spacebass

Yeah and as you walk onto beach from Chaweng there are ladies doing the massage under the palm trees, try not to have one! feel free to PM and send me your email and I will flood you with pics. (If you like!) I think Chaweng Gardens is a bit of a Thai Thai place so not so advertised, I believe email address is chawenggarden@yahoo.com (no 's' on garden) It is true Lamai has a big impressive beach but it is as dead as a dodo, whatever turns you on! Spacey,

I love Samui, I stayed there for a couple of months last year and have returned for a short visit from Pattaya via U-Tapao, no problems, you could go by road via bangkok which is very cheap but the journey is a total nightmare because it is so long. I stayed on the beach in Chaweng Gardens Beach Hotel I stayed in a traditional fan hut for 400 bht per night but on my second visit stayed in an air con room for 800 bht for your budget they have big air con rooms with fridge and Cable a couple of beds for 1000bht if you stay a few days you can get a 10% discount. I would look at the room before you choose, Chaweng gardens is actually two businesses in one, one reception on beach one reception right hand corner of property near road. Why Chaweng Gardens? Traditional beach type accommadation v 3 Star modern plastic Slap bang in the middle of town walk everywhere (well maybe a motorbike to reggae pub if you need to go) This means right opposite Green Mangoe complex where there is a great disco and loads of bars and a couple of go gos (I mean across the road) Also great place for western breakfast "the deck' 99bht, opposite by green Mangoe. Also a few Thai stall type places to eat in green mangoe cheap, and next to starbucks about 200 yds to right out of C.G. Downside can hear bass at night if u you go to bed early, but what the heck . Hotel is on beach which is awesome go for a walk 7am and it can take your breath away with its size etc, also right next to Chaweng gardens plenty of great beach bars, though music can be a bit loud and aggravating sometimes (am I getting old?) Also these places have accommodation you could check. If you stay out of town and go in for action songthaws can be a bit of a rip off at night get motorbike and crash helmet, avoid this by staying in town. No Motornbike, no danger! When you get to airport aim to pay 200bht for quick getaway , tell driver Green mangoe, if you want to pay 100/150 baht they will hangabout longer to fill bus a bit. Songthaw to town goes to the right out of airport 50 bht , but a bit more uncertain about where to get out etc. Forget phuket if you love Samui when you get there. Got more if you want it.

Trvlr, sennd me your email and I'll send you some pics, of some nice accommodation meeting your requirements in Jomtien, spacebass@lycos.co.uk cheers

Elbow sorry for the delay in sending you info on apartments because my telephone line has been down since Friday, will email when it comes back, (just spent 10 mins writing long PM but still no go!!) Asfar as baht buses go it is still basically 10 baht aride to anywhere, just get out the bus and hand the guy 10 baht, no problem, start asking about it and maybe a different story.

Dear elbow, How about getting yourself signed up for Personal messages and send me an email spacebass@lycos.co.uk and I'll send you what I've got to offer. Spacebass

Majestic condos are on the face of it OK, I nearly bought a place in there but the reasonable price turned out to be the wrong price. Generally considered to be a little too far out and a little too far from the beach road (transport) but nothing that couldn't be a lived with with a motorbike or car. The opinion you express regarding the many units here for sale is also commonly regarded as suspicious, but asking questions I cannot justify this. The fact is they not new and not new things do not seem to turn on the Thais so its left to farangs to tosh them up.

The best way to draw sterling in Thailand is via Nationwide flexaccount, Atms everywhere no withdrawal fee and as good a mid market rate as you are going to get , plus security as above, so if you don't have a Nationwide Flex account get one!

Tea bags and disposable or otherwise razors.

There seems to be a bit of a misconception of the game being played here. You can never be advised that you will be allowed to take more than whatever the cabin baggage limit is say 8kgs, because it is possible that an agent will enforce this rule strictly and even make you put your bag in that metal contraption that indicates its physical size and shape. So the worst case answer is no you cannot rely on taking more than 8 kilos that will fit in that thing. But on the day anything can happen, even to two different people on the same flight checked by two different agents can get a different result. From what you say in practice I would say you have a good chance of getting it on, the worst that can happen is that they make you check a piece, not the end of the world, however, if you can get someone to go to the airport with you leave a piece with them when you check in and then get it back and go to the plane. Even when they put a little tag on the carry on luggage I have never been pulled on the second bag this way, especially if you carry it over your shoulder more on your back!! Good luck!

Take a sleeping pill and suffer it, in the end better than hanging about in airports for 4 hours, just done it Bkk-BAH-LHR no good.

I flew Gulf Air to UK return , cheapest fare, joined frequent flyers club on net and got 10kgs extra straight off, when I returned from Uk I had one suitcase 32kgs one nike bag size hand baggage must have beem at least 10kgs, ( by the time they made me take some out of my case and put it in there as it was over 32 kgs) and a canon video camera shoulder bag crammed full of power supplies as well as camera and battery etc. Seemed to me frequent flyers membership helped a lot as there were big signs around saying overweight passengers would be charged excess baggage. Downside 4 hr layover in Bahrain in and 2.5 hours in Abu Dhabi back. Flight was OK apart from Heathrow ATC computer breaking down but that another story. In General you are definitely more likely to be able to 'take the piss' with more humble airlines than the mighty BA, Qantas etc.

Anyone been involved with Plastic Surgery in Pattaya ( Breast augmentation) , any feedback on Pattaya International Hospital Soi4 Beach road or Pattaya Bangkok? Thanks in advance.

View Talay2 has only 2 lifts makes life a bit slow and difficult especially if one is out, VT 1 has 3.

Yep, Nationwide , no charge for withdrawels(?) mid market exchange rate and total security cannot be beat, also has the lowest overdraft rate on the High Street, plus complete internet account management from any internet cafe of whch there are plenty, might be time to review your banking habits, (no I don't have any commercial connection with Nationwide) it just works!

I do not think the Thai air bus service is currently running.

From Bkk airport I go upstairs to departures , negotiate with taxi driver dropping off passengers and on August 22nd got 1000 bht, I pay tolls, from first try, who needs dicking about having just done a 12hr minimumflight?

Teelack, I posted before on the subject of the funny little man and return cabs to Pattaya, I just came back from UK and alas number defunct, sorry guys if anyone tried it without success. So I just went up to Departures and my lady asked taxi driver for 800bht plus we pay tolls he came back with 1000 we pay tolls, job done. Can't be bothered with too much detail when jet lagged out of skull.

Just flown bkk/ lon with gulf air, not particularly good, not particularly bad, 4 hour layover in Bahrain makes life difficult, but overall good value.

When you get to Bangkok airport call 097500947 , this guy organises fares for cabs returning to Pattaya, I met him outside domestic terminal on return from Chiang Mai, he takes you 3 km off airport to where cabs wait, very professional, fare 900 baht cabby pays tolls , he started with 1000 but I talked him down no problem.

6 hour layover in Kuwait, Lon/Bkk, Bkk/Lon. Not funny.

I recently spent a few nights in Chiang Mai and stayed in a Guest house not really in the centre of things , though they said easy walk to night bazzaar, not so easy in reality! Too far to walk. I resolved then that when I visit Chiang Mai again I will stay in the Royal Lanna, here: http://www.chiangmai.thaihoteldiscount.com/roylanna.html Being slap in the middle of the night bazaar, and with other night type entertainment close by. Because it includes breakfast it ends up swings and roundabouts with the cheaper places you may book yourdelf, and I don't want to stay in some trendy boutique hotel if its not absolutely in the right LOCATION.

I did read that the Moscow bangkok leg is flown with a turbo prop! Not really on I'd say!

I am flying to LHR from BKK with Gulf Air via Bahrain on 19th July will post experience, stopover about 4 hrs in each direction, better then Kuwait air which was cheaper, 6 hours stopover and no alcohol on plane or at airport. Paid GBP377 ex BKK for 6month ticket, no fees to change.

I recently learnt how to get the Pattaya/Airport price for the Airport/ Pattaya ride. I just got back from Chiang Mai and a little Munchikin like man started hustling me for a taxi, I decided to give it a try and he took me to his bona fide taxi in the domestic terminal car park, and drove me to a place about 3 kms away where he put me in a returning Pattaya taxi, He first asked for 1000bht, he pays tolls I said 900 bht he said deal , I am sure the tolls come to more than 100 bht so it is in fact slighty better than the Pattaya / airport deal which is 800 bht you pay tolls. All the time he was completely up front with the pricing no nasty surprises, it went like clock work. Cab was not the greatest 2600 diesel Japanese sedan, old but maybe luck of the draw. I think he works out of domestic because the International terminal is just too hot for his business. I asked him OK what if I arrive at International what then, he gave me his mobile phone number which I will pass on if anyone wants to give it a try PM me, you could even phone him from UK/ Aus and sort it out, he does sound a bit like a Munchikin man but don't let this put you off, my experience was a good one. The deal is 900bht he pays tolls!

Pattaya airport is called U-Tapeo it is about a one hour drive from Pattaya it is a military airport and has only a couple of Bangkokair flights to Samui and Phuket (same flight), not even Bangkok which gives you and idea of the service it provides. It will cost you about 500 baht up for taxi to get there , who knows to get back from there.