a consideration.

Hey the nana is okay they keep upgrading rooms and floors so is getting better. Majectic is nice and about 1300 baht. BTW the new majestic is suppose to be open by now. But it is LOS ...so does anyone know if it is open. If not I'll email the owners their good guys. AND they are great tailors. You will never get the JW for 550 baht on priceline. To get an idea for prices on priceline go to www.biddingfortravel.com or http://p070.ezboard.com/fpricelineandexpediabiddingfrm262 The problem with priceline is that 2 or the 3 hotel that are 5 star for sukumvit are down at the asoke station. Sheraton and westin. In 11 times bidding on priceline I have gotten the westin or sheraton 5 time the JW none and stop bidding 6 time becuase the price was to high. Lowest I have paid was 55 plus tax the rest of the time it was around 75 plus tax. The westin and especially the sherato are very nice properties. But they are a 5 to 10 minute walk to nana. the Nana Hotel is across the street from NEP. The majectic is around the corner from NEP on sukumvit . The Dynasty is down the block from NEP on soi nana. The woraburi ois farther on down soi nana. the nana tai mansion is at the end of soi nana. Travlling you don't say if you are driving. Nana Tai Mansion is cheap and the rooms okay but the reason I like it is there is plenty of parking off street. When you park at Nana Hotel you have like 100,000 drunks and katoeys walking past your car all night and sometimes they don't have parking spaces available. The rest of the hotels other than westin and sheraton have either limited or no parking.

AMR Son, son so much to learn. It is not the culture of LOS to be decepetive it is the culture of women. Same thing could have happened to you anywhere in the world. Despite all the warm motherly crap the female establishment puts out women can be very deceptive mean beasts. 14% of all children in the USA have the wrong father listed on the birth certificate. almost 18% of the men paying child support are not the biological father of the child they are paying for and most don't know it. Almost 80% of all child abuse in the USA is committed by women. And they commit spousal abuse at the same rate as men it just is not as well recorded. Plenty of women are wack jobs no matter where you go. Don't blame thailand. And if you are still smarting from this experience stay away from women and get your self a 150 pound Pit bull. They are more likely to be faithful, not nearly as mean when mad, and their bite doesn't hurt as much.

geedeeo, check the sandy springs. i think you will like it.

AM your post brings out something that many guys decieve themselves with. The "Good Girl". In thailand the barscene is so common that some girls drift into the scene and then out. I hear guys talking about how they met a good girl never worked bar yada yada yada. The truth is if a thai girl feel comfortable around you and is interested in farangs there is a high probablity that she has worked bar, go go, art club or some other BG scene. Unless she comes from an upperclass family ( if so why is she with you???) Many girls have been on the game at some point to bring in the cash. If she is not doing it right now then she will never NEVER admit it. Any of her family and friends (if they knew) will not tell either. It is a face thing. They are not lieing to decieve you they are just hiding the dirty laundry. I have always assumed that if a girl wanted to be with farangs she was probably on the game at some point in time and I don't care. If it something that would bother you you need to stay away from about 50% of the female population. (They all fuck around) If she says 10-20 guys she means 50 -100. My guess she probably hangs at gullivers or some other place where she can meet foreigners. It was an illusion and the thai girls are very good at it. Come on back and enjoy the ride with a different girl. Just don't buy the farm so fast.

probably was talking to a BG.

One of my brothers is a 777 pilot for united. He used to be 747 and still has seniority to go back to a 747. He says United has told the pilots that 747 are slated for closeout and that united will be buying the 380 for asian routes where the freight and passanger loads require greater capacity than a 777. Seems risky given the airline financial situation of United but It looks like united will be flying the 380 from us to BKK. If the new bkk airport plans pan out there could be direct flights from US to BKK.