TheFiend

A taped up Boeing wing....

https://simpleflying.com/qatar-airways-boeing-777-freighter-wing-collision/ Bit of duct tape and it'll be good to go!!! There's plenty of Boeing 787 Nightmareliners flying around with taped-up wings - the tape is used to cover cracks in the wing surface coating due to wing flex....

Congrats on the 17 years... Wish was there to be able to celebrate with you!!!

I stopped at the i-Rovers once for 4 nights and wasn't very impressed by the rooms.

I've just clicked on it and it came up OK for me. New members don't get automatic access to the members forum, but you can browse and post in the "Open to everyone section" This is what you will need to do...

That could apply to any pavement in Thailand!!!

When I landed at Swampy on this trip wandered down to the basement level to see if the FX booths down there were open Good news - they are open. Upstairs at arrivals was 39.95 to 1GBP, down there it was at 42.95!!!

The extra cost will depend on where you're flying.. I've also started using banked air-miles to reduce total cost. Don't travel often enough to collect enough for reward flights but since Qatar brought in using miles to help pay for flights I've spent them that way..I used my miles last time, for our upcoming flights I've used Mrs Fiends.

Cheap? No, just different priorities for my spending money. If I was cheap I'd be paying the lowest fare possible to fly, but I don't. Since Qatar changed from 30Kg and free seat selection on economy, to a tiered economy fares structure with varying amounts of checked luggage, seat selection not-included/included and differing mileage accrual I'm paying the extra to get 30Kg checked baggage and seat selection.

I've flown economy and business class and to me business class isn't worth paying the extra for what you get.

While other airlines switched their 777's 3-4-3 to squeeze more passengers in Thai kept the 3-3-3 layout and it's nice to see the 3 new ones supplied in that configuration. I've flown on Thai 772, 773 and 77W's BKK-CNX-BKK

I believe they have retained the 3-3-3 economy layout for the 3 new 777-300ER's.

Plenty of available ladies on thaifriendly without having to stump up 1000 baht barfines....

You need to be wary of motorbikes all the time, you'll often see them traveling the wrong direction on your side of the road and you'll often come across them at night with no lights on on rural roads.

All I can remember buying is some polo shirts and she bought some crap as gifts for her friends in the UK. Spent a few hours in there and only got round about half of the market.

I've been dragged round there by the Mrs....amazing place...

They are listed as being withdrawn from use and stored since 2020 and it's very unlikely they will ever return to service. Going forward it looks like TG will only operate A350XWB and 777/787

I applied for a Thailand pass in November for me and Mrs Fiend...... hers came back in 8 hours, mine took 4 days before it was granted!!!

Mrs Fiend has savings accounts in Thailand with multiple banks, but doesn't have a main bank she uses..... I'll be sorting out a Thai bank account for me later on this year.

When we arrived 30th November 2021 the lady in the FX booth tried to convince us that due to the COVID situation we wouldn't be able to get money exchanged at banks in the provinces... Ignored her advice and had no problems getting our cash swapped for baht at the bank.

Not exactly bloody cold up north... 16 degrees at night and hitting 30 during the day. Certainly beats being in the UK where it was snowing when I left 6 days ago

Sad seeing some of the TG fleet parked up in storage at Swampy, looked like a few hadn't moved for a hell of a long time.

Just flown the Qatar 787-9 on the MAN-DOH route and it's an improvement on the 787-8. The legroom is more bearable and they don't have the dreaded metal boxes underneath the seats. They don't feel as cramped. The flight was just about full. The meal service was ok but missing the little things like butter, salt and pepper. Have noticed the timekeeping on QR 28 hasn't been the best lately and was 1.5 hours late departing due to late arrival from DOH. Made up 30 minutes on the way

At the moment I believe if you have arrive at BKK you have to clear immigration at BKK and do the "Test and Go" thing with a 1 night stay in a SHA/AQ hotel before you would be allowed to fly to Koh Samui. I don't think they are currently allowing CIQ transfers for other Thai airports.

I loved the Qatar A340-600's, managed to enjoy them on the QR836/837 DOH-BKK legs on 2 trips before they were retired.... Had booked a 3rd trip on them but sadly a month before the trip they were withdrawn and the A330-300 was used instead.