VPI78

Maybe, but as you note; last thing you want as you are ending a long journey is for it to drag on and on, especially as you are being carted all over town and anxious to get to your hotel for SSS. As far as cheaper goes, I have also used the public bus ... half the price of Bell and instead of minivans you transfer to Songtaew at Pattaya bus station. Can go cheap and just get on a common one and pay 20 Baht or splurge and get your own for 100 Baht. Still comes in cheaper than Bell, the bus runs much more frequently, and you get to your hotel faster. But different strokes/folks.

Just my view but I would not book Bell Bus after I used it once and came to find out the last bit to your hotel is by minivan ... and they packed you in on them and woe to you if you are the last hotel on their list ... added more than an hour to my travel ... never again.

Buen suerte ... I like that on Grab you get a quote for the fee but you pay the driver in cash. As far as risk in Asia goes ... I just don't use credit or debit cards here.

I use Meow Ponchai to/from Pattaya/Swampy ... like all of the taxi services folks seem to book she uses subcontracted drivers. All from her for me so far (a span of 5 years and a dozen uses) have been good drivers, modern well maintained vehicles ... and no stray stops, e.g., for fuel. All-in, inclusive of tolls she charges 1100 Baht from Swampy and 1200 Baht to get me into the Sathorn area of Bangkok from Pattaya. All Baht bus rides I have used, all routes are still 10 Baht ... but if I am traveling from far Jomtien, e.g., dining at PuPen and riding from that area into central Pattaya, e

An Irish priest was driving to New York and got stopped for speeding in Connecticut. The state trooper smelled alcohol on the priest's breath and then saw an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car. He asked, "Sir, have you been drinking?" "Just water," said the priest. The trooper asked, "Then why do I smell wine?" The priest looked at the bottle and exclaimed, "Good Lord! He's done it again!"

An old cowboy went to a bar and ordered a drink. As he sat sipping his whiskey, a young lady sat down next to him. She turned to the cowboy and asked, "Are you a real cowboy?" He replied, "Well, I've spent my whole life on the ranch, herding horses, mending fences, and branding cattle, so I guess I am." She said, "I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women. When I shower, I think about women. As I watch TV, or even eat, I think about women. Everything seems to make me think about women." The two sat sipping in sile

555, if it was on the internet it must have been true ... my Buddha, no wonder so many still think the Moon landings were faked and 9/11 was an inside job.

There sure was a lot of cardboard floating the first few days.

Yep; a couple of months ago an Amazon chartered 767 nose-dived into a Bay just south of Houston. There were so many parts scattered, the debris field looked less like an airplane and more like random scrap. It took them weeks just to find the black box and longer to find remains of the 3-man crew.

Hard Rock higher end rooms are good and the pool is one of the largest and arguably best in town. For a smaller vibe there's Wave but I don't like the pool there ... to close and exposed to Beach Road riff raff.

Just a thought ... for the new skin, perhaps an old picture of MM, one in his younger days, either overlaid or popped into a frame. There's at least one here somewhere. Sort of a silent but lasting reminder/memorial

It was indeed. MQ's 'twins' were popular a few years afterwards as a young DB would attest.

Yeah, that has to be a typo and was likely intended to be top UK food items. Yanks might be after masa harina or cornmeal for fresh tortillas, Zatrain crab boil, good peanut butter, etc., but orange squash and jaffa cakes ... no way.

If you don't like plot spoilers, be careful surfing the net. The outcome of GoT season 8 is already out there as well as summaries of each of the final 6 episodes.

You do not need a Passport to change money. As noted above, a TDL will suffice.

Vegas?

For the next buffet-lover ... Lek Hotel 250 Baht.

Phew ... close call ... saved me time shopping on Amazon for that type of vise.

Recently watched 'Baby Driver' while confined to United's 12-hour slog in economy from Narita to Houston (at least it wasn't the overhead bin). It was much different than I assumed from the title and one of the best movies I have seen recently.