Samsonite

Has anyone recently stayed at the Hotel Tropicana on Second Road, just south of Soi 6/1? Many Thanks.

I fly them 4 times a year and have never see anything close to what you have said here. Someone else mentioned a charge to change your ticket. I've only seen them charge to change your departure date (start of your trip from home), but they have never charged me to change the return date. Usually I book the flight directly with China Air via their web site, http://www.china-airlines.com/en/index.htm

They will and they do. Happens more than it should in Thailand, in good and bad hotels. Once used a CC, and last time I used a CC in Thailand, to pay the bill at one of Bangkok's "better hotels." Within 5 or 6 weeks the card information was being used in France to make numerous purchases. The issuing bank called me on a major holiday to inquire about the transactions. At the present time, as has been noted in another thread, certain U.S. Banks will not allow cash withdrawals with an ATM card in Thailand and there is no indication as to when the restricition will be removed.

Has anyone used the guy at the corner of Beach Road and Central Pattaya Road that bills himself as a "Chinese Tailor"? Thanks.

Using the search engine I found: http://www.pattayatalk.com/forums/index.ph...topic=14282&hl= Apparently very popular as they have been booked when I've tried to make a reservation.

Whitehouse Condotel is on the same side of Soi 13 as The Sandy Spring, 2 or 3 buildings to the east toward 2nd Road. The relatively new Dynasty Inn is next to the Whitehouse Condotel...I think toward 2nd Road...maybe not...

On the last trip with China Air, outbound it was a recently refurbished 747-400. Very nice. Very similar to the 777 interior with all the new electronics. On the return it was one of the older, yet to be refurbished 747-400s. If they haven't all been refurbished by now, they will be soon. During '04 and '05 they also took delivery of 4 or 5 brand new 747-400s.

Using the search function I found: http://www.pattayatalk.com/forums/index.ph...70&hl=ma+maison

The last time I booked the Bella Villa Prima they did not ask for a credit card. However, upon arrival they demanded I pay for my entire stay in advance. I refused and countered by giving them a cash deposit equivalent to a few days tenancy. They never said another word about it.

The first page, what some call the "welcome page" has been changed and I agree it is better looking than the old "welcome page." There is an International Standard for writing HTML so it displays properly. Mickeysoft, being the 800 pound gorilla, pretty much does what it wants and disregards those standards. Opera, and I believe, Mozilla, are wrtten to the International Standards. Most of the China Air web site, other than the "welcome screen" doesn't appear to have been changed. However, there is one other new feature. Now when you buy a ticket the last procedure is to type into a box a series of numbers that are displayed to the left of that box. This is a security device I've seen before on other web sites and it has never been a problem with Opera, my browser of choice. When I went recently went to the China Air site to purchase a ticket, as I have many times before, I got to the bottom of the last page and found such a box and instructions to type into the box the numbers displayed to the left of the box. There were no numbers anywhere, let alone to the left. So, I canceled the entire procedure, opened mickeysoft internet exploiter and started over. Sure enough, there at the bottom, to the left of the box, were the numbers. So, what this means is China Air has re-written their web site to be compliant with internet exploiter and is thumbing their nose at everyone else. If I didn't have so many miles accumulated with China Air I would find another airline.... oh, well......

Was going to book a Studio Room at the Nova Park, but when they asked for a credit card to hold the reservation, I passed. Too bad. I like what I've seen and heard.

The standard room does have a small kitchen area just inside the door and across from the bathroom. Sink, cabinets, and some small related items. There was no cook top and I don't remember if there was a microwave or not. You might e-mail them and ask.

Has the Golden Crab finished their new wing?

From where to where?

You might want to read this: "There are several characteristics of the cabin air system that deserve special emphasis: Air circulation is continuous. Air is always flowing into and out of the cabin. The cabin has a high air-change rate. All of the air in the cabin is replaced by the incoming mixture of outside air and filtered air during intervals of only two to three minutes, depending on airplane size. That's 20 to 30 air changes per hour. Outside-air mixing replenishes the cabin air constantly. The outside-air content keeps carbon dioxide and other contaminants well within standard limits and replaces oxygen far faster than the rate at which it is consumed. Replenishment also assures that the recirculated portion of the air does not endlessly recirculate but is rapidly diluted and replaced with outside air." The whole story can be found here: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/cabinair/index.html

The Sunshine Vista Apartments just quoted me, via e-mail, a rate 350 Baht a night higher than the current rates posted on their web site for the same period. Their web site shows a rate of 1,700 Baht a night for the room and time period in question, but by e-mail they quoted me 2,050 Baht. I'll pass. Interpret this however you like.

At the moment a tourist class ticket on China Air, SFO to BKK, is $518.00, plus taxes, etc., etc.

Thailand has 3 seasons, Hot, Hotter, and HELP! April, May, and June are the HELP! seaon. Drink plenty of bottled water and some electrolyte (oral rehydration salts powder) mixed with bottled water is a good idea.

Did you try using the search function?

At the Bella Villa Prima? They are very girlfriend friendly, but I doubt they will let her eat breakfast for free. They add, I think, 100 Baht a day for one breakfast. If your friend was willing to pay for her breakfast, I'm sure there wouldn't have been a problem.

Very nice looking Suite. Where is the entrance to the hotel? Through the restaurant? Has anyone stayed here? Thanks.

Flown both EVA and China Air (both Taiwan based) out of SFO several times and both arrive in BKK, after making the connection in Taipei, around Noon. All things considered, I prefer China Air.

It will probably be close to the end of the year before it is in regular commercial use.

Any day now. It finished its certification program at the end of November and went into what Boeing calls "refurb" to prepare it for delivery to the customer. So far Boeing has 20 firm orders for the 777-200LR and 16 for the new Freighter which is based on the -200LR. Air Canada has placed an order for 36 of the 777 and part of the order will be for -200LRs. Apparently Qantas is still looking at it and the new 747-8. http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=3780 I fly non-stop to Taipei now, via B747-400s, and I can't say I find Taipei exciting, but the flight is smooth and comfortable. Here you go. Typical Airbus: "Airbus to offer cash back on A340 as 777 stretches lead" http://www.flightinternational.com/Article...tches+lead.html and "he ain't heavy, he's my ............" or "Is Bloated Airbus Too Fat to Fly? The Mammoth Airbus A380 May Be Too Heavy to Fly as Far as First Specified" http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=15...ad=true&ad=true

What our friend Tom, aka, Mr. Airbus, has failed to mention, if you haven't figured it out, is the only plane flying non-stop to BKK from the East Coast of the U.S., or the West Coast for that matter, is a Thai Air A340-500. However, should a B777 be added to the schedule on the same route, it would probably end up a draw or a slight advantage to the B777. The airlines usually schedule the flights with such a large "fudge factor" that either aircraft would get there on time. If it were a direct race, the B777 would beat the A340, IHMO.