Butch

Wow, that one on the far left has some serious "come to bed" eyes. Nice selection of girls there Stephen, thanks for posting.

You're right, I think the last time is was by either CC or ground staff. I know BA has a 2 or possibly more , tiered pay structure (Brown1950 might know) and perhaps this was the reason for the strike a few years back, it was when Willie Walsh went head to head with the Unions over it. With this and computer system outages knocking the ticketing system out worldwide leaving people stranded, it seems that BA is run by an absolute bunch of clowns.

All over the UK news (a welcome change from Brexit) is the strike taking place today. T5 at LHR is now a BA parking lot, and the pilots refused an 11.5% pay deal (or thereabouts) and are holding out for more profit share. This is another reason why BA are such a complete shambles. A few years ago we were lucky enough to get one of the few BA flights out of LHR during a week of strike action for an emergency trip to Jo'burg (family health issue), BA were happy enough to take my money for the short notice seat, yet failed to mention that my flight might have been cancelled, in fact they assured me it would be going (they were correct, but it was touch and go at the airport) . Like any strike, the repercussions to the business in the mid term are very damaging. EVA being a recent example, but BA has a historically (I might venture and say the worst) bad record of Industrial action of any major Airline. We never hear of Qantas, Cathay, any of the ME carriers and others walking out, or if we do, not with the shocking regularity of BA. Effectively it ruins what little credibility the airline has, management not being able to negotiate enough to avert it, and the pilots themselves for refusing to meet in the middle.

Thanks Wac. The plans we are currently executing for retirement and have done for a while now is to provide an income stream in the RP in local currency, rather than depend upon one in the UK. That way exchange rate fluctuations are not an issue. It's not just SEA Expats feeling the hit of the Sterling, many who have previously emigrated to Spain and other areas of the EU are getting less Euro now, and although the rate wasn't really that spectacular anyway, when it is almost hitting parity, it is still a hurdle for many.

you can find them by going to the "TT currency exchange" facebook page, that gives a daily update on the rate.

Hi Teelack , Melatonin is best to get online in tablet form, I opt for 3mg, one usually gives me 5 hours of solid sleep coupled with odd dreams both dropping off and upon waking. You might feel a bit "groggy" for the first half hour of waking up, usually remedied by a decent cup of coffee. You can get 5mg tablets, but I found that I don't get to sleep any longer, and just feel fuzzy headed upon waking. They do work well for sleeping on a plane, EVA serves food 2 hours after take off, so before eating I take one, then I get myself as comfortable as possible using a travel pillow, blanket and cushion under the small of my back, recline the seat to the max and nod off. They're also helpful in resetting your body clock, instead of waking up in the early hours after a trip from SEA back to the UK, I'll go to bed at my normal time and take half a tablet when I inevitably wake up at 0300 so I get to continue my sleep. Don't take them if you're pregnant or breastfeeding though lol.

Teelack I don't suppose you know the name of the pills do you?. I have used Zopiclone in the past but it leaves a horrid mettalic taste in my mouth. To sleep during the day I take melatonin (strawberry flavoured - yummy) but it gives me really weired dreams, in fact in some cases very lucid and frightening ones. I also can't take any Benzodiazepenes as they're forbidden at work, and Mrs Butch would go bonkers if I contemplated using them. Back onto topic, I see EVA are having a 30th anniversary sale up until the end of November, anyone checked the prices to see if this is like their other sales, i.e not a sale at all?.

Yep, same here.

Those are 2 very extreme extreme's and serve well to illustrate the difference between earning a regular wage vs retirement income, shocking as you say and the figures don't make pleasant reading. I have a friend who retired in 2002 with £250k in the bank, getting almost 8% on his money PA plus a small pension all added up to , give or take £20k pa, around 16k pa net (approximate figures) all at over 60 baht to the £. Today he's lucky to get 2% PA at half the value of his sterling, as such he's running out of options fast due to having already eaten into the lump sum he had originally. Personally , myself and the wife intend to retire in the RP, (sooner rather than later with any luck), and given that I'll be cashing in all of my assets here in the UK with the exception of the house, his situation has tought me a valuable lesson - not to assume that the current economic climate is guranteed, regardless of how favourable it looks and to prepare for hard times, even though they may seem distant. Fortunately we have income streams in the RP but again, I'll never assume anything when it comes to potential budgets and retirement. Is your Army pension index linked despte you being in Thailand though Bullfrog? - I know my Dads Forces pension is, but he's in the UK.

The MP's voted to enact Article 50 which was to leave the EU by a certain date, and if no deal was reached then to leave without one. Several of them seem to have very short memories. Anyway, this weak Sterling is ripping the arse out of every person wanting to travel at the moment. I'm still hedging 35.8 at the lowest.

For the exact reason Olded gave above and also that after an 11 hour flight the last thing I needed was to be sitting around in the Departure area of Suvarnabhumi with a tired and potentially pissy 9 year old waiting for a Driver, I also pre arranged a specific meeting point to ensure that didn't happen. Added to that, I also didn't want Somchai Hamilton arriving in a Honda with blacked out windiows driving like a cunt all the way to Pattaya with me and my daughter in the back. Hence, if you've spent any time in SEA, the need to "explain". Twice.

They're quite pleasant places to sit down and relax actually, as long as you don't mind drinking "poncy" cocktails like me lol.

Nice selection there Stephen, thanks for posting.

A friend has just returned from a 3 week stay, all in all his trip cost him about 4k Sterling (including flights and accomodation). Not cheap, his biggest gripe was having to buy some toothpaste which came to about £2 lol. On the whole, after doing some maths, it worked out the trip added about £20 a day to his usual budget, spread over 20 days came to £400 - £500 extra (sums done on a napkin, rough working out). He's not a cheap charlie and spent his days around the poolside, venturing out in the evening and eating in places ranging from PBG/ Sailor Bar through to Hooters. His mongering was reduced somewhat, so whereas in the past Soi 6 or a GC would beckon in the afternoon, he'd just give it a miss and stay at the Hotel. Incidentally, during our chat we agreed there is a serious lack of nearby venues to Bukhao which are open in the early afternoon with a decent selection of girls and some pool tables, where a guy can just go into some A/C, have a few beers and some pool or chat to girls and just relax without having to spend a fortune. So the amount extra needed to bring a budget back up to what it is normally for a two or 3 week tourist is not insurmountable, it does need some extra input but the savings can probably be found if a few simple adjustments made.

Hi Stephen, Any other links like FB, instagram or youtube?. Maybe a price list, LD costs and BF costs, opening hours etc?, all that kind of stuff helps guys decide whether to visit or not. pics of the actual staff as well (although if that is them in the posters then fair play, but maybe they're a bit airbrushed for printing purposes). Maybe your friend would want to join here and give us a bit of info on the group, how business is going and just engage with a potential customer base.

At this rate you'll need a new memory card lol. That drain,surely someone might have noticed by now?.

I'm pretty much in the same boat Gus. It might have to be a family holiday to the philippines instead and give Thailand a total miss.

I took my 9 year old daughter to LOS a few years ago, I used Nams and explained that she was coming along with me, Nam was absolutely spot on.

Not sure whereabouts in the UK you're heading for, but Emirates now fly into Stansted, there's a pretty decent train service between there and Colchester, and also a lot of National Express coaches drop at Stansted then go on to Heathrow / Gatwick. Is loungebuddy any good?. I had a pass for the Miracle lounge at Suvarnabhumi, it was bloody excellent, showers, beer, food and of course wine plus they're not strict on the time spent there either.

Cathay PE is very good indeed, comparable with EVA's product and I'd say, slightly better because the small cabin area has 2 dedicated Cabin Crew. The food was a much higher standard than EVA, seat pitch and comfort are the same. One point of note is that in the EVA PE, the bulkhead seats have a metal slide extension for your legs when fully reclined (due to there being no footrest), Cathay are the same (I think the seats are exactly the same apart from the material colours). That is on the 777's we've flown, but as yet I've not been on an A350, but the product seems to be steps ahead of the EVA one on there according to this report. https://www.godsavethepoints.com/sneak-peek-economy-premium-business-cabins-cathay-pacific-airbus-a350-1000/ If you intend to fly Cathay regularly, I'd strongly suggest joining the Marco Polo FF program, there is a cost attached to it though ($100 PA) which recurs unless you get 20 point per year, but the rewards are very good indeed. Here's a review: https://www.executivetraveller.com/your-guide-to-cathay-pacific-s-marco-polo-club-loyalty-program

I've just noticed the concrete already breaking up on the leading edge of the "ramp" in pic #1, plus the uneven cover. As vehicles pass over the uneven cover, the vibration will cause the concrete to crack and...oh well, you get the idea. Let's have a virtual beer wager, choose a week for the repair works. I reckon it'll be dug up or repaired again during the first week of October.

Put as links to save bandwidth. Add your own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCDIt50hRDs and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEBEfAH0gDo

Yep, I admit at this point I'm having trouble justifying the extra. Last trip I had points which deferred the cost of the flight by about £150, so I cashed them in and the PE fare cost me £680, which wasn't too shabby, but this time with only a limited number of points, it'll be pretty much full price. Even though I'm not a huge bloke, I really suffer in econ. My knees aren't the greateast and a working lifetime of physical labour has pretty much bollocksed my back and hips, and I'm not even 50 yet, then throw shiftwork into the mix and I feel ready for the knackers yard. The comfort factor is what often justifes it for me, otherwise I'd probably lose a day or maybe two getting myself "right" (especially to the RP) and for the aches to go away. I do, however remember the time I paid £770 for an economy ticket (which led on to be my worst trip ever to Pattaya and I didn't return for 2 years, bloody awful trip). so I often look at that and then think "it's not that much more" lol, so basically like any questionable decision, I'll do my best to justify it to myself using the most tenuous means possible.

Not heard of them, but to be honest you won't go far wrong with PT Taxis or Nams.

I think this might have been asked before, but maybe it needs to be re addressed. Years ago, particularly with EVA the disparity between Econ and "elite" (for the purpose of this topic I'll refer to elite and premium economy as PE) was as little as £150 on the price of the ticket, which worked out at £75 each way. That was before higher taxes, fuel surcharges etc etc. At the time of writing, the difference is over £400, give or take. PE from LHR-BKK return is £980 for next April, Economy £540. Cathay for LHR-MNL return are also around £400 per person above the cost of an economy return, so again for purposes of the post lets take it that it's £400 over the cost of a standard basic econ fare. Now, the question is two fold, firstly, is the price difference worth it?. £200 each way for better seating, slightly better food, more luggage, more points, more space and slightly earlier boarding, versus the alternative. It is worth remembering though that EVA are rolling out 10 abreast in econ whereas Cathay are not (referring to their 777-333's). The upside of Cathay is that with the Marco Polo reward scheme, the points and perks soon add up, making the membership worthwhile, even if the enrolment is $100 pa if you don't get 20 points within the first year. With the costs of all holidays going up due to a weak £, the £400 or so extra does have a considerable bearing. Spread over a 14 day holiday, it gives and extra £28 a day, so if, like me you run a budget of £100 per day, that brings it up to £128 which then means instead of 3700 thb a day to spend, I've got 4736 baht (@37 to the £) to spend, and that extra 1k baht can make a difference. It works out less in the RP as we stay for longer, but the principle is the same because there are 3 of us travelling, thus making it £1200. However, once having travelled PE, it is a very hard habit to break. As a family we always travel PE to the Philippines, simply due to it being a hell of a long trip, and it works well as a gateway drug into Business Class. Even from a health point of view, I don't feel so tired having flown PE than I did flying econ which used to give me an aching back, knee joint pain and cramps in my thighs (nothing a good Soi honey massage couldn't fix though ? ) I'm getting old now, but like many BM's here despite having a good job and decent income, I still like to save a penny here and there and I can't help but think flying PE is slightly frivolous in todays economic climate. £400 is a lot of money, for example I wouldn't spend that kind of cash on myself, say for some shoes or a coat, and in spending it to upgrade myself when there are cheaper options out there adds a tinge of guilt, which often hits home when landing in Manila and seeing the poverty everywhere. So, I would ask, is it worth paying the extra given that it is more than it ever has been, and having more to spend on holiday, or is it a case of the fact we all work hard (or have worked hard), life is very short so why not?, after all there's no point being the richest bloke in the graveyard.