Butch

There is a free option to complain to the Retail Ombudsman, several airlines are signing up to the ADR companies in order to "expedite" complaints. I'd agree it would put many off complaining , but it's not yet established that if it is just for regular "my chicken dinner was cold" complaint as opposed to them breaking CAA rules which might warrant a different conduit of reporting. I also note it is refunded in the event of a successful claim, so even though a claim or complaint is valid and arguably reasonable, it still might not be successful, which is pretty shocking IMO. I'd be inclined to agree with you on this one, no cacking about, go straight to a small claims court. I think BA's next move is to remove all personality and compation from their staff...oh wait...

I trust it was a good night out on the piss CP lol?.

Good post CP, although there are online quotes via Kasikorn and Bangkok bank, seeing an actual, updated on the street exchange rate is most welcome.

Bloody hell Marleyboy you must have a discount card lol. That's a blinding price, especially for January mate, nicely done. I'm currently seaching prices for mid Sept so if I manage to get a deal / time off work / permission from the Mrs, then I'll put it up here (the price of the flight, not the other bollocks). What's the baggage allow on Thai these days, still 30 kg?. If you're in Pattaya at the same time, it would be good to meet up for a beer. Cheers Butch

Back in the day I just took a backpack with a lock and put the arm loop under and around the lounger leg. I admit I've never seen any lockers or such there, now you mention it that's not a bad idea. Haven't been there for years though.

Evil, sorry for sounding like a pedantic cunt but is it kind of opposite Bamboo, or at least on the same stretch of road?. Looks great and for a last minute grab'n'go choice out of WS it takes some beating. I must have walked past it and fancied taking one of those chickens...(2:49 onwards) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWmGrR9a818

GM, call me an idiot, but what is the route they take to / from Bukhao to WS mate?.

Devils Den offer this service, and having been picked up in aforementioned bus I can vouch for the comfort factor.

hitting solid concrete at 80 km/h for starters.

a tactic I used to employ: If it's a first time BF, then 2 motorcycle taxis (sod the expense) to the hotel (Residence Garden), Then, if meeting the BF for a second time, tell her to get on the Baht but going to the hotel (I'd often stop outside the VC hotel and flag one down). However, in your case it's on Bukhao so I'd either MC Taxi it or ask her to negotiate a baht bus, given that you've probably already spunked a few baht on drinks and food etc, another couple of hundred getting home really isn't going to figure much.

Probably also to do with the weight and therefore fuel saving on the Plane. 300 or so meals, plates cups etc despite being made from plastic versus 300 small chocolate bars is a no brainer where weight is concerned, despite bunkered fuel being at a very low price at the moment. That does give an idea of the level of contempt BA holds their customers in though. Despite having several thousand Avios points I'll still not use them on any BA flight, they can go fuck themselves. A few years ago EVA used to bring "cup noodles" around and have them ready for anyone as a snack at the galley areas of the Aircraft. They've done away with that now along with the small overnight kit you'd get in economy. there was a time when BA were up there with Cathay for being a high standard of Long Haul flight, however, recent years have seen the gap between the two widen exponentially to a point of there being no comparison, even in the equivalent business classes. Incidentally I've still got loads of old BA and Gulf Air / Emirates "dobi" bags they used to give out when I was a FF. I sold several on Ebay, out of them all the BA special edition ones sold best.

Congrats Adam, Hope the party goes well, say hi to Nam for me and have a good 'un.

Yep sorry 31 inch, not 33 but I did say they fly 787's , and full leather ( or faux leather) seats in econ. They actually fly, or are at least known under a few different names, Norwegian air shuttle, Norwegian wings and Norwegian Air. As for the 33 inch pitch, EVA air economy is where you want to be! However Norwegian offer more legroom by far and the IFE boxes are much smaller, located on the aisle seat of the three adjacent to the window. Again if anyone is flying the IFE is free but drinks, blankets and earphones are available at a cost , $7 for a blanket.

Hi, I'm writing this having just completed a chunk of our USA road trip, thus I'm relaxing after having done Orlando Florida to Springfield MA in 3 days via a couple of stop offs and looksee's (this is where they made the Springfield rifles and home to the Springfield Armoury , along with Indian Motorcycles which still has a main dealership here, managed by an Thai lady who rides a 1921 Scout!). We avoided NY simply because the traffic and roadworks are horrific. Anyway, to the Airline. Norwegian is a budget airline operating out of LGW to the USA and also to BKK Via Europe (direct from European destinations). The planes are 787's with more legroom than EVA, THAI and indeed many other carriers. IFE (which is all free) is arguably the best I've ever seen on a plane, but here's the crux, you need to bring everything you need for the flight, earphones (std jack) , food, even blankets. Nothing at all is provided except the seat , window , seatbelts and 10kg of carry on. There's a 33 inch seat pitch in econ, so not as much as in the other carriers. Extra baggage can be purchased for £25 per checked item of 20kg baggage, seat selection is also available for purchase at £25 per seat per pax, so that's an extra £50 on top of the fare which was 35% cheaper than anyone else at this time of the year. The check in process is slick, easy and hassle free and can be done online. The fleet is new, the plane very clean but again, you should buy your own food at the airport because the in flight food is very expensive and a poor standard. One tends not to see too much of the cabin crew due to the lack of complimentary items. One interesting thing is that while I was reading some company info , it mentioned that they are potentially looking at flying direct from LGW to SVB in the future as a planned route. It didn't say whether it would be direct or via , but it might herald another option for visitors on a budget carrier. Watch this space .

Interesting and enjoyable. Maybe a trip to Corregidor Island is an idea for next time, it's not exactly cheap but it is a day away from Manila , food provided and you get driven around the island by a decent driver in safety. I understand also the problems with feeding everyone, to be honest I put a stop to that a long time ago and told my mrs enough is enough. I don't mind feeding immediate family but when cousins, friends and in laws turn up they can feed themselves. You certainly covered a lot of ground in a short space of time though. Good report and fun to read.

P Burgos for your WS equivalent or Del Pilar for your very-dangerous-to-be-poncing-around-at-night equivalent. However, Del Pilar has the Manila Bay cafe, the best freelancer gaff in the whole of Manila. Girls are 3 deep, but you need to be hard on negotiating. I have no idea what S/T will rush you because I've only been there once and that was for an hour with Mrs Butch to see what all the fuss was about. Hotels are 50% more than LOS and 80% worse in quality. You'll pay 5 star money for 2 star in Manila especially, and there is also a 2 tier pricing system in the hotels. Do some searching but prepare to be disappointed. Bayview park hotel is about the best value in the area for Del Pilar, Burgos St is a couple of hundred peso away. Negotiate before entering the taxi and NEVER use the meter unless coming from an approved Taxi Rank like those outside Mall of Asia. Take a pic on your phone of the ID plate on the taxi drivers seatback and pretend to text it to someone, because kidnapping foreigners in Manila used to be a National sport. My advice: Get a F/L L/T from Manila Bay cafe, leave and entrust her with picking an alternative venue. Blue Wave at the Mall of Asia is a short 200 peso Taxi ride from Del Pilar with good restaurants and good live music, ironically on the same stretch road as the EDSA entertainment comlex should you wish to visit. The security there (EDSA) ask for cameras to be handed in but surprisingly for the RP, you do actually get them returned. Alternatively there is a Cowboy Grill up the road from MBC which does bloody brilliant food and all the beer you could drink for a pittance. Belts and braces if you've not been before: Don't use the ATM's but the money changers are fine, be "spatially" aware of your surroundings and what you are doing. Keep monies in the front pocket and prep a "throwdown" in case you get mugged. Don't try to bluff the muggers in Manila, unless you hapen have a firearm or an "Askal" (Dog) with you. Regardless of how tough a guy thinks he is, no one will ever fuck with you when you've got a tamed "street dog" alongside because they're vicious cunts and tend to hurt when they inevitably bite. Alot. Avoid the street dogs, they're vicious cunts. Filipino's are friendly and for the most part, genuine. You will hear tales of hardship but you will see even more. I've said this before and I'll say it again. A while (years) ago we landed at MNL, the car pulled up and we got in. Within 1/2 mile of the Airport sat in a traffic jam I looked out of the window and saw a baby girl, probably 18 months, dressed in a filthy pink or white dress on her own lying on the concrete pillar of the central meridian breathing in the shit and smog while being watched by 2 kids who were begging. We drove on. That night I cried tears of anger at myself for not doing something when I could have. I could have stopped the car, looked for the mother and given her 20 quid to take that kid and feed it. Instead, to my utter shame, I didn't and I feel a cunt for not doing it. Get used to seeing that level of poverty. Yes, Manila is a big City and arguably a great place for the western monger looking for pussy or even a wife, but if you get a chance have a look on youtube for "The Slum" on Al Jazeera to have an idea of where you are going. Cheers Butch

Hi, Just an update, EVA now offer 30kg baggage via any fares booked on their website. Just picked 2 random dates in Sept / Oct midweek flights, Sept is coming in at £465 and Oct at £441 both economy class fares with no mileage accruel, £25 to change ticket and £100 to refund. Elite class varies between £865 and £880.

Bloody hell, was just going to put up some prices I searched out in August / Sept the other day only to find the EVA website is down at the moment. Anyway if anyone is interested, EVA prices for 1 adult in Economy for travel in Sept is coming in at GPB425 on their website with certain ticketing restrictions (book by June fly before Dec) . Elite class is around GBP830. The Thai equivalent is between GBP520 and GBP834 depending upon your ticketing option the difference being that there's a 30kg allowance on Thai whereas EVA is 20 unless you go through Southall travel I believe. **Edit the website is fine, but doesn't want to work in my version of safari.

I must have missed this report recently in all the confusion. It doesn't seem to bad value at 650 plus I guess, and if you're hungry and at a loose end in that area of town it seems reasonable enough. How's the wine selection and prices?. Evil, does one just go in and get into the lift to the 6th floor or do you need to book or go to reception on arrival ?. (just in case the lifts are card access only). I'm liking the car bar, although to a petrolhead like me cutting up a VW campervan is ever so slightly sacreligious. thanks for posting, although the food looks halfway decent, I agree the hilton does seem better (and with a decent selection and free flow wine option as well).

I wish I was a girlie, just like my dear PaPa! Interesting Evil as myself and the family are flying out of there in a few months!. If we get time I might pop in.

I've used them several times in the past, never let me down. Good idea using the Innova as well, reason being is that they run their cars on LPG and the tank takes up space in the boot, so it might be a struggle fitting 3 cases plus hand carry in something like a Camry. I always send a confirmation email a week before departure as well and as a rule tip the driver 200 plus pay the tolls as long as he drives reasonably carefully and not like a fucking lunatic. As a bit of advice, the driver always waits on the first Immigration exit, there's 2 at Swampy, so as you get your luggage it'll be the exit at the far right hand side of the hall as you face it. One of the better providers of reasonably priced Taxis out there, and the cars are always clean, tidy and decent and they speak carying levels of English, but certainly know their way around town and the hotels.

I've found that driving defensively while in SEA takes its toll. Everyone treats you like a soft touch and the aggression soon builds up. 1/2 hour in Manila traffic would make a Nun swear. The biggest shock I often find is that people in the UK often say "thank you" if you give way to them, let them out of a junction or let them pass ahead, people in SEA really don't give a shit whether you let them out or not, and don't bother to acknowledge any act of kindness or road manners toward them. Mrs Butch nearly came a cropper when she first started driving, she couldn't let go of the Asian habit of flashing the headlights which translates as "I'm coming through", whereas in the UK it means to other drivers, "I'll wait here until you are through". she even gave an old guy the finger cos she couldn't work out why he kept coming when she was clearly going at a higher speed in the oncoming direction flashing her lights.

Great looking dishes and a great report EP. I'm a softie for French Onion soup, sadly where I live in the UK it's hard enough to find a decent French restaurant let alone one that can make it as it should. Brilliant report, thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.

Also our immune systems might have something to do with it, for example I no longer get a dose of the shits when visiting LOS or the RP, maybe after a while we build up antibodies in our gut and elsewhere in our bodies. As Jacko said there are defintiely more variables in how or what we catch and indeed when we get it. Often after 21+ hours of travel our immune systems are temporarily at a low point, especially after probably not sleeping and being exposed to 300 other people's farts and diseases while couped up on the plane. Factor in a few drunken nights, sleep debt and in some cases intimate relations with the locals, and the chances of infection increase exponentially I guess. Speaking of which, over the years there's a list of ailments which I've had while in LOS / RP as follows along with some total specualtion and guesswork as to how I got them: Red eye - from dirty blankets on the Aeroplane Strep Throat - from sticking my tongue in places it shouldn't have been Shits - From bad water / ice Shits / Vomiting - From eating chicken from a street vendor Shits / Vomiting worms (RP) - From eating 3 day old contaminated and unrefigerated "Pancit" (noodles) which contained liver and chicken after being told it is fine to do so by our maid. Cold - From A/C , Plane or a number of possibilities. Flu, cold and bad cough - See Above. Flu, cold, cough and sweats - See Above. Malaria Ovale - (Oman) Probably from a mosquito of some description. Chlamydia - From a generous Thai Bargirl who felt it would be nice to share. And so it continues...

Billions, the only serviceable part you can clean without getting a screwdriver out and disconnecting the power are the filters at the front located behind the plastic shroud. Basically if the unit is a wall mounted type (there's 3 types essentially), wall mounted which is a long unit and has a compressor unit outside, Cassete which is usually mounted in the middle of the ceiling and most often seen in an office and "window" mounted which re smaller, domestic units housing all the compressor / condensers etc and which go into a big hole in the wall, these were the most popular types back in the 80's and 90's in hotels and guest houses and have now given way to the wall mounted type. What you need to do is face the unit, look at the front of it and then check at each side for a plastic lug, pull these firmly towards yourself and the plastic cover should unclip and lift up on two hinges, lift it all the way up and it should click into the open position. Next you will see usually 2 shaped pieces of black or grey plastic mesh which are held in by clips, they simply unclip and pull out. Take them into the shower and clean them using some shower gel, you will see them become fully see through, the stuff coming off them is dead skin, air pollutants and dust. Replacement is just a matter of putting them back in, and they only go in one way so it's no more difficult than replacing a hoover bag or bin liner!. Before you replace them, allow them to fully dry, you could give them a spray with some after shave to negate any smells or odours like cigarettes. Ideally they'd be wiped down with anti bacterial or alcohol wipes, the other option is to leave them out in the hot sun for a while to dry out. Hotels don't, as a rule , service their units very often if ever, simply because it's an unneccessary expense and there's no legal obligation to do so. If a Hotel has 200 rooms, that's 200+ units to service once a year. One other danger is if there is stagnant water within the unit from either a leak or poor drainage of the condensation that forms on the evaporator, then that can harbour diseases such as legionnaires. Very unlikely but possible all the same. I often get a cold from Hotel Air con units, during our last trip we stayed at a friends house and we did run the A/C , none of us had any ill effects because he has them serviced once a year regardless. It might no be any help, but I take a large dose of Vit C before and during my trips, which might be a placebo but seems to help.