nico

During rainy season it usually rains around 6 AM, 6 PM, and midnight. As stated elsewhere it usually rainds real hard, but then it stops and everthing dries out and an hour later you never knew it rained.

Samsonite, picture Sicily in the middle of the summer, and that will seem pleasant compared to the Thailand weather in May or June. But the hot weather just enables you to pack lightly.

As for weather, I have found that there are 2 seasons: wet and dry. It will be hot no matter when you go. I was there in late November, which coincided with the start of the dry season, but it was still hot and humid.

If you have only two weeks then it might not be adviseable to do too much traveling. Pattaya and Bangkok ought to keep you busy for 2 weeks. I have never encountered any anti-american bias in Thailand, and I doubt if you will either, unless you do something stupid. As others have said, treat the locals with respect and they will respect you. Assuming that you have chosen Thailand because of the availability of cheap, guilt-free sex, then going solo ought not to be a problem. While you're in bangkok, if you have time to kill and are looking for something to do, visiting the many Buddhist temples is an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

To paraphrase the late George Best: "I spent most of my money on booze and birds. The rest I just squandered." Maybe that's why I can't afford to return to Pattaya until 2007.

I have found that drinking lots of water on the plane, and having no alcohol, reduces jet-lag. I also never watch the movie on the airplane; I use the time to close my eyes and think pleasant thoughts. It works for me.

Bart, I wouldn't dismiss Bangkok entirely. It is definitely worth a visit. I only took me about one day to get the hang of the place, and then it was easy to do my thing. Some day you'll kick yourself for being so close to Bangkok and not checking it out.

I still agree 100% with Gus, even if he doesn't. Sure, I might have had a free upgrade by now, but every time I fly I know that I have chosen the flight that works best for me.

I agree that DHL is a very good company to use to ship stuff to and from Asia. I have to express-mail packages to SE Asia about once a week, and after many problems, someone suggested I switch to DHL, and I have had no problems since.

I agree with Gus 100%, which is why I don't collect frequent flyer miles.

Inkyskin: fishing exists solely for people to drink beer while they are fishing, so there is no reason why you can't combine the two experiences and make both you and your friend happy.

I've been studying currency exchange rates for over 20 years, and I one thing I have learned is that it is impossible to predict how a currency will fluctuate. Not only that, it is impossible to figure out what factors drive a currency up or down. Every time I think I have it figured out something happens to prove me wrong. The only absolute rule is that every time you exchange currency somebody makes a profit, and it isn't you.

Sorry, I misspoke. The LAX shuttle busses can be gotten from the departure level (which is above the arrival leval).

The last time I went through customs at LAX it was about as efficient as I have ever seen it. It used to take about 30 minutes, but in November (when I returned from Thailand) I got through it in less than 5 minutes. Was it an aberration or have they improved things? I don't know. LAX is huge. They have free shuttle busses that go from terminal to terminal, but you have to access them from the arrival level, not departure. Give me the terminals that you'll be arriving to and wishing to go to and I'll tell you how easy or hard it may be.

I am 54 and I too plan on retiring to Thailand in a few years. Keep posting retiredron and tell us of your exploits.

As long as it isn't "rush hour" then the Skytrain is your fastest and cheapest way of getting to your hotel. I rode the Skytrain at 0800 and it was as crowded as can be; 3 hours later it was 90% empty. If you have luggage it will be a drag to ride the Skytrain when it is crowded.

I might sound like a broken record, but I flew Cathay Pacific to HK and then on BKK and it was excellent. They fly 3 times a day out of LAX so the planes are usually half-empty.

You might try Cathay Pacific. They fly non-stop Vancouver to HK, and then you can connect to BKK.

If you don't mind my asking, how much money per month you do spend to rent a condo?

Any place on Soi 6

I don't know. I would think that Asian-Americans were probably the ones who COULD locate the USA on a world map. I think the 60% would be a true reflection of any freshmen class in any USA university (with a few exceptions). I work at UCLA and I always have to hire student assistants for part-time work. I have 3 rules for hiring (all illegal I'm sure). First, they have to be a female (duh); second they have to be Asian, and third they have to be a science major.

About 10 years ago UCLA did a survey and found that 60% of its incoming freshmen couldn't locate the USA on a world map. Moreover, 80% said that it wasn't important for them to know it. But I bet most of them knew what was on Oprah the previous week.

To add to what wacmedia said, I don't think there is any rhyme or reason to currency fluctuations. I have been following exchange rates for over 20 years and I still can't say for certain what makes a particular currency stronger or weaker. Every time I have a theory it gets proven wrong. All I know is that I usually end up on the wrong side of the slide whenever I convert money. My favorite line about currency exchange is that every time you change money someone makes a profit, and it ain't you.

Having read all the postings on this thread I think Shakespeare said it best: "much ado about nothing"

Bagwan, one could argue that the 5 minutes you wasted with the police were worth more than 200 BHT. However, I too don't like to be taken advantage of, and I might very well have done the same thing you did, but in the end you have to ask yourself whether the hassle was worth the savings.