marleyboy

The IFE (or lack off!) is rubbish on Thai! For me being able to waste a few hours watching films, doing crosswords, playing games etc on Evas IFE alway swings it for me! I think the food is slightly better on Thai! but thats about it! Plus the fact that Thai fly out twice a day. I am going out myself in January, "may!" even be tempted to fly with Qatar, for the simple fact the flight gets me into Patts before mid-day! and leaves bangkok later in the day than Eva!!! Therefore giving me more time in Thailand! also it gets me into Heathrow in the morning as opposed to 7.00 in the evening with Eva! And yes I know Thai have an extra flight which leaves at comparable times to Qatar ( and it wouldnt mean stopping in Doha!) But! as I say no IFE. is a big deal for me!! PS.! yes I have an i-pod ,books ,crossword books etc!

Id be very tempted to book that price! Sure they "may" come down in price, but Eva havent been that cheap for a while. Personally ,I much rather Eva to Thai (never flown B.A.) I know Thai and B.A./Qantas have 2 flights a day, but I much prefer Eva myself! I paid £530 for January, and was quite chuffed at that price! (I did book it months earlier cos of the oil prices going crazy last year though!). Another thing I like about Eva, (no! not their pot noodles!) is their on-line check-in, meaning you can book a seat upstairs in economy (24 hours before departure), which is a little better than the downstairs economy! as you can have a bit more room upstairs! The 24 hour check-in means you can also change seats (subject to availability of course!) so you can book your seat downstairs "months in advance!" then 24 hours before departure time, try to get a seat upstairs in economy! Of course!!!!! if you fly economy its all academic!! (though I still think Evas business (though they call it premimum laurel!) is better than Thais business class!

Just my luck!!! I paid by mastercard!!!! .in July!

I stayed there a few (3 or 4 years ago). it was ok Nothing special, if I remember the room was quite dark and a little tired looking. There again it was pretty cheap, and I suppose you get what you pay for.

I got the same e-mail! As far as I can see .yet another reason Ive not flown Thai for a while!

Put everything into perspective, particularly regarding your age! I know families living on less (here in the U.K.) than 2,000 dollars a month! Go for it!

I wasnt that lucky Pattayamad! I had to leave Thailand a whole bloody day earlier! to get the 530 fare!!!!!!!!!! DOH!!!!!! I was going to edit it (didnt think anybody would see my spelling error!). I just phoned Eva london office to try and up-grade to elite class from Bangkok to London. They said it was full though! but they would put me on a waiting list! In fairness thats what they did for my trip in January this year, I phoned them up, they put me on a list. afew hours later they phoned me back and it was all sorted! Big Brian mamybe its worth phoning them about that fare? I say that cos everytime I have phoned them, their customer service has been great! (nothing like Thai Airways service! grrrrrrr! lol).

Yeah the ticket I got was also U class, so at least I can upgrade to Elite class on the way back! (cant do it on the outward leg, cos apparently ALL of January is a peak month, so instead of the usual 25,000 miles needed for an up-grade from economy to elite class, for January they want 35,000! ) And of course! I have only about 27,000 moles!, no sweat Ill come back Elite in February instead!

I finally booked my flight for next January today. (I normally leave it until 3 or 4 months before...but Im getting a little windy with the prices!). Ive been looking on Evas website practically daily , and the fare for the dates I wanted was 532.30 (uk pounds!) So I went on this morning, the same dates I wanted 693!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF! I thought it might be a technical hitch and did it 4 or 5 times, but the same (693) fare came up? Now I was stumped! I phoned west east travel, they said 553! Phew! OK book it says I ! Only trouble was I couldnt get the return date (saturday) I wanted? The best they could do was to come back on Feb. 26, which was a thursday! So! I phoned Travelbag, they were even worse! 571 for eva, with the dates well away from what I wanted! Christ why didnt I book last bastard week! In desperation! I went back onto Evas site, and typed in the day before I wanted to come back (friday feb.27 as opposed to the next day!) and...........................! thank god! that was 530! By now im in desperation! so I booked it there and then! OK I know a lot of travel agents will tell you a particular date isnt available, but for a few trusted (by me anyway!) agents, are saying they cant get dates for 6 months...its a bit worrying! So my advice is.book now! P.S. when I did book the 533 fare for the friday, the fare for the next day (saturday feb 28th) was indeed 693! So its obviously gone up in the last few days? M aybe its the chinese new year around then-though I think thats always in January!!! Anyway I dont give a ****! now . as its all booked!

I could live on that amount of money in Pattaya no worries. Go for it my friend!

As already posted, you can buy a house in Thailand, as long as you have a business .I have 1 or 2 friends there who have done this. I used the easier route! as my wife is Thai its all in her name!

Slightly off topic.but! I normally buy my ticket about 3 months before I fly. However what with the current situation, I think Ill book now, to fly in January 2009. Ive been looking at fares for Eva, the cheapest Ive found is 530 with eva, through 2 companies and also on the Evas website, so I guess Ill book tomorrow (through Evas own website!). As for the cheapest fare Ive found for January is with Kuwait airlines, I thik it was about 70 quid cheaper than with Eva, but what with changing planes at Kuwait, it takes an extra 6 or more hours each way!.

Yeah I saw that fare on their web-site too. Im tempted to book it, it gives you 70% off air miles accrual .I have also seen Kuwait Air for 460 quid. But ! Id much rather fly direct and pay an extra 60 or 70 quid!

Im toying with the idea of booking my flight shortly too! Im not flying until next January though, plus Ill be flying from the U.K.! Ive seen a direct flight with Eva Air for 528 pounds, and Im really tempted to book it. I normally book about 3 or 4 months before I fly, but Im really uncertain nw , what with the rising prices etc! So I may well book it next week!!!

I was just looking at prices for January next year (yeah! its sad isnt it!) . Any way I was looking at the gateway page, form Airline Network and they were showing prices form Gatwick to Bangkok return for 536 quid! May be of use to somebody? (Oh yes the dates were up to December 13th! I presume it will be an internet only fare only?).

Even if it is the 'old 747', they have had a re-furb! I think Eva are great personally, prefer them to Thai Airways! Plus its a great price!

After paying out too many fines whilst driving in my bike in Patts, I dont turn left on a red, unless.there are lots of other people doing the same, or if there is no police box nearby and its patently obvious its safe to do so. As for the thai driving manual. That doesnt apply to you,,. as you are a farang! and theyll do you for whatever!

You can also buy an open ticket, valid for 1 year. Technically you can book your return once you are in Thailand. One thing worth pointing out though............you are ''supposed'' to have a return ticket (or at least a ticket leaving thailand) when you enter Thailand. Saying that in over 20 odd years going to Thailand I have never been asked to show proof of this, nor do I know anybody who has! Also in these days of E-tickets, if you did get asked......just tell them you have anE-ticket!!!!!!!!

I always just get a sim-card for my UK phone when I go to Thailand. Even if they have to unlock it for you, it costs just a few hundred baht, and I finf the prices aare much cheaper than using your UK sim-card! A good place for getting sim-cards is upstairs in the Big C (second road-not far from soi 6!), they have lots of 'phone stalls' there!

Fatboyfat, when I returned home a few weeks ago, the limit for liquids/gels etc was 100ml. There was a russian woman in front of me, she had loads of bottles (shampoo shower gel etc etc) taken off her. She was demanding them back! T he thai woman official said, fine you have back you miss flight! I didnt hang around to see the final outcome!.

Its easy to book it! You simply book it online, pay with a credit card, they will send you an e-mail, almost straightawy, then you print out the coupon which is in the e-mail and show the coupon to get into the lounge! I booked through Servisair (just do a google for either servisair or airport lounges. The lounge (at least in Heathrow!) is alright. O bviously its not as good as an airlines business class lounge, but IMHO its far better than the terminal 3! The drinks are free, teas coffee, wines beers spirits etc,.Limited free food (crisps nbbbles cookies cheese etc), they have internet (not free though) a tv, (SKY) and free newspapers and magazines. Also the seats are far better than in the terminal area, clean toilets too. Its also quieter in there and not frantic like bloody terminal 3! As I say its not as good a business class lounges but I reckon its far far better than the terminal! Plus it only costs 18 quid, so if you drink a fair view! (I dont , I have a few!) it could well work out cheaper!

To be honest with you, distance and time wise, there is hardly any difference between flying from Birmingham as opposed to flying from Heathrow. Of course Heathrow is a shit-hole, but lots more choice of flights from there obviously. Personally (and I live in Cardiff), I always fly either Eva or Thai, from Heathrow (get the 21.30 flights). I have looked at flying from Cardiff, but its always been more expensive and/or a quite long wait in Amsterdam! So now I fly from Heathrow, and book a lounge for 18 quid before the flight! (as Im doing so this very evening!).

12 HOURS AND THE FLIGHT TAKES OFF! Get into Pattya either Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning! Hoping to mke the pub-crawl to Banchang on Thursday!

Another opion to fly from Amsterdam would be China airlines. I flew from Amsterdam to Bangkok with them years ago. As I remember they were O.K. too. May be worth enquiring about? Getting froM Cardiff to Amsterdam, you shouldnt get too much hassle getting a flight on another airline-as obviously China dont fly Cardiff to Amsterdam! HTH!

Ive been stopped and fined about 5 or 6 times over the years. Most I paid was 400 baht. Every time I had to pay the fine (bar 1) it had to be paid at Jomtiem nick . So I left the bike where it was (normally at a junction by a police box), got a taxi-bike to Police station and returned to police box, showed them the reciept and picked up bike! Guess it must be a new thing, them moving the bikes then? .As for motobike taxis, I ask them how much to wherever Im going, and barter them down!. eg. soi khaotalo (wrong side off sukhumvitt!) into say soi diana was about 70 baht in March. Although geting a taxi back to Soi khaotalo costs more! maybe 100 baht. I do get pissed off getting fined.............. but to put things into perspective, I drive without a license anyway etc etc! I wouldnt dream of doing that in good?? old blighty!