Evil Penevil

Asiana codes the flight as 77W, which shows up as a 777-300ER on the Websites of other airlines (see the screenshot in post #2). It's actually a 777-200ER. But you can call Asiana to confirm, that's what I did. As far as I know, Asiana is still offering first-class suites on the JFK-ICN route. I am booked to fly JFK-ICN in March, again in first class. Evil

I'm setting up pre-Christmas visits to Pattaya Orphanage, the Camillian Center in Rayong and perhaps other places to help bring a bit of Christmas cheer to the kids. If you'd like to join, please send me a PM and I'll get back to you with the details. If any of you know a group or institution that works with kids but isn't as well known as some others, I'm happy to take part in visits to those places. It looks like the visit to the Camillian Center will go down on Dec. 17, but the date for the visit to the Pattaya Orphanage hasn't been spiked yet. It will happen sometime between Dec. 18 and Dec. 24, probably Dec. 21 or Dec. 22. As I did last year, I'll be going dressed as Santa with a bag of presents for the kids. Everything is very flexible in terms of how you participate. How much your donate is your personal business, nobody has to know but you. The details of what and how much to buy we can work out via PM or on the phone. We can have a collective buying session or you can do it on your own. The Orphanage gives each of the older kids an envelope with cash so they can buy their own presents and you can contribute cash if you prefer it that way. Many thanks and Merry Christmas well in advance! Santa Penevil You can find the complete reports here and here. Some photos from last year's visit that included several FLB members:

Last night's supper at the Butcher's Arms on Soi Bukhao: For me, chicken tikka masala with rice pillau. My friend (from the U.S., no less) chose cottage pie. And both of us had pints of Heineken at 100 baht. Very fresh draft (as it should be). Reasonable prices for the food, if not cheap. Chicken tikka masala and cottage pie were both 230 baht (plus 45 baht for my rice pillau). They had fish 'n chips as the daily special at 195 baht. Evil

I got a tuna sandwich from the Central Food Hall in the basement of the Central Festival Mall for my dinner tonight. It was very tasty and filling. It was a huge sandwich, about 5" thick. The slices of "muesli bread" were a nice touch, as the dried fruit and nuts in the bread complemented the tuna, diced veggies and fresh lettuce very well. They had a two-for-one special at 129 baht, so the sandwich was a bargain at 64.50 b. Good selection of other sandwiches as well. Evil

You might want to try contacting this place- Winner Inn on Soi Bukhao. I haven't stayed there, but a friend did and thought it was OK. He said the location was convenient and the room was good value for money. You are in a bit of a tough situation. It's not a good idea to commit yourself for a period of three months unless you or a trusted friend has had recent first-hand experience with the place. But Pattaya usually fills up quickly for the period Dec. 15 - Jan. 15 and guest house owners aren't likely to offer discounts from peak season rates for anything less than a three-month rental. Best idea might be to cover yourself for Dec and first two weeks of Jan, then look for a place you really like while on the ground. Many apartments were available in mid-January when I began looking, far more than I needed to see before finding the one I chose. Of course, I was after a 12-month lease and that changes the bargaining dynamics considerably, but plenty of them could rented on a monthly basis. Evil

If I remember right, Opey De Place has a wading pool or at least one end that is very shallow, Kids, including my then-girlfriend's five-year-old daughter, were in the pool every day. A pic from the hotel's Website (http://www.opeydeplacepattaya.com/): I believe the area in the lower right of the pic is the wading pool. Evil

This tragedy is a reminder of the need for sea-going vessels to have life vests for every passenger. And the Thai authorities need to get serious in enforcing the rules about overloading ferries. Evil

Different news sources have different versions: From the Bangkok Post: From Phuket Wan: Evil

Apparently the guy who gave you the negative vote didn't think so. Anyway, I just wish the Russians who visit Pattaya would show the same spirit as in Gabor's video. Evil

Bell Bus has become a victim of its own success. In the beginning, it was a fast, convenient and cheap way to get to Pattaya from Swampy. The reclining seats made it much more comfortable than a taxi. But its growing popularity has meant that the buses are often full to last seat, with a lot of passengers traveling in a group. This has caused delays because the groups often have too much luggage and there's not enough room for everyone's suitcase under the bus. Last time I used Bell from Swampy was in 2011 and the bus was delayed 30 minutes in departing because of all the hassles. I still use Bell on occasion to go to Bangkok, but the premium you pay for a taxi is worth avoiding all the inconvenience of the bus. Evil

Not a pleasant experience for you, but a good story. Whenever I hear about these kinds of misadventures, I think about Dorothy's line in The Wizard of Oz: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." Evil

Yes, the Rockhouse has lost its cook and food service has been suspended until a replacement can be found. Too bad. Evil

Loy Kratong is a major holiday that generates huge sales and revenues for many, many businesses in Thailand. It would have been insane to attempt to postpone mass celebrations. Halloween is another matter. That's a foreign import and basically only affects businesses catering to farang customers, although it does indeed generate a lot of money for Thais. Personally, I'll be very happy if Halloween proceeds as usual. I've had majorly fun nights the last few years on Oct. 31 in Pattaya. I just have to make sure I don't max out on the drinking too early. Evil

I asked about this at the Hertz counter at Newark Liberty because I could have faced the same situation as MM and syd-tybil on my next trip to the U.S. - an expired state license but a valid license from another country (not Thailand). I was told renting with a foreign driver's license but no IDP wouldn't be a problem at any major U.S. airport, but could be a problem at more obscure locations. Also, the counter clerk warned about possible hassles with local law enforcement, up to and including having the vehicle impounded. Luckily, I was able to get my state license renewed this trip, so it won't be a hassle for me. Evil

I had planned to update this report from Incheon, but the cards came down otherwise. Strong headwinds added 40 minutes to the flight and there was a delay in de-planing, so 60 minutes disappeared from the time on the ground before the flight to Bangkok. It took another 30 minutes to clear the security check and by then, only 30 minutes were left until the BKK flight started boarding. I decided not to bother with the Asiana First-Class lounge and went straight to the departure gate instead. The ICN-BKK flight took off on time and landed an hour ahead of schedule. The biz class on Asiana was nothing special - a bit outdated if anything - and I didn't take any pics. Anyway, some pics and comments from the 14-hour, 40-minute flight from JFK to Incheon. The enclosed suite was indeed comfortable. Most striking was the amount of space each first-class passengers had and the big screen for the in-flight entertainment system. I didn't notice much difference between the seat itself and other airlines' lie-flat seats. Also, the "enclosed" aspect didn't seem much to crow about. There are two small doors that can drawn together to shut the passenger off from the rest of the passengers, but they are so low that anyone walking past can see what's happening inside the "suite." I think the doors are more symbolic than anything else, a clear signal the passenger doesn't want to be disturbed. The seat: ... Entertainment screen (lots of first-run films on offer): The storage bin under the scree, Plenty of room in it for everything needed during the flight. The view out the window before take-off at JFK; The in-flight amenities (you didn't get to keep the headphones). They also gave you pajamas, plus a "parting gift" of two books. The menu: First appetizer: Second appetizer (real caviar): Third appetizer: Fourth appetizer: Salad: I chose the Korean main course (bibimbap), but the customary Western options were also available (beef, fish or chicken). Cheese and fruit: Raspberry torte, although it was more like raspberry cheesecake to me: It's clear Asiana has a very solid product in its "first-class suites," but I wasn't blown away by the experience. It's possible that if I'd flown out of Incheon on Asiana, I would have had a more lavish experience. Dawn as we flew over the North Pole: Evil

Asiana doesn't have its own lounge at JFK, so I"m sitting in the Swiss Airlines' lounge (Asiana gave me a pass for it). It is one of the smaller and more modest airline lounges I've seen, but at least it has a fast Internet connection. Boarding starts in 40 minutes. Let's hope the Boeing 777-200er looks like this the whole way to Seoul: and not like the one that crashed at SFO: So far nothing fancy about the pre-flight stuff in First Class. No passengers were at the First Class counter, but it didn't go especially fast because the agent hassled me about not having a return flight itinerary to show her. I explained I had a multiple-entry visa to Thailand and didn't need to prove I had a return flight, but she had to call over a supervisor to get approval. I got to use the fast track lane through security, which did save me some time. TSA was being very thorough and had some problems with the Korean passengers, several of whom were carrying liquids and argued about throwing them out. Time to head to the gate, next update from Incheon. Evil

That's distressing. Seems like the food has gone down since I ate there. The rice and refried beans don't look the same as in my pic. I wonder if it was the same cook as the nights I was there? Consistency has always been the hobgoblin of small of restaurants in Pattaya. Evil

I called Asiana and they still have the first-class suites on the JFK-ICN route. It won't be easy! Evil

Wow! You had me scared, as I'm booked on that route in first-class in five days. But what I can gather from the Internet, Asiana is still using the "enclosed suite" version of the 777 200ER on the JFK-ICN route. Here's part of a recent report: You can read the full report here. Got a problem with my cell phone, but plan on getting it straightened out this afternoon. I'll call Asiana to check for sure. Not much I can do at this late date in case they say "no first-class suites," but at least I won't be disappointed as I board the aircraft. Evil