gentlemangeoff

Thanks. Excellent, clear, concise information. Have a good Christmas.

I realise that I have come into this discussion at the tail end of the parade. However, what I would like to do is stay in Patts for one year just to see how it goes before applying for a retirement visa. I notice that many boardies are mentioning an 'O' visa. Could I please ask what this is, how one goes about obtaining it and what it entitles the holder to? Can the holder of an 'O' visa remain in Patts for a period of one year without complying with the 800,000 baht in a Thai bank requirement? Thanks.

Photos of breathtaking beauty. Well done. Yes, LOS is famous for many things. Let's not forget it's wonderful natural beauty. Thanks.

I agree. It is called "Kim's" laundry. They certainly do a good job at a fair price. On the basis that nothing is perfect, I do find the turnaround times leave a little to be desired.

Thanks

The advertisement for the RG on this site states that all suites are one bedroom. So how long have they been providing suites with two bedrooms? And how much are they per night? Thanks

Interesting. Has anyone stayed at the Pinewood Residences? If so, I would be interested in your take of the place. In particular, is it guest friendly? Thanks

Very interesting post. I have stayed at the RG a couple of times but was not aware that it was possible to get a suite with two separate bedrooms. Thanks very much for this information.

In terms of having fun, there's Thailand at number 1 and then there is everywhere else.

1. The fact that most people know how to smile - unlike the U.K. 2. That people are mainly prepared to take time out to chat - again unlike the U.K. where everyone is chasing the next £ and see everyone else as a target for their own enrichment and have no time or inclination for a friendly chat. 3. The weather 4. Wonderful foot massages 5. Attention from beautiful ladies that do not have attitude

Is there no end to the lengths that selfish smokers will go to in order to rationalise their filthy, antisocial drug habit?

Don't worry about disappearing soon after you get into Mr Toom's cab. He will beat you to it and disappear before you arrive at the airport.

A very warm welcome to you AusNorm.

It is good that you had a positive experience with Mr Toom. There is no doubt that he does not overcharge. I doubt that one would get a cheaper ride. He has a lot of satisfied customers and that is to his credit However, he let me down. It is very important that BMs continue to report both good and bad experiences with any provider of transport.

Good to hear that you received good service Jacko. It is also good that you reported your experience on this board. BMs need to know when fellow BMs get good service. Likewise they need to know when fellow BMs get poor service.

I think that whatever the price, if you book the service you expect to be picked up as arranged and not left standing at the airport. Of course the price is A consideration. But it does not matter how cheap a service is if it cannot be relied on. So far as Mr Toom is concerned he seems to have a lot of satisfied customers. However, he was not there at the airport for me in May. So I am not a satisfied customer. At the end of the day it is up to you!!!

I think that this latest report confirms the pattern that has emerged about Mr Toom's service. It is generally good but there are glitches - as with all businesses.

Of course there is a responsibility on all parties to act in good faith whenever they enter into contractual relations with anyone else. Things do go wrong at times. IMHO the trick is to minimise any upset by being completely up front with those you are dealing with. I have no poblem with paying a deposit or, indeed, the whole amount for a hotel prior to arrival. Had to do this in May when I booked the Areca Lodge through Sawasdee.

I think that it is important to note that there will be problems with any service. When I arrived at BKK airport on 5 May having booked with Mr Toom no one was there to meet me. After a 12 hour flight that is the last thing one wants. I spent a long time looking for and waiting for Mr Toom. I had 2 other guys helping me look. It is quite difficult to miss someone who claims to have a board held up with your name on. I ended up getting a taxi from the rank outside the airport. This was after a considerable wait in a long queue. Not a great start to the holiday. Mr Toom claimed he was there and that I failed to spot him!!!

I have just been on the Westeast site and they want £551.00 return London to Bangkok. However, I am looking for journey times in October. Maybe more expensive then???

I met with Mr Toom today to discuss the problems caused by the missed pick-up last Friday. We were not able to find out what went wrong although I have to say I found him a very personable guy. The discussion we had was very pleasant and constructive - an excercise in east/west detante. I was prepared to pay Mr Toom the full fare. To his credit, he said he did not want any money. We settled at a mid-point figure. We also parted on very good terms and I have booked him for my return journey.

I agree that those two posts cannot have been written by the same person. I suspect a bit of mischief-making. At the end of the day Mr Toom will be paid on Friday. He is clearly well thought of and I hope that he continues to maintain a high standard of service to those who use his service. For my part, I shall chalk it down to experience. I wish Mr Toom well.

I have an arrangement to meet Mr Toom in my hotel on Friday morning. At that time I shall pay him and accept that he turned up as he said he did last Friday. We clearly somehow missed each other. These things happen. But the matter will be put right.

I have noted with interest the very solid support for Mr Toom's service. Given that he appears to have provided a sterling service to many of you, I have decided to pay him, notwithstanding that I had to hire a taxi from the rank at BKK airport upon our failed meeting. I have decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he was there to pick me up, and travelled from Pattaya to do so, then he deserves payment. I hope that Mr Toom continues to look after board members as he clearly has done in the past. I shall PM him, arrange a meeting. and pay him the full price.

I am happy to answer anyone's questions about this matter. I did not telephone Mr Toom as I did not have a mobile number for him and I do not bring a phone to Thailand. A personal choice. I am not suggesting that anyone should avoid Mr Toom. Neither have I attacked him in any way. This is a forum where we share experiences and, hopefully, support each other. I am certainly willing to meet Mr Toom at the Areca Lodge. The guys I met at BKK airport and who helped me look for him can then also explain that they helped try to locate Mr Toom. I had not met either of these guys before Friday. At the end of the day all I am reporting is what happened. No acrimony involved and no recriminations. I posted my experience simply to add to the wealth of experience for which the board is noted. I try to get into an internet cafe on a daily basis and answer all queries as soon as they are received. By way of overkill I need to make it quite clear that I have no animosity towards Mr Toom. It may be just a blip. As reported above, I am happy to meet with Mr Toom at his convenience.