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Birds nest soup Shark fin soup abalone pigeon/quail sea cucumber sea urchinv(uni) monk fish liver(ankimo) foie grasv(goose liver fattened on a diet of high cholesterol grain) stew of pigs blood and innards goat meat cooked with some of the bile from the gall bladder snake poison mixed with the blood of the snake into a cup of brandy bat meat skinned looking like chicken in the market places of course, dog and cats horsemeat and monkey meat large lizards about 3 plus feet long wild boar wild deer water buffalo fish eggs different species of crabs/clams these are just some of the unusual cuisine in asia.

Agent 9, let me help you understand asian twisted philosophy. If you are going to import a car, you pay approximately 200% of the car's value. Why, because you are not spending your money purchasing a car, built with CKD(completely knocked down parts) imported into the country of Thailand or any other asian country which gives jobs, taxes and brings in revenues for the country. You are considered rich, if you can afford to import any car or motorcycle in asia over buying from a local dealer. By the way, there are dealers of Mini's in Pattaya and Bangkok. Go to the BMW dealer. Also, depreciation in asia is not the same as the western world. Even used cars still warrant a lot of money especially European imports. If you still have the money to burn, buy one from a dealer whether used or new and save yourself the heartache of gazillion papers and countless hours of bureaucracy that you will have to endure to bring that car over to drive with the top down.

Mulphy, I posted on the Accomodations section that I would like to check out the rooms upon my arrival in November. I will pm then and hopefully you or Noi can show me a room that is available to view. Thanks again.

Mulphy, your Rockhouse will be one of the first hotels I will look at when I get there in November. That way, I have a point of reference against all others that I will visit. From the website, I like the room pic. It would be great to have more on the site to have a bird's eye view of the room. I thank you for the valuable input and sharing your bar/hotel with us BM's. By the way, do you accept credit cards as form of payment?

Mickeylo...welcome to the board... I strongly suggest to do your homework and decide what area of BKK or Pattaya you would like to stay. By choosing the area, this narrows the hotels down to your location. Example: Bangkok - Soi Nana or Soi Cowboy which is Soi 4 or Soi 21 & Soi 23 respectively. Likewise, Pattaya is similar, do you prefer being by Soi Buakhao, Soi 2,3, etc. or Soi 6,7,8 or even Soi 13 or Walking Street??? Decide and book soon because rooms fill up fast...

Sa-teef, Emil, Stevoman, Stinger_SD, Kunjon, and any and all BM's who have given some valuable info and asked questions that just brings more information to the table. Thank You very much!!! I am interested in a bigger room. I have stayed in many rooms and some are just big enough for a king bed with a shower behind the bathroom door which is really tight when you are staying there for a year~!!!.... Any room that is large enough to have a couch to sit down and eat with your thai girl would be great. And a bed and large enough bath would be the ticket for an extended stay. this is why, my main reason, is in the future I am wanting to take an extended vacation for about a year off from work. Soi Buakhao comes to mind as the perfect place to stay thats reasonable and with the right girl, can be a true GFE place to take a break from the world. LK Royal Suites, Mansion, Pavilion, was one that I researched and I do remember the post by Sa-teef months back of this hotel. I likewise think the Metropole is overpriced but nice digs nonetheless. I will do more legwork this trip in November to check out rooms and hotels to see more of the area. I am determined to find a nice place to stay for a year with large enough room to hang around with a thai girl during my stay. Again, thank you for all the contributions to this post.

I have always been intrigued by this area of Pattaya due to many different reasons as there are some that feel the same way. Staying in the Soi Buakhao area is a mystery to me and I am asking for input for what I tend to look for in a guest house or hotel. I am hoping my question and seeking your input may help other newbies who want to stray from the typical Soi 13, Soi 2, Jomtien and Naklua areas. 1) What hotel/guesthouse would you recommend for a [/b]suite, not a room, one that has more than the usual, such as space which I like and largesse bathrooms since some of us are not thai size. Internet would be a big plus since most BM's upload tr's and pics from their rooms. It does not matter if the suite is a bungalow or guesthouse/hotel...Just as long as there is room to hang around with your tilac... Room service/ restaurant on premises helps, which I do like in a hotel. If there is a front patio to watch the world and especially the ladies go by...even better... 2) Now for the pool fans. If I were to add a pool and/or jacuzzi, is there such a hotel with all of #1 plus a pool/jacuzzi??? 3) For the cheap charlies, recommend a guesthouse with the amenities above with or without a pool/jacuzzi, BUT just a room not a suite... NOTE: Even the hotels on the side streets of Soi Buakhao are acceptable to recommend.

I would be interested in any Eva or Cathay miles that any BM wants to unload or purchase for me a premium(deluxe) economy or biz class ticket for me. PM me with what you have and let's discuss this. Am buying my ticket end of June, so hope there are takers. Flying out Nov 8 and returning Dec 8.

I used to love Cathay when I could afford the biz class seats, because I just can't sit in economy like a sardine for 16 plus hours. Now they are asking outrageous prices on biz, unless they send over their planes with the premium economy seats.

Nice party there LBJ and Violated...Violated's LT/LT is a beauty, great taste in women Mr. V.

I prefer the Phantasea but it is a plane ride away~!!!

Try purchasing a pelican case to keep your valuables and other stuff from getting wet. They have models you can put a lock on too. Depending on your needs you can get one as small as an Ipod case to a case the size that you can check in at the airport. They come in colors too. I have a couple that I bring with me in a bag on the boat which protects anything I do not want to sink or get wet...Did I mention they float too~!!! http://pelican.com/case_category.php?CaseSize=%&New=%

Last time I took on a speedboat, there were varying prices dependent on what part of beach road you took on the boat. Usually in the price range of 1500 baht give or take a few hundred. Take a few friends and the girls too for a day trip. Stay out until just before sunset and head back. Food, booze, etc, you can get on the island. Do a little island hopping too as this can be fun.

I guess they realized how much of a waste of manpower it is to collect the departure tax and just get an account of passengers leaving each day, week, month, quarter, etc. etc. from the airlines and charge accordingly. Now the thais are thinking straight.

Cookie, I enjoy the posts and antics of your staff and people who you come into contact with at your guesthouse. I want to share two memorable incidents this month in Pattaya. I hired a car and driver for a day to visit the temples in Bangkok with two sisters. This driver stayed with me from the morning till evening time returning to Pattaya. He drove very poorly on the highway to Bangkok and found out later he does not own a car~!!!. He parked at Wat Pho and Siam Square leaving the car in neutral and pulling the handbrake. I reminded him that the parking brake is only for the rear wheels and leaving it in neutral could find his car parked somewhere else when we returned. He did not believe me, and left the car in that manner~!!! Upon returning to Pattaya, I dropped off one sister at the salon at Royal Garden Plaza and took the other one with me to Big C shopping. The driver told me he would grab a bite to eat and will be back shortly. I reminded him that the store at Royal Garden Plaza closes at 10:00PM and I wanted him back in time to pick up the other sister. This was at 8:45 PM when he dropped us off at Big C. I walk out to the parking lot of Big C at 9:50PM looking for the car and driver. He was nowhere to be found. The girl with me calls his cell phone and asks where he is as we have to return to RGP immediately. He replies, I am eating and will be finished in 10 minutes, she takes this as alright and tells me so. I was livid, and called him back to get his thai arse back immediately, drop everything now and return. Ten minutes later, he is still not back. I call again and he tells me, there is a lot of traffic, even when I can see the 2nd road and side streets to Big C to be devoid of such traffic. I jump on a songthao and tell him to forget the car altogether. He comes running to my hotel over 30 minutes later even after picking up the other sister and going back to my hotel. I refuse to even listen to his story and excuses. My good thai friend tells me, he went to Sukhumvit road to find a cheap eatery as the restaurants at Big C are expensive. I respond to my thai friend that at the cost of a liter of gas going and a liter of gas coming back to Big C, he must have spent at least 50-60 baht more plus the cost of his meal. Did he save that much by going all the way to Sukhumvit??? Thai reasoning is so warped they do not understand logic~!!! Cookie I have always dreamed about opening a small business in Pattaya. With my experiences in the last couple of years, I think this is a dream after all~!!!

Winner you have a good post on what can be done when living like a local instead of a farang and still enjoy the paradise that LOS is.

There has got to be more than one condo such as VT that has a good wired connection for fast download speeds. Any other input for apartments, condos or hotels?

I am interested in seeing this question be answered by those in the know. From what I have read, it is easier to send money to Thailand to a bank account than trying to send it out of the country back to an account overseas.

Just a bit of advice, I do not leave home without a pair or two of earplugs. These have been a godsend, when either on a plane with a baby crying or a hotel room with the bass booming till the cock crows in the morning~!!!

I do prefer a LT anytime over ST. I too like Sateef prefer a bj naked, but this seems to be a rarity lately with the stunners I pick as they are more careful of diseases, but still there are some to be had. As far as LT going home times. I do not mind if she leaves around nine in the morning just as long as the morning flag is raised before she leaves. This may be difficult if the nite before includes club circuits of 2-3 dance clubs with drinking. Alan, I tried this trip to find LD1 but came to LD2 instead. I need a map to find LD1...LOL...I will make an extra effort to find your club on my next journey to LOS.

Anytime I fly to Asia, my preference will always be a direct flight if possible. Second will be the shortest (one stop only) layover possible. The best part of any flight is when the tires touch the ground of your destination~!!! Now for layovers from SFO, my preferences will be Honk Kong over Tokyo. But Tokyo over Taipei anyday.

ben99, go to your dentist they will make an imprint of your teeth and gums and make a hard plastic tray with the capability of attaching to your upper and lower teeth. Your purchase a paste which you squeeze into the trays outer edges. Attach the trays to your teeth and leave there for the duration depending on the strength of the paste. I use the strongest paste which only takes an hour to leave on your teeth. You must be careful to not drink too hot or too cold a liquid for a couple of days. Also, it is preferred not to drink high staining drinks for a couple of days too, such as wine, coffee and tea. It does work wonders with much less pain and easy to get a whitening treatment while watching t.v., sleeping or reading a book.

LIke Simon_Cook said, I too prefer the trays over the laser and you do it yourself WITHOUT the pain, plus you don't have to have the laser treatment ever again.

Manracer, I know what you mean about food-borne illness hitting you after you eat...Contrary to what Big-D is saying, it depends on what you ate at New Orleans and what bacteria you contracted...Most often it is from bad hygiene (washing or soaping of hands from using the toilet), at restaurants...Second biggest cause in handling ice with bare hands or washing of plates and silverware with just rinsing with water... Over rated...Nang Nual, too overpriced for me and the service was not anything to write home about. But, this took the cake, no water in the toilet nor soap and toilet paper. If the customers can't clean their hands, how do you expect the employees to do so too.

With enough board members staying at the Metropole, it is not the place to bring a family, in my opinion with the revolving door with bar girls going in and out. Pick a hotel either at Jomtien or Naklua with the beach area close by or beachfront. Away from the bars and gogos but close enough by baht bus.