Zeus

Thai's mid week(Mon-Wed) flights out of LAX Nonstop RT are now $716 +$377 (tax) = $1093. It is still higher than others, but it is the best I have seen from Thai in awhile, and is worth eliminating a stopover. Good Arrival/departure times too! It has me thinking of going for a quick visit again - the nonstops make the travel faster. No mileage accrual on their discount flights though :-( All I need is my passport renewal to get back! Zeus

Now that you have gone through the whole process, it would be great to see your total costs and expenses associated with a condo purchase. Maybe in a spreadsheet format (you sound like you have been tracking this carefully). I think that would be of great help to those of us considering condo purchase. It could show all the litle eexpenses that might not be considered. Taxes, sinking fund, maintenance, furnishing and outfitting etc.... It might also show the time necessary for all the steps. It seems like a year is almost a minimum to complete the transaction. In any case, enjoy your place and your time in Pattaya! Zeus

I have done several "free" FF trips ($40 in tax). I think the lowest paid flight was $350 RT LAX-BKK during the SARS scare. Zeus

I wonder how he got through the main door!!!!! Zeus

www.condo6.com But I don't think they have rates less than 1 month. You may need to rent for a complete month. Zeus

Lovely girls.... So how many last till the 1:30 barfine? I would think all the lookers (like miss blue eyes) would be gone by then. I only made it to Babydolls once on my last trip, but it was a good visit. I look forward to returning on my next visit to the LOS. Zeus

Actually I just looked and the China schedule is one of the shortest I have seen (other than Thai's nonstop) LAX - BKK 19 hrs (1hr layover in Taipei) BKK - LAX 15 hrs (1hr layover in Taipei) The problem is that for the lowest price ($570) the flight gets in at 1 am. Add in immigration, getting your bag, and a 1.5 hr taxi ride, and you are in Pattaya after 3 am (not for me - I hate trying to check into hotels then). Paying $90 RT more gets you a flight that leaves the USA around midnight and gets into BKK before noon, at around the same travel time but a couple of hours longer layover. This extra fee is well worth it and has my "internal clock" working well. Plenty of time to get situated in your hotel and hit the scene on the first night! Zeus

OK so the best I found (for the dates concerned)..... 1 adult Total: USD $740.30 (the $$$ are worth the better times and aircraft - I still don't want to spend 7-9 hrs in SIN) Flight: Eva Airways flight 0001 on a Boeing 777 Jet Depart: Los Angeles, CA (LAX)- Thu, Nov 12 11:30pm Arrive: Taipei, Taiwan (TPE) - Sat, Nov 14 6:20am Flight: Eva Airways flight 0211 on a Boeing 777 Jet Depart: Taipei, Taiwan (TPE)- Sat, Nov 14 8:30am Arrive: Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) - Sat, Nov 14 11:15am Flight: Eva Airways flight 0212 on a Boeing 777 Jet Depart: Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)- Sun, Nov 29 12:35pm Arrive: Taipei, Taiwan (TPE) - Sun, Nov 29 5:00pm Flight: Eva Airways flight 0012 on a Boeing 777 Jet Depart: Taipei, Taiwan (TPE)- Sun, Nov 29 6:20pm Arrive: Los Angeles, CA (LAX) - Sun, Nov 29 1:40pm Only 2 weeks, but not too bad a deal......... Zeus

Great rate...... and still avalable (I was checking LAX-BKK) The bigest downside - 2 stops (NRT & SIN) and long layovers in Singapore (7hrs going and 9 hrs returning). So The question I would ask...Is flying on a great airline worth these two problems, or is it better to pay a couple of hunderd more for a more direct route. I know ....that money can buy alot of ST and LT. But sitting in airports sucks! Edit: I just found China Air had a 1 stop with reasonable layovers for $703 All-in. The only bad part is it gets in to BKK a 1am. But I'd rather be in the LOS than sitting in the Singapore airport. Zeus

I have been coming to the LOS since 2000, have tickets for May, and for the first time am considering postponing it till the fall. Not really because of the economy, but because work has become a bit dynamic (less secure) and I don't want to have a rep as an employee that always runs off to Thailand.(even as much as I enjoy it) I was there in November and thanks to the yellow shirts, I got an extra week of vacation. Most likely I will postpone my May trip to November. Zeus

I hope it works for Thai. I am an LA resident who loves the non-stop option. When I stop burning my NW FF miles, and return to paying for flights - this is my flight of choice (assuming the fare is reasonable). Zeus

I was there in November, and ate at the PBG many times. Service times ranged from 15 min to slightly over 30 min. -All the food was good. I had breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Thai and Western. -Only once was it cold(or not hot), and that was fries with a burger. I think it must have been held waiting for my TGs meal so they could be served at the same time. When I got it the fries were not warm. Suggestion - add the fries only immediately before you take the food to the table. Don't let them sit and get cold. - Comment on the Burger - The bun could be lighter ( it is a bit chewy for the burger you serve). A more airy, and slightly smaller bun would be better - IMHO. In one instance we were actually told that the wait time was 45 min. While OK for a busy time, it was not desired. I had heard of the service time problems and thought that I was about to be a victim. A pleasant surprise - we got our food in a bit over 20 min. I am glad I did not let the "announced" wait time scare me off. I am back in the USA now but will definitely return to the PBG when I am in town next. Zeus

I have used both Mr. Toom and Mr. T. Mr. T. is less expensive and the cars I have ridden in are nicer. However, I had a situation where I missed my flight (voluntarily) then mailed him of my change - all OK. On another time I was offered a faster flight at my tokyo stopover, meaning I would arrive 4 hours early to BKK. With only 7 hours to go I emailed Mr. Toom of the fact that my trip was suddenly accelerated. I crossed my fingers and hoped he would get it. Sure enough he was there at the airport. Mr. Toom gets an excellent rating from me for being flexible and responsive to email. Zeus

I was inthe PBG yesterday for dinner. The staff are geting very aware of keeping the customers notified of when the food will be in. I think I was told 3 times that my food would be ready in 5 min, only 10 min after placing the order. Much better than no one saying anything. In reality it came about 20 min after I ordered it, and that wasn't too bad. Particularly with the nice view, ocean breeze and music to sit and relax the time away. Or as Pete says "just chillin". I'll be back. Zeus

I am in town for several weeks and have already been to the PBG twice for an afternoon meal. The weather and setting this time of year make it an excellent place to hang out. Great music too. The first trip the food did take a while to get there(30 min). I don't think it was because they were busy, but maybe because it was from the western menu (burger). The second trip the food came much faster, but we ordered Thai. As for quality, the fries were crisp& hot (great to see), the burger was just a burger(nothing special), and the pad thai tasted great, but the noodles were undercooked(chewy). It wasn't worth complaining about, and I did finish it all. It was funny how the Thai food was the one that had issues with it and the western one was fine. I guess on any given day - anything can happen. In any case, I will be back to try some of their other offerings. Zeus

My flight arrives 00:30 (NW 21). I have already made a reservation with Mr. T. for a direct taxi to Pattaya, but will split if there are BM that are planning to be arriving at the same time (or maybe even the same flight). Zeus

The Hotel is great value for the money. Excellent location, clean rooms, food is good in the bar, great staff and as close to walking street as I would want to stay. Every thing else is a baht bus ride away. Negatives: no pool(this is big for some), narrow stairs/no lift, high BF in the bar. Zeus

Well, your main problem is that you want to go over x-mas. Most carriers block out their lowest FF fares one week before x-mas to one week after New Years. The result is that you have to use double miles to get the flight you want(as you noticed). If you can afford to have your flights outside of this window, you might have better luck. Other suggestions: - Wait a bit. Airlines usually open up more flights 3 weeks prior to the departure date if there is space. Before that they save them for revenue customers who will pay for a seat. This method usually only gets you the minimum on the departure. The return is tougher for a long trip. - Call a reservations agent for the airline that you have miles with. They often have access to fares that are not shown on the internet. Particularly for partner airlines that the internet does not display. I'll be travelling business class on NW LAX-BKK RT for 120K FF miles (11/7 -12/1), but I booked it long ago. Keep the beer cold and the women hot! Zeus

I for one have learned that leaving early just brings peace of mind. I live 10 mi.(15 min) from LAX, and often leave to give a minimum of time waiting in the airport. However, even for a short trip there is nothing worse than sitting in rush hour traffic - and your car/bus/taxi is not moving. Usually when this happens it is only temporary, but adding an extra hour to the departure time does eliminate a lot of anxiety. Now I allow 1 hr at the gate, 1 hr for checkin/luggage/security lines, and 30 min transit to the airport. Add an extra hour for an international flight, and I am leaving my home 3.5 hours prior to wheels up. No worrys. I am happy to sit at the gate for a bit longer knowing that the logistics of getting there have been completed. Zeus

This is one of my favorite places to stay. Great location, big pool, and yes girl friendly. It is funny how I have seen people say that there were "joiner fees" there. I have stayed 12 times over 8 years, with no problems. But the posters wouldn't have mentioned them if they did not have a basis for it. If I were staying there and they tried to pull that(charge extra for a girl in the room) on me I would argue that I had stayed many times before and not had any joiner fee. If they did not drop it, I would be out of there the next day. Let your feet and wallet do the talking. Luckily I have never had to do this, as the Welcome Plaza has accepted every girl I brought back at no charge. They do check/take the ID of the TG( which is a good thing). I have never tried to take more than one TG per night, however. I have never seen any roaches, but the rooms are older and the bathrooms are worn. Granted I have not stayed there in the past 1.5 years, as their prices have gone up. So I am trying out some new places recently. But I would easily return to the WP, as I have always enjoyed my stays there. Zeus

What's up with "The Wave"? Throughout the whole video I kept thinking of the movie "Karate Kid", where the kid is taught katate with "Wax on / Wax off" motions. If you have ever seen this movie, watch the video again - You will have a great laugh! As far as the shirtless issue goes, I guess I would fall on the side of "keep them on". Actually one guy on the patio wouldn't bother me, but if it is policy, you might get a whole bunch of shirtless guys. Then it would bother me. The PBG is a place where food is served! And as far as a sign is concerned, there is a common one here in the USA (and maybe elsewhere in the world): "No Shirt, No shoes, ........No service" Enforce it and your problem is solved. Although in a beach area bar, the "shoes" part may be optional. Zeus

Very nice girls....I hope that you aren't just showing the best 25%. If these are representative of the entire staff (maybe that is the entire staff), then it is worthy of a stop when I am in town. The location is a bit out of the way though: Suggestion - run a free shuttle(have the girls do it - semi clothed/bikini) to Walking St to grab the punters. This will be your biggest challenge - getting regular customer traffic to an out of the way location. Best of luck with your new venture, Zeus

There is really an easy way to make this decision on the value of this offer. Miles are worth $0.01 - $0.02 (lets say $0.015 average). Cash and miles is essentially an Award ticket where you are paying the airline to use a lower amount of miles (Asia economy is usually 60K miles vs 20K mile + approx $750) So the cost of the flight is Base fare (say $750 LAX-BKK return for the Cash and miles - used from the OP and is a guess) +Tax/fees ($50 - NW ususlly incorporates most surcharges in the fare, unlike many) +cost of miles used (20000 * $0.015 = $300) + cost of miles not earned (16,000 miles * $0.015 = $240 ). NW does not allow you to earn miles on these flights. Total cost fo the flight= $750 + $50 + $300 + $240 = $1340 This seems to be in line with what most airlines are charging for discount economy. If you could find a standard flight in the $1000-$1100 range, I would consider paying this fare instead of going with the Cash and Miles deal. The other point of view is that miles are getting harder and harder to use. So if you have them, it is best to use them now to take advantage of their worth before high fuel prices devalue the miles you have, when airlines raise award levels and apply fuel surcharges ( which have already begun). I have always been a NW FF member and thought that the "Cash and Miles" was always a very bad deal. I still do. But I am of the opinion that if you have miles and can use them - you should! I would just look at methods other than the cash and miles to do so. That said, your opinion may vary. If this is your choice - go for it. IF you can find an available flight. Zeus

Now that everyone has acess again ( the site did seem to be down for a while) - I am sure we could all use a new addition to the blog! Zeus

If the building under construction in the original photos is done or almost done, wouldn't a new up to date photo be in order? It is a nice looking place. If I were a few years closer to retirement - I would be looking on my next visit. The pool looks huge. Zeus