Bangkok Reports

[QUOTE=PipeLayer99;1819094]That sucks. How hard is it to just turn on the meter and go!?

If that ever happens again, just point to the meter and say taxi meter before you even get in. If the driver starts talking price, walk to the next taxi and ask again.

Good luck.[/QUOTE]And if they use the meter it more often turns out to be a hot one nowadays. Will cost me an extra 100-150 bath from the airport, so now I've stopped complaining. Last time I even used the Skytrain since I didn't have much luggage.

[QUOTE=TimBone;1819973]And if they use the meter it more often turns out to be a hot one nowadays. Will cost me an extra 100-150 bath from the airport, so now I've stopped complaining. Last time I even used the Skytrain since I didn't have much luggage.[/QUOTE]"Hot meters"? That is certainly not my experience in Bangkok.

I used to take the express airport train until that stopped running. Carrying my luggage on the normal airport train all the way to Phaya Thai station and then on the Skytrain to Asoke station was too much of a bother (and I'm not getting any younger either).

So of all the times I took a taxi from the airport to my hotel near Asoke, I doubt if the meter showed a price that was 50 bath more or less than the other taxis charged me and those differences could be easily explained by traffic jams or other deviations that are a fact of life in Bangkok.

I found most taxi-drivers courteous and willing to please. The few that suggested a "fixed price" would immediately relent after a polite "mai khrab" and "Please use the taximeter". None even tried to make unnecessary detours to rack up the price.

[QUOTE=Golfinho;1819883]"General purpose" ? What's that -- like a multi-vitamin, full spectrum? LOL. Better to resist the impulse to spew here than to say something useless.

Bacterial infections can be gram negative, gram positive. Or a ph00age interactive infection. Have any 'bad symptom thing' tested (so cheap and fast to do) and get prescribed the appropriate remedy.[/QUOTE]Sure however internet research can show what types of problems antibiotics are suitable for. For example Azithromycin is known to treat Chlamydia and also some other infections.

I have stated I buy spare antibiotics as have found some General practioners quite useless and the difficulty of getting doctor appointments in foreign countries where don't speak the language and on an urgent travel schedule.

It is essential to use the correct or siutable antiboitic for the right problem and take them on correct way.

General purpose only means that an antibiotic can be suitable for more than one condition and not every condition. I am not giving medical advice as am not a doctor. I merely say what I do.

Sometimes doctors guess wrong and prescribe the wrong treatment too. Happened to me too many times. If treatment works, its great. If not try again.

I once went to a GP in Germany exoecting them to test what type of infectikn I had. No. Said I would have to go to a specialist to get a test. Gave me eye drops that failed to work. They guessed wrong. Waste of time for me. Their guesswork was no better than mine. Azithromycin potentially could have worked if I got lucky. I had to put up with eye infection longer than necessary because of wrong treatmemt and no test to find out what it was.

A later treatment worked Gentamycin drops but I never found out what my infection was.

There do exist other problems where correct treatment is more obvious

Went to my usual pharmacist on Sukhumvit to stock up on meds. They provided everything I needed except for Valium. Although they did not say it, it was kinda clear from their body language that they don't do it for some enforcement reason.

Anyone have any info on this? Or where I might get some valium without hassle. I am only looking for a 5 MG strip.

[QUOTE=Simian;1820244]Went to my usual pharmacist on Sukhumvit to stock up on meds. They provided everything I needed except for Valium. Although they did not say it, it was kinda clear from their body language that they don't do it for some enforcement reason.

Anyone have any info on this? Or where I might get some valium without hassle. I am only looking for a 5 MG strip.[/QUOTE]The generic name of Valium is Diazepam. Since you are user of this drug so you know better why you used.

Diazepam is used to treat anxiety, acute alcohol withdrawal, and seizures. It is also used to relieve muscle spasms and to provide sedation before medical procedures. This medication belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines which act on the brain and nerves (central nervous system) to produce a calming effect. It works by enhancing the effects of a certain natural chemical in the body (GABA).

Other than that there lots of miss handling of this drug. Addicted peoples using this drug as a substitute of addiction material if not available in hand. More over it helps and causes suicidal attempts too.

Thats why this section contains uses of this drug that are not listed in the approved professional labeling for the drug but that may be prescribed by your health care professional. Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional. Thats why you might be correct not to sell out for some kind of enforcement reason, just need the valid prescription.

[QUOTE=Simian;1820244]Went to my usual pharmacist on Sukhumvit to stock up on meds. They provided everything I needed except for Valium. Although they did not say it, it was kinda clear from their body language that they don't do it for some enforcement reason.

Anyone have any info on this? Or where I might get some valium without hassle. I am only looking for a 5 MG strip.[/QUOTE]In most countries Valium (Diazepam) is on the restricted list and considered an illegal drug when not prescribed by a doctor. Some countries even do not allow import unless you have a [B]local[/B] prescription or import licence.

Be very careful in Thailand where drug related offences are treated harshly.

[QUOTE=Simian;1820244]Went to my usual pharmacist on Sukhumvit to stock up on meds. They provided everything I needed except for Valium. Although they did not say it, it was kinda clear from their body language that they don't do it for some enforcement reason.
Anyone have any info on this? Or where I might get some valium without hassle. I am only looking for a 5 MG strip.[/QUOTE]You must to go in the Doctor Clinic and they will give to you. Also in Pattaya they don't sell valium, xanax, alprazolam or similar in the pharmacy but if you go the clinic you will have this kind of medicines without any question or problem.

[QUOTE=Wolvenvacht;1820134]"Hot meters"? That is certainly not my experience in Bangkok.

I used to take the express airport train until that stopped running. Carrying my luggage on the normal airport train all the way to Phaya Thai station and then on the Skytrain to Asoke station was too much of a bother (and I'm not getting any younger either).

So of all the times I took a taxi from the airport to my hotel near Asoke, I doubt if the meter showed a price that was 50 bath more or less than the other taxis charged me and those differences could be easily explained by traffic jams or other deviations that are a fact of life in Bangkok.

I found most taxi-drivers courteous and willing to please. The few that suggested a "fixed price" would immediately relent after a polite "mai khrab" and "Please use the taximeter". None even tried to make unnecessary detours to rack up the price.[/QUOTE]A few years ago I took an airport taxi to my hotel in the general Sukhumvit area and the metered fare was about 150 baht more than it should have been (there was little traffic or delays on the trip so that didn't account for the high fare). I also had stayed at that hotel tens of times so knew what the fare should have been and I also confirmed there were no recent fare increases. When I got to the hotel the bellmen agreed the fare was way too high and made the taxi accept what was the usual fare (approximately) to the hotel.

Around the same time period, I also had a couple of airport taxis refuse to turn on the meter, and I ended up getting out of their taxis.

Since then I have had a taxi driver I know pick me up at the airport so I don't know whether my few bad experiences a few years ago happens much if at all these days. But it was because of a few bad experiences with taxis at the airport that I decided to rely on one taxi I know.

I should add though that just before I settled on one taxi, the government did start a program to clean up the taxi situation at the airport. And from what I gather that program was a success, whether a perfect success or just partial I don't know.

[QUOTE=LAGuy5;1820347]<SNIP>

I should add though that just before I settled on one taxi, the government did start a program to clean up the taxi situation at the airport. And from what I gather that program was a success, whether a perfect success or just partial I don't know.[/QUOTE]I don't know how long it has been since you used SVB taxis LAG but now you have to line up to get a ticket from a machine which prints out the Bay number, Taxi ID and name of driver and you then walk across to that bay. You have a printed record of the details plus phone numbers to call if service is not good.

I have used these taxis 3 times in July and August this year and it was smooth as you like. No scams.

[QUOTE=RedKilt;1820368]I don't know how long it has been since you used SVB taxis LAG but now you have to line up to get a ticket from a machine which prints out the Bay number, Taxi ID and name of driver and you then walk across to that bay. You have a printed record of the details plus phone numbers to call if service is not good.

I have used these taxis 3 times in July and August this year and it was smooth as you like. No scams.[/QUOTE]Well as I posted it has been a few years as I now have a taxi driver who comes and picks me up. I also mentioned in my post there was a more recent effort by the government to clean up the taxi situation although I did not know one way or the other how successful it was; it sounds from your post it seems to have worked, which is a very good thing. The last thing one wants after arriving in Bangkok after a long plane flight is to deal with difficult or dishonest taxi drivers.

[QUOTE=LAGuy5;1820376]The last thing one wants after arriving in Bangkok after a long plane flight is to deal with difficult or dishonest taxi drivers.[/QUOTE]Hard not to deal with "difficult" taxi drivers when taking the taxis from the first floor. Many of them will want a flat fee to take you to your destination, probably 500 Baht. Just smile and say meter. You might have to say meter a few times. It ALWAYS works.

Many of them will complain that they don't make enough money from the meter. Just be friendly, agree and say, "that's why you're Red Shirt". That usually shuts them up.

[QUOTE=MuaTur;1820275]The generic name of Valium is Diazepam. Since you are user of this drug so you know better why you used.

Diazepam is used to treat anxiety, acute alcohol withdrawal, and seizures. Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional. Thats why you might be correct not to sell out for some kind of enforcement reason, just need the valid prescription.[/QUOTE]Seen lots of Valium (most likely fake) sold on the stalls in low sukhumvit, aside kamagra sachets etc. Wondering who uses it. I can understand viagra and kamagra in sex steaming BKK, but Valium?

[QUOTE=RedKilt;1820368]I don't know how long it has been since you used SVB taxis LAG but now you have to line up to get a ticket from a machine which prints out the Bay number, Taxi ID and name of driver and you then walk across to that bay. You have a printed record of the details plus phone numbers to call if service is not good.

I have used these taxis 3 times in July and August this year and it was smooth as you like. No scams.[/QUOTE]I never took taxis on normal arrivals level due bureacractic stuffing arpound causing a wait in a long line of customers. Then you pay 50 for the privilege. Is this fixed?

I don't have much trouble on Departures level. I refuse drivers that come running to me. I take guys politely waiting at their taxi or preferrably having just dropped off a customer. They are so grateful to get a customer, there is no scamming attempt. It's a long time since one did not use the meter. If the offered fee is fair, I would take it. Cost of rides have gone up recently.

Anyway due to competition can ask any driver his price and simply move to next one if offer is not good. I suppose it's much easier for me speaking Thai fluently. They will know there is no point ro try to rip me off.

To me, any ridiculous price is simply an indicator they do not really want my business. In other places, parked taxis never want my business. I catch moving taxis passing by, stopping them to talk to them of course.

[QUOTE=BionicMan;1820433]Seen lots of Valium (most likely fake) sold on the stalls in low sukhumvit, aside kamagra sachets etc. Wondering who uses it. I can understand viagra and kamagra in sex steaming BKK, but Valium?[/QUOTE]I am afraid Valium 5 MG or 10 MG mostly wrong used by addicted persons. It is relatively supper cheap than other drugs for addicted persons. And it is very easy to dump up to addicted persons with fake or origin Valiums. If fake Valiums don't work to the users the addicted person think it is his fault. He never think the drug is fake. So it is very easy to cheat the addicted person with fake Valiums.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;1820573] I catch moving taxis passing by, stopping them to talk to them of course.[/QUOTE]Really? I always thought you would jump into a moving taxi through the open window. You really disappoint me now. :)

Best wishes for the New Year to all fellow members! Remember this is a leap year, so one extra day to catch that cute Thai pussy!