Lancashirelad

around 2500 bht a day inc. hotel or rented air con room. Out drinking most nights after 10pm. Some lady drinks. Good nosh about every 3 days, good filling 70 bht meals on the others. Couple of LT girls a week.

Raven, The Chairman's advice about going for a month initially AND the places he mentions to see, is excellent. You should give it due thought. I'm now almost 47 & have always been unhappy "at home" & wish to hell I had moved away (even if only within the UK) when I was your age. How different my life would have been. You can travel from one end of Thailand to the other very cheaply by using regular, non air conditioned, stopping buses. Trains are inexpensive also. Why have you chosen Thailand? What are the things that attract you to that particular country? You will find the people very friendly, smiley, & polite (mostly). You can eat very cheaply if like lots of rice & noodles. Do you like beer & girls? Then you will need more money. Manual workers in Thailand such as waitresses & construction site labourers earn around 3-4000 bht a month. If you could find a caucasion student happy to share a room, you could save money that way. No university in Pattaya, but in Chiang Mai & more likely for foreign students, Bangkok. Living expenses in Chiang Mai will be lower then BKK or Pattaya. There is a fairly large expat comunity there. Have fun, I wish you luck. DO NOT TOUCH DRUGS! Jonathan

That's exactly what I do Alan. Also find it usually works quite nicely, if you have a girl in tow, give her 15 bht, let her pay & I just walk away. If they haven't seen you give it her, maybe they think the girl is paying....which, in my experience, most decent girls will happily do anyway if you have no change. Yeah i know 5 bht is no big deal, its not the value, its the principle If I'm alone & have to pay with a 20 note, i just keep my arm in the cab so they can't drive away (hopefully!) with my hand held out, they usually get the message pronto. There should always be a sticker (red & white I think) in the back of every bus, explaining the zones, but its difficult to work it out. I've always thought if i got into a serious arguement i'd just whip my camera out, photograph the sticker & the bus, then pay them what they were asking. Would frighten them to death! From anything north of Pattaya Klang or South of Jomtien arch, I just hand over 20, I don't consider it an unreasonable amount for the lenght of the journey and it saves any hassle......i'm there to enjoy life & I'm looking for an easy life, not problems. As for not asking them anything.....never more so than when going to the Air con bus station with luggage. Asking will result in 100 bht private hire. Just jump in any moving bus (you know what i mean), change over at Dolphin round-a-bout if necessary. .....and finally! Whilst we're on the subject of baht buses, anybody know about a free one that runs to Tesco Lotus on the road from Dolphin R-a-B to the Air con bus station?

wrassell, i also was wrong. You are correct, it is indeed 30 days including the day of arrival. Your example shows why it can, on 1st glance, look like they've only granted 28 days. I've checked all my stamps, & apart from one at a small cambodian border at 29 days, they are all 30 days.

Good info wrassell, except: A few guys have been caught out on overstay with this, its only 28 days & its not a visa, but a visa waiver stamp.

Hmmmm....these kinda gadgets you mean? http://www.languageteacher.com/50.html they ain't cheap!

that's a good point Bangkapiboy, i find it very annoying when you have a TG with you & they expect 20 bht. i.e. double fare for the Thai aswell just cos the farang is paying.

I bought a pair of react-to-light, memory metal frame, single vision from a small optician on Pattaya Klang (Central Rd). About 5,500 bht I think (£75) inc. eye test. Now i thought it was maybe just me getting used to the new specs, but 2 spec/lense wearing uk female friends have tried them & without me saying anything, both noticed immediately: they're bloody cross eyed Been into my own opticians & they checked the lense prescription saying it was as near as dam it spot on, their machine doesn't pic up the the x bit. I've worn them a fair bit & kinda got used to ignoring the problem by looking straight thru' them (If you follow what i mean) but have now stopped wearing them as wondering what they might be doing to my eyes. So, 5 "long times" wasted there :frustrated Can't remember the name of the shop & can't find the receipt. A single word name i think. Up 2nd rd past Caeser's Palace hotel opposite soi 8 to traffic lights, turn right towards Carrefour & its about 1st opticians on the left just after a couple of Indian owned hardware shops. Well before the start of Soi Bukhauw on the right.

I also have a NW Flex account, but purposely didn't mention it here because i truly believe that if too many peeps jump on the band wagon, it will only be a matter of time before they too start charging.

I don't change any before going. On arrival at the airport i use my Switch/Maestro bank card at the ATM. There are several at the aiport, but if exceptionally they were all out of order, i'd just get the taxi driver to stop at one. Though usually i use the train & only need 10bht. Then i just draw from ATM's as i need it. This means i'm never carrying risky amounts of cash, just draw as i require it, usually 10,000, any time, day or night. If a TG is with you, most are very polite & will stop a few paces short as you approach the ATM. This gives a good & variable exchange rate. i.e. if it improves whilst i'm there, i benefit. It does however cost about GBP 2.00 per transaction, but i consider it worth it for the convenience. Jonathan.

Reproduced from the Pattaya Expat club's news letter. 1. Film extras needed My name is Glenn "Jeep" Holthaus and I've been living here in Thailand for more than 33 years. In addition to my charity work and a myriad of other endeavors, I have been involved in 16 of the major Hollywood motion pictures shot in Thailand, and have been asked to be the casting director for a shoot to be done in Sattahip at the Naval Base on October 18 and 19, on board an aircraft carrier. I am looking for farang males white and black, age 17-36 years old (or look like they are that young!) This is a major Hollywood motion picture. The accepted applicants will receive 1500 baht per day (1350 after tax which is quite good for Thailand extras), transportation to and from Bangkok and Pattaya to Sattahip Naval Base, and food. Most candidates will only work for one day that is the 18th of October. The day will be a long one though. The buses will leave Bangkok at around 0400 and won't be back in Bangkok until around 2300. The buses in Pattaya will leave at around 0600 and will return at around 2000. I will need 60 extras for the 18th, and only about 15 for the 19th of October. Can you please put the word about this opportunity for your members to participate as extras in this major motion picture? The main star is Christian Bale (the new Batman) with Steve Zahn also starring. The director is Werner Herzog. The name of the movie will be "Rescue Dawn". It is a true story of a pilot shot down over Laos, captured, and makes a miraculous escape through Laos to be rescued on the Thai border. As you probably know, it is not easy to find young males to use in movies shot in Thailand. Old guys like me are a dime a dozen though! So if any members are in the age group or know someone who is and will be in Pattaya on those days, please have them contact me. The only day I will be available for auditions in Pattaya is the afternoons of Saturday 8th, and Sunday the 9th of October, between the hours of 1200-1800 at "The Bowling Green" on Soi FuengFa (which most of us know as Soi Xzite Disco) between 3rd road and Soi Buakaow. I can be contacted at glenp@loxinfo.co.th or mobile phone: 01 259 0106. Thanks for the help. Glenn "Jeep" Holthaus in Pattaya Casting Director, "Rescue Dawn" If you're in that age group & you do this, be sure to post here & let us all know about your day!

Reminds me of a true story told to me by a good friend who has lived in Pattaya over 15 years. Farang man comes to Pattaya, meets bar girl, keeps her with him, falls in love. (OK, read infatuation if u want). One morning at hotel lady is leaving to go back to her room for change of clothes etc. Asks man for 100bht for taxi. (Don't they always, when a baht bus is 5bht!) 100bht? 100bht? for a taxi he says. Gets dressed, drags her off to motorbike shop & buys her a NEW motorbike. I forget the actual cost, but it may have been 42,000bht? Few days later, farang gets on aeroplane & goes home. Within the week, said lady happens to see my friend. They know each other quite well, though rarely see one another. She tells my friend Micky the story. Micky says "Oh so you have new motorbike now?" She say, "No, same same motorbike before." Micky looks puzzled. "I have motorbike already, so I take new motorbike back to shop, get 38,000bht".

why not look for the sign to the train station in the arrivals hall? Go up the stairs or lift, onto the guarded road bridge, down the steps to the road & flag a joe baxi? No queues or airport loading fees here 2000 bht?? For that, i'd dig deep & spend a whole 10 bht on a train to into BKK, hotel for the nite (nice, newish 600 bht) have a good mooch round Soi Cowboy + a few beers + lady drinks, fish & chips, then get the bus to Pattaya the following day & still have change left.

anybody tried WEXAS?

Having just read most of this thread, all i can say is: YAWN YAWN YAWN ....... and neither of them know their there's from their their's! Think you two guys need to meet up in LOS, have a few beers & settle your differences amicable......just make sure you have a very large/heavy/handy gent sat between you .....'cos most of us are fed up of this string of drivel & continued personal insults on here. You should both remember, that as great a utility as the internet is, in written communication, there is no intonation in the communication (smileys were invented to help here) & therefor comments sometimes intended somewhat tongue-in-cheek can easlily be misconstrued. (That is not stating that I personally consider any or all of the comments were or are intended or not in that manner).

Indeed they do Duke, went with them out May 4. Rtn May 18 £308 inc. Realise this is of no help to the thread starter as it doesnt include the dates, but Flightcentres are advertising £289 ex. LHR till 5th July. Book by 30th June. 0870 499 0040 ref. BL 130

Sounds very similar to the current Living Dolls 1 outfit, though i doubt it has much relevence now after so much time has lapsed.

sadly the Qantas LHR - BKK £308 deal ends tonite :crying You could TRY to book it Tues. 19th. but it states "must be booked BY April 19". Other deals i saw at www.airline-network.co.uk were: Etihad ex LGW £349 Thai ex LHR £374 Etihad business £1329 I'm outbound on the Qantas flight May 4, inbound May 18. Anybody else on those? Regards, Jonathan

80% of Farang owned bar beers fail within 12 months

Guys, thank you for your various inputs above. I got this: out Jan 26 ex LHR - BKK 21.35 hrs - 15.55 hrs direct. Thai Air Economy GBP 299 + taxes = 379 Return March 20 http://www.airline-network.co.uk/ Virgin (tilting!!!) Express Preston - London Euston just over 2.5 hrs. GBP 26 3 day advance one way. Tube to Heathrow GBP 3.80 Did not think cabin service as good/attentive as Qatar.

I will be going 31st or 1st, but most likely by air con bus at about 80 baht.

Seen you guys raving about Eva Air Ever Green Deluxe so thought I'd go check it out: LHR - BKK - LHR out: 3rd Feb. Rtn: 17th March £3078 !!!!! gulp :crying when there's cattle class fares available out of Manchester at under £400!

pardon my ignorance, but is this the same as Song Kran? which was in April last year? When everybody & everything gets wet? If not, what are the dates for Song Kran this year?...both BKK & Pattaya? They are generally different.

Hire a car or 4x4 & drive upto Chang Mai for a few days. Later Feb/early March 05. I'm 46, non smoker, enjoy a beer in an evening. Just throwing this out as an idea at the mo. nothing definate. Anybody interested? I don't mind doing the driving. P.S. Why do the smilies never seem to work in these forums?

Maids seem to be totally honest.......its more than there job's worth as not only would they be instantly dismissed, but would be unemployable elsewhere. Re locking suitcases for international travel...if your check in luggage is chosen for random customs inspection whilst not in your posession...your locks WILL be broken...forcefully if necessary...with no compensation for damage being claimable. You will find your case sealed with a plastic tag & a note inside stating what has happened. If you don't want your locks breaking...don't lock it! Especially likely to happen in the Western hemisphere. Re safe boxes behind reception.....within the last few months, one hotel, (sorry, cannot remember name) had them all meticulously emptied while the night security officer slept. I don't expect this was a 2000 bht/night gaff though!