VegasMike67

Mike, I have used two consolidators for LAX-BKK. Try Best Travel: 1-800-477-4528. They rep EVA & Korean Air, Bi-Coastal: 1-800 926-2782 or Travelmate: 1-800-596-5946. This was 06 but the numbers were valid when I tried then. Hope this helps.

I used Xanax when I had trouble sleeping. Available at the neighborhood pharmacy and not expensive. Get the .25mg and try one. If you are groggy in the morning, bite it in half. You want to take the minimum dosage.

Overseas Service on Soi Post Ofice is a reliable, honest travel agency. The ladies speak very good English and Overseas also rents safety boxes, has fax & a copy machine, translation service and is located across from the Post Office. Hard to beat that combo.

Overweight western women is certainly one of the reasons many men end up in LOS, Pattaya in particular. A guy over 50 who does not have fairly thick wallet is not going to get a young, slim, cute lady in the western countries; just the way it is. Watching the fat farang women waddle down the street is validation of why we are here!

russell; I am envious of your retirement! When you don't have a thick wallet you learn to live within your means. I workout in a gym, ride my moto all over Pattaya and hit the beach when the weather cooperates. I eat out both BF & dinner, lunch at home. I don't drink, so an evening out is not expensive. A tg when I feel the need and sad to say, that's not very often anymore! Play golf at Asia Hotel and hit the driving range a couple times a week. I don't feel deprived living on less and am not sure I could ramp it up very much if I hit the lottery. Thanks for your contribution to the discussion.

cool_dude; I would get to Pattaya, book a hotel for a day or so and go look at the View Talay condos available. You may not like it. Why lock yourself into a room you have not seen? Pattaya has thousands of places to stay, at all price ranges. I would look around before committing myself to a place for a month.

russell; Thanks for the Siam Garden link. Nice rooms at a fair price. I have read all the posts above and there is certainly a wide range of opinions on how much you need in live in Pat. 'davethailand' figures you need 70K/month, nearly $2,000/month. Millions of Americans live on that or less. 'eneukuan' figures you should head upcountry if you only have 45K/month. 'clubman'' thinks you will have a shit existance at 45K/month. Finally a bit of sanity with 'jgart38'. Rooms under 4K including utilities. I lived in Pat. for 7 winters and paid less than 7K/month each year. I have and many ex-pats do live in Pat. for less than 25K/month. If you drink every night and insist on a paid companion 3 times a week, no, 25K will not be enough. Each of us have our own level of comfort and priorities. Not everybody has 70K a month to live on or do they need it. My 2 cents worth.

wombat; Very well stated. Very much the reincarnation view of life and the 'hereafter'. One person phrased it, 'You keep coming back until you get it right.' Obviously we have lessons to learn since we are still here. Since investigating reincarnation and finding it rang true for me, I find I certainly try to treat each person as I want to be treated. Why add additional karma to my present load? Thanks for posting your list.

BigDUSA; Thanks for the info. That will not help very many members that are heading to LOS, but since I live in Vegas part of the year, I may be able to use them. The more low cost options the better.

I have flown into Sing. on courier flights and then headed up to LOS. In my backpack days I would take the bus to Hat Yai, overnight then to either Phuket or Samui. A week there and then overnight bus to BKK and on to Pattaya. Now I fly the SIN-BKK leg and Thai Airways bus down to Pat. Why don't you go into Sing for 1-3 days and then book a flight from one of the hundreds of travel agents on Orchard Rd? There are so many airlines flying the SIN- BKK route that I have always found an acceptable fare for even a 'cheap charlie'. Book it there and forget doing from MSP. I am sure you will be happy to get out of the cold weather.