General Reports

Got back my testosterone test in the email from red cross about 3 working days later. My result was absolutely right on average for my age group, slightly above the middle of the normal range. The downside it is less than when we were 20 Year Olds, although the decline is slow. Is this why I am not thinking about sex every waking moment any more? LOL.

Another test showed a minor unrelated condition was under fair control but could up my medication slightly.

I think Red Cross is going to give the best prices for blood tests and fairly fast results, especially with very fast STD results.

Location is intersection of Ratchadamri and Sarasin (west side of Ratchadamri). Thais do not seem to recognise the street name Sarasin, when I go there on motorcycle. They refer to it as Lang Suan (Behind Lumpini park), even though the real Lang Suan road runs parallel to Ratchadamri.

[URL]http://www.internationalsexguide.nl/forum/showthread.php?965-Jakarta&p=2237886&viewfull=1[/URL]

There is my report as a newbie to Jakarta comparing to Bangkok, just for any other newbies going to Jakarta, that may help indicate something of major differences.

Won't be at all useful to experienced Jakarta old hands.

Saw this report and thought that I'd remind hobbyists not to act as you would back home when inebriated.

[URL]https://www.yahoo.com/news/brit-canadian-face-10-years-jail-spraying-thai-084440088.html[/URL]

[QUOTE=Turgid;2238000]Saw this report and thought that I'd remind hobbyists not to act as you would back home when inebriated.

[URL]https://www.yahoo.com/news/brit-canadian-face-10-years-jail-spraying-thai-084440088.html[/URL][/QUOTE]Idiots deserve every year and Baht fine given to them. Bad enough spraying any wall but a heritage listed one. By the way who travels will spray cans of paint? They can't really say it was spur of the moment.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2235203]Counsellor suggests that long term blood tests for Herpes Simplex Virus 1 & 2 are not really worth anything, since not very definitive, and normal test does not distinguish between cold sores and genital herpes anyway (types 1 and 2). No point to test unless have visible symptoms such as sores or lesions. So if never had any of those (as in my case), then don't even bother.

[/QUOTE]The Western Blot test for HSV can differentiate between type I and II. And why test for HSV? Some people are asymptomatic. My brother in law married a virgin and soon after marriage she came down with a bad case of genital herpes. Turns out he got it from a hooker a few years earlier but he never, even to this day, had any symptoms. Lucky him, but since he did not know he had it, unlucky her.

But regarding mongering, if she never gets tested for HSV, she can pass all the other tests (syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV, etc) and you will mistakenly think she is clean and safe for bareback, until you do it and a few days later you get some sores down there. If you are married, consider yourself busted, and she won't be happy.

You can say you don't need to tested as there will be nothing you can do if you do have it, but that is wrong. You can take responsibility and not go bare with others! Even if you don't care about her, the herpes you give her will end up residing in some of us who might stupidly give in to bareback! No, you didn't deserve to get it either, but why deliberately pass it on?

I know, I am the only one here who harps about HSV, but I hear people still say that if they and the woman get tested for the other stuff they are safe for BB, but that is not true! And, I suppose, since I occasionally do BB, I am preaching to myself.

[QUOTE=FLHawk;2238402]
You can say you don't need to tested as there will be nothing you can do if you do have it, but that is wrong. You can take responsibility and not go bare with others! Even if you don't care about her, the herpes you give her will end up residing in some of us who might stupidly give in to bareback! No, you didn't deserve to get it either, but why deliberately pass it on?

I know, I am the only one here who harps about HSV, but I hear people still say that if they and the woman get tested for the other stuff they are safe for BB, but that is not true! And, I suppose, since I occasionally do BB, I am preaching to myself.[/QUOTE]I tired to do the right thing, to know if I ever had HSV2, but in the end after two long term tests, both times they tested for both HSV1 and 2 together, not what I asked for, and never got a definitive result, and then told these tests are not worth much.

Testing for a current outbreak of HSV is much easier. I have not really done a lot of bare backing in my time. Fairly limited number of girls over many years that were regular partners, however everyone has a condom break incident sometime. I was not too concerned about HSV1 really since well over half the population have had that, but I never had anything that looked like a definite cold sore, nor the so called tingling sensation warning that one is coming.

I don't seem to have given HSV2 to anyone, but would be nice if there was a very definite test that could rule out that I ever had it completely. If I should ever get a visible sore, or a symptom of something amiss, I will use a condom temporarily (with Mrs) until can be tested. So I try to be responsible. Obviously no one wants to give something to the Mrs.

Many years a go I fucked a girl that had a mark on her ass that she claimed was herpes, however I was doubtful. Wasn't very close to her genitals at all. She just stuck a bandaid (sticking bandage) over it. Is bandaid an international word? I am not sure. A brand name I guess. I did not seem to catch anything from her.

So I tried to test for everything known, but turned out wasn't easy to do that. Everything else was negative anyway. I only ever contracted Chlamydia, and easily fixed fortunately (along with very easily acquired).

For guys that take risky activities with unknown girls, as well as HIV test, I would suggest regular Chlamydia and Gonor. tests since those 2 seem to be easiest to catch, and test for everything on occasion.

Taking antibiotics is not a great idea, as stuffs up gut body good bacteria balance. Use when really necessary only. It leads to weight control problems. Years ago they used to suggest Doxycycline as prophylactic against Malaria. Really bad idea is going to kill bacteria that are useful to your gut.

Some of you obviously know nothing about HSV. It has absolutely nothing to do with bareback sex. It is transmitted through skin to skin contact so unless you wear a body condom you can catch it. It is also very easy to control all you have to do is take Valtrex or a generic. Costs pennies a day has no known side effects and has the bonus of not only stopping you from having outbreaks but by making you 90% less likely of passing it on to someone else. Because it makes it stay dormant in the spine.

If you really want to know the facts you should talk to a good dermatologist, Also they expect a vaccine within a few years.

I'm not a doctor but I did stay.

I had no choice to come now as I have no time in the next 4-6 months. It seems to rain even more than the rainy season of May, June. Also, today's holiday was totally unexpected as it didn't show up on any of the calendars listing public holidays. I thought the massage girl Monday was wrong telling me about it.

[QUOTE=Jim200;2239881]I had no choice to come now as I have no time in the next 4-6 months. It seems to rain even more than the rainy season of May, June. Also, today's holiday was totally unexpected as it didn't show up on any of the calendars listing public holidays. I thought the massage girl Monday was wrong telling me about it.[/QUOTE]Nope to nearly everything. The Ork Phansa religious Buddhist public holiday (this year 24 Oct) is very well known and on all good web sites re public holidays for 2018. I mentioned it in a post the day before Monday. You should have taken notice of the girl.

Do a search for "nightlife bangkok public-holidays-closures-in-Thailand"

[URL]https://pattayasanook.com/thai-culture/thailand-holidays/[/URL] is one site to show it. another bangkoksnightlife. something also shows it.

It is possible to be missing from some web sites as date is not fixed each year I believe and follows the moon phase perhaps. Full moon, 11th Thai lunar month (October) LOL.

So alcohol sales were out for the day. Hookers can still be found. I am sure not all MPs close. They are not officially "entertainment" venues. LOL.

It is raining less than full rainy season. Rainy season seems to be well over IMHO. Perhaps you don't know what real monsoon rains are like. LOL When it comes down in bucket loads and hardly stops for several days, that is bad. In peak rainy season, expect flooding, occasionally finding streets have knee deep water.

[QUOTE=HoustonPlayer;2239128]Some of you obviously know nothing about HSV. It has absolutely nothing to do with bareback sex. It is transmitted through skin to skin contact so unless you wear a body condom you can catch it. It is also very easy to control all you have to do is take Valtrex or a generic. Costs pennies a day has no known side effects and has the bonus of not only stopping you from having outbreaks but by making you 90% less likely of passing it on to someone else. Because it makes it stay dormant in the spine.

If you really want to know the facts you should talk to a good dermatologist, Also they expect a vaccine within a few years.

I'm not a doctor but I did stay.[/QUOTE]Thanks for info, interesting, however you are a bit too dogmatic (as though know everything). We cannot be experts and have only web sources to read. When a normal doctor told me I had cold sores, I happened to go to a Dermatologist as well, and he said straight off, no they were not cold sores at all, but a simple bacterial infection known as Impetigo (and easy to treat). So yes it pays to see a specialist, rather than a GP, who knows rather little about many diseases. Even a dermatologist once tried to tell me my scalp acne (pimples under hair) was dandruff. Another specialist agree it was acne where the first one said that was impossible. Even experts can be very wrong. Very few doctors ever heard of my allergy.

However see this:
"[URL]https://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes-detailed.htm[/URL]".

I quote:
"Infections are transmitted through contact with HSV in herpes lesions, mucosal surfaces, genital secretions, or oral secretions. 5 HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be shed from normal-appearing oral or genital mucosa or skin. Generally, a person can only get HSV-2 infection during genital contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. However, receiving oral sex from a person with an oral HSV-1 infection can result in getting a genital HSV-1 infection. ".

Most websites suggest that HSV-2 is caught far more easily from penis uncovered in vagina. Does not mean all other transmissions are impossible, however we mostly protect against likely things or things than can be protected against, not strikes of lightning. I don't think shaking hands for example is considered a HSV risk. I won't be wearing latex gloves for all body contacts, or a body condom. Web sites suggest guys have lower risk of catching it than girls from an infected person of other sex.

Would be interesting to see numbers of guys catching HSV2 while claiming no BB sex, as we know the condom does not cover entire crotch area, and transmission still vaguely possible.

HSV1 seems to be generally considered to be caught from oral contact, either oral to oral, or sexual oral.

[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpes_simplex[/url] suggest that condoms is a good protection against HSV2 although not infallible, as always. HSV2 is considered an STD.

As I once caught Chlamydia Eye (from finger in pussy), I am aware that there alternate ways to pass on an STD. The eye specialist firstly did not consider that as a possibility, till I managed to get tests done, yet is a well documented condition.

Here is a very long technical article:

[URL]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804398/[/URL]

It confirms use of condoms is not sure to prevent transmission, but not very clear about probable reasons. Does not mention condom slipping off, breakage, faults etc. People surveyed are known to tell lies also or forget things. So not very clear just how effective condoms are considered to be (when used properly).

It does say that could take many sex encounters to pass HSV2 on average. So have to be unlucky to catch it in a one off encounter. Older persons more likely to have resistance and less likely to catch it.

I always thought that having never had a cold sore to date, to my knowledge, that I might be unlikely to ever catch one, regardless of how many girls tongue kissed. Must be hundreds over time.

I'm pretty sure that the questions I'm about to ask are rather stupid but I'm a new to Thailand and closed mouths don't get fed so here it goes:

1) I'm leaving Pattaya on the 5th and that's a holiday. I figure its not a bad time to leave Thailand so I'm taking the red eye out of BKK that night. Being a holiday, is it going to be difficult to get transportation from Pattaya to Bangkok and if so, what recs would you all have to get there?

2) Once I arrive in BKK and my flight leaves early morning on the 6th, can I just go to the airport, get my boarding pass, check my luggage, go enjoy the festivities, then come back and take off?

[QUOTE=TheBronx;2241278]I'm pretty sure that the questions I'm about to ask are rather stupid but I'm a new to Thailand and closed mouths don't get fed so here it goes:

1) I'm leaving Pattaya on the 5th and that's a holiday. I figure its not a bad time to leave Thailand so I'm taking the red eye out of BKK that night. Being a holiday, is it going to be difficult to get transportation from Pattaya to Bangkok and if so, what recs would you all have to get there?

2) Once I arrive in BKK and my flight leaves early morning on the 6th, can I just go to the airport, get my boarding pass, check my luggage, go enjoy the festivities, then come back and take off?[/QUOTE]In regards to public holidays in Thailand there is a website that tells you how many services operate. Transport to the airport should be ok.

I'm not sure about question 2.

[QUOTE=TheBronx;2241278]{Snip}

2) Once I arrive in BKK and my flight leaves early morning on the 6th, can I just go to the airport, get my boarding pass, check my luggage, go enjoy the festivities, then come back and take off?[/QUOTE]Probably not. There are a few luggage storage places in the airport arrivals area you can use. Not sure what they charge though.

Don't discount the impacts of Bangkok traffic on your plans.

[QUOTE=TheBronx;2241278]I'm pretty sure that the questions I'm about to ask are rather stupid but I'm a new to Thailand and closed mouths don't get fed so here it goes:

1) I'm leaving Pattaya on the 5th and that's a holiday. I figure its not a bad time to leave Thailand so I'm taking the red eye out of BKK that night. Being a holiday, is it going to be difficult to get transportation from Pattaya to Bangkok and if so, what recs would you all have to get there?

2) Once I arrive in BKK and my flight leaves early morning on the 6th, can I just go to the airport, get my boarding pass, check my luggage, go enjoy the festivities, then come back and take off?[/QUOTE]At one point you say leaving at night, then say early next morning, so not sure if you mean just after midnight or more like 5 am. Perhaps not relevant.

Nope I don't think arranging transport to Bangkok will be a problem. Plenty of people have to work every day and need money. They will appreciate the traffic being lower than normal. Not like some other countries where a taxi was very scarce on a holiday. However you did not say how much much is your budget and what is preferred type of transport. Others can advise on best options for a price.

You cannot check in your luggage for a flight long in advance. 3 hours before is probably the limit I think. You maybe able to checkin to your flight 24 hours ahead online but still have to do bag drop. You can store the bag in the airport luggage store. Check to make sure it is open 24 hours of course. I recall one luggage store in Frankfurt airport was not open 24 hours, but there should be one at Suwanaphum. You can do bag drop 1 hour before flight leaves, but at less than 30 minutes to go, may not be allowed. Not sure what happens if already checked in. Not sure what it means if flight is closed. So I would say bad drop should be done between 1 to 3 hours before flight departs.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2241433]
You cannot check in your luggage for a flight long in advance. 3 hours before is probably the limit I think. You maybe able to checkin to your flight 24 hours ahead online but still have to do bag drop. [/QUOTE]Yes you're right. 3 hours is the minimum. The new rules regarding carriers not being prepared to cross-check bags to other airlines has made my current travels through 3 different airports with 3 different carriers much more difficult. I had little choice because of my timetable but next time I will try to go all the way with one carrier only (or 2 at the most)

I won't mention the ports I am visiting because it might identify me.

Because I am on a longer-term assignment and I need to travel with a larger check-in bag with clothes and papers etc then I have to go through immigration, retrieve my bag on arrival and then check-in for the onward flight. One connection was a 7.5-hour stopover; the other was much shorter and manageable

When I tried to check in early the friendly agent at the desk said that bags will be accepted 3 hours or less before a flight and I still had around 6. 5 hours to kill which I was planning to spend in the business class lounge.

When I pushed him to check in my bag so I could go through to the lounge he convinced me that I really didn't want to chance it because if he did so the chances of my bag being lost on the way to my onward plane was highly likely (as it had happened before). I would have to sign a waiver that I would not take action against the airline if my bag didn't arrive with me.

Losing my bag was the last thing I needed so I put my bag into storage and headed out into the city to kill a few hours before returning for early check-in.

Obviously you cannot risk this at some of the isolated airports or those where the traffic is unpredictable (like Manila, Thailand, Jakarta etc).

[QUOTE=RedKilt;2241440]
Because I am on a longer-term assignment and I need to travel with a larger check-in bag with clothes and papers etc then I have to go through immigration, retrieve my bag on arrival and then check-in for the onward flight. One connection was a 7.5-hour stopover; the other was much shorter and manageable

When I tried to check in early the friendly agent at the desk said that bags will be accepted 3 hours or less before a flight and I still had around 6. 5 hours to kill which I was planning to spend in the business class lounge.

When I pushed him to check in my bag so I could go through to the lounge he convinced me that I really didn't want to chance it because if he did so the chances of my bag being lost on the way to my onward plane was highly likely (as it had happened before). I would have to sign a waiver that I would not take action against the airline if my bag didn't arrive with me.

So I put my bag into storage and headed out into the city to kill a few hours before returning for early check-in.
[/QUOTE]Yes that is almost same as what happens to me (and living out of suitcases).

It pays to arrive and leave Bangkok on a Sunday as traffic is much lower. It pays to leave and return to Suwanaphum by the back road, when traffic is bad on the motorway, or always if you have no way to check. So I often tell taxi to take back road as though were heading to Pattaya and go via Bang Na. This would not be necessary on a Sunday or quiet public holiday. Will cost me more but save time.

Above all, make sure your taxi driver understands that you want the quickest route, not the cheapest, and using tollways is fine to save time. By default taxi drivers will go slow ways to avoid tolls, and avoid taking extra distance by a faster route. Time of day greatly affects best routes to and from airport, so check Google Maps if possible which way is better. Avoid motorway when is coloured all in red indicating traffic jam.

Is the Line application working? I keep getting a message not available try later?

[QUOTE=Strikesfun;2242636]Is the Line application working? I keep getting a message not available try later?[/QUOTE]It means you phone or internet connection has a problem. I sent and received plenty of messages today in and out of Thailand across countries.

[QUOTE=RedKilt;2241440]The new rules regarding carriers not being prepared to cross-check bags to other airlines has made my current travels through 3 different airports with 3 different carriers much more difficult. [/QUOTE]When did the new rules come in? I checked a bag onto my Thai airways flight and then onto China Southern back in August with no problem.

[QUOTE=Kerrstar;2242881]When did the new rules come in? I checked a bag onto my Thai airways flight and then onto China Southern back in August with no problem.[/QUOTE]There really isn't a rule per say? It is pretty much the same everywhere including the USA.

When you mentioned Thai Airways and China Southern, these airlines might have a dominant position at these locations where their location they don't have to share with other Airlines the counter or the baggage makeup area down below which stages containers or carts for every flight. An Airline sharing space must vacate all their equipment so the other Airline can stage their necessary equipment just before the 3 hours check-in period which is a general time needed to clear passengers prior to departure.

For example, I fly Eva exclusively there are days they have several flights to TPE, but I need to arrive earlier since the Bell bus schedule doesn't get me there with enough time for my scheduled flight. There are times if the flights are basically within the 3 hours period they will check in my bag and there have been times I had to wait until the first flight departs. There is a rule by FAA and it is followed pretty much worldwide that baggage must travel with the passenger flight.

It might be all 21st century checking in but down below it is a hell hole the reason they referred to people working below as Ramp rats! International flights especially with a stopover, there are half a dozen connections if not more along with bags that need to be transferred to other Airlines (Code Share) down below the conveyor belt have containers for each destination set up all around with if you are lucky 4-5 guys manning 300 passengers x 2 bags 50 lbs each (23 kilo) bags are flowing down they all look alike especially the tags and luggage laying on top covering them. With one hand you got to move the bag grab the one you need 50 lbs so you can read the tag scanned it and make sure it gets placed in the right canister. It doesn't take a rocket scientist but it is all mental / physical the reason you put all the young full of cum in those positions so they earn their stripes.

Every Airline is different the reason when I use Eva not a dominate airline like Thai, don't have the same arrival gate, at times it is right in front of Immigration the rest of the time it seems I'm walking miles. They check-in passengers at Row are, in the past if I get there early they would check in my bag now they have to share space with another airline so I have to lug my stuff around on a cart at least it is free. SFO, I got to pay $5. 00.

[QUOTE=Kerrstar;2242881]When did the new rules come in? I checked a bag onto my Thai airways flight and then onto China Southern back in August with no problem.[/QUOTE]My view is that obviously if you have a short duration connection to same or affiliated airline on the same ticket, you not have to collect your bags at changeover.

If these conditions are not met, then it would not be guaranteed.

Hi.

I need to get in contact with an Australian man with the initials RG.

RG, I don't know if you are on this forum, but if you are, please send me a PM.

It is regarding Audi and her friends.

You heard about me through Audi, I talk with her friend often.

No use in anyone trying to impersonate RG here, I know who RG is, but don't know how to.

Get in contact with him other than hopefully here.

[QUOTE=JAKarl;2244461]Hi.

I need to get in contact with an Australian man with the initials RG.

RG, I don't know if you are on this forum, but if you are, please send me a PM.

It is regarding Audi and her friends.

You heard about me through Audi, I talk with her friend often.

No use in anyone trying to impersonate RG here, I know who RG is, but don't know how to.

Get in contact with him other than hopefully here.[/QUOTE]This seems rather irregular! You might be better to try to send a message via Audi or her friend.

I am not RG, but if I was I might be a pissed off with you mentioning my initials and country on the forum. Someone else reading might guess who it is. RG may not be on the forum, but if he is by chance, then he may not have a PM facility. Some guys try to be extremely anonymous for political safety reasons.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2244481]This seems rather irregular! You might be better to try to send a message via Audi or her friend.

I am not RG, but if I was I might be a pissed off with you mentioning my initials and country on the forum. Someone else reading might guess who it is. RG may not be on the forum, but if he is by chance, then he may not have a PM facility. Some guys try to be extremely anonymous for political safety reasons.[/QUOTE]I totally get your point Syzygies.

However, there most be thousands with the initials RG in Australia. So I see no reason to worry about his integrity at this point.

I have my reasons not to try to make contact through Audi. I would if I could.

[QUOTE=JAKarl;2244585]I totally get your point Syzygies.

However, there most be thousands with the initials RG in Australia. So I see no reason to worry about his integrity at this point.

I have my reasons not to try to make contact through Audi. I would if I could.[/QUOTE]Sounds like bridges have been burned. LOL I try to never burn bridges just in case it comes back to cause problems. I just fade away, from problem girls.

My imagination runs riot. The girl was so angry, she gave your import stuff to another guy. LOL Sorry I am sure this quite irrelevant. The chances the other guy will be found this way seem slim, unless someone else on the forum can guess who he is (which was my initial point).

One of my girls disappeared and her LINE account obviously changed. However I went to see a girl that knows her well, and commented I would still like to make contact, and then because I am such a nice guy and the girls are happy with me, the 2nd girl (retired from sex work) got permission to show first girl's facebook, and we reconnect. So my general advice is try to maintain good relationships with girls even if you won't be fucking them any more. Can be useful to get vital info, sometimes. I still have contact info for bisexual ex Suzie Wong girl even she has a husband and new baby now. Never know if might need to ask her something one day. Like where to get some good bi girls. LOL.

I never needed help to contact an semi unknown guy though. That is unusual.

Last night late ordered Shawerma (Kebab) from Myanmar staff at Rawche on the corner Soi 5, with not much on it except Lamb and salad.

Today bad belly. I pay the penalty. Dick does not work today despite nice BJ, just not feeling right.

Previous meal was a long time earlier (not tasty but not to blame), so I am pretty sure. It did not taste good like I expected for lamb.

Could be not fresh stuff.

Shit happens! For me, If I am poorly, sex will not work. I am not sensitive enough.
Others may learn to rest when sick also. Don't waste your money.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2245308]Dick does not work today despite nice BJ, just not feeling right.[/QUOTE]Thanks for the info.

Syzy must be really sick since his English has gone to the shitter. Never seen his writing style like that.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2245561]Syzy must be really sick since his English has gone to the shitter. Never seen his writing style like that.[/QUOTE]Someone must have hacked his password.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2245561]Syzy must be really sick since his English has gone to the shitter. Never seen his writing style like that.[/QUOTE]I was really "crook" yesterday. Not sure if that word is used in your country, so I wrote "poorly" (perhaps English slang). Actually that was pretty much normal for my "near" English. I show laziness to leave out words like "a" and "the" and hence make abbreviated sentences. Thai can be a bad influence, where understood words are omitted.

Thai: "pai nai" literally means "go where?" where in English we would write "Where are you going?

Hence I wrote "Today bad belly", where yes I should write proper English "Today I have a bad belly". The missing words are pretty obvious though, I would have thought, but I realise that it could irritate some readers.

Actually you may find, I have always been writing like this. Sort of in abbreviated notes form.

You wrote like how we would all write on Line to a Thai girl to make is simpler for them to understand. Even so there is always a lot Lost in Translation with Thai girls.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2245596]You wrote like how we would all write on Line to a Thai girl to make is simpler for them to understand. Even so there is always a lot Lost in Translation with Thai girls.[/QUOTE]Omitting words in a sentence is dangerous with Thais. They might assume the missing words are something quite different from what we are thinking is obvious. I got misunderstood, and its always my fault. Fortunately sometimes they will say they don't understand.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2245252]Sounds like bridges have been burned.[/QUOTE]No bridges burnt. Still have good contact with Audi and her friend.

And now with RG as well.

So everything turned out well.

I guess I ate food that was not fresh enough from the Shawerma (Kebab) stand. So the guts had a bad reaction, like due to bad bacteria, the next morning.

Normally eat street food no problem but this was not quite the case in a shop at entrance to Soi 5.

"Thong sia" is the typical Thai phrase (heard a lot), and even Thais seem to get this problem a lot, by eating something no good.

"Thong" is ambiguous as can mean either stomach or abdominal, and "sia" means "fucked up" basically.

So get the "runs" so to speak. The body knows it has to flush all the bad stuff out of the intestine. Not only that we may feel a bit of a slight fever, and have no desire to eat. I was off most food for 2 days. This is body's way to avoid feeding the bad bacteria during the flushing process. Seemed to work very well. On 3rd day all seems to be back to normal. So not the very worse case of Gastro. Did not need any "Imodium" today.

Pharmacy gave me a broad spectrum anti-biotic to take too, but I resisted taking it, waiting to see if would fix itself. The reason is the anti-biotic would kill off good bacteria in the gut as well. This normally leads to rapid weight gain as upsets the metabolism, and I know this from past experience. Instead I lost 2 kilos from low food for 2 days and probable reduced total hydration level. I prefer to keep this weight off if possible.

Now eating is back to normal today although not exceptionally hungry, I am guessing sexual function should be back to normal as well.

Interestingly not many Thais understood "Indigestion" many years ago (maybe not even today) so I had a lot of trouble asking for medicine to fix that, when my Thai was a bit too basic. These days we can find a bottle of the flavored Calcium Hydroxide chalky liquid in a 7 store (Maloxolon or something like that name) or maybe quickeze, but in old days they did not have it.

Thai phrases: "Khleun sai" means nausea (literally an intestinal wave) , and "Grot laai yorn" means acid reflux or "heartburn". I did not learn this last phrase till maybe 2 years ago. So before that had little clue what to say. Maybe Thais just don't say it much. Could be useful to someone who speaks a bit of Thai, since these phrases are not heard much. Looking up Indigestion in a dictionary just yields a sentence saying "food can't be digested". LOL Can get Omeprazole in pharmacy, for those needing regular medication, or Ranitidine for occasional use. Latest advances may not be cheap yet. Staying away from junky food and over eating is a big help, and make sure you don't suffer from Helicobacter Pylori since easily treated and causes bad breath.

"thong mai dee" - stomach no good. Any type of stomach discomfort or could be abdominal (very non specific).

"thong phook" - Constipation.

"thong euut" - flatulence.

"thong ruang" - loose bowels (or leaky LOL).

"bpuat thong" - stomach ache or could mean pain further down, or can be used just to mean needing to go to the toilet.

Finally "thong" is long and high tone. Perhaps "thaung" would be a better spelling with au like in the word taught or thawng with aw as in raw.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2245579]I was r irritate some readers.

Actually you may find, I have always been writing like this. Sort of in abbreviated notes form.[/QUOTE]Syzy is from oz, no language problem at all. If you really wanted to see someone mash up the English, to talk to a kiwi. Ha ha.

Facebook dating launched yesterday in Thailand. This will be huge here since we all know that Thai girls practically live on Facebook.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2246143]I guess I ate food that was not fresh enough from the Shawerma (Kebab) stand. So the guts had a bad reaction, like due to bad bacteria, the next morning.

Normally eat street food no problem but this was not quite the case in a shop at entrance to Soi 5.

"Thong sia" is the typical Thai phrase (heard a lot), and even Thais seem to get this problem a lot, by eating something no good.

"Thong" is ambiguous as can mean either stomach or abdominal, and "sia" means "fucked up" basically.

So get the "runs" so to speak. The body knows it has to flush all the bad stuff out of the intestine. Not only that we may feel a bit of a slight fever, and have no desire to eat. I was off most food for 2 days. This is body's way to avoid feeding the bad bacteria during the flushing process. Seemed to work very well. On 3rd day all seems to be back to normal. So not the very worse case of Gastro. Did not need any "Imodium" today.

Pharmacy gave me a broad spectrum anti-biotic to take too, but I resisted taking it, waiting to see if would fix itself. The reason is the anti-biotic would kill off good bacteria in the gut as well. This normally leads to rapid weight gain as upsets the metabolism, and I know this from past experience. Instead I lost 2 kilos from low food for 2 days and probable reduced total hydration level. I prefer to keep this weight off if possible.

Now eating is back to normal today although not exceptionally hungry, I am guessing sexual function should be back to normal as well.

Interestingly not many Thais understood "Indigestion" many years ago (maybe not even today) so I had a lot of trouble asking for medicine to fix that, when my Thai was a bit too basic. These days we can find a bottle of the flavored Calcium Hydroxide chalky liquid in a 7 store (Maloxolon or something like that name) or maybe quickeze, but in old days they did not have it.

Thai phrases: "Khleun sai" means nausea (literally an intestinal wave) , and "Grot laai yorn" means acid reflux or "heartburn". I did not learn this last phrase till maybe 2 years ago. So before that had little clue what to say. Maybe Thais just don't say it much. Could be useful to someone who speaks a bit of Thai, since these phrases are not heard much. Looking up Indigestion in a dictionary just yields a sentence saying "food can't be digested". LOL Can get Omeprazole in pharmacy, for those needing regular medication, or Ranitidine for occasional use. Latest advances may not be cheap yet. Staying away from junky food and over eating is a big help, and make sure you don't suffer from Helicobacter Pylori since easily treated and causes bad breath.

"thong mai dee" - stomach no good. Any type of stomach discomfort or could be abdominal (very non specific).

"thong phook" - Constipation.

"thong euut" - flatulence.

"thong ruang" - loose bowels (or leaky LOL).

"bpuat thong" - stomach ache or could mean pain further down, or can be used just to mean needing to go to the toilet.

Finally "thong" is long and high tone. Perhaps "thaung" would be a better spelling with au like in the word taught or thawng with aw as in raw.[/QUOTE]Having this isn't funny especially if you aren't in a free area to move around. Today I keep all the medication when I travel just in case.

Like you I eat a lot of street food get my stuff at the local market rarely a problem. Last year I took a trip back home use Evaair regularly a stopover in Taipei, I was hungry so made a stop at a noodle shop located in the waiting terminal see, done this a number of times everything after was going fine. A few hours later on the flight after takeoff I notice my stomach was starting to hurt a feeling one needed to go to the bathroom I was praying it would go away but it didn't I got up went to the back for the restroom lucky no one waiting and hoping no one was going to be lining up. The pain was increasing and I didn't want to say anything to the F / A didn't want the plan to turn back or make an emergency landing but finally, I had to say something. The F / A was understanding and told me to go back in and she would put the bathroom out of order. When I went back to my seat I slept in pain, fever, cold put on my jacket and two blankets mentally long long long flight when I got home next day missed family reunion dinner I was out two days and drained.

[QUOTE=Mostek6502;2246334]Syzy is from oz, no language problem at all. If you really wanted to see someone mash up the English, to talk to a kiwi. Ha ha.[/QUOTE]You managed to mash up of making a quote of what I wrote too, to make my English look even worse. There is no need to announce which country someone comes from on the forum, especially for minority groups. Farang is good enough. It can give any female readers extra clues. You can't hear my accent. LOL I could well be a kiwi.

Which accent sounds funniest when speaking Thai language? I think American drawl wins there. LOL Other Asians like Japanese can sound the best sometimes. Yesterday was trying to speak with house room maid about cleaning the room, and noticed her Thai was strange and hard to follow. Turns out staff are Cambodian. Hired extra cheap perhaps.

The forum auto corrector mashes English more than anything else by making unnecessary and wrong changes. Respells words to make completely wrong words.

Any suggestions as to which banks are favorable for farangs. I plan on relocating to Tland early next year. Advise from the seniors will be appreciated.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2246515]Any suggestions as to which banks are favorable for farangs. I plan on relocating to Tland early next year. Advise from the seniors will be appreciated.

RL.[/QUOTE]Are you coming in on a Tourist Visa? If so, the banks are a pain. Generally you need a lease and if you have one, you can get a Foreigner account at Krungsri, or one at Bangkok Bank if you have the embassy verify your passport.

If you have a long term visa, Bangkok Bank is probably the best for foreigners, however, you get Union Pay Debit instead of Visa. Thats why I use Krungsri.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2246515]Any suggestions as to which banks are favorable for farangs. I plan on relocating to Tland early next year. Advise from the seniors will be appreciated.

RL.[/QUOTE]Most Banks are currently not allowing you to open an account unless you have a work permit or other business credentials. So the short answer is you might have to take any bank that is willing. Many years ago it was easier. I opened several accounts back then. A few years ago Kasigorn was a possible but rules changed again with latest military government.

You may find that with some banks, there is a special branch where they will take you but most branches will say no. If you have the work permit, is much easier then. It is not easy to find out what is going on sometimes. Hear conflicting stories. I don't know for certain.

I currently only have a Bangkok Bank account. That may be the easiest bank to deal with in a large branch.

[URL]https://iglu.net/opening-a-bank-account-in-thailand/[/URL]

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2246377]You managed to mash up of making a quote of what I wrote too, to make my English look even worse. There is no need to announce which country someone comes from on the forum, especially for minority groups. Farang is good enough. It can give any female readers extra clues. You can't hear my accent. LOL I could well be a kiwi.
.[/QUOTE]If girl can figure out where the land of Oz is, or for that matter, the land of the long white cloud, we have well a truly been caught out by a smart little cookie indeed. I guess it's time to grab the esky or the chillybin and put in some tinnys and to beat a hasty retreat then. Us skippys and kiwis better find some better pickings elsewhere.

[QUOTE=Mostek6502;2246591]If girl can figure out where the land of Oz is, or for that matter, the land of the long white cloud, we have well a truly been caught out by a smart little cookie indeed. I guess it's time to grab the esky or the chillybin and put in some tinnys and to beat a hasty retreat then. Us skippys and kiwis better find some better pickings elsewhere.[/QUOTE]Have not heard of "chillybin" so maybe I am not from your parts. Some girls that read the forum have advanced English and some have even travelled to Oz too, with boyfriend most likely.

One of my old favourites s just got back from a trip to several countries in Europe (with a guy naturally). Hopefully she does not read this. The worst thing, is when we write about a specific girl, e. G. I once wrote about Aor at Annies. Then some forum reader shows her my detailed ISG report. She knew exactly who wrote it naturally. Too many specifics were included, fortunately positive about her. I tend to write less detail of exactly what happened on exactly which day and time, these days and try not to mention which country I come from in any reports.

Actually there is one thing worse than showing a girl a forum report, that is telling her what was written about her, usually making the whole thing sound more negative, but certainly misquoting. Guys on the forum cannot all be trusted to keep info to themselves. That is maybe why you see so many senior members that almost never write much of a girl report. They fear information can be misused.

It is better to stay very anonymous. These days plenty of experienced girls can look at ISG on their smartphone. If a girl gives a big tip off piece of info, I can't write it straight away, as would be too obvious where it came from.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2246597]Have not heard of "chillybin" so maybe I am not from your parts. Some girls that read the forum have advanced English and some have even travelled to Oz too, with boyfriend most likely.

One of my old favourites s just got back from a trip to several countries in Europe (with a guy naturally). Hopefully she does not read this. The worst thing, is when we write about a specific girl, e. G. I once wrote about Aor at Annies. Then some forum reader shows her my detailed ISG report. She knew exactly who wrote it naturally. Too many specifics were included, fortunately positive about her. I tend to write less detail of exactly what happened on exactly which day and time, these days and try not to mention which country I come from in any reports.[/QUOTE]I am from the west coast of the USA. In Asia I am occasionally asked where I am from. I just say Canada because I know the city of Vancouver well enough to fake it. Vancouver is a great town BTW. Few people know anything about Canada and that usually ends the conversation. Sometimes people are just too nosy and I don't want strangers on the street knowing my business. Outing a fellow member's private info such as location is a big no no in this forum.

Hi guys.

I am not that concerned about revealing my origins to girls when I'm talking to them or in post here. I don't have my picture here and my user name is pretty generic. A lot of the girls ask about Kangaroos when you say you are from Oz and I have pics on my phone to show them my "pets".

I can understand the concern of residents because of being outed by the missus or work colleagues but I think for most of us sex tourist there is not much to fear.

So I'm throwing on my thongs, filling up the esky with throw downs and going to dish lickers to get on the punt. LOL.

Something for you non Aussies to translate.

Rob.

Very unfortunate that doing younger girls for money, is not seen as socially acceptable behaviour for either the guy or the girl. "Do gooder" religious groups may even come hear and try to distrupt the gogo bar trade. Guys in the USA could easily loose their job if exposed, I assume.

Using a girl for sex, pretending "Love" and possibility of future marriage, and all types of clandestine relationships is much more socially acceptable, right?

The fact is Thai girls here need to be able to make some money to support their child and / or parents etc. , and is quite wrong to prevent them from trying to do so, in my view. There is no victim from a private mutually agreeable sex act. Girls are not captives and work voluntarily, not necessarily the case in some places in the past like Nataree. I have a regular who needs the money badly. She has to earn it somehow.

I digressed. For those that don't realise, stay anonymous, because some idiot forum reader could try to expose you to someone. Also being unknown gives you more freedom in what you write. You don't want to show up at an MP and everyone shuns you, because "they know who you are" which could easily happen.

I am ready for a mongering holiday, actually what I mean is a holiday away from mongering to recharge the optimism levels. See if I can last 3 months without a fuck? LOL At least prove I am not an addict anymore.

[QUOTE=Mostek6502;2246334]Is from oz, no language problem at all. If you really wanted to see someone mash up the English, to talk to a kiwi. Ha ha.[/QUOTE]If you really want to see someone completely buggerise English. Talk to an American! 555.

[QUOTE=BubbaBoy;2247861]If you really want to see someone completely buggerise English. Talk to an American! 555.[/QUOTE]The classic example is "My bad". This does have a verb and appears to have an advective and a possessive without a noun, so appears in other countries to be completely meaningless. I thought is was almost a rule you can't have a possessive without a noun. In contrast "It's mine" does have a noun and verb.

Strange pronunciation is actually the hardest thing to follow so you can't beat Glasgow English for being difficult to follow.

I struggle with Thai and Philippino English, especially over the phone and if speaker has a very deep voice. I had to ask the air ticket booking guy to transfer me to a girl, his tone was just too deep for me. How many times when ringing an Oily MP, did I have to tell them: "Please speak Thai, because I really can't understand English", meaning no English is better than very bad English pronounced strangely. English causes mixups, because Thais get their verb tenses wrong. They say something different to what they wish to mean. So I understand why some guys tried to book using emails. LOL.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2247867]
Strange pronunciation is actually the hardest thing to follow so you can't beat Glasgow English for being difficult to follow.[/QUOTE]In my experience (as a non-native speaker) the native speakers are often the hardest to follow because they speak too fast, don't articulate very well and/or have a strong accent.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2247924]In my experience (as a non-native speaker) the native speakers are often the hardest to follow because they speak too fast, don't articulate very well and/or have a strong accent.[/QUOTE]That's because most non-native speakers speak at best United Nations' English, a kind of English that is both unidiomatic and phonetically depleted.

English is a living language, and always has been adaptive. The noun / verb structure of "my bad" might be hidden, but it is there.

There are more Americans speaking English than there are native speakers in the Queen's realm. Much as there are more Latin Americans who speak "español" than there are Spaniards speaking Castellano.

The hell with it, the entire world is turning to txt and lols anyway!

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2247867]The classic example is "My bad". This does have a verb and appears to have an advective and a possessive without a noun, so appears in other countries to be completely meaningless. I thought is was almost a rule you can't have a possessive without a noun. In contrast "It's mine" does have a noun and verb.

Strange pronunciation is actually the hardest thing to follow so you can't beat Glasgow English for being difficult to follow.

I struggle with Thai and Philippino English, especially over the phone and if speaker has a very deep voice. I had to ask the air ticket booking guy to transfer me to a girl, his tone was just too deep for me. How many times when ringing an Oily MP, did I have to tell them: "Please speak Thai, because I really can't understand English", meaning no English is better than very bad English pronounced strangely. English causes mixups, because Thais get their verb tenses wrong. They say something different to what they wish to mean. So I understand why some guys tried to book using emails. LOL.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2247924]In my experience (as a non-native speaker) the native speakers are often the hardest to follow because they speak too fast, don't articulate very well and/or have a strong accent.[/QUOTE]Yes absolutely correct. Native speakers can be very lazy for using correct English, speak too fast, don't move the mouth, etc. Mumble. An English colleague is very difficult due to speed and lack of mouth movement like a ventriloquist. Indians and Irish are also noted for habitually speaking with a quite closed mouth, and can be indistinct.

When first learning Thai, I found I could not understand Bangkok speakers at all well, for similar reasons. Learned a lot from a Songkhla girl who did not normally speak Central Thai, because she spoke normal Thai much slower and more clearly, and limited the vocab to simpler stuff.

Speaking good Thai requires a mouth opened a lot more than some people are used to. Without that some vowels will just be wrong.

Guys, I like bar hopping if the girl is fun to be with.

What's the general rule in Thailand for drinks bought for a girl in her home bar after her bar fine is paid. Are they normal drinks or charged as LDs?

[QUOTE=Goferring;2252681]Guys, I like bar hopping if the girl is fun to be with.

What's the general rule in Thailand for drinks bought for a girl in her home bar after her bar fine is paid. Are they normal drinks or charged as LDs?[/QUOTE]Still a LD.

[QUOTE=Goferring;2252681]Guys, I like bar hopping if the girl is fun to be with.

What's the general rule in Thailand for drinks bought for a girl in her home bar after her bar fine is paid. Are they normal drinks or charged as LDs?[/QUOTE]I have only done this once and I was charged lady drink prices!!

I think I have shilled for google Fi here before. For americans it is a great international mobile voice and data service but I have used rather in extensively in many countries including columbia, the philippines, thailand, Cambodia, malaysia, Indonesia, Australia but you get the idea. You can save a few baht getting a local sim card but for me the convenience of having my phone active wheels down in a new country is more than worth a couple of dollars. The knock on google Fi used to be it didn't support a wide varriety of phones (I love my Pixel), but it now supports many Samsung and iPhone models. If interested see below, we both get a $20 services credit if you sing up. Feel free to mesage me with any questions.

[URL]https://g.co/fi/r/AV50AT[/URL]

[QUOTE=Goferring;2252681]Guys, I like bar hopping if the girl is fun to be with.

What's the general rule in Thailand for drinks bought for a girl in her home bar after her bar fine is paid. Are they normal drinks or charged as LDs?[/QUOTE]If you like bar hopping so much, that implies you would be bar fining the girl and going bar hopping with her to other clubs. Therefore, her home bar would not matter right? As I said before, it is common sense that bar fine the girl or not, if you stay in her bar, all her drinks will be charged as lady drinks and she will get her commission. In other bars, it is also possible she will make a deal to get commission there unless you speak up and say something.

[QUOTE=CharmCityDave;2256038]I think I have shilled for google Fi here before. For americans it is a great international mobile voice and data service but I have used rather in extensively in many countries including columbia, the philippines, thailand, Cambodia, malaysia, Indonesia, Australia but you get the idea. You can save a few baht getting a local sim card but for me the convenience of having my phone active wheels down in a new country is more than worth a couple of dollars. The knock on google Fi used to be it didn't support a wide varriety of phones (I love my Pixel), but it now supports many Samsung and iPhone models. If interested see below, we both get a $20 services credit if you sing up. Feel free to mesage me with any questions.

[URL]https://g.co/fi/r/AV50AT[/URL][/QUOTE]Can a girl with a Thai SIM easily reach your Google Fi number? Will she have to pay extra to call your number?

[QUOTE=Bkkdog;2256060]If you like bar hopping so much, that implies you would be bar fining the girl and going bar hopping with her to other clubs. Therefore, her home bar would not matter right? As I said before, it is common sense that bar fine the girl or not, if you stay in her bar, all her drinks will be charged as lady drinks and she will get her commission. In other bars, it is also possible she will make a deal to get commission there unless you speak up and say something.[/QUOTE]Thanks. Typically the night will involve a couple of guys and a couple of girls bouncing around a few bars which may include staying at or returning to my girl's bar.

I don't have a lot of reference points in Patts or LOS generally but in the Philippines I routinely do this and the moment I pay her bar fine, LD prices are no longer payable anywhere. Some will try their luck but I've never had any issues once I point out that I know what the real prices should be. Whether she strikes deals with other bars we get to, I don't know but I have never noticed inflated prices for girl (s) drinks.

I should emphasise that I'm not out to Cheap Charlie the girl. I'm happy to pay for LDs during the interview process, fair BFs and tips. To me it makes sense to give the girl 100% of a larger tip for a great fun night than a series of small commissions from various drinks. However, if that is not the accepted system, then it just needs to be factored into the tips and overall night's costs.

[QUOTE=Goferring;2256424]
I should emphasise that I'm not out to Cheap Charlie the girl. I'm happy to pay for LDs during the interview process, fair BFs and tips. To me it makes sense to give the girl 100% of a larger tip for a great fun night than a series of small commissions from various drinks. However, if that is not the accepted system, then it just needs to be factored into the tips and overall night's costs.[/QUOTE]The system elsewhere is not the system here. It is quite plain. The bar makes money from selling drinks. The Barfine is a compensation since the girl cannot sell drinks while she is absent, and she might not come back. In some bars the BF starts expensive and decreases later in the night (especially for hot Coyote girls). Some girls are not permitted to do Long Time booking and must return to the bar within 1 hour (this sucks big time as means the girl does not want to go anywhere and you get the rushed feeling. Best to check the bar rules). The girl's job is to sell drinks primarily, and to entertain the customers in order to achieve that. She gets commissions for her drinks a lady drink voucher slip.

If I take a Shark girl Patty for example, to another bar, she could still get a lady drink slip there, however she will try to encourage the customer to buy drinks for girls in the other bar too, be it mamasan, or any girl she happens to know at the other bar, or any girl I happen to like. So hence it could get expensive. Better not to take the girl bar hopping if want to be frugal with the spend. Girls however often love to visit other bars (unless have enemies there), catch up with their friends in those bars, gossip, etc. Patty would encourage me to go to Suzie Wong (since used to work there), Tilac (knows the mamasan), Crazy Cats (knows some staff there too), etc. Girls try to get drink commissions both for themselves and for their friends. They love to go bar hopping with a guy especially when they have input to which bars.

Some bars even have rules that a girl needs to get x number of lady drinks per month, otherwise she will have fines deducted from her monthly salary. Some girls have fines so high especially from late or non attendance, there is zero monthly salary left over.

Occasionally a lady drink can be worth more than it seems if she is getting the commission, and getting a reduction in end of month fines as well. There are limited options for what the lady drink can be. On rare occasions I ordered what the lady wanted to drink for myself and she ordered a tequila. Then I drank her tequila and she drank what I ordered. A swap, in order for her to get something else to drink but not forgo the commission and to still boost her monthly sales total. Yes could just give her a tip instead.

I urge all guys to tip specific girls rather than waste money on the stupid ping pong balls, where at least 50% goes to the bar, random girls get a tip (silly), and sometimes girls get injured in mad scramble to get to a ball. Cash tip to staff that were useful to you makes a lot more sense. However buying drinks cannot be avoided, since that is the main bar business.

The way to save money with bar girls, is to meet them outside the bar, so then all the drinks can be avoided. BF might be avoided (if secret meeting). So many bars are now quite boring and lack entertainment value, so not much point to be there other than looking for the right girl which can take time. I need pretty girls with stunning bodies to be naked to really grab my attention (not very common these days).

Lastly, a girl will look bad in a bar if she stays with you for significant time, despite you not buying her drink or barfining her. So if no drinks for the girl, she will be forced to move on, even if she likes you. So my view, is I don't call girls to me unless prepared to buy them a drink. If I want the girl to go, then do not buy another drink for her, and never buy drinks for girls that show up unrequested/unwanted. If want to fuck the girl, always discuss if she can be barfined for sex, early on, since some coyotes do not go for sex, and some girls may have another excuse, period, pussy kaput, or will meet her regular customer in 30 mins, etc. I need to determine if the girl likes old Farangs generally, and if not dick scared too, and any chance of kissing, etc. Some girls are very shy/reticent at first and need some leg-opener tequilas (if not already drunk). This adds to the cost unfortunately so better to take very experienced girls not at all shy (unless just too stunning to ignore).

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2256786]The system elsewhere is not the system here. It is quite plain. The bar makes money from selling drinks. The Barfine is a compensation since the girl cannot sell drinks while she is absent, and she might not come back. In some bars the BF starts expensive and decreases later in the night (especially for hot Coyote girls). Some girls are not permitted to do Long Time booking and must return to the bar within 1 hour (this sucks big time as means the girl does not want to go anywhere and you get the rushed feeling. Best to check the bar rules). The girl's job is to sell drinks primarily, and to entertain the customers in order to achieve that. She gets commissions for her drinks a lady drink voucher slip.

If I take a Shark girl Patty for example, to another bar, she could still get a lady drink slip there, however she will try to encourage the customer to buy drinks for girls in the other bar too, be it mamasan, or any girl she happens to know at the other bar, or any girl I happen to like. So hence it could get expensive. Better not to take the girl bar hopping if want to be frugal with the spend. Girls however often love to visit other bars (unless have enemies there), catch up with their friends in those bars, gossip, etc. Patty would encourage me to go to Suzie Wong (since used to work there), Tilac (knows the mamasan), Crazy Cats (knows some staff there too), etc. Girls try to get drink commissions both for themselves and for their friends. They love to go bar hopping with a guy especially when they have input to which bars.

Some bars even have rules that a girl needs to get x number of lady drinks per month, otherwise she will have fines deducted from her monthly salary. Some girls have fines so high especially from late or non attendance, there is zero monthly salary left over.

Occasionally a lady drink can be worth more than it seems if she is getting the commission, and getting a reduction in end of month fines as well. There are limited options for what the lady drink can be. On rare occasions I ordered what the lady wanted to drink for myself and she ordered a tequila. Then I drank her tequila and she drank what I ordered. A swap, in order for her to get something else to drink but not forgo the commission and to still boost her monthly sales total. Yes could just give her a tip instead.

I urge all guys to tip specific girls rather than waste money on the stupid ping pong balls, where at least 50% goes to the bar, random girls get a tip (silly), and sometimes girls get injured in mad scramble to get to a ball. Cash tip to staff that were useful to you makes a lot more sense. However buying drinks cannot be avoided, since that is the main bar business.

The way to save money with bar girls, is to meet them outside the bar, so then all the drinks can be avoided. BF might be avoided (if secret meeting). So many bars are now quite boring and lack entertainment value, so not much point to be there other than looking for the right girl which can take time. I need pretty girls with stunning bodies to be naked to really grab my attention (not very common these days).

Lastly, a girl will look bad in a bar if she stays with you for significant time, despite you not buying her drink or barfining her. So if no drinks for the girl, she will be forced to move on, even if she likes you. So my view, is I don't call girls to me unless prepared to buy them a drink. If I want the girl to go, then do not buy another drink for her, and never buy drinks for girls that show up unrequested/unwanted. If want to fuck the girl, always discuss if she can be barfined for sex, early on, since some coyotes do not go for sex, and some girls may have another excuse, period, pussy kaput, or will meet her regular customer in 30 mins, etc. I need to determine if the girl likes old Farangs generally, and if not dick scared too, and any chance of kissing, etc. Some girls are very shy/reticent at first and need some leg-opener tequilas (if not already drunk). This adds to the cost unfortunately so better to take very experienced girls not at all shy (unless just too stunning to ignore).[/QUOTE]Truly useful post S. Thanks!

[QUOTE=Allover;2256414]Can a girl with a Thai SIM easily reach your Google Fi number? Will she have to pay extra to call your number?[/QUOTE]Why not use line or whatsapp?

[QUOTE=CharmCityDave;2256038]I think I have shilled for google Fi here before. For americans it is a great international mobile voice and data service but I have used rather in extensively in many countries including columbia, the philippines, thailand, Cambodia, malaysia, Indonesia, Australia but you get the idea. You can save a few baht getting a local sim card but for me the convenience of having my phone active wheels down in a new country is more than worth a couple of dollars. The knock on google Fi used to be it didn't support a wide varriety of phones (I love my Pixel), but it now supports many Samsung and iPhone models. If interested see below, we both get a $20 services credit if you sing up. Feel free to mesage me with any questions.

[URL]https://g.co/fi/r/AV50AT[/URL][/QUOTE]AIS Sim2 Fly seems to be a much better option. 399 baht for 8 days data 4 GB 4 G internet. Works in every country in Asia except 1 or 2. I forgot the exceptions but it's not a country any of us would likely go to.

Sim2 Fly also has a Europe / America card 899 baht for 16 days.

If you plan on needing it longer top up at ais before you leave Thailand. Of course getting a simple dtac or ais plan is better if you are only visiting Thailand. I pay 99 baht for 7 days unlimited 4 G.

[QUOTE=Allover;2256414]Can a girl with a Thai SIM easily reach your Google Fi number? Will she have to pay extra to call your number?[/QUOTE]I have never run across a girl that didn't use one of those messengers.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2256910]AIS Sim2 Fly seems to be a much better option. 399 baht for 8 days data 4 GB 4 G internet. Works in every country in Asia except 1 or 2. I forgot the exceptions but it's not a country any of us would likely go to.

Sim2 Fly also has a Europe / America card 899 baht for 16 days.

If you plan on needing it longer top up at ais before you leave Thailand. Of course getting a simple dtac or ais plan is better if you are only visiting Thailand. I pay 99 baht for 7 days unlimited 4 G.[/QUOTE]As I said, there are cheaper routes. But I like having one phone number one sim card that works around the world and can be paid by credit card. Works in Medellin, works in Maryland and works in Jakarta. No renewing, no fumbling with SIM cards, one number. And Google customer service is available 24/7 in English should you ever need them. I have tethering to use my phone as a mobile hot spot. I had a minor issue in Peru and Google customer service had me back online in 10 minutes. I understand not for everyone, but for me with an average bill of $25 to $35 a month it is a bargin.

Hi guys,

Has anyone visited this area recently? I read that a few of the bars were closed by police but I would like to have a look if it is still in business. Broaden my horizons or just get a new supply of new talent.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2256786]The system elsewhere is not the system here. It is quite plain. The bar makes money from selling drinks. The Barfine is a compensation since the girl cannot sell drinks while she is absent, and she might not come back.[/QUOTE]The is for that.

I guess some could question why are LDs still payable after paying a bar fine that is designed to compensate the bar for their lost income from forgone drink sales but in reality who cares. When in Rome. . .

Now that I know, I've got no issue with factoring it into the night as long as I'm not petered all night for more drinks, drinks for her friends etc. 😁.

[QUOTE=CharmCityDave;2256923]As I said, there are cheaper routes. But I like having one phone number one sim card that works around the world and can be paid by credit card. Works in Medellin, works in Maryland and works in Jakarta. No renewing, no fumbling with SIM cards, one number. And Google customer service is available 24/7 in English should you ever need them. I have tethering to use my phone as a mobile hot spot. I had a minor issue in Peru and Google customer service had me back online in 10 minutes. I understand not for everyone, but for me with an average bill of $25 to $35 a month it is a bargin.[/QUOTE]How do you receive local calls? E. G. What number would someone say in Bangkok would call to reach you while you were in Bangkok?

[QUOTE=Goferring;2256949]The is for that.

I guess some could question why are LDs still payable after paying a bar fine that is designed to compensate the bar for their lost income from forgone drink sales but in reality who cares. When in Rome. . .

Now that I know, I've got no issue with factoring it into the night as long as I'm not petered all night for more drinks, drinks for her friends etc. [/QUOTE]I guess you mean pestered. If she is a "good" working bargirl, she should keep trying to sell drinks for herself and friends. Yes should go on all night if you stay in the bar. Pay the bill in order to get the requests to stop. Otherwise just decide when to buy drinks yourself and otherwise decline.

Bars are generally not very exciting places to be once you have got your girl barfined and enough drinks into her to loosen her resolve (to be just working) and allow her to get into the sex. So staying there a very long time is not the best idea. Most bars have shitty music, at least for my age, it is mostly not great and too loud. Eye candy available in some bars. Stay long enough to see both sets of dancers then move on. I rarely last more than 1 drink in a bar unless I spotted some interesting talent, or still trying to decide. Shows in bars are crappy these days. Suzie Wong and Sheba used to be the best, and Long Gun in the old days, 10 to 15 years ago.

Bar hopping is best done without the girl already barfined, and you only stay long enough to decide if you want a girl there or not. It is possible to find more educated girls that are interesting to talk to, but these are generally not available for sex. For smarter student girls try Crazy Cats on Friday or Saturday. "Bobby" a student, is a very good talker, I found. Not shy but no sex. Maybe not the most stunning in that bar, but better lookers can be very quiet.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2257332]Bars are generally not very exciting places to be once you have got your girl barfined and enough drinks into her to loosen her resolve (to be just working) and allow her to get into the sex. So staying there a very long time is not the best idea. Most bars have shitty music, at least for my age, it is mostly not great and too loud. Eye candy available in some bars. Stay long enough to see both sets of dancers then move on. I rarely last more than 1 drink in a bar unless I spotted some interesting talent, or still trying to decide. Shows in bars are crappy these days. Suzie Wong and Sheba used to be the best, and Long Gun in the old days, 10 to 15 years ago.[/QUOTE]It looks like that's one of the big differences (not better or worse, just different) with PI. There, with a girl, I have had some fun nights bar hopping and with a few buddies and a posse there have been some epic nights. Generally the guys enjoy the drinking and eye candy and the girls enjoy catching up with friends that work elsewhere.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2257332]Bar hopping is best done without the girl already barfined, and you only stay long enough to decide if you want a girl there or not. It is possible to find more educated girls that are interesting to talk to, but these are generally not available for sex. For smarter student girls try Crazy Cats on Friday or Saturday. "Bobby" a student, is a very good talker, I found. Not shy but no sex. Maybe not the most stunning in that bar, but better lookers can be very quiet.[/QUOTE]If a guy falls in love, I'm guessing the bar fine can be paid and the girl stays in the bar to be collected after the guy has done the drinking circuit with buddies.

Last time I was in Pattaya (admittedly 20 yrs ago 😁 a holding fee could be paid and the girl would wait until a certain time for you to return. Return late after the agreed time and your fee was lost and the girl was free to bar fine anyone. I never was a fan of that as there was always the risk of running late and / or after a few too many beers, forgetting which bar you had to return to.

Cheers, G

[QUOTE=Buksida1;2256941]Hi guys,

Has anyone visited this area recently? I read that a few of the bars were closed by police but I would like to have a look if it is still in business. Broaden my horizons or just get a new supply of new talent.[/QUOTE]There is a deadicsted thread about this area that I created. Just scroll down the forum list of threads and you will see it. Here is the link for you anyways:

http://www.internationalsexguide.nl/forum/showthread.php?3831-Sephan-Kwai

OK, very informative! Thank you Mr. Dog.

[QUOTE=Jim200;2257306]How do you receive local calls? E. G. What number would someone say in Bangkok would call to reach you while you were in Bangkok?[/QUOTE]Someone in Thailand would have to call your US number. That said everyone I have met in Thailand has Whatsapp, Viber or Line. I reserve my Pattaya airport transfer through Whatsapp. I'm a world traveler who visits 4 or 5 countries a year. I'd hate to have a number in each country plus my US number. If I was an expat living in Thailand a local SIM might make more sense.

https://g.co/fi/r/AV50AT

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2257332] Suzie Wong and Sheba used to be the best, and Long Gun in the old days, 10 to 15 years ago.[/QUOTE]Don't forget My Place on Soi Cowboy. You were saying you liked Shebas in 2010. That was around the time My Place was rockin' and had great shows and great girls. I almost completely stopped going to Shebas in 2008 when I discovered My Place had better looking girls and better shows. I was never a big fan of Suzie Wong. The place always seems so dirty. The best shows I ever saw were at Hollywood bar in Nana around 2001. That 12 girl lesbian show where they formed a 12 girl circle was awesome.

- WTF! Did they stop the full nudity at Nana. Billboards was only topless. The dancers at Spankys were topless. Although I did see some full nudity at Spanky or Angelwitch during one of their shows.

- I do have to give a thumbs up to Twisters. I liked their sign at the front which said, "100% Real Girls". Talent level was decent.

- That poster was right. The talent level at Soi Cowboy's Crazy House is not as good as it was 2 years ago. There are a few cuties, but many are marginal full figure girls. At least there is full nudity still.

- Long Gun had the ping pong shows. No rip off potential like Patong. Those girls had amazing accuracy with their pussy darts. Probably around 90%. But most of the girls were on the ugly side.

[QUOTE=GreenBud;2257836]
- I do have to give a thumbs up to Twisters. I liked their sign at the front which said, "100% Real Girls". Talent level was decent.[/QUOTE]I think there is 1 girl in there who is 100% real girl. I believe the rest are lady boys.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2257332] Most bars have shitty music, at least for my age, it is mostly not great and too loud. [/QUOTE]Try Sexy Nights in Nana. Good music there.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2257838]I think there is 1 girl in there who is 100% real girl. I believe the rest are lady boys.[/QUOTE]Huh? As you enter Nana, the bar on the second floor, right corner, right side. Obviously one of us has the name mixed up. I will check tonight.

[QUOTE=GreenBud;2257843]Huh? As you enter Nana, the bar on the second floor, right corner, right side. Obviously one of us has the name mixed up. I will check tonight.[/QUOTE]I'm just kidding.

An old friend of mine from Soi Cowboy said that she had moved and was now working in Nana Plaza. Good, I would like to see her again. Where are you working, I messaged her. Twitter bar (her spelling) was the answer. I googled Twitter bar in Nana plaza with no results. She messaged me again saying that she was at work now. I replied, where is Twitter bar? She replied: second floor with all the blue lights. I walked down to Twister. Ex rainbow bar and sat outside. She came out and grabbed me. I said. OHHH. This is Twitter bar.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2257850]I'm just kidding.[/QUOTE]Good one Smoothy.

[QUOTE=Buksida1;2258124]I walked down to Twister. Ex rainbow bar and sat outside. She came out and grabbed me. I said. OHHH. This is Twitter bar.[/QUOTE]Twister Bar is on the second floor.

There is a Twister BKK on the first floor.

The problem with these bars is that the marginal girls walk around hustling for drinks. The talent in Twister Bar at 11 PM was better than Twister BKK at midnight. At Twister Bar around 11 PM, couple of cuties walked in. They probably came back from their short time. Wondering what the talent level is at opening time. Twister Bar was moderately packed, with a lot of East Asians, which is a good sign for the that type of talent which I prefer.

[QUOTE=Buksida1;2258124]An old friend of mine from Soi Cowboy said that she had moved and was now working in Nana Plaza. Good, I would like to see her again. Where are you working, I messaged her. Twitter bar (her spelling) was the answer. I googled Twitter bar in Nana plaza with no results. She messaged me again saying that she was at work now. I replied, where is Twitter bar? She replied: second floor with all the blue lights. I walked down to Twister. Ex rainbow bar and sat outside. She came out and grabbed me. I said. OHHH. This is Twitter bar.[/QUOTE]Thais cannot pronounce Twister and hence would not know how to spell it as well. Twitter is about what is expected (more pronounceable for a Thai). Yes it was once the site of Rainbow 4, on the first/2nd floor.

"2nd floor" is a little confusing as it would be first floor for the numbering system of European countries. I believe it is the American way to label the ground as first floor, but in may countries the first floor is next floor up from the ground (where Twister is). So maybe we should call it the middle floor (one up from the ground level). Asia supposedly uses the European system: e.g. Ground floor, then next one is the first floor, but maybe their are Americanised exceptions.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2260117]-snip-

"2nd floor" is a little confusing as it would be first floor for the numbering system of European countries. I believe it is the American way to label the ground as first floor, but in may countries the first floor is next floor up from the ground (where Twister is). So maybe we should call it the middle floor (one up from the ground level). Asia supposedly uses the European system: e.g. Ground floor, then next one is the first floor, but maybe their are Americanised exceptions.[/QUOTE]Either the owners of Nana Plaza or some individual bar owners have more or less settled that issue that has indeed popped up here from time to time and caused a bit of confusion.

For as long as I can recall over the past few years, there has been a sign posted on the railing at the top of the escalator with something like "Mandarin Bar (Club?), Table Dancing, 2nd Floor" on it. Since the only one of the two Mandarin Bars there that can provide table dancing is the one right at the top of the escalator on the middle level and not the one up an additional flight of stairs, I would say whoever put that sign up decided the ground level is the 1st Floor.

And now there is a big banner above the lighted third level "Geisha" go-go bar sign that touts it as being "on the 3rd Floor."

[QUOTE=Jim200;2257306]How do you receive local calls? E. G. What number would someone say in Bangkok would call to reach you while you were in Bangkok?[/QUOTE]I have T-Mobile USA and just use their roaming. Automatically changes when I enter a country. Along with that I get calls without any problems. I assume if you have to call another USA number in Bkk, you use the +1 before the area code. While in Bkk with friends we use the text feature to plan and set times to meet. The only problem, and it is big is that T-Mobile is only 2 G, so you have to be in a location that has WiFi.

One other thing, GRAB taxi service can be good and bad. Get the app and check the rate from your location to destination. Then wave a taxi and ask his price. Gives you leverage every time. Had one experience where the GRAB cab doubled the price listed. We exited that cab fast. But it was rush hour on Sukhumvit and we wanted to go to Rajadamnern Stadium to watch Muay Thai. Took BTS to National and caught a Tok-Tok instead.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2260306]I have T-Mobile USA and just use their roaming. Automatically changes when I enter a country. Along with that I get calls without any problems. I assume if you have to call another USA number in Bkk, you use the +1 before the area code. While in Bkk with friends we use the text feature to plan and set times to meet. The only problem, and it is big is that T-Mobile is only 2G, so you have to be in a location that has WiFi.
[/QUOTE]I guess that means T-Mobile has no arrangement with Thailand Carrier for Internet Data, if you say only via Wifi. 2G merely means a slow speed from the old generation. I recall that in days of 2G, we still could have internet data (not via Wifi) but via GPRS or Edge. Edge provided a small boost in Data speed, before 3G came out. I certainly had data (not via Wifi) in the days of 2G. Just was a bit slow. E used to show on top of phone to indicate places where Edge was available.

My Foreign SIM Card from home country, can be used in Thailand also "International Roaming". I don't use the Data Roaming feature though, for fear of high charges, have not checked in recent years if has improved. Just has been easier to use a Thai SIM Card with normal data provision 4G. Can be obtained at airport for use 7 days or 30 days whatever you need. I am in Thailand enough to maintain the same Thai SIM card over several years. I think for many it is useful to have a separate SIM and phone number and handset for mongering use. Don't want the GF to find suspicious things in my "normal" phone. I have had multiple phones since many years ago. Also have a dual SIM phone.

A monger phone should be small, set to silent, no display of messages in pop up, etc. and kept well hidden, password protected etc. maybe with battery taken out, as though its just a spare phone in case other phone breaks down (probably an old model). Batteries can be charged up separate to the phone itself.

Messaging with hookers is dangerous if GF is around naturally. Best done only when well away from GF's location.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2260306]I have T-Mobile USA and just use their roaming. Automatically changes when I enter a country. Along with that I get calls without any problems. I assume if you have to call another USA number in Bkk, you use the +1 before the area code. While in Bkk with friends we use the text feature to plan and set times to meet. The only problem, and it is big is that T-Mobile is only 2 G, so you have to be in a location that has WiFi.

One other thing, GRAB taxi service can be good and bad. Get the app and check the rate from your location to destination. Then wave a taxi and ask his price. Gives you leverage every time. Had one experience where the GRAB cab doubled the price listed. We exited that cab fast. But it was rush hour on Sukhumvit and we wanted to go to Rajadamnern Stadium to watch Muay Thai. Took BTS to National and caught a Tok-Tok instead.

RL.[/QUOTE]I have T-Mobile USA as well. My point with TMO and Google Fi is that it may be difficult or impossible for people with Thai SIMs to call you due to cost. I know Thai girls use Line and other stuff but I still want them to be able to call me. I think it is highly preferable to have a Thai SIM and local number even if you are only staying a week or so. And Thai SIMs are very inexpensive and their data connections are fast. I seldom turn on the wifi in Thailand since the data is so fast and cheap.

[QUOTE=Allover;2260399]My point with TMO and Google Fi is that it may be difficult or impossible for people with Thai SIMs to call you due to cost. I know Thai girls use Line and other stuff but I still want them to be able to call me. [/QUOTE]Not disagreeing that anyone staying a week shouldn't just get an inexpensive Thai Sim but I don't know a single Thai girl who doesn't use Line for calling. I pay 99 baht for 1 week or 29 baht per day through dtac.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2260306]One other thing, GRAB taxi service can be good and bad.[/QUOTE]GRAB taxi in Bangkok is always bad for price. It seems to be at least 80% more than a meter taxi. The good part, as you wrote, is that you get a price reference. Also, it's good because you don't need to tell the driver where to go, which sometimes can be very difficult to convey to the meter taxi driver.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2260306]Then wave a taxi and ask his price.[/QUOTE]Very bad advice if you want to get a good price. Even the honest taxi driver will overcharge you if you do that. You should always insist politely for them to use the meter.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2260306]But it was rush hour on Sukhumvit[/QUOTE]Yes, during certain times such as rush hour or rain, many taxi drivers will not use the meter. I travel from Sukhumvit to Khoa San Road many times. During rush hour, it will take between 1 and 1.5 hours. Without traffic, it's between 15 to 18 minutes. Many taxi drivers will refuse to use the meter. Sometimes I have to ask 3 or 4 taxi drivers. But the key point is that eventually (fairly fast since there are so many taxis around), one will say yes.

Note: You will never get a taxi that is parked near the tourist areas to use their meter. They are waiting for a tourist in order to charge them 3 to 5 times the price. Don't even talk to them. Unless you don't mind paying the extra money. The advantage is that they usually understand enough English to know where you want to go to.

The prices for GRAB in Bangkok is always more than the meter taxis.

The prices for GRAB in Phnom Penh is good and recommended. Those idiots raised the airport coupon taxi to $15 to the riverside; I guess because they had less business than before. Grab was less than $10. Now you don't have to be gouged by the airport taxis or tuk tuks. Didn't notice any surge pricing.

The prices for GRAB in Ho Chi Minh is good and recommended. Sometimes it's a lot cheaper than a meter taxi. I paid 98K dong from the airport to Bui Vien. Coupon taxi was 220K. Meter was previously 160K. But surge pricing sometimes will make it higher, but not much more.

[QUOTE=GreenBud;2261263]
Very bad advice if you want to get a good price. Even the honest taxi driver will overcharge you if you do that. You should always insist politely for them to use the meter.
[/QUOTE]Normally you wave a taxi and just ask him if he will take you to your destination, assuming he understands and you could pronounce it right. He indicates okay Or no. If he offers a set price, yes usually it will be a very bad price. Usually then try the next taxi.

If he just says no then you can try offering him a bit more than the meter rate as incentive, in case you are in a hurry. E. g. I know it costs only 80 Baht but will offer him 100 or if really desperate even 150. I really don't mind to pay 20 Baht more if that will make him decide favourably.

Sometimes in a bad traffic situation, every taxi will refuse unless you offer a fair incentive.

Even my Thai is good, I say "Suan Plu" and the taxi hears "Suwanaphum" because that is what he wants to hear. Better to say "Sathorn" (more clear). So always make sure the taxi knows where you are going. Get him to say it. I then ask him what route he will use. Make sure it is sensible.

Be aware that taxis will tend to avoid tollways to keep your total price down, but could cause you to waste a lot of time. You have to tell him you are happy to pay the tolls to save time. You should always have google Maps and know sensible alternative routes. Some drivers will take a crazy route if you do not prevent it, sometimes out of ignorance that they don't know the possible routes that well.

Some drivers will take the wrong exit off a freeway, or fail to exit when they should. Your vigilance is needed. You should always know what is going on, allowing for possible devious good route choices.

I don't use Grab or Uber. I like "All Thai" Taxis though. Orange vehicle usually Hybrid with blue map of Thailand on the door.

[QUOTE=GreenBud;2261263]GRAB taxi in Bangkok is always bad for price. It seems to be at least 80% more than a meter taxi. The good part, as you wrote, is that you get a price reference. Also, it's good because you don't need to tell the driver where to go, which sometimes can be very difficult to convey to the meter taxi driver.

Very bad advice if you want to get a good price. Even the honest taxi driver will overcharge you if you do that. You should always insist politely for them to use the meter.

Yes, during certain times such as rush hour or rain, many taxi drivers will not use the meter. I travel from Sukhumvit to Khoa San Road many times. During rush hour, it will take between 1 and 1.5 hours. Without traffic, it's between 15 to 18 minutes. Many taxi drivers will refuse to use the meter. Sometimes I have to ask 3 or 4 taxi drivers. But the key point is that eventually (fairly fast since there are so many taxis around), one will say yes.

Note: You will never get a taxi that is parked near the tourist areas to use their meter. They are waiting for a tourist in order to charge them 3 to 5 times the price. Don't even talk to them. Unless you don't mind paying the extra money. The advantage is that they usually understand enough English to know where you want to go to.

The prices for GRAB in Bangkok is always more than the meter taxis.
[/QUOTE]I'm sorry but this is just completly not true. If you don't know about grab in Thailand, please don't write this blatant untruth. If you know how to use the app, then it goes like this:

Grab taxi: meter + 25 Baht.

Just Grab: flat rate.

Grab Car: Flat rate.

Grab Car plus (premiuim) : Flat rate.

Please make sure you know what you are talking about when you post. If you choose a normal taxi in grab, you pay the meter plus 20 Baht. I use this service everyday to and from work.

[QUOTE=Bkkdog;2261302]Please make sure you know what you are talking about when you post.[/QUOTE]Geez! Replace the second word (taxi) with service. I was using "taxi" as a generic word. Then my post completely applies. I use the car service in other countries. Never used it in Bangkok because the fare given was way more than the meter taxi.

The intent of my post is to say that GRAB is more expensive than a meter taxi in Bangkok.

What is not true? Pease use some common sense before you trash my post.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2260117] Asia supposedly uses the European system: e.g. Ground floor, then next one is the first floor, but maybe their are Americanised exceptions.[/QUOTE]Ground Floor is called Level 1 in Singapore. I could never understand why.

[QUOTE=Blanquiceleste;2261321]Ground Floor is called Level 1 in Singapore. I could never understand why.[/QUOTE]In America the ground floor is the first level. Second floor is second floor. Seems logical to me.

[QUOTE=GreenBud;2261315]Geez! Replace the second word (taxi) with service. I was using "taxi" as a generic word. Then my post completely applies. I use the car service in other countries. Never used it in Bangkok because the fare given was way more than the meter taxi.

The intent of my post is to say that GRAB is more expensive than a meter taxi in Bangkok.

What is not true? Pease use some common sense before you trash my post.[/QUOTE]You can order a meter taxi with grab and you are basically saying that you can't.

If what you are saying is true, why would you not order a meter taxi with Grab in Bangkok? Do you think we need you to post that a private car is more expensive than a meter taxi. That’s common sense too. And that is what you should use when you visit Bangkok by ordering a Grab taxi and not a grab car. Choose grab taxi and not grab car. So my point is that Grab is not more expensive than a meter taxi by more than 20 Baht because you can order a meter taxi with Grab.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2261327]In America the ground floor is the first level. Second floor is second floor. Seems logical to me.[/QUOTE]Come to Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur where it can be LB lower basement, B basement, UB upper basement, LG lower ground, G ground, UG upper ground, 1, 2, 3, etc. You can be many floors up before you are on 1st floor.

[QUOTE=Bkkdog;2261392]Do you think we need you to post that a private car is more expensive than a meter taxi. Thats common sense too.[/QUOTE]Yes.

Common sense? The major draw of the car sharing App is that it's cheaper. Private citizens drive on their spare time, don't pay the taxi taxes / fees, and undercut the meter taxis.

Grab is cheaper in Phnom Penh.

Grab private cars are cheaper in Ho Chi Minh.

Uber / Lyft private cars are cheaper in the US.

Etc, etc.

That's why Uber / Grab / and others are destroying the meter taxi industry.

Of course, it's cheaper when surge pricing is not in effect. It can be more when surge pricing is on, such as during rush hour, or when the bars close in the US.

OK. I should add a caveat to my Bangkok Grab post. Prices are more when calling from the tourist areas. Uber prices are also location dependent. I also never checked GRAB at 2 AM when there is no traffic. Maybe prices for the private car is cheaper at that time.

Maybe Grab drivers don't want to deal with that horrible Bangkok traffic, unless you pay them extra, just like the regular meter taxi drivers. Meter taxi drivers complain that their wages / fares are not high enough.

I wouldn't want to wait for a Grab meter taxi when meter taxis are everywhere in the tourist area. Of course it will be different if I am in the boondocks since it will be easier for me to call Grab than calling from phone.

Will Grab meter taxi accept if you call from a tourist area during rush hour, during surge price conditions? From my experiences in other countries, they do not accept your request. They don't want to drive many minutes to get to you, when they can easily pick up fares or overcharge desperate customers.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2261400]Come to Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur where it can be LB lower basement, B basement, UB upper basement, LG lower ground, G ground, UG upper ground, 1, 2, 3, etc. You can be many floors up before you are on 1st floor.[/QUOTE]Same here in Oz. If the level is underground you get a be or LG before the number.

[QUOTE=GreenBud;2261449]Yes.

Common sense? The major draw of the car sharing App is that it's cheaper. Private citizens drive on their spare time, don't pay the taxi taxes / fees, and undercut the meter taxis.

Grab is cheaper in Phnom Penh.

Grab private cars are cheaper in Ho Chi Minh.

Uber / Lyft private cars are cheaper in the US.

Etc, etc.

That's why Uber / Grab / and others are destroying the meter taxi industry.

Of course, it's cheaper when surge pricing is not in effect. It can be more when surge pricing is on, such as during rush hour, or when the bars close in the US.

OK. I should add a caveat to my Bangkok Grab post. Prices are more when calling from the tourist areas. Uber prices are also location dependent. I also never checked GRAB at 2 AM when there is no traffic. Maybe prices for the private car is cheaper at that time.

Maybe Grab drivers don't want to deal with that horrible Bangkok traffic, unless you pay them extra, just like the regular meter taxi drivers. Meter taxi drivers complain that their wages / fares are not high enough.

I wouldn't want to wait for a Grab meter taxi when meter taxis are everywhere in the tourist area. Of course it will be different if I am in the boondocks since it will be easier for me to call Grab than calling from phone.

Will Grab meter taxi accept if you call from a tourist area during rush hour, during surge price conditions? From my experiences in other countries, they do not accept your request. They don't want to drive many minutes to get to you, when they can easily pick up fares or overcharge desperate customers.[/QUOTE]You keep using words like surge pricing and so forth but the fact remains that Uber is no longer in Thailand and Grab it much cheaper than Uber was anyways. Grab has 4 options to use in Bangkok and is not destroying the metre taxi industry since metre taxis are joining Grab more and more everyday. Grab is also not 80 % more expensive than a metre taxis because they have metre taxis options that are the most widely used over the other choices by their mostly Thai customer base. Oooh, that must have thrown you for a loop. Yes, 80% of Grab's customer base is Thai. And just to put another wrench in your story LOL, If I cannot find a Grab taxis (option 1) for one of the many reasons you state, Grab car, the lowest tear of private car options can be gotten for 30-50 Baht more. Certainly not the 80% higher that you stated. You just don't know about Grab in Thailand as it is different than in other SEA cities and surge pricing is minimal because the average Thai wont pay it.

This is the Thailand thread and I dont care about Cambodia or another place where Grab or Uber operates. Ok that was fun.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2261327]In America the ground floor is the first level. Second floor is second floor. Seems logical to me.[/QUOTE]In Australia G is ground and 1 is 1st floor up. So I guess logic American logic isn't an exportable commodity.

[QUOTE=Bkkdog;2261479]You just don't know about Grab in Thailand as it is different than in other SEA cities and surge pricing is minimal because the average Thai wont pay it.
This is the Thailand thread and I dont care about Cambodia or another place where Grab or Uber operates. Ok that was fun.[/QUOTE]Grab is in only 18 cities in Thailand, and I think it hasn't just stormed over like Vietnam, but it will. All what the Asians want (rightly) is that most of the money stays in country. Doesn't quite match Uber attitude, I'm afraid.

Also I think much blame has to go to the weird attitudes of the drivers, at least the bikers. In Thailand, they prefer to sit idle rather than let a foreigner pay the real fare. Practically every ride I took ended into some argument. Apps wonderfully takes all their bullshit out of the way.

In Saigon I needed a short ride and didn't had the App ready - the guys sitting on their bikes all declined. Then an old guy with Grab helmet and jacket took me up. His problem was that he couldn't use the app, while the youngsters one that they couldn't use their brains.

All that said, I prefer so much to drive myself and would not trade that for free rides.

Numbers are universally easier to understand than ground or above ground or below ground nonsense. Not everyone understands English. Logical right?

[QUOTE=GDreams;2261486]In Australia G is ground and 1 is 1st floor up. So I guess logic American logic isn't an exportable commodity.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=StinkyFeet;2261698]Numbers are universally easier to understand than ground or above ground or below ground nonsense. Not everyone understands English. Logical right?[/QUOTE]The metric system of weights and measures is much easier to understand and use so you would think it logical that all countries would use a standard system of measurement and yet some don't.

[QUOTE=StinkyFeet;2261698]Numbers are universally easier to understand than ground or above ground or below ground nonsense. Not everyone understands English. Logical right?[/QUOTE]I don't recall to see to much English in Asian buildings outside of the huge tourist areas.

[QUOTE=Blanquiceleste;2261321]Ground Floor is called Level 1 in Singapore. I could never understand why.[/QUOTE]Perfectly logic. It is the same in most of European countries.

[QUOTE=Aviator12;2261873]Perfectly logic. It is the same in most of European countries.[/QUOTE]Perhaps because in residential buildings in Asia the higher the floor number the higher the price.

[QUOTE=Aviator12;2261873]Perfectly logic. It is the same in most of European countries.[/QUOTE]There's also logic in calling the ground floor the ground floor or level 0 (zero) and one level up floor 1, two levels up floor 2, etc.

I guess logic is not always universal and depends on what you're used to. The famous 'Thai logic' is a good example of that.

[QUOTE=Aviator12;2261873]Perfectly logic. It is the same in most of European countries.[/QUOTE]Not in mine or any other that I've visited, including the UK.

[URL]http://speakspeak.com/about-english/ground-floors-and-first-floors-in-british-and-american-english[/URL]

If you were in your 50's or 60s and wanted to dress well when you went to the bars, what would you wear? I would want to not look out of place or dressed too fancy. I always wore shorts, no pattern t-shirts and sandals. How would I be more attractive with what I wear? I am already slim and in shape, but have a lot of gray and white hair.

Thanks.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2262307]If you were in your 50's or 600 and wanted to dress well when you went to the bars, what would you wear? I would want to not look out of place or dressed too fancy. I always wore shorts, no pattern t-shirts and sandals. How would I be more attractive with what I wear? I am already slim and in shape, but have a lot of gray and white hair.

Thanks.[/QUOTE]This work well every time!

[QUOTE=Horatio;2262307]If you were in your 50's or 600 and wanted to dress well when you went to the bars, what would you wear? I would want to not look out of place or dressed too fancy. I always wore shorts, no pattern t-shirts and sandals. How would I be more attractive with what I wear? I am already slim and in shape, but have a lot of gray and white hair.

Thanks.[/QUOTE]Start by replacing t-shirt by shirt. T-shirts are hell to take off when you sweat anyway.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2262307]If you were in your 50's or 600 and wanted to dress well when you went to the bars, what would you wear? I would want to not look out of place or dressed too fancy. I always wore shorts, no pattern t-shirts and sandals. How would I be more attractive with what I wear? I am already slim and in shape, but have a lot of gray and white hair.

Thanks.[/QUOTE]The first thing might be to color your hair. I know, I know, you think it is crazy, but I look years younger when I do it. The downside, as I am sure you were thinking, is that once you start coloring you have to keep it up, but I have found that the color starts to fade with time so the colored part will soon fade and blend in with your gray.

I do believe that many of the younger girls, in particular, do discriminate a bit against older guys. By having darker hair and being relatively slender you will look younger. IMHO, this will do more to enhance your appearance and desirability than by changing your clothing style. Of course, there may be some limits here, but a change from cargo shorts to slacks probably won't make much of a difference, though you might get better luck if you dress up in a suit compared to wearing tattered cargo shorts. Even so, the girls are most interested in what you have in your wallet that will end up in theirs than how you look or dress. Be aware that if you dress too fancy they may think you are rich and will try to get more money out of you. Still, the girls know they will be taking your money home, not your looks.

And treating them nice is big. If you are rude, stink, blow smoke in their faces, or give the appearance of a disrespectful slob, it is only logical that a girl might pass you up to go with a dude who treats you with respect and who themselves appears to respect their own body. I have had girls readily accept long term with me even though they believe they could make more by doing ST, simply because they knew they would be safe and happy with me. Some here may say all they care about is money, but that is often not so true. They obviously want to maximize their income, but as long as they meet their income goals, they want to be with handsome men and with those who make them feel good.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2262307]If you were in your 50's or 60s and wanted to dress well when you went to the bars, what would you wear? I would want to not look out of place or dressed too fancy. I always wore shorts, no pattern t-shirts and sandals. How would I be more attractive with what I wear? I am already slim and in shape, but have a lot of gray and white hair.

Thanks.[/QUOTE]Status is sexy to Thai girls. More than you being fit and not fat, which is also more important to Thai girls than they openly let on. Nice shorts, t-shirts and sandals are ok. But, imo, men of a certain maturity, let's say appearing over 45 or so, are better served by wearing long pants and real shoes, thin and very casual pants and sneakers ok, on an evening out on the hunt in Bangkok.

In the mind of a Thai girl, the guy wearing long pants and real shoes is the manager, supervisor, owner, teacher, doctor and so on. The guy wearing shorts and sandals is his underling. And older men wearing too casual or sloppy beach wear going in and out of go-go bars, restaurants and nightclubs in one of the biggest, most international cities on the planet just looks, well, unknowing and disrespectful. I think Thais see it that way too.

Of course, I don't mean to suffer during Hot Season. Any time it is really hot at night, if you're going to start sweating like a pig within minutes of stepping outside because you are wearing long pants and real shoes, do the logical thing and wear shorts and sandals.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2262331]
Of course, I don't mean to suffer during Hot Season. Any time it is really hot at night, if you're going to start sweating like a pig within minutes of stepping outside because you are wearing long pants and real shoes, do the logical thing and wear shorts and sandals.[/QUOTE]Agree. Good if shirt can have a collar and short sleeves. No sweat shirts or singlets. In other words cover up the armpits which may stink to the Thai nose. As you said, Shorts not really the best idea, maybe okay In Pattaya, however I note that Singapore guys usually wear shorts but are fairly well dressed.

If it is too hot, don't get hot before entering. Go in aircon taxi. Bars have aircon.

I think it is criticial to be clean and not too sweaty. So Shower and fresh clothes (shirt, underwear, etc.) first. Smelly socks or shoes could be bad. I doubt I am ever attending a bar in very hot sweaty situation.

Less critical in an Oily MP or Soapy since you are going to be bathed / showered first.

I agree with you guys. Appearance and personal hygiene matter to the girls and can affect your hunting success rate. In humid climates like Thailand an evening shower and fresh clothes can make the difference. Many sportswear manufacturers now offer "performance" clothing that wick away sweat and perspiration better than cotton. I like the feel of cotton, but these performance shirts really work (stay dry) even after a round of golf in hot humid south Florida. Bobby Jones, for example, offers many different styles & colors of their performance polos that are perfect for a night out clubbing and dancing in BKK. I only buy sale priced items and usually do not spend more than $39/ shirt. Nike et al offer similar "performance" wear.

Look good. Smell good. Stay dry. Then net the girl you want and net her in the right frame of mind.

Agree with just about everything said about dress. I don't ever wear shorts in BKK, day or night. Collared or t-shirt is not a big issue; as long as you are not wearing some tattered looking shirt that is two sizes to big for you. Nice cotton Ts are great. Uniqlo here stocks some very nice supima cotton ones for 290 Baht. A nice black t is great. Also avoid "dad jeans. " Days of baggy pre-faded jeans are over. Go out and get a pair of good selvedge denim. And yes, don't wear sandals. I'd also add don't wear your athletic shoes either. Nice pair of leather shoes or some Red Wing boots.

If you think that being fat does not matter; you are wrong. Gals like dudes that are in shape. It gets harder as we get into our 50's and 60's, but get your butt to the gym, stay trim, and eat well. It'll also increase your performance and drive. It takes effort, but no one wants to scr#w a big fat guy. Do you want to scr#w a big fat gal?

Hair color; I agree 100%. Ever notice older Asian guys with gray hair? Not very many. Why? They all color their hair. If you don't have enough to color then shave it all off.

Looking "presentable" is always good. A gal I met at her MP shop, where I always rolled up in cycling or running gear (because I can shower at the shop) visited me one night at my hotel. I was dressed from work. Slacks, collared shir. And she said "oh handsome! I think she genuinely responded to the more executive me compared with the casualoutdoors me.

Clean, respectable and more or less put together always helps.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2262331]Status is sexy to Thai girls. More than you being fit and not fat, which is also more important to Thai girls than they openly let on. Nice shorts, t-shirts and sandals are ok. But, imo, men of a certain maturity, let's say appearing over 45 or so, are better served by wearing long pants and real shoes, thin and very casual pants and sneakers ok, on an evening out on the hunt in Bangkok.

In the mind of a Thai girl, the guy wearing long pants and real shoes is the manager, supervisor, owner, teacher, doctor and so on. The guy wearing shorts and sandals is his underling. And older men wearing too casual or sloppy beach wear going in and out of go-go bars, restaurants and nightclubs in one of the biggest, most international cities on the planet just looks, well, unknowing and disrespectful. I think Thais see it that way too.

Of course, I don't mean to suffer during Hot Season. Any time it is really hot at night, if you're going to start sweating like a pig within minutes of stepping outside because you are wearing long pants and real shoes, do the logical thing and wear shorts and sandals.[/QUOTE]

A nylon golf shirt and nylon hiking pants will be cooler at night than cotton. Weighs less, packs better, doesn't wrinkle, easy to wash in the sink and dry overnight. Some hiking pants include concealed / zippered pockets for passport, extra cash, etc. Black helps conceal a few extra pounds. Black can help you lose a whole lot of weight by getting hit from behind by a taxi, so take care.

[QUOTE=Chacal60;2262768]Looking "presentable" is always good. A gal I met at her MP shop, where I always rolled up in cycling or running gear (because I can shower at the shop) visited me one night at my hotel. I was dressed from work. Slacks, collared shir. And she said "oh handsome! I think she genuinely responded to the more executive me compared with the casualoutdoors me.

Clean, respectable and more or less put together always helps.[/QUOTE]Yes, that happens a lot. Girls see me in my 650 baht pants from AIIZ instead of my 350 baht shorts and suddenly I am "oh, so handsome!" LOL. So it is merely an image that appeals more to them and not a matter of my looking like a big spender. If I toss on a long sleeve (rolled up my arm) shirt instead of a t-shirt on a Friday or Saturday night I magically turn into "a Super Star". They aren't making fun of me. LOL. It just matters how you dress. And I don't mean you will make an even better impression if you wear a business suit into a go-go bar. That would be going too far imo.

I think on warm nights wearing good quality sandals with long pants is fine. Not cheap flip flops. In fact, many Thai girls have said they really like that look on a man. It seems to convey a nice combination of a relaxed, easy going nature while also being mindful and respectful of where you are and what is appropriate for your status in terms of age, ethinicity and position.

[QUOTE=Etaoin2003;2262973]A nylon golf shirt and nylon hiking pants will be cooler at night than cotton. Weighs less, packs better, doesn't wrinkle, easy to wash in the sink and dry overnight. Some hiking pants include concealed / zippered pockets for passport, extra cash, etc. Black helps conceal a few extra pounds. Black can help you lose a whole lot of weight by getting hit from behind by a taxi, so take care.[/QUOTE]I highly recommend the Columbia Line of fishing shirts and convertible pants. Lightweight, wash well, quick drying, plenty of pockets, zip off legs on the pants and look casual class-eh, wot wot old boy. I buy the long sleeve shirts. I brought 4 pair of pants and 5 shirts with me, total cost was about $200 US and you can roll them up into stuff sacks which for me is vital since I am staying 6-7 months here with just a carry on (36 liter pack).

[QUOTE=Goatscrot;2262759] A nice black t is great. [/QUOTE]It can be great but it's also very hot in the sun because it does not reflect the heat. Therefore I'm always wearing light colored shirts in the daytime.

[QUOTE=Goatscrot;2262759] Nice cotton Ts are great. A nice black t is great. Go out and get a pair of good selvedge denim. Nice pair of leather shoes or some Red Wing boots.[/QUOTE]Is it coincidence that this is the same attire chosen by the gay Thai gigolos?

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2263347]Is it coincidence that this is the same attire chosen by the gay Thai gigolos?[/QUOTE]I really doubt gay Thai gigolos are wearing good Japanese selvedge denim. Seems those light in the loafers in Thailand prefer those tight peg-legged jeans. And Red Wings? Doubt that as well.

[QUOTE=Etaoin2003;2262973]A nylon golf shirt and nylon hiking pants will be cooler at night than cotton. Weighs less, packs better, doesn't wrinkle, easy to wash in the sink and dry overnight. Some hiking pants include concealed / zippered pockets for passport, extra cash, etc. Black helps conceal a few extra pounds. Black can help you lose a whole lot of weight by getting hit from behind by a taxi, so take care.[/QUOTE]Pegs you as a tourist right off the bat.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2262307]If you were in your 50's or 60s and wanted to dress well when you went to the bars, what would you wear? I would want to not look out of place or dressed too fancy. I always wore shorts, no pattern t-shirts and sandals. How would I be more attractive with what I wear? I am already slim and in shape, but have a lot of gray and white hair.

Thanks.[/QUOTE]A few points as lots of other people have chipped in here:

1 - Don't worry about looking out of place, you are on holiday and looking to have some fun so don't spend any time worrying about what other people think of you. If you try to 'fit in' or look a certain way then that is what you will look like - someone who is trying to 'fit in'. There are Western people in Thailand from Oz, Europe and the US and each place has their own style of clothing that they wear so you aren't going to look out of place regardless of what you wear.

2 - Hygene is the main thing to worry about when going to the bars. Thailand is a hot country and unless you come from somewhere with a similar climate you will get very hot and sweaty very easily. Make sure you have a shower before you go to the bars at night and take a taxi or MRT / SRT to the bars if your hotel is far away as these are all air conditioned. There are lots of people who don't pay attention to hygene and you can tell they have been out most of the day and haven't showered since earlier that morning so purely by putting a bit of effort in you will increase your chances of a girl liking you. The last thing any girl wants is a sweaty man lying on top of her.

3 - For clothes linen is the best thing to have. I went to Thailand for the first time a couple of months ago and was unsure of what to wear as I was doing some sightseeing as well as mongering and came across the following website - [URL]https://www.kohsamuisunset.com/what-to-wear-in-thailand/[/URL] It has some great information and I ended up getting 6 cheap linen shirts and a couple of pairs of linen pants and didn't wear anything else. I would use one shirt during the day when sightseeing and another at night for going to the bars and then wash them. I was probably the only tourist in BKK wearing a shirt during the day but it kept me cool and it covered my arms so I had protection against the sun and mosquitoes.

4 - Be nice to the girls. You would be surprised how many assholes there are around that think women who work in these bars are just hookers and somehow sub-human so can be treated like shit. Take a bit of extra time with the girl and if necessary buy her an extra lady drink. This will put you in a good position with the girl as well as the mamasan and will give you a chance to talk a bit more with the girl and get better service.

5 - Most importantly of all - enjoy yourself. BKK can be a bit overwhelming and can take time to get used to. When I was researching Thailand I read that a lot of holiday makers (not mongerers) would just fly into BKK and then fly straight out to another city or island and when I first arrived I could understand this. It is very busy, very hot, very loud and can also be very humid depending on when you go. Just take it easy and don't try and rush to cross everything off your wish-list in one go. If you like the place you can always return in the future.

[QUOTE=Warsteiner;2263500]4 - Be nice to the girls. You would be surprised how many assholes there are around that think women who work in these bars are just hookers.[/QUOTE]Indeed. Some do think they are hookers.

Keep most of your money locked up and be careful where you flash bigger notes. Some places frown on scruffy clothes. I like to dress blend in. Getting a jeepney in Angeles, we passed this 60+ Ossie I knew. He was wearing only shorts, no top and showing his fine physique (for his age). Everyone on the jeepney laughed at him. The better you dress, the more the hired help will want. But don't ever think it as they are just hookers when all is said and done.

How you dress is also a function of how much you want to party: to hook up early or go drinking all night.

[QUOTE=Warsteiner;2263500]A few points as lots of other people have chipped in here:


3 - For clothes linen is the best thing to have.[/QUOTE]I find linen to be too heavy for a warm, humid climate. Moisture wicking polos, t-shirts, and shorts really help keep you dry. Adidas and Reebok do a great job with their moisture wicking products. I wear long pants at night.

[QUOTE=Allover;2263618]I find linen to be too heavy for a warm, humid climate. Moisture wicking polos, t-shirts, and shorts really help keep you dry. Adidas and Reebok do a great job with their moisture wicking products. I wear long pants at night.[/QUOTE]Agreed. Linen is great when the sun has gone down and you're beachside with a breeze.

Uniqlo also has a good line of moisture wicking clothing, and finally sizes that fit tall (but fit) farang.

[QUOTE=Warsteiner;2263500]A few points as lots of other people have chipped in here:

1 - Don't worry about looking out of place, you are on holiday and looking to have some fun so don't spend any time worrying about what other people think of you. If you try to 'fit in' or look a certain way then that is what you will look like - someone who is trying to 'fit in'. There are Western people in Thailand from Oz, Europe and the US and each place has their own style of clothing that they wear so you aren't going to look out of place regardless of what you wear.

2 - Hygene is the main thing to worry about when going to the bars. Thailand is a hot country and unless you come from somewhere with a similar climate you will get very hot and sweaty very easily. Make sure you have a shower before you go to the bars at night and take a taxi or MRT / SRT to the bars if your hotel is far away as these are all air conditioned. There are lots of people who don't pay attention to hygene and you can tell they have been out most of the day and haven't showered since earlier that morning so purely by putting a bit of effort in you will increase your chances of a girl liking you. The last thing any girl wants is a sweaty man lying on top of her.

3 - For clothes linen is the best thing to have. I went to Thailand for the first time a couple of months ago and was unsure of what to wear as I was doing some sightseeing as well as mongering and came across the following website - [URL]https://www.kohsamuisunset.com/what-to-wear-in-thailand/[/URL] It has some great information and I ended up getting 6 cheap linen shirts and a couple of pairs of linen pants and didn't wear anything else. I would use one shirt during the day when sightseeing and another at night for going to the bars and then wash them. I was probably the only tourist in BKK wearing a shirt during the day but it kept me cool and it covered my arms so I had protection against the sun and mosquitoes.

4 - Be nice to the girls. You would be surprised how many assholes there are around that think women who work in these bars are just hookers and somehow sub-human so can be treated like shit. Take a bit of extra time with the girl and if necessary buy her an extra lady drink. This will put you in a good position with the girl as well as the mamasan and will give you a chance to talk a bit more with the girl and get better service.

5 - Most importantly of all - enjoy yourself. BKK can be a bit overwhelming and can take time to get used to. When I was researching Thailand I read that a lot of holiday makers (not mongerers) would just fly into BKK and then fly straight out to another city or island and when I first arrived I could understand this. It is very busy, very hot, very loud and can also be very humid depending on when you go. Just take it easy and don't try and rush to cross everything off your wish-list in one go. If you like the place you can always return in the future.[/QUOTE]Complete bullshit. Err I mean a pointless topic. Find yourself some nice looking swim shorts with good pockets that seal up with a zipper or velcro. Swim shorts are meant to dry out quickly. Also cut out those mesh inner shorts to let your boys dangle, how else are the girls going to give you a HJ while they are lapdancing on your dick for their $4 drink? As to shirts, buy those god awful looking bright orange short sleeve button up shirts with photo's of the beers of the world all over the shirt. As to the guys who need to wear pants in the tropics. Sad, so sad.

[QUOTE=Breadman;2263922]Complete bullshit. Err I mean a pointless topic. Find yourself some nice looking swim shorts with good pockets that seal up with a zipper or velcro. Swim shorts are meant to dry out quickly. Also cut out those mesh inner shorts to let your boys dangle, how else are the girls going to give you a HJ while they are lapdancing on your dick for their $4 drink? As to shirts, buy those god awful looking bright orange short sleeve button up shirts with photo's of the beers of the world all over the shirt. As to the guys who need to wear pants in the tropics. Sad, so sad.[/QUOTE]LOL. Funny image. But we have all seen older dudes walking around Bangkok in that kind of garb, in and out of bars and restaurants. Usually walking out alone. Many nights you can see some walking out of Thermae alone, too, shaking their heads and muttering something like, "This place sucks! The girls only want Japanese customers!"

And rejection based on your goofy presentation is not confined to Thermae, of course. I've even seen some of the better looking girls standing in front of the Nana Hotel parking lot turn away feigning distraction when one of those older guys dressed like a 9 year old at Summer Camp approaches them. Meanwhile, those same girls can be seen staring and smiling invitingly at men of the same general age wearing, you guessed it, long pants. Just like practically all of the better educated, higher status Thai men those girls grew up admiring wear on most nights out in the tropics of Bangkok.

[QUOTE=Warsteiner;2263500]
1 - Don't worry about looking out of place, you are on holiday and looking to have some fun so don't spend any time worrying about what other people think of you. If you try to 'fit in' or look a certain way then that is what you will look like - someone who is trying to 'fit in'. There are Western people in Thailand from Oz, Europe and the US and each place has their own style of clothing that they wear so you aren't going to look out of place regardless of what you wear.
[/QUOTE]Misguided comment. Guys really should make an effort to fit in and respect the local customs and ways, to avoid being considered foreign trash. "In Rome, do as the Romans do".

If you dress very low class, it won't help Thai girls' opinions of you.

If you don't dress properly, some venues will refuse you entry. I got refused entry to certain places for wearing sandals on occasion. It maybe that I considered shoes and socks impractical (too sticky) but did not change the thinking of others. In Pattaya, probably anything goes, but not so much Bangkok.

The tourist figures for Thailand are out and there's no surprise. The biggest growth is from China and India who's huge middle class is cashed up, looking to travel and hunt for foreign pussy. India is currently at number 5, with it being predicted to jump to number 2 in the next couple of years, surpassing the Koreans. I hope the bar owners and bar girls can adapt to this as this is where their revenue is going to come from in the future. Couldn't happen to a nicer group of people!!

[URL]https://www.tatnews.org/2018/08/thailand-visitor-arrivals-in-jan-jul-2018-up-11-to-22-6-million/[/URL]

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2264469]Misguided comment. Guys really should make an effort to fit in and respect the local customs and ways, to avoid being considered foreign trash. "In Rome, do as the Romans do".

If you dress very low class, it won't help Thai girls' opinions of you.

If you don't dress properly, some venues will refuse you entry. I got refused entry to certain places for wearing sandals on occasion. It maybe that I considered shoes and socks impractical (too sticky) but did not change the thinking of others. In Pattaya, probably anything goes, but not so much Bangkok.[/QUOTE]I'm not against wearing pants while in Thailand, I always bring along some black cotton chef pants. They are smooth like dress pants but still allow the girl to get her hand down my pants. I'll wear a nice looking short sleeve dress shirt soas her hand can't be seen down my pants by those nearby. See, I'm classy thinking of the ladies feelings and such. I do like my fuzzy bunny slippers, really makes the girls laugh while I'm fingering them. And I have to think guys who come across as 'snooty' on a review board come across as 'snooty' in spades in front of the ladies they are trying to impress. You might not get laughed at for wearing shorts but for sure the girls will be talking about 'that prick' in those pants sitting by himself.

[QUOTE=Breadman;2265494]I'm not against wearing pants while in Thailand, I always bring along some black cotton chef pants. They are smooth like dress pants but still allow the girl to get her hand down my pants. I'll wear a nice looking short sleeve dress shirt soas her hand can't be seen down my pants by those nearby. See, I'm classy thinking of the ladies feelings and such. I do like my fuzzy bunny slippers, really makes the girls laugh while I'm fingering them. And I have to think guys who come across as 'snooty' on a review board come across as 'snooty' in spades in front of the ladies they are trying to impress. You might not get laughed at for wearing shorts but for sure the girls will be talking about 'that prick' in those pants sitting by himself.[/QUOTE]I too have been watching this thread and firstly I have been waiting for it to run out of oxygen. I have been traveling to SEA for almost 20 years now and I don't get why westerners would want to overdress and get over heated. I have probably worn trousers on 10 occasions. You can dress neatly in shorts and button up shirts which allows the girls access to your genitals in a comfortable manner. I believe attitude is more important then appearance.

I have worn trousers once in a Pattaya gogo bar and left with the same quality girl but a quarter of the fun as she could only massage me on the outside of my pants.

My opinion for what's it worth.

[QUOTE=RobJones;2265641]I too have been watching this thread and firstly I have been waiting for it to run out of oxygen. I have been traveling to SEA for almost 20 years now and I don't get why westerners would want to overdress and get over heated. I have probably worn trousers on 10 occasions. You can dress neatly in shorts and button up shirts which allows the girls access to your genitals in a comfortable manner. I believe attitude is more important then appearance.

I have worn trousers once in a Pattaya gogo bar and left with the same quality girl but a quarter of the fun as she could only massage me on the outside of my pants.

My opinion for what's it worth.[/QUOTE]Well, I am sure if the original question had been something like, "What kind of clothes should I wear so some girls in a handful (pun intended) of Thailand go-go bars can and will reach in and grab my dick?", our replies would have been very different. I would have replied with something like wide, very loose and sloppy shorts cut high above your knees, button or Velcro fly instead of zipper and don't bother wearing underwear.

However, since the original questions regarding clothing were, "If you were in your 50's or (60's) and wanted to dress well when you went to the bars, what would you wear? I would (not) want to not look out of place or dressed too fancy. I always wore shorts, no pattern t-shirts and sandals. How would I be more attractive with what I wear?", our replies were tailored (again, pun intended) to fit THOSE questions instead.

Bear in mind that too that, unlike most casual beach resort areas like Pattaya, Bangkok, being the great big adult world-class international city that it is, has several discos, clubs, bars, bistros and restaurants where you can still monger for hookers but where there is a dress and shoes code. You are not allowed to just ride up on your skateboard in a swim suit and flip flops, a slingshot stuffed in your hip pocket and one of those twirly fan caps on your head and enter as is. So, if a man in his 50's or 60's who is not finding what he wants in a go-go bar on a given night decides on a whim to check out those kinds of places, he needs to be dressed for it as well as not overdressed for the go-go bar scene. That will almost invariably call for long pants, real shoes and often a collared shirt. Snooty attitude optional and not recommended.

Add to which we are replying to an array of different ethnic, cultural types and hometown mongering acceptance levels in these threads, not just the guy who is already wearing clean, higher quality shorts, button and collared shirts and decent shoes. We have to give as general a response as we can based on our general observations of what can and is being worn by a lot of guys around town in both extremes.

[QUOTE=RobJones;2265641]
I have worn trousers once in a Pattaya gogo bar and left with the same quality girl but a quarter of the fun as she could only massage me on the outside of my pants.
[/QUOTE]Pattaya and Bangkok. Two different things I suspect. Not everyone is dressing specifically to have girls playing directly with their dick. Mostly I do regular girls, and we are going to go of and fuck. My dick does not really need a warm up in the bar. Even watching raunchy naked girls does not give me hard on any more, perhaps a lesbian show can. However if was thinking a lot about my dick before going to the bar, I might well wear thin material pants, with no underwear, as a means to show off a hard on underneath. However I don't need to impress my regular girls with how far down the leg the hard-on goes. They know my dick intimately already. Might be useful method to scare off the dick scared girls though. Ha ha. I never thought of that before. These days I tend to ask girls what sort of dick they like.

Some time I will survey some bargirls and see what they think, about guys in the bar so called "over" dressed, or those dressed rather too low class, and where the happy medium is. Really what the girls think might be more important than what we arrogantly think is best.

Bangkok gogo bars are not hot. Aircon. Can go there is aircon taxi. The getting overly hot argument seems to apply to open air bars.

On this topic I thought ETs comments were generally quite sensible. Dress differently for different occasion, different class of girls. However never dress like the lowest class drunken bozos (I can't think what is a suitable universal slang).

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2265941]Bangkok gogo bars are not hot. Aircon. Can go there is aircon taxi. The getting overly hot argument seems to apply to open air bars.

On this topic I thought ETs comments were generally quite sensible. Dress differently for different occasion, different class of girls. However never dress like the lowest class drunken bozos (I can't think what is a suitable universal slang).[/QUOTE]I usually wear a polo shirt or golf shirt, jeans and timberland shoes. I'm not too worried abot the heat, but I really feel the cold. If I think I'm going to be in an airconditioned bar for several hours I will wear a long sleeve shirt.

As for girls playing with my dick, well I usually drink at afterschool and they are happy to just take it out of your pants anyway. I'm usually in BKK for a visa run or in transit, so only a couple of days. I don't like to pack heavy.

I see so many old Farang with their shirts folded so they show off half their belly, wearing shirts that they bought 10 years ago when they were 20 kg lighter and now they fit like Saran Wrap, see guys with clothes so outdated that even my Dad wouldn't wear them, seen guys with cheap 200 baht sandals, seen wife beater tank tops, seen shirts with food or blood stains on them, seen guys with short shorts on that look just a tad larger than a Speedo, etc. I always try to guess which ISG member it is when I see these guys.

Guys can say all they want about clothing but I RARELY see a guy who is dressed like he doesn't care with a TOP girl. Of course if you look like a GQ model which I highly doubt any of us do, you can dress any way you like.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2266390] I always try to guess which ISG member it is when I see these guys.

Guys can say all they want about clothing but I RARELY see a guy who is dressed like he doesn't care with a TOP girl. Of course if you look like a GQ model which I highly doubt any of us do, you can dress any way you like.[/QUOTE]Ha ha! Right on mate. Could be my sandals did not cost much more than 200 Baht even the leather ones. Maybe up to 500. Ha ha. I hate to wear sneakers (sports shoes) and socks, and reluctant to put on my black business shoes too.

Maybe I have to up the standard of my dress, to succeed in Thermae, even my shirt has a collar, and belly not showing. For the girls to succeed for me, in Thermae I would like them to undress a bit, or at least not dress so conservatively. Very hard to guess which Thermae girl will be great on the bed, and recent years did not meet any that were great on the bed, and non restrictive. Failed to get a stunning body girl as well. Some were okay.

The best girls probably did not want me. My dress could be a factor, rather casual. I think some girls even got put off that I could speak Thai fluently. Probably assumed to be a hard asshole, rather than a nice guy.

I don't know why, but I seem to do much better with almost perfect body (to my spec) girls in the gogos. Possibly these are girls looking for Farangs mostly.

I recently had to do an extensive Thread Search. The forum thread search function is not at all easy to use really, and especially hard to search for text strings that are short.

I thought I would just republish for newbies the best way to search threads for past posts based on a specific search text or two. This was first published by Nic Frenchy (so we are indebted) I believe.

1. On the top of a thread (to the right) are two tabs. One is called Thread Tools. Click on that (not on Thread Search).

2. Click on pull down option "Show Printable version".

3. Top Right click on option: "Show 1000 post (s) from this thread on one page".

4. Note the date on the top of each page (first post) and whether the order is chronological ascending or descending.

5. Use the page selector on top left to pick "1000 posts page" that seems to be around the desired date range.

6. Use Control-F to pull up a text search box, and type in exact text to be searched for possibly including spaces and punctuation markes.

7. Keep using repeat find Next or find Previous functions till get to what you are looking for. Otherwise move to another page of 1000 posts.

Using this method I see to be able to find whatever I am looking for, who posted it, and when. It does not provide the normal method for quoting one of these posts however. I use Advanced Thread Search when need to do that and quote the poster handle.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2266390]I see so many old Farang with their shirts folded so they show off half their belly, wearing shirts that they bought 10 years ago when they were 20 kg lighter and now they fit like Saran Wrap, see guys with clothes so outdated that even my Dad wouldn't wear them, seen guys with cheap 200 baht sandals, seen wife beater tank tops, seen shirts with food or blood stains on them, seen guys with short shorts on that look just a tad larger than a Speedo, etc. I always try to guess which ISG member it is when I see these guys.

Guys can say all they want about clothing but I RARELY see a guy who is dressed like he doesn't care with a TOP girl. Of course if you look like a GQ model which I highly doubt any of us do, you can dress any way you like.[/QUOTE]The picture you painted seems to be the British retiree spending his golden years in paradise. I don't try to guess who is an ISG member because it may ruin my evening thinking what they may think of me LOL. From this thread I am assuming that all the guys with Victoria Secret models on their arms dressed in Armani are the members LOL.

36 days and counting and first stop the tailors to get my 3 piece suit ready so I can impress $20 hookers.

[QUOTE=BubbaBoy;2266283]I already have about 6 well researched samples and have just added some Sagami 0. 02 Large size for my next trip in 2 weeks. Thanks for the advice NB.

While on a Japanese condom site I noticed that Okamoto, which is apparently Sagami's main competition in the premium condom market has a "001 0. 01 mm Zero One Large Size Condom". I grabbed some of them too. They aren't cheap though, only come in 3 packs and cost about US $12 (Yes US $4 per condom) compared to just less than US $2 for the Sagami's.

All up I have 8 samples (1 to 2 dozen of each) to try and am in for about $200 in condoms.[/QUOTE]Hey Bubba Boy, looks like you are really prepared for action. Last trip I brought along 3 dozen Sagami 0. 02 L's and a 1 dozen Lelo Hex. I paid around $1.50 US per unit for the Sagami online and around $0.75 per unit for the Hex direct from Lelo. In LOS the Sagami's retail for around 70 baht per unit.

Like I said, I prefer bareback when available and when the girl passes my visual and olfactory standards. Still, in 72 days of mongering in LOS, Yangon, CGK, Sin, Macau and HKG averaging 1. 3 girls a night I went through everything I brought and needed to go out and buy more. 555. Good thing Sagami 0. 02 L's are sold in Jakarta.

Let us know which condoms you liked best and more importantly where you found your favorite girls. Stay Thirsty.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2266336]This is the most interesting topic I have seen on here in a while. I'll have to check those out. I normally use the Trojan NaturalLamb condoms. Have you tried those? Is so, how do they compare?[/QUOTE]I have never tried the Trojan Natural Lamb product. But they sound interesting. I will give them a try.

[QUOTE=Gapoox;2266347]I agree both Sagami L and Lelo Hex are great. Sagami is probably easier to get in Thailand though.

Have you tried Okamoto 001 XL? Personally, it's the best condom I've tried.[/QUOTE]No, but I have tried the Okamoto 0. 02. They were ok, but I prefer the Sagami 0. 02. I will look for the Okamoto 0. 01 XL and give them a try at some future date.

How can they call a condom XL when it is only 46 mm wide?

Even the Sagami 0. 02 L is 58 mm wide (and still uncomfortably tight).

[QUOTE=XXL;2266829]How can they call a condom XL when it is only 46 mm wide?

Even the Sagami 0. 02 L is 58 mm wide (and still uncomfortably tight).[/QUOTE]I haven't tried those, but I did try these Aoni ones recommended by a buddy in Jakarta. I found them to be very uncomfortable and I am as small as they come. They went straight in the trash after one session.

[QUOTE=BubbaBoy;2266283] Snip. While on a Japanese condom site I noticed that Okamoto, which is apparently Sagami's main competition in the premium condom market has a "001 0. 01 mm Zero One Large Size Condom". I grabbed some of them too. They aren't cheap though, only come in 3 packs and cost about US $12 (Yes US $4 per condom) compared to just less than US $2 for the Sagami's. Snip[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;2266800]Hey Bubba Boy, looks like you are really prepared for action. Last trip I brought along 3 dozen Sagami 0. 02 L's and a 1 dozen Lelo Hex. I paid around $1.50 US per unit for the Sagami online and around $0.75 per unit for the Hex direct from Lelo. In LOS the Sagami's retail for around 70 baht per unit.i[/QUOTE]I don't know where you ordered or got yours, but I got three 12-pack of the Sagami 0. 02 L for $35 delivered to the US through E-bay. Should be able to get same price delivered to Thailand.

[QUOTE=JimmyBoy99;2266865]I don't know where you ordered or got yours, but I got three 12-pack of the Sagami 0. 02 L for $35 delivered to the US through E-bay. Should be able to get same price delivered to Thailand.[/QUOTE]Good to see a sensible thread here.

[QUOTE=JimmyBoy99;2266865]I don't know where you ordered or got yours, but I got three 12-pack of the Sagami 0. 02 L for $35 delivered to the US through E-bay. Should be able to get same price delivered to Thailand.[/QUOTE]I just checked my Amazon account. I bought Sagami 0.02 L 3-packs (36 units) on Amazon and I paid $47.80 total or $1. 33 per condom with free shipping. However I see Amazon no longer sells Sagami. Don't know why. I still have 7 or 8 Sagami's and a couple of Hex left over from my last trip. I guess I will just show up in BKK and restock there at my favorite pharmacy @ 840 baht for a box of 12 ($26) or check Ebay

[QUOTE=XXL;2266829]How can they call a condom XL when it is only 46 mm wide?

Even the Sagami 0. 02 L is 58 mm wide (and still uncomfortably tight).[/QUOTE]XL is just marketing bullshit like are names Trojan, King etc. The Okamotos 003 in 7 Eleven are definitely less wide than Durex Comfort that I used to use by a significant margin. Feels like less than 52 mm standard. I found them hard to get on, until I worked out the technique to put fingers from both hands inside the condom to stretch it, and roll it down keeping the fingers stretching all the time, ending up with no bubbles. It is Japanese size, not even long enough really maybe length is 5 inches at the most when on stretched a bit. Fortunately I don't have extra broad dick, AFAIK, not that I have been doing a survey. Can't take too much notice of what GF says, as her experience maybe limited. LOL.

I tried the Sagamis as well and found them more difficult to get on than Durex Comfort (56 mm). I just don't like them because they don't stretch at all and go on wrinkly, defeating the feel of a very smooth fuck for me. So Okamotos will be tighter but a nice smooth feel for me. I don't really care that full length of dick is not covered. Seems to stay on pretty good, generally. Any condom can break though if hit by a sharp nail, or abraded by a sponge, etc.

The worst condoms I ever used were called London. Less than 52 mm I believe, very thick and strong, and difficult to get on. Used by girls in Germany a lot, but I refuse to use them since they queeze the dick too hard and leave very low feeling.

If a girl will not allow me to use Okamotos 003 or other variations these days, I will probably cancel unless she is just too hot to ignore. Even Durex Comfort is definitely inferior feel in my opinion. Obviously BBFS is better still, if risking it with very limited girls for me.

The one thing I love about Jakarta is the availability of freelancers in BATS & CJ's.

Wondering if there is any such joint in BKK / CM? Heading over to Thailand next week for my annual obligatory visit and would like to spend time with freelancers vs a pro wg.

TIA,

Chuday.

[QUOTE=Chuday;2267150]The one thing I love about Jakarta is the availability of freelancers in BATS & CJ's. Wondering if there is any such joint in BKK / CM? Heading over to Thailand next week for my annual obligatory visit and would like to spend time with freelancers vs a pro wg.
.[/QUOTE]Sure, just head over to Spasso in the basement of the Grand Hyatt around 11 pm. If no one strikes your fancy head across the street to Mixx in the basement of the Intercontinental at around 1 am. But first RTFF. There are many reports on these two bars. I call them 5 Star Hotel FL pick up bars. You can expect good service, a better grasp of English, well dressed/well coiffed, higher priced and a older age demographic, especially with the Spasso girls compared to Go Go girls for example. Thurs, Fri & Sat nights sre best.

Thermae is another option. You could call Thermae a 3.5 star Hotel FL pick up bar. LOL, since it is in the basement of the Ruamchitt Plaza Hotel. I call Thermae a meat market. But Thermae FL's are younger and less expensive. And there are a TON of them on any given night.

So what is the difference in your mind between a FL and a pro WG? There are plenty full time FL's and part time FL's. All three types rent out their pussies for money. 5 star Hotel FL's might be considered more polished. That's all.

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;2267282]
So what is the difference in your mind between a FL and a pro WG? There are plenty full time FL's and part time FL's. All three types rent out their pussies for money. 5 star Hotel FL's might be considered more polished. That's all.[/QUOTE]Ha ha. Retorical question? Not as if you don't know. Yes they are still hookers, and makes so little difference to us, other than we don't know for sure if freelancers will show up.

It is so simple really. A freelancer is in control of her own working days and hours, and can turn up when she needs to or wants to (perhaps within some limits), does not get a monthly salary also. Some bars may set a rule: Don't show up after 9:30PM limit. Oilies may set time spans that can be worked and make girl state in advance which days will be worked. Does not really matter if is in a bar, Soapy, Oily, Beer Garden, Thermae, street walker, disco, etc. However obviously some of those alternatives have only freelancers.

A bargirl with a monthly salary that will be fined for non-attendance is clearly not a freelancer, or is ambiguous in that may get a salary only some months of diligent work. Some girls do not get enough customers to survive as freelancers and need the monthly salary.

Freelancers can be part time hookers if they choose, or can be diligent and work every day like some girls standing on Soi 4. One of my old favourites at Crazy House, Donut (Bpaeng) used to only work weekends and not all weekends because had studies in another province during the week (most weeks). Oom, another regular of mine at Crazy House hardly ever turned up, in the recent years. These girls would not get a monthly salary, but both good looking enough to be accepted whenever turned up. I believe many bars try to minimise the level of freelancers, because the line up fluctuates so much and may not get enough decent girls on a Saturday night for example. I have heard of girls being asked to change from freelance to working properly, or otherwise to leave.

Always good idea to collect a LINE contact for freelancers, so can check if they are working.

Soapies used to have a girl category called "sideline" girls which seemed to mean something like freelancer. They may have had a different price to the base level girls.

Freelancers have to put up with a shitty boss a bit less or not at all. Some mamasans or bar managers are really horrible people hard to stand. Bargirls have the ability to refuse potential customers as well. They can state that they are not available to be fucked right now. This can have some influence on the level of respect we have for the girls. Even street walkers can completely refuse customers.

Oily and Soapy girls can refuse a customer in an extreme case but they cannot make a habit of it, generally. This may influence some girls to work in a Gogo or as freelancers.

Pin now works on Soi 4 street. She used to work at Boss massage. Has pleasant face and slim but very curvy body with implants. Skin not very white. She definitely appeals to Farangs and maybe Indians, not so much to Japanese. I asked her why the change to freelancing on the street, since she still works every day (by choice). She indicated simply that she gets more customers and makes more money. I guess not many girls on that street have the body to compete with her. ET did not like her service so I don't know if she gets lots of repeats or not, but others have been happy with the session, including me. I don't normally do street walkers that much, due to weak and rushed service and crappy bodies for the most part.

Still it comes down to being satisfied and value for money.

IMO, the best, and most frequently ISG recommended Sukhumvit area pharmacy is closing "next week". I stopped in on Saturday and he volunteered that info. I should have pinned it down to the day but was too shocked to ask. I asked if he had lost his lease and he said no, new gov't policy. So, if you are here and had planned to stock up, giddy up.

C4 T.

[QUOTE=Crazy4Thai;2267370]IMO, the best, and most frequently ISG recommended Sukhumvit area pharmacy is closing "next week". I stopped in on Saturday and he volunteered that info. I should have pinned it down to the day but was too shocked to ask. I asked if he had lost his lease and he said no, new gov't policy. So, if you are here and had planned to stock up, giddy up.
It is sounding like government crackdowns are extending to Pharmacies, so would be interesting to know if is tax avoidance, or selling medicines with no scripts, or selling patent violation generics, or exactly what is the problem. I already know this pharmacy refused to sell suspect hormones. Perhaps
C4 T.[/QUOTE]OMG,

I presume you refer to Charoen Pharmacy.
[url]https://goo.gl/maps/uqHnZadrpS22[/url]

Are Pharmacies are getting tougher licensing requirements to be allowed to operate, or must they belong to chains paying kickbacks to the government officials, cutting out some of the larger independent operators??? Perhaps premises does not pass some new standard?

Could not find anything in the Thai news. I wonder what medicines will have sales more restricted, if any? I will try to get there before the closure if possible to ask more details, if they are willing to tell. Unfortunately can't make it before the 2nd.

Suggestions of the best alternate pharmacies might be welcome.

Can you get Xanax without a prescription in Thailand? It's impossible in the Philippines.

I don't forget a memorable face if liked the girl a lot but can easily forget the name or where I met the girl. Still remember my first Thai bargirls from 1991, when get the old pics out. Names are not so easy but remember the place where met. I remember (fluke) the name of my first Thai bargirl from "Midnight Upstairs" bar in Soi Cowboy was "Saow". Not a popular name these days. Paid the girl 500 Baht for all night.

So embarrassing today, when get a message on Whatsapp from a girl, and face looks nice and I know I know her. Seems to be as recently as October 2018. Cannot think where I met her. Name is Tiara (could be a clue). After about 30 minutes, suddenly realised I was not in Thailand on the original date entered to Whatsapp. In fact elsewhere in Asia, then it all came back to me including a very nice 69 with the Indo girl.

Here are pics of my first bargirl Saow (Looks a bit Southern Thai rather than Issan) and first Thermae girl name forgotten (maybe Lek) with excellent body (covered unfortunately but big expansive natural tits no sag). Both pics from 1991. I still find these two sufficiently attractive I could still do them even though Thermae girl look is a bit quirky (Issan nose a bit broad for me these days however better than most fake ones). Because of the body and passionate in bed, I repeated her several nights running back then. I won't put up pics of some of the much plainer girls I did back 15 to 20 years ago. Clearly I was less fussy back then, coming from low experience with pretty girls in the home country. I suspect this applies to many expat types whose taste in Thai girls may have changed significantly over the years. Newbie mongers to Thailand can find just about any above average Thai girls to be exciting. Now I would take top 3% only I suspect. So many girls now look very average to me.

[QUOTE=EngineDriver;2267416]Can you get Xanax without a prescription in Thailand? It's impossible in the Philippines.[/QUOTE]Not even sure you can get it with a prescription. Very difficult to get any CNS acting drugs in Thailand these days. In the old days you bought Captagon OTC and the pharmacy girl suggested you buy Temazepam along with it as a combo. How things have changed!

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2267366]Ha ha. Retorical question? Not as if you don't know. Yes they are still hookers, and makes so little difference to us, other than we don't know for sure if freelancers will show up.

It is so simple really. A freelancer is in control of her own working days and hours, and can turn up when she needs to or wants to (perhaps within some limits), does not get a monthly salary also. Some bars may set a rule: Don't show up after 9:30PM limit. Oilies may set time spans that can be worked and make girl state in advance which days will be worked. Does not really matter if is in a bar, Soapy, Oily, Beer Garden, Thermae, street walker, disco, etc. However obviously some of those alternatives have only freelancers.

A bargirl with a monthly salary that will be fined for non-attendance is clearly not a freelancer, or is ambiguous in that may get a salary only some months of diligent work. Some girls do not get enough customers to survive as freelancers and need the monthly salary.

Freelancers can be part time hookers if they choose, or can be diligent and work every day like some girls standing on Soi 4. One of my old favourites at Crazy House, Donut (Bpaeng) used to only work weekends and not all weekends because had studies in another province during the week (most weeks). Oom, another regular of mine at Crazy House hardly ever turned up, in the recent years. These girls would not get a monthly salary, but both good looking enough to be accepted whenever turned up. I believe many bars try to minimise the level of freelancers, because the line up fluctuates so much and may not get enough decent girls on a Saturday night for example. I have heard of girls being asked to change from freelance to working properly, or otherwise to leave.

Always good idea to collect a LINE contact for freelancers, so can check if they are working.

Soapies used to have a girl category called "sideline" girls which seemed to mean something like freelancer. They may have had a different price to the base level girls.

Freelancers have to put up with a shitty boss a bit less or not at all. Some mamasans or bar managers are really horrible people hard to stand. Bargirls have the ability to refuse potential customers as well. They can state that they are not available to be fucked right now. This can have some influence on the level of respect we have for the girls. Even street walkers can completely refuse customers.

Oily and Soapy girls can refuse a customer in an extreme case but they cannot make a habit of it, generally. This may influence some girls to work in a Gogo or as freelancers.

Pin now works on Soi 4 street. She used to work at Boss massage. Has pleasant face and slim but very curvy body with implants. Skin not very white. She definitely appeals to Farangs and maybe Indians, not so much to Japanese. I asked her why the change to freelancing on the street, since she still works every day (by choice). She indicated simply that she gets more customers and makes more money. I guess not many girls on that street have the body to compete with her. ET did not like her service so I don't know if she gets lots of repeats or not, but others have been happy with the session, including me. I don't normally do street walkers that much, due to weak and rushed service and crappy bodies for the most part.

Still it comes down to being satisfied and value for money.[/QUOTE]I had an FL come to my ABNB condo, met her on WeChat and she offered massage room service. Came at the time promised. Undressed when she arrived and gave the best service I could ever want. Talked for awhile and she said she and girls she knows have an agent that cares for them. Give's them the flexibility to not worry about the customer. She reports each location and time and he gets a %. I wonder how common that is with the FL's?

So funny because she offered 2 hour massage for 1000 and she got horney and we filled the 2 hours with everything but A+. I tipped her for the extras of course.

RL.

[QUOTE=Crazy4Thai;2267370]IMO, the best, and most frequently ISG recommended Sukhumvit area pharmacy is closing "next week". I stopped in on Saturday and he volunteered that info. I should have pinned it down to the day but was too shocked to ask. I asked if he had lost his lease and he said no, new gov't policy. So, if you are here and had planned to stock up, giddy up.

C4 T.[/QUOTE]That sucks. Charoen Pharmacy was definitely my favorite with decent prices unlike South East Pharmacy. Anyone have any recommendations?

Still no one has any versatile Pharmacy to recommend?

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2269557]Still no one has any versatile Pharmacy to recommend?[/QUOTE]Away from the Sukhumvit area but you could try Chula Pharmacy on Thanon Rama IV, between Surawong and Silom (closer to Surawong). Sala Daeng BTS or Silom MRT. It's been a couple of years since I was there, tbh, but their produce was genuine (generics and branded) and inexpensive. I've found prices in South East Pharmach near Sukhumvit Soi 15 to be OK, but not used them much recently either.

[QUOTE=EdSetra;2269574]Away from the Sukhumvit area but you could try Chula Pharmacy on Thanon Rama IV, between Surawong and Silom (closer to Surawong). Sala Daeng BTS or Silom MRT. It's been a couple of years since I was there, tbh, but their produce was genuine (generics and branded) and inexpensive. I've found prices in South East Pharmach near Sukhumvit Soi 15 to be OK, but not used them much recently either.[/QUOTE]Funny name "Southeast" short for Southeast Asia I guess.

That seems to be between Yong Lee restaurant and the Thermae. Haven't eaten at Yong Lee for many years now. Found the old Chinese staff to be a bit grumpy and aggressive "Hong Kong" style, and food was cheap but quality average and not very interesting. Okay For basics like "Laat Naa" which I never order. Just not in that vicinity much I guess. In 1991 girls from Thermae café or Thermae Soapy used to eat at Yong Lee a lot. In that day, Thermae was located very close to Soi 13 but moved maybe about 1994 or so. Hard to know since I was away for a time. I guess Yong Lee is still the same as 27 years ago.

Tong Kee is another Chinese Hong Kong style (AFAIK) on other side of Suk but liked them more (much bigger) and quite good roast duck.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2269608]Funny name "Southeast" short for Southeast Asia I guess.

That seems to be between Yong Lee restaurant and the Thermae. Haven't eaten at Yong Lee for many years now. Found the old Chinese staff to be a bit grumpy and aggressive "Hong Kong" style, and food was cheap but quality average and not very interesting. Okay For basics like "Laat Naa" which I never order. Just not in that vicinity much I guess. In 1991 girls from Thermae caf or Thermae Soapy used to eat at Yong Lee a lot. In that day, Thermae was located very close to Soi 13 but moved maybe about 1994 or so. Hard to know since I was away for a time. I guess Yong Lee is still the same as 27 years ago.

Tong Kee is another Chinese Hong Kong style (AFAIK) on other side of Suk but liked them more (much bigger) and quite good roast duck.[/QUOTE]I haven't eaten in Yong Lee in a long time. I am not in the area much and when I am, its usually closed. But hey its a Landmark, when it goes, the old days are over.

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;2267282]
So what is the difference in your mind between a FL and a pro WG? There are plenty full time FL's and part time FL's. All three types rent out their pussies for money. 5 star Hotel FL's might be considered more polished. That's all.[/QUOTE]Thank you. Just the information I was seeking.

Like someone else pointed out, a pussy is a pussy. So is a wrist watch and a million other things on this planet. IMO, it's the total experience that makes one better than the other. When it comes to pro WG, their fake moans and mechanical method is a total turn off. Jakarta is my fav city because of the FL's. Hopefully BKK will trump Jakarta and then I will frequent BKK more often (easier to get to every month).

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2269557]any versatile Pharmacy to recommend?[/QUOTE]Just verified the prices of Sidegra (generic Viagra) at the pharmacy inside the Foodland at Sukhumvit / Soi 5. Pack of 4 pills of 50 Mg Sidegra is 100 Baht. Pack of 4 pills of 100 Mg Sidegra is 180 Baht.

[QUOTE=GreenBud;2270463]Just verified the prices of Sidegra (generic Viagra) at the pharmacy inside the Foodland at Sukhumvit / Soi 5. Pack of 4 pills of 50 Mg Sidegra is 100 Baht. Pack of 4 pills of 100 Mg Sidegra is 180 Baht.[/QUOTE]I believe 100 MG is unnecessarily high dose for many or most guys. So smaller dose tablets maybe more convenient if happen to be the right dose or even if 25 MG is you ideal dose. These are powerful pills, so better to take smaller doses especially if will take a top up after 4 hours to do the next girl.

Good to know for back up purposes that there are other pharmacies in BKK like Chula Pharmacy selling Viagra and it's generic. But I used to buy only limited quantities from Charoen Pharmacy anyway because I disliked the fact that they did not have AC and stored their inventory at BKK temp. I never had a problem with efficacy, but still I did not like it on general principal. So, I preferred buying large quantities in air-conditioned national pharmacy chains in Jakarta and Manila. But all that is water under the bridge for me now that generic Viagra is available in the USA. I just filled a prescription for 30 100 MG generic Viagra for $45 ($1. 5 per tab). I think my cost would have been even lower if I had had the patience to wait a couple of hours for my insurance company to confirm the prescription with my doctor and give it's approval to the pharmacy. But I don't like waiting so I just paid full list price. LOL. I will find out my real cost on my next refill before I head back to BKK fully loaded.

I have a pill splitter so no problem converting 100mg into two 50 MG. I also take 2 500 mg extra strength Tylenol with my vitamin V and drink plenty of liquids to avoid headaches. I used to use 20 MG Cialis with no negative side effects, but it did not work as well for me as 50 MG Viagra does.

Amazingly Pfizer Viagra is still selling for $70 per 100 MG pill at the same pharmacy in my home town.

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;2270721]
Amazingly Pfizer Viagra is still selling for $70 per 100 MG pill at the same pharmacy in my home town.[/QUOTE]Ha ha. Surely you mean $70 per pack? I have never seen anything close to $70 per pill. Ouch.

I agree with you re Cialias 20 MG. Not really a very noticeable effect for me. I wonder if I would have to go to a higher dose to notice anything. Anyway Sildenafil works much stronger and much faster as well.

When sex happens to occur at very short notice, I could take a fragment at start of the sex session, just before showering most likely, start with foreplay, DATY, BJ etc. And commence the sex with natural hard on. Assuming an empty stomach (no meal) the boost to the dick could start to come in at the say 25 min mark, maybe just when the dick might have been weakening. However with new girls that might be dick scared and difficult, I would be needing a boost from the start.

Hot regular girls, might not need a boost especially with BBFS, unless trying to fuck extra long duration, a precautionary boost coming in at the 25 to 30 min mark can be handy. I remember my first regular girl in Thailand in 1991. Don't think we had any Viagra then. She gave me BBFS but said she normally doesn't do it. Her reason is she claimed I needed BBFS to stay hard, and condoms were causing my dick to be not so strong. Ha ha. I suppose many guys are still saying they need BBFS or dick won't be working long enough, despite having a Viagra boost possibility, or maybe they just won't cum with the condom on.

Wanking definitely has a bad effect on my sex powers, so I try to ban all wanks from a week or two before any period of expected regular to daily sex. Would like to have given up wanking (or HJs) completely, but have not quite managed this during long periods of no fucks.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2270705]I believe 100 MG is unnecessarily high dose for many or most guys. So smaller dose tablets maybe more convenient if happen to be the right dose or even if 25 MG is you ideal dose. These are powerful pills, so better to take smaller doses especially if will take a top up after 4 hours to do the next girl.[/QUOTE]Well not for me I guess. I'm in my upper 50's but reasonably fit. When I'm in LOS take one a day (100 MG sidegra) usually late afternoon. Works great for me whenever action is needed. I was there recently for 9 days leading up to new year day so popped 900 MG total. I do down plenty of good quality scotch though and it's tried proven combination for me over the years so far. I just buy it in any of the pharmacies on main Sukhumvit. Since I'm usually visiting as a short term "millionaire " don't pay much attention to price although I do get the generic ones.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2270745]Ha ha. Surely you mean $70 per pack? I have never seen anything close to $70 per pill. Ouch.

[/QUOTE]Believe it or not, a friend of mine arrived in Bkk from the USA a few weeks ago and said $79 USD per TABLET is what the Pfizer 100 MG viagra is going for at full retail there unless you have an insurance subsidy.

He gave me 3-4 to try since he did get them subsidized by his insurance company. I had skipped a day of boner pills and sex and thought I would see how the "originals" compare to the same claimed product I buy off the street table vendors in Bkk for 600 baht per bottle of 30. Obvious copies. That is something like 63 cents in USD per 100mg tablet at today's exchange rate.

The result was I got LESS hard and felt LESS confident in maintaining what I got with the freshly bought originals than the copy stuff I buy for a tiny fraction of the cost. I gave the remaining 2-3 tablets of the original back to him.

Was it a psychological response instead of a genuine lack of response to the expensive stuff? Maybe. Frankly, I don't care. I am just glad the cheap copies I can buy for 600 baht per 30 tablets (63 cents per tablet!) work Great for me and I don't need to buy the originals.

BTW, I am certain the copies I buy off the street table vendors that claim to be original Pfizer 100 MG viagra tablets are NOT original and are copies. The color is a different shade of blue, they are a slightly different size and, oh yes, the "VGR" that is imprinted on the pill is spelled "VRG" on the copies. LOL. Regardless, they work better than the originals for me.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2270840]
BTW, I am certain the copies I buy off the street table vendors that claim to be original Pfizer 100 MG viagra tablets are NOT original and are copies. The color is a different shade of blue, they are a slightly different size and, oh yes, the "VGR" that is imprinted on the pill is spelled "VRG" on the copies. LOL. Regardless, they work better than the originals for me.[/QUOTE]Ha ha. Yes anything sold as originals but a hell of a lot cheaper, really must be a copy. However why but the genuine original when a generic will do, that is not even a fake because not claiming to be original. One can never be sure that a very price paid for Viagra will mean it was the genuine thing anyway. So pointless here in Thailand. I knew a guy who insisted for me to buy expensive "real" Cialis for him, not the fake one. However I included a free pack of Apcalis. Next time he was converted to the cheap one. Presumably it worked much the same. Many years ago I was buying some cheap supposedly genuine Cialis in Pratuu Nam area, but I knew it wasn't real because it tasted more like Viagra and worked far better for me than real Cialis does, but maybe not for the expected 24 hours duration. Box did not have the right watermark but otherwise similar.

Anything bought off the street will not be genuine, even small shops not very official will be selling fakes. Boots a reputable chain probably does not sell fakes. Expensive perfumes in stalls may well be fake, watered down or whatever. Expensive brand name watches can be A grade copies, where seller got them for amount X and sells them at 10 times the price. I know someone selling "Casio" watches and possibly other brands, but merely A grade copies obtained exceptionally cheaply in bulk. Louis Vuitton comes in various grades of copies from super crap ones to good copies.

[QUOTE=SexIsLove;2270797]Well not for me I guess. I'm in my upper 50's but reasonably fit. When I'm in LOS take one a day (100 MG sidegra) usually late afternoon. Works great for me whenever action is needed. I was there recently for 9 days leading up to new year day so popped 900 MG total. I do down plenty of good quality scotch though and it's tried proven combination for me over the years so far. I just buy it in any of the pharmacies on main Sukhumvit. Since I'm usually visiting as a short term "millionaire " don't pay much attention to price although I do get the generic ones.[/QUOTE]I am not sure that age and fitness is that relevant to how strongly they work. Each person can find the right dose. I started with quarter of a pill when first came out, but found had to increase over time, and depending how much sex had recently. The less sex had, the less need for a boost. BBFS possible with no pill with GF. This is not a marathon fuck though, as she has had always enough orgasms in a relatively short time (extremely sensitive girl can cum in less than 2 minutes from DATY). Girls are lucky though. Many cums is possible. For me a struggle to get to first one, 2nd one rare.

Not sure the alcohol is helping your stiffness, more likely to make the dick less sensitive, and have adverse affect. However if you are a person that typically is too sensitive and cums too quick, alcohol can help last longer I believe. Alcohol is no benefit to me as I need my dick to be as sensitive as possible (difficult to cum person). For this reason, I try to quick up wanking too, as much as possible. It messes up dick sensitivity.

Try no alcohol and lower you Viagra dose, some time to see what happens.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2271340]Ha ha. Yes anything sold as originals but a hell of a lot cheaper, really must be a copy. However why but the genuine original when a generic will do, that is not even a fake because not claiming to be original.

[/QUOTE]I have sampled just about every original and generic/copy of Viagra and Cialis in and out of the presumably legitimate pharmacies of Bangkok (and from the USA) and have either felt no difference at all or felt weaker results than from what I and friends of mine buy as cheap as it gets at the street vendor tables on Sukhumvit Road. If I had felt the slightest bit better results from what I believe goes for $79 USD at full retail in the USA over what I pay roughly $0.63 USD for now at the Sukhumvit street vendors I would switch ASAP. But I actually felt less from them.

No matter what they are called, "original", "generic", "copies", "fakes", whatever, I assume there is some amount of the same active ingredient in all of the ones that work. Or there is an amazing placebo effect involved. And I am fine with that, too, if that is what it is.

Some have not worked at all for me. For the hell of it I once sampled a few tablets of Tadalifil (spelling?), Cialis' active ingredient, claiming to contain 500 MG of the stuff in it. I bought it from the same street vendor I buy other products from and it did absolutely nothing for me. But the same source product claiming to have 100MG in it worked fine. Maybe I sampled a bad batch. The cost was the same. I returned to the ones that worked.

I change up and try something new every now and then. Right now my favorite choice is the 100MG Pfizer Viagra "copies" along with a half or sometimes a whole Black Ant King tablet (at 20 baht per tablet), both of which I buy off the street vendors.

It is likely taking both of those tablets at the same time 1-2 hours before sexual activity delivers into my system no more and possibly even less active ingredient than the verifiable "original" Pfizer 100MG Viagra going for $79 USD in the USA. But, for whatever reason, the "copy" and the other tablet I take together gets it up, keeps it up and remains ready to deliver for a repeat the next day notably better and for only around 80-85 baht per dose.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2271470]
I change up and try something new every now and then. Right now my favorite choice is the 100MG Pfizer Viagra "copies" along with a half or sometimes a whole Black Ant King tablet (at 20 baht per tablet), both of which I buy off the street vendors.

It is likely taking both of those tablets at the same time 1-2 hours before sexual activity delivers into my system no more and possibly even less active ingredient than the verifiable "original" Pfizer 100MG Viagra going for $79 USD in the USA. But, for whatever reason, the "copy" and the other tablet I take together gets it up, keeps it up and remains ready to deliver for a repeat the next day notably better and for only around 80-85 baht per dose.[/QUOTE]Black Ant King tablets probably contain Sildenafil (although not labelled as such, no surprise there for a 'natural' product). There have been warning announcements from the FDA and their Aussie equivalent, the TGA. The FDA have tested Black Ant King tablets and proved content of sildenafil.

Just be aware if you are adding it to another sildenafil based med that your final ingested dosage is increased by an unspecified amount.

But we're all adults here, mostly.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2271340]. Expensive brand name watches can be A grade copies, where seller got them for amount X and sells them at 10 times the price. I know someone selling "Casio" watches and possibly other brands, but merely A grade copies obtained exceptionally cheaply in bulk. Louis Vuitton comes in various grades of copies from super crap ones to good copies.[/QUOTE]I was feeling ornery when one of the Middle East Rolex guys approached me and persistently tried to sell me a Rollie, so I offered him a hundred. He went to hand me the watch and I whipped out a 100 baht bill, he snatched the watch back and said $100. So I laughed and told him 100 baht was what it was worth, and he was trying to rip me off. He cursed me. My response was to smile, pull out my phone and say OK Abdul, lets call the Police, I have a Visa, how about you?

He took off like a shot hahahahahah.

I'd say he way probably paying the police tea money to peddle that shit. Can you say the same? What would you do if someone tried to break your rice bowl by causing trouble, side with the troublemaker or the money maker?

[QUOTE=Nyezhov;2271547]I was feeling ornery when one of the Middle East Rolex guys approached me and persistently tried to sell me a Rollie, so I offered him a hundred. He went to hand me the watch and I whipped out a 100 baht bill, he snatched the watch back and said $100. So I laughed and told him 100 baht was what it was worth, and he was trying to rip me off. He cursed me. My response was to smile, pull out my phone and say OK Abdul, lets call the Police, I have a Visa, how about you?

He took off like a shot hahahahahah.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Nyezhov;2271547]I was feeling ornery when one of the Middle East Rolex guys approached me and persistently tried to sell me a Rollie, so I offered him a hundred. He went to hand me the watch and I whipped out a 100 baht bill, he snatched the watch back and said $100. So I laughed and told him 100 baht was what it was worth, and he was trying to rip me off. He cursed me. My response was to smile, pull out my phone and say OK Abdul, lets call the Police, I have a Visa, how about you?

He took off like a shot hahahahahah.[/QUOTE]Hey, take it easy on these guys, just say "no but thank you". They are all from Myanmar as well as the DVD sellers and the fake ED sellers. Go to MBK, most of the sellers are also from Myanmar. They all work for some slave master that pays them little for their work. They can't get a real job because no education, but they all speak English and a few other languages. I find most of them are friendly and will have a good conversation with you if you want to know about Myanmar.

A little sugar gets you farther than vinegar.

RL.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2271340]Expensive brand name watches can be A grade copies, where seller got them for amount X and sells them at 10 times the price. I know someone selling "Casio" watches and possibly other brands, but merely A grade copies obtained exceptionally cheaply in bulk. Louis Vuitton comes in various grades of copies from super crap ones to good copies.[/QUOTE]Don't know about ten times the price, but exactly. I would not buy from any random person off the street though. I have been dealing with the same reputable people for years. If something goes wrong then they will fix it. I have had this supercopy Breitling for years with no problem. Paid 3000 baht for it.

I don't know how many times someone has said nice watch. A couple of days ago a guy said that is a Breitling right? I said yes. He said do they still mail you things? I had no idea what he was talking about. I thought he meant advertisements so I said no because I have had this watch like 7 years. He said they sent him a nice fancy box with assorted gourmet honey for Christmas. Once I was next to a guy that had the exact same watch (authentic one) except his did not have the gold. He was like wow, I could not afford that one.

I remember when those people sued OJ Simpson and he had to give them his Rolex watch. They thought it was authentic but it ended up being one of those supercopies and they valued it at $100. It is very easy to tell the cheap fake ones from the supercopies and anyone that sells them will gladly show you the difference if you can't tell just by handling it.

[QUOTE=PointyStick;2271635]I'd say he way probably paying the police tea money to peddle that shit. Can you say the same? What would you do if someone tried to break your rice bowl by causing trouble, side with the troublemaker or the money maker?[/QUOTE]I don't have to worry about stuff like that. My roof is bigger than his.

Oh and I usually just walk past and say no thanks, but like I said I was feeling ornery and was tired of feeling like I was in some cheap Iraki bazaar.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2271470]Some have not worked at all for me. For the hell of it I once sampled a few tablets of Tadalifil (spelling?), Cialis' active ingredient, claiming to contain 500 MG of the stuff in it.[/QUOTE]If it were really 500 MG, you wouldn't be able to put your dick down for a week. Recommended dosage of Tadalafil / Cialis is 20 MG.

There is a Thai-made generic Sildenafil Citrate called Sidegra, it costs 100 baht for 4 x50 MG or 200 baht for 4 x100 MG pills. Since it's so cheap, and domestically produced, it doesn't pay to make fakes, and the product seems consistent. Since I discovered that one, I don't mess with other generic or "real" Viagra pills any longer.

[QUOTE=Crocodilexp;2272120]If it were really 500 MG, you wouldn't be able to put your dick down for a week. Recommended dosage of Tadalafil / Cialis is 20 MG.

There is a Thai-made generic Sildenafil Citrate called Sidegra, it costs 100 baht for 4 x50 MG or 200 baht for 4 x100 MG pills. Since it's so cheap, and domestically produced, it doesn't pay to make fakes, and the product seems consistent. Since I discovered that one, I don't mess with other generic or "real" Viagra pills any longer.[/QUOTE]I have tried Sidegra but the copy Viagra I am taking now worked better for me. However, I did not try the 100 MG version so I am interested in sampling that one to see if it is worth switching to it.

I never count on the claimed dosage of active ingredient in these copies being accurate. But I do tend to assume the ones from the same source claiming to have, say, 200 MG instead of 100 MG will have more of the active ingredient in them. I agree that the claim of one having 500 MG in it had to be a joke but had no qualms about trying one or two to see if it had something closer to perhaps actual 100 MG in it. But it felt to me like it had nothing in it. No big deal.

There is a Viagra-category product on the vendor tables now claiming to have 5000 MG of the active ingredient in it! LOL. I have not tried it but I might some day.

[QUOTE=Nyezhov;2271944]I don't have to worry about stuff like that. My roof is bigger than his.
[/QUOTE]Yeah well TIT and farangs don't count for anything except as walking ATMs so good luck with that. It would be good if you treated poorer people with respect in future.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2272161]I have tried Sidegra but the copy Viagra I am taking now worked better for me. However, I did not try the 100 MG version so I am interested in sampling that one to see if it is worth switching to it.

I never count on the claimed dosage of active ingredient in these copies being accurate. But I do tend to assume the ones from the same source claiming to have, say, 200 MG instead of 100 MG will have more of the active ingredient in them. I agree that the claim of one having 500 MG in it had to be a joke but had no qualms about trying one or two to see if it had something closer to perhaps actual 100 MG in it. But it felt to me like it had nothing in it. No big deal.

There is a Viagra-category product on the vendor tables now claiming to have 5000 MG of the active ingredient in it! LOL. I have not tried it but I might some day.[/QUOTE]Sheer madness. 100 MG is already over dose in many cases. Why try a bullshit product?

[QUOTE=PointyStick;2272399]Yeah well TIT and farangs don't count for anything except as walking ATMs so good luck with that. It would be good if you treated poorer people with respect in future.[/QUOTE]I don't see an obvious Arab guy near Soi Isis as being some poor schnook who deserves respect. He is just a lowlife rip off artist.

I feel bad that you are an ATM. Perhaps you will get to know the right people in the future.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2272528]Sheer madness. 100 MG is already over dose in many cases. Why try a bullshit product?[/QUOTE]As the man on the mountain said, "Because it's there." LOL. They have been selling the claimed "5000 MG" stuff for a while and nobody has turned up dead. It is only a boner pill, not an emergency stint to prevent or subdue an approaching heart attack. I doubt there is 5000 MG of anything in it. But there might be some value in it in terms of longer lasting results. Not for a boner that doesn't subside. I mean for it remaining in your system longer for repeated intended response. I have found that is what Black Ant King does for me that none of the other boner pills, both "original" and "copies", have done. It seems to stay in my system and working to produce the results I want for at least 36 hours where others are long gone within 24 hours.

If it turns out the claimed 5000 MG pill, taken once for, as I vaguely recall, less than 100 baht, produces the same result as a 100 MG Viagra but for 48 hours instead of less than 24 hours, why not try it and find out? I didn't know Black Ant King would do for me what it does until I tried it.

Again, I don't see the boner pills sold over and over again in or out of the pharmacies to be potential poison or dangerous unless you already have a serious heart condition or some other serious ailment. Which I don't.

[QUOTE=Nyezhov;2272637]I don't see an obvious Arab guy near Soi Isis as being some poor schnook who deserves respect. He is just a lowlife rip off artist.

I feel bad that you are an ATM. Perhaps you will get to know the right people in the future.[/QUOTE]You're right. I need to know the right people. Not people who go around threatening people who are poorer and are just trying to make a living to make themselves feel better. I guess Thailand attracts all sorts of personalities. I will find out how to work the ignore function to limit my exposure to these people.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2272161]-snip-

There is a Viagra-category product on the vendor tables now claiming to have 5000 MG of the active ingredient in it! LOL. I have not tried it but I might some day.[/QUOTE]Correction to my earlier post about that. I checked last night and the claim is 3,000 MG per tablet, not 5,000 MG. It is a product called Gold Vigra. The misspelling is apparently intended, although the word Viagra spelled correctly is also on the package. It comes in a pouch of ten tablets, each supposedly containing 3,000 MG of Sildenafil Citrate. Quoted price for the pouch of ten tablets was 300 baht. So, 30 baht for each tablet.

Here is what the U.S. FDA had to say about the product of that name in 2014:

Public Notification: Gold Vigra Contains Hidden Drug Ingredient.
[URL]https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/buyingusingmedicinesafely/medicationhealthfraud/ucm401540.htm[/URL]
[QUOTE]FDA laboratory analysis confirmed that Gold Vigra contains sildenafil, the active ingredient in the FDA approved prescription drug Viagra, used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). This undeclared ingredient may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates. [/QUOTE]Sildenafil Citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, seems to be the only "hidden" drug ingredient they are referencing and found in it. But the package on the vendor tables in Bangkok clearly states that it contains Sildenafil Citrate and that it is the active ingredient in Viagra. There is nothing "hidden" about it on these packages.

I am not recommending anyone take it or any other boner drug found in or out of a pharmacy. But I might give this one a try just to see if it offers something of a faster or longer lasting nature than what I have been taking lately. I will report on the results if I ever do give it a try. Assuming I survive long enough to reply, that is. LOL.

I am not taking any of the nitrates or high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. drugs mentioned above nor do I need to take them according to my most recent thorough medical check up just a few months ago. Well, I have seen this product on the tables for years now and have not heard or read of a bad reaction to it. Has anyone else?

Perhaps my dream of living in Thailand was just that, a dream. Taking a look at the chart makes sobering reading as the Baht continues to strengthen against the UK Pound. The graph does not lie, since 2005 the Baht has been on a relentless climb against the UK Pound. Many of you British expats will be very concerned as am I. There is no indication according to this graph of the £ gaining back any lost ground at all in the future. Oh dear.

[QUOTE=Slaol;2273630]Perhaps my dream of living in Thailand was just that, a dream. Taking a look at the chart makes sobering reading as the Baht continues to strengthen against the UK Pound.[/QUOTE]It depends on how you want to live. If you need all the bells and whistles then you may be screwed.

If not, then you may be okay. For example I rent a room on a monthly basis in Pattaya which costs on average 200 baht per day. So that is 5 Pounds daily rent in 2019. Back in 2006 it would have cost 3 Pounds. Can you afford 5 Pounds per day rent? If not then you may have to stay in London where rents are much cheaper, right?

Today I had a fuck in Pattaya for 1000 baht. Back in 2006 that would have cost 13 Pounds. Now in 2019 it costs 25 Pounds. It must be a lot cheaper for a fuck in London then if you think thai prices are too high?

Brits complaining about the weakness in the Pound are probably a contrarian indicator and the Pound may strengthen from hereon in. Or not!

I recently tried to explain to a gogo girl that one of the reasons guys aren't spending as much is because the Thai baht is going up against other foreign currencies. Never seen anyone more confused than she was. She told me 100 Thai baht is still worth 100 Thai baht in Thailand, Europe, and Korea. "It no go up".

[QUOTE=Franga;2273745]
Today I had a fuck in Pattaya for 1000 baht. Back in 2006 that would have cost 13 Pounds. Now in 2019 it costs 25 Pounds. It must be a lot cheaper for a fuck in London then if you think thai prices are too high?[/QUOTE]That settles it. I'm off to Leicester Square for that sub-25-pound shag.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2273761]I recently tried to explain to a gogo girl that one of the reasons guys aren't spending as much is because the Thai baht is going up against other foreign currencies. Never seen anyone more confused than she was. She told me 100 Thai baht is still worth 100 Thai baht in Thailand, Europe, and Korea. "It no go up".[/QUOTE]Exactly the reason you don't drive prices up when your home currency is doing well, because when that shit falls back down the girls don't know the difference. They are going to still want the 5000 baht. And that could be double what it was when your currency was doing well.

[QUOTE=Franga;2273745]For example I rent a room on a monthly basis in Pattaya which costs on average 200 baht per day. So that is 5 Pounds daily rent in 2019. Back in 2006 it would have cost 3 Pounds. Can you afford 5 Pounds per day rent? If not then you may have to stay in London where rents are much cheaper, right?[/QUOTE]And the longer you rent it for the cheaper it is. I think the rooms at my place rent for 500 baht per day. Cheaper than that if you rent for 1 month. Even cheaper if you rent 6 months. I always do a 1 year contract so it is even cheaper. Mine averages out to 150 baht per day.

As of January 1, 2019, the U.K., USA and perhaps a couple of other Embassies will no longer issue Notarized Income Verification forms to be given to Thai Immigration when we are renewing our annual NON-IMM/Retirement visas. According to the latest I have heard or read (Stickman Weekly's January 6, 2019 column, last third of the article), those of us who rely on a monthly income stream to qualify for that visa rather than an extended 800,000 baht deposit in a Thai bank will be asked at the time of the visa renewal to produce written evidence from our Thai bank account showing a minimum of 65,000 baht per month from a Foreign Transfer (the deposits MUST come from outside of Thailand) for the previous 12 months. No clarification yet what will actually happen this time around when many people will be hit with this news for the first time when they show up to renew or have not even established a Thai bank account.

But I wanted to pass along that, on an unrelated matter about a month ago, I happened to need Bangkok Bank to provide me with a print out of all transfers to and from my account over the past 6 years. So I went to the branch nearest to my apartment (not my original account branch), filled out a form to make the request starting on such and such date and ending on such and such date, paid 500 baht and the full printout was there for me to pick up in about 3 business days. Maybe the cost for just 12 months prior rather than 6 years prior would have been less than 500 baht, no idea. Could be more or less, even free with Thai banks other than Bangkok Bank.

Anyway, you can request the printout to be in English or in Thai. The "Foreign Transfers" are clearly marked as such. I have not heard but I imagine if one month shows less than 65,000 baht in a Foreign Transfer but the next one shows a larger than 65,000 baht transfer, the immigration officer will average it out and let it pass. However, I don't imagine one could get away with dumping 780,000 baht (12 X 65,000) into an account just one month before requesting a renewal in hopes that the immigration officer will average that out for you and let it pass. Just guessing, though.

[QUOTE=Slaol;2273630] There is no indication according to this graph of the gaining back any lost ground at all in the future. Oh dear.[/QUOTE]And the brexit will make it even worse. I hate to say it but I think the GBP is doomed mate.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2273963]And the brexit will make it even worse. I hate to say it but I think the GBP is doomed mate.[/QUOTE]Euro not faring much better, if it is any consolation.

Asian currencies outperform.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2273915]As of January 1, 2019, the U.K., USA and perhaps a couple of other Embassies will no longer issue Notarized Income Verification forms to be given to Thai Immigration when we are renewing our annual NON-IMM/Retirement visas. According to the latest I have heard or read (Stickman Weekly's January 6, 2019 column, last third of the article), those of us who rely on a monthly income stream to qualify for that visa rather than an extended 800,000 baht deposit in a Thai bank will be asked at the time of the visa renewal to produce written evidence from our Thai bank account showing a minimum of 65,000 baht per month from a Foreign Transfer (the deposits MUST come from outside of Thailand) for the previous 12 months. No clarification yet what will actually happen this time around when many people will be hit with this news for the first time when they show up to renew or have not even established a Thai bank account.

But I wanted to pass along that, on an unrelated matter about a month ago, I happened to need Bangkok Bank to provide me with a print out of all transfers to and from my account over the past 6 years. So I went to the branch nearest to my apartment (not my original account branch), filled out a form to make the request starting on such and such date and ending on such and such date, paid 500 baht and the full printout was there for me to pick up in about 3 business days. Maybe the cost for just 12 months prior rather than 6 years prior would have been less than 500 baht, no idea. Could be more or less, even free with Thai banks other than Bangkok Bank..[/QUOTE]Some of the changes need clarification.

Does it have to be regular monthly transfers or would one or two lump sums totaling 780000 starting on the first month of the year in question be OK?

Additionally there seems to be a change in the 8000000 balance in your account for a period of three months prior to application or renewal qualification. It looks like you now have to have that amount transferred each year rather than heretofore when it was sufficient to just to show you had it in your account for the prior 3 months.

What happens if all of your funds are already in Thailand?

Living here is getting more and more complicated.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2273915]As of January 1, 2019, the U.K., USA and perhaps a couple of other Embassies will no longer issue Notarized Income Verification forms to be given to Thai Immigration when we are renewing our annual NON-IMM/Retirement visas. According to the latest I have heard or read (Stickman Weekly's January 6, 2019 column, last third of the article), those of us who rely on a monthly income stream to qualify for that visa rather than an extended 800,000 baht deposit in a Thai bank will be asked at the time of the visa renewal to produce written evidence from our Thai bank account showing a minimum of 65,000 baht per month from a Foreign Transfer (the deposits MUST come from outside of Thailand) for the previous 12 months. No clarification yet what will actually happen this time around when many people will be hit with this news for the first time when they show up to renew or have not even established a Thai bank account.

But I wanted to pass along that, on an unrelated matter about a month ago, I happened to need Bangkok Bank to provide me with a print out of all transfers to and from my account over the past 6 years. So I went to the branch nearest to my apartment (not my original account branch), filled out a form to make the request starting on such and such date and ending on such and such date, paid 500 baht and the full printout was there for me to pick up in about 3 business days. Maybe the cost for just 12 months prior rather than 6 years prior would have been less than 500 baht, no idea. Could be more or less, even free with Thai banks other than Bangkok Bank.

Anyway, you can request the printout to be in English or in Thai. The "Foreign Transfers" are clearly marked as such. I have not heard but I imagine if one month shows less than 65,000 baht in a Foreign Transfer but the next one shows a larger than 65,000 baht transfer, the immigration officer will average it out and let it pass. However, I don't imagine one could get away with dumping 780,000 baht (12 X 65,000) into an account just one month before requesting a renewal in hopes that the immigration officer will average that out for you and let it pass. Just guessing, though.[/QUOTE]That is the big question. Will quarterly deposits be ok, bi-monthly, every 4 months? Hopefully we will be provided with some clarification on this.

[QUOTE=Goatscrot;2274001]That is the big question. Will quarterly deposits be ok, bi-monthly, every 4 months? Hopefully we will be provided with some clarification on this.[/QUOTE]There was a directive issue Jan 7th, on T-a-V-sa, you should look on their forum under retirement etc. This directive was issued by the Thai immigration and translated as to exactly what is needed if you are using the " income method " for retirement and marriage it is pretty clear and self-explanatory. Basically it must be deposited into a Thai bank for USA Citizen I hadn't had time yet to check with Social Security but the US. Embassy was working with S. S. To get them authorization for IDD transfers which will allow you to have S. S. Monthly funds deposited straight into Bangkok Bank without going through the Bangkok Bank HQ in New York, Not sure if you are using one of the other Thai banks. You can't deposit quarterly.

Most S. S. Won't cover the entire 65,000 a month but from what I understand you still can still use the combination method, accounts must be solely in your name so you will need to find a way to protect the funds balance if you die?

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan;2274046]There was a directive issue Jan 7th, on T-a-V-sa, you should look on their forum under retirement etc. This directive was issued by the Thai immigration and translated as to exactly what is needed if you are using the " income method " for retirement and marriage it is pretty clear and self-explanatory. Basically it must be deposited into a Thai bank for USA Citizen I hadn't had time yet to check with Social Security but the US. Embassy was working with S. S. To get them authorization for IDD transfers which will allow you to have S. S. Monthly funds deposited straight into Bangkok Bank without going through the Bangkok Bank HQ in New York, Not sure if you are using one of the other Thai banks. You can't deposit quarterly.

Most S. S. Won't cover the entire 65,000 a month but from what I understand you still can still use the combination method, accounts must be solely in your name so you will need to find a way to protect the funds balance if you die?[/QUOTE]Yes, but the translation said "average monthly deposit of 65,000 Baht. " So again, what about guys that get their pensions quarterly? Will quarterly deposits be ok? This needs to be clarified. It is not clear. I imagine that we will see some more on this in the fullness of time. The 800 k is much easier really.

[QUOTE=Goatscrot;2274051]Yes, but the translation said "average monthly deposit of 65,000 Baht. " So again, what about guys that get their pensions quarterly? Will quarterly deposits be ok? This needs to be clarified. It is not clear. I imagine that we will see some more on this in the fullness of time. The 800 k is much easier really.[/QUOTE]They do suggest that there might be some leeway given this first year until everyone gets the word in person about what they need to have:

[QUOTE]An unconfirmed report submitted by Thaivisa member bkk6060 stated that immigration are likely to offer some leeway to foreigners with regards to submitting 12 months worth of statements for the first applications under the new requirements.

However, from 2020 applicants will need to make sure they are able to show a full 12 months worth of income coming to a Thai bank account.[/QUOTE]Here is the part that leaves me a bit uncertain:

[QUOTE]2. Evidence of a pension. Letter of certification from a Thai bank supported by bank statements showing a pension being transferred to the pensioners bank account every month for at least 12 months. Exceptions are allowed for those who have been retired for less than one year example given.[/QUOTE]I can easily produce evidence from my Thai bank showing more than 65,000 baht per month in Foreign Transfers being made for each of the previous 12 months. But they are not all from a "pension" exactly. They are from various sources, including a pension less than 65,000 baht per month combined with rental property income, IRA withdrawals, etc. My Social Security income would be plenty to cover the amount from a single source, but I have not started collecting my Social Security payments yet.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2273987]Additionally there seems to be a change in the 8000000 balance in your account for a period of three months prior to application or renewal qualification.[/QUOTE]I was just showing off, for the less fortunate the figure is a mere 800,000.

[QUOTE=Goatscrot;2274051]Yes, but the translation said "average monthly deposit of 65,000 Baht. " So again, what about guys that get their pensions quarterly? Will quarterly deposits be ok? This needs to be clarified. It is not clear. I imagine that we will see some more on this in the fullness of time. The 800 k is much easier really.[/QUOTE]I got this from the official at Jomtien the other day window 8, where they do the extension. Average to them is nothing less than 65,000 baht a month knowing this as Thailand, communication, and comprehension I seriously doubt anyone can actually do the math and do the division for quarterly? Of course what Jomtien does is anyone guess at any other immigration? If you go to one of the threads on Th-iV-s- regarding the income and look for a member / moderator Ubonjoe? You ask you question you should get a good answer?

Good luck.

It really is difficult to understand the thinking behind requirements for retirees. Surely it should be no more than can they adequately support themselves while they are here. How does it matter whether remittances are monthly quarterly or annually or if a retiree has say 10 million up here owns his or her own property why shouldn't that be adequate. Seems to me they want to make it more difficult for this demographic to live here. Why?

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2274057]I can easily produce evidence from my Thai bank showing more than 65,000 baht per month in Foreign Transfers being made for each of the previous 12 months.[/QUOTE]I'm toying with the idea of moving to Thailand. What is the best way to arrange transfers from USA to Thai banks without getting a lousy exchange rate and/or high international exchange fees? If I use my Fidelity debit card and cash from an ATM for everything, I get the decent exchange rate per [URL]XE.com[/URL] and all ATM fees are reimbursed by Fidelity (right now it is 31.9011 Baht/USD).

I recently read about the Amazon Visa. I haven't checked it out closely though.

Don't Americans all use Charles Schwab and their are no fees or something like that? For me it's an expensive struggle getting money to Thailand. Not even allowed to do bank to bank transfers from banks in my country to Thailand without getting my accounts locked.

[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2274366]I'm toying with the idea of moving to Thailand. What is the best way to arrange transfers from USA to Thai banks without getting a lousy exchange rate and/or high international exchange fees? If I use my Fidelity debit card and cash from an ATM for everything, I get the decent exchange rate per [URL]XE.com[/URL] and all ATM fees are reimbursed by Fidelity (right now it is 31.9011 Baht/USD).[/QUOTE]That Fidelity card is a very good thing to have since you get reimbursed for the ATM fees. I'm not sure if you can even open a bank account in Thailand without a work permit though. I am curious though and some guys on here would know.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2274415]That Fidelity card is a very good thing to have since you get reimbursed for the ATM fees. I'm not sure if you can even open a bank account in Thailand without a work permit though. I am curious though and some guys on here would know.[/QUOTE]Hi Smoothy. There is a bank on Soi 33 on the right side of the road who will open a Thai bank account without a work permit and only require minimal supporting documentation. I have emailed a friend who knows the name of the bank and will post when she responds.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2274354] Seems to me they want to make it more difficult for this demographic to live here. Why?[/QUOTE]Because they want our money but want to have as little to do with us as is humanly possible. Thailand.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2274415]I'm not sure if you can even open a bank account in Thailand without a work permit though. I am curious though and some guys on here would know.[/QUOTE]Yes you can. Just need to get your Certificate of Residency or whatever it's called from your landlord. Showing you have an extended Visa likely helps too.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2274354]It really is difficult to understand the thinking behind requirements for retirees. Surely it should be no more than can they adequately support themselves while they are here. How does it matter whether remittances are monthly quarterly or annually or if a retiree has say 10 million up here owns his or her own property why shouldn't that be adequate. Seems to me they want to make it more difficult for this demographic to live here. Why?[/QUOTE]Thais who travel to the US aren't subject to any kind of "90 day reporting," bank deposit requirements, exit requirements, and they can buy as much land as they can afford. But it only goes one way.

Not too difficult to figure out really. Most Thais fear and / or dislike Farang, and it has long been that way. They allow them in under tight controls in order to extract their wealth without allowing them to gain a permanent foothold or any kind of power.

Note that the same restrictions absolutely do not apply to Asians from China, Japan or Korea who know how to play the game.

[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2274366]I'm toying with the idea of moving to Thailand. What is the best way to arrange transfers from USA to Thai banks without getting a lousy exchange rate and/or high international exchange fees? If I use my Fidelity debit card and cash from an ATM for everything, I get the decent exchange rate per [URL]XE.com[/URL] and all ATM fees are reimbursed by Fidelity (right now it is 31.9011 Baht/USD).[/QUOTE]Why transfer anything? Better off to keep your money in the US and withdraw it as needed. Any bank you use in Thailand will report back the US government anyway. There's no benefit unless you need to show a deposit for a visa.

Sounds like you are already fine with Fidelity. If not, get a Charles Schwab account. They refund any ATM fees at the end of the month and give the real exchange rate. That's even better than Thai banks which like to get money any way they can. For example, if you open an account at Thai Bank in Bangkok, you may be charged for taking money out of a Thai Bank ATM in Pattaya or Chiang Mai "because that's another city. ".

[QUOTE=RickRock;2274445]
Sounds like you are already fine with Fidelity. If not, get a Charles Schwab account. [/QUOTE]There isn't much difference between those two. Fidelity is probably a little better, but it's much tougher to get than the Schwab account. Since he already has it, he's golden.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2273987]Some of the changes need clarification.

Does it have to be regular monthly transfers or would one or two lump sums totaling 780000 starting on the first month of the year in question be OK?

Additionally there seems to be a change in the 8000000 balance in your account for a period of three months prior to application or renewal qualification. It looks like you now have to have that amount transferred each year rather than heretofore when it was sufficient to just to show you had it in your account for the prior 3 months.

What happens if all of your funds are already in Thailand?

Living here is getting more and more complicated.[/QUOTE]The new rules released only pertain to the 65 k and there has been no change to the 800 k. I have read of no stipulation that you have to transfer 800 k annually. So just "topping up" each year should be sufficient and / or parking it in CDs will do as well.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2274354]It really is difficult to understand the thinking behind requirements for retirees. Surely it should be no more than can they adequately support themselves while they are here. How does it matter whether remittances are monthly quarterly or annually or if a retiree has say 10 million up here owns his or her own property why shouldn't that be adequate. Seems to me they want to make it more difficult for this demographic to live here. Why?[/QUOTE]The requirements for the retirement extension have not changed. It's still 800 k deposit, 65 K income, or a combination of the two. The only thing that has changed is the 65 k has to be deposited into a Thai bank account. Compared to the Malaysia my 2nd Home program, the requirements here are still quite low. There are other places that require less, Panama for instance, but many places require more. Another option is to buy a Thai Elite Card for 500 k which gives you a 5 year visa and other privileges. Marriage visa is another with 400 k, 40 k income, or a combination of the two.

[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2274366]I'm toying with the idea of moving to Thailand. What is the best way to arrange transfers from USA to Thai banks without getting a lousy exchange rate and/or high international exchange fees? If I use my Fidelity debit card and cash from an ATM for everything, I get the decent exchange rate per [URL]XE.com[/URL] and all ATM fees are reimbursed by Fidelity (right now it is 31.9011 Baht/USD).[/QUOTE]I still think the best way is with one of the ATM cards. My buddy uses Bangkok Bank since they have a branch in the USA. You have to call the one in the USA to get everything set up, then if I am not mistaken you have to complete the rest in Bangkok. These days I don't think you are able to open an account in Thailand unless you have the retiree visa or better. Back when I did mine, I did it with a tourist visa. I think I slipped through the cracks though, because other people I know that have tried it since have not been able to.

[QUOTE=RickRock;2274445]For example, if you open an account at Thai Bank in Bangkok, you may be charged for taking money out of a Thai Bank ATM in Pattaya or Chiang Mai "because that's another city. ".[/QUOTE]Exact thing happened to me. I opened mine in Pattaya and when I went to Chiang Mai I was charged 50 baht each time to take money out because it was a different city. Also I would always have to go to the exact branch that I opened the account to do shit like get a new ATM card. I don't think that is any longer because last month I got the new chip card at a different branch.

So when I put my old card in the machine it was saying I had to get the chip card before December 2019. Said it was free. I had plenty of time before mine expired, but figured I would beat the rush. I went down and they charged me 200 baht for a new card. I said I thought it was free? He said yes the card is free but there is a 200 baht administration fee. Them mfs!

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2274509]Exact thing happened to me. I opened mine in Pattaya and when I went to Chiang Mai I was charged 50 baht each time to take money out because it was a different city. Also I would always have to go to the exact branch that I opened the account to do shit like get a new ATM card. I don't think that is any longer because last month I got the new chip card at a different branch.

So when I put my old card in the machine it was saying I had to get the chip card before December 2019. Said it was free. I had plenty of time before mine expired, but figured I would beat the rush. I went down and they charged me 200 baht for a new card. I said I thought it was free? He said yes the card is free but there is a 200 baht administration fee. Them mfs![/QUOTE]This is Thailand! 555.

[QUOTE=Goatscrot;2274505]The requirements for the retirement extension have not changed. It's still 800 k deposit, 65 K income, or a combination of the two. The only thing that has changed is the 65 k has to be deposited into a Thai bank account. Compared to the Malaysia my 2nd Home program, the requirements here are still quite low. There are other places that require less[/QUOTE]Yea, like Cambodia next door. $235 for a one year visa. That's it. No paperwork, no questions, no reporting, nothing.

If you're from America, you can get a one year visa in Vietnam as soon as you land. You pay $135 at the airport, and that's that. See you next year.

Or go the Philippines. You get a month when you arrive. Then you get an ID card and go extend every 1 to 6 months. Can do this up to 3 years, then you cross the border once and come back and repeat. Again no deposits or anything.

Amazing what people go through to stay in Thailand in my opinion, considering it is a third world country that very obviously wants to limit the ability of Farangs to stay there.

[QUOTE=Goatscrot;2274502]The new rules released only pertain to the 65 k and there has been no change to the 800 k. I have read of no stipulation that you have to transfer 800 k annually. So just "topping up" each year should be sufficient and / or parking it in CDs will do as well.[/QUOTE]That's a relief as I don't have remittances from outside Thailand and rely on the 800 K in my account qualification.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2274509]Exact thing happened to me. I opened mine in Pattaya and when I went to Chiang Mai I was charged 50 baht each time to take money out because it was a different city. Also I would always have to go to the exact branch that I opened the account to do shit like get a new ATM card. I don't think that is any longer because last month I got the new chip card at a different branch.

So when I put my old card in the machine it was saying I had to get the chip card before December 2019. Said it was free. I had plenty of time before mine expired, but figured I would beat the rush. I went down and they charged me 200 baht for a new card. I said I thought it was free? He said yes the card is free but there is a 200 baht administration fee. Them mfs![/QUOTE]Somebody got up on Mr. E! I just got the new chip card. She was all smiles and waied me when finished. No charge.

Some years back there was a farang Bangkok Bank executive available to contact through Thai Visa. To help with difficulties. When I opened my account the Thai branch mgr forced an insurance policy on me that I did not want. Said if not, I could not open. I contacted the fixer. 2 weeks later my branch calls me to please come see them. I got my money back and an apology. On future business I was VIP as apparently I was "connected". LOL. In my other 99 stories of life in Thailand I am taking it up the ass like everyone else.

[QUOTE=Crazy4Thai;2274590]Somebody got up on Mr. E! I just got the new chip card. She was all smiles and waied me when finished. No charge.[/QUOTE]LOL. Well he did give me a receipt! I am with Kasikorn.

[QUOTE=Crazy4Thai;2274590]In my other 99 stories of life in Thailand I am taking it up the ass like everyone else.[/QUOTE]Not everyone. Just the poor laborers, prostitutes, and Farang.

[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2274366]I'm toying with the idea of moving to Thailand. What is the best way to arrange transfers from USA to Thai banks without getting a lousy exchange rate and/or high international exchange fees? If I use my Fidelity debit card and cash from an ATM for everything, I get the decent exchange rate per [URL]XE.com[/URL] and all ATM fees are reimbursed by Fidelity (right now it is 31.9011 Baht/USD).[/QUOTE]I don't know if this is the "best" way. Someone else always seems to know how to make transfers for free at "their bank" or get bonus points on cards, whatever. But, as an expat living in Thailand who still has economic interests in the USA, this is how I make transfers.

I have a Bank of America account in the USA into which all of my pension, rental property checks, IRA transfers and so on are deposited. I also have a Bangkok Bank account in Thailand. I think I pay 600 baht service charge per year to keep it, although I believe that is also an insurance policy of some kind where I am entitled to 3000 baht of emergency medical/hospital coverage at virtually any hospital in Thailand or something. I have not used it yet, almost did once, but I am ok with having it on hand.

As an ACH (Automated Clearing House) system transfer from Bank of America, I have established myself as a regular transfer recipient from my Bank of America account to my Bangkok Bank account. As it happens, there is a New York Branch for Bangkok Bank. That means I am actually making a domestic USA transfer to myself at the NY Branch of Bangkok Bank but using my account number from my local Bangkok Bank. I don't have an account in the NY Branch exactly, only a Thailand account. But the transfers will begin by going to the NY Branch of Bangkok Bank with my Thailand Bangkok Bank account number attached to it.

I can make transfers as high as $1,000 USD. But I can make 20-30 or more of them in a single day if I want. The thing is each individual transfer comes with a cost (see below). There is a way to make larger individual transfers. But that involves getting an electronic card that produces a new PIN or password each time, that card needs to be renewed every year and can only be sent to a residence in the USA, blah, blah, blah. I really don't want to be bothered or to bother friends and relatives in the USA to help me deal with it every year. So I just make maximum $1000 USD transfers each time, pay for it each time and I am fine with that.

A transfer from my Bank of America account to the NY Branch of Bangkok Bank costs more the faster you want it done. If I don't mind waiting 3 business days for it (I add a 4th day in my estimate considering the time difference between USA and Thailand and that it is going from a USA Bangkok Bank to a Thailand one), then Bank of America only deducts $3 USD from my checking account for it. If I want it done "The Next Business Day", that will cost me $10 USD. If I want it done "The Same Business Day", that will cost me $30 USD. Again, if I choose the last two options I generally would not think I am going to see a transfer deposited into my Bangkok Bank account exactly the next or same day as I make it online from my computer. I will still add an additional day to my thinking due to the time difference. After I log onto my Bank of America online account, it takes me about 30 seconds to click on the right buttons and enter the amount in order to complete a transfer and send it on its way.

On the Bangkok Bank end of it, they will then take $5 USD out of the transfer at the NY Branch and 200 baht out of it when it arrives in my local Bangkok Bank account no matter what the transfer amount is or the speed with which I want it. I will get the current and prevailing rate of exchange for it when it lands in my Thailand account. Bangkok Bank automatically sends me an SMS Text notice on my mobile phone the moment that transfer arrives. ATM withdrawals are free from Bangkok Bank ATMs anywhere in Thailand I have used one (from Pattaya to Chiang Mai to Phuket).

So when I make a $1000 USD transfer from my Bank of America account to my Bangkok Bank account and, as is usually the case, I can wait 3-4 business days for it, I will wind up paying $3 USD + $5 USD + 200 baht to get it. Added up and at today's exchange rate that is roughly $14.45 USD or 1.45% in charges when I transfer the maximum $1000 USD.

Wasn't sure where to post this as it not really a report.

My friend is currently in Bangkok enjoying the sights. He messaged me today telling me how this massage girl had "fallen for him". I tried to tell him, "no, dude, that is just her job". He's like, "no, she gave me her number and wants to hang out".

Same friend was once convinced that a stripper (US) liked him because she sat with him and didn't ask for a dance.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2274835]
So when I make a $1000 USD transfer from my Bank of America account to my Bangkok Bank account and, as is usually the case, I can wait 3-4 business days for it, I will wind up paying $3 USD + $5 USD + 200 baht to get it. Added up and at today's exchange rate that is roughly $14.45 USD or 1.45% in charges when I transfer the maximum $1000 USD.[/QUOTE]Nice report. The fees add up to something noticeable, but it isn't too painful. Not enough to nix the concept of living in Thailand.

I'm starting to think that I might become a Thai Snow Bird. Live in Thailand (Hua Hin, Phuket, Krabi, Samui) from November through April and then keep a small summer home at a northern lake in Wisconsin or Minnesota. An old Thai girlfriend of mine snapped up a USA corporate officer and he built her a beachfront house south of Hua Hin. Maybe I'll rent that place from her after her divorce and the farang gets sent packing.

[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2274855]Nice report. The fees add up to something noticeable, but it isn't too painful. Not enough to nix the concept of living in Thailand.[/QUOTE]Have you looked at peer to peer banking options? I do a lot of personal transfers internationally (for non mongering reasons). I use Transferwise and find that both fees are low and FX rates are much better than retail rates offered by my bricks and mortar banks. The better FX rate makes a big difference on larger amounts. Transfers to an account in a SEA country is usually 2 days.

For my last transfer of AUD800, I paid $6. 76 all up in fees.

If I wanted to transfer AUD1000 to Thailand today, I would pay $9. 69 in fees and the recipient would receive THB 22,463 tomorrow.

If I wanted to transfer USD1000 to Thailand today, I would pay USD 11.90 in fees and the recipient would receive THB 31,313 tomorrow (note the higher USD fees are specific to me because I am not in the US).

I've also found it very useful for making payments in strange circumstances (eg paying a USD invoice in the Philippines).

I'd agree that everyone's circumstances are different but for some this maybe worth investigating.

Cheers, G.

It is a little simpler for me from Schwab than what has been detailed here so far. I make international wire transfers from my Schwab Private Client account. They don't allow me to make International transfers from my checking account but can do ATM withdrawals.

I don't know if there is a limit on how much you can transfer but I think it only depends on the amount of cash and a percentage of the other instruments in your account. I transfer $10,000 each time. The Schwab normal fee is $25 but it is waived for me. It is actually charged but then immediately credited back to my account.

I have been using Kasikorn bank but I also have a Bangkok bank account and the fees are the same. 025% of the transfer amount up to a maximum of 500 baht. So the more you transfer the better. The exchange rate is very close to the actual rate and is posted on their website.

Forgot to add it is a simple on-line form to fill out takes less than a minute. Sometimes they call to verify sometimes not. the transfer takes less than a day. I usually do a transfer at night in Bangkok while the bank is open in the USA. The money arrives in the account within 3 hours of the bank in Bangkok opening the following morning.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2274506]I still think the best way is with one of the ATM cards. My buddy uses Bangkok Bank since they have a branch in the USA. You have to call the one in the USA to get everything set up, then if I am not mistaken you have to complete the rest in Bangkok. These days I don't think you are able to open an account in Thailand unless you have the retiree visa or better. Back when I did mine, I did it with a tourist visa. I think I slipped through the cracks though, because other people I know that have tried it since have not been able to.[/QUOTE]I opened my account when I got a condo in Thailand but it was a bit of hassle since they wanted an address etc. I got help from my girlfriend so no big jiffy but ended up with some kind of insurance. I think if you spend some time frequently in Thailand the best approach is to find a private driving school so you get temporary license. Mine got issued for 2 years and opened up domestic flying, sim-card registration, local prices at some attractions but I am quite sure it will enable you to open an bank account easier as well.

Edit, forgot to mention the license also is valid all of ASEAN and if you move normally can be converted in the other countries.

Can anyone throw some light on the sex resorts in Thailand. I would love to go there on VIP package.

I will be in Pattaya 3/30 for two weeks, am interested in fishing from the shore, any input would be appreciated. I have seen advertisements on the internet with varying impacts. Cheers.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2274835]ACH making a domestic USA transfer to myself at the NY Branch of Bangkok Bank but using my account number from my local Bangkok Bank.[/QUOTE]Just a heads up, I heard Bangkok Bank is discontinuing ACH transfer service in April 2019.

[QUOTE=Leobros;2275097]Can anyone throw some light on the sex resorts in Thailand. I would love to go there on VIP package.[/QUOTE]The entire city of Pattaya is essentially one huge sex resort. What do you hope to gain with a VIP package? It is not hard to find your own ladies, and you will likely do better for yourself than letting someone find the lady (s) for you at super inflated prices.

[QUOTE=Leobros;2275097]Can anyone throw some light on the sex resorts in Thailand. I would love to go there on VIP package.[/QUOTE]For $100 US per day consultancy fee me and my buddies can accommodate you with all the pussy you could possibly want in Pattaya.

[QUOTE=StLouisMo2010;2275124]I will be in Pattaya 3/30 for two weeks, am interested in fishing from the shore, any input would be appreciated. I have seen advertisements on the internet with varying impacts. Cheers.[/QUOTE]Dude that water is gross. But sometimes you can catch Thai people doing it at the end of Walking Street when it is low tide.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2275235]Dude that water is gross. But sometimes you can catch Thai people doing it at the end of Walking Street when it is low tide.[/QUOTE]I assume he is interested in fishing in cleaner waters. I have a buddy who does this every time he comes to Thailand. I never asked him for details, as I have no interest in fishing for that species. But, if you send me a PM, I can ask my buddy for details.

[QUOTE=Crocodilexp;2275184]Just a heads up, I heard Bangkok Bank is discontinuing ACH transfer service in April 2019.[/QUOTE]Thanks for the heads up. I have not heard or seen anything from Bangkok Bank about that. But I will keep my eyes open for it.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2273597]Correction to my earlier post about that. I checked last night and the claim is 3,000 MG per tablet, not 5,000 MG. It is a product called Gold Vigra. The misspelling is apparently intended, although the word Viagra spelled correctly is also on the package. It comes in a pouch of ten tablets, each supposedly containing 3,000 MG of Sildenafil Citrate. Quoted price for the pouch of ten tablets was 300 baht. So, 30 baht for each tablet.

Here is what the U.S. FDA had to say about the product of that name in 2014:

Public Notification: Gold Vigra Contains Hidden Drug Ingredient.
[URL]https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/buyingusingmedicinesafely/medicationhealthfraud/ucm401540.htm[/URL]

Sildenafil Citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, seems to be the only "hidden" drug ingredient they are referencing and found in it. But the package on the vendor tables in Bangkok clearly states that it contains Sildenafil Citrate and that it is the active ingredient in Viagra. There is nothing "hidden" about it on these packages.

I am not recommending anyone take it or any other boner drug found in or out of a pharmacy. But I might give this one a try just to see if it offers something of a faster or longer lasting nature than what I have been taking lately. I will report on the results if I ever do give it a try. Assuming I survive long enough to reply, that is. LOL.

I am not taking any of the nitrates or high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. drugs mentioned above nor do I need to take them according to my most recent thorough medical check up just a few months ago. Well, I have seen this product on the tables for years now and have not heard or read of a bad reaction to it. Has anyone else?[/QUOTE]I decided to give this product a try the other night. So I had my doctor and a priest on standby by phone and text, then (LOL. No, I didn't have anyone on standby).

Anyway, I got my usual Sukhumvit Road table vendor boner drug seller down to 250 baht for a pack of ten of the above tablets and took one about two hours before an expected sexual session. The test was conducted under very comfortable circumstances where I would engage in an act that very rarely fails to give me a hard on, especially when I have taken an effective boner pill; DATY of my favorite regular girlfriend. And I would be doing that at a time when there was no pressure for me to be ready to roar with a twisted blue steel hardon. Great if I did, but no big deal if I didn't. I have conducted other tests of new (to me) boner pills this way and it seems to work out fine.

The results? Nothing. I mean absolutely nothing. It was as though I had not taken any boner pill at all. There was zero stirring in my package either during or after I delivered a normal, typically wonderfully rewarding (LOL) DATY treat to my lovely GF. It was the exact same results as when I tried one of those claimed 500 MG Tadalafil tablets. Nothing.

So, what am I to conclude from this little test? Well, as with the 500 MG pills, I could have gotten a bad batch. However, to me a pattern has emerged to strongly suggest the products that are claiming MUCH greater MG dosage of active ingredient than one normally finds on the tables and in the pharmacies around Bangkok (500 MG, 3000 MG, etc.) do not contain much active ingredient at all. In the USA FDA report linked above for this particular product, they did not report finding "dangerous" amounts of Sildenafil. They only reported finding some. For all we know they only found 3 MG of it in each tablet, not 3000 MG.

Therefore, I suspect products that claim such higher dosage than the norm in a given market are instead relying on a placebo effect or psychological reaction to take over. If they tell you it is filled with over the top, never fail, can't miss levels of active ingredient intended to produce a boner, surely you WILL grow one within minutes of taking their tablet and experiencing some sexual stimulation, right? Maybe. Maybe not.

Also, for 250 baht and whatever I paid for those 500 MG Tadalafil tablets, I have now determined to my satisfaction that I am not particularly susceptible to a placebo effect or a psychological reaction to grand claims in these matters. If they don't really have the stuff in them at an effective level, my brain and dick aren't likely to imagine that they do. Good to know, I suppose.

As always, YMMV.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2274835]I don't know if this is the "best" way. Someone else always seems to know how to make transfers for free at "their bank" or get bonus points on cards, whatever. But, as an expat living in Thailand who still has economic interests in the USA, this is how I make transfers.[/QUOTE]Why go through that? Is there some reason you have to have money in a Thai bank? If it is for a visa or something I understand. Otherwise, I can't figure why any American would go through that.

When I want $1000 of my money, here's what I do:

I put my Schwab card into an ATM machine. Then I take out $1000. That's it. At most, I might have to make 2 withdrawals if the ATM has a maximum withdraw. My money gets from my US bank account to my hand in 60 seconds. The total cost to me is $0.

[QUOTE=RickRock;2275325]Why go through that? Is there some reason you have to have money in a Thai bank? If it is for a visa or something I understand. Otherwise, I can't figure why any American would go through that.

When I want $1000 of my money, here's what I do:

I put my Schwab card into an ATM machine. Then I take out $1000. That's it. At most, I might have to make 2 withdrawals if the ATM has a maximum withdraw. My money gets from my US bank account to my hand in 60 seconds. The total cost to me is $0.[/QUOTE]I live in Thailand full time on a retirement visa. Yes, at this point I am very glad to have access to a Thai bank account's printed record of me receiving at least 65,000 baht in Foreign Transfers into that account for each of the 12 previous months.

But even before that, paying rent, paying my phone bill, transferring money to help support the purchase of a condo for my Thai (ex) wife, the occasional emergency transfer for a couple of favored and deserving girlfriends, to receive money from fellow expat friends for various and sundry services, etc is as easy as sitting in bed and tapping out a few keyboard strokes in the Bangkok Bank mobile app. No walking to an ATM, no carrying wads of baht in my pocket, no waiting for my apartment manager to be in his office so I can hand him cash, stand in queue at the nearest AIS outlet to pay a bill and all the other hassles associated with relying on an old world cash system.

Meanwhile, I hardly ever have a reason to actually go into a bank anymore. I have been with BofA many years, everything goes in and out of that account without a hitch. If Schwab offers free international ATM cash withdrawals, great. But the thought of moving all the incoming and outgoing stuff from BofA to Schwab feels more painful to me than just paying the 1.45%.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2275344]I live in Thailand full time on a retirement visa. Yes, at this point I am very glad to have access to a Thai bank account's printed record of me receiving at least 65,000 baht in Foreign Transfers into that account for each of the 12 previous months.

But even before that, paying rent, paying my phone bill, transferring money to help support the purchase of a condo for my Thai (ex) wife, the occasional emergency transfer for a couple of favored and deserving girlfriends, to receive money from fellow expat friends for various and sundry services, etc is as easy as sitting in bed and tapping out a few keyboard strokes in the Bangkok Bank mobile app. No walking to an ATM, no carrying wads of baht in my pocket, no waiting for my apartment manager to be in his office so I can hand him cash, stand in queue at the nearest AIS outlet to pay a bill and all the other hassles associated with relying on an old world cash system.

Meanwhile, I hardly ever have a reason to actually go into a bank anymore. I have been with BofA many years, everything goes in and out of that account without a hitch. If Schwab offers free international ATM cash withdrawals, great. But the thought of moving all the incoming and outgoing stuff from BofA to Schwab feels more painful to me than just paying the 1.45%.[/QUOTE]I refuse to deal with the Byzantine Thai immigration system, so I chose to live in other parts of Asia. I feel your pain there. I visit Thailand rather frequently though have never wanted to trust a Thai bank with my money or go through their odious banking requirements. Funny that a Thai can open a bank account in the US online without even visiting the country, but an American in Thailand has to produce all sorts of forms and maybe even a letter from their embassy. LOL!

You're of course free to do whatever you want too. I was just trying to understand.

I don't move anything. My money is deposited right into my Schwab account. Then I either withdraw it when I need cash, or use one of the two Visa cards attached to my Schwab accounts. When it's time to pay rent, I don't even leave my room. Just have it debited right out of the account in schedule.

Thailand is weird with paying bills at the mall or 7/11 and such. I've seen friends go through it. Reminds me of the US fifty years ago. My grandmother used to go "into town" to pay her bills. In other parts of Asia it's like being back home now. You can pay online, set up automatic monthly deduction, or settle it all at your condo office. I haven't seen a paper bill or visited a utility office in five years. I barely even have to fire up the apps on my phone.

Anyway, if it works for you enjoy.

[QUOTE=RickRock;2275325]When I want $1000 of my money, here's what I do:

I put my Schwab card into an ATM machine. Then I take out $1000. That's it. At most, I might have to make 2 withdrawals if the ATM has a maximum withdraw. My money gets from my US bank account to my hand in 60 seconds. The total cost to me is $0.[/QUOTE]At TMB you can take out 30,000 baht at one time. At the other banks I think the max is 20,000.

These days I do it the same way. And whatever I don't want to keep in the safe in my room, I deposit in the ATM at my Thai bank. Truth of the matter is that I really have not needed that bank since I got the Schwab account a few years ago. I used to bring over plenty of cash and change it over then deposit it into that Thai account, but that is no longer necessary.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2275344] is as easy as sitting in bed and tapping out a few keyboard strokes in the Bangkok Bank mobile app.

If Schwab offers free international ATM cash withdrawals, great. But the thought of moving all the incoming and outgoing stuff from BofA to Schwab feels more painful to me than just paying the 1.45%.[/QUOTE]But it is the same thing. I pick up my phone and go to the Schwab mobile app. Click transfers. Put from which account to which account. Enter an amount. And touch transfer. Save your 1.45%!

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2275388]But it is the same thing. I pick up my phone and go to the Schwab mobile app. Click transfers. Put from which account to which account. Enter an amount. And touch transfer. Save your 1.45%![/QUOTE]So I'm supposed to keep my Schwab account filled with cash or my Schwab card loaded up to draw out cash and pay bills AND transfer at least 65,000 baht per month in Foreign Transfers to my Bangkok Bank account every month to satisfy the retirement visa requirements? Believe it or not, I can actually gain MORE than the 1.45% I am charged on those cash transfers by putting some of that cash outlay per month to use elsewhere. Or, better yet, just leaving it where it is. I think making that 65,000 baht per month (at a minimum) Foreign Transfer to satisfy the visa requirement AND paying my bills out of it along the way works out pretty good. I mean, as long as I have to do it, why not pay my bills out it too instead of mucking around with an additional withdrawal or cash transfer source?

[QUOTE=Goatscrot;2274001]That is the big question. Will quarterly deposits be ok, bi-monthly, every 4 months? Hopefully we will be provided with some clarification on this.[/QUOTE]A fellow expat from the USA I met a few months ago Lined me about his experience trying to renew his Non-Imm/Retirement Visa under the monthly income stream proof requirements a couple of days ago. He is about 60 and has been staying in Thailand on the retirement visa for about 10 years. He has only been getting $1,600 USD/50,000 baht (at today's exchange rate) per month from a pension but has been avoiding the 65,000 baht requirement due to the ease with which one could avoid it in the past. He said he had no other regular source of income. I don't think he qualifies for Social Security for some reason.

He says the lady Immigration officer didn't care that he received a larger than 65,000 baht Foreign Transfer last April. She wanted to see a minimum of 65,000 baht in Foreign Transfers for each and every month of the previous 12 months, not quarterly, not annually, no exceptions. This does not mean that every Immigration officer is on this same sheet of music or that it won't be modified along the way. I also can't say if there is something else going on with this fellow since I barely know him other than that we struck up a conversation about the new proof requirements and agreed to exchange info on the experience when the time came to renew. His time came a few days ago.

I followed up with, "So what will you do now?" I saw on Line that he read it within the hour but it has now been 2-3 days and he has not replied. I think he might be shell-shocked.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2277899]I followed up with, "So what will you do now?" I saw on Line that he read it within the hour but it has now been 2-3 days and he has not replied. I think he might be shell-shocked.[/QUOTE]If he is smart, the answer should be "move. " Lots of other options, several very nearby, and all easier and better in my opinion.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2277899]He says the lady Immigration officer didn't care that he received a larger than 65,000 baht Foreign Transfer last April. She wanted to see a minimum of 65,000 baht in Foreign Transfers for each and every month of the previous 12 months, not quarterly, not annually, no exceptions. This does not mean that every Immigration officer is on this same sheet of music or that it won't be modified along the way. I also can't say if there is something else going on with this fellow since I barely know him other than that we struck up a conversation about the new proof requirements and agreed to exchange info on the experience when the time came to renew. His time came a few days ago.[/QUOTE]I'd say it was a good thing that the rules are being strictly applied. Its appalling how the law is so arbitrarily applied in LOS.

In Memorandum No. 0029.173/Wor it says for calendar year 2019 there will be leniency for foreigners requiring to provide proof of income for each month, at the immigration officer's discretion. For ET's buddy seems as though the officer did not feel he brought any added value to Thailand so decided he needed to show all his required proof.

Why doesn't your buddy just deposit 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account and be rid of all these petty issues?

[QUOTE=Rick Rock;2275363]but an American in Thailand has to produce all sorts of forms and maybe even a letter from their embassy. LOL[/QUOTE]

Was pretty easy to open my Thai bank account. Showed my Visa and proof of residency and was accepted immediately. Maybe there are stricter rules for Americans?

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2278364]In Memorandum No. 0029.173/Wor it says for calendar year 2019 there will be leniency for foreigners requiring to provide proof of income for each month, at the immigration officer's discretion. For ET's buddy seems as though the officer did not feel he brought any added value to Thailand so decided he needed to show all his required proof.

Why doesn't your buddy just deposit 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account and be rid of all these petty issues?
[/QUOTE]Actually, if he is able to show proof of $1600 USD in Foreign Transfers into a Thai bank for each and every month of the year, that equals approximately 48,000 baht per month or 576,000 baht per year (using 30 baht per 1 USD for simplification). The requirement is either 65,000 baht per month in Foreign Transfers into a Thai bank or 800,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank or [B]a combination of the two[/B].

Therefore, he would only need to deposit about 224,000 baht or roughly $7500 USD to cover the shortfall in his monthly Foreign Transfers.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2278463]Actually, if he is able to show proof of $1600 USD in Foreign Transfers into a Thai bank for each and every month of the year, that equals approximately 48,000 baht per month or 576,000 baht per year (using 30 baht per 1 USD for simplification). The requirement is either 65,000 baht per month in Foreign Transfers into a Thai bank or 800,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank or [B]a combination of the two[/B].

Therefore, he would only need to deposit about 224,000 baht or roughly $7500 USD to cover the shortfall in his monthly Foreign Transfers.[/QUOTE]I may be wrong but as I understand the requirement.

It is either proof of monthly transfers of 65000 or 800000 in your account for 3 months prior to renewal. I was not aware of any situation where some combination of the two was OK. Are you certain of this ET. At the best of times immigration rules can be confusing and quite often vary from office to office.

[QUOTE=RickRock;2275325]Why go through that? Is there some reason you have to have money in a Thai bank? If it is for a visa or something I understand. Otherwise, I can't figure why any American would go through that.

When I want $1000 of my money, here's what I do:

I put my Schwab card into an ATM machine. Then I take out $1000. That's it. At most, I might have to make 2 withdrawals if the ATM has a maximum withdraw. My money gets from my US bank account to my hand in 60 seconds. The total cost to me is $0.[/QUOTE]I used my Schwab CC to withdraw money one trip to Thailand. I was shocked to see the exchange amount was lower than the money changers. Banks always are lower anyway, but I thought that because it was a Schwab card it would be a higher rate. Agreed I was refunded all bank charges for ATM withdrawals but the rate was not worth it. I called Schwab and asked them about the low exchange rate and their reply was that it depends on the bank, Schwab can't control exchange rates.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2278643]I used my Schwab CC to withdraw money one trip to Thailand. I was shocked to see the exchange amount was lower than the money changers. Banks always are lower anyway, but I thought that because it was a Schwab card it would be a higher rate.[/QUOTE]That is why I always bring my anticipated spend in cash, use money changers for exchanges, and keep ATM and credit cards as backup. Less footprints is IMO an added benefit.

SL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2278643]I used my Schwab CC to withdraw money one trip to Thailand. I was shocked to see the exchange amount was lower than the money changers. Banks always are lower anyway, but I thought that because it was a Schwab card it would be a higher rate. Agreed I was refunded all bank charges for ATM withdrawals but the rate was not worth it. I called Schwab and asked them about the low exchange rate and their reply was that it depends on the bank, Schwab can't control exchange rates.[/QUOTE]

That's correct, Schwab doesn't set the exchange rate at ATMs, they just pay up whatever the machine asks for. The issue you're talking about would affect all foreign cards.

Some Thai ATMs these days have a running scam where they allow you to choose to convert currency at bank's scam rate rather than the proper rate provided by the Visa network. The XR difference could amount to as much as $40 when doing a max 20k baht withdrawal. You can still choose the Visa or MasterCard network rate, but of course, they try to push their scam (by phrasing the question in a misleading way). No idea why they're allowed to do this.

You can search for "visa exchange rate" online to get the real ATM XR you should be getting, and compare it to what you're got. Visa XR is generally decent, today it's 31.54 compared to SuperRich 31.60, $1.20 difference on a 20k baht withdrawal. If you're getting a different rate, you were tricked into using the scam rate by the ATM.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2278634]I may be wrong but as I understand the requirement.

It is either proof of monthly transfers of 65000 or 800000 in your account for 3 months prior to renewal. I was not aware of any situation where some combination of the two was OK. Are you certain of this ET. At the best of times immigration rules can be confusing and quite often vary from office to office.[/QUOTE]That is the way I have read it on every site dealing with income requirements for a Thai retirement visa in the past unless there is a change to it since January 1 this year. You will also see it repeated a few times in this thread by others. But I can only state what I have read in English since I can not read Thai.

I think a combination of the two has been an option for years.

And, yes, the lump sum deposit portion needs to have been in the Thai bank for some months prior to your visa issue or renewal. Not certain if it is 3 though. You can't deposit it just days before and expect it to count. Although something similar might work this year when they are supposedly willing to give some leeway.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2278680]That is the way I have read it on every site dealing with income requirements for a Thai retirement visa in the past unless there is a change to it since January 1 this year. You will also see it repeated a few times in this thread by others. But I can only state what I have read in English since I can not read Thai.

I think a combination of the two has been an option for years.

And, yes, the lump sum deposit portion needs to have been in the Thai bank for some months prior to your visa issue or renewal. Not certain if it is 3 though. You can't deposit it just days before and expect it to count. Although something similar might work this year when they are supposedly willing to give some leeway.[/QUOTE]Checked with an agency I use for some legal issues and yes you are correct ET it can be a combination.

The new rules requiring the monthly transfers from abroad to be regular and in the amount of 65000 could be difficult for some retirees but because its a combination they could borrow the difference 2 or 3 months prior to renewal to make the 800 K total and repay the loan after the visa is issued. Then repeat for each subsequent renewal. It seems there is no requirement to show this top up loan came from outside the country just a passbook and a letter from the bank confirming its existence on the day of renewal. Doesn't make sense to me but that's nothing new when it comes to Thai immigration.

[QUOTE=Sunlover2;2278658]That is why I always bring my anticipated spend in cash, use money changers for exchanges, and keep ATM and credit cards as backup. Less footprints is IMO an added benefit.

SL.[/QUOTE]I did that last year with a money belt. Triple folded the bills length wise to fit within the one inch belt. The Thai bank no like folded bills at all. If you take cash along, make sure that it is in pristine condition. I definitely wouldn't take any older style $100's, I'd want them all nice and fresh with not even any tiny bent corners.

The trip before that I tried using my Venture One "travel" card at a few banks and had a terrible time. The number on that particular card was "printed" on the back of the card with the first four digits above the next four, above the next four and so on. The Thai bank didn't dig that either. They wanted embossed cards that can go thru carbon paper period. Maybe that's changed by now, but I doubt it?

[QUOTE=Crocodilexp;2278666]That's correct, Schwab doesn't set the exchange rate at ATMs, they just pay up whatever the machine asks for. The issue you're talking about would affect all foreign cards.

Some Thai ATMs these days have a running scam where they allow you to choose to convert currency at bank's scam rate rather than the proper rate provided by the Visa network. The XR difference could amount to as much as $40 when doing a max 20k baht withdrawal. You can still choose the Visa or MasterCard network rate, but of course, they try to push their scam (by phrasing the question in a misleading way). No idea why they're allowed to do this.

You can search for "visa exchange rate" online to get the real ATM XR you should be getting, and compare it to what you're got. Visa XR is generally decent, today it's 31.54 compared to SuperRich 31.60, $1.20 difference on a 20k baht withdrawal. If you're getting a different rate, you were tricked into using the scam rate by the ATM.[/QUOTE]I've used my Schwab Debit card at Thai ATMs for the past 4 years or so. I always get the Visa exchange rate (which is a very good rate) and get reimbursed for local bank fees. I also bring a few traveler checks in case of emergency. Thailand is one of the few places where it is easy to exchange traveler checks at a semi-reasonable rate. I don't think it makes sense to bring a load of cash and convert it to baht during the trip. I would worry about losing the cash. I keep some cash in the room safe knowing the room safe isn't 100% theft proof either. Why risk losing a big chunk of cash? I only withdraw smaller amounts of cash from ATMs.

Robert Long you mentioned a Schwab Credit card. Do they have a credit card that gives a poorer rate? My Schwab card is a debit card.

[QUOTE=Allover;2278785]I've used my Schwab Debit card at Thai ATMs for the past 4 years or so. I always get the Visa exchange rate (which is a very good rate) and get reimbursed for local bank fees. I also bring a few traveler checks in case of emergency. Thailand is one of the few places where it is easy to exchange traveler checks at a semi-reasonable rate. I don't think it makes sense to bring a load of cash and convert it to baht during the trip. I would worry about losing the cash. I keep some cash in the room safe knowing the room safe isn't 100% theft proof either. Why risk losing a big chunk of cash? I only withdraw smaller amounts of cash from ATMs.

Robert Long you mentioned a Schwab Credit card. Do they have a credit card that gives a poorer rate? My Schwab card is a debit card.[/QUOTE]I've always used cash. No issues at all. There could be ATM skimmers which could take you for everything. Using cash help me to keep on budget as well.

[QUOTE=Allover;2278785]I keep some cash in the room safe knowing the room safe isn't 100% theft proof either. [/QUOTE]My last stay in BKK the room safe wasn't event screwed down. That's something to always check now. I also recently bought this nifty little gadget on amazon called addalock which can help prevent your hotel room door from being opened from the outside while you're in the room at least.

[QUOTE=PointyStick;2278831]I've always used cash. No issues at all. There could be ATM skimmers which could take you for everything. Using cash help me to keep on budget as well.[/QUOTE]I have both a Schwab CC and a Debit card. I wonder how you can choose, on an ATM, the difference between Visa ex rates and the "scam" Bank rates? Can anyone explain that?

[QUOTE=Allover;2278785]I've used my Schwab Debit card at Thai ATMs for the past 4 years or so. I always get the Visa exchange rate (which is a very good rate) and get reimbursed for local bank fees.[/QUOTE]Same deal with Fidelity debit card at Thai ATMs. Exchange rate is whatever is posted at that moment on [URL]XE.com[/URL], which is much better than any place I can exchange US $100 bills for Thai baht.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2278988]I have both a Schwab CC and a Debit card. I wonder how you can choose, on an ATM, the difference between Visa ex rates and the "scam" Bank rates? Can anyone explain that?[/QUOTE]Not exactly sure of your question?

I have a Charles Schwab card and a number of other cards issue from my Credit Union. I've been using the Schwab for 10 years and my Credit Union cards even longer here. For personal reason, I only keep just enough here in a Thai Bank for emergencies and to satisfy Immigration.

When it comes to ATM's use, I try to use one institution and that is Aeon, it isn't a bank but a lending institution in Pattaya there are only two locations one at Big see extra and Lotus North Pattaya. As of today they only charge 150 baht and provide the best rate regardless of what card I use. For example, if the Internation rate is 32.00 after my withdraw and I go online and check the rate given is somewhere at 31.50-60. In the past prior to my withdraw I've gone by T. T. Exchange booth which is the best in my opinion in Pattaya the rate for 50-100 bills might be 31.75-80, then I do a final pass by at the Bangkok Bank exchange booth near the food court Big see extra the rate for 50-100 USD is somewhere like 31.38.

So when you compare Cash exchanges vs. ATM withdraw out of Aeon it isn't far off it is the expense I pay for the convenience plus as you noted when I use my Schwab card fees are return end of the month. Now to your question?

When it comes to any of the Thai bank ATM depending on the type of card that is being used some cards like Schwab will not allow the Thai bank to dictate their rates to you. Your request for money will be done at the current International rate so if the rate is at 32.00 at Bank like Bangkok Bank ATM using a Schwab card might give you at best 31.50, I've found many times the ATM rate out of a Thai bank ATM will be pretty close to the rate they are giving you at one of their exchange booth for 50-100 USD bill minus the 220 baht the Thai ATM charges.

Here is how the Thai bank scam you when using their ATM like Bangkok Bank. As I noted I also use Debit cards issue by my Credit Union. Using Aeon ATM this doesn't happen only with Thai ATM's. When I put my card and request amount after it asks me whether I except the 220 charges which I push YES, the next screen will show you an entire breakdown of all the fees you will be paying you will also see the exchange rate they are providing if you accept the transaction. If the international rate is at 32.00 you will note the suggested rate will be something like 30.90 far below the International rate or a ATM like Aeon is providing. This is the scam of the Thai Bank if you are using a card that allows the Thai bank to dictate the rate.

If you are using a card like my Credit union and you get this breakdown on the screen. For a long time since I needed the money and thought I had no choice I push Yes thinking I had to but you can push NO, by doing so you are declining the suggested rate and it automatically reverts to the Internation rate which should give you more like 31.38-31.50 closes to the 32.00? By simple pushing NO, when you go back and do the math the Thai bank basically took an extra 800-900 baht for the transaction by providing you a rate far below.

I hope that helps? Good luck.

[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2279039]Same deal with Fidelity debit card at Thai ATMs. Exchange rate is whatever is posted at that moment on [URL]XE.com[/URL], which is much better than any place I can exchange US $100 bills for Thai baht.[/QUOTE]Yep. And then the outrageous ATM fee is refunded to you at the end of the month.

How do NON American expats get large sums of money to Thailand (ie. Those who do not have access to Charles Schwab and Fidelity)? I know there is Transferwire but are there better ways for large sums? I am considering buying a car.

I discovered Aeon by accident. As LBM said Aeon charges less than other ATM machines for withdrawals but IIRC they had a low withdraw limit?

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2279181]I know there is Transferwire but are there better ways for large sums? I am considering buying a car.[/QUOTE]Try some of the other money transfer sites. I use Currencyfair but they don't transfer to Thailand at the moment. I'm not sure about Oanda, OzForex (or whatever they are called now), or other sites as I usually only need to transfer large sums to Australia.

When I'm in Thailand I just use an ATM since I'm only usually there for a few days and only need around 10,000 baht.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2279181]How do NON American expats get large sums of money to Thailand (ie. Those who do not have access to Charles Schwab and Fidelity)? I know there is Transferwire but are there better ways for large sums? I am considering buying a car.

I discovered Aeon by accident. As LBM said Aeon charges less than other ATM machines for withdrawals but IIRC they had a low withdraw limit?[/QUOTE]What's your definition of "better ways" and "large sums".

As the amounts become bigger the FX rate becomes more important than the fees. I've found Transferwise beats Australian bricks and mortar banks for speed and nett amount received. After you get the required account numbers etc together, I find it easy to use.

A transfer of AUD 50 k today would have the recipient receive 1,126,658. 50 THB after fees.

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan;2279112]Not exactly sure of your question?

I have a Charles Schwab card and a number of other cards issue from my Credit Union. I've been using the Schwab for 10 years and my Credit Union cards even longer here. For personal reason, I only keep just enough here in a Thai Bank for emergencies and to satisfy Immigration.

When it comes to ATM's use, I try to use one institution and that is Aeon, it isn't a bank but a lending institution in Pattaya there are only two locations one at Big see extra and Lotus North Pattaya. As of today they only charge 150 baht and provide the best rate regardless of what card I use. For example, if the Internation rate is 32.00 after my withdraw and I go online and check the rate given is somewhere at 31.50-60. In the past prior to my withdraw I've gone by T. T. Exchange booth which is the best in my opinion in Pattaya the rate for 50-100 bills might be 31.75-80, then I do a final pass by at the Bangkok Bank exchange booth near the food court Big see extra the rate for 50-100 USD is somewhere like 31.38.

So when you compare Cash exchanges vs. ATM withdraw out of Aeon it isn't far off it is the expense I pay for the convenience plus as you noted when I use my Schwab card fees are return end of the month. Now to your question?

When it comes to any of the Thai bank ATM depending on the type of card that is being used some cards like Schwab will not allow the Thai bank to dictate their rates to you. Your request for money will be done at the current International rate so if the rate is at 32.00 at Bank like Bangkok Bank ATM using a Schwab card might give you at best 31.50, I've found many times the ATM rate out of a Thai bank ATM will be pretty close to the rate they are giving you at one of their exchange booth for 50-100 USD bill minus the 220 baht the Thai ATM charges.

Here is how the Thai bank scam you when using their ATM like Bangkok Bank. As I noted I also use Debit cards issue by my Credit Union. Using Aeon ATM this doesn't happen only with Thai ATM's. When I put my card and request amount after it asks me whether I except the 220 charges which I push YES, the next screen will show you an entire breakdown of all the fees you will be paying you will also see the exchange rate they are providing if you accept the transaction. If the international rate is at 32.00 you will note the suggested rate will be something like 30.90 far below the International rate or a ATM like Aeon is providing. This is the scam of the Thai Bank if you are using a card that allows the Thai bank to dictate the rate.

If you are using a card like my Credit union and you get this breakdown on the screen. For a long time since I needed the money and thought I had no choice I push Yes thinking I had to but you can push NO, by doing so you are declining the suggested rate and it automatically reverts to the Internation rate which should give you more like 31.38-31.50 closes to the 32.00? By simple pushing NO, when you go back and do the math the Thai bank basically took an extra 800-900 baht for the transaction by providing you a rate far below.

I hope that helps? Good luck.[/QUOTE]That is just what I wanted to know. I bring cash but in a pinch I have debit cards and CC cards for last minute needs.

Thank you.

RL.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2279181]How do NON American expats get large sums of money to Thailand (ie. Those who do not have access to Charles Schwab and Fidelity)? I know there is Transferwire but are there better ways for large sums? I am considering buying a car.

I discovered Aeon by accident. As LBM said Aeon charges less than other ATM machines for withdrawals but IIRC they had a low withdraw limit?[/QUOTE]Aeon will give you easily 20,000 baht depending on you ATM protection limit which with most are set at 500 USD. A few years back Aeon after putting in new design machine set their limit at 8000 baht for a foreign card reason from their HQ was Aeon isn't a bank for say but a lending institution. If you took your card inside a branch and ask for cash you won't get any. They decided to lower the amount since their machines were running out of Baht so often due to the large volume of foreign card withdraws. Months later they reinstated the max limit 20 notes after realizing the ATM even at 150 they were missing out on.

Last year I need to get a large sum here to Thailand while in Thailand, I went through around 10 companies or services by the time I crossed all the T and I I settle on Transferwise which many Expat like to use from England. Round things out they have the best exchange rate by the time you break it all down you still coming out ahead. Many of the other services will not do large sums unless you develop a pattern of transfer or your bank / credit union won't because they can't confirm it is really you which is understandable for security reason.

With Transferwise you need to set up an account which is really easy because I can tell you aside from here and a few emails I can't do much else. In my efforts last year I basically wanted 30,000 USD to buy another truck many companies wouldn't do such a large transfer. I didn't want to use my Charles Schwab since the majority of my money are in mutual funds and I have no plans to sell any at this time. Transferwise made a suggestion that I could do two 15,000 USD transfers if I did it on my credit union debit card ACH, which had a extra fee on top of their commission. Before everyone jump down my throat even with their low commission and ACH fee their exchange rate was far above everyone else! I contacted my Credit Union online and told them what I wanted to do that I will move 30,000 USD into my Debit card linked to my checking that it would be taken out by Transferwise HQ in USA In New York.

I took a few days more than expected since there were a number of holidays here in the end while I was waiting for the exchange rate jump to 33.42 Doing it home in the USA Was real easy on my visit in September, I got online Transferwise with my account and made another transaction of 100,000 USD. Then I went to my Credit Union and requested a wire transfer to the New York branch to their account I think it was 15.00 or 30.00 USD within a hour Transferwise sent me a email that they got the money 24 hours later it was in my Bangkok Bank account.

Littlebigman, I must not be understanding something because why didn't you just transfer the money from your Credit Union account to your Schwab investment account. You can keep cash in your Schwab account. You must of had a reason.

[QUOTE=HoustonPlayer;2279650]Littlebigman, I must not be understanding something because why didn't you just transfer the money from your Credit Union account to your Schwab investment account. You can keep cash in your Schwab account. You must of had a reason.[/QUOTE]I've been with this Credit Union for 40 years although a Credit Union it is a full service with branches all over the country. For personal reason trustee issues, my Schwab account majority of investments money is tied with me and my brother. Let's just say keeping things separate and not co-mingling assets with Charles Schwab and my Credit Union has worked so far so I'm happy with things. Plus the Credit Union majority of my money is kept in timely CD's paying me 2. 50 right now my Charles Schwab conservative investment average 12 percent right now then I have a larger account with Vanguard. In a few years if all things go as planned I will need to take a minimum withdraw from the account and transfer that money to Thailand which should be close to a 1 million baht a year before taxes and still leave the principle intact. At that time I hope my sex drive and interest return so I will hit the Go Go circle again?

[QUOTE=Goferring;2279205]What's your definition of "better ways" and "large sums".[/QUOTE]Cheaper. Over 1 million baht.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2279684]Cheaper. Over 1 million baht.[/QUOTE]If your not Australian, all I can suggest is download the free app plug in your numbers and currency (you don't have to complete the transaction) and compare it to your bank's retail FX rates and charges.

I know on small amounts I win because of low fees and in larger amounts I still win because of the better FX rates.

[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2279039]Same deal with Fidelity debit card at Thai ATMs. Exchange rate is whatever is posted at that moment on [URL]XE.com[/URL], which is much better than any place I can exchange US $100 bills for Thai baht.[/QUOTE]General consensus is that Superrich1965 and Vasu have the highest rates for currency exchange. I also use the money changers on Soi Arab as they are in the same ballpark. As of this writing the USD / THB cross is:

[URL]XE.com[/URL]= 31.53.

Superrich1965 = 31.47.

Vasu = 31.43.

SL.

Just curious whether the ladies ever get jealous or bitchy over each other when buying LD to different ladies. Say. You buy a LD and become touchy with each other but then someone else catches your eye. You then buy her a LD and it goes on. Do they get bitchy?

Any jealousy is all gamesmanship. Feel free to buy drinks for whoever you feel like. Don't let any girl dictate how many drinks you need to buy her or her 'sisters'.

Personally if any of my girls got jealous of me buying drinks for a new hot girl I would stop buying drinks for my regular girl.

[QUOTE=DrifterMan;2279795]Just curious whether the ladies ever get jealous or bitchy over each other when buying LD to different ladies. Say. You buy a LD and become touchy with each other but then someone else catches your eye. You then buy her a LD and it goes on. Do they get bitchy?[/QUOTE]If they do, tell them to get lost. Never forget they are hookers, and you're the paying customer.

Don't do this at all. They are women. Most of them are sweet and fun. Don't forget that. You are the paying customer and can do what you want, but treating someone like she is just a piece of meat is wrong, no matter what they sell or how much money you have.

[QUOTE=RickRock;2280152]If they do, tell them to get lost. Never forget they are hookers, and you're the paying customer.[/QUOTE]

Totally agree, wego so much mote mileage (true pleasure) by treating our girls as what they are: humans trying to get by. The sweet and fun girls far outweigh the hardened streetwalkers. Treat them well, and they'll do the same.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2280157]Don't do this at all. They are women. Most of them are sweet and fun. Don't forget that. You are the paying customer and can do what you want, but treating someone like she is just a piece of meat is wrong, no matter what they sell or how much money you have.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Horatio;2280157]Don't do this at all. They are women. Most of them are sweet and fun. Don't forget that. You are the paying customer and can do what you want, but treating someone like she is just a piece of meat is wrong, no matter what they sell or how much money you have.[/QUOTE]That and the woman will lose face if you drop her. It's an odd rule, but once she loses face and talks trash about you to the other girls, your experience at the bar will not be for the better.

And this is why farang punters get higher prices and less service.

[QUOTE=RickRock;2280296]And this is why farang punters get higher prices and less service.[/QUOTE]You mean because of the people that would walk into McDonald's and let the cashier tell them what they are going to pay for and eat because she is a human and seems nice and fun?

[QUOTE=DrifterMan;2279795]Just curious whether the ladies ever get jealous or bitchy over each other when buying LD to different ladies. Say. You buy a LD and become touchy with each other but then someone else catches your eye. You then buy her a LD and it goes on. Do they get bitchy?[/QUOTE]Some might but very few. It all depends on the girl and to an extent how you are behaving. If she generally has a tough time getting drinks or bar fines then she will feel it more but it's not jealousy at best a disappointment. It also depends how long you have spent with her and whether you made any promises or not. Personally I have never found saying bye after buying a drink an issue. Bottom line it's your night your buck.

[QUOTE=Chacal60;2280163]...The sweet and fun girls far outweigh the hardened streetwalkers. Treat them well, and they'll do the same.[/QUOTE]It would have been more accurate if you wrote "hardened working girls" because the street walkers are the least hardened and the sweetest gurls, IMO.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2280150]Any jealousy is all gamesmanship. Feel free to buy drinks for whoever you feel like. Don't let any girl dictate how many drinks you need to buy her or her 'sisters'.

Personally if any of my girls got jealous of me buying drinks for a new hot girl I would stop buying drinks for my regular girl.[/QUOTE]In my experience, they get jealous easily. So, be prepared to lose the girl you are with and move on when that happens.

Once, I took a girl to another bar. The band playing there was an all-female band. One of their guitar players started making faces at me and I responded. Within a minute, the girl with me got pissed big time and took off. Never saw her again.

[QUOTE=IMembr;2280211]That and the woman will lose face if you drop her. It's an odd rule, but once she loses face and talks trash about you to the other girls, your experience at the bar will not be for the better.[/QUOTE]Who cares! There are over 1000 bars in Pattaya so why worry if the girls in one bar think you area jerk! Spend your hard earned elsewhere. Particularly if you are a once or twice a year visitor it will have little impact on your experience.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2280319]You mean because of the people that would walk into McDonald's and let the cashier tell them what they are going to pay for and eat because she is a human and seems nice and fun?[/QUOTE]Yep. For whatever reason a lot of white guys can't understand that they're paying for a service when sex gets involved. They have fantasies and delusions that something other than a financial transaction is going on. I guess this is why they put good looking women on the cable news networks and on car lots too. "Well, she was nice and sweet, so I let her talk me into a sports car even though I went there to buy a station wagon. ".

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2280319]You mean because of the people that would walk into McDonald's and let the cashier tell them what they are going to pay for and eat because she is a human and seems nice and fun?[/QUOTE]I think that's not the point. The point is how you respond when the cashier asks if you want a drink along with the cheeseburger and fries you just ordered. Do you say 'no thank you' or do you say 'no b*tch, if I wanted a drink I would have ordered it'?

Just because they are selling a service doesn't mean you have to treat them like shit. Not as long as they don't treat YOU like shit anyway.

[QUOTE=RickRock;2280574]For whatever reason a lot of white guys can't understand that they're paying for a service when sex gets involved.[/QUOTE]Ya, that is only limited to white guys. Very intelligent post.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2280705]I think that's not the point. The point is how you respond when the cashier asks if you want a drink along with the cheeseburger and fries you just ordered. Do you say 'no thank you' or do you say 'no b*tch, if I wanted a drink I would have ordered it'?

Just because they are selling a service doesn't mean you have to treat them like shit. Not as long as they don't treat YOU like shit anyway.[/QUOTE]Being respectful you would think is an easy sell unfortunately some people are beyond understanding. Trying to convert to civilized behavior is simply a waste of time.

Please PM me if you have tips or info on this topic.

[QUOTE=Beijing4987;2280814]Please PM me if you have tips or info on this topic.[/QUOTE]Air Asia has daily flights and very cheap fares.

[QUOTE=RobJones;2280548]Who cares! There are over 1000 bars in Pattaya so why worry if the girls in one bar think you area jerk! Spend your hard earned elsewhere. Particularly if you are a once or twice a year visitor it will have little impact on your experience.[/QUOTE]Well your reply is one that answers a question that was never asked. Of course there are other bars to go to. Obviously it's of little consequence if one only goes annually.

What point are you trying to make? The guy was asking about what may go down if a certain action took place. Not an opinion of "hey f it, just go to a different bar."

Isn't it obvious to go somewhere else if a negative experience occurs? LMFAO.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2280705]I think that's not the point. The point is how you respond when the cashier asks if you want a drink along with the cheeseburger and fries you just ordered. Do you say 'no thank you' or do you say 'no b*tch, if I wanted a drink I would have ordered it'?

Just because they are selling a service doesn't mean you have to treat them like shit. Not as long as they don't treat YOU like shit anyway.[/QUOTE]You've obviously been to a McDonalds on a weekend after midnight in Australia!

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2280759]Being respectful you would think is an easy sell unfortunately some people are beyond understanding. Trying to convert to civilized behavior is simply a waste of time.[/QUOTE]It's a very degenerate and brutal mindset to have; that just because you pay someone you can do anything you like to them. The different culture might make it hard for the girls to say no or resist but you'll never get good service. Maybe guys with this sort of attitude are looking for someone they can dominate? I'd rather walk away and take the loss than try to force another person to submit just to satisfy my sexual desires.

Hi,

Can I, on a tourist visa, open a bank account in Bangkok? If yes, which bank and branch is recommended?

I had posted this query sometime back, however, never got a response. It would be great if someone can throw some light on this subject.

I will be travelling to Bangkok soon and want to open a bank account there.

Thanks.

[QUOTE=Stykler;2281008]You've obviously been to a McDonalds on a weekend after midnight in Australia![/QUOTE]No, I've never even been to Australia ha ha.
A lot of drunk customers around that time I guess?

[QUOTE=Beijing4987;2280814]Please PM me if you have tips or info on this topic.[/QUOTE]Here's the best tip anyone can ever give you. Skip ho chi Minh if you are going for hobbying. Go to Pattaya or Jakarta.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2281049]Here's the best tip anyone can ever give you. Skip ho chi Minh if you are going for hobbying. Go to Pattaya or Jakarta.[/QUOTE]Or Angeles City, Philippines.

[QUOTE=Beijing4987;2280814]Please PM me if you have tips or info on this topic.[/QUOTE]Go to the airport and get in the plane. What is the big dilema?

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2281073]Go to the airport and get in the plane. What is the big dilema?[/QUOTE]Do you have an address for the airport? 🤔.

The requirements for a retirement extension according to the new police order are as follows:

(1) Must have been granted a non-immigrant visa (Non-I'm).

(2) Must be 50 years of age or over.

(3) Must have evidence of having income of no less than THB 65,000 or.

(4) At least 2 months prior to filing date, and at least 3 months after being granted permission, the alien must have fund deposited in a bank in Thailand of no less than THB 800,000. The alien can withdraw the fund 3 months after being granted permission and the remaining balance must be no less than THB 400,00 or;.

(5) Must have and annual earning and fund deposited with a commercial bank in Thailand totaling of no less than THB 800,000 until the filing date. The said fund must remain in the account prior to and after the permission is granted and the alien can make a withdrawal under the same conditions as stated in (4).

Summarizing the changes as I see it.

(1) 800 k in account for three months after extension.

(2) Minimum 400 k all year round.

Not sure what effect the changes will have when a combination of income and bank account are used.

This forum will always be my got to, but does anyone know of any other forums that have good reports and content?

Thanks in advance.

[QUOTE=GolfPhotos;2281040]Hi,

Can I, on a tourist visa, open a bank account in Bangkok? If yes, which bank and branch is recommended?

I had posted this query sometime back, however, never got a response. It would be great if someone can throw some light on this subject.

I will be travelling to Bangkok soon and want to open a bank account there.

Thanks.[/QUOTE]Go to the main branch of Bangkok Bank, Silom Road and they will explain everything to you. If your American you need to get a notarized letter from the US Embassy confirming that you are an American. Don't for get to make an appointment on line first. I think they charge $50.00. Lucky we are Americans. Ha.

RL.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2281340]Summarizing the changes as I see it.

(1) 800 k in account for three months after extension.

(2) Minimum 400 k all year round.

Not sure what effect the changes will have when a combination of income and bank account are used.[/QUOTE]Please advise which location to apply for a retirement visa? I think I have read go to the airport but that seems to far, Is there an office in the city?

Thank you.

RL.

[QUOTE=RickRock;2280152]If they do, tell them to get lost. Never forget they are hookers, and you're the paying customer.[/QUOTE]Yeah, they are just low life hookers who we can insult, use, abuse, cheat and insult.

The only thing lower than a hooker is a man who is out cheating on his wife and thinks he is superior to the hookers he abuses and scorns even though the only way he could ever screw her is to pay for it. I have more respect for the girls who provide this service fairly and honestly than for many of the dudes who think these women are only worthy of abuse.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2281701]Please advise which location to apply for a retirement visa? I think I have read go to the airport but that seems to far, Is there an office in the city?

Thank you.

RL.[/QUOTE]In Bangkok its at the government complex in ChaengWattana. Not straight forward getting there, taxi is best. Opens at 8. 30 closes at 4. And between 12 and 1 for lunch. Lots of places to eat downstairs. It has photo and photocopying facilities and bank branches to update your passbook and get letter of confirmation of balance if you are using a bank deposit to qualify. Depending on when you get there can be very slow so allow up to 4 hours to get through the process especially if you are also getting your reentry stamp. Don't forget if you are getting reentry you need to go downstairs to get a copy of your new extension stamp to go along with your application. .

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2281698]Go to the main branch of Bangkok Bank, Silom Road and they will explain everything to you. If your American you need to get a notarized letter from the US Embassy confirming that you are an American. Don't for get to make an appointment on line first. I think they charge $50.00. Lucky we are Americans. Ha.

RL.[/QUOTE]The only Bank opening accounts on Tourist Visas is Krungthai (B of Ayyudaya). Bangkok Bank is a pain, costs you $50 first before they tel you know. Go to the Krungthai Branch in Emporium. Need proof of residence (TM 30 receipt), passport, etc.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2281701]Please advise which location to apply for a retirement visa? I think I have read go to the airport but that seems to far, Is there an office in the city?

Thank you.

RL.[/QUOTE]In Bangkok its at the Government Complex in Chaeng Wattana. Take the Skytrain to Mo Chit, take the North West Exit, walk up the road 200 meters and hail a moving cab, 120 B or so on the meter depending on traffic and route. Don't take the MC taxis for any amount, its a long ride.

[QUOTE=FLHawk;2281728]Yeah, they are just low life hookers who we can insult, use, abuse, cheat and insult.

The only thing lower than a hooker is a man who is out cheating on his wife and thinks he is superior to the hookers he abuses and scorns even though the only way he could ever screw her is to pay for it. I have more respect for the girls who provide this service fairly and honestly than for many of the dudes who think these women are only worthy of abuse.[/QUOTE]Very well put!

It is the first time that I see (at night) all these SWs on the road (Phetchaburi?) from the Lancaster hotel to Asoke road.

They used to say that the SWs around Lumpini were all HIV+ or carrying the AIDS virus. I don't if it was true then, but if it was, it might be different nowadays.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2281759]In Bangkok its at the government complex in ChaengWattana. Not straight forward getting there, taxi is best. Opens at 8. 30 closes at 4. And between 12 and 1 for lunch. Lots of places to eat downstairs. It has photo and photocopying facilities and bank branches to update your passbook and get letter of confirmation of balance if you are using a bank deposit to qualify. Depending on when you get there can be very slow so allow up to 4 hours to get through the process especially if you are also getting your reentry stamp. Don't forget if you are getting reentry you need to go downstairs to get a copy of your new extension stamp to go along with your application. .[/QUOTE]They do not make it easy. And thanks for the tip on Bangkok Bank. Sounds like the same rip off as the US Embassy in Indonesia. They charge $160.00 to the ladies that want a visa to the US, and they say NO. Sorry try again in 3 months. No refund.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2281881]They do not make it easy. And thanks for the tip on Bangkok Bank. Sounds like the same rip off as the US Embassy in Indonesia. They charge $160.00 to the ladies that want a visa to the US, and they say NO. Sorry try again in 3 months. No refund.[/QUOTE]Not sure which rip off you are referring to but it's a relatively straight up service at ChaengWattana. Agreed it's a somewhat cumbersome bureaucratic rigmarole that could do with simplifying but once you submit the documentation as required visa'a and extensions are given. Incidentally re-entry prices are 1900 for single and 3800 for multiple.

[QUOTE=FLHawk;2281728]Yeah, they are just low life hookers who we can insult, use, abuse, cheat and insult.

The only thing lower than a hooker is a man who is out cheating on his wife and thinks he is superior to the hookers he abuses and scorns even though the only way he could ever screw her is to pay for it. I have more respect for the girls who provide this service fairly and honestly than for many of the dudes who think these women are only worthy of abuse.[/QUOTE]A little harsh perhaps but unfortunately it sadly represents some of our fellow members attitudes.

One of my favorite Sinatra tunes was Angel Eyes. I don't know if anybody else has noticed but since the smog alert and consequent face masks I 'm fascinated by how beautiful Thai girl's eyes are.

Hey guys,

Just checked and found that I have nearly 30 k worth old currency left from my previous visit 2014-15. I hope I can use them without any issue.

Please advice.

[QUOTE=Arjun31;2284686]Hey guys,

Just checked and found that I have nearly 30 k worth old currency left from my previous visit 2014-15. I hope I can use them without any issue.

Please advice.[/QUOTE]You'll be fine. Thai currency is always a mix of crisp polymer bills and papers that look like they belong in a museum being handled with cotton gloves.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2283624]One of my favorite Sinatra tunes was Angel Eyes. I don't know if anybody else has noticed but since the smog alert and consequent face masks I 'm fascinated by how beautiful Thai girl's eyes are.[/QUOTE]I have noticed that on a number of occasions in the dentists office or at my haircutters where they cover your eyes when performing dental work or washing your hair. When the cloth is removed, your eyes focus and a pair of very beautiful eyes are looking directly at you from just a few inches away but upside down.

[QUOTE=Arjun31;2284686]Just checked and found that I have nearly 30 k worth old currency left from my previous visit 2014-15. I hope I can use them without any issue.
.[/QUOTE]I'll buy those 30 k of old notes from you for 20 k.

[QUOTE=Arjun31;2284686]Hey guys,

Just checked and found that I have nearly 30 k worth old currency left from my previous visit 2014-15. I hope I can use them without any issue.

Please advice.[/QUOTE]I think there are 2 kinds of 1k banknotes in circulation now. I assume they printed new ones in a hurry to have the new king also represented. I haven't heard about any banknotes losing currency.

[QUOTE=Arjun31;2284686]Just checked and found that I have nearly 30 k worth old currency left from my previous visit 2014-15. I hope I can use them without any issue.[/QUOTE]Won't be a problem at all. You could use baht notes printed as far back as the 1990's without issue, earlier than that is still valid, might be worth more as a collector's item.

[QUOTE=VisitUSA;2281872]It is the first time that I see (at night) all these SWs on the road (Phetchaburi?) from the Lancaster hotel to Asoke road.[/QUOTE]Kamphaeng Phet 7 road (parallel to Phetchaburi) from Asok to Phet Uthai has long been known for freelancers standing by the side of the road. However, it's a dying scene last time I walked though there (in late 2018), I counted the grand total of 4 girls on the not so short stretch, offering services for 1500-2000, a bit steep given the type of the scene. About 10 years ago there would have been 40 girls on a similar night.

Hi guys,

Sorry, I can't find a general Q+A thread for Thailand?

I'm thinking of booking my first trip to Bangkok (and first trip to Thailand). I have watched many videos of the various areas and the women are beautiful. But the disease side makes me a little uneasy. I have only every mongered in Nevada and Germany. Obviously, absolutely everything will be covered, so no DATY or BBBJ. Generally, though, how clean do the ladies tend to be? I presume they don't get tested. Do they generally perform a DC at least?

Anything else I can do to protect myself? I'm planning to spend most time at the bigger bars. No streetwalkers.

[QUOTE=Goodyear7;2286041]Hi guys,

Sorry, I can't find a general Q+A thread for Thailand?

I'm thinking of booking my first trip to Bangkok (and first trip to Thailand). I have watched many videos of the various areas and the women are beautiful. But the disease side makes me a little uneasy. I have only every mongered in Nevada and Germany. Obviously, absolutely everything will be covered, so no DATY or BBBJ. Generally, though, how clean do the ladies tend to be? I presume they don't get tested. Do they generally perform a DC at least?

Anything else I can do to protect myself? I'm planning to spend most time at the bigger bars. No streetwalkers.[/QUOTE]What is a DC? No they don't do dick checks if that is what you mean. It is impossible to tell how "clean" the ladies are so stick to safe sex principles.

Don't share fluids, like DATY, BBBJ, kissing. Wear condom, and make sure it is always lubed up at all times. Then, and this is the most important, wash your cock with soap straight after the event, making sure that you do not get any vaginal fluids in the eye of your cock.

If you do all this then I can guarantee you will never catch anything.

P.S. , there is a "safe sex in thailand" thread for these types of questions.

[QUOTE=Goodyear7;2286041]]Anything else I can do to protect myself? I'm planning to spend most time at the bigger bars. No streetwalkers.[/QUOTE]You can stay home. Most of them will give your dick a very thorough washing and they are definitely checking it while they do. Asian girls are some of the cleanest girls in the world but still keep it safe.

[QUOTE=Goodyear7;2286041]Hi guys,

Sorry, I can't find a general Q+A thread for Thailand?

I'm thinking of booking my first trip to Bangkok (and first trip to Thailand). I have watched many videos of the various areas and the women are beautiful. But the disease side makes me a little uneasy. I have only every mongered in Nevada and Germany. Obviously, absolutely everything will be covered, so no DATY or BBBJ. Generally, though, how clean do the ladies tend to be? I presume they don't get tested. Do they generally perform a DC at least?

Anything else I can do to protect myself? I'm planning to spend most time at the bigger bars. No streetwalkers.[/QUOTE]It really depends on where you get the girl.

Freelancer you will find standing on road are not going to be super clean and I doubt if they recently get tested.

However, if you get girls at agency or gogo, chances of them clean are more (though not 100%) Make sure you're covered and some girls will try to do uncovered sex if you're not coming, just don't, say NO.

Make sure your uncovered dick don't go near her genitals, even if you two are just laying down.

[QUOTE=Goodyear7;2286041]Sorry, I can't find a general Q+A thread for Thailand?
. But the disease side makes me a little uneasy. Anything else I can do to protect myself?.[/QUOTE]Covered / uncovered: what's the difference if you have no girlfriend, and not likely you'll ever get one, live your life, take a pill if you need one, and enjoy yourself.

[QUOTE=Goodyear7;2286041]I'm thinking of booking my first trip to Bangkok (and first trip to Thailand). I have watched many videos of the various areas and the women are beautiful.[/QUOTE]

Adjust your expectations. Thai women in general may well be beautiful, but these days, working girls tend to be in the bottom 20% of Thai women in terms of looks. Some punters might be more generous (especially first time ones), but I always get depressed when I get off the Skytrain (public transit with a representative cross section of normal, average girls), and into nightlife areas with the dregs. If you come to Thailand expecting stellar looks, you're certain to be disappointed. However, compared to much of the world, Bangkok or Pattaya still have a wide variety of sex venues, as well as exceptional or unique service in a few of them, albeit not across the board. The scene used to be [I]much[/I] better 6-10 years ago in every aspect (prices, attitudes, service, selection, fun), don't let the old reports mislead you. Still, it's worth a visit.

[QUOTE=Goodyear7;2286041]But the disease side makes me a little uneasy. I have only every mongered in Nevada and Germany. Obviously, absolutely everything will be covered, so no DATY or BBBJ. Generally, though, how clean do the ladies tend to be? I presume they don't get tested. Do they generally perform a DC at least?[/QUOTE]

What's a DC?

Take simple precautions and don't worry. From the hygiene point of view, Thai girls, including sex workers, are most likely the cleanest in the world. Regular routine includes a shower before and after the session. Condom use is relatively high as well, but you never know.

When it comes to STDs and mongering in Thailand, unless you're going with homeless street women, worrying about who might be clean and who might not be is entirely pointless. The only thing you can do is use condoms and lube properly every time, and wash up after the deed. From what I know, DATY or BBBJ are not huge risks for the man, but if that level of risk seems too high for you, it's probably better to abstain from mongering altogether. Only masturbation is 100% safe.

Testing is irrelevant. There is no law compelling sex workers to get tested or to stop working if they have an STD. Even if they get tested, it's strictly for their own benefit, and don't expect they would stop work and forego piles of money just to protect an unknown customer. The bar wouldn't care much to have an employee out of commission either.

[QUOTE=Gargano19;2286404]Freelancer you will find standing on road are not going to be super clean and I doubt if they recently get tested.

However, if you get girls at agency or gogo, chances of them clean are more[/QUOTE]Where did you get this information from?

[QUOTE=Crocodilexp;2286497]

What's a DC?

[/QUOTE]Perhaps he means GC.

A GC is a test that clinics do to test for Gonococci (gonorrhoea) and Chlamydia. It is a cervical / vaginal smear test (or a urethral swab for men) that is then examined in the lab for the organisms. Routine in STI screens.

The only DC I know in this context is D&C (Dilation and Curretage) which is something completely different, as they used to say on Monty Python.

[QUOTE=Crocodilexp;2286497]
What's a DC?

[/QUOTE]I believe it is a Dick Check. In some places, like Australia, the working girls will do these as soon as the guy undresses. They look for lesions or any discharge that might indicate a Venereal Disease. I thought this had gone out of fashion because it really can't tell you if the person has herpes or most other VD's especially HIV.

PIT.

Anyone have suggestions for a taxi from Bangkok down to Pattaya? Mr Taxi used to be 1,000 then bumped it to 1,100 and is now asking for 1,300 for a small toyota camry. Anyone have anything cheaper or even a minivan in the range of 2,000?

[QUOTE=Breadman;2287808]Anyone have suggestions for a taxi from Bangkok down to Pattaya? Mr Taxi used to be 1,000 then bumped it to 1,100 and is now asking for 1,300 for a small toyota camry. Anyone have anything cheaper or even a minivan in the range of 2,000?[/QUOTE]Mr. T,

In Pattaya pick costumers up in Bangkok as well. Check "him" on Google. Perhaps you can find several companies from Pattaya. There cars normally go cheaper, both ways.

[QUOTE=Breadman;2287808]Anyone have suggestions for a taxi from Bangkok down to Pattaya? Mr Taxi used to be 1,000 then bumped it to 1,100 and is now asking for 1,300 for a small toyota camry. Anyone have anything cheaper or even a minivan in the range of 2,000?[/QUOTE]We pay Nams 1200 from the airport to Pattaya so I imagine that 1300 to 1400 would be from Nana area but check with her on their Facebook page but I think it was Camry sized vehicle.

[QUOTE=Breadman;2287808]Anyone have suggestions for a taxi from Bangkok down to Pattaya? Mr Taxi used to be 1,000 then bumped it to 1,100 and is now asking for 1,300 for a small toyota camry. Anyone have anything cheaper or even a minivan in the range of 2,000?[/QUOTE]If you have a lot of luggage and that is the reason you need to take a taxi from your Nana area hotel or apartment directly to a hotel in Pattaya, then disregard this suggestion. But I only take a small carry-on case or shoulder bag and this is the way I have traveled to and from Pattaya the last 3 times I've gone there. It isn't going to shave off hundreds of baht vs taking a taxi all the way from Nana to Pattaya. It will either cost the same or perhaps 100 baht less or more. But for those of us who get antsy sitting in traffic and want to get moving it shaves off about an hour of travel time. Maybe more. Mid day it has so far never taken me more than 2 hours in either direction, door to door, to and from BTS Nana to my Pattaya Walking Street hotel. Taking a taxi the whole way has never taken me less than 3 hours but I assume it could be done faster than that if you leave at 1-2 AM or something like that.

Ride the BTS train from BTS Nana to BTS Phya Thai, the BTS station that intersects with the Airport Link Railway. Then ride the Airport Link Railway to the Lat Krabang station. Don't ride it all the way into Suvarnabhumi Airport. Get off at the Lat Krabang station, one station before the airport station. At this point the train rides have cost you, what, about 65-75 baht total I think. And you have only had to wait for two trains for a total of about 5-10 minutes probably unless you were unlucky enough to get to the platforms just as the previous train was pulling away. At Lat Krabang station there will be dozens of taxis available to take you directly to your Pattaya hotel. Of the three times I have gone this way in the past few months, I was easily able to get a taxi to agree to 1,000 baht twice. One time, during the New Years Day Weekend, I was with a Thai girl, I did not want to wave off more than 3 disagreeable taxis, it was a holiday weekend and so I agreed to pay 1,200 baht that time.

Travel back to BTS Nana from my Pattaya Walking Street hotel is simply the reverse of that route. Again, no more than 2 hours, door to door, from my Pattaya Walking Street hotel to BTS Nana. You will have to make sure your driver understands you do not want to be taken into Suvarnabhumi Airport, that you only want to go to the Airport Link Railway station before the Airport station, at Lat Krabang. Show him the map on your phone. This is where you are likely going to still pay the same amount as if you are going to the airport, unless you are willing to negotiate a bit. It isn't as though not taking you all the way into the airport is a great gas or time saver for the taxi driver. So we're talking about 1,100-1,200 baht usually.

Doing it that way cuts out all the inner city Bangkok traffic because that is the leg of the trip where you are riding the BTS train and the Airport Link Railway. One time last year, before I started traveling to Pattaya this way, I took a taxi from Sukhumvit Soi 4 to Pattaya Walking Street. Swear to god, when I factored in the WAITING time for the taxi to arrive, the circuitous route he had to take through traffic just to get on the expressway and the Bangkok City traffic on the expressway, it took me 3 hours and 45 minutes from the time I first stood on Soi 4 with my carry-on bag until I finally got to my hotel on Walking Street. Going the way I do now, NOTHING slows me down from carrying my bag to BTS Nana and getting the hell out of Bangkok City and to Lat Krabang station on the Airport Link Railway within 45 minutes. After that, it will be a taxi ride for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hour to Walking Street. Unless the taxi driver has no idea how to get to Walking Street and gets lost in Pattaya I suppose. Or if there is a lot of slow traffic on the expressway into Pattaya. In which case, every passenger vehicle will be slowed down and stuck in it.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2287863]Ride the BTS train from BTS Nana to BTS Phya Thai, the BTS station that intersects with the Airport Link Railway. Then ride the Airport Link Railway to the Lat Krabang station. Don't ride it all the way into Suvarnabhumi Airport. At Lat Krabang station there will be dozens of taxis available to take you directly to your Pattaya hotel. [/QUOTE]

That's a great suggestion. For those of who are not into haggling with taxis, there's also a direct bus from the airport (level right above Airport Link) to Pattaya. Costs 120 baht and goes every hour, though sometimes it gets full and you have to wait for the next one. Taking the Airport Link shaves off 30-40 min off the bus journey as well compared to Ekamai. As a bonus, that bus stops at Central Road, Pattaya South road, or Jomtien (last stop), so you can avoid the leeches at the North Pattaya bus terminal. Last time they had the gall to ask 100 baht for a shared songtaew, which is 10 baht elsewhere. I find the Jomtien station (on Thapphraya Rd, near Thep Prasit Rd interection) more convenient when going back as well.

In addition, if you're closer to Asoke than Nana, taking the MRT from Sukhumvit station up to Phetchaburi (only 1 stop), and then boarding the Airport Link at Makkasan is slightly faster than going to Phaya Thai.

I've been meaning to try the airport rail link from Phaya Tai BTS to / from Suvarnabhumi. Not so much to save a bit of money on taxi fare rather than to save time in Bangkok traffic as ET also mentioned. Croc, thanks for the heads up about going to Makkasan MRT instead.

[QUOTE=Crocodilexp;2287928]That's a great suggestion. For those of who are not into haggling with taxis, there's also a direct bus from the airport (level right above Airport Link) to Pattaya. Costs 120 baht and goes every hour, though sometimes it gets full and you have to wait for the next one. Taking the Airport Link shaves off 30-40 min off the bus journey as well compared to Ekamai. As a bonus, that bus stops at Central Road, Pattaya South road, or Jomtien (last stop), so you can avoid the leeches at the North Pattaya bus terminal. Last time they had the gall to ask 100 baht for a shared songtaew, which is 10 baht elsewhere. I find the Jomtien station (on Thapphraya Rd, near Thep Prasit Rd interection) more convenient when going back as well.

In addition, if you're closer to Asoke than Nana, taking the MRT from Sukhumvit station up to Phetchaburi (only 1 stop), and then boarding the Airport Link at Makkasan is slightly faster than going to Phaya Thai.[/QUOTE]I'll have a wingman so the taxi cost will be split in half. Taking the BTS doubles that price for two people.

Tuesday 2/19 is a religious holiday in Thailand. I believe it will be 'dry' day, meaning most bars will close midnight on the 18th, and *might* open at midnight on the 19th. Some venues will skirt the law by serving you drinks on the down low. Package outlets like 7-11 will not sell alcohol in observance of the hoiday. There is already a notice up at Foodland saying as much.

Usually hotels who cater to the tourist trade will still serve alcohol, otherwise a quiet time. Plan accordingly.

SL.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2287935]I've been meaning to try the airport rail link from Phaya Tai BTS to / from Suvarnabhumi. Not so much to save a bit of money on taxi fare rather than to save time in Bangkok traffic as ET also mentioned. Croc, thanks for the heads up about going to Makkasan MRT instead.[/QUOTE]Just as a followup in case this is a concern for anyone. I can understand why someone who has never given it a try would be spooked about getting off the Airport Link Railway at the Lat Krabang station rather than going all the way into the Airport, one more station, to get a taxi to Pattaya. But there really are tons of taxis parked and cruising through the ground level parking lot area right at the bottom of the escalator at the Lat Krabang station. And it is closer to the expressway than the Aiport.

It has been decades since I got a taxi to Pattaya from inside Suvarnabhumi Airport, so I don't know if today there is a queue, a chaotic onslaught of taxi touts or a half mile of concourse to pass through before you get from the Airport Link Railway station inside the airport to where the taxis are. But the Lat Krabang station has none of that. You just go down the escalator or steps and taxis are pretty much all over the place. I have never had other travelers jump ahead of me to flag one over and never seen a line waiting to book one. Unless I hear of a reason I hadn't considered to go all the way into the Airport to get a taxi to Pattaya instead of hopping off the train at Lat Krabang station to get one, I would probably never go all the way into the Airport to get one instead.

It also crossed my mind that IF I did have a problem getting a taxi to Pattaya at the Lat Krabang station for some reason, it would be easy enough to just get back on the next train and go one more station into the Airport to get one anyway. But in the three times I've gone this way, it has not been a problem.

This report is quite old and Som's haven have changed their name. I'm not sure of the new name I think it's phra phong but the location is opposite to Terminal 21 in this link [URL]https://www.stickboybkk.com/bars/soms-haven-changing-name-location/[/URL] I tried woods bar soi Sukhumvit 7/1 few times now but this seems better in all ways.

Just walk in you get to select the girl picked a girl went up to the room, you can change over to a robe. Then to washroom to clean your tool then you can either sit on the couch or lay down on the bed. Very professional and these girls know how to handle and how to please. It's not just stick it in your mouth and up down motion, the tongue swirling and vacuum and not a feel of the teeth.

Damage 800 baht.

[QUOTE=MadMaxy2011;2288087]This report is quite old and Som's haven have changed their name. I'm not sure of the new name I think it's phra phong but the location is opposite to Terminal 21 in this link [URL]https://www.stickboybkk.com/bars/soms-haven-changing-name-location/[/URL] I tried woods bar soi Sukhumvit 7/1 few times now but this seems better in all ways.

Just walk in you get to select the girl picked a girl went up to the room, you can change over to a robe. Then to washroom to clean your tool then you can either sit on the couch or lay down on the bed. Very professional and these girls know how to handle and how to please. It's not just stick it in your mouth and up down motion, the tongue swirling and vacuum and not a feel of the teeth.

Damage 800 baht.[/QUOTE]They cannot use Phra in a name because that is a religious word meaning Monk or Buddha image / statue. Ha ha.

Changed both Name and Location. Soi 14 is under redevelopment so moved from there. So it is not quite opposite to Terminal 21, that is a bit misleading. Lucky you link to the info. Duang-porn's Haven. No clue if Som has anything to do with it or not.

Considering the upcoming general elections in Thailand I wonder if there would be any restrictions / closures of gogos / bars or crackdown on FLs / street walkers. I have a trip planned from 3rd. March for a fortnight. I don't know whether I should postpone it.

[QUOTE=MumbaiGuy;2289212]Considering the upcoming general elections in Thailand I wonder if there would be any restrictions / closures of gogos / bars or crackdown on FLs / street walkers. I have a trip planned from 3rd. March for a fortnight. I don't know whether I should postpone it.[/QUOTE]I think you should be ok. The election is scheduled for Sunday March 24th, and I can't imagine a nightlife and / or alcohol ban being imposed for more than a week. Close though.

SL.

It's a relatively new phenomenon this, the act of procuring Thai girls for sex through virtual means. I've never been a fan or a practitioner, but with the recent posts by Siamsin, Eihtooms and others, I'm beginning to wonder. I looked through the pages of the venerable ISG, and I have not found a robust discussion of this facet of mongering in LOS (plenty of very useful reports, but not really a pros-and-cons kinds of discussion), and so I am hoping to get some insights from you all.

I may be wrong, but I think this wave of online activity of finding freelancers has really come into its own in the last 2 years. It was around before, sure, probably since 2010 or so, but it really wasn't a major thing. In the last 2 years, I think a lot of girls have developed a presence on some of the major apps, they all make use of Line, and they make a good side hustle out of it. And so where the gazelles migrate, so go the lions. For example, reports such as this abound here at ISG:

[QUOTE=Breadman;2290651]Been having a very good success rate getting LINE ID's from Thai Friendly[/QUOTE]But for me, I have always been hesitant to go that route for two major reasons. I would appreciate any thoughts you have on these reasons, and whether I am being overly cautious. Or am I right in avoiding the online hustle?

To make this work, I need to set up a dichotomy, which is undoubtedly false, but let's do it anyway. Let's just assume, for the sake of this discussion, that there are two kinds of mongers in LOS: the [I]Traditional Monger[/I] (TM) and the [I]Online Monger[/I] (OM). It should be said that I am imagining this from a visitor's perspective, not an expat's perspective. For the expat, I think being both an OM and a TM makes a whole lot of sense. But it's the traveling monger that I am considering.

[U]The TM[/U] is the guy who operates as mongers have since the invention of the pussy and cock: they arrive in LOS, they go to a gogo bar, club, Suk soi 4, soapy, massage parlor, etc. , find a cutie that rings their bell, boinks said cutie, pays up and saunters off in search of noodles and a beer. You know, the regular thing.

[U]The OM[/U], on the other hand, is the guy who starts early (weeks, months before arrival in LOS), cultivating individual avatars on various sites in preparation for arrival in LOS. They are avatars at this point because all you know about them is what they construct online for you to see, so they are not the real thing. They are a virtual representation of something real. Upon arrival, the OM calls in the chips from those avatars one by one, and slowly works down his list of preferred options. When the avatar transforms into a real human being (they meet in real life), the OM has to either follow through with sex+money, or find an elegant way to bail. And if bail is the option, he needs to go down the list of avatars until he finds the right human being. Not to mention individual names here at ISG, but I think we can all identify those that fit into one model or the other. There are, of course, many who do both, and I think this latter group are the ones who can probably respond to this query the best.

So with that typology of mongers established, here are the reasons I hesitate to make the shift from TM to OM (or a mix of the two).

Reason 1: Hassle.

Reason 2: Online shopping.

[B]Hassle[/B]

From all I have read about how to make the Thai Friendly or Thai Cupid (or whatever) route work, it seems like you need to put in a lot of work. You need to have a reasonable profile, carefully worded to make clear what you want, and then you have to spend time trolling through dozens of profiles. It sounds like you get lots and lots of hits, and the key to making this plan work is to sift through all the pebbles and find the emeralds hiding within.

Even then, once you find a few of those emeralds, you need to cultivate them. You need to strike up conversations, and get a feel for each one of them, and then make arrangements.

Eihtooms, Siamsin and others have given really nice descriptions of how to do this, and to you all I am indebted.

So the thing about all that is that it sounds like a monumental time commitment. It sounds like a tedious process, fraught with potential pitfalls, and it just seems like an inefficient way to procure what is freely available otherwise. I'm not averse to hard work, quite the contrary. But I am averse to inefficient work, which is what this strikes me as. Can anyone dissuade me of that impression? Am I missing something?

[B]Online Shopping[/B]

Remember when no one believed Amazon would work? When everyone was skeptical that people would buy anything online other than books? Now, in 2019, I buy all kinds of shit online, but I only buy things that don't need personal assessment: books, hair gel, Go Pro cameras, cereal, etc. I buy clothes and shoes, but only from brands that I know will fit me. Size 9 shoes from one brand is not the same as size 9 shoes from another. And if you want to try something new, you really need to try it on in person. Alternatively, you can buy something new online, knowing that you may well have to create shipping labels, make the trip to the UPS store and send it back for a refund. Translation: hassle.

So with girls, when I pick up girls in LOS, whether in a gogo bar, a soapie, a night club or off the street, I'm not looking for a vagina. They all have vaginas, so that is a given. What differentiates vagina 1 from vagina 2 are all accoutrements: shape of her legs, hips-to-waist ratio, flab on the belly, liveliness of her skin tone, the bounce in her gait, quality of her finger nails, etc. These are the kinds of things one cannot gauge online, since they are issues of personal fit. The analogy seems absurd now, but it's like a size 9 shoe: not all size 9 shoes fit me properly.

How does one figure out all those other things when interacting with a carefully manicured avatar? How can I tell if the details of her physique will live up to my needs? Perhaps I am being too picky, but that's my concern.

So TM I am, no question about it. But reading the posts on ISG (especially the recent ones), it seems like I might be missing something very substantial with the online scene. Guys, help get this luddite up to speed, please. I have less than two weeks before I hit the dirty streets of Sukhumvit. Should I take the plunge with online mongering options, or should I hold steady to my old ways?

[QUOTE=Kumbu;2291117]It's a relatively new phenomenon this, the act of procuring Thai girls for sex through virtual means. I've never been a fan or a practitioner, but with the recent posts by Siamsin, Eihtooms and others, I'm beginning to wonder.

...

But for me, I have always been hesitant to go that route for two major reasons. I would appreciate any thoughts you have on these reasons, and whether I am being overly cautious. Or am I right in avoiding the online hustle?

...

Reason 1: Hassle.

Reason 2: Online shopping.

...

So the thing about all that is that it sounds like a monumental time commitment. It sounds like a tedious process, fraught with potential pitfalls, and it just seems like an inefficient way to procure what is freely available otherwise. I'm not averse to hard work, quite the contrary. But I am averse to inefficient work, which is what this strikes me as. Can anyone dissuade me of that impression? Am I missing something?

...[/QUOTE]I know you (and I) are hoping for other posters' perspective on this. But, no, you are not missing something with regard to online dating and possible FL contact sites like ThaiFriendly and ThaiCupid. To find the diamond in the rough it might require much more time than a Travel Monger has to give it. However, that is my experience and in my case I am not merely looking to find a FL or "date" who will agree to meet me for a given price. In my case and prepared with what I feel are safer-than-most conditions (vasectomy, zero history of serious sex-related ailments in 45+ years of barebacking thousands of different women and at least a recent medical check document on hand), I am not just looking for girls of a certain minimum attractiveness level and price point but women who are also willing to go bareback with me. And on that latter count, I have found video chatting with the girl even for a minute before I bring up that detail works wonders to improve my acceptance rate. That is where more time is committed to chatting on the dating site enough to get their Line ID (many will give it on their first dating site email exchange), moving to Line and then getting her to agree to video chat "for 1 minute now just to say Hello?"

It could be that other guys just click Interested on the more obvious FL profiles, write a quick message about hotel location, get a response in a few hours, decide on a price, time and done. In which case, the time and effort put into shopping is minimal. Do that with 20 of the most likely candidates on those sites, shot gun all of them at 10 am or whenever, wait, go about your day and you'll probably have a half dozen likely takers by 6PM. But that is only a guess on my part since I DO have enough time to devote to getting my particular requirement settled before I bother to set a time and place to meet.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2291175]I am not just looking for girls of a certain minimum attractiveness level and price point but women who are also willing to go bareback with me. [/QUOTE]See, now that does make sense. "Will you do bareback?" is the kind of product you can figure out even from an avatar, and so being an Online Monger, at least part time, makes perfect sense.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2291175]It could be that other guys just click Interested on the more obvious FL profiles, write a quick message about hotel location, get a response in a few hours, decide on a price, time and done. In which case, the time and effort put into shopping is minimal. Do that with 20 of the most likely candidates on those sites, shot gun all of them at 10 am or whenever, wait, go about your day and you'll probably have a half dozen likely takers by 6PM. But that is only a guess on my part since I DO have enough time to devote to getting my particular requirement settled before I bother to set a time and place to meet.[/QUOTE]Just reading this makes me want to take a nap. It seems like so much work. I suppose clubbing at 3 am is also tedious and exhausting, but I find it far more appealing than tapping on my phone for hours a day.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2291175]I know you (and I) are hoping for other posters' perspective on this. But, no, you are not missing something with regard to online dating and possible FL contact sites like ThaiFriendly and ThaiCupid. To find the diamond in the rough it might require much more time than a Travel Monger has to give it. [/QUOTE]Thank you, we seem to be in agreement. It will be interesting to see if anyone has a different opinion.

[QUOTE=Kumbu;2291306]See, now that does make sense. "Will you do bareback?" is the kind of product you can figure out even from an avatar, and so being an Online Monger, at least part time, makes perfect sense.
[/QUOTE]I wouldn't blurt it out quite that way. Not saying it wouldn't work. It just isn't how I have ever done it. At the very least I would add the qualifier "with me?" Why not at least assure her that I am not asking whether she will "do" bareback willy nilly with anyone who asks her to and that I recognize it might be something special she would do for certain men.

But, yes, that is a detail one can settle far more discretely in a private person-to-person chat on Line than in a Thermae lineup or in a noisy bar.

Again, my preferred method is to bring up my need to BB in order to finish while engaging in vaginal intercourse and the precautions I have taken in order to ensure some degree of safety AFTER we have video chatted for a few minutes about nothing other than Hi, How are you, Good to know you, You look great, We can text more now.

It is during the texting AFTER the video chat that I bring up my inability to finish wearing a condom. It is at that point where I am throwing myself on the mercy of the court, leaving it to her to accept it or not. Some will. Some won't.

The recent posts on social media hookups versus traditional hook ups are interesting. In what follows, I realise there's also a lot of potential overlap too, especially referring to the social apps discussed.

I suppose I see three prongs to hooking up as a visitor.

First the traditional methods such as Gogos, BJ bars, FL locations street, Thermae and so on.

Second, social apps which are overtly used by girls offering services, such as wechat, which I've used before successfully, etc. You find someone, agree a price and service and they come over for an agreed time. I like this method especially as I don't like the crap and loud music in GoGos and their like, plus the idea of Bfs. Yes, I'm not in my 20 or 30's so this (loud bars) is now a factor for me.

Third, traditional dating apps such as Thai Cupid. These can possibly throw up a free lay with everything going well age, looks, game, rapport etc. But even then who's to know if a date isn't really partly gaming and going to expect some remuneration (even if it isn't asked for haven't folks here said they'd slip some baht into her purse to help out with the buffalo or whatever)?

If one is prepared to invest a lot of time (and maybe a few dating site subs) to groom the sweet popsies, which, ultimately, could be a blow out, why not save all this time and effort by just going route 1 if bars and traditional set ups are your thing (and who can say there's not a thrill for the occasional monger playing this game in the social environment?) Or route 2 and just select at the moment of need from wechat or similar location based services?

I can see that nurturing a contact over several days or weeks before contact can pay off, especially if she offers it up for free, and then becomes available for return visits when you're in town. What could be better, I'd say.

After all this, I still have come down hard in one category. I can forecast for my next visit to BKK my strategy will fall between route 1 and route 2.

Hi guys.

I think everyone will have different opinions regarding this topic. I have been using one form or another of online apps and in the earlier days, 2000 to 2008 chat rooms to procure sex in Asian countries. Particularly in Indonesia where I didn't have time to go to clubs to find girls due to being with my wife. Back to the present regarding Thailand TF has a place in our hobby now. In my last 3 trips I have used it as well as beer bars and gogos to find partners. Where TF is handy is that if you are in your room say at 10 am and feel like a fuck you can have one there in 1/2 hour. Now we all know the downfall to online shopping is old pics and picture enhancing apps, so always video call before you seal the deal. If they don't want a call be wary and go to the next profile.

Earlier this month my brother secured about 12 girls from TF and I saw about 8 of them and they were all between 7 to 9's. He did try to pre book some before he arrived but was either ignored or told to contact when in Pattaya and when he did most came either within the hour or at the agreed time. Looking at it from a girls point of view why work stupid hours in a bar or gogo or stand for so many hours on Beach Road when you can be in the comfort of your own home or doing what needs to be done and still be capable of earning money.

The positive I have gotten out of it is meeting girls who are part time and in 1 occasion not P4 P and getting the real GFE.

I think as time goes by the cleverer girls will be doing more online and you will find that it will be the newer girls or girls indebted that will be working in the bars and gogos.

[QUOTE=Kumbu;2291117]It's a relatively new phenomenon this, the act of procuring Thai girls for sex through virtual means. I've never been a fan or a practitioner, but with the recent posts by Siamsin, Eihtooms and others, I'm beginning to wonder. I looked through the pages of the venerable ISG, and I have not found a robust discussion of this facet of mongering in LOS (plenty of very useful reports, but not really a pros-and-cons kinds of discussion), and so I am hoping to get some insights from you all.

I may be wrong, but I think this wave of online activity of finding freelancers has really come into its own in the last 2 years. It was around before, sure, probably since 2010 or so, but it really wasn't a major thing. In the last 2 years, I think a lot of girls have developed a presence on some of the major apps, they all make use of Line, and they make a good side hustle out of it. And so where the gazelles migrate, so go the lions. For example, reports such as this abound here at ISG:

Reason 1: Hassle.

Reason 2: Online shopping.


How does one figure out all those other things when interacting with a carefully manicured avatar? How can I tell if the details of her physique will live up to my needs? Perhaps I am being too picky, but that's my concern.

So TM I am, no question about it. But reading the posts on ISG (especially the recent ones), it seems like I might be missing something very substantial with the online scene. Guys, help get this luddite up to speed, please. I have less than two weeks before I hit the dirty streets of Sukhumvit. Should I take the plunge with online mongering options, or should I hold steady to my old ways?[/QUOTE]Hey Kumbu, appreciate the mentions and the fact that mine and others reports have got you interested in the OM avenue. You raise some very good questions in a very articulate and precise manner I might add.

Firstly, I think you have half the battle won just by being curious about OM options. Most TM's are quite satisfied with their routine and there's nothing wrong with that. Having done a lot of OM and some TM, I think there's absolutely no reason to exclude either. So to give you my opinions, I'll start off by giving you a couple of possible scenarios:

1. You land in Bkk, hit 3 Gogo bars and there's nothing you fancy, or you're having shit luck. While sipping your preferred Ale at Gogo bar 3, you get a Line message from your TF contact, asking if you've finally arrived in BKK. You reply with yes, just getting a beer. You then ask her if she's keen to meet, and she replies with okay, she'll meet you at a certain pub in an hours time.

2. You arrive in BKK, dog tired, get to your hotel and pass out. Wake up in the morning, check your phone and you've got messages from your TF contacts on Line keen to meet you. You didn't even have to get out of bed to setup a date.

The above 2 scenarios are very possible if you include OM into your agenda. Now to address some of your concerns I'd like to point out a few things (bear in mind that this is only my opinion):

[QUOTE=Kumbu;2291117]So with girls, when I pick up girls in LOS, whether in a gogo bar, a soapie, a night club or off the street, I'm not looking for a vagina. They all have vaginas, so that is a given. What differentiates vagina 1 from vagina 2 are all accouterments: shape of her legs, hips-to-waist ratio, flab on the belly, liveliness of her skin tone, the bounce in her gait, quality of her finger nails, etc. These are the kinds of things one cannot gauge online, since they are issues of personal fit. The analogy seems absurd now, but it's like a size 9 shoe: not all size 9 shoes fit me properly.[/QUOTE]1. Attraction.

TM. Considering all P4 P avenues (gogo's, MP's, soapies, clubs, freelancers etc) the only P4 P option where 'what you see is what you truly get' is at the gogo's, granted the girls are semi nude or nude. All other avenues there's sometimes a surprise lurking under her clothes (tattoos, baby scarring, overgrown Bush, saggy tits, birthmark, penis? Etc). So, aside from gogo's, there's a reason that certain girls are more popular in the p4 p scene, and that's because of reviews, reports, posts etc about these girls on boards such as this 1. My point is that as much as the girl may have nice legs, fingernails, bust, toned tummy, beautiful skin tone and she's sexy, unless you're at a gogo, you can't be sure what lies beneath those clothes with other offline P4 P options.

OM. Profile pictures aside, once you engage with a girl that you fancy, it's very easy to get her to send you more photos, get her social media details and check out her FB or Insta and get a better look at her. If you play your cards right with Online girls, it's very easy to see them nude or semi nude on video calls. I've personally done this with many of my long time TF contacts before meeting them (not the freelancers BTW). So it's definetly possible to 'see' what you're getting from Online girls too.

2. Personality.

I know you haven't mentioned this, but I'm just adding it in there.

TM. Sitting with a girl at a gogo, feeling her up and conversing while buying her drinks, surely gives you a decent enough idea about her personality and the experience you can expect. Other p4 p options maybe not so much but again reviews etc help. Now this isn't crucial because you just want to fuck her, not have a family with her, but having a friendly or caring or jovial personality will certainly add to your experience with an option to repeat if all was satisfactory.

OM. Freelancers. A few chat messages, and a video call or 2 and you can have an idea of the girl that you're going to meet.

Ordinary Girls Online. You can spend as much or as little time as you have to get to know her. It can vary on how much time you put in, but you can basically build up a rapport with these girls and when you finally meet them, it's so easy to get along. You can also decide on initial chats whether you can deal with her character or not. If not, simply ignore, block, delete or whatever and move on.

3. Hassle.

TM. You basically covered this, it's a simple process of you going out to these establishments and choosing a girl that you fancy, discussing rates and requirements, and heading off.

OM. Freelancers. I usually get their line ID's in 4 quick messages. Move onto Line and discuss further. In less than 10 minutes, while taking a dump or watching tv or relaxing, you can arrange for a girl to show up at your apartment for sex with everything you want already discussed.

Ordinary Girls Online. They usually take the longest time investment, especially if you really like her. But there's many pros including real GFE, possible relationship (when you're in Thailand), free sex whenever you want, someone to spend time with and go out with, a girl that hasn't been fucked by more than a handful of guys or less, possibility to be her first foreigner, BBFS if you're into that, over night affairs etc.

Other benefits of OM.

1. If you plan on visiting different provinces in Thailand, you can search those areas in advance and arrange to meet girls before even arriving (I had over a dozen cute freelancer contacts from Pattaya before I got there from BKK).

2. Once your profile is setup (Just takes a few minutes) online, you can browse through profiles at your own convenience and send messages when you want. It only takes a couple of minutes, certainly not a tedious task.

3. The cost effectiveness is also a point. There's no need to spend money on drinks, transport, entry fees etc. Just send a message and the girl rocks up to your hotel or condo.

4. I'll just reiterate this point, you're not going to get girls who get fucked everyday by different guys 3 weeks in a month on here. I've seen many Freelancers use TF for short periods, only when they need the cash. Some disappear off the radar completely after.

5. Even girls with boyfriends or are in some sort of relationship are not off limits. If they avail themselves on these apps, there's a good chance you can bang them too.

Personally I think the convenience of Online Mongering is incredible, but does require some game (especially for Ordinary Girls Online). But if a brown dude like me and a 65 year old like EihTooms can pull it off, there's nothing stopping you.

[QUOTE=Siamsin;2291536]...

OM. Freelancers. I usually get their line ID's in 4 quick messages. Move onto Line and discuss further. In less than 10 minutes, while taking a dump or watching tv or relaxing, you can arrange for a girl to show up at your apartment for sex with everything you want already discussed.

Ordinary Girls Online. They usually take the longest time investment, especially if you really like her. But there's many pros including real GFE, possible relationship (when you're in Thailand), free sex whenever you want, someone to spend time with and go out with, a girl that hasn't been fucked by more than a handful of guys or less, possibility to be her first foreigner, BBFS if you're into that, over night affairs etc.
...[/QUOTE]Your reference to doing this while taking a dump or watching tv cracked me up! Many is the time when replies from 2 tempting online FLs AND 2 quirky cute Ordinary Girls come in within minutes of each other later in the day or early in the evening, requiring me to round-robin reply, ask a pertinent question about this one, clarify a particular promised act from that one, trying to decide which one is making the most interesting offer so I choose best. For sure, I can't always choose best. But, believe it or not, it is FUN to juggle potential sex partners this way. Maybe they are juggling on their side of it, too. Quite possible. And, yes, I might be on the toilet, shaving at the sink, exercising in my apartment building, watching tv, making a sandwich, whatever.

As I am sure you have discovered too, once you get a flow of contacts and chats going, there is definitely a FUN element to Online Mongering that often rivals or surpasses whatever level of fun one can have in traditional bar, street or massage shop mongering. And it does not stop me from still going out for the night to monger in the more traditional ways.

And, guys, bear in mind go-go girls and shop girls all know that we now have a huge new pool of potential contacts online, literally at our fingertips, to give THEM competition in terms of services rendered and rates charged. Your understanding of that ought to embolden you to start ASKING for what you want and stop worrying too much about driving a go-go girl's initial quote down a few notches. This new age of internet mongering is a double edged sword for both sides of the transaction. It doesn't just cut one way, for the girls.

When I am mongering in a go-go bar these days, I make it part of my pattern to pull out my phone (some bars forbid using your phone, but this should only take a few seconds), check a few Line messages, smile openly at whatever response I have gotten (or pretend I've gotten some!) and then return my phone to my pocket. Best to do this right after a girl I have called over has sat down next to me. The message is clear; I have many more options than are in THIS bar to get what I want tonight. Now, let's get to know each other a little bit to see what you have to offer me. This is similar to what we feel when we see a go-go girl we are hot for being called over for a Lady Drink by someone else or sitting on another customer's lap. USE the era of online mongering to your advantage to get better results even in the go-go bars.

[QUOTE=Kumbu;2291117]reading the posts on ISG (especially the recent ones), it seems like I might be missing something very substantial with the online scene.[/QUOTE]You're not missing much. Your caricature is not at all far from reality.

We all differ in our preferences and what we look for, so the online scene may work better for some of us than others. I've seen claims here that it takes less effort than traditional mongering, and even that you can have a girl in your room within half an hour with these apps. The former might be true for those who find the online trawling for avatars and cultivating prospects mildly amusing. The latter is physically impossible (even meeting with an old buddy 4 BTS stops away takes longer from the initial contact), but it sure [I]feels[/I] like half an hour to the person who wrote it.

Over the years, I tried all manner of online dating / mongering, from the now defunct ones (Bangkok Chat, ThailandFreinds, Badoo), to current ones like Tinder, ThaiFriendly, WeChat (briefly), and even Thai-only ones like FanFinFin. They all suffer from the major deficiencies you mentioned, especially when it comes to outright mongering.

First, it takes too much effort. Even if it's as simple as outright negotiating the price, place and time, it's still hugely inferior to the traditional scene, where I basically have to say yes or no, the place is where I want, and most importantly of all the time is [B]now[/B], with no uncertainty. Perhaps years as an expat in Thailand have made me jaded, but I'd rather jerk off and save my money than wait 3-4 h for a hooker.

Second, as you said, you're interacting with avatars, and for me, there's zero pleasure in that. Browsing through streetwalkers or bargirls is actually fun for me. Even if not many are attractive, it feels great there are women around who would go with you if you only said yes and accepted to pay. Online, even when I find a cute one, there's no way of knowing what she'll actually be like (for instance, for me smell is a great turnoff quite often, smokers are out), and the feeling is now "cool, now we talk price and I'm banging her within 30 min", but "will she respond quickly (if at all), is she at some far away inconvenient place, will we be able to agree to meet within a reasonable timeframe, once she arrives, will there be any obvious deal breakers" and so on. A streetwalker, bargirl or brothel girls is 100% available, and online girl may well be on a holiday coming next week (happened to me a few times).

To summarize, the satisfaction of looking is just not there, and the uncertainty is all on the monger (will she be there and available? Rather than on the girl (will this guy pick me? This is true even in the straight out browse-go-bang online scenes such as 141 in HK (with websites listing prices, services, location / hours and pictures), let alone in the less direct Thai online scene.

If you're still somewhat dateable, I think sites like ThaiFriendly or Tinder are better as dating sites, rather than for mongering. Most of the effort and time drain is still there, but the reward is potentially much greater. Unfortunately, for a Farang, the online dating pool is also much worse now than only 5 years ago, although it's still fairly easy to just get laid.

Thanks, gents, for the thoughtful responses. As we can see, there are several perspectives on this topic, and this discussion has been immensely helpful. So thanks to Crocodilexp, Eihtooms, Siamsin, Rob Jones, Penguin69, and the others who PMed me.

For what it's worth, here is my take-away. I think it does eventually boil down to personal preference. I think I am naturally most aligned with Crocodilexp's point of view. I enjoy the act of looking, rubbing elbows, smiling, getting shot down, finding the right mix of beauty and personality. I like hopping from one spot to the next, searching for my next lovely. And I too, like Crocodilexp, enjoy the thought of being able pick up what I like and have myself inside her within 30 minutes. So I think I will remain such a monger, probably forever, and regardless of what happens technologically.

But on the other hand, I can see the allure of the online scene. There is a little of the same thing there: you are going through profiles and getting something like the same experience, albeit on a 6-inch screen. Siamsin, I get all your arguments, and I cannot fault them in the least.

So I think in the end, I am likely to try both routes on my next visit to LOS. I think I will download TF and / or TC and start playing around with them. But I remain set on having this be a side diversion.

Many thanks for this discussion: it helps a great deal.

I have been trying to get rid of this athlete's foot for years. Yesterday I took a picture of my foot and headed down to the pharmacy. He gave me medicine for 300 baht. I went home and took a shower and was about to put the medicine on, when I decided to look it up first. Shit. This is not for athlete's foot; it is for psoriasis. Enough of this shit. I am going to see a specialist tomorrow.

At noon I had lunch then headed down to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. I saw that dermatology and cosmetic surgery were in a separate building in the back so I walked over there. I checked in at the front desk and told them I would like to see a dermatologist. When I got to the back, I saw the most beautiful doctor I have ever seen in my life. She looked like a damn model. She told me she would give me soap (which is actually shampoo but she said to use as soap), tablets, and creme and she wanted to see me back in 2 weeks. That is one appointment that I will not miss!

So I went outside and waited and they called me over to pay the bill. My buddy had already told me that it runs 1000 baht to see the doctor. I think I had about 3000 baht on me. They called me up and said 4,237 baht! What the fuck. Well I do not have that much cash, but I do have my Kasikorn debit card. The lady said great. You get a 300 baht discount for using that card. Well this is the first time that I have heard you get it cheaper by paying with a card instead of cash. This is Thailand though. So my bill was 3,935 baht. 1,000 baht to see the doctor, 2,715 baht for the medicine, and a 220 baht admin fee.

I got home and remember a buddy was just telling me 2 days before how he got fucked at Pattaya International Hospital a few days ago and now I just got fucked the same way. I thought when I take this psoriasis medicine back to the pharmacy, I will ask how much it is for the other medicines. Turns out at the pharmacy on Second Road the tablets cost 100 baht for 4. At the hospital they gave me 7 packs of 4 so that would have been 700 baht at the pharmacy. 10 g of the creme would have cost 100 baht. The hospital gave me 60 g. So 600 baht at the pharmacy. The soap at the pharmacy was 130 baht.

So buying the same medicines at the pharmacy would have cost me 1,430 baht versus the 3,017 cash price at the private hospital. Next time I am in this situation I will ask the doctor for the prescriptions before I leave the room and tell her that I will get them filled at an outside pharmacy. I would have saved myself almost 1,600 baht in this case. You live and you learn. Just want to pass on the knowledge to the next person.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2295465]So buying the same medicines at the pharmacy would have cost me 1,430 baht versus the 3,017 cash price at the private hospital. Next time I am in this situation I will ask the doctor for the prescriptions before I leave the room and tell her that I will get them filled at an outside pharmacy. I would have saved myself almost 1,600 baht in this case. You live and you learn. Just want to pass on the knowledge to the next person.[/QUOTE]I might be wrong but I think they won't give you directly the prescription, it's part of the "scam".

A few years ago I knew a good pharmacist in Pattaya (up to 2013), he's been very helpful with me. Maybe you could go and see him if he is still there, he is the kind of old "doctor-pharmacist" that try to heal his customers himself before sending them anywhere.

His pharmacy was located on Central road, the last one on the left side when you're going towards Sukhumvit. It's a "Thai-style "pharmacy, old, looks empty and everything written in Thai.

Don't bother trying to see this with his wife if she is the only one at the desk, she is clueless.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2295465]I have been trying to get rid of this athlete's foot for years. Yesterday I took a picture of my foot and headed down to the pharmacy. He gave me medicine for 300 baht. I went home and took a shower and was about to put the medicine on, when I decided to look it up first. Shit. This is not for athlete's foot; it is for psoriasis. Enough of this shit. I am going to see a specialist tomorrow.

At noon I had lunch then headed down to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. I saw that dermatology and cosmetic surgery were in a separate building in the back so I walked over there. I checked in at the front desk and told them I would like to see a dermatologist. When I got to the back, I saw the most beautiful doctor I have ever seen in my life. She looked like a damn model. She told me she would give me soap (which is actually shampoo but she said to use as soap), tablets, and creme and she wanted to see me back in 2 weeks. That is one appointment that I will not miss!

So I went outside and waited and they called me over to pay the bill. My buddy had already told me that it runs 1000 baht to see the doctor. I think I had about 3000 baht on me. They called me up and said 4,237 baht! What the fuck. Well I do not have that much cash, but I do have my Kasikorn debit card. The lady said great. You get a 300 baht discount for using that card. Well this is the first time that I have heard you get it cheaper by paying with a card instead of cash. This is Thailand though. So my bill was 3,935 baht. 1,000 baht to see the doctor, 2,715 baht for the medicine, and a 220 baht admin fee.

I got home and remember a buddy was just telling me 2 days before how he got fucked at Pattaya International Hospital a few days ago and now I just got fucked the same way. I thought when I take this psoriasis medicine back to the pharmacy, I will ask how much it is for the other medicines. Turns out at the pharmacy on Second Road the tablets cost 100 baht for 4. At the hospital they gave me 7 packs of 4 so that would have been 700 baht at the pharmacy. 10 g of the creme would have cost 100 baht. The hospital gave me 60 g. So 600 baht at the pharmacy. The soap at the pharmacy was 130 baht.

So buying the same medicines at the pharmacy would have cost me 1,430 baht versus the 3,017 cash price at the private hospital. Next time I am in this situation I will ask the doctor for the prescriptions before I leave the room and tell her that I will get them filled at an outside pharmacy. I would have saved myself almost 1,600 baht in this case. You live and you learn. Just want to pass on the knowledge to the next person.[/QUOTE]Years ago I had a case of athletes foot that I had a doctor treat for over a year. I had monthly appointments with the doctor. On my last appointment the doctor said it was gone and cured. He asked me what I had done differently? I said last week I had just gotten back from the Bahamas with a week in the sun and surf. He concluded while scratching his head that the saltwater and sun was the proper prescription.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2295540]Years ago I had a case of athletes foot that I had a doctor treat for over a year. I had monthly appointments with the doctor. On my last appointment the doctor said it was gone and cured. He asked me what I had done differently? I said last week I had just gotten back from the Bahamas with a week in the sun and surf. He concluded while scratching his head that the saltwater and sun was the proper prescription.[/QUOTE]I am a scuba diver and so far sun and surf have not helped me one bit. My doctor in the States said in many cases it will never go away.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2295572]I am a scuba diver and so far sun and surf have not helped me one bit. My doctor in the States said in many cases it will never go away.[/QUOTE]Maybe it was the special saltwater blend in Nassau beach for me. I mostly snorkeled and sun tanned there. The pnp was the shits there.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2295572]I am a scuba diver and so far sun and surf have not helped me one bit. My doctor in the States said in many cases it will never go away.[/QUOTE]Salt water is good for many skin problems, but can't fix everyone. I am very lucky to have gaps between my toes, so they get air and stay quite dry (when not swimming), and I rarely wear socks in Thailand, nor smelly sneakers. Sandals to keep toes properly aired. I don't even have to use foot powder to keep toes dry.

I did have tinea once or twice in my life, not caught while at the seaside, but saunas and public baths are risky I think. So I have used ointments and powders to treat it on odd occasion.

I suggest a very low sugar diet (yeasts and fungus love someone who has high sugar diet), and acid wash helps keep fungus away. However very concerted efforts maybe needed to get rid of it. Being sweaty between the toes is very unhelpful, and very hard to keep toes dry all the time when not swimming, so I can understand some may find it very hard to eradicate. Salt water ought to helpful rather than bad for it, as long as can be dry afterwards.

We are not all made the same when it comes to toe gaps, some what is easy for one can be very hard for another.

[QUOTE=Paolo99;2295518]I might be wrong but I think they won't give you directly the prescription, it's part of the "scam".
[/QUOTE]Yes I think we can all agree that Hospitals are scamming. The medicine for my Step-daughter at the hospital turned out to be Paracetamol at a vastly inflated price. As they did so little for her, we need not have gone to the Hospital at all.

So I would also suggest to get medicines at a good cheap Pharmacy and for most of them, they can be bought without prescription anyway. The more dangerous things maybe exceptions. I am not sure if can get Prednisolone without prescription, as example.

It is very normal for Thailand doctors to be supplying patients with medicines from Doctor's dispensary, and most Thai patients are not even told what the pills are, so they have to return to the doctor to get some more, however I insist on knowing what the doctor is prescribing for me.

Hospitals have rip off charges left right and centre, so for all blood tests, I go to the Red Cross RatchaDamri.

E. g. I don't bother to go back to a Hospital to consult with their specialist about how my Gout is going. I can just get a regular blood test at Red Cross and interpret if my pill dosage is fine or not.

I also agree, for many simple complaints, you just go consult your Pharmacist.

One Thai girl I knew, was catching a bad cold (maybe a Flu maybe not), so she goes to the fancy hospital and pays thousands of Baht for a useless Flu vaccination, that could be got quite cheaply elsewhere. Far higher price than in my home country. Yes hard to believe but I don't think she was telling porkies. They don't inform the patient that it won't help if you already have the flu. Ha ha. Many patients don't know that taking antibiotics cannot cure a Virus also, so they go to the doctor or hospital just to waste time and money.

Thais talk about "Yaa Gare what" Medicine to cure the cold, which does not exist. There is only relieve symptoms or kill any bacteria that also arrived concurrently.

Gastro is a common complaint that can be treated by visiting the pharmacy. They will know just as much about fixing it as the doctor I reckon, if it is just a normal dose of bad belly, and not a very serious condition. Once a Thai doctor at the hospital prescribed me Amoxicillin Clavulanate for bad belly. Unfortunately the side effect is severe watery or bloody diarrhoea, because the Clavulanic acid kills off good bacteria needed in the gut. So why see a doctor to get the wrong medicine? There are better treatment options.

Pharmacists can be dumb too. To fix diarrhoea, some will sell you probiotics stuff, which really are greatly over rated. They just don't cut it unless a very mild condition maybe. However that was not in Thailand, where medicines are far more restricted without prescription.

I always believe in researching my conditions on the web, as a double check to make sure the so called experts are likely on the right track. We all get misdiagnosed at times, even by specialists. One skin specialist once tried to tell me that my scalp acne was dandruff. Ha ha. What a joke he was. Another time a doctor misdiagnosed lip sores and ulcers as Herpes Cold sores when was actually an extra bacterial infection when weak from a bad virus, sorted out by the second opinion. Even experts can be lacking the right experience level.

Are doctor's going to be a lot better than Pharmacists? Depends on your type of condition I think. Many viruses cannot be cured.

A local villager died recently after his cut leg was exposed to bad water. Hospital could not save him. Be careful going in suspect water. You can be unlucky and contact deadly organisms, or even chemicals like serious pesticides in Thailand. If water is suspect, don't put head under the water. Amoeba entering the nose (to brain) can be fatal. Seaside is much safer.

Someone wrote about the closing of Charoen Pharmacy earlier (but I thought I walked pass it the other day and saw it was open for business but closing down for the day at the time, not 100% sure though), so went to Southeast Pharmacy next to the Sofitel on Sukhumvit instead. Bought both genuine (1500 B) and generic (400 B) Cialis and generic Viagra (350 B). All worked like a charm!

[QUOTE=Gladiator69;2296728]Someone wrote about the closing of Charoen Pharmacy earlier (but I thought I walked pass it the other day and saw it was open for business but closing down for the day at the time, not 100% sure though), so went to Southeast Pharmacy next to the Sofitel on Sukhumvit instead. Bought both genuine (1500 B) and generic (400 B) Cialis and generic Viagra (350 B). All worked like a charm![/QUOTE]Chareon is closing 90% of the shelves are empty. They are just selling down the last of the inventory.

Last month I conducted a fairly extensive survey of pharmacy's (two dozen probably) from lower Suk to T21 looking for Tadalafil (generic Cialis) it is manufactured in India and branded Apcalis. A buddy of mine wanted me to bring him back some and specially requested a Cialis derivitive. FWIW I do fine with the gerneric viagra manufactured in Thailand which is cheaper anyway.

Net / net: prices varied from 300-500 baht for a 4 pk 20 MG Apcalis. Could not find larger quantity packages or 5 MG / 10 MG doses at legit storefront pharmacies. A few did not carry the generic brand altogether.

The cheapest I found was the pharma at Foodland soi 5. They use a point of sale system, so they scan the barcode on the packaging and it rings up 300 baht. Most of the other shops had no POS system, and I felt like some were sizing me up before deciding on a price to quote me.

SL.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2295540]Years ago I had a case of athletes foot that I had a doctor treat for over a year. I had monthly appointments with the doctor. On my last appointment the doctor said it was gone and cured. He asked me what I had done differently? I said last week I had just gotten back from the Bahamas with a week in the sun and surf. He concluded while scratching his head that the saltwater and sun was the proper prescription.[/QUOTE]Something similar happened to me. I've had athlete's foot for years (at least that's what I thought I had) and couldn't get rid of it, until I had to spend a week in hospital for an operation. After this week the athlete's foot was suddenly vanished for the most part. But when I left the hospital the problems came back within a couple of weeks.

So I went to see my doctor and he said it was not athlete's foot but shoe allergy. The chemicals and glues that are used in the production of shoes can cause symptoms that look like athlete's foot. So the problems disappeared when I was in hospital because I was not wearing my shoes there.

He advised me to wear socks made of cotton (or at least 70 percent cotton) instead of wool or some other material, because these materials somehow interact with the chemicals and glues. So I bought new socks and within a few weeks the problems were gone.
If changing socks doesn't help you might have to change to hypoallergenic shoes, but it can be tough to find exactly the right shoes.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2296872]
He advised me to wear socks made of cotton (or at least 70 percent cotton) instead of wool or some other material, because these materials somehow interact with the chemicals and glues. So I bought new socks and within a few weeks the problems were gone.
If changing socks doesn't help you might have to change to hypoallergenic shoes, but it can be tough to find exactly the right shoes.[/QUOTE]I recommend sandals, can be rubber if desired or leather or whatever you choose, and no socks, for Thailand. I rarely wear the shoes and socks here, never gym shoes unless exercising. Let my toes and feet gets looots of fresh air. Fungus and other problems like damp smelly socks a lot. So avoid that.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2296891]I recommend sandals, can be rubber if desired or leather or whatever you choose, and no socks, for Thailand. I rarely wear the shoes and socks here, never gym shoes unless exercising. Let my toes and feet gets looots of fresh air. Fungus and other problems like damp smelly socks a lot. So avoid that.[/QUOTE]Keen Arroyo II. People that walk around in flip-flops so it they're toes exposed are dumb in my humble opinion. Nothing beats a nice toe gash from a piece of broken pipe or something.

[QUOTE=Nyezhov;2297353]Keen Arroyo II. People that walk around in flip-flops so it they're toes exposed are dumb in my humble opinion. Nothing beats a nice toe gash from a piece of broken pipe or something.[/QUOTE]Coming up to 58 years of wearing flip flops and no such injuries! The Australian climate is different from Alaska, so maybe we have a 6th sense for such sharp objects LOL.

[QUOTE=Nyezhov;2297353]People that walk around in flip-flops so it they're toes exposed are dumb in my humble opinion.[/QUOTE]Appropriate footware for the rural provences or the beach, but IMO not for the streets of downtown Bangkok. FWIW the Thai people consider the feet to be the dirtiest part of the body, because they are down in the dirt. That is why a Thai lady would sooner rim you than kiss your feet. Go figure.

They are a part of the lower Suk ex-pat uniform though: Farangs walking around in shorts above the knee, wife-beater tee shirts, and sandals exposing their nasty ass feet.

SL.

[QUOTE=Sunlover2;2297463] FWIW the Thai people consider the feet to be the dirtiest part of the body, because they are down in the dirt.[/QUOTE]I know some ex-pats in Pattaya who only wear sandals. Then they wonder why they can't compete with the Koreans and Japanese who are generally well dressed with actual shoes on.

Look closely when a civilian girl checks you out when you are back in America. Their eyes will lead to your shoes.

[QUOTE=Sunlover2;2297463]Appropriate footware for the rural provences or the beach, but IMO not for the streets of downtown Bangkok. FWIW the Thai people consider the feet to be the dirtiest part of the body, because they are down in the dirt. That is why a Thai lady would sooner rim you than kiss your feet. Go figure.

They are a part of the lower Suk ex-pat uniform though: Farangs walking around in shorts above the knee, wife-beater tee shirts, and sandals exposing their nasty ass feet.

SL.[/QUOTE]The dirtiest part of your body my friends is your MIND. And it is very important that you use any type of shoe or slipper that has an arch support and not those stupid flat rubber slippers.

An arch support helps your back stay in a proper position when walking and also supports your entire skeletal system. I also support wearing socks. Change them if they get wet and wash your feet by taking at least 2 showers a day. If you have stinky feet, you have other problems with your body. Your diet is not good and your eating to much red meat. You ever get into a lift with European guys? WOW, too much sausage my friend. Or could be too much booze.

Stayed for 29 days this trip. Abnb on Soi 21. The second busiest Soi in Bkk. Used the Motorbike taxis a lot. I had done my homework and lined up ladies from ThaiCupid and ThaiFriendly. Had one that drove from Ayutthaya twice to spend a few nights in Bkk. The others were lined up for dinners and movies. These are leg openers. Thai ladies love the cinema and good dinners which they never get without a farang. Absolutely no rejection to go to my room after either event.

I spent a week in Phuket and then 2 days in Khon Kaen by invitation from a beautiful lady. The heart of Issan is not impressive. It's smoky and dusty and boring, with the exception of the sweetheart that invited me.

Back to Bkk and entertained a few more ladies that I met on Thai friendly. I did have a few free nights that I spent at The Beer Garden. Best music in Bkk and 15% doable ladies, the rest have passed their shelf life but do manage to hook an occasional customer.

I met a sweetheart that was waiting for her customer, a guy from NZ who she had been with the night before. He showed up soon and we had a great conversation. Before he came she was telling me where all the younger ladies were. She said they go to Thermae for the Asian guys. She said they can make 4000 thb and the guy lasts 2 minutes. She said easy money and she goes there sometimes. She does not care for Asians and prefers Anglos. Which she says that most Thai ladies do not like Asians but the money is good.

Phuket report soon.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2297546]The dirtiest part of your body my friends is your MIND. And it is very important that you use any type of shoe or slipper that has an arch support and not those stupid flat rubber slippers.

An arch support helps your back stay in a proper position when walking and also supports your entire skeletal system. I also support wearing socks. Change them if they get wet and wash your feet by taking at least 2 showers a day. If you have stinky feet, you have other problems with your body. Your diet is not good and your eating to much red meat. You ever get into a lift with European guys? WOW, too much sausage my friend. Or could be too much booze.

RL.[/QUOTE]The stinkiest part is usually under arms, and maybe be followed by stinky feet, I don't know. I don't suffer that much from either. Under arm stink is caused by bacteria coming out of the pores, and stinky feet maybe related to sweat and synthetics. I keep feet dry most of the time and don't like to wear shoes and socks in daytime (in Thailand) unless raining and muddy, and bare feet round the house. Sandals at the door. I wear black shoes no laces when needed but almost never sneakers. I don't like the degree of being enclosed in them. Sports shoes, to me, are for playing sport. I just personally don't like them for casual or formal wear. Just me. They get grubby on the outside quite easily and not as easy to clean as normal office shoes.

I am aware that odours of garlic, onions etc. Can come out of people's pores, especially Europeans (yes) but it is usually more minor than acrid underarm stenches encountered in lifts for example. Thais eat a lot of garlic but they don't seem to stink of it much, I don't know why. Seems red meat could be a factor? Also asparagus and certain vegetables. I remember a Romanian family (by memory) that really ponged at a party when I was in early teens and wondering what they ate that caused it. Seemed to come out of their skin pores most likely. Having a sensitive nose is not a bonus. Possibly bacteria are having an effect not just on underarms.

Thais consider feet to be dirtiest part of the body, not sure that it makes difference what you are wearing, the feet are still dirty or low class. I don't see my Thai family members wearing socks, except with sneakers or full enclosed shoes for formal situations. None of them work in an office. The Thais say that wearing sneakers makes feet smelly even for Thais but they still wear them. So does not seem they consider feet will be cleaner than if wearing sandals necessarily.

Essentially you shower and clean everything including your feet before going after girls in the evening. Being well dressed can certainly make a difference.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2297707]The stinkiest part is usually under arms, and maybe be followed by stinky feet, I don't know. I don't suffer that much from either. Under arm stink is caused by bacteria coming out of the pores, and stinky feet maybe related to sweat and synthetics. I keep feet dry most of the time and don't like to wear shoes and socks in daytime (in Thailand) unless raining and muddy, and bare feet round the house. Sandals at the door. I wear black shoes no laces when needed but almost never sneakers. I don't like the degree of being enclosed in them. Sports shoes, to me, are for playing sport. I just personally don't like them for casual or formal wear. Just me. They get grubby on the outside quite easily and not as easy to clean as normal office shoes.

I am aware that odours of garlic, onions etc. Can come out of people's pores, especially Europeans (yes) but it is usually more minor than acrid underarm stenches encountered in lifts for example. Thais eat a lot of garlic but they don't seem to stink of it much, I don't know why. Seems red meat could be a factor? Also asparagus and certain vegetables. I remember a Romanian family (by memory) that really ponged at a party when I was in early teens and wondering what they ate that caused it. Seemed to come out of their skin pores most likely. Having a sensitive nose is not a bonus. Possibly bacteria are having an effect not just on underarms.

Thais consider feet to be dirtiest part of the body, not sure that it makes difference what you are wearing, the feet are still dirty or low class. I don't see my Thai family members wearing socks, except with sneakers or full enclosed shoes for formal situations. None of them work in an office. The Thais say that wearing sneakers makes feet smelly even for Thais but they still wear them. So does not seem they consider feet will be cleaner than if wearing sandals necessarily.

Essentially you shower and clean everything including your feet before going after girls in the evening. Being well dressed can certainly make a difference.[/QUOTE]And everywhere you go the Foot Massage is the most popular with the tourists. I think 70% or more in Kho San Road and especially Patong Beach, Phuket.

I guess that is why they insist on washing the feet.

RL.

It looks like Billboard will be my first point of call next week.

Some of the talent and feedback looks impressive.

I know with most things we just need to ask the provider if they supply a particular service, but to assist me in my plan of attack and to save time I was wondering if anyone has recently had a session with a Billboard beauty and had anal?

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2298030]And everywhere you go the Foot Massage is the most popular with the tourists. I think 70% or more in Kho San Road and especially Patong Beach, Phuket.

I guess that is why they insist on washing the feet.

RL.[/QUOTE]What is 70%? You are saving 70% of all Massages for Farangs is foot massage? Hard to imagine why they want that (at least for me). Something psychological about getting service?

Yes the feet are really dirty or smelly, or imagined so (culturally), and so washed. Thailand has a lot of dust, sand, mud, dog shit, and human stink, etc. Not sure what the point being made is?

Supposing a guy with massive underarm stink all sweaty goes for a massage indoors. Surely he will have to shower first. Massage a clean person is a better thing. I will always shower before attempting to fuck a girl even if I had a shower just one hour earlier. It is better they are confident that we are very clean. Thais really take a dim view of stinky guys trying to avoid taking a shower.

These are some things I learned:

I arrived at the airport about noon Wednesday. It was a long trek from the arrival gate to immigration. There were people-mover walkways most of the way. Immigration line was long, but they were efficient. Probably about 15 minutes to get through the line. The immigration officer didn't ask any questions. I think that may have been because I had filled out the immigration form completely. By the time I got through immigration, my bags had arrived and they were on the carousel just behind immigration. Got my bags and went through customs, with nothing to declare, very fast and easy. Just beyond customs, there are some ATM's. All the ATM's I have checked charge 220 baht per transaction, so it is best to get the max that you think you will need. There are money exchangers adjacent to the ATM's, belonging to the same bank. I changed one of the 1000 baht bills for smaller bills there, and the lady was eager to help.

I took the train to the Makkasan Station. The train station in the airport is two floors below the arrival area. There is no more express train to anywhere. The regular train cost 35 baht. Get the token out of a machine because there are no ticket booths. The token is like a plastic coin, scan it to get through the gate. Hold on to that token because you will need it to get out of the station where ever you are going. That is also true for the BTS train, but they issue a card. The train took 23 minutes to get from the airport to the Makkasan station. Street traffic was a mess outside the station. After waiting about 5 minutes, I found an empty taxi. Look for the light, with Thai letters, in the lower left corner of the windshield. The light being on indicates the taxi is vacant. I found out first hand that the taxi driver could not read a map and could not understand directions. He told me 200 baht fare before starting. It was a nice air conditioned taxi. He took me to three different hotels before getting to my hotel. He acted like any hotel that was listed on the map was the place I wanted to go. Vehicles travel on the left side of the road.

I am staying at the Smart Suites hotel in district 1 just around the corner from Insanity Nightclub. The hotel is girl friendly. In fact, the lady at the front desk encouraged me to bring a lady in last night. The standard room is a little small but it is comfortable. It has plenty of hot water, air conditioning, refrigerator, wifi, and two bottles of water each day. It is only $27.20 a night on agoda, com.

The BTS train is an above ground train that runs east and west through Bangkok. A single ticket costs 27 baht, and an all-day pass costs 140 baht.

Food is expensive. I checked a pizza place yesterday, and a large pepperoni pizza costs 750 baht (almost $25), and a single slice was 150 baht. I usually don't eat red meat, but I checked hamburger prices. The cheapest I have found at a sit-down restaurant is 310 baht, just for a hamburger, no sides. A breakfast buffet is probably the best price for food. They cost from 250 to 300 baht. At a non-buffet restaurant, I ordered a two egg omelet and hash browns and the price was 135 baht. That was the smallest omelet I have ever seen and the hash browns were two small triangles like you would get at a fast-food place. A bottle of water with that was 60 baht. There are some restaurants that have bottled water for 20 baht and from a sidewalk vendor, it is 10 baht. Beef, pork, chicken, and fish meals will cost at least 400 baht, even at a food court in a mall.

There are no pedestrian street crossing except at lights, and I've only seen traffic lights on the major streets. Traffic is so heavy that you can usually cross a street between vehicles. If you are going someplace on a major street, it is best to get a motorcycle taxi. They will go between cars to get you to your destination much faster than a taxi.

It is very hot here, day and night.

I will share information about the ladies in another post.

[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2300379]I took the train to the Makkasan Station. The train station in the airport is two floors below the arrival area. There is no more express train to anywhere. The regular train cost 35 baht. Get the token out of a machine because there are no ticket booths. The token is like a plastic coin, scan it to get through the gate. Hold on to that token because you will need it to get out of the station where ever you are going. That is also true for the BTS train, but they issue a card. The train took 23 minutes to get from the airport to the Makkasan station. Street traffic was a mess outside the station. After waiting about 5 minutes, I found an empty taxi. Look for the light, with Thai letters, in the lower left corner of the windshield. The light being on indicates the taxi is vacant. I found out first hand that the taxi driver could not read a map and could not understand directions. He told me 200 baht fare before starting. It was a nice air conditioned taxi. He took me to three different hotels before getting to my hotel. He acted like any hotel that was listed on the map was the place I wanted to go. Vehicles travel on the left side of the road.

I am staying at the Smart Suites hotel in district 1 just around the corner from Insanity Nightclub. The hotel is girl friendly. In fact, the lady at the front desk encouraged me to bring a lady in last night. The standard room is a little small but it is comfortable. It has plenty of hot water, air conditioning, refrigerator, wifi, and two bottles of water each day. It is only $27.20 a night on agoda, com.

The BTS train is an above ground train that runs east and west through Bangkok. A single ticket costs 27 baht, and an all-day pass costs 140 baht.

Food is expensive. I checked a pizza place yesterday, and a large pepperoni pizza costs 750 baht (almost $25), and a single slice was 150 baht. I usually don't eat red meat, but I checked hamburger prices. The cheapest I have found at a sit-down restaurant is 310 baht, just for a hamburger, no sides. A breakfast buffet is probably the best price for food. They cost from 250 to 300 baht. At a non-buffet restaurant, I ordered a two egg omelet and hash browns and the price was 135 baht. That was the smallest omelet I have ever seen and the hash browns were two small triangles like you would get at a fast-food place. A bottle of water with that was 60 baht. There are some restaurants that have bottled water for 20 baht and from a sidewalk vendor, it is 10 baht. Beef, pork, chicken, and fish meals will cost at least 400 baht, even at a food court in a mall.

There are no pedestrian street crossing except at lights, and I've only seen traffic lights on the major streets. Traffic is so heavy that you can usually cross a street between vehicles. If you are going someplace on a major street, it is best to get a motorcycle taxi. They will go between cars to get you to your destination much faster than a taxi.

It is very hot here, day and night.

I will share information about the ladies in another post.[/QUOTE]I don't want to appear too critical. As a newbie to Thailand we all have to make a few mistakes.

You should get an internet SIM card at the airport and then use Google Maps, because you don't know where anything is, right? Okay Go to some other shop for SIM card now.

With Google Maps, you would know the Smart Suites are very close to Makkasan, and you should show address to taxi driver. Hopefully can find one can read enough English. I agree some taxi drivers do not know how to read a map. So if he does not know your hotel could be a problem. More likely he decided to rip you off. He did not want to take someone so close for maybe 50 Baht.

You have to get taxis to use meter, and make sure they go in the right direction using Google Maps. It is true, there are one way roads so best way may not be direct from Makkasan. He probably should have used Soi 3 and then back Sois. Try to find out though what fares should cost in advance.

Food is not expensive in Thailand. Many things will be 5 times cheaper than a western country, but that applies to Thai Food. However no one would pay $25 for a Pizza, here normally. I don't normally eat Pizza in Thailand but I have eaten one at Little Italy on entrance to Soi 23, and I doubt would be as high as $10. Wild guess 200 Baht, which could be off either way. Too long ago.

There are places selling a piece of Pizza for maybe 40 or 50 Baht each. I sometimes get a burger in Soi Cowboy stand (at night) for 130 Baht maybe, that is with egg, bacon, salad, cooked onions, cheese just about everything. In the Sports pub nearby a bit more expensive, but a Pizza would be way under $25.

So you are choosing overly posh places to eat it seems, then complaining about the price. Maybe the forum can recommend some good priced eating places. Try some Sports pubs, you can find them on Google Maps. I sometimes go to Thai market areas and but prepared dishes in a plastic bag to take back to eat at my room. Some of these dishes whether stir fry or soup can cost only 40 Baht. So one can eat a meal exceedingly cheap if we want. Food courts where buy vouchers, have plenty of cheap options (Thai food). Foodland is a good place to order breakfast at a good price with western food available. There is one in Soi 5. German Pub in soi 11? (I might have that wrong) would have a good breakfast available.

Plenty of Cafes have reasonable prices. You should try to know the reasonable prices around before you decide. I don't generally recommend to order A la Carte at a Hotel, high price and standard questionable sometimes, but some Hotels maybe okay.

Yes if weather is okay, use motorcycle to get through the traffic short distances.

On the streets there are always people trying to find someone to rip off. So when a Thai accosts you and asks where you are going, just remember is he thinking of himself and not you most likely. I prefer to ask timid non aggressive people minding their own business.
So you can be given good info or bullshit. You really don't want to use taxi drivers that approach you. Hail a taxi going past is way better than one parked. Don't accept offers of guys wanting to take you sight seeing, to gem shops, to Massage Parlours etc. You need to decide where you are going by yourself, first. If the taxi tells you your destination restaurant is closed, he is probably making up a bullshit story.

Have to be sceptical all the time, especially if someone tells you its your lucky day. Ha ha. I get less problems, one because I speak thai, secondly years of being here, and thirdly very sceptical nature. I had to make mistakes as a newbie too, naturally. Taxis taking me not to where I wanted to go. Just one example.

Last piece of advice is very important. Thai working girls try to build up many western boyfriends to keep them supplied regularly with money. So you don't want for fall some Thai girl in a big hurry. Yes enjoy the fucking, but it takes years of knowing someone to find "real" love. My buddy married a girl he met on first day in Bangkok. She got citizenship in another country, took him to the cleaners, his house and car, and found a new boyfriend. He came back here, went to Cambodia and within 2 weeks had a new Girlfriend. She has used all his remaining money, hooked on Ice, had two babies, one his and one to someone else (on the side). He would 65+, she 25.

Thai girls are not all bad, it just takes a very long time to know if you found a good or bad one. I know a young pretty Laos girl now. I am too old for her. I like sex with her but I don't really know her deep down well. Met her maybe 1 year ago or so. No intention she should be a GF, just a Gik (girl on the side). Don't get Thai girls Pregnant. Abortion is against their religion, mostly.

Allow plenty of time for taxi to get to the airport. Traffic jams can be bad.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2300403]I don't want to appear too critical. As a newbie to Thailand we all have to make a few mistakes.
[/QUOTE]It sounds like our new member is suffering from a little bit of culture shock. I hope he fairs better with the girls. Ha Ha. Actually I think BKK (Sukhumvit) is a pretty easy place to adjust to compared to other Asian watering holes like Jakarta, Phnom Penh or even Manila although you do have to look out for the BKK taxi sharks and it is not apparent where one should go for authentic, quality Thai food or even reasonably priced Western grub outside of the fast food joints unless one does some advance research. But FunLuvr will learn or he will leave BKK unhappy. Sink or swim. Full immersion. I love it!

So, good will hunting, FunLuvr. I hope you have the time of your life.

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;2300411] Actually I think BKK (Sukhumvit) is a pretty easy place to adjust to compared to other Asian watering holes like Jakarta, Phnom Penh or even Manila although you do have to look out for the BKK taxi sharks ...[/QUOTE]Yep. I found adjustment to Phnom Penh and Jakarta difficult. Hard to find good places to eat. The food was very different. Jakarta is also a very bad choice of a place to apply for a VISA to enter Thailand. They want too much information and take far too many days.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2300417]Yep. I found adjustment to Phnom Penh and Jakarta difficult. Hard to find good places to eat. The food was very different. [/QUOTE]PP has terrible food if you only stay near the RLD. I've tried many and the only recommendations I can make are Dot Grill and Riverside Restaurant. You have to go to Streets 302 to 360 to get good restaurants serving non Cambodian food. A scenic 60 baht tuk tuk ride.

Odd you say Jakarta doesn't have good food. Part of the reason why I like Bangkok and Jakarta is good eats. Tons and tons of amazing restaurants in large malls like Kota Kasablanka and Grand Indonesia. Great US Steakhouses like Holycow for 500 baht. If you are on a budget there are 100 baht dishes at Jonisteak all around the city including one right beside Classic Hotel. I would also recommend Ta Wan Chinese restaurant in Harris Vertu Harmoni but a bit pricy. Agree the Indo food sucks and all tastes the same imo.

Using Bluebird taxi and Grab also make Jakarta very easy to get around, unlike the scamming taxi drivers in Pattaya who want 200 baht for 1 km.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2300426]PP has terrible food if you only stay near the RLD. I've tried many and the only recommendations I can make are Dot Grill and Riverside Restaurant. You have to go to Streets 302 to 360 to get good restaurants serving non Cambodian food. A scenic 60 baht tuk tuk ride.

Odd you say Jakarta doesn't have good food. Part of the reason why I like Bangkok and Jakarta is good eats. Tons and tons of amazing restaurants in large malls like Kota Kasablanka and Grand Indonesia. Great US Steakhouses like Holycow for 500 baht. If you are on a budget there are 100 baht dishes at Jonisteak all around the city including one right beside Classic Hotel. I would also recommend Ta Wan Chinese restaurant in Harris Vertu Harmoni but a bit pricy. Agree the Indo food sucks and all tastes the same imo.

Using Bluebird taxi and Grab also make Jakarta very easy to get around, unlike the scamming taxi drivers in Pattaya who want 200 baht for 1 km.[/QUOTE]Agreed. Jakarta has plenty of good food. It is hard to miss even.

[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2300379]These are some things I learned:
...

Food is expensive. I checked a pizza place yesterday, and a large pepperoni pizza costs 750 baht (almost $25), and a single slice was 150 baht. I usually don't eat red meat, but I checked hamburger prices. The cheapest I have found at a sit-down restaurant is 310 baht, just for a hamburger, no sides.

...[/QUOTE]Sounds like the pizza you're talking about is at Soho Pizza near the end of Sukhumvit Soi 11 before you round the corner to Insanity. It is delicious pizza, BTW. One of the best pepperoni pizzas I've had in Bangkok. That is where a slice is 150 baht and a whole pizza is 750 baht. But it is a HUGE pizza, almost twice the size of a whole pizza costing 300-350 baht elsewhere. The slices are fairly large, too. Two slices at 300 baht are probably about the size of a larger type individual pizza or medium size pizza you might pay 250 baht for elsewhere. But I'm betting these slices taste better.

The 310 baht hamburger with no sides also sounds like one of those mile high stacked burgers you get at, oh, maybe Firehouse, right across Soi 11 from Insanity. Personally, I'm not a fan of those burgers but they've got quite a following.

IMO, one of the best cheeseburgers you can get in the area is, believe it or not, right in Nana Plaza, at any one of the Stumble Inn group of bars; Stumble Inn, Big Hog Bar, Lucky Luke's, Nana Beer Garden, a couple of other places. Not to be confused with the burger at the Hillary bars, which, imo, is not as good. Anyway, if anyone reading this has not had one of those Stumble Inn/Big Hog Bar cheeseburgers in over a year or so and your memory of them is they weren't very good, you're right. They weren't very good up until about a year or so ago. They have improved greatly since then. Check them out. It is a large burger, good quality meat, very tasty, noticeably good cheddar cheese, soft fresh baked bun, includes a handful of pretty good french fries and misidentified "cole slaw" (it is actually just shredded lettuce, maybe a trace of cabbage in there somewhere, with a drizzle of mayonnaise on the top. I don't bother eating it). 220 baht. Worth it.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2300403]With Google Maps, you would know the Smart Suites are very close to Makkasan, and you should show address to taxi driver. Hopefully can find one can read enough English. I agree some taxi drivers do not know how to read a map. So if he does not know your hotel could be a problem. More likely he decided to rip you off. He did not want to take someone so close for maybe 50 Baht.[/QUOTE]I had a printed copy of a Google map showing the train station and the Smart Suites hotel. He couldn't read a printed copy which is a much larger map. You think he could read a very small map on a cell phone! When there were hardly any taxis available, I didn't have the option of pick and choose.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2300403]Food is not expensive in Thailand. Many things will be 5 times cheaper than a western country, but that applies to Thai Food. However no one would pay $25 for a Pizza, here normally.[/QUOTE]As the title of my post says, those were observations I made. I saw people paying 750 baht for a pizza. There are eight slices in a pizza, and if someone buys only a slice, it cost 150.

I have been in or looked at the menu of most of the restaurants on Soi 11 north of the BTS train and on two floors of restaurants in the Terminal 21 building. I know what I am talking about. As with most places, if you go outside the tourist areas, things are probably cheaper.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2300403]So you are choosing overly posh places to eat it seems, then complaining about the price. Try some Sports pubs, ...[/QUOTE]The restaurants on Soi 11 are not posh by my standards. Maybe they are by Thai standards. They are nice, clean restaurants, but not posh. Mullis Sports bar is the place I had the scrambled eggs and hash browns and water for 195 baht. I also ate at the Australian Pub and Restaurant. Six chicken wings were 215 and a beer was 140. That was not a bad price for the wings because they included both sections of the wings. Almost $5 for a bottle of beer is comparable to prices in the tourist areas of the United States.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2300530]Sounds like the pizza you're talking about is at Soho Pizza near the end of Sukhumvit Soi 11 before you round the corner to Insanity. It is delicious pizza, BTW. One of the best pepperoni pizzas I've had in Bangkok. That is where a slice is 150 baht and a whole pizza is 750 baht. But it is a HUGE pizza, almost twice the size of a whole pizza costing 300-350 baht elsewhere. The slices are fairly large, too. Two slices at 300 baht are probably about the size of a larger type individual pizza or medium size pizza you might pay 250 baht for elsewhere. But I'm betting these slices taste better.[/QUOTE]You are correct about the place. I was going to try one of the pepperoni slices last night, but they didn't have any and said it would be 15 minutes before any was ready. For comparison, I think their large is about the size of an extra large Domino's. It appears Soho does use real pepperoni, not salami like some other places.

[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2300540]
I have been in or looked at the menu of most of the restaurants on Soi 11 north of the BTS train and on two floors of restaurants in the Terminal 21 building. I know what I am talking about. As with most places, if you go outside the tourist areas, things are probably cheaper.[/QUOTE]The restaurants in Terminal 21 are relatively expensive, as this is a high end shopping mall. However there's a cheap food court at the 5th floor. Prices starting from around 35 or 40 baht for a small meal. The quality is mediocre at best though.

Took Lae Dee in the Foodland supermarket in Soi 5 has cheap and reasonably good food. It's about 200 meters into the soi on your left hand side.
Look for 'Took Lae Dee, Sukhumvit 5 Alley' in Google Maps.

There are also some good options at the beginning of Soi 8, like Monsoon for example. Still relatively expensive but you can have a good meal and a beer for about 500 Baht. Including pizza ;-)

[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2300379]
The BTS train is an above ground train that runs east and west through Bangkok. A single ticket costs 27 baht, and an all-day pass costs 140 baht.[/QUOTE]Actually the price of a single ticket depends on the distance you travel and can be higher or lower than 27 Baht. From Asok to Nana for example is only 16 Baht.

Does anyone have some advice or general guidelines on "renting" a girlfriend for a few weeks? I see lots of information coming from some guys that seems a bit lowball, and of course lots from the ladies that seems a bit upper limit. Does anyone have experience with this? I want to be fair. Even a little generous, but I always get the feeling if I quote a price, it's always much higher than what they usually accept. I know it's a complicated question and depends on a lot of factors, but I was just wondering if anyone had some advice or details they'd like to share.

Thanks a lot.

Food in the Suk area that is not stupidly tourist priced is hard to find, and Soi 11 is some of the worst. I don't eat down there often but here IMHO.

Burgers: The last burger I had down there was Taigers place and they sucked. Bullys is OK, just OK. Same with Kiwi. Kiwi has a nice Steak Sarnie that's almost US style.

Pizza: all overpriced yuk except for Vesuvio. The one under the BTS at Asoke is OK, but I never go there at night because of possible BIB action and I don't want to be pissing in a cup, Ja Irie.

Mexican. Margarita Storm. Superb.

Bamboo. Fabulous Rooskie food. Try the Plov when available and the Uzbek bread.

If I was staying down there, which I never would, but if I did I would, BTS out of there to Bang Rak or Silom or Ari or even Thong Lor.

Everything else is hit and miss down there. I find the Malls to be overpriced and farangy. ID rather eat at that place on Suk under the metal roofs past Soi 3. The street food in general in that area is not the best, although its hard to screw up noodle soup.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2300728]Took Lae Dee in the Foodland supermarket in Soi 5 has cheap and reasonably good food. It's about 200 meters into the soi on your left hand side.[/QUOTE]This is a good suggestion for a quick and frugal meal. No ++ pricing. Tell them you want water (found in pitchers on the counter) it is unlimited and free. Luxuriate in the air conditioning and people watch. Tip the coins you get back in change and Bob's your Uncle!

My suggestions would be:

1) Many schwarma stands around soi Arab serve up tasty chicken wraps for 60 baht. The best I found was on soi 3 adjacent to the Grace Hotel driveway.

2) Download the eatigo app and save up to 50% at participating restaurants. The "restaurants near me" search will list the available options in order, beginning with the closest to your current location.

3) For an introduction to the wonderous world of Thai street food (LOL) walk down soi 4 a ways, there will be options on both sides of the street.

SL.

I had a place for a month on Soi 11 in the Prime 11. Generally I agree, food prices and quality are shit but there are a few standouts.

Between Soho and Thaiger is a street vendor who makes the best Pad Thai I've eaten from a street cart. All the elements are well balanced and he really loads it up with the extras (chicken, egg, veggies) for 100 baht, you will be both full and happy. They are generally on the right hand side but sometimes, not often the left. It's the only pad thai cart I've seen down there.

In front of the parking lot for the japanese restos (shit all of them) is a lady selling fried chicken legs for 20 baht. They are pretty good, she spices up her batter and doesn't over cook the bird.

There is an Indian place down the alley across from el Goucho (which is not, I repeat NOT an Argentine parrilla and should be avoided at all costs) called Little Spicy that's pretty fucking good. It's a husband and wife operation, she speaks english, they are actually bangladeshi not Indian and if you ask her for suggestions just take them. Not cheap but not terrible. You're going to spend between 4-600 baht but you will be full and should be happy. In that same alley is a street vendor that makes a fiery fucking chicken red curry dish that's the shit.

Heading down the street towards Suk past the Au Bon Pain but not quite to the tourist trap on your right is a thai guy selling meatcicles (chicken, pork, and beef) they go for 40 a piece and are good.

Cross Suk to soi 8 on your left is a street cart that has a lot of tables with great soup and if you turn down the alley it kinda blocks (that doesn't show on maps) there is a place on your left that is good, not great but consistently good and very inexpensive. If the young (or old, I can never decide) girl tells you it's spicy it means you really shouldn't eat it unless you come from a tradition of REALLY spicy food. They have a spicy fish dish that I got against her advice and I had to run around the corner to 7-11 and buy some milk.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2300530]IMO, one of the best cheeseburgers you can get in the area is, believe it or not, right in Nana Plaza, at any one of the Stumble Inn group of bars; Stumble Inn, Big Hog Bar, Lucky Luke's, Nana Beer Garden, a couple of other places. Not to be confused with the burger at the Hillary bars, which, imo, is not as good. Anyway, if anyone reading this has not had one of those Stumble Inn/Big Hog Bar cheeseburgers in over a year or so and your memory of them is they weren't very good, you're right. They weren't very good up until about a year or so ago. They have improved greatly since then. Check them out. It is a large burger, good quality meat, very tasty, noticeably good cheddar cheese, soft fresh baked bun, includes a handful of pretty good french fries and misidentified "cole slaw" (it is actually just shredded lettuce, maybe a trace of cabbage in there somewhere, with a drizzle of mayonnaise on the top. I don't bother eating it). 220 baht. Worth it.[/QUOTE]Will have to give Stumble Inn another try then. Oddly enough, favorite place to sit and people watch. Stickman gave a review of Bus Stop down the soi for about the same price for a decent burger, fries, and beer.

[QUOTE=IMembr;2300898]Will have to give Stumble Inn another try then. Oddly enough, favorite place to sit and people watch. Stickman gave a review of Bus Stop down the soi for about the same price for a decent burger, fries, and beer.[/QUOTE]If you eat at the Stumble Inn group of bars often enough it might be worth purchasing one of their BKKFUNCARD memberships. One time only 200 baht charge. You give them your membership card when you hand them your check bin cup to settle up and they take 10% off your food bill. You will be asked to sign the discounted receipt later. There are times and certain drinks when you get the same discount off the drink portion of your bill, too. But I usually just get sodas, which don't qualify for the discount, so I am not sure about the particulars on that.

Be prepared for the server to warn you that there will be an additional 6-8% charge when you hand her the card. Just nod and ignore it. Don't get riled up trying to explain. The membership card looks like a credit card. But it can't be scanned or swiped like a credit card. She will realize her mistake when she takes it to the cashier. You will get a 10% discount on your food, maybe drinks, and there will be no 6-8% credit card charge on it. Most of the servers aren't familiar with that membership discount deal and rarely encounter a customer using it.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2300417]Yep. I found adjustment to Phnom Penh and Jakarta difficult. Hard to find good places to eat. The food was very different...[/QUOTE]I liked the food in Phnom Penh, as they have a good size French expat community. Many small French restaurants, all over the place, serving decent French food, IMO.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2300997]If you eat at the Stumble Inn group of bars often enough it might be worth purchasing one of their BKKFUNCARD memberships. One time only 200 baht charge. You give them your membership card when you hand them your check bin cup to settle up and they take 10% off your food bill. You will be asked to sign the discounted receipt later. There are times and certain drinks when you get the same discount off the drink portion of your bill, too. But I usually just get sodas, which don't qualify for the discount, so I am not sure about the particulars on that.

Be prepared for the server to warn you that there will be an additional 6-8% charge when you hand her the card. Just nod and ignore it. Don't get riled up trying to explain. The membership card looks like a credit card. But it can't be scanned or swiped like a credit card. She will realize her mistake when she takes it to the cashier. You will get a 10% discount on your food, maybe drinks, and there will be no 6-8% credit card charge on it. Most of the servers aren't familiar with that membership discount deal and rarely encounter a customer using it.[/QUOTE]Don't you hate the 21% that many place on your bill? I tip at the ones that don't but when you have a date and the bill is 900 baht+ another 189 baht, or at better places when the bill is 1800 baht and they add 378 baht it pisses me off.

We have a place in Honolulu that adds 2% on the bill for the kitchen service. When I asked about that the waitress said that the kitchen works were stressed and they hopped this would help. It's a fuckin Malineals thing, those worthless shits that hang in Starbucks all day on their PC's.

I paid the upsell, but never to return. Moku's in Kakaako. Stay away.

RL.

[QUOTE=Ready81;2300782]Does anyone have some advice or general guidelines on "renting" a girlfriend for a few weeks? I see lots of information coming from some guys that seems a bit lowball, and of course lots from the ladies that seems a bit upper limit. Does anyone have experience with this? I want to be fair. Even a little generous, but I always get the feeling if I quote a price, it's always much higher than what they usually accept. I know it's a complicated question and depends on a lot of factors, but I was just wondering if anyone had some advice or details they'd like to share.

Thanks a lot.[/QUOTE]It depends on what you want and where you get her.

You can ask on Thai Friendly for a 'tour guide' and let them know you want them for the full week. If theyre interested, discuss it on the LINE app and make sure they know its a 'complete' deal. Others here may have more info on that.

Other than that, the best way to do it is to get a girl. Hire a freelancer or a gogo girl or beer bar girl. Have sex that night, and if its good, ask her if she'd like to be your 'tour guide' for the week.

Different girls will quote you different prices.

I did this on a trip in 2017 when I decided I wanted to see Bangkok and she charged me what she says was her 'bar fine' for each day of not showing up, 3000 baht. Of course, in reality she just quit that bar, and I'm pretty sire was planning to do that anyway, but it was still a good deal for me as it only cost me 3000 baht for a girlfriend. Who knew her way around Bangkok, took me to some cool tourist places, fucked my brains out each night, etc.

I got tired of it real quick, but, it was fun for a few.

Now I look at it as WHY would I ever want to settle for one girl on a trip to Thailand?

[QUOTE=Admin2;2300862]Heading down the street towards Suk past the Au Bon Pain but not quite to the tourist trap on your right is a thai guy selling meatcicles (chicken, pork, and beef) they go for 40 a piece and are good.[/QUOTE]That's what I'm talking about. 40 B for a meatsicle LOL. I can get then in IconSiam for 15 B for Gods Sake LOL.

In Lopburi, I was gobbling them down a 5 a pop. They are 10 b around my crib in Thonburiville.

[QUOTE=Ready81;2300782]Does anyone have some advice or general guidelines on "renting" a girlfriend for a few weeks? I see lots of information coming from some guys that seems a bit lowball, and of course lots from the ladies that seems a bit upper limit. Does anyone have experience with this? I want to be fair. Even a little generous, but I always get the feeling if I quote a price, it's always much higher than what they usually accept. I know it's a complicated question and depends on a lot of factors, but I was just wondering if anyone had some advice or details they'd like to share.

Thanks a lot.[/QUOTE]Factoring in the daily bar fine and what you would usually outlay for "Take care in bed " is a good starting point as to what is fair and reasonable.

As others in here have mentioned it's always nice to try as many girlfriends as possible in your few weeks.

Maybe freshen it up every three days?

But if you feel comfortable with just the same "girl friend" I can share my experience.

I picked up Pim from a beer bar in Samui. A tight bodied 26 yo 42 kg spinner originally from Korat. Great fun girl who knew Samui well. I had hired a pool villa for 6 days and took her back to give her a sound hiding. She was so good at all I wanted I asked her to come back the next day. No price was agreed upon just the 300 THB bar fine. She ended up staying with me for 5 days. Cooked me meals, took me out to dinner, sight seeing, fucked her when ever I wanted, got sucked off whenever I needed it, massaged me impromptu and cuddled me in bed every night. Again no mention of money except for the daily bar fine. She even asked if I wanted her friend to join us one night. "I like Lady".

Each afternoon I would discreetly place 3000 THB under her handbag and tell her that was her spending money. When I ran out of booze or anything else she would jump on her scooter and cruise off down the hill and use her money to buy said items.

I ended up buying her a bottle of Chanel as a thank you. Fucking great sexy chic.

My point is. Don't lock anything in, assess it daily.

YMMV and other Mongers may think I was being a bit too generous with the outlay (15,000 and an expensive bottle of perfume) but she was worth every Baht.

I would recommend a holiday girlfriend experience for those that want to see how these beautiful creatures go about life, but once was enough for me. These days I'm keen to flog as many hairy brown holes as I possibly can when time permits.

Happy hunting handsome man.

[QUOTE=SexInStl;2301080]It depends on what you want and where you get her.

You can ask on Thai Friendly for a 'tour guide' and let them know you want them for the full week. If theyre interested, discuss it on the LINE app and make sure they know its a 'complete' deal. Others here may have more info on that.

Other than that, the best way to do it is to get a girl. Hire a freelancer or a gogo girl or beer bar girl. Have sex that night, and if its good, ask her if she'd like to be your 'tour guide' for the week.

Different girls will quote you different prices.

I did this on a trip in 2017 when I decided I wanted to see Bangkok and she charged me what she says was her 'bar fine' for each day of not showing up, 3000 baht. Of course, in reality she just quit that bar, and I'm pretty sire was planning to do that anyway, but it was still a good deal for me as it only cost me 3000 baht for a girlfriend. Who knew her way around Bangkok, took me to some cool tourist places, fucked my brains out each night, etc.

I got tired of it real quick, but, it was fun for a few.

Now I look at it as WHY would I ever want to settle for one girl on a trip to Thailand?[/QUOTE]Wow, 3000 baht per day?

And yeah, there are some times where I want to play the field when I am there. I have a few girls who have mentioned it to me, but I don't really trust them haha. Sometimes I just want a warm body always waiting in the hotel room. It doesn't mean I have to stick only with her of course. And of course my dream is for her to find someone to bring back to play with. (I know, a long shot I bet).

Over the last 2 years I've used my ThaiFriendly free membership for introductions and then I moved the conversation to Line or WhatsApp. In a very few cases the girl was listed as too popular and only premium members could write to those girls. Now it seems that premium membership is required to contact about 50% of the girls. Has ThaiFriendly changed or have I somehow been identified by ThaiFriendly as being restricted from contacting the better looking girls?

I understand that Thai new year is Apr 13 - 15. Will places like Tulip and Thermae be closed?

[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2304163]Over the last 2 years I've used my ThaiFriendly free membership for introductions and then I moved the conversation to Line or WhatsApp. In a very few cases the girl was listed as too popular and only premium members could write to those girls. Now it seems that premium membership is required to contact about 50% of the girls. Has ThaiFriendly changed or have I somehow been identified by ThaiFriendly as being restricted from contacting the better looking girls?[/QUOTE]What happened to me with Thai Cupid is that when you drop your membership, they trigger your profile to appear to the ladies at a higher rate of show. This means that your profile is always on top and you get many interests. That makes you want to rejoin. But if you notice after you rejoin, the interests drop off.

I guess an algorithm is set to get you back.

RL.

[QUOTE=Bit173;2304994]I understand that Thai new year is Apr 13 - 15. Will places like Tulip and Thermae be closed?[/QUOTE]Apart from the question if these places are closed: do you really want to be in Thailand then? To see what I mean just do a search for 'Songkran' at Youtube.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2305114]Apart from the question if these places are closed: do you really want to be in Thailand then? To see what I mean just do a search for 'Songkran' at Youtube.[/QUOTE]I will be in Thailand. Not going to leave specially for it.

Last Songkran I was in the country village and again this year. No big deal. Previous year was in Bangkok for it, and managed to stay out of trouble mostly.

No big deal really for me. Just take a wide berth from Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza and any crazy areas, I think.

There are plenty of things one does not have to get deeply involved in, up to you where you go.

If stay too close to the action, might be asking for it.

I never stay really close to the action. At least 5 minutes walk away.

[QUOTE=Ready81;2301205]Wow, 3000 baht per day?

And yeah, there are some times where I want to play the field when I am there. I have a few girls who have mentioned it to me, but I don't really trust them haha. Sometimes I just want a warm body always waiting in the hotel room. It doesn't mean I have to stick only with her of course. And of course my dream is for her to find someone to bring back to play with. (I know, a long shot I bet).[/QUOTE]3 K a day is a good deal, but.

Its simple, I reckon. You want to know a girl really well before taking her for multiple days. You want to be sure you like her so much, you won't get bored, and that she likes you enough as well.

I have taken girls for multiple days, yes. However first you do ST. Then and all night, then maybe more than one night in a row.

Finally you decide if you are compatible enough to go away to an exotic destination like Koh Chang, or Krabi, or Koh Tao, with the girl for multiple days, and yes it was a great time with my sweet sex bomb from the porn star MP years ago. Never regretted it for a moment. The danger is starting to like the girl just a bit too much. Some other guy grabbed her soon after that.

Some great holiday locations don't have much local talent available, so take your own. I would not do the same in Bangkok though. Too many options.

You can arrange 3-somes, even for a multi-day holiday perhaps, if you know both girls extremely well, and have taken them for 3-some more than once and seen they get on famously. Only money limits what is possible. A little more risky though. I reckon it could work with my two Shark girls, but would have to have two bedrooms. One girl claims she can't actually sleep at all with a guy in her room. She can fuck yes, but not sleep. Ha ha. No big deal. I could get adjoining rooms.

Guys I am finally returning to Thailand after some years and I am looking to rent a place for 3 months. I want to train some Muay Thai and of course enjoy a bit of umm nightlife but I do not want to pay exorbitant foreign prices. Do you guys know of any long term rental places to check outside of airbnb?

[QUOTE=Gfechaser;2308807]Guys I am finally returning to Thailand after some years and I am looking to rent a place for 3 months. I want to train some Muay Thai and of course enjoy a bit of umm nightlife but I do not want to pay exorbitant foreign prices. Do you guys know of any long term rental places to check outside of airbnb?[/QUOTE]There are plenty of web sites for rental, but I guess if you use English language ones, you will automatically be considered a tourist for a tourist area. I don't think rental rates vary much though between websites in Thai Language and in English (at least for my experience in Bangkok). They just want someone who will pay reliably and not trash the place.

Even Hotel booking sites and deals available to rent non serviced for longer periods.

Often the gym that teaches muay thai will have rooms for rent or will have recommendations for cheap hotels. Look on the muay thai website. Phuket has great muay thai gyms. I paid $330 usd for a month when I was there. Found the place on a muay thai website. Pm me if you want more details.

[QUOTE=Gfechaser;2308807]Guys I am finally returning to Thailand after some years and I am looking to rent a place for 3 months. I want to train some Muay Thai and of course enjoy a bit of umm nightlife but I do not want to pay exorbitant foreign prices. Do you guys know of any long term rental places to check outside of airbnb?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Gfechaser;2308807]Guys I am finally returning to Thailand after some years and I am looking to rent a place for 3 months. I want to train some Muay Thai and of course enjoy a bit of umm nightlife but I do not want to pay exorbitant foreign prices. Do you guys know of any long term rental places to check outside of airbnb?[/QUOTE]Book a place for 1 or maybe 2 nights and then visit places close by or even the place you're in and negotiate for a long-term stay.

I did this in Vientiane when I had a 6-week assignment. I booked a mid-range hotel for 2 nights through Hotels.com and on the first morning of my 2-day stay I spoke to the manager about long-term options. And he dropped 20% off the room rate that I was paying, upgraded me to a better room and threw in free laundry for my entire stay. It turned out to be a great deal and I used it again on 2 other occasions. It shows how much the hotels are gouged by the booking sites for him to do this for me.

The key was the personal approach. It might be less difficult to do on the telephone.

There's a question I've been thinking. Please share if you know about it for general knowledge so that everyone knows. How do porn videos like Creampie Thais, Asian street meat, etc. In Thailand can film having sex with ladies? They film the girls openly even with their face in the video & it is illegal in Thailand to make porn videos. The reason why I asked is I want to film for my own memory. I have no intention to share them with anyone else since I can't do it because of my career. I understand that nobody want to be seen especially in porn video including myself. It is only for my personal use. Have anyone of you film / record video having sex with your Thai girl? I've been wondering how do those people get the ladies to film porn video? Where do they get those ladies from? How can I do it? Thanks.

CAT is a government Telecom company. It is not well known but they have great Package where you can pay for 1 month or 6 months or a year in one go for a mobile phone SIM card "my" CAT "my 4G". CAT runs the towers so has best reception throughout Thailand.

Various speeds available including 4, 6 , and 8 Mbps.

My girlfriend's brother downloads several full movies a day to his phone. No drop in speed. Great for video watching, e. G. Football replays, etc. Porn no problem. I know he does a lot of that. LOL. Most well known companies detect big downloads and throttle you.

I will get my own CAT card, when this one runs out of the 6 months. I will probably do the great deal to pay once per year. I m using phone hotspot to give Internet to my laptop and doing my work. It is performing better than the home fixed line in remote Thailand.

Many calls per month included I think. More than I could ever use. Mostly we are using Line, Whatsapp etc. , few traditional calls.

Unfortunately web site English is not that extensive, but enquire at CAT office, Mon-Fri 8. 30 to 4 PM. I have no business connection. 2nd floor Times Square

[URL]http://www.mybycat.com/en/PrePay.php?package=90_%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9E%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%88%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A1-my-%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%95%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%99-1,-4,-6-Mbps[/URL]

I used to get sick of bad internet through AIS, BB, True, etc, whether in hotels, Apartments, in Bangkok, or in the Country.

So far my borrowed CAT SIM is qiving me much better than what I used to. No speed drops!

6 months at 6Mbps no speed reductions is 1800 Baht. 4Mbps is cheaper. Pay for the year and more discount.

[QUOTE=MetalHorn;2312694]I've been wondering how do those people get the ladies to film porn video? Where do they get those ladies from? [/QUOTE]Money. Same place you get all the other ones from.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2314380]Money. Same place you get all the other ones from.[/QUOTE]How much does it cost? Have you done it?

[QUOTE=MetalHorn;2312694]It is only for my personal use. Have anyone of you film / record video having sex with your Thai girl? I've been wondering how do those people get the ladies to film porn video? Where do they get those ladies from? How can I do it? Thanks.[/QUOTE]There's no specific place or procedure, simply ask the woman if she's willing to do it. You can claim it's for your own personal use, but I doubt most would believe you, since everybody would claim that.

I never took videos, but before the widespread use of smartphones (5-10 years ago), taking photos was easy, you could simply ask. Almost all the ladies were ok with normal photos (enough for me, I just like to remember who I've been with), with some being fine with nudity or xxx action ones as well.

However, these days everyone knows that photos and videos can get around in an instant, and very few girls are willing to risk it, mostly those who have nothing to lose. Face and plausible deniability matter in Thailand, so even a girl who has no problem doing extreme PSE acts wouldn't want the papa, brothers and school friends back in the village to see her getting rammed by old Farang cocks on video. Offering more money can sometimes help, but might not be as effective as you'd expect.

As far as I know, all porn is illegal in Thailand, including watching porn on the internet. There have been cases of Farang pornographers caught in the past, and police doesn't take kindly to that, again due to face and reputation issues.

[QUOTE=Crocodilexp;2314395]
As far as I know, all porn is illegal in Thailand, including watching porn on the internet. There have been cases of Farang pornographers caught in the past, and police doesn't take kindly to that, again due to face and reputation issues.[/QUOTE]Any sort of shit with under the legal age girls, and get caught, then serious trouble. So critical you (I mean guys in general wanting to film porn) make sure girls are old enough. Most Thai mature girls will be aware porn could easily appear on internet and all their relatives could see it. That reduces chances, however enough money can buy it. Drug addict girls will do anything to get money for habits I am sure.

If guys are willing to have girls with no identifying marks, and wearing masks to cover the face, then much easier to set up. Girls are willing if they definitely cannot be identified.

Known porn stars have a hard time living it down for the rest of their lives. Nong Nat is a famous very well known porn star with big boobs. Everyone here has heard of per porn exploits. Not many Thai girls want to be known for being a porn star. Still you get these girls appearing in street meat etc. Not very smart girls.

Suicides occur after bad guys posted video or nude pics of ex GFs on facebook etc. This is well known too.

Sure I would love to have nude pics of all my favourite girls of the past so their memory does not fade. However I think impractical. I don't think it is important that is a video of performing sex. Still I can see guys want to be able to relive their best experiences in some way. Not easy.

I do have nude pics of my GF in her prime, for my private use. So long ago, she even forgot that I have them. I can still see how fucking cute she was in 2005, and in various other years not nude. Certainly could not have got her to agree to porn movies though. That is going too far.

Years ago was much easier to pics of girls naked and even doing porn style things, because they were not very aware of the internet and the possibility that someone who knows them might see it. I took a few dirty pics myself long ago. In the modern day I think the pic gallery shows that Ugly girls are easier to persuade to do dirty pics, although I don't look in the pic gallery any more. These days I have pics of my best girls but not nude. I certainly don't want to post them on the internet. If was safe that girl could never find out, then maybe. Does anyone respect a girl willing to do porno shots? I think not. If society was different and it was all well accepted, then fine, but otherwise keep the porno action hidden behind closed doors.

I love beautiful naked girls, live or on film. Seeing dick getting BBBJs does not interest me slightly, even if was my own dick. We once had Moebius on this forum, so Narcissist that he published numerous picks of his dick, with girls maybe included in the background of the pic, but no pussy at all, and dick always the centre of the pic. He left after I pointed we are not gays and we don't want to see his dick, no matter how proud he was of it. I would much rather see a pretty pussy. His handle Moebius indicated that his dick was so long, he thought he could tie a knot in it. He should have instead showed all the girls his dick and scared them off, although from his pics, was not sure if he ever put it in a pussy. I wonder if guys needing to appear in porn, have a narcissist tendency. I know I am old and average looking. I don't think porn with me in it would be very attractive, better be just the girl. I guess POV porn, we can film a girl getting it, without us really being in the shot that much. So I would probably watch my girl getting fucked a few times (by part of me in picture). Not sure how quickly it would be boring. The problem, is just my regulars cannot be asked to perform this. They would be quite shocked. Girls always want assurances that pics of them won't go anywhere at all, and that is the clothed pics.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2314243]CAT is a government Telecom company. It is not well known but they have great Package where you can pay for 1 month or 6 months or a year in one go for a mobile phone SIM card "my" CAT "my 4G". CAT runs the towers so has best reception throughout Thailand.

Various speeds available including 4, 6 , and 8 Mbps.
[/QUOTE]Got a My Cat SIM card with 6 Mbps Internet (no speed reductions), just under 2000 Baht for 6 months (or equivalent to 367 Baht per month). Calls are half a Baht per minute, or free to My CAT Friends. No OS use, other than can connect to friends OS over the internet of course. Will get my GF and daughter onto CAT too so calls can be free and they can watch all the movies theey want with great reception even if not home using the landline and wifi. To be honest the speed is better even that the home landline internet with wifi router. Easy to compare by playing a football match or porn or any other video.

Do any other Telecoms here have anything comparible? AIS tried to persuade me not to migrate, but too late, their reception and speed on 4G has been shit in comparison. Now I can watch all the sports video etc. With no worries, and not stop-starting all the time. Right now am using it on my Laptop. Don't even bother with the Hotel internet (usually not the best in most places).

Getting by the month is also possible, I just did not want the hassle to top up every month.

Then you have phone Apps to watch TV and download Movies, etc. all the Torrent sites, Live.net.tv, Show Box, etc. I see GOT Episode 3 is available. Most pirated show in the world. I once tried to subscribe properly, but was just too hard to do it in Thailand.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2314604]Getting by the month is also possible, I just did not want the hassle to top up every month.[/QUOTE]I looked at their website, They also have post paid plans, you don't have to go with prepaid and top up.

[QUOTE=HoustonPlayer;2314613]I looked at their website, They also have post paid plans, you don't have to go with prepaid and top up.[/QUOTE]Yeh fine. I prefer to pay up front, then I don't have to top up again for 6 months. I put 200 Baht extra which will cover 400 minutes of normal phone calls, which I will never reach for ages. Most calls are with Line App Internet for me. So I just don't want to receive bills and pay after that.

To night with My Cat SIM, I got on to Show Box App, saw Game of Thrones Ep 3 was there, and started watching it immediately. I have to admit there were stop and starts for first 20 minutes, then I went briefly to have a shave, came back and hit start again. From minute 20 to the end 93rd minute then played smoothly with no stops, so I can't quite identify what problem was initially, but I think it maybe my very old Galaxy 5 phone rather than the SIM. The phone is known to hang for brief periods. Time for a new one. I have seen my GF's brother download a full episode off Torrent site in 15 to 20 minutes max. In full definition. I have never been able to watch video like that with my old SIM cards even on 4 G, although maybe they do have some high speeds at a high price per month.

After GOT was done, went out to get a nice Girl. She came back to my room, and was very very enjoyable. So a pleasant evening starting with roast duck from Tong Kee restaurant under Asoke BTS opposite terminal 21. Hence late to sleep and yet I have to get up early.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2314722]Yeh fine. I prefer to pay up front, then I don't have to top up again for 6 months.[/QUOTE]The post wasn't in response to you or just for your benefit. I was posting the information for anyone who might be interested in the My Cat sim card.

[QUOTE=HoustonPlayer;2314858]The post wasn't in response to you or just for your benefit. I was posting the information for anyone who might be interested in the My Cat sim card.[/QUOTE]I said "Yeh Fine". I was wondering if you were trying to claim that Post Paid was a better option, perhaps not, just an option. I gave my personal preference, however everyone can make their own choice.

The main thing is people should realise there is a good alternative to Dtac, Ais, and True, where my experience with reception, connection stability, and playing video has not been great.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2314987]
The main thing is people should realize there is a good alternative to Dtac, Ais, and True, where my experience with reception, connection stability, and playing video has not been great.[/QUOTE]Today watched a movie "Cold Pursuit" in live streaming mode with no glitches no pauses, on my old galaxy phone at 6 Mbps. That was way better than my home Internet performance. I never got to to watch high definition video in continuous mode before via a phone. Will be great for football matches live or replays. I won't have to top up again for 168 days. Works out to just under 400 Baht per month for me and that includes normal calls for half Baht per minute. I believe will get a message to warn when the time is coming up. 1 year period was available for 4 Mbps. 8 mbps is available but only only on a monthly Package I think. That allows them to change the price when they decide. One could top up for the long term and simply have them deduct so much each month I guess. I will consider changing package in 6 months if I decide 6 mbps is not fast enough. Ha ha.

Obviously Porn streams pretty good too.

I am keen to hear if the competitors can be this good too, or is it only "My Cat".

Normally I bring my own Italian coffee into Thailand in suitcase at very good prices from Europe. Packs of ground 100% Arabica.

Now I see I can get 200 gm or 250 gm packs 100% Arabica at Villa Markt (Giovanni brand and something from Chiang Mai) or at Tesco-Lotus can get Columbian, Guatemala etc. For maybe 189 Baht (occasionally less when they have a special). Is there a normally cheaper possibility with good flavor coffee grounds? I only want 100% Arabica.

I usually avoid anything labelled "Espresso" here, because that is the local euphemism for a rougher Blend with Robusta.

In the province, it is quite difficult to get good coffee at a good price. Makro has a fairly poor selection, mostly Robusta blends. So I have to load my suitcase here in Bangkok before going back to the province.

Don't have a trip to Italy right now, otherwise would come back with loads of coffee and some cheap bottles of vodkha etc.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2315285]Normally I bring my own Italian coffee into Thailand in suitcase at very good prices from Europe. Packs of ground 100% Arabica.

Now I see I can get 200 gm or 250 gm packs 100% Arabica at Villa Markt (Giovanni brand and something from Chiang Mai) or at Tesco-Lotus can get Columbian, Guatemala etc. For maybe 189 Baht (occasionally less when they have a special). Is there a normally cheaper possibility with good flavor coffee grounds? I only want 100% Arabica.

I usually avoid anything labelled "Espresso" here, because that is the local euphemism for a rougher Blend with Robusta.

In the province, it is quite difficult to get good coffee at a good price. Makro has a fairly poor selection, mostly Robusta blends. So I have to load my suitcase here in Bangkok before going back to the province.

Don't have a trip to Italy right now, otherwise would come back with loads of coffee and some cheap bottles of vodkha etc.[/QUOTE]A real scam from the Isle of Bali.

The coffee bean is eaten by the Luwak animal, kind of a squirrel or Mongoose. The animal shits out the beans and the manufacture cleans and dry's the beans to grind or sell as Luwak Coffee.

They sell tons of this at many tourist traps. I just can't believe that they have enough animals to produce the enormous amounts that they are selling. Having done business in Bali of 20 years I can attest to the fact that Indonesians will sell you a monkey and tell you it's a cat.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2315666]A real scam from the Isle of Bali.

The coffee bean is eaten by the Luwak animal, kind of a squirrel or Mongoose. The animal shits out the beans and the manufacture cleans and dry's the beans to grind or sell as Luwak Coffee.

They sell tons of this at many tourist traps. I just can't believe that they have enough animals to produce the enormous amounts that they are selling. Having done business in Bali of 20 years I can attest to the fact that Indonesians will sell you a monkey and tell you it's a cat.

RL.[/QUOTE]I drank that civet coffee. Kopi Lawak, about 20 years ago. I recall that it had a really sweet aroma and was not overly bitter. I think it's quite expensive these days. I'd be interested in trying it again as my palate has matured more, however I agree with RL regarding Indonesian business practices and I may end up drinking monkey crap.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2315666]A real scam from the Isle of Bali.

The coffee bean is eaten by the Luwak animal, kind of a squirrel or Mongoose. The animal shits out the beans and the manufacture cleans and dry's the beans to grind or sell as Luwak Coffee.

They sell tons of this at many tourist traps. I just can't believe that they have enough animals to produce the enormous amounts that they are selling. Having done business in Bali of 20 years I can attest to the fact that Indonesians will sell you a monkey and tell you it's a cat.

RL.[/QUOTE]In Thailand the expensive one is the Coffee beans hand picked from Elephant Dung:

[URL]https://www.bloomberg.com/news/photo-essays/2017-01-27/world-s-priciest-coffee-is-hand-picked-from-elephant-dung[/URL]

Too gimmicky for me. I drink so much coffee that low price for good quality becomes important. Don't want to pay 100 Baht for a very moderate standard coffee in a coffee shop. Can get a 50 baht one but the Thais don't make it how I like it.

There was a nice boutique coffee shop with health food in Soi 19 but it closed.

Talked to a long time in Thailand, knowledgeable guy last night and he said he gets his coffee sent in from Hong Kong. Sounds like the good options here are not that good. Thailand taxes the shit out of imported coffee to make the price ridiculous. Protecting the Thai coffee business. Seems to be very acidic tasting coffee to come out of Chiang Mai and the North and not always a great price. Tesco's South American coffees tastes better. There is no coffee grown in Italy yet "Italian" coffee is good and a good price.

See Tops supermarket having Illy coffee 250 gm for 500 Baht plus (or was it 800) makes me laugh. Still the long term guy here, told me he saw Pomelo fruit (Som-Oh in Thai) for several hundred Baht in Emporium yesterday. On roadside in Thailand it is probably 30 Baht (at a wild guess), and I don't even like it that much. Rip off prices abound here if you buy in the wrong place. Chocolates in the Thai airport are probably sold duty free at 4 times the real price overseas. So I think King Power takes my prize for being a rip off company, without having looked at any high so stuff in Emporium, etc.

So worth researching where to get stuff at a good price, if are consuming regularly. Coffee being my first priority.

Today tried "Duang Dee" (means "portents well for the future" or "lucky stars") 250 gm 100% Arabica from hilltribes Karen, Lahu, Lisu and Hmong in the north. Bought at Tops Supermarket, Asoke. Very black roast. Taste was a bit acidic but quite tolerable (better than Robusta blends). I made filter coffee. Don't have an Espresso machine in suitcase. Ha ha. Just funnel, filter paper and small electric jug.

Price was 102 Baht. Not too bad. Good value for money, even if taste not top. The ones 3 to 5 times higher price are not 3 to 5 times better. I could mix with a mello OS coffee to soften it a bit (had some other coffees in the suitcase), but am used to fairly strong coffee (with milk to take the edge off). If you like strong coffee taste, give it a try. Melo coffee drinkers, maybe don't bother.

Some other coffees available with 100% Arabica are more expensive but they won't even say where the beans came from. Giovanni was a good example, packed in Surawong road, bean origin unknown, nothing to do with Italy. Its barcode starts 885 (a product of Thailand). Italy starts 800 to 839, Guatemala 740 etc.

This is the first "post" of my recent Thailand Trip (3/30-4/10). I will break down the Trip Report into a number of sections including: General, Bangkok, Hau Hin, Hotels, Pattaya.

This is my 8th trip to Thailand over the past 40 years, I have been to BKK and Pattaya the past three years with similar itinerary. I am a North American business type, not a Cheap Charlie, but I don't throw money around either, and would not characterize myself as a Monger, rather a single guy on holiday enjoying companionship.

There are many ways to "save" small amounts of money which are discussed on the Forum, but use prospective- we have invested in the time and highest cost of the trip to fly to Thailand, so trying to save a few Baht / Dollars / Pounds / Etc. Sometimes seems counter productive in the overall enjoyment of a Holiday. Remember what a lady may cost you at home, it may off set the urge to negotiate that last 100 Baht, but we don't want to spoil them or act like some Asian men on holiday when it comes to money.

Some observations for those new to Thailand, and reminders to frequent visitors:

It is hot and sticky, depend on wearing nice shorts, t-shirts during the day, collar shirt at night, I bring packages of "wet wipes", and "wash clothes" as most hotels do not have these. I also bring two large colored towels which are great for covering the bed for massages, and the girls love them to wrap up with after a shower.

I buy a bottle of "duty free" booze that does not need mixer for in room libations, decent liquor in Thailand is high priced.

Obtain Line ID on your phone in advance, indicate in your profile when you will be in Thailand, most girls really want to only 'chat' with you if you are in country, so this helps.

Change a little money at the Airport, (on arrival level) - enough for Taxi town and tips, additional money can be changed in Town at a better rate than the airport.

I have never changed my Phone SIM card during my visits, for Business and Family reasons. I have never needed to use a Thai telephone number, I use Line ID or APPS- Thai Friendly, Tinder, Whatsapp. Wi-Fi is available everywhere, and if you are out and about you can go into a bar / restaurant and have an employee give you their Wi-Fi password (they even usually put it into your phone for you).

Prearranged Taxi transfer to BKK City was 800 Baht- about 1 HR. With traffic congestion.

I tip the Maid and Doorman / Bellman on arrival, (100 Baht) which generally insures plenty of extra towels, and normally available Hotel Tut Tut for transportation and assistance in the Lobby and Front Door.

One comment which many Senior Members will say over and over again is not to over plan your trip. There are so many things to do, and so many women if you want them, you do not need to create an itinerary down to the last detail, and it will allow you to 'go with the flow' in what you are doing.

Thai Women- the pictures you see on Thai Friendly, Thai Cupid, Tinder and other sites are either the best the girls have or they are photo shopped. Don't be surprised when they show up at your door, or they wake up in the morning not looking like a 8, 9, or 10.

Thai ladies in my opinion, are attractive, some of the world's best, but they are not all models- most have small boobs, many have past or current complexion problems, many wear lots of make up. About 90% will be single mothers which can have significant impact on their stomachs and boobs.

Thai Women- age range: you can be fooled easily- a 45 year old can look like a 35 year old. And the most ladies available are 30-40, the most horny seem to be 40-45- they really seem to want it. The early 30's, 'massage girl next door', when you get her out of her normal environment of a shared room at a MP, into your hotel room, seems to make the very best GFE and best in bed IMO, especially at 1200-1500 Baht ST /2000 LT (Pattaya rates).

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2315804]Today tried "Duang Dee" (means "portents well for the future" or "lucky stars") 250 gm 100% Arabica from hilltribes Karen, Lahu, Lisu and Hmong in the north. Bought at Tops Supermarket, Asoke. Very black roast. Taste was a bit acidic but quite tolerable (better than Robusta blends). I made filter coffee. Don't have an Espresso machine in suitcase. Ha ha. Just funnel, filter paper and small electric jug.

Price was 102 Baht. Not too bad. Good value for money, even if taste not top. The ones 3 to 5 times higher price are not 3 to 5 times better. I could mix with a mello OS coffee to soften it a bit (had some other coffees in the suitcase), but am used to fairly strong coffee (with milk to take the edge off). If you like strong coffee taste, give it a try. Melo coffee drinkers, maybe don't bother.

Some other coffees available with 100% Arabica are more expensive but they won't even say where the beans came from. Giovanni was a good example, packed in Surawong road, bean origin unknown, nothing to do with Italy. Its barcode starts 885 (a product of Thailand). Italy starts 800 to 839, Guatemala 740 etc.[/QUOTE]Have you not already done so, I would suggest you try coffee from Lao. The Bolavan plateau near Pakse grows some of the finest coffee I have tried. It is well worth while getting hold of some.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2315804]Today tried "Duang Dee" (means "portents well for the future" or "lucky stars") 250 gm 100% Arabica from hilltribes Karen, Lahu, Lisu and Hmong in the north. Bought at Tops Supermarket, Asoke. Very black roast. Taste was a bit acidic but quite tolerable (better than Robusta blends). I made filter coffee. Don't have an Espresso machine in suitcase. Ha ha. Just funnel, filter paper and small electric jug.

Price was 102 Baht. Not too bad. Good value for money, even if taste not top. The ones 3 to 5 times higher price are not 3 to 5 times better. I could mix with a mello OS coffee to soften it a bit (had some other coffees in the suitcase), but am used to fairly strong coffee (with milk to take the edge off). If you like strong coffee taste, give it a try. Melo coffee drinkers, maybe don't bother.

Some other coffees available with 100% Arabica are more expensive but they won't even say where the beans came from. Giovanni was a good example, packed in Surawong road, bean origin unknown, nothing to do with Italy. Its barcode starts 885 (a product of Thailand). Italy starts 800 to 839, Guatemala 740 etc.[/QUOTE]The most popular coffee maker in the US is the Keurig. It uses a pod with freshly ground coffee or you can get a basket that fits in the machine that you load with your favorite blend. These are single cup machines and are very good. The market for the plastic prefilled pods has become quite competitive, as all major coffee brans are in supply.

The major drawback for me and others is the plastic pod. We do not need more plastic throw away items in our landfills. The second is the only single cup serving. But to my taste this is the best coffee maker for home use without spending hundreds of dollars on an expresso machine.

I stay in condos and I use Starbucks instant which is pretty dam good considering it's an instant coffee. Starbucks spent a lot of money developing the instant and it payed off. I also use honey as a sweetener that brings out the flavor in the coffee. Same as putting lime on local papayas brings out the sugar in the fruit.

Thanks for the tip on Tops market coffee. I'll take some home.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2316077]The most popular coffee maker in the US is the Keurig. It uses a pod with freshly ground coffee or you can get a basket that fits in the machine that you load with your favorite blend. These are single cup machines and are very good. The market for the plastic prefilled pods has become quite competitive, as all major coffee brans are in supply.

The major drawback for me and others is the plastic pod. We do not need more plastic throw away items in our landfills. The second is the only single cup serving. But to my taste this is the best coffee maker for home use without spending hundreds of dollars on an expresso machine.

I stay in condos and I use Starbucks instant which is pretty dam good considering it's an instant coffee. Starbucks spent a lot of money developing the instant and it payed off. I also use honey as a sweetener that brings out the flavor in the coffee. Same as putting lime on local papayas brings out the sugar in the fruit.

Thanks for the tip on Tops market coffee. I'll take some home.

RL.[/QUOTE]There are so many excellent coffee shops in Bangkok now. Truly becoming a world class coffee city. Follow #cafehoppingbkk on Instagram and you'll find some great cups of coffee.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2316077]
I stay in condos and I use Starbucks instant which is pretty dam good considering it's an instant coffee. Starbucks spent a lot of money developing the instant and it payed off. I also use honey as a sweetener that brings out the flavor in the coffee. Same as putting lime on local papayas brings out the sugar in the fruit.

Thanks for the tip on Tops market coffee. I'll take some home.
[/QUOTE]Once you get away from Instant (even a better one), it is hard to go back, also once you get away from sugar in coffee, it is hard to go back, Milk has a slight sweetening effect on the coffee, enough for me. I don't really like honey at all, but that is personal taste.

I do squeeze lime on various fruits, Papaya, Pineapple, Mango etc. Does it bring the sweetness out? Okay If you see that way. It can stop cut bananas and apples etc. From browning. I just like the extra tang, same like a Gin & Tonic is greatly improved by Lime for me. A UK Guy told me Gin and Tonic must have Lemon (lime is just wrong. Ha ha. However I prefer lime myself). The fruit can go off after lime squeezed on if don't eat it same day. My Mrs told me that, so I guess she knows. Low sugar Caiparinha is one of my favourite drinks, very lime sour please. My Mrs likes Vodka, lime juice, and sweetened with some local fruit cordials in many flavours (could be lime, passionfruit, Lychee, etc. Flavours) and you can see the bottles of those on ice drink stands around Bangkok. I keep to very low sugar and starches per day, if possible.

[QUOTE=Bouvis;2315713]I drank that civet coffee. Kopi Lawak, about 20 years ago. I recall that it had a really sweet aroma and was not overly bitter. I think it's quite expensive these days. I'd be interested in trying it again as my palate has matured more, however I agree with RL regarding Indonesian business practices and I may end up drinking monkey crap.[/QUOTE]Last trip in Vietnam and drank weasel coffee and brought back beans for grinding. I loved its full, chocolately flavour. Admittedly they are likely farmed for this, but very nice and preferable to my daily Italian shots. Pity so pricey outside Vietnam, online etc.

[QUOTE=Penguin69;2316197]Last trip in Vietnam and drank weasel coffee and brought back beans for grinding. I loved its full, chocolately flavour. Admittedly they are likely farmed for this, but very nice and preferable to my daily Italian shots. Pity so pricey outside Vietnam, online etc.[/QUOTE]I bring in Caramel flavoured 100% Arabica coffee (not sweet at all) from OS, and mix with regular Arabica coffees to boost flavour a bit. Also mix some Dalmayer or Cafe Hag (or Vittoria) Decaffeinated 100% Arabica (tastes OK not like instant) to reduce my total Caffeine intake. So essentially I am doing my own blends, but never use Robusta in blend at all (it is the low class cheap one and grown lower down the mountains). The Chocolatey taste sounds interesting. Would try if was a good price. Ha ha. I have noticed Hazelnut flavoured and vanilla flavoured back home but I hate Hazelnuts, and Vanilla was just so so.

When you buy a coffee and tastes very metallic / acidic, chances are it includes Robusta. Normally my Sport Pub had reasonable coffee although always had to tell the girls how to make it, but last time I had to suspect latest beans fill contained part Robusta as flavour made me pull a screwed up face. Metallic / acidic taste. Certainly did not want a 2nd cup.

In Germany, Tschibo shop sells some very nice tasting coffee beans or grounds. I like their South American stuff. My suitcase usually has their stuff. So taste matters and a good price helps a lot.

[URL]https://www.pattayaone.news/another-foreigner-thai-marriage-con/[/URL]

There's a sucker born every minute. Personally I have no idea why any foreigner would ever send money overseas to a girl. Maybe someone can enlighten me why this is done.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2319727][URL]https://www.pattayaone.news/another-foreigner-thai-marriage-con/[/URL]

There's a sucker born every minute. Personally I have no idea why any foreigner would ever send money overseas to a girl. Maybe someone can enlighten me why this is done.[/QUOTE]I run for the hills if they ask for a loan for rent, college, medicine, sick father, mother, son etc. At the risk of sounding like a hard ass we all have our problems so fix it yourself. Some may argue that they have a generous spirit but the Thai bar girl is a formidable opponent when it comes to extracting money from a farang.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2319727][URL]https://www.pattayaone.news/another-foreigner-thai-marriage-con/[/URL]

There's a sucker born every minute. Personally I have no idea why any foreigner would ever send money overseas to a girl. Maybe someone can enlighten me why this is done.[/QUOTE]I think it mostly comes down to the old adage, "He who controls the purse strings makes the rules." The guy thinks being the source of her income will make his lady behave the way he wants. It can kind of work out that way when he is physically in the company of his girl. But it is foolish to think those controls reach across to the other side of Sukhumvit much less across an ocean or continent. However, there are a lot of fools out there.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2319727]I have no idea why any foreigner would ever send money overseas to a girl. Maybe someone can enlighten me why this is done.[/QUOTE]One example of why it happens is when a guy wants to marry the girl and bring her to live in his country. I know a guy who was sending an Indonesian girl he met on date in Asia $1000 usd a month for 2 years until she could get a visa to move to the USA. After meeting her online, he had flown to Jakarta to meet her and married her that week. It took 2 years from then for her to get a marriage visa. He bought her a car and helped her buy a house for her mother in the village for about 30,000 usd. I thought he was crazy, but she now lives with him in a small town in Louisiana, they have 2 kids together, and she is a smoking hotttie. She sold the car in Indonesia for almost the same as he originally paid for it and gave him the money, and he doesn't give her any money anymore. At least no more than he would with a girl he met in the USA. She has been with him in the USA for about 7 years now. It actually worked out pretty well for him, so I don't think it was a crazy move anymore. There is zero chance he could have gotten a girl that hot where he was living in the USA. The guy ain't Brad Pitt.

$30,000 may seem like a lot, but I spend that much on "entertainment" every year, so it's not really so bad.

I pretty much fell for a bar girl when I was in thailand. She went to phuket with me and stayed for about 2 months. Looking back I realize she was playing me. It didn't really bother me that she used to work in a bar. I used to pick up bar girls so same same really. She was fun to be with. She took car of me, like a wife. Then she went back home for a few weeks to her family, said her phone didn't get reception there and wouldn't answer my calls, only text. I was smart enough not to make any promises or give her lots of money. But I wasn't very smart. Live and learn.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2319727][URL]https://www.pattayaone.news/another-foreigner-thai-marriage-con/[/URL]

There's a sucker born every minute. Personally I have no idea why any foreigner would ever send money overseas to a girl. Maybe someone can enlighten me why this is done.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2319727][URL]https://www.pattayaone.news/another-foreigner-thai-marriage-con/[/URL]

There's a sucker born every minute. Personally I have no idea why any foreigner would ever send money overseas to a girl. Maybe someone can enlighten me why this is done.[/QUOTE]Don't even know why someone would even want to repeat with a girl. So many girls. You go to Thailand for all the girls but leave wanting to marry one.

What? The? Fack?

[QUOTE=Horatio;2319796]I pretty much fell for a bar girl when I was in thailand. She went to phuket with me and stayed for about 2 months. Looking back I realize she was playing me. It didn't really bother me that she used to work in a bar. I used to pick up bar girls so same same really. She was fun to be with. She took car of me, like a wife. Then she went back home for a few weeks to her family, said her phone didn't get reception there and wouldn't answer my calls, only text. I was smart enough not to make any promises or give her lots of money. But I wasn't very smart. Live and learn.[/QUOTE]You don't want to believe this story about phone reception entirely. She would clearly not be in a position to be talking to Farangs and causing bad gossip in the province and having family ask difficult questions. She is not wanting to openly be a hooker. This is the nice view assuming that she did not have a BF or husband. Many Thai girls maintain multiple BFs, secretly but not all. Just like we maintain multiple GFs sometimes.

Lets be clear. Most girls like this are with us for economic reasons. Accept that. You can only discount that if you are not supporting her for money in any way and she thinks you are pauper. A real relationship cannot really develop in 2 months. You don't really know each other. True love takes time. Quick love disappears just as quickly.

So yes easy to fall for the young pretty and hot Thai girls. However it is not "real". It is a temporary hired wife. Good to be realistic about it. The world is full of gold-digging women. They are all hookers, if they are with a man for economic reasons. E. g. Media Tycoon's Murdoch's young Asian wife. Maybe she loved him as well eventually, but not at the start. I respect hookers okay They all have to make money somehow. If they like sex, then why not make money that way? I have no problem with it.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2319727][URL]https://www.pattayaone.news/another-foreigner-thai-marriage-con/[/URL]

There's a sucker born every minute. Personally I have no idea why any foreigner would ever send money overseas to a girl. Maybe someone can enlighten me why this is done.[/QUOTE]Ha ha. You should know why they do it. Firstly they might believe that the girl really has the problem quoted. That would not be unusual. Next they feel sympathy for the girl, and may worry the girl will not want to ever meet again if the guy has a black heart, I. E. he has plenty of money but not will to help his favourite girl in the slightest. Better to help a girl you fuck than make donations to charity where the destination is unknown.

Some guys find themselves in a dilemma. Not sure if they should help some desperate girl or not. I. e. The generous side is fighting with the mean side. Sometimes they give in. Fuck it! The girl needs the operation, they have proof, and will cost $4000. Some guys will just decide they can afford it and do a good deed. Maybe the girl would die eventually if no operation. Not every case is a fucking sick buffalo, however a percentage of stories will be fake.

Does not matter who agrees with these points, or not, but they are clearly factors for guys that want to help. At one end of the spectrum you have the overly "generous" guys and at the other end you have the overly "mean" guys. Everyone else falls somewhere in between.

My brother owes me a lot of money. If I was overly mean, I never would have loaned it to him, however I do trust he will pay it back eventually. Money to Thai girls 99% of the time is a gift, not a loan. That has to be accepted. There is one honest Thai girl I know (an ex GF), where I could give money to her sister, and I know I will get the money returned, although an ex we are on good terms. This maybe a very rare case.

The worst dope, is the Farang sponsoring a girl every month, and not knowing that other similar guys are sponsoring the same girl, or that she is keeping a drug addicted pimp on the side, who will bash her if she does not supply the money.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2319838]Ha ha. You should know why they do it. Firstly they might believe that the girl really has the problem quoted. That would not be unusual. Next they feel sympathy for the girl, and may worry the girl will not want to ever meet again if the guy has a black heart, I. E. he has plenty of money but not will to help his favourite girl in the slightest. Better to help a girl you fuck than make donations to charity where the destination is unknown.

Some guys find themselves in a dilemma. Not sure if they should help some desperate girl or not. I. e. The generous side is fighting with the mean side. Sometimes they give in. Fuck it! The girl needs the operation, they have proof, and will cost $4000. Some guys will just decide they can afford it and do a good deed. Maybe the girl would die eventually if no operation. Not every case is a fucking sick buffalo, however a percentage of stories will be fake.

...[/QUOTE]I have transferred money to girls with whom I have already had great sex and fun that at the time did not cost me much at all. Let's call it Deferred Payment. LOL. I am aware at the time that this girl who practically refuses to accept money for her time currently will eventually ask for some help. And maybe that is why she refuses to take much money the first time around; because she isn't in such dire need for the money now, but knows she will some day and would rather wait for the right time of need to make a withdrawal. Like a savings account.

I just transferred 4,000 baht to a girl who I have seen dozens of times over the past couple of years. A dating site girl. Lives in Korat and whenever I have wanted to be with her for a couple of nights she gets on a bus and travels hours to Bangkok to stay with me. Then I put her on the nearest BTS station train and wave bye as she heads to Mo Chit station and takes the bus back to Korat.

Lovely girl inside and out. Great, total and complete True GFE bordering on True PSE every time we are together. Everything up to me anytime and all the time. Until this recent 4,000 baht transfer, I had never given her more than 2,000 baht for her travel, her time, her body, her company, anything. 1,500 baht more often. And that is for at least two nights sleepover and all the sexual attention I can take. So this time she Lines me about needing money for her daughter's tuition or something and how her regular job paycheck won't be coming in time to cover it. But she insisted that she will pay it back as soon as her paycheck comes in. Whatever. I barely read the message. I just asked how much she needed. She said 2,000 baht at first. Then on the day at the school, said she was short another 2,000 baht. I transferred it without hesitation.

Now, I also realize that it is entirely possible this was "Goodbye Money On The Way Out" she thought she might as well get out of me on the assumption we won't be getting together much in the future and might as well cash in on the savings account while she can. And I understand that, too. I had been agreeing to have her come stay with me less and less over the past few months. So maybe she thought it was over soon anyway. That has happened with me before as well. Again, I am ok with paying up later rather than sooner if the circumstances fit.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2319847]I have transferred money to girls with whom I have already had great sex and fun that at the time did not cost me much at all. Let's call it Deferred Payment. LOL. [/QUOTE]I think there is a huge difference between the guys that live in country, see the girl all the time, can check if the story is remotely plausible and hand over a couple of dollars vs the guys that live on the other side of the world, have met the girl once, if that, are falling for blatantly BS stories and hand over thousands (of DOLLARS) !!

Sure your story may turn out to be money lost but as you say, you already have received your pound of flesh. The other guy is down serious coin with nothing to show for it.

Enjoy. G.

[QUOTE=Goferring;2319863]I think there is a huge difference between the guys that live in country, see the girl all the time, can check if the story is remotely plausible and hand over a couple of dollars vs the guys that live on the other side of the world, have met the girl once, if that, are falling for blatantly BS stories and hand over thousands (of DOLLARS) !!

Sure your story may turn out to be money lost but as you say, you already have received your pound of flesh. The other guy is down serious coin with nothing to show for it.

Enjoy. G.[/QUOTE]Exactly so. I agree.

Although, I have to say even as an expat who lives here I don't really need to hear what the reason or story is behind a girl needing a quick money transfer. I accept that they must always tell a story and explain the reasons for the sake of Face. But I virtually always assume it is BS and that the money I am transferring is a gift and not a loan, as has been said here already.

The only calculation in my mind is have I already over paid for this girl's time and attention or have I gotten a pretty good deal up to now. If it is the latter, I will make a reasonable transfer and solve her problem right now without giving it much thought. But as soon as the calculation begins to approach or, god forbid, surpass the former, I'm done.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2319847]I just transferred 4,000 baht to a girl who I have seen dozens of times over the past couple of years. A dating site girl. Lives in Korat and whenever I have wanted to be with her for a couple of nights she gets on a bus and travels hours to Bangkok to stay with me. Then I put her on the nearest BTS station train and wave bye as she heads to Mo Chit station and takes the bus back to Korat.

Lovely girl inside and out. Great, total and complete True GFE bordering on True PSE every time we are together. Everything up to me anytime and all the time. Until this recent 4,000 baht transfer, I had never given her more than 2,000 baht for her travel, her time, her body, her company, anything. 1,500 baht more often. And that is for at least two nights sleepover and all the sexual attention I can take. [/QUOTE]Got to love Thai debt.

This arrangement is perfect and is very common not just for Farangs living here, many Thai men also have this system in place. Before TF got stacked with LB's and P4 P providers I had a great deal of success with this routine. IE: meet online build a relationship and tell them upfront what I wanted and that I would pay the fare for them to come and meet with me. They would usually stay two nights and I would give them a sound hiding, take them to dinner, pay 2000 THB and then buy the return ticket home and see them again 5- 6 weeks later. I have only been duped once and lost 600 THB on a bus fare.

Some of these women had jobs in banks, supermarkets and I had a regular who was a Teacher. I let it lapse and did not build up enough contacts. At one stage I had three in rotation. I have recently tried this again and have had no luck. Just need more time to sift through the crap and to talk BS on line and to arrange suitable rendezvous as the village is no place for this type of activity. I really want to explore needy University students.

I know of a lady I'm guessing in her mid 40's. Would have been half decent looking in her early 20s. She's not a working girl and she is actually married to a Thai man. She has a Sponsor from UK or Aussie (I forget) who she has NEVER met but video chats with him several times a week. Supposedly this guy has been sending her north of 30 k baht monthly for the past 3 years. He always talked about coming to Thailand but never did. 3 years! I guess he's never heard of cam girls.

[QUOTE=Goferring;2319863]I think there is a huge difference between the guys that live in country, see the girl all the time, can check if the story is remotely plausible and hand over a couple of dollars vs the guys that live on the other side of the world, have met the girl once, if that, are falling for blatantly BS stories and hand over thousands (of DOLLARS) !![/QUOTE]

I paid for a girl's dental bill once. It was around 2500 baht. She had to get a tooth extraction and replace the missing tooth. I went to the dentist with her. She offered me the extracted tooth as a souvenir!

Also gave a gogo girl some money once since she hadn't worked all month as she was with me most of the time. She asked for 1500 baht to help pay the balance of her rent that she was short. I handed her what was in my pocket, around 5000 baht. She looked confused, took out her 1500 baht, and handed the rest back to me.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2319887]I know of a lady I'm guessing in her mid 40's. Would have been half decent looking in her early 20s. She's not a working girl and she is actually married to a Thai man. She has a Sponsor from UK or Aussie (I forget) who she has NEVER met but video chats with him several times a week. Supposedly this guy has been sending her north of 30 k baht monthly for the past 3 years. He always talked about coming to Thailand but never did. 3 years! I guess he's never heard of cam girls.[/QUOTE]At least this guy was calling her and having some kind of communication with her.

In the story from Pattaya one the guy didn't even think about calling his "wife" for months, he would rather send her text messages. Who would do that? He don't even try to communicate with his wife and just complain about sending her money.

These Koreans have plenty of scam artists, one should take these stories with a grain of salt.

I would like to know if retirement is good in Thailand? Is it easy to get a visa? You must be over 50?

[QUOTE=MongerForSex;2320033]I would like to know if retirement is good in Thailand? Is it easy to get a visa? You must be over 50?[/QUOTE]Go to [URL]https://forum.thaivisa.com/[/URL] where all your answers plus many more will be there. Trust a poster named UbonJoe.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2319887]I know of a lady I'm guessing in her mid 40's. Would have been half decent looking in her early 20s. She's not a working girl and she is actually married to a Thai man. She has a Sponsor from UK or Aussie (I forget) who she has NEVER met but video chats with him several times a week. Supposedly this guy has been sending her north of 30 k baht monthly for the past 3 years. He always talked about coming to Thailand but never did. 3 years! I guess he's never heard of cam girls.



I paid for a girl's dental bill once. It was around 2500 baht. She had to get a tooth extraction and replace the missing tooth. I went to the dentist with her. She offered me the extracted tooth as a souvenir!

Also gave a gogo girl some money once since she hadn't worked all month as she was with me most of the time. She asked for 1500 baht to help pay the balance of her rent that she was short. I handed her what was in my pocket, around 5000 baht. She looked confused, took out her 1500 baht, and handed the rest back to me.[/QUOTE]Ha ha, so now you answer your own question. Its all a case of degree of reasonableness, is it a lot of money for the guy or a drop in the bucket. Can he afford it.

Like ET, one of my regulars, I help out a bit when she gets desperately short, could be rent or school fees etc. She provides sex, but is not paid per fuck. It is all a question of whether the amounts are low enough to be worthwhile for me, overall. It is a GFE experience and she is skilled (and is into fucking Farangs), so technically she would be my very best regular, slim and tall excellent English, but not really Asian spec. She quit her official BF recently who was rich but not making her happy. I have no wish to be the official BF and too old. Just have the odd meetings.

[QUOTE=Goferring;2319863]I think there is a huge difference between the guys that live in country, see the girl all the time, can check if the story is remotely plausible and hand over a couple of dollars vs the guys that live on the other side of the world, have met the girl once, if that, are falling for blatantly BS stories and hand over thousands (of DOLLARS) !!

Sure your story may turn out to be money lost but as you say, you already have received your pound of flesh. The other guy is down serious coin with nothing to show for it.

Enjoy. G.[/QUOTE]Not really. Wasted money is wasted money. That's as black and white as it gets.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2319878]Exactly so. I agree.

Although, I have to say even as an expat who lives here I don't really need to hear what the reason or story is behind a girl needing a quick money transfer. I accept that they must always tell a story and explain the reasons for the sake of Face. But I virtually always assume it is BS and that the money I am transferring is a gift and not a loan, as has been said here already.

The only calculation in my mind is have I already over paid for this girl's time and attention or have I gotten a pretty good deal up to now. If it is the latter, I will make a reasonable transfer and solve her problem right now without giving it much thought. But as soon as the calculation begins to approach or, god forbid, surpass the former, I'm done.[/QUOTE]Or you can just not send money and have it forever be a good deal unless you're just giving away charity to a problem that has underlying issues deeper than money which is money wasted either way.

[QUOTE=Paolo99;2319948]At least this guy was calling her and having some kind of communication with her.

In the story from Pattaya one the guy didn't even think about calling his "wife" for months, he would rather send her text messages. Who would do that? He don't even try to communicate with his wife and just complain about sending her money.

These Koreans have plenty of scam artists, one should take these stories with a grain of salt.[/QUOTE]What did the Korean do? That was random.

I renewed my 1 year Non-Immigrant (Retirement) Visa today. This was my first time to renew it since some new rules took effect January 1, 2019. What usually took me 4-5 hours in the past took 9 hours this time. I arrived at the Chang Wattana, Bangkok, Immigration location at 9 AM, 30 minutes after they opened at 8:30 AM and did not walk out with my new visa stamp in my passport until about 6 PM. And even then I feel like the Immigration Officer and her 2-3 assistants were hustling it through in the last minutes just to get it done and close shop. Yeah, they will keep going until they've processed everyone, accepted or not. There were hundreds of people there at 9 AM. When I left about 6 PM, there were only 3-4 people still sitting with Immigration Officers in the cubicles.

I can't really say what the hold up was since I showed up with all the documents I'd seen online as necessary, all filled out with supporting financial documents included. One thing I always found to be true was as true this time; you will never know exactly what you need to show, which forms to be filled out and so on, until the Immigration Officer wielding the inked up stamp TELLS you what you need. Reading about it online on the various sites is helpful. But they won't tell you the full story. Be prepared to fill out 2-3 additional and unmentioned forms repeating what you'd already filled out before.

Of course, filling out that stuff, the new stuff, does not take very long. Waiting for your queue ticket number to be called is what takes long. I suppose next year I will be sure to show up about an hour before they open. I wanted to do that this time but had a girl stay over last night and, well, that screwed up my plan for an earlier exit from the apartment. But I'd shown up during the 12 Noon lunch break in the past and still got out before 4 PM. This time they seemed inordinately concerned about me putting in a 90 Day Report on where I lived (using a different form than I'd ever used before). I don't remember that being such a big deal in the past. My next 90 Day Report was not officially due until May 31 and I always do that with ease by mail. But the first Officer I finally saw in her cubicle about 1:30 PM today instructed me to go to get this and that photo copied downstairs and then go to Counter B to submit my 90 Day Report now.

Possible Helpful Tip: Sometime an hour or so before it looks like your first queue ticket will be called, go to the queue ticket desk again and ask for a queue ticket for Counter B. Get a jump on it even if you don't need to go through the 90 Day Report process on that day. If you don't need that queue ticket then you really lucked out, just throw it away. Or give it to someone who looks like they need it. Someone with kids in tow. But waiting for the Officers at Counter B to handle all the 90 Day Reporters took a whopping 3 1/2 hours! That was after waiting 4 hours to be told by the first Officer I spoke with to tell me I needed to go to Counter B for a 90 Day Report. And at that point, I still had my passport in my hand without a new visa stamp in it.

I was then supposed to go back to the original waiting area and wait for them to call my original queue ticket number. Yeah, that means they were WAY past my original number by then and it was entirely up to the good will and keen memory of the Immigration Officer who told me to go through the 90 Day Reporting processes to see me, remember I was the guy she sent over there half a day ago and, oh, ok she'll take me now just as soon as she gets through these next couple dozen applicants. You get the picture. Next year I will be sure to pick up a queue ticket for Counter B long before I am actually told I need one. And if I am not told to do it, I'll throw it away or hand it to some cute applicant who looks like she needs to get through that particular process faster than the next 3-4 hours.

Anyway, a few notes on the new rules:

I use the monthly streaming income method; showing a minimum of 65,000 baht per month, each and every month for the previous 12 months, going into my Thai bank account, and all from Foreign Transfers. I had a print out of all transactions for the past 12 months (cost 200 baht at Bangkok Bank). Each of the Foreign Transfer I highlighted and with a total amount of baht transferred for each month to make it easy for the Immigration Officers to see it at a glance. As it turned out, I missed that 65,000 baht minimum in Foreign Transfers one month in the past year. I had made a transfer on the 30th of the previous month, thinking it would land in my account on the 1st of the next month, but damned if it didn't land there on the 31st of the month. That meant I had a much larger Foreign Transfer in the previous month and came up short by, get this, 228 baht the next month! Yeah, I could only show 64,772 baht in Foreign Transfers for one of those 12 previous months. Well, either nobody noticed or they really didn't care about one month being off by so little. Everything was good.

I had also heard that rental income was not being accepted as a legitimate source of income. I can't really confirm or deny it based on my situation. But I will say that the supporting documents I showed was a small monthly pension (not enough to cover that 65,000 baht per month), my IRA savings account and some rental income reports. I gave all of it to the Immigration Officer and got my visa stamp. So I can't really say if they combined my typical IRA withdrawals and my pension to come up with what they needed to see or if they actually did include the rental income with my small pension to come up with it. Any combination of two of those sources would be plenty to show as an ongoing income stream greater than the minimum required. It was too complicated to ask and I was in no mood to conduct a survey. And it didn't really matter to me how they came up with it anyway. I have not started to collect my Social Security and that alone would be enough to cover the 65,000 baht per month income stream. But, until then, it looks like they were fine with combining my too small pension with one or both of the other sources of income (IRA and/or rental income) to approve me for the income requirement.

At one point before I was given back my passport with the new visa stamp in it, one of the Immigration Officers, a kind of cute little lady, handed me a blank sheet of paper and told me to draw a map of my apartment location. WTF? I'd never had to do that before. Never heard of it. Anybody else? Well, I just drew some lines and labeled them Sukhumvit Road, Asok, etc. And then a line for my soi and the approximate location of my apartment with an X. She was fine with that. Hey, whatever.

There was also a special meeting with me and one of the Immigration Officers involved in the newly highly important 90 Day Reporting process where I was told that, since my apartment manager failed to submit the information about my residence in his building in a timely manner after I'd moved in there about 5 years ago, either he or I needed to pay an 800 baht fine this very day. Of course, I paid that myself. Again, never heard of that one before. And then there was this; that same Immigration Officer told me when I leave Thailand for another country, say a 5 day holiday in the Philippines, I needed to RETURN to Immigration, in person, within 24 hours of re-entering Thailand to report that I have returned. Again, WTF? I'd never heard of that before either. Really? I swear I asked her for clarification on what I just thought I heard her say and, as god is my witness, she repeated it twice; I am supposed to come back to that Immigration location within 24 hours of returning to Thailand after a simple holiday in another country, get a queue ticket and wait for who the hell knows how long in order to report that I have returned! Of course, I looked incredulous. So then she said, well we can give you a grace period of 4-5 days to come in for that report.

Anybody else ever hear of this "new rule"?

Well, good luck with your retirement visa renewals, my fellow expats. I know only some country expats have to deal with these new rules. The USA is one of them.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2320965]that same Immigration Officer told me when I leave Thailand for another country, say a 5 day holiday in the Philippines, I needed to RETURN to Immigration, in person, within 24 hours of re-entering Thailand to report that I have returned. Again, WTF? I'd never heard of that before either. Really? I swear I asked her for clarification on what I just thought I heard her say and, as god is my witness, she repeated it twice; I am supposed to come back to that Immigration location within 24 hours of returning to Thailand after a simple holiday in another country, get a queue ticket and wait for who the hell knows how long in order to report that I have returned! Of course, I looked incredulous. So then she said, well we can give you a grace period of 4-5 days to come in for that report.

Anybody else ever hear of this "new rule"?

Well, good luck with your retirement visa renewals, my fellow expats. I know only some country expats have to deal with these new rules. The USA is one of them.[/QUOTE]I am quite sure this is the TM30 she is referring to and that one is 24 hours from entering Thailand. "Every time you leave Thailand and return with a new (arrival and) departure card in your passport, you have to be reported again, because your departure card number has changed. ".

I never had a visa in Thailand but in Phuket they are very relaxed about this even when I extended my 30 day stamp. As a owner myself I am not sure behind the logic why I need to report myself. Being foreigner that is most likely the (mis) interpretation they done either way so best to follow suit.

[QUOTE=MakeItOrBreak;2320983]I am quite sure this is the TM30 she is referring to and that one is 24 hours from entering Thailand. "Every time you leave Thailand and return with a new (arrival and) departure card in your passport, you have to be reported again, because your departure card number has changed. ".

I never had a visa in Thailand but in Phuket they are very relaxed about this even when I extended my 30 day stamp. As a owner myself I am not sure behind the logic why I need to report myself. Being foreigner that is most likely the (mis) interpretation they done either way so best to follow suit.[/QUOTE]You're right, the TM30 is the one. As a tenant, why do I have to report it? I thought that is why my apartment owner/manager asked me to tell him when I return from out of country; so he can make a copy of my Arrival Card and report it.

I suppose if my apartment owner/manager fails to do what he is supposed to do, I am on the hook for it the next time I renew my annual visa, including the fine. But, crap, returning to Immigration the day after coming back from a vacation out of Thailand is damned onerous. She didn't say there was a "by mail" option for me. And I asked. She said I had to come in to the Immigration building and do it in person.

I never go to Chaeng Wattana on a Monday or Friday (nor public holiday naturally), as these days abut a day off and can increase the numbers of people there. Tuesday is a better choice as example if not next to a day off.

The following suggest reporting can be done by Registered Mail:
[url]https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/90-day-reporting-immigration.php[/url]

Chaeng Wattana should be last choice maybe.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2321260]I never go to Chaeng Wattana on a Monday or Friday (nor public holiday naturally), as these days abut a day off and can increase the numbers of people there. Tuesday is a better choice as example if not next to a day off.

The following suggest reporting can be done by Registered Mail:
[url]https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/90-day-reporting-immigration.php[/url]

Chaeng Wattana should be last choice maybe.[/QUOTE]This time it was getting a bit close to the day my previous visa would expire and I didn't want to skip a day after getting all my documentation together just in case I was missing something and had to return another day.

Yes, I have been doing the 90 Day Report by mail ever since I moved here several years ago. Even during the political protests when they closed down the main Immigration Office at Chaeng Wattana and opened some satellite offices. Some guys were saying we had to submit the report in person at those satellite offices since the main one was closed. But I didn't have a problem at all doing it by mail during those times. I was fully prepared to do it by mail this time and it wasn't due for another 3 weeks. That is why it was so annoying that they wanted me to spend 4 more hours waiting just to do something it takes me 20 minutes to do by mail including the walk to my nearest Post Office. But I understand that when you renew your retirement visa the 90 day cycle starts anew.

I see someone else is griping about the new required TM30 form on last Sunday's Stickman Weekly site. I suspect that is something they will allow to be done by mail someday soon. I mean, they're asking for the place to be packed with more people, delaying everyone else, standing in line and getting a gueue ticket just to report that they returned from a pleasant vacation yesterday. LOL. Ridiculous.

BTW, if expats think we are the ones suffering from the new rules, the Thai people working in that Immigration Office have never looked so frazzled and exhausted from all the extra and unnecessary work, hustling as fast as they can from 8:30 am until whenever they finish the last one after dark. There will be a breaking point where it will just make everyone happier if they move most of these procedures to the Internet.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2321289]
I see someone else is griping about the new required TM30 form on last Sunday's Stickman Weekly site. I suspect that is something they will allow to be done by mail someday soon. I mean, they're asking for the place to be packed with more people, delaying everyone else, standing in line and getting a gueue ticket just to report that they returned from a pleasant vacation yesterday. LOL. Ridiculous.
[/QUOTE]I did the 30 day extension recently. Actual delay to get it from taking a queue number was just 45 minutes. I got there about 11 am on a Tuesday (a few days before the deadline and still got 30 days extra). Far more time was taken waiting for a taxi on leaving and getting back to Sukhumvit. So in total one wastes a lot of time. Think arriving very early is not beneficial I have heard of very long queues.

There was a period of official holidays coming up so did not want to get too close to that, so did it before May Day. Actually was 30 Apr so 1 day before May day. Did not even know at the time if 1 may as a holiday or not. I am told it maybe possible to do regionally far quicker than in Bangkok.

They basically just want their 1900 Baht, so I think they could make it easier and have some alternate locations, as they do make good money from it, or allow a mail service, however perhaps they want to interview and ask questions sometimes. Many fail to fill in the forms correctly. Perhaps by website would be possible, and if any questions needed to be resolved then ask the person to go to the office.

Usually they don't ask me any questions.

All these bureaucrats need something to do.

Here is a map showing supposedly where all the Immigration Offices are.
Next time I might try a provincial one, but will ring them to check 30 day extension is possible. Someone told me it should be faster than in Bangkok.

[url]https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1r81uyBYdMeM7A7W_-5L1pFWfsFQ&ie=UTF8&t=h&oe=UTF8&msa=0&ll=15.319727756539919%2C105.36472559928711&z=5[/url]

Last December, I went to the Thai consulate in my US city and requested a 60 day visa, which was immediately provided. In and out in 30 minutes. I think it was $40 so cheaper than getting a 30 day extension in Thailand. Of course, you can only get a 60 day visa in the US and live close enough to a consulate or embassy to make it worthwhile. For a period of time over the last few years, there was a requirement that 60 day visa had to be applied for in LA or DC and you had to mail your passport along with the application but for whatever reason this requirement was changed and they now allow consulates to provide the 60 day visa.

I have done the drill in Bangkok and it's a PIA. For one thing, it's tough to find a taxi that will take you out there. However, GRAB might be the way to go. On both times, I ended up on a motorcycle taxi, which I absolutely hated. The drivers act like it's a suicide mission. Then you get dropped off at entrance to site and then you need to take another motorcycle ride to the building.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2321332]I did the 30 day extension recently. Actual delay to get it from taking a queue number was just 45 minutes. I got there about 11 am on a Tuesday (a few days before the deadline and still got 30 days extra). Far more time was taken waiting for a taxi on leaving and getting back to Sukhumvit. So in total one wastes a lot of time. Think arriving very early is not beneficial I have heard of very long queues.

There was a period of official holidays coming up so did not want to get too close to that, so did it before May Day. Actually was 30 Apr so 1 day before May day. Did not even know at the time if 1 may as a holiday or not. I am told it maybe possible to do regionally far quicker than in Bangkok.

They basically just want their 1900 Baht, so I think they could make it easier and have some alternate locations, as they do make good money from it, or allow a mail service, however perhaps they want to interview and ask questions sometimes. Many fail to fill in the forms correctly. Perhaps by website would be possible, and if any questions needed to be resolved then ask the person to go to the office.

Usually they don't ask me any questions.

All these bureaucrats need something to do.

Here is a map showing supposedly where all the Immigration Offices are.
Next time I might try a provincial one, but will ring them to check 30 day extension is possible. Someone told me it should be faster than in Bangkok.

[url]https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1r81uyBYdMeM7A7W_-5L1pFWfsFQ&ie=UTF8&t=h&oe=UTF8&msa=0&ll=15.319727756539919%2C105.36472559928711&z=5[/url][/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Tomasb;2321562]Last December, I went to the Thai consulate in my US city and requested a 60 day visa, which was immediately provided. In and out in 30 minutes. I think it was $40 so cheaper than getting a 30 day extension in Thailand. Of course, you can only get a 60 day visa in the US and live close enough to a consulate or embassy to make it worthwhile. For a period of time over the last few years, there was a requirement that 60 day visa had to be applied for in LA or DC and you had to mail your passport along with the application but for whatever reason this requirement was changed and they now allow consulates to provide the 60 day visa.

I have done the drill in Bangkok and it's a PIA. For one thing, it's tough to find a taxi that will take you out there. However, GRAB might be the way to go. On both times, I ended up on a motorcycle taxi, which I absolutely hated. The drivers act like it's a suicide mission. Then you get dropped off at entrance to site and then you need to take another motorcycle ride to the building.[/QUOTE]What consulate? Atlanta is the same as DC, 15 days. LA is the only consulate that gives same day.

For newbies: don't fear the trip to Chang Wattana. BTS or mrt to mo chit / chatuchak, walk 50 meters up the road and flag a cab. 100 baht.

[QUOTE=Tomasb;2321562]...

I have done the drill in Bangkok and it's a PIA. For one thing, it's tough to find a taxi that will take you out there. However, GRAB might be the way to go. On both times, I ended up on a motorcycle taxi, which I absolutely hated. The drivers act like it's a suicide mission. Then you get dropped off at entrance to site and then you need to take another motorcycle ride to the building.[/QUOTE]To get to the Chaeng Wattana Immigration Building from the lower Sukhumvit area, I ride the BTS train to the Mo Chit station, walk down the steps on the Chatuchak Park side and take a motorcycle taxi at the posted rate of 200 baht right to the front door of the correct building and nearest to the office I need right inside that front door. I don't haggle or negotiate that posted price. It is a once a year trip (prior to this new TM30 report form nonsense, that is) and maybe that is why I have always been taken directly to the right spot.

From BTS Nana to my ultimate destination takes about 45 minutes going that way, for about 250 baht. Same on the return.

But I don't mind riding motorcycle taxis and, as we weave in, out and around the 2-3 dead stopped auto traffic jams between BTS Mo Chit and the Immigration Building, I know I would be a lot less comfortable sitting in a car or bus for an additional 30 minutes or whatever, fretting over how many dozen more people are lining up at the door or getting queue tickets ahead of me during the delay. LOL.

Last year I was in Hua Hin and it was time to extend by 30 days rather than leave. For example, a 60 day tourist visa will actually get you 90 days if you go to the trouble to extend it. In Hua Hin I was amazed at the process. They have an assistant, like a student, who does some pre-screening and gets some details from you. Specifically your address in Thailand. After a few minutes of wait, seeing the IO is almost exactly like when you first stamp into the country. They take your photo, the form has been filled out on their pc with your details and printed for you to sign. Pay your 1900 baht and get that extension. Done, 10 minutes at most including the wait time. This is supposed to become the standard throughout the country. That would be great but I have never, not ever, in my 14 years here seen any 2 immigration offices have a truly standard procedure.

[QUOTE]HEALTH insurance has been made mandatory for foreigners aged 50 years and above seeking long-term stay in Thailand.

The insurance policy must offer up to Bt40,000 coverage for outpatient treatment and up to Bt400,000 for inpatient treatment.

This is one of the measures the government has introduced to ease the financial burden placed on state hospitals by foreigners, many of whom have not paid for treatment.

The Cabinet has already approved the new rule, Health Service Support Department director-general Nattawuth Prasert-siripong revealed yesterday.

According to Nattawuth, the new rule applies to both new applicants for the non-immigrant visa (O-A), which offers a stay of up to one year, and those wishing to renew their visa. Each renewal is valid for one year.

Overseas policies okay too

Such health insurance is good for foreigners too, Nattawuth said.

Foreigners can buy valid health insurance from longstay.tgia.org or if they wish to use health insurance that they bought overseas, they must ensure that the coverage amount is no less than what is required by the rule. We are going to discuss with relevant authorities on to how to check the validity of health insurance bought from overseas, Nattawuth said.

Asked about foreigners who cannot buy health insurance because their health risks are considered too high, Nattawuth said relevant authorities might consider requiring them to have higher deposits in bank accounts so as to make sure that they have enough to live in Thailand.[/QUOTE]FYI for those over 50 who want to stay in Thailand on an O-A Retirement Visa. Likely a good thing to have for anyone over 50 anyways.

I guess I'm in the minority as someone who enjoys having to make a Visa run every 60 days. Breaks up the monotony and allows me to go to Jakarta, Japan, Korea, PP, Vietnam, Singapore, etc. Every 60 days. I enjoy my extra little side trips especially during months when Thailand heat is unbearable.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2321585]To get to the Chaeng Wattana Immigration Building from the lower Sukhumvit area, I ride the BTS train to the Mo Chit station, walk down the steps on the Chatuchak Park side and take a motorcycle taxi at the posted rate of 200 baht right to the front door of the correct building and nearest to the office I need right inside that front door. I don't haggle or negotiate that posted price. It is a once a year trip (prior to this new TM30 report form nonsense, that is) and maybe that is why I have always been taken directly to the right spot.

From BTS Nana to my ultimate destination takes about 45 minutes going that way, for about 250 baht. Same on the return.

But I don't mind riding motorcycle taxis and, as we weave in, out and around the 2-3 dead stopped auto traffic jams between BTS Mo Chit and the Immigration Building, I know I would be a lot less comfortable sitting in a car or bus for an additional 30 minutes or whatever, fretting over how many dozen more people are lining up at the door or getting queue tickets ahead of me during the delay. LOL.[/QUOTE]I took taxi straight onto freeway from Nana region of Sukhumvit, Vipavadee Rangsit (Don Meuang tollway), at about 9. 30 am or so, maybe 10 on a Tuesday. Freeway was okay Get off for Chaeng Wattana, it is usually heavy. Can turn off left into Soi 5 immediately after crossing the Khlong (canal) to stay out of traffic jam and go to government building the back way. It is far to hot to take motorcycle. Taxis will go no problem because they can easily get a customer leaving there to go somewhere else.

I got my queue ticket at about 11. I had to go downstairs to Photostat my documents first. Several photostat and passport photo places exist. Would be nice to get queue ticket first but they check your stuff is in order. My wait till got the 30 day extend was 45 minutes. Not bad by picking not so busy day and not too earlier when huge numbers are queued.

Then I had to wait in queue to get a taxi leaving. He took me to Phaholyotin MRT station, since traffic back to Sukhumvit was getting heavy. Had to turn left at Vipavadee Rangsit (the wrong direction) and then do a you turn back to head south.

The key to doing Chaeng Wattana is which day you go and what time of day to avoid traffic jams. There are far to many people waiting at opening time, so somewhat later is better.

Next time I will try one of the regional immigration offices instead. They are generally reported to be much faster.

Here is a Map of Immigration Offices:

[URL]https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?id=1r81uyBYdMeM7A7W_-5L1pFWfsFQ&ie=UTF8&t=h&oe=UTF8&msa=0&ll=15.319727756539919%2C105.36472559928711&z=5[/URL]

I will probably ring them first to make sure they can do the 30 day extension but should be okay.

Nong. One of the owners of Snow White, Cupid and a few other PSE massage shops just opened a restaurant right next to Cupid massage near Thonglor BTS station between Sukhumvit 38 and 40.

There are a few ex SW and Cupid girls working there so there might be a good chance to get a different kind of dessert.

I had never seen a report on this in the forum. Something to think about if you are the type that waits until the last day to renew or just doesn't care about Thai immigration rules.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsP9GaCi26g[/URL]

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2322460]I had never seen a report on this in the forum. Something to think about if you are the type that waits until the last day to renew or just doesn't care about Thai immigration rules.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsP9GaCi26g[/URL]

RL.[/QUOTE]Pretty misleading video IMO.

At the start, the guy is pretty much saying you will be banned if you're a day over at the airport.

If you present yourself at Immigration you will only be blacklisted for 1 year if you have overstayed.

By 90 days or more. The periods then increase due to how long you have overstayed.

It then changes if you are arrested.

Then you can be banned from between 1 to 5 years for any overstay.

So for the person who messes up their dates and is a few days over, it's no big deal.

Having said that, it's obviously wise not to go into overstay.

[QUOTE=Tugga27;2322480]
Having said that, it's obviously wise not to go into overstay.[/QUOTE]The period of overstay matters a lot. I have been over my automatic 30 days in the past by just 1 to 3 days and paid the fine at the airport. No big deal.

The fine amount is not trivial, so is probably cheaper to extend your stay at Immigation, but wastes your time.

Those that develop a habit of overstay or overstay very long time are looking for trouble. A small number of days is a misdemeanor I guess.

Overstaying extensions may be considered worse than initial overstays.

I think an extension will not be granted if have already reached overstay. Could happen if some guy goes to Immigration only to find they are closed for a public holiday or two. Probably happens a lot. I believe it is a good idea to go for the extension several days before your stay expires, to have a safety margin if something goes wrong. I went a week before last time.

[QUOTE=Tugga27;2322480]Pretty misleading video IMO.

At the start, the guy is pretty much saying you will be banned if you're a day over at the airport.

If you present yourself at Immigration you will only be blacklisted for 1 year if you have overstayed.

By 90 days or more. The periods then increase due to how long you have overstayed.

It then changes if you are arrested.

Then you can be banned from between 1 to 5 years for any overstay.

So for the person who messes up their dates and is a few days over, it's no big deal.

Having said that, it's obviously wise not to go into overstay.[/QUOTE]As a Brazilian, I can stay 6 months a year in Thailand, maximum 3 months for every trip. It's better for me to use my Brazilian passport than my American passport. I only use my American passport when I go to the USA and Canada, I used my Brazilian passport when I travelled to Mongolia, China, North Korea. As an American citizen, I can't travel to North Korea, I travelled to North Korea with a Brazilian passport this year. Trump won't know it.

[QUOTE=MongerForSex;2322727]As a Brazilian, I can stay 6 months a year in Thailand, maximum 3 months for every trip. It's better for me to use my Brazilian passport than my American passport. I only use my American passport when I go to the USA and Canada, I used my Brazilian passport when I travelled to Mongolia, China, North Korea. As an American citizen, I can't travel to North Korea, I travelled to North Korea with a Brazilian passport this year. Trump won't know it.[/QUOTE]Be interested to know about the opportunities for mongering in and Korea.

[QUOTE=MongerForSex;2322727]I travelled to North Korea with a Brazilian passport this year. Trump won't know it.[/QUOTE]I'm sure Trump personally wouldn't give a shit. How was the North Korean pussy?

A very good explanation on the TM-30.

[URL]https://www.thethailandlife.com/tm30-guide?omhide=true&utm_source=TheThailandLife&utm_campaign=a8302b8e4e-THAI_BITES_24_14_05_2019&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_83cf51b727-a8302b8e4e-1204666177[/URL]

RL.

[QUOTE=Tugga27;2322480]Pretty misleading video IMO.

At the start, the guy is pretty much saying you will be banned if you're a day over at the airport.

If you present yourself at Immigration you will only be blacklisted for 1 year if you have overstayed.

By 90 days or more. The periods then increase due to how long you have overstayed.

It then changes if you are arrested.

Then you can be banned from between 1 to 5 years for any overstay.

So for the person who messes up their dates and is a few days over, it's no big deal.

Having said that, it's obviously wise not to go into overstay.[/QUOTE]You contradict yourself. You say misleading but then you admit that you can be Blacklisted if you overstay.

The laws of Thailand are there for them to enforce and create an income source. If you overstay an immigration officer can do whatever they want to you for breaking the law. Fine you and Blacklist you. Don't let them get the satisfaction of taking your money and marking your passport with a negative flag. Extend or go home.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2322852]You contradict yourself. You say misleading but then you admit that you can be Blacklisted if you overstay.

The laws of Thailand are there for them to enforce and create an income source. If you overstay an immigration officer can do whatever they want to you for breaking the law. Fine you and Blacklist you. Don't let them get the satisfaction of taking your money and marking your passport with a negative flag. Extend or go home.

RL.[/QUOTE]Come off it buddy.

It's a fear mongering video.

If you're a few days over when leaving, you pay the 500 Baht a day fine and that's it.

Period of overstay Banned from re-entering.

More than 90 days 1 year.

More than 1 year 3 years.

More than 3 years 5 years.

More than 5 years 10 years.

That's assuming you don't get arrested, then all bets are off.

[QUOTE=Penguin69;2322756]Be interested to know about the opportunities for mongering in and Korea.[/QUOTE]Mongering in Korea is expensive, not very accessible to foreigners, and is now about the same as it would be in the US.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2322848]A very good explanation on the TM-30.

[URL]https://www.thethailandlife.com/tm30-guide?omhide=true&utm_source=TheThailandLife&utm_campaign=a8302b8e4e-THAI_BITES_24_14_05_2019&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_83cf51b727-a8302b8e4e-1204666177[/URL]

RL.[/QUOTE]Thanks for the link. It is a very good explanation of what a hassle it is for expats living in Thailand. I read in the link that the TM30 form is not only required within 24 hours after returning to your Thai apartment or condo from a trip outside of Thailand but also required when you return from a trip INSIDE Thailand. The reqirement is triggered when the hotel in, say Pattaya or Hua Hin, files their required report when you check in. So within 24 hours of returning to your apartment in Bangkok (or vice versa) you need to tell your landlord he needs to file a new TM30 form for you within the next 24 hours or be fined up to 1,600 baht. Or you can file it on his behalf within 24 hours.

The gap here is there is apparently no mechanism to provide a receipt or proof from your landlord that he did indeed file it and on time. So you will never know if he did until the next time you arrive at Immigration to renew your visa. And you will have nothing to show Immigration even if he did it on time and Immigration "lost" the record of it.

I suppose the upside is it can be done online. However, it remains to be seen IF the online method works. I have yet to make the online method for the 90 Day Report work.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2322983]Thanks for the link. It is a very good explanation of what a hassle it is for expats living in Thailand. I read in the link that the TM30 form is not only required within 24 hours after returning to your Thai apartment or condo from a trip outside of Thailand but also required when you return from a trip INSIDE Thailand. The reqirement is triggered when the hotel in, say Pattaya or Hua Hin, files their required report when you check in. So within 24 hours of returning to your apartment in Bangkok (or vice versa) you need to tell your landlord he needs to file a new TM30 form for you within the next 24 hours or be fined up to 1,600 baht. Or you can file it on his behalf within 24 hours.
[/QUOTE]All sounds ridiculous and amusing. I used to rent a room in Bangkok all year round. I would come and go over seas. I am guessing the manager did not report every time I came and left to the authorities (I could be wrong). Now I might not know where I will be first night or two, and my rural address is a bit long and complex and won't be there immediately.

I expect to go for a yearly VISA with reporting some time soon. I wonder if I can get away with just reporting my one rural address.

[QUOTE=Penguin69;2322756]Be interested to know about the opportunities for mongering in and Korea.[/QUOTE]

Suicide mission to hobby in North Korea. Why not just go to Seoul or Busan, SK?

[QUOTE=Penguin69;2322756]Be interested to know about the opportunities for mongering in and Korea.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2322816]I'm sure Trump personally wouldn't give a shit. How was the North Korean pussy?[/QUOTE]I did not fuck in North Korea but it's a good country to visit. People are very nice. Hotels are very good.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2323059]All sounds ridiculous and amusing. I used to rent a room in Bangkok all year round. I would come and go over seas. I am guessing the manager did not report every time I came and left to the authorities (I could be wrong). Now I might not know where I will be first night or two, and my rural address is a bit long and complex and won't be there immediately.

I expect to go for a yearly VISA with reporting some time soon. I wonder if I can get away with just reporting my one rural address.[/QUOTE]The article says the fine for not reporting is 1,600 baht for the landlord who is supposed to file it. I was fined 800 baht this time. Don't know why the difference. And it was the first I'd ever heard of the form or the requirement to file it. They gave me a receipt. I suppose I could show my landlord the receipt and ask for the money one way or another since he is the one liable for the fine.

But he is very conscientious about these things, has asked me to give him any new Arrival/Departure card I get along the way. So I am guessing he is aware if this requirement, did file the report and it would be his word against Thai Immigration, a conflict I am willing to just pay an additional 800-1.600 baht once a year to avoid, frankly.

I am getting a pretty good deal with this apartment, like the easy going nature of the landlord and am not inclined to fuck with all of that just to avoid paying a potentially once a year fine of 800-1,600 baht that he is supposed to pay instead of me. I will certainly tell him the next time I return to my apartment after spending so much as 1 night in a hotel anywhere in the world including two blocks down Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok and remind him he needs to report it within 24 hours or be fined 1,600 baht. LOL. Lovely.

But if I get hit with another 800-1,600 baht fine the very long day I go to Immigration to renew my retirement visa, I will again pay it and count it as an effective increase from the usual 1,900 baht charge to renew. Or I will accept it as a roughly 64-133 baht per month increase in my rent. Lolol.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2322848]A very good explanation on the TM-30.

[URL]https://www.thethailandlife.com/tm30-guide?omhide=true&utm_source=TheThailandLife&utm_campaign=a8302b8e4e-THAI_BITES_24_14_05_2019&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_83cf51b727-a8302b8e4e-1204666177[/URL]

RL.[/QUOTE]Thanks for providing the link to good information. I think the majority of the people living here know one immigration is different from the next! As noted this has been in effect since 2005 but it wasn't until the bombing in Bangkok that they started to get serious. You would think with the technology today video conference that the government can easily click and set up a conference to go over all the rules so it can be consistency. If you aren't sure it is best to go down and ask but don't open a can of worms?

It really is the sole responsibility of the owner to file these TM30's if they don't reason might they don't have a business license?

Here in Jomtien, on Visa forums, it is suggested if you haven't been asked to provide the TM-30 don't I've been doing extension for 12 plus years never been asked about it nor do I plan to bring it up. The fine is the same whether it is one time or ten. A close friend recently went down to extend his trip he likes to talk talk majority of the stuff isn't relevant he ended up in Jomtien paying 1600-1800 then he also had to pay for his Thai lady since he is staying at her place.

In a recent interview with the Jomtien immigration chief, he stated based on his interpretation an expat on a retirement extension only has to do a TM30 once. They can travel anywhere they want inside Thailand or out they only have to fill out a new TM-30 when they move to a new place which means if you are renting a place A and decide to change and go to be, you need to go down and fill out a new TM-30 otherwise you don't.

It was indicated the 90 day report is enough to keep track of you?

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2314243]CAT is a government Telecom company. It is not well known but they have great Package where you can pay for 1 month or 6 months or a year in one go for a mobile phone SIM card "my" CAT "my 4G". CAT runs the towers so has best reception throughout Thailand.

Various speeds available including 4, 6 , and 8 Mbps.

My girlfriend's brother downloads several full movies a day to his phone. No drop in speed. Great for video watching, e. G. Football replays, etc. Porn no problem. I know he does a lot of that. LOL. Most well known companies detect big downloads and throttle you.

I will get my own CAT card, when this one runs out of the 6 months. I will probably do the great deal to pay once per year. I m using phone hotspot to give Internet to my laptop and doing my work. It is performing better than the home fixed line in remote Thailand.

Many calls per month included I think. More than I could ever use. Mostly we are using Line, Whatsapp etc. , few traditional calls.

Unfortunately web site English is not that extensive, but enquire at CAT office, Mon-Fri 8. 30 to 4 PM. I have no business connection. 2nd floor Times Square

[URL]http://www.mybycat.com/en/PrePay.php?package=90_%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9E%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%88%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A1-my-%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%95%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%99-1,-4,-6-Mbps[/URL]

I used to get sick of bad internet through AIS, BB, True, etc, whether in hotels, Apartments, in Bangkok, or in the Country.

So far my borrowed CAT SIM is qiving me much better than what I used to. No speed drops!

6 months at 6Mbps no speed reductions is 1800 Baht. 4Mbps is cheaper. Pay for the year and more discount.[/QUOTE]I've been on My by Cat for about a week now. I assume it works better in Bangkok which I will find out when I go to Bangkok in a couple of days. Visited the Pattaya office located on South Pattaya Road just east of Third Road, near Tukcom. You can't miss it. The value is great. 6 Mbps for 3 months for 1000 baht plus 70 baht for the new SIM card. Is it faster and more reliable than DTAC and AIS? Way better than DTAC which has been crap all year and marginally better than AIS, but way cheaper for sure and no worries at all about data usage since it is unlimited.

Thanks Syzy for the tip. I am happy with the switch and will get the 6 month 1800 baht plan next time. I now have cash for an extra lady drink or two each month!

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2323195]
Thanks Syzy for the tip. I am happy with the switch and will get the 6 month 1800 baht plan next time. I now have cash for an extra lady drink or two each month![/QUOTE]I got the tip from a ladyboy who is a close relative of my Mrs. "She" does large amounts of downloading with torrents. Have been using a CAT landline for some time. However that is unreliable not due to CAT's fault, but in rural Thailand trees are not trimmed to keep them away from power lines and phone lines, internet lines as well. So any storm comes, trees are likely to fall on power lines and internet lines can be taken out too. Cables in the roof had to shielded in plastic pipe to stop rats from chewing the cable. Thailand has a lot of vermin, where very cold countries probably have a lot less to deal with.

Here CAT phone 4 G signal is a little weak but still works that I can watch a movie. Never was possible on my AIS SIM before. I have to admit though I was too stingy to take the very top AIS plans with unlimited high speed, as more costly per month.

Now I have taken 6 months in one go with CAT for just under 2000 Baht, I don't even care if I am not in Thailand for some of those months. I could have taken monthly, but the set and forget convenience is appealing.

I used a CAT SIM at 4 Mbps in Bangkok a couple of weeks back, and was definitely better than I have got for similar money plans with AIS, and way better than the hotel internet supplied.

Have a generator in case of extended power outage now. One cannot tolerate multiple hours with power down in Thailand. Its too hot. Voltage surge protection and stabilization comes next and finally a UPS maybe, however perhaps very short power outages will not be a big burden. Power outages are frequent in Bangkok also (at least in areas where I had been living), so I guess throughout Thailand.

Well worth having dual SIM phones here in Thailand and overseas for me. One phone or SIM could be the "monger phone". My mongering winds down but still have too many female contacts / Giks.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2323240]Have a generator in case of extended power outage now. One cannot tolerate multiple hours with power down in Thailand. Its too hot. Voltage surge protection and stabilization comes next and finally a UPS maybe, however perhaps very short power outages will not be a big burden. Power outages are frequent in Bangkok also (at least in areas where I had been living), so I guess throughout Thailand.

Well worth having dual SIM phones here in Thailand and overseas for me. One phone or SIM could be the "monger phone". My mongering winds down but still have too many female contacts / Giks.[/QUOTE]Brilliant. Why didn't I think of buying a generator? We get power outages all the time and my place gets stinking hot pretty fast with no AC or fan. Where would I get one here? HomePro? Index? Big C?

Agree. Dual SIM phones are a must for all of us.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2323246]Brilliant. Why didn't I think of buying a generator? We get power outages all the time and my place gets stinking hot pretty fast with no AC or fan. Where would I get one here? HomePro? Index? Big C?

Agree. Dual SIM phones are a must for all of us.[/QUOTE]I got it from Global House (very large hardware store in the province), and runs on Benzene petrol (maybe you call that gas in the USA). Mid sized for home use. Home Pro should have them I guess. Big C not likely. I have not got an electrician to setup connection to main wiring. To start with we just have long plug in cables with power boards on the ends. So can plug in critical things like fans, lamps, Water pump, Refrigerator, etc. Maybe the aircon too if total power consumption does not exceed its capacity.

I think a generator is good for outages more than 10 minutes, of course you don't know how long it is going to be. I would also suggest lamps with rechargeable batteries over candles. Generators do make some noise, but not as bad as dogs barking, roosters crowing, ha ha.

If very annoyed by brief power outages, then UPS boxes with batteries maybe the way to go, however I have not gone that far yet.

I had an 8 hour power outage once through the stormy night. Don't have to do that again. Most recent one was only 30 minutes but still that is a little too long when very hot, and we need the water pump to operate to flush the toilet and take a shower.

Out in the country, sometimes they setup a big stage somewhere and do "Mor Ram" folk singing and dancing shows, a bit like a circus coming to town but no animals. Music is blasting, and they usually power those shows by generators, because may not have access to reliable local power.

You can get at HomePro runs around 18,000 baht if you buying foreign brand like Honda and up depending on what you need power need do not use indoor need ventilation.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2323251]I would also suggest lamps with rechargeable batteries over candles. [/QUOTE]I highly recommend everyone to buy this rechargeable LED flashlight that is bright enough to light up an entire room. Just plug in to the wall to recharge. They have similar ones that run on batteries. 69 baht at Mr. DIY. One of the very few non necessity goods have purchased in Thailand.

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan;2323419]You can get at HomePro runs around 18,000 baht if you buying foreign brand like Honda and up depending on what you need power need do not use indoor need ventilation.[/QUOTE]Mine is a bit cheaper for fairly lower total power requirements, not Honda brand. Hard to know if "Bison" name is reliable or not.

Yes definitely for outdoors, like would not use a petrol engine indoors for any other things.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2323543]I highly recommend everyone to buy this rechargeable LED flashlight that is bright enough to light up an entire room. Just plug in to the wall to recharge. They have similar ones that run on batteries. 69 baht at Mr. DIY. One of the very few non necessity goods have purchased in Thailand.[/QUOTE]Thanks, will get one or three.

We have headlamps (strap to one's head) for doing stuff outdoors at night, but these mentioned above will be better for more general lighting in power outage. Thais tend to use candles or even gas or kerosene lanterns.

Many years ago, probably in the 1990's, I went to Koh Chang which was undeveloped, and had no roads, only motor cycle tracks. Also no power supply except for generators maybe, so kerosene lanterns were commonly used. I took 3 girls with me (one was a Tom Boy type of friend of the others so had no interest to do her even she worked as a hooker, not really slim). I suppose no one had smart phones in those days, so girls smoked pot, rather than playing smart phone games all the time. Major past times were eating, smoking Ganja (from Cambodia), sleeping and sex. Not much else. They were too lazy to go on extended walk to the waterfall. These days, taking away 3 girls for a multi day holiday would cost you an arm and a leg. Back in those days very cheap, bungalow accommodation was cheap too, and even a big bag of Ganja from Cambodia was maybe 100 Baht, maybe a little more. There were no police on the Island at all.

[QUOTE=Penguin69;2322756]Be interested to know about the opportunities for mongering in and Korea.[/QUOTE]If you're not Korean, the options are going to be limited. In terms of least to most expensive: either you go to one of the few remaining RLDs, a massage parlor, or go to a room salon / booking club (and spend lots of money. Think over $300 USD before any P4 P).

There might be some Officetels that will allow foreigners, but prices range from $150 USD - $1000 k USD for the VIP ones, and that doesn't include any price gouging they may try. In other words, Thailand is much, much cheaper.

[QUOTE=NotherMonger;2323565]If you're not Korean, the options are going to be limited. In terms of least to most expensive: either you go to one of the few remaining RLDs, a massage parlor, or go to a room salon / booking club (and spend lots of money. Think over $300 USD before any P4 P).

There might be some Officetels that will allow foreigners, but prices range from $150 USD - $1000 k USD for the VIP ones, and that doesn't include any price gouging they may try. In other words, Thailand is much, much cheaper.[/QUOTE]OP was asking about North Korea. Pretty sure there is no hobbying there for a Farang.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2323251]...

I think a generator is good for outages more than 10 minutes, of course you don't know how long it is going to be. I would also suggest lamps with rechargeable batteries over candles. Generators do make some noise, but not as bad as dogs barking, roosters crowing, ha ha.
... [/QUOTE]On the subject of candles, those fake but quite realisitic looking battery operated candles you see for sale in shops and on some vendor tables around town (300-500 baht for medium size ones) are great for creating a romantic candlelight atmosphere in a room without the smell, melting wax and open flame heat generated by real candles. Two D Cell batteries seem to last longer than the several hours claimed on the product.

This is not exactly addressing the power blackout minus a generator issue since one of the last things you'd want to do during a power blackout in Thailand with no aircon and no functioning fan is create a romantic atmosphere. LOL.

But I keep a couple of them on hand to sometimes add to the atmosphere when all the electric appliances are functioning. And, in fact, they do come in handy to light up a bathroom in order to take a cool shower or tend to other things during power blackouts without draining your smartphone battery firing up a flashlight app for the purpose. Again, absent a generator.

Those fake candles are so damned realistic and so much less hassle than real candles I wonder why anyone but the truly poor buy real candles anymore. Other than birthday cake candles, that is.

Hey, you can create a candlelight ambience in your room without the aircon and fan blowing out a real flame because there is no real flame, only an amazing simulation of one. LOL.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2323545]Mine is a bit cheaper for fairly lower total power requirements, not Honda brand. Hard to know if "Bison" name is reliable or not.

Yes definitely for outdoors, like would not use a petrol engine indoors for any other things.[/QUOTE]Get a generator set up with an automatic change over switch and use a diesel generator.

[URL]http://www.generatorsolutions.org[/URL]

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2323608]OP was asking about North Korea. Pretty sure there is no hobbying there for a Farang.[/QUOTE]NORTH Korea? Ah, my mistake. I'm not sure why anyone would want to even try that there but to each their own.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2323545]Mine is a bit cheaper for fairly lower total power requirements, not Honda brand. Hard to know if "Bison" name is reliable or not.

Yes definitely for outdoors, like would not use a petrol engine indoors for any other things.[/QUOTE]So right but you just don't know about people then it being Thailand better be sure if you have family members here! I got mines from an Auction house prior I had checked the cost of course if you buy name here the cost is going to be much harder. I don't know the Bison name but if it works go with it, not like one needs to use it daily. Had it for 5 years use it twice funny how things work as soon as you get one the power never goes out? Still does but not for long periods I spend more time keeping it tuned and from being rusted?

[QUOTE=NotherMonger;2323804]NORTH Korea? Ah, my mistake. I'm not sure why anyone would want to even try that there but to each their own.[/QUOTE]It won't happen in my lifetime? But if it ever opens up NK, it will be the new frontier of mongering? I remember the 70's. Early 80's the South? Those were the days.

[QUOTE=LittleBigMan;2323864]So right but you just don't know about people then it being Thailand better be sure if you have family members here! I got mines from an Auction house prior I had checked the cost of course if you buy name here the cost is going to be much harder. I don't know the Bison name but if it works go with it, not like one needs to use it daily. Had it for 5 years use it twice funny how things work as soon as you get one the power never goes out? Still does but not for long periods I spend more time keeping it tuned and from being rusted?[/QUOTE]I had the Honda 2000 Inverter, very quiet. Cost me $845.00 in 2005, sold it when I sold my house for $850.00, in 2015. Brand names always hold their price. And yes I only used it 4 time in all those years. Smart to have one around, I was the only one with lights in my valley.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2323896]I had the Honda 2000 Inverter, very quiet. Cost me $845.00 in 2005, sold it when I sold my house for $850.00, in 2015. Brand names always hold their price. And yes I only used it 4 time in all those years. Smart to have one around, I was the only one with lights in my valley.

RL.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=LittleBigMan;2323866]It won't happen in my lifetime? But if it ever opens up NK, it will be the new frontier of mongering? I remember the 70's. Early 80's the South? Those were the days.[/QUOTE]Where else can one find a discussion about sex tourism advice in North Korea and power generators!?

To be honest my post was just curiosity about the motives of the member visiting NK. I as much guessed it wasn't for hobbying, but one can't be sure. Everyone likes a challenge.

I'm flying Hanoi to Phuket via Bangkok DMK. I want to buy some champagne for Phuket stay.

I'd be interested to know availability and range of prices at DMK as I could wait to buy in Phuket if lower (any recs on places to purchase in Phuket welcome too).

Buying in Hanoi could be an option, if worth it, as I could buy duty free I imagine, heading to Thailand. (I have checked luggage).

Thanks.

[QUOTE=Penguin69;2324530]I'm flying Hanoi to Phuket via Bangkok DMK. I want to buy some champagne for Phuket stay.

I'd be interested to know availability and range of prices at DMK as I could wait to buy in Phuket if lower (any recs on places to purchase in Phuket welcome too).

Buying in Hanoi could be an option, if worth it, as I could buy duty free I imagine, heading to Thailand. (I have checked luggage).

Thanks.[/QUOTE]I don't know specifically about champagne, however King Power Duty Free in Thailand is a big rip off place for many items, imported items and alcohol not particularly cheap, ladies creams and perfumes not that cheap either, imported chocolate prices terrible. Then again I can't say if Hanoi is any better. I bought Pink Moet in Germany rather than try to buy here. Other alcohol bought very cheaply in Italy.

Supermarkets here have very steep prices for imported goods of quality. There are agents that don't do anything making a fortune in the mark up of the prices.

Maybe someone else will know a lot more specifics about champagne here. You might be able to order delivery from somewhere with a much better deal.

Anyone is retired in Thailand? Life is good in Thailand? I would like to retire in Asia (Thailand maybe).

[QUOTE=Penguin69;2324530]I'm flying Hanoi to Phuket via Bangkok DMK. I want to buy some champagne for Phuket stay.

I'd be interested to know availability and range of prices at DMK as I could wait to buy in Phuket if lower (any recs on places to purchase in Phuket welcome too).

Buying in Hanoi could be an option, if worth it, as I could buy duty free I imagine, heading to Thailand. (I have checked luggage).

Thanks.[/QUOTE]Of course you know that you can't carry on liquid for more than one flight? You need to put into checked luggage. And there is a maximum amount that you can legally enter the country with in your position. I think it is 1 liter.

I always enter Thailand from Taiwan and I buy one liter of Martel Cordon Blu. The best Cognac on Earth. And BTW, Duty Free is far from Free. Most of the prices are normal retail prices in the USA or even higher.

I have never seen Thai Customs search anyone at any Thai airports, so having many bottles in your check in bags might get thru. But somewhere they might be scanning bags. If yours get flagged, you loose.

Good Luck.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2324942]Of course you know that you can't carry on liquid for more than one flight? You need to put into checked luggage. And there is a maximum amount that you can legally enter the country with in your position. I think it is 1 liter.

I always enter Thailand from Taiwan and I buy one liter of Martel Cordon Blu. The best Cognac on Earth. And BTW, Duty Free is far from Free. Most of the prices are normal retail prices in the USA or even higher.

I have never seen Thai Customs search anyone at any Thai airports, so having many bottles in your check in bags might get thru. But somewhere they might be scanning bags. If yours get flagged, you loose.

Good Luck.

RL.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Syzygies;2324891]I don't know specifically about champagne, however King Power Duty Free in Thailand is a big rip off place for many items, imported items and alcohol not particularly cheap, ladies creams and perfumes not that cheap either, imported chocolate prices terrible. Then again I can't say if Hanoi is any better. I bought Pink Moet in Germany rather than try to buy here. Other alcohol bought very cheaply in Italy.

Supermarkets here have very steep prices for imported goods of quality. There are agents that don't do anything making a fortune in the mark up of the prices.

Maybe someone else will know a lot more specifics about champagne here. You might be able to order delivery from somewhere with a much better deal.[/QUOTE]Thanks for input fellas.

As I live in Italy, purchasing here and taking a bottle could work. All my next trip legs have luggage check in option if needed so I could do that.

The reason for this question is that my booked hotel in Phuket doesn't sell booze in room service. Not really a big problem as I'm not a big drinker these days. I want a source for the Champagne for this occasion only. Maybe there are local shopping options in Phuket? I generally hate supermarkets so last visit to SEA gave me reason to avoid them completely as eating out is so reasonable. I'm guessing even if I found a local supermarket selling it, it still might not be as cheap as Italy.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2324942]<SNIP> And BTW, Duty Free is far from Free. Most of the prices are normal retail prices in the USA or even higher.
[/QUOTE]I have done a simple price comparison on several so-called duty-free items in HK, Incheon and Guam in trips over the past 3 months, and I can state with certainty that I can buy the same items in the SM liquor stores in Manila at the same or cheaper prices in Manila.

My reference points were Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Glenfiddich and Tanqueray gin. Each were cheaper in Manila and I didn't need to carry them on the plane.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2324942]
I have never seen Thai Customs search anyone at any Thai airports, so having many bottles in your check in bags might get thru. But somewhere they might be scanning bags. If yours get flagged, you loose.

Good Luck.

RL.[/QUOTE]I had more than one cheap bottle from Italy I believe, and got through no problem. I don't know what it is about me, but Thai customs are never interested in me or my bags. If you are Chinese though, that maybe very different. So I am sure racial discrimination / profiling is going on.

One is more likely to have bag searched in home country. Never been checked in Europe either.

A gas cigarette lighter was once taken out of my luggage from Germany though, so I guess they xray for specific things. I don't believe it had any gas in it, most likely. Memory fades.

A bottle of expensive hair growth lotion I had in my hand luggage was objected to on a transit to Samui in BKK. The bottle was nearly half empty but it was a 150 ml bottle and only bottles up to 100 ml were allowed in carry-on luggage, so they said. They let me go and buy a insect repellent 100 ml bottle from the pharmacy. I threw away the insect repellent into the washroom sink and replaced it with the hair growth lotion. I was then let through. A pointless procedure but at least they didn't confiscate the bottle outright.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2324942]

I have never seen Thai Customs search anyone at any Thai airports, so having many bottles in your check in bags might get thru. But somewhere they might be scanning bags. If yours get flagged, you loose.

[/QUOTE]I've seen customs officers in BKK stopping people and searching / X-Raying their bags. Probably profiled or random stops more likely, usually younger passengers.

Never happened to me, but I have heard of cigarettes and booze being confiscated when more than the allowed amount was discovered. Fines for this also. TIT.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2324942]I always enter Thailand from Taiwan and I buy one liter of Martel Cordon Blu. The best Cognac on Earth.

RL.[/QUOTE]Yuck. That's what the boys from the hood drink.

[QUOTE=Nyezhov;2325035]Yuck. That's what the boys from the hood drink.[/QUOTE]You got it. It is a Viet Nam error thing. A French contribution to their occupation in SEA. The best of the best, or as you put it, "the boys in the hood". You can pay big bucks for good cognac but the flavor of Cordon Blu is unmatched.

Watch, Apocalypse Now, a movie by Francis Ford Copula. He also has vineyards and award winning wines.

RL.

Can somebody explain to me why a 20 year old cutie in any country would sleep with a sixty something year old if not for monetary reward. Posts about spending sex filled days with contacts from social media where money is never discussed baffle me.

I am not casting aspirations on the validity of the posters but what is it be about.

Amazing sex or curiosity about what's it like with an old guy?

Maybe she likes discussing western values, culture, art, literature. Perhaps it's been taken to good restaurants bars and clubs, trips abroad or to the beach but most posts don't mention this as part of the arrangement and often in fact boast about it costing them nothing.

I keep coming back to it being that the girls see something in it for them whether short term and immediate or more long term where money is not discussed in the early stages. Here they roll the dice, hope for the best and take their chances it will work out eventually.

What am I missing?

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2325457]Can somebody explain to me why a 20 year old cutie in any country would sleep with a sixty something year old if not for monetary reward. Posts about spending sex filled days with contacts from social media where money is never discussed baffle me.

I am not casting aspirations on the validity of the posters but what is it be about.

Amazing sex or curiosity about what's it like with an old guy?

Maybe she likes discussing western values, culture, art, literature. Perhaps it's been taken to good restaurants bars and clubs, trips abroad or to the beach but most posts don't mention this as part of the arrangement and often in fact boast about it costing them nothing.

I keep coming back to it being that the girls see something in it for them whether short term and immediate or more long term where money is not discussed in the early stages. Here they roll the dice, hope for the best and take their chances it will work out eventually.

What am I missing?[/QUOTE]If it's for a single night, no one will know exactly except for the 2 involved.

If it's for a week long trip to a nice place where the expenses, meals and gifts are paid for, that is believable and does happen.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2325457]Can somebody explain to me why a 20 year old cutie in any country would sleep with a sixty something year old if not for monetary reward. Posts about spending sex filled days with contacts from social media where money is never discussed baffle me.

I am not casting aspirations on the validity of the posters but what is it be about.

Amazing sex or curiosity about what's it like with an old guy?

Maybe she likes discussing western values, culture, art, literature. Perhaps it's been taken to good restaurants bars and clubs, trips abroad or to the beach but most posts don't mention this as part of the arrangement and often in fact boast about it costing them nothing.

I keep coming back to it being that the girls see something in it for them whether short term and immediate or more long term where money is not discussed in the early stages. Here they roll the dice, hope for the best and take their chances it will work out eventually.

What am I missing?[/QUOTE]Why do they sleep with you?

In 3 trips to Thailand I have only scored one "free" girl. The free meaning no money exchanged for sex but I did buy her lunch, dinner, a cup of coffee and I volunteered to buy her a scarf that she was going to pay for anyhow.

What she got out of it? To stay in a 3 star hotel, her first white cock and the potential of snagging a long time boyfriend.

I have been to Bali more frequently and I have only paid once. Again of course there is food and drinks involved but no money for sex. I don't ask what their motives are but again it would range from experimenting to the prospect of a better future.

It does happen but in an environment like Thailand I think select and pay is far easier.

Rob.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2325457]Can somebody explain to me why a 20 year old cutie in any country would sleep with a sixty something year old if not for monetary reward. Posts about spending sex filled days with contacts from social media where money is never discussed baffle me.
[/QUOTE]Females do not appear to be as hung up on the age of the partner, as many males are. We will never understand them.

Definitely they are far more economically motivated than us, and also want reliable guys. There is the thing about trying Farangs.

Some girls do say they would rather have good sex with an older guy, over bad sex with a young selfish guy, however I think they would take the young hot guy in preference if he performs as good, and can appear experienced. I definitely notice a big decline in the way young Thai girls respond to me, compared to over 25 years ago, yet my skills are better now.

Girls can get it off, and can close their eyes if necessary and pretend its a young Brad Pitt, I guess.

In general, older guys are never seen as undesirable as older girls, if they are in reasonable condition. Some girls claim to like fat older guys. One very slim Long Gun special dancer girl of the past, would knock me back, and say she much preferred older cuddly Teddy Bear (fatter) type guys, and only went with guys occasionally (possible had a BF). Perhaps she was scared the sex workout would be too arduous. Maybe was just bullshit. I will never know. She was always happy to sit with me and get drunk. Just no sex available.

Anyway, like you, I don't always understand really.

My Mrs wants me a hell of a lot (20+ years older than her) when she is on "premium herb", but when she runs out of that, she gets lazy and not very horny. Us guys, we are just horny all the time, almost. No assist needed and always ready for it. Well actually no. The Mrs is hot, but if an old ugly girl wants to fuck me, I would not be that interested and dick might not rise to the occasion. We just have been getting girls too good (for looks) for too long.

Unlike others, a very plain looking pornstar is not my objective.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2323543]I highly recommend everyone to buy this rechargeable LED flashlight that is bright enough to light up an entire room. Just plug in to the wall to recharge. They have similar ones that run on batteries. 69 baht at Mr. DIY. One of the very few non necessity goods have purchased in Thailand.[/QUOTE]Yes I got some. Unfortunately were slightly more expensive at Tesco Lotus. Limited options nearby, but maybe looked in the wrong place.

Perhaps mine are slightly different (but not much). However important to have some instant lighting when electricity goes down, till plug in the cords to the generator.

Already used the generator once now, but fortunately the outage was only 20 to 30 minutes. Was so hot, I certainly wanted the backup power fairly quickly to get the fans and refrigerator going. If overload it or some other problem the cut out switch can be tripped, but then just flick the switch back on a again. I am far out in country and its a bad area for outages. Virtually any high power wind in a storm will bring down branches onto power lines out on the main road. Council maintenance is poor to non existent.

Hello, its raining now at last, although wind is not high yet. We might be in for an outage soon. Ha ha.

[QUOTE=XXL;2325012]A bottle of expensive hair growth lotion I had in my hand luggage was objected to on a transit to Samui in BKK. The bottle was nearly half empty but it was a 150 ml bottle and only bottles up to 100 ml were allowed in carry-on luggage, so they said. They let me go and buy a insect repellent 100 ml bottle from the pharmacy. I threw away the insect repellent into the washroom sink and replaced it with the hair growth lotion. I was then let through. A pointless procedure but at least they didn't confiscate the bottle outright.[/QUOTE]Same as the US. Ridiculous as shit. When I first moved to Pattaya I brought some enzyme deodorizer. Since the bottle was too big I bought smaller bottles to put it in. I still brought the original bottle empty. What fucking sense does that make?

[QUOTE=RedKilt;2324993]I have done a simple price comparison on several so-called duty-free items in HK, Incheon and Guam in trips over the past 3 months, and I can state with certainty that I can buy the same items in the SM liquor stores in Manila at the same or cheaper prices in Manila.[/QUOTE]Brother that is anywhere. I don't know why people are still falling for the duty free rip off. In the Dominican Republic I took my coworker to the grocery store to buy some liquor. When we left and were going through duty free at the airport I pointed out to her that the price was double what we paid at the grocery store.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2325457]Can somebody explain to me why a 20 year old cutie in any country would sleep with a sixty something year old if not for monetary reward. Posts about spending sex filled days with contacts from social media where money is never discussed baffle me.

I am not casting aspirations on the validity of the posters but what is it be about.

Amazing sex or curiosity about what's it like with an old guy?

Maybe she likes discussing western values, culture, art, literature. Perhaps it's been taken to good restaurants bars and clubs, trips abroad or to the beach but most posts don't mention this as part of the arrangement and often in fact boast about it costing them nothing.

I keep coming back to it being that the girls see something in it for them whether short term and immediate or more long term where money is not discussed in the early stages. Here they roll the dice, hope for the best and take their chances it will work out eventually.

What am I missing?[/QUOTE]In my case, the times where a 20 year old cutie met me under totally non P4P circumstances and had sex with me without any discussion or (apparently) expectation of money have been rare. Three times in the past few years while I was in my 60's for sure. Maybe another 1-2 times that I've forgotten due to sheer numbers of other girls I've been with both directly P4P and not. The times when the cutie has been in her late 20's or early 30's has been much more often. I'd say a dozen times or more at least.

With the 20 year olds (let's say 18 to 23 years old), I can only say we met either on a dating site or with her working in a restaurant or mall, a sort of friendship was struck, we had a date and by the end of that first or second date max we were naked in my bed and having sex. I cannot say what their "real" motive was other than what they said about it; that they liked/loved me and wanted to have sex with me. In no case have I taken a girl to expensive restaurants except perhaps once out of curiosity to check it out (mine, not there's). There were no luxury hotels, no whirlwind trips domestically or abroad, no shopping sprees or anything like that. Of course, as it is with virtually ALL women, I am sure they were/are looking for "something in it for them" other than profit-free rolls in the sack.

With the late 20's and early 30's girls it is easy to assume they are looking to play the long game with ongoing security being the goal, just like women everywhere. They have seen their value to local Thai men plummet due to their advanced age (LOL), due to their having a baby or both. And that is what I do assume.

But there is another group of young cute girls I sometimes meet on the dating sites who are delving in what I would call "P4P Curious" behavior. They are toying with the idea of making much easier, faster and bigger money than their education and business networking or connections levels could ever produce by earning money for having sex with relative strangers. They meet me, feel safe or relaxed with me, like me enough to give it away for free once or twice, come to believe the part of P4P life where they have sex with men who they would not ordinarily choose for a romp just for the pleasure of it is ok with them after all and then they hit me up for money to pay for it one way or another later. Maybe they don't want to admit openly or to themselves that they are in fact hooking.

For the most part, that last category of girls saw it as P4P all along (and so did I really) but were willing to get the Pay a few days After in order to give that arrangement a test drive with someone they felt ok about being with. And, let's face it, they were testing it with a man for whom they assumed they would not "fall in love" in the way they might with a much younger, more age-appropriate man. I am sure it was like, "Hey, this guy seems like a good test subject. Let's see if I am ok with having sex with older men for money." And it goes like that once or twice until I get the Line message about the sick or dying grandma.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2325457]Can somebody explain to me why a 20 year old cutie in any country would sleep with a sixty something year old if not for monetary reward. Posts about spending sex filled days with contacts from social media where money is never discussed baffle me.

I am not casting aspirations on the validity of the posters but what is it be about.[/QUOTE]Perhaps you should. Remember what one poster said? If there are no pics, it just did not happen. LOL.

[QUOTE=Blanquiceleste;2326205]Perhaps you should. Remember what one poster said? If there are no pics, it just did not happen. LOL.[/QUOTE]In that case, there are only 2-3 posters here who have ever had sex with anyone. And that many isn't even a certainty. How often do we see pics in these threads of people engaging in actual sex acts? On the rare occasions we do, how do we know the guy in the pic is really the poster or that the girl is the one he is reporting on?

You're not counting Line screen shots or pics of girls sitting next to a guy, smiling at the camera as proof that actual sex occurred at any time between them are you?

It's possible to have a permanent visa if I buy a property in Thailand? Do I own 100% of property land? I hesitate buying a property between Brazil and Thailand. I know if I buy in Brazil, I own 100% of property land I buy. Can I stay 3 months in Thailand if I get a Brazilian permanent visa?

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2326168]But there is another group of young cute girls I sometimes meet on the dating sites who are delving in what I would call "P4P Curious" behavior. They are toying with the idea of making much easier, faster and bigger money than their education and business networking or connections levels could ever produce by earning money for having sex with relative strangers. They meet me, feel safe or relaxed with me, like me enough to give it away for free once or twice, come to believe the part of P4P life where they have sex with men who they would not ordinarily choose for a romp just for the pleasure of it is ok with them after all and then they hit me up for money to pay for it one way or another later. Maybe they don't want to admit openly or to themselves that they are in fact hooking.[/QUOTE]Actually ET whether she is 20 or 28 doesn't make a lot of difference in my failing to understand why they sleep with a sixty year old unless it is for the money.

I sometimes with nothing better to do peruse genuine international dating sites and I have rarely if ever seen a girl in her twenties or indeed thirties indicate she is happy meeting up with men 30 to 40 years older than her.

I am also for the sake of the conversation talking about attractive girls who are not short of possibilities with guys closer to their own age. Those challenged by the figures of beauty may decide a shag with jolly old Jim is better than staying at home with her 6 inch dildo.

I totally get explanations summarized under playing the long game. "How long you stay " is a box checked early on by the girls.

As to curiosity about what's it like with an old geezer, possible I suppose but I imagine rare particularly with Thai girls.

I get it that some working prefer older guys, less wear and tear and possibly more satisfying but only if they are being paid.

Your explanation that it's possibly a novice intending on entering the P4P business deciding on checking it out first with an old guy of her choice before going all in I find a stretch.

To finish I find paying for it less complicated, more satisfying and I would feel more than guilty if there was even a hint that she was playing the long game and I had no intention of ever helping her with the vet bills for the sick buffalo.

I'm no where close to 60 and I feel self conscious with some of the younger looking girls. I don't care if a girl is 18,19, or 20. It's fine if they look it but a couple of the girls I really like are 19 and 20 now but definitely look like little kids to me still. One keeps asking me to go to Hollywood on her days off but I keep turning her down.

I'd like to bring up a point that most girls who say they are 18 or 19 are really older, They figure most Farang tourists have no clue on their age. Even I have been very wrong on age before, I guessed a girl to be 19 and she was 25, another I guessed 26 and she was 37. Asian girls can really fool you so next time you think you're with a young Asian girl she may mot be as young as you think.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2326309]I'd like to bring up a point that most girls who say they are 18 or 19 are really older[/QUOTE]I think that's true in the USA, but it's definitely not true in Jakarta. If a girl in Jakarta tells you she is 18 or 19, she is likely 14 or 15. So it's best to check their ID first.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2326339]If a girl in Jakarta tells you she is 18 or 19, she is likely 14 or 15. So it's best to check their ID first.[/QUOTE]Same in PH. If she says she's 18, it normally means she's turning 18 this year or next.

[QUOTE=Goferring;2326356]Same in PH. If she says she's 18, it normally means she's turning 18 this year or next.[/QUOTE]Same story in Cambodia. On my recent trip last month I met a girl at a bar near the Pontoon area. In the bar she said 22. I barfined her and took her to my hotel. At the hotel reception the guy checked her ID and told me she is not even 17 yet. I gave her $10 and sent her on her way. This is why I prefer a hotel which enforces a strict ID check policy.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2326213]In that case, there are only 2-3 posters here who have ever had sex with anyone. And that many isn't even a certainty. How often do we see pics in these threads of people engaging in actual sex acts? On the rare occasions we do, how do we know the guy in the pic is really the poster or that the girl is the one he is reporting on?

You're not counting Line screen shots or pics of girls sitting next to a guy, smiling at the camera as proof that actual sex occurred at any time between them are you?[/QUOTE]Hey, I was not the guy who made that preposterous statement. 5555.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2326213]In that case, there are only 2-3 posters here who have ever had sex with anyone. And that many isn't even a certainty. How often do we see pics in these threads of people engaging in actual sex acts? On the rare occasions we do, how do we know the guy in the pic is really the poster or that the girl is the one he is reporting on?

You're not counting Line screen shots or pics of girls sitting next to a guy, smiling at the camera as proof that actual sex occurred at any time between them are you?[/QUOTE]Nobody said they didn't have sex with "anyone". They just likely had sex with a girl far less attractive than they claim. A photo tells the story. They don't have to post themselves having sex with the girl or even a photo of them with the girl, they can simply post a photo that is obviously not a glamour shot and we can take them for their word. At least it gives more perspective than a claim in text.

I've posted hundreds of pics on this forum over the years. It's not difficult. Some guys like some of the girls and others don't. But the photos speak volumes. Syzgies is still drooling over that one photo I posted of Ice from Crazy House a while ago. Had I not posted the photo, the post wouldn't even have gotten a notice.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2326560]Nobody said they didn't have sex with "anyone". They just likely had sex with a girl far less attractive than they claim. A photo tells the story. They don't have to post themselves having sex with the girl or even a photo of them with the girl, they can simply post a photo that is obviously not a glamour shot and we can take them for their word. At least it gives more perspective than a claim in text.

I've posted hundreds of pics on this forum over the years. It's not difficult. Some guys like some of the girls and others don't. But the photos speak volumes. Syzgies is still drooling over that one photo I posted of Ice from Crazy House a while ago. Had I not posted the photo, the post wouldn't even have gotten a notice.[/QUOTE]And what happens if a poster has sex with someone far less attractive than the reader imagined? Nothing, imo. I think you found that out with regard to Ice. For you and perhaps for 1,000 other guys, sitting in the presence of Ice turned you on in ways her photo could never in a million years convey, right?

By contrast, I might sit next to someone 2-3 posters here claim is their very high and never to accept a compromise standard/spec for 30 minutes with my hand on her bare thigh and not sprout so much as half a woody. Yet their photos might make them appear to be super hot. Photos often mean near to nothing when it comes to sex. So I don't see the point in providing that kind of perspective. Maybe as a way to identify someone in a bar search I suppose.

Imo, barring extremes of age, weight or physical deformity that take a girl off the list, photos have very little to do with telling the story when it comes to fuckable, doable or even damned sexy girls I and perhaps many, many others might be willing to pay money to be with when out mongering.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2326572]Yet their photos might make them appear to be super hot. Photos often mean near to nothing when it comes to sex. So I don't see the point in providing that kind of perspective.[/QUOTE]I remember the sausages they push around on that cart look so good to me. Finally I could not resist and had to try one. I am sure you guys do not believe I ate the sausage because I am not posting a picture of it. But what I can tell you is that it tasted horrible. Not even sure it was sausage. Anyone have any idea what it really is?

Okay. I did decide to post the glamour shot of the sausage, but I promise you I did try one. Why would you have any doubt that I bought the sausage?

The validity of posts on the forum has always existed. Personally I couldn't give a rat's ass whether somebody's post about an encounter is true or not especially if they are well written and entertaining as some of them are.

Why would I care whether it happened or not. If a member's posts are irritating simply use the ignore button and the problem goes away. Why continue reading and taking issue with the poster. I don't get it.

I do however take exception to shilling and misleading posts if they are intended to entice readers into visiting particular establishments or girls they are in some way associated with.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2326572]And what happens if a poster has sex with someone far less attractive than the reader imagined? Nothing, imo. I think you found that out with regard to Ice. For you and perhaps for 1,000 other guys, sitting in the presence of Ice turned you on in ways her photo could never in a million years convey, right? [/QUOTE]Not at all. I think that photo of Ice very well represented exactly what she looks like. She's not my type, but I had to do her since she was so unique looking. I think every guy who goes to that bar should give her a try simply because she's got such a unique look. I've never seen any other girl like that anywhere in the world. She's not beautiful, but I consider her sexy. That photo let everyone know exactly what I was talking about when referring to her. No text description can tell the story better than a photo.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2326604] Not even sure it was sausage. Anyone have any idea what it really is?[/QUOTE]Dicks with genital warts?

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2326679]Dicks with genital warts?[/QUOTE]Bingo. They aren't selling those to make money, they just sell them for a laugh.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2326560]Syzgies is still drooling over that one photo I posted of Ice from Crazy House a while ago. Had I not posted the photo, the post wouldn't even have gotten a notice.[/QUOTE]Just in case others don't recognise your satire.

I can't recall the pic of Ice now. OF no interest at all. I know who she is. I call her Geronimo due to the level of war paint. I have never spoken to her at all or just declined if she approached. Face is too boy like for me and piercings were too much at one time. Not my taste at all even if is a raunchy girl. Prefer more delicate look. Sillies bore me too.

The last guy that posted pics of pretty girls consistently was Nocbj4 me. Since he went, the Photo gallery has been generally not worth opening.

I got to see pics from some Buddies who do not put them on the forum. So it did happen in case of Natty and some others. Yes there can be bullshit artists too. Allow for all possibilities. Some posters don't see the point to invent bullshit posts.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2326666]Not at all. I think that photo of Ice very well represented exactly what she looks like.

...

She's not beautiful, but I consider her sexy.

...

No text description can tell the story better than a photo.[/QUOTE]See, imo that first statement does not contradict my point. Even though "does not look like the photos" is one of the more often repeated refrains here, I conceded that one could use a photo in order to locate a particular girl in a bar. My point wasn't that a photo would not "look" at all like the girl. Just that it does not tell the story about whether the girl is fuckable or doable or not.

The second statement agreed with my point exactly.

Finally, your third text statement actually DID tell your story, your impression of her in the flesh, much better that her photo IMHO.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2326604]I remember the sausages they push around on that cart look so good to me. Finally I could not resist and had to try one. I am sure you guys do not believe I ate the sausage because I am not posting a picture of it. But what I can tell you is that it tasted horrible. Not even sure it was sausage. Anyone have any idea what it really is?

Okay. I did decide to post the glamour shot of the sausage, but I promise you I did try one. Why would you have any doubt that I bought the sausage?[/QUOTE]LOL. Sorry, Mr. E, I am inclined to cast aspersions on you and your credibility in this regard since a photo of just the sausages alone could have been posted by anybody, even some poor 65 year old Caucasian loser who is plagued by being roundly rejected by those horrible tasting sausages time after time.

Got any pics of you actually biting into one of those sausages? Unless we see that, there is no way to accept that it happened.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2326757] your impression of her in the flesh, much better that her photo IMHO.[/QUOTE]My impression of her in the flesh was exactly the same as in the photo. A unique and wild looking girl. One look at that photo and nobody will deny that.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2326694]I know who she is. I call her Geronimo due to the level of war paint. I have never spoken to her at all or just declined if she approached. [/QUOTE]You should try talking with her sometime even if you have no interest in taking her. She may be the most intelligent girl in the place and is very charming.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2326770]You should try talking with her sometime even if you have no interest in taking her. She may be the most intelligent girl in the place and is very charming.[/QUOTE]I never went into Crazy House looking for an intelligent conversation, her look is certainly unique and wild, but was not exactly making me horny (we all have different taste). I like a more delicate looking girl, maybe a little naughty raunchy. Ice was probably too muscular and strange jaw. I have taken very tats laden girls before, but piercings I prefer to be on the low side. Tongue piercings okay For me.

The music is too loud to have much decent conversation. I usually just joke around a bit.

I found Business student and Hotel trainee at Crazy Cats, Bobbie to be really charming to talk to, but does not fuck (I probably would do her if available). Some other girls slightly prettier, but not good conversationalists. Bobbie was a bit unique (despite the name, not a ladyboy, but could be a Tom for all I know). Crazy Cats does have one or two Ladyboys, in fact I am seeing ladyboys out front of quite a few bars now. They normally particularly focus on Asian customers.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2326767]My impression of her in the flesh was exactly the same as in the photo. A unique and wild looking girl. One look at that photo and nobody will deny that.[/QUOTE]I have seen Ice and commented on her in a post. Can I request that you post the photo again, or refer the posting number. She is a unique looking lady. I also commented on Apple, the great dancer that paints her body. A great body but I saw her outside and tried to talk to her and she ignored me. Inside she was very friendly and wanted drinks. She has the Punk hair style. She is much older than most of the ladies in CH.

RL.

Thanks for the tip gentlemen. I have my CAT internet up and running. I have T-mobile from the States, but it always runs slower here. So I usually use my AIS for primary mobile phone internet. I think I pay like 800 baht per month. Also in my building you can only connect 1 device at a time to the wifi using the code for my room. Chicks always come over wanting wifi but I have my computer or tablet hooked up to it.

When I went to the CAT office this morning and told the lady I was interested in the 6 month 1800 baht plan she acted like she didn't know what I was talking about. Then she told the lady next to her. She grabbed a sheet that was in the middle of a stack of papers with the plan on it. I asked her if there was a 1 year plan. She said 1 year would be the expensive regular price. The 3 month for 1000 baht and 6 month for 1800 baht are promotions.

She asked if I lived here in Thailand and I told her yes. She asked for my passport. I gave her my driver's license as well for the address on the back. She copied both documents and took my picture. The she told me to pick out the phone number I wanted.

The total was like 2019 baht. 69 baht for the SIM and the rest for the internet plan. She said I needed to add at least 10 baht credit every 90 days or it would deactivate. She asked if I had another phone number and told me not to open the SIM until she called me in 1 hour to tell me it was ready. If I had opened it and for some reason it could not be activated, then I would be shit out of luck for my 1900 baht.

I went home and she had called within 20 minutes when I left the store to say it was ready. I had bought a pocket wifi on Amazon before I left the States. I tried it out, but it would not connect to the internet. I had already read the reviews of people saying it was garbage, so I had already gone to my lady at Tukcom Friday to check out some others. There was an AIS model for 2500 but I got them down to 2000. Works perfectly! Thanks again guys.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2327105]Chicks always come over wanting wifi but I have my computer or tablet hooked up to it. [/QUOTE]You can try using your laptop as a hotspot.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2327105]I had bought a pocket wifi on Amazon before I left the States. I tried it out, but it would not connect to the internet. [/QUOTE]This is dependent on the band you are using. If it's GSM then it should work, CDMA won't work. When I buy phones in the US I always buy AT&T compatible phones as they work in Australia and Asia.

[QUOTE=Kerrstar;2327133]You can try using your laptop as a hotspot.[/QUOTE]Isn't this only possible when you are sharing mobile data rather than wifi? My phone cannot become a hot spot with inbound wifi turned on.

Cheers. G.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2327105]Thanks for the tip gentlemen. I have my CAT internet up and running. I have T-mobile from the States, but it always runs slower here. So I usually use my AIS for primary mobile phone internet. I think I pay like 800 baht per month. Also in my building you can only connect 1 device at a time to the wifi using the code for my room. Chicks always come over wanting wifi but I have my computer or tablet hooked up to it.
[/QUOTE]So CAT is costing me about only 400 Baht per month. I paid for full 6 months in advance with a bit extra to cover calls, at 0. 5 Baht per minute.

There will be no need for any further top up for 6 months.

As high speed 6 Mbps and unlimited, I can use my phone hotspot to run several wifi devices, other phones, laptops, etc. I have no need to use the crappy Hotel wifi or a crappy apartment wifi any more.

I used to use AIS which cost more for a slower connection. AIS can have good signal, but I think will always cost more.

My phone has two SIMs as well so I can hold OS SIM cards.

My CAT home internet out in the province was okay Except would go down in power outage (router no power), or when line damaged by falling branches or rats eating the cable. Ha ha. So Phone provided Internet is good, even when weak signal far from the tower.

Phone hotspot can be shared by wifi, Bluetooth or USB cable. It drains the phone battery quicker so plug phone into Mains power or power bank is good idea.

For other poster, some phones have facility to be a wifi bridge. I have not really used it though. If have a good wifi, might be worthwhile. Ha ha.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2327169]So CAT is costing me about only 400 Baht per month. I paid for full 6 months in advance with a bit extra to cover calls, at 0. 5 Baht per minute.

There will be no need for any further top up for 6 months.

As high speed 6 Mbps and unlimited, I can use my phone hotspot to run several wifi devices, other phones, laptops, etc. I have no need to use the crappy Hotel wifi or a crappy apartment wifi any more.

I used to use AIS which cost more for a slower connection. AIS can have good signal, but I think will always cost more.

My phone has two SIMs as well so I can hold OS SIM cards.

My CAT home internet out in the province was okay Except would go down in power outage (router no power), or when line damaged by falling branches or rats eating the cable. Ha ha. So Phone provided Internet is good, even when weak signal far from the tower.

Phone hotspot can be shared by wifi, Bluetooth or USB cable. It drains the phone battery quicker so plug phone into Mains power or power bank is good idea.

For other poster, some phones have facility to be a wifi bridge. I have not really used it though. If have a good wifi, might be worthwhile. Ha ha.[/QUOTE]Didn't you pretty much just say all of this a week or so ago? Why repeat yourself?

Couple of new points but just add those so we don't waste our time reading the same things over and over again.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2327176]Didn't you pretty much just say all of this a week or so ago? Why repeat yourself?

Couple of new points but just add those so we don't waste our time reading the same things over and over again.[/QUOTE]I added a few new points re sharing internet, and enphasized the cost advantage over AIS. Yes some info is repeated.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2326280]Actually ET whether she is 20 or 28 doesn't make a lot of difference in my failing to understand why they sleep with a sixty year old unless it is for the money.

I sometimes with nothing better to do peruse genuine international dating sites and I have rarely if ever seen a girl in her twenties or indeed thirties indicate she is happy meeting up with men 30 to 40 years older than her.

I am also for the sake of the conversation talking about attractive girls who are not short of possibilities with guys closer to their own age. Those challenged by the figures of beauty may decide a shag with jolly old Jim is better than staying at home with her 6 inch dildo.

I totally get explanations summarized under playing the long game. "How long you stay " is a box checked early on by the girls.

As to curiosity about what's it like with an old geezer, possible I suppose but I imagine rare particularly with Thai girls.

I get it that some working prefer older guys, less wear and tear and possibly more satisfying but only if they are being paid.

Your explanation that it's possibly a novice intending on entering the P4P business deciding on checking it out first with an old guy of her choice before going all in I find a stretch.

To finish I find paying for it less complicated, more satisfying and I would feel more than guilty if there was even a hint that she was playing the long game and I had no intention of ever helping her with the vet bills for the sick buffalo.[/QUOTE]Jolly old Jim. Here Where can I find those 20 years who would prefer a freebie shag with a sixty year old instead of staying home with their dildo. I am available Mondays and Wednesday's and every second weekend. Snacks and soft drinks provided.

[QUOTE=Goferring;2327146]Isn't this only possible when you are sharing mobile data rather than wifi? My phone cannot become a hot spot with inbound wifi turned on.

Cheers. G.[/QUOTE]If you have a Windows 10 laptop then it can act as a hotspot for up to 8 devices, even when incoming wifi is on. I don't know how this works but I've used it on my laptop before when travelling and my phone wouldn't connect to the wifi for some reason.

Normally at pedestrian crossings, I don't stand meekly waiting for all the cars to pass like all the others. So I thought I had better check the rules, after a fast moving car beeped me for being on the zebra crossing.

Supposedly the law book as studied for the driving exam states there is 500 Baht fine if a vehicle does not stop at a crossing marked for pedestrians. This seems to apply where cars do not have a green light, maybe no light at all, but could still be in trouble for hitting a pedestrian. However one must understand that most Thais will not know the official rules nor follow them. Many have purchased their license. Seems that Thai unwritten rule is that vehicles have priority over pedestrians.

Perhaps the car approached the crossing too fast and was scared to brake, fearing being rear ended, since vehicles do not maintain safe separation. I have to keep reminding step daughter to stay back from the rear of car in front. They don't teach that to Thais.

I guess I will continue to enter crossings at some risk, but keep an eye on the approaching cars at high speed.

So politeness of vehicles here depends completely on the driver. In Italy cars will stop for you if you cross at the crossing, however they do not stop if you don't start to cross. In Germany politeness is way lower. Cyclists on the road have yelled abuse at me for being on the crossing and not making a big effort to get out of their way. Cyclists on the footpath illegally, will ding ding you with the bell to get out of the way. People do not look where they are walking so cutting off the path of another, without a concern, and then stopping dead is normal.

There are other countries that are far more pilot and respectful of pedestrians.

So the way Zebra crossings work is clearly not at all universal. I had assumed full pedestrian right of way would be observed but not so here. Police may try to enforce it better in some locations but usually just fuck up traffic flow.

[QUOTE=Kerrstar;2328067]If you have a Windows 10 laptop then it can act as a hotspot for up to 8 devices, even when incoming wifi is on. I don't know how this works but I've used it on my laptop before when travelling and my phone wouldn't connect to the wifi for some reason.[/QUOTE]I have more trouble getting my windows 10 laptop to connect to the wifi than I ever do my phone.

I'm scared of getting ran over walking on sidewalks sometimes. The unwritten rule seems to me to be, if there is room for a motorbike there then put one there.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2328161]Normally at pedestrian crossings, I don't stand meekly waiting for all the cars to pass like all the others. So I thought I had better check the rules, after a fast moving car beeped me for being on the zebra crossing.

Supposedly the law book as studied for the driving exam states there is 500 Baht fine if a vehicle does not stop at a crossing marked for pedestrians. This seems to apply where cars do not have a green light, maybe no light at all, but could still be in trouble for hitting a pedestrian. However one must understand that most Thais will not know the official rules nor follow them. Many have purchased their license. Seems that Thai unwritten rule is that vehicles have priority over pedestrians.

Perhaps the car approached the crossing too fast and was scared to brake, fearing being rear ended, since vehicles do not maintain safe separation. I have to keep reminding step daughter to stay back from the rear of car in front. They don't teach that to Thais.

I guess I will continue to enter crossings at some risk, but keep an eye on the approaching cars at high speed.

So politeness of vehicles here depends completely on the driver. In Italy cars will stop for you if you cross at the crossing, however they do not stop if you don't start to cross. In Germany politeness is way lower. Cyclists on the road have yelled abuse at me for being on the crossing and not making a big effort to get out of their way. Cyclists on the footpath illegally, will ding ding you with the bell to get out of the way. People do not look where they are walking so cutting off the path of another, without a concern, and then stopping dead is normal.

There are other countries that are far more pilot and respectful of pedestrians.

So the way Zebra crossings work is clearly not at all universal. I had assumed full pedestrian right of way would be observed but not so here. Police may try to enforce it better in some locations but usually just fuck up traffic flow.[/QUOTE]

The problem with driving rules here they can't be enforced because the system doesn't provide for it except their 1% which is at a roadblock thus the reason in 10 plus years here they have risen to number #1 or close to it year in year out because they have no idea what the rules are?

I'm not a world traveler but here in Thailand close to 15 years when I first got here I noticed the traffic lights and pedestrians and regardless of the rule of law it doesn't seem pedestrian have the right of way no matter where they might be standing? Vehicles in particular on pedestrian or smaller vehicles drivers seem to have learned to use them as a weapon to try to intimidate others. I experience it day in day out on my motorbike I can be traveling within the flow of traffic I look at my right view mirror constantly to see what is coming behind me and can determine who I should move or even stop to let go by. Regularly I see vehicles speed up just so they can tailgate me they seem to think bikes do have a right to be on the road or jokingly Thai small dick syndrome or something?

Each day I use Hwy 7, in Pattaya for a short stretch I could be traveling 80 Km / h within the flow look in the mirror and vehicles would come right behind me within a few feet? You figure it out pretty quickly and for pedestrian now inside Pattaya, being my age Asian to make it across the road I do it with a limp on my hip it works every time the cars come to a dead stop never bleeping their horns. I was just in Bangkok for the day Monday on Soi 22-24 intersection I look left right and do my hip hop across works but of course not recommended for everyone unless you have a death wish?

Sorry, I am just catching up with this one.

[QUOTE=Franciscass;2326280]Actually ET whether she is 20 or 28 doesn't make a lot of difference in my failing to understand why they sleep with a sixty year old unless it is for the money.

I sometimes with nothing better to do peruse genuine international dating sites and I have rarely if ever seen a girl in her twenties or indeed thirties indicate she is happy meeting up with men 30 to 40 years older than her.[/QUOTE]As I said in my post, in my experience females are virtually always looking for "something in it for them". It usually comes down to something resembling money; security, support, a home, companionship that is very much about sex, companionship that is rarely about sex, whatever. My 22 year old current regular girlfriend first clicked Interested in me on ThaiCupid when she was still 19 even though the desired age range she cited on her profile was 20-35.

[QUOTE]I am also for the sake of the conversation talking about attractive girls who are not short of possibilities with guys closer to their own age. Those challenged by the figures of beauty may decide a shag with jolly old Jim is better than staying at home with her 6 inch dildo.[/QUOTE]Why must those be the only two options available to attractive young girls? I have no doubt the 2-3 rare girls I mentioned encountering could easily get farang men closer to their own age to date and fuck them. Some people like to experiment with everything within reason. Just as I know a very good looking 27 year old man who lives half the year in Thailand who is always on the look out to shag an older lady, even in her 50's if she has kept herself in good shape and has enough charm about her.

However, as I also mentioned in my original post, it would not be nearly so easy for them to date THAI men closer to their own age (or any age for that matter) for the reasons I cited. So that reality does move 60 year old farangs a bit higher on the available options ladder.

[QUOTE]Your explanation that it's possibly a novice intending on entering the P4P business deciding on checking it out first with an old guy of her choice before going all in I find a stretch.

To finish I find paying for it less complicated, more satisfying and I would feel more than guilty if there was even a hint that she was playing the long game and I had no intention of ever helping her with the vet bills for the sick buffalo.[/QUOTE]But I also added that the girls who did Line me a day or two later about their sick grandma and hospitalized buffalo knew in their heart and mind it was P4P all along and so did I. Not much of a stretch there, imo.

Some girls are too shy to outright state they are freelancers/hookers (or trying to be) or admit it to themselves and stick out their hand for the money on the way in or out of a date and shag. In some ways, being much older than such a shy or reticent girl works in my favor. She might naturally assume a much older man would volunteer to give her money for her time and body without her asking or do so after she asks (the sick grandma) without a fuss or confrontation. By contrast, a man closer to their own age might take great offense at being asked for money afterwards if he more naturally assumed he really was on a strictly non P4P date and fuck. To the girl, I am simply a safer bet to understand and agree to give her money for that date and fuck.

I agree with your last statement. And I would volunteer to give money without being asked to every lady I meet who does not mention money upfront if it weren't for the fact that there have been several cases where the girl got very upset and stormed out, never to date or fuck me again, because I "think all Thai ladies are the same! I am not lady bar!" LOL. Yes, that has even happened with young cute girls I have met outside the direct P4P scene here.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2328450]And I would volunteer to give money without being asked to every lady I meet who does not mention money upfront if it weren't for the fact that there have been several cases where the girl got very upset and stormed out, never to date or fuck me again, because I "think all Thai ladies are the same! I am not lady bar!" LOL. Yes, that has even happened with young cute girls I have met outside the direct P4P scene here.[/QUOTE]Why is it that some guys believe every woman in particular countires are on the take? Or is it that they believe since they can not get a woman to sleep with them that does not want money then it means no man can get a woman to sleep with them that does not want money? Since I got here last Friday I have fucked 3 paid women and 5 non-paid women. One of the unpaid women is new to me and works at Central Festival and stayed over 2 different night. Another unpaid woman I have been fucking over 2 years and she always sees me with other women on my bike. Spent the night at her place last night and she cooked for me.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2328450]
As I said in my post, in my experience females are virtually always looking for "something in it for them". It usually comes down to something resembling money; security, support, a home, companionship that is very much about sex, companionship that is rarely about sex, whatever. [/QUOTE]Most of my girls of more than 20 years age gap, must have been for economic reasons at least initially. It can change. Could be an exception. Some girls really prefer older guys. Maybe they think we will be less selfish and try harder to look after them like a princess. They may value our extra experience. My low 30's girl today got 3 pops so my age is not exactly worrying her, as long as I can manage a long session (even if I needed a booster) and give good DATY. I was going to write something else detailed but thought best to omit it as would make me too identifiable, should she be reading the forum. Postponed.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2328485]Why is it that some guys believe every woman in particular countires are on the take? Or is it that they believe since they can not get a woman to sleep with them that does not want money then it means no man can get a woman to sleep with them that does not want money? Since I got here last Friday I have fucked 3 paid women and 5 non-paid women. One of the unpaid women is new to me and works at Central Festival and stayed over 2 different night. Another unpaid woman I have been fucking over 2 years and she always sees me with other women on my bike. Spent the night at her place last night and she cooked for me.[/QUOTE]I don't assume regular girls I meet are on the take. But it does come up a lot. Eventually. They would say they are not on the take but just came up short on rent or phone bill this week. LOL. I go along with it until the Value For Money begins to tilt away from the Value part. Still less costly than a LT with a go-go dancer. Except for the free LT CzarNicholas reported getting from a Butterflies go-go dancer a few days ago, that is. But they have happened on occasion, too.

Pattaya is a pretty small and easily navigable town vs Bangkok. I would say the cost of living is lower for most Thais vs Bangkok, too. Do you ever offer to pay your "free" ladies the cost of their transportation to and from your apartment or to help pay some of their rent when they come up short? In Bangkok, taxi (after BTS/MRT close or if there is no practical BTS/MRT option and a bus would take forever) could easily get close to 400-500 baht for the round trip from where some of these girls live.

And, BTW, are you saying the Central Festival lady and the others qualify as the cute/attractive young girls Franciscass and I were referencing? Could be an Apples and Oranges comparison here.

Even in Bangkok I believe it would be very easy for me (and most other dudes) to fill my weeks with ladies coming over to stay overnight or two or three for free if I invited mostly mid-late 30s or older ones who really have very little options other than me or the toy.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2328450]Sorry, I am just catching up with this one.

As I said in my post, in my experience females are virtually always looking for "something in it for them". It usually comes down to something resembling money; security, support, a home, companionship that is very much about sex, companionship that is rarely about sex, whatever. My 22 year old current regular girlfriend first clicked Interested in me on ThaiCupid when she was still 19 even though the desired age range she cited on her profile was 20-35.

Why must those be the only two options available to attractive young girls? I have no doubt the 2-3 rare girls I mentioned encountering could easily get farang men closer to their own age to date and fuck them. Some people like to experiment with everything within reason. Just as I know a very good looking 27 year old man who lives half the year in Thailand who is always on the look out to shag an older lady, even in her 50's if she has kept herself in good shape and has enough charm about her.

However, as I also mentioned in my original post, it would not be nearly so easy for them to date THAI men closer to their own age (or any age for that matter) for the reasons I cited. So that reality does move 60 year old farangs a bit higher on the available options ladder..[/QUOTE]E. T,

You sure appear to have whatever it takes using social media to get these dates. You have genuinely awakened my envy and more to the point my curiosity so all I need now is a pic that shows me looking my best and a profile so attractive it will be like moths to the flame. Got to go and download the app.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2328493]Do you ever offer to pay your "free" ladies the cost of their transportation to and from your apartment or to help pay some of their rent when they come up short?[/QUOTE]I never run into those kind of problems with free chicks. So when I say free I mean free. I don't mean buying them gifts or non of that shit. Maybe we will get something to eat together or go see a movie together and I will pay. But no money or gifts are coming from me and going to them.

The last couple of days I have been seeing a massage chick. Things are really slow for them so she will leave work and come to my place for a couple of hours. She pays a motorbike to bring her here. The first day I took her back. Yesterday when I was about to take her back she said no because she was going to Jomtien for something. She did not ask money for transportation there.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2328493]And, BTW, are you saying the Central Festival lady and the others qualify as the cute/attractive young girls Franciscass and I were referencing?[/QUOTE]Well she is 26 with no kids and cute enough for me! The only thing ahe wanted from me was to take her to dinner in Jomtien because sbe had never been there. So I took her to that seafood place right before the end. The bill was 1200 baht. 800 baht for me and 400 baht for her. She has her own motorbike so she comes and goes on that.

Other free chick is from Bangkok. I met her in March when they had that beach soccer championship here in Pattaya. She was a translator for the officials. She came to stay with me everyday when she finished work. This time when I arrived she was already in town for some other translator gig and was staying at the Avina (old Marriott). She came to get some dick while her boss was in a meeting. She went back in less than an hour. Now she said they are in Sattahip.

One of the new free chicks was not my type so I will not be seeing her again.

So when I say free I mean free. When I say paid, I mean no more than 1200 baht LT.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2328557]I never run into those kind of problems with free chicks. So when I say free I mean free. I don't mean buying them gifts or non of that shit. Maybe we will get something to eat together or go see a movie together and I will pay. But no money or gifts are coming from me and going to them.

The last couple of days I have been seeing a massage chick. Things are really slow for them so she will leave work and come to my place for a couple of hours. She pays a motorbike to bring her here. The first day I took her back. Yesterday when I was about to take her back she said no because she was going to Jomtien for something. She did not ask money for transportation there.

Well she is 26 with no kids and cute enough for me! The only thing ahe wanted from me was to take her to dinner in Jomtien because sbe had never been there. So I took her to that seafood place right before the end. The bill was 1200 baht. 800 baht for me and 400 baht for her. She has her own motorbike so she comes and goes on that.

Other free chick is from Bangkok. I met her in March when they had that beach soccer championship here in Pattaya. She was a translator for the officials. She came to stay with me everyday when she finished work. This time when I arrived she was already in town for some other translator gig and was staying at the Avina (old Marriott). She came to get some dick while her boss was in a meeting. She went back in less than an hour. Now she said they are in Sattahip.

One of the new free chicks was not my type so I will not be seeing her again.

So when I say free I mean free. When I say paid, I mean no more than 1200 baht LT.[/QUOTE]I don't find any of those scenarios hard to believe. I have experienced much the same in Bangkok except for the massage shop girl part. And that is only because I have such an aversion to the massage shop scene I don't meet many massage shop girls unless one clicks on my dating site profile. And in Bangkok I will volunteer to pick up the tab for transportation, 200-300 baht, when it comes to the "free" stuff. If I am seeing them long enough I would buy a gift for a supposed birthday or whatever special event.

Maybe I see that as the "60+ year old farang who only accepts BBFS+CIP or BBBJ+CIM" surcharge. LOL.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2328592]I don't find any of those scenarios hard to believe. I have experienced much the same in Bangkok except for the massage shop girl part. And that is only because I have such an aversion to the massage shop scene I don't meet many massage shop girls unless one clicks on my dating site profile. [/QUOTE]Well I met her on Tagged. I am only 47 no, so when I am 60+ it may be a totally different ballgame.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2328592] And that is only because I have such an aversion to the massage shop scene I don't meet many massage shop girls unless one clicks on my dating site profile. [/QUOTE]I don't see why one has to build strong aversions unless it to ladyboys or gay men. I am prepared to use an MP because I need a fuck to be all done and dusted in 90 minutes, no time wastage, or if in even more hurry would consider a BJ shop.

The girl still has to be a sexy pretty girl of a good standard. Maybe you aversion relates to getting BBFS, but I don't see that as a huge problem. Skinny and cute will do me. My last two regulars are 45 Kg at 165 cm and 48 Kg at 168 cm so that shows I really like slim.

I may have contempt for MP management sometimes, but I don't let that bother me too much. I can dislike a shop but still like a girl there. One of my skinny regulars is an ex MP girl (used to be in Orient). Don't see any reason to cut that source off even if is not my usual, and even I am not after pure filth or anal, etc.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2328612]I don't see why one has to build strong aversions unless it to ladyboys or gay men. I am prepared to use an MP because I need a fuck to be all done and dusted in 90 minutes, no time wastage, or if in even more hurry would consider a BJ shop.

The girl still has to be a sexy pretty girl of a good standard. Maybe you aversion relates to getting BBFS, but I don't see that as a huge problem. Skinny and cute will do me. My last two regulars are 45 Kg at 165 cm and 48 Kg at 168 cm so that shows I really like slim.

I may have contempt for MP management sometimes, but I don't let that bother me too much. I can dislike a shop but still like a girl there. One of my skinny regulars is an ex MP girl (used to be in Orient). Don't see any reason to cut that source off even if is not my usual, and even I am not after pure filth or anal, etc.[/QUOTE]Go to AC LOL.

You can find 30 kg LOL.

Seriously, 18-19 yo 30 kg 4 feet tall, its crazy.

My theory is, severe pre-natal malnourished.

I did about 50 of them in my visit.

It was interesting (true spinners), but got boring after awhile.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2328612]... Maybe you aversion relates to getting BBFS, but I don't see that as a huge problem. [/QUOTE]That is only partially it. But that part of it is bad enough. My approach is to get an upfront agreement from the girl to provide BBFS+CIP or BBBJ+CIM. Getting a massage shop girl to agree upfront to BBFS+CIP is essentially impossible when the girls are clustered in a group, standing in a line up or anywhere near another human being other than me and her. So that leaves BBBJ+CIM, something easier to get an upfront agreement for since it is sometimes on the menu, with the possibility of evolving it into BBFS+CIP while "going with the flow to see what happens in the room". That will be fine the 20% of the time the girl might agree to BBFS+CIP in the room. But it is a huge buzz kill the 80% of the time she will not. Btw, I am being very generous with that 20% success rate with me and massage shop girls (in the shop). My experience has been they are on Auto Pilot not only in the way they have sex but their replies to any and all such requests. And the Auto Pilot response to me much, much more often than not is No.

So, let's say I do get an upfront agreement for a BBBJ+CIM, she is in the 80% no go for BBFS+CIP group, but a BBBJ+CIM is going to be fine with me anyway, right? Probably not. If I walk in the room or I check out the room ahead of time and there is only a bed and a floor or, worse, a table and a floor, I'm out. I need a much more comfortable arrangement than that for a pleasurable blowjob. The kind of simple set up I have in my apartment and one I have not seen in any massage shop anywhere in Thailand.

And even when I have reluctantly gone along with a blowjob in a massage shop, I have never had one with an iota of eroticism or sexiness applied to it. Without exception they have been mechanical and too fast, too robotic and the girl is utterly incapable of following simple instructions (thanks to Auto Pilot) that most girls NOT working in a massage shop seem to have no problem following.

Even when I get a click of Interest from massage shop girls on the dating sites, freelancing on the side or whatever, I can bet big money it will either be NO to both of my requirements or some of the worst, mechanical, robotic, unerotic sex I have ever had.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2328601]Well I met her on Tagged. I am only 47 no, so when I am 60+ it may be a totally different ballgame.[/QUOTE]My forties were a different trip. Wasn't living here then but I never paid for pussy wherever I laid my hat and I had all I could handle and with cuties. Enjoy it while you can MR. E. It will begin to cost more as you hit the fifties even more still when you hit the sixties and well if you survive as I'm expecting to I imagine the seventies will be a seriously out of pocket experience not to mention an out of body experience.

Hi guys,

Long time lurker, first time poster. I've mongered in Bangkok before and this forum has been very helpful. Quick question for this time. Are the girls at the pimp (assuming they agree to go home with you) prettier than the ones at the top escort agencies? Assuming money is not an issue and I want to bring back a super pretty, sexy girl (yes possible starfish, I know. Its a last trip before settling down for me), would Pimp be a best option?

Realize beauty is in the eye of the beholder, etc but on average what would my best option be?

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2328485]Why is it that some guys believe every woman in particular countires are on the take? Or is it that they believe since they can not get a woman to sleep with them that does not want money then it means no man can get a woman to sleep with them that does not want money? Since I got here last Friday I have fucked 3 paid women and 5 non-paid women. One of the unpaid women is new to me and works at Central Festival and stayed over 2 different night. Another unpaid woman I have been fucking over 2 years and she always sees me with other women on my bike. Spent the night at her place last night and she cooked for me.[/QUOTE]What is the point of your post? While I had freebies in Thailand as well and didn't take the same approach as the person you replied too, I can understand why he would offer money. Some guys offer to pay money to get rid of the girl. Your specific experiences are all too common and not worth mentioning. Why is it that some guys have to take the opportunity to brag about a sex buddy that is all to common with men in their own countries?

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2328557]So when I say free I mean free. When I say paid, I mean no more than 1200 baht LT.[/QUOTE]Like anyone else, I can get plenty of free or cheap girls. Unfortunately, I like my girls to be good looking. Like top 2 or 3 girls in a top gogo good looking. Life is too short to be shagging mediocre poontang. We all have different priorities.

I will shag the occasional midget or unique wild looking girl just to change things up. haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVp_y5dvd9w

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2325836]Females do not appear to be as hung up on the age of the partner, as many males are. We will never understand them.

Definitely they are far more economically motivated than us, and also want reliable guys. There is the thing about trying Farangs.

Some girls do say they would rather have good sex with an older guy, over bad sex with a young selfish guy, however I think they would take the young hot guy in preference if he performs as good, and can appear experienced. I definitely notice a big decline in the way young Thai girls respond to me, compared to over 25 years ago, yet my skills are better now.

Girls can get it off, and can close their eyes if necessary and pretend its a young Brad Pitt, I guess.

In general, older guys are never seen as undesirable as older girls, if they are in reasonable condition. Some girls claim to like fat older guys. One very slim Long Gun special dancer girl of the past, would knock me back, and say she much preferred older cuddly Teddy Bear (fatter) type guys, and only went with guys occasionally (possible had a BF). Perhaps she was scared the sex workout would be too arduous. Maybe was just bullshit. I will never know. She was always happy to sit with me and get drunk. Just no sex available..[/QUOTE]I can say he looks about 47 not 67, and he's probably in better shape than most 27 yr olds.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2328774]Like anyone else, I can get plenty of free or cheap girls. Unfortunately, I like my girls to be good looking. Like top 2 or 3 girls in a top gogo good looking. Life is too short to be shagging mediocre poontang. We all have different priorities.

I will shag the occasional midget or unique wild looking girl just to change things up. haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVp_y5dvd9w[/QUOTE]Can I ask what kind of service you're willing to pay for from the top 2-3 gogos?

I'm guessing the condoms are everywhere? And are pulled out before you even get to your room?

What do you pay?

How old are you?

I will take #4 and #5 any day with some awesome PSE and I name the price!

Sex with a condom isn't sex, its just a bullshit (feminist con) simulation!

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2328776]I can say he looks about 47 not 67, and he's probably in better shape than most 27 yr olds.[/QUOTE]Didn't he just say that he is 47 and feels when he is 67 it may be a different world for him.

[QUOTE=Kickoffs;2328707]What is the point of your post? While I had freebies in Thailand as well and didn't take the same approach as the person you replied too, I can understand why he would offer money. Some guys offer to pay money to get rid of the girl. Your specific experiences are all too common and not worth mentioning. Why is it that some guys have to take the opportunity to brag about a sex buddy that is all to common with men in their own countries?[/QUOTE]How is it bragging? The point of my post is that I pay chicks that are hookers. I do not pay chicks that are not hookers. I do not run around offering to pay every chick that I meet. I have never understood why many guys on ISG say it is bragging to say you fucked someone you did not have to pay as if paying is the norm in the world and not paying is some extreme outlier. Some seem to be stuck in the P4P world when it comes to real life. Real life is that the majority of people are not paying to fuck each other.

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2328776]I can say he looks about 47 not 67, and he's probably in better shape than most 27 yr olds.[/QUOTE]Hey, man, you're messing with my long established and accepted rep here. LOL.

But thanks for the comment.

I normally prefer young 20's, but for the sake of debate I will post a couple of photos of chicks in their 30's. Both of these girls are 34 years old. One is free, one is not free. You can be your own judge as to whether it's worth paying or not.

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2328785]
I'm guessing the condoms are everywhere? [/QUOTE]Never use a condom, they take away all the feelin'.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hx_li0u5ws[/URL]

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2328863]I normally prefer young 20's, but for the sake of debate I will post a couple of photos of chicks in their 30's. Both of these girls are 34 years old. One is free, one is not free. You can be your own judge as to whether it's worth paying or not.[/QUOTE]LOL. That's a trick question. They are both the same girl! The one on the right is the way she really looks. The one on the left is the photo she posts on her dating site profile where she asks you to transfer money for her travel from Kalasin to meet you in Bkk.

Oh, and the photo on the left is also the one guys post on sites like to prove they shagged a hottie from Kalasin last night.

Was chatting to a short petite pretty Sisaket girl in the pub, where she works. She is somewhat like my Mrs in the face (very cute for my taste), but maybe body a little behind my GF. She mentions she would like to get a Farang BF, however she knows I am taken. I would take her likely, if I was available, and I get a feeling she likes me (thinking I am a good guy ha ha and able to live in the province too). I asked how old she is now (no baby). She said 36. I was flabbergasted, and thought she was pulling my leg. I really thought she was only 26, with all my experience too. Apparently she is very inexperienced with only 1 BF ever for just a few months. Seems shy, sweet, innocent, and very inexperienced at 36. Ha ha. Has always been too busy working etc. , and she says she is lazy to chat to guys by phone, if she never met them. Thai guys do not appeal to her, she likes farangs, but most Farangs in the pub of a suitable age, are taken. I imagine she would have to target guys of 46 up. Look for one just divorced, and looking for something better than before.

So she is a great catch for looks and sweetness, down side is age, shortness (5 foot nothing) and incredible inexperience. Might be hopeless on the bed. Maybe could learn. I have had shy inexperienced girls before for a GF and usually did not suit me that well sexually. Some are too conservative. There are countless Thai women aged 30 and up looking for Farang BF or husband, quite possibly older, however the vast majority of them already have a child as well.

Once met a tall pretty girl working at an airport café looking for a farang BF also. Again I was taken at the time. So many chances like this come up that one cannot really take advantage of, unless dishonest.

My message really, is that there are very nice looking very sweet Thai girls around available that are not hookers, if guys had a previous relationship with an overly bitchy women (my ex wife was moody, and usually a foul mood) and wants to find something a lot nicer. They may not be sex bombs in the slightest however. The big problem is it takes so long to determine real compatibility with a woman. I am fairly sure of my Thai GF now after 15 years. Ha ha. There were culture clash problems early on.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2328864]Never use a condom, they take away all the feelin'.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hx_li0u5ws[/URL][/QUOTE]What do you consider your top 5-10 fav bars in BKK?

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2328941]LOL. That's a trick question. They are both the same girl! The one on the right is the way she really looks. The one on the left is the photo she posts on her dating site profile where she asks you to transfer money for her travel from Kalasin to meet you in Bkk.

Oh, and the photo on the left is also the one guys post on sites like to prove they shagged a hottie from Kalasin last night.[/QUOTE]Naw. I've never shagged either, I don't know the one on the right but I do know the one on the left. She's extremely high maintenance and looks exactly like that.

I'm in the very early planning stages of a 2 week trip to LOS with a friend who has never been. I've been about a dozen times. My favorite P4 P spots around the world are Germany, Spain, Thailand, and Colombia. My friend will mostly want young GFE. I am more interested in two girls with strap-on, rimming, BBBJ / CIM PSE-style non-stop experience, like Eden Club or Devil's Den. Overall, I want to make sure he has an "over the top" amazing experience and want him to see lots of variety of venues, especially with hands-on public nudity / sex if possible. From my prior trips, my personal favorites are Analisa for pretty girls who are skilled in strap on, DokiDoki for the prettiest girls, Billboard for the hottest gogo girls, Windmill for the public action, and Devil's Den for the non-stop PSE tag team experience. For what it is worth, I like thin girls.

Here is my list so far. I want to start with a comprehensive list, then narrow it down. Please let me know if I am missing a spot or a venue category that you love.

BKK.

Oily Massage with pretty girls: DokiDoki, Analisa.

Oily Massage with older experienced full service women: Tulip, Snow White.

PSE shops: Eden Club.

Nana Gogos: Billboard, Butterflies, Twister.

Cowboy Gogos: Crazy House, Shark, Dollhouse.

Other massage: Honeybee, Cherry, Cupid, Mango, EZMassage, Boss.

Pattaya.

Hand-on Gogos: Windmill, Babydolls, Pandoras, Kink, Electric Blue.

Soi 6 for daytime action.

PSE shops: Devil's Den.

Also thinking about adding one more destination for regular tourism appeal. If it has good P4 P that would be even better. I've been to Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Sukhothai. Thinking about Chiang Rai or Ayutthaya, but open to suggestions.

Thanks for any and all comments!

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2329013]She's extremely high maintenance and looks exactly like that.[/QUOTE]Now there's a surprise. . . LOL.

I get flamed a lot but that's why i say I don't take the hottest girls in the club / Gogo etc. The baggage often makes the looks not worth the high price of admission.

Give me an 8 that knows how to say thanks anyday.

But each to his own, I guess. 😁.

Enjoy. G.

[QUOTE=ShinyCrazy;2329240]Also thinking about adding one more destination for regular tourism appeal. If it has good P4 P that would be even better. I've been to Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Sukhothai. Thinking about Chiang Rai or Ayutthaya, but open to suggestions. Thanks for any and all comments![/QUOTE]As I am very impressed with your all action plans, I would be interested to know what you intend to eat to keep you going.

Chiang Rai is too far. Ayutthaya is near BKK and good for a night or two, and Bridge over the Kwai for a BKK day trip. No bonking which allows you to recharge.

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2329003]What do you consider your top 5-10 fav bars in BKK?[/QUOTE]I don't know man, I haven't been to bkk in over a year. The talent in those places changes so frequently. I will be there soon though and let you know then.

I have a Thai GF, we are bored with discos every night. Last night she wanted a quiet place for drinking, listening to music, maybe live singer or group. She doesn't like jazz, too bad. I only know the Sukh scene. Any suggestions would be most welcome!!

[QUOTE=Goferring;2329249]Now there's a surprise. . . LOL.

I get flamed a lot but that's why i say I don't take the hottest girls in the club / Gogo etc. The baggage often makes the looks not worth the high price of admission.

Give me an 8 that knows how to say thanks anyday.

But each to his own, I guess. 😁.

Enjoy. G.[/QUOTE]Give me an 8 that knows how to say thanks anyday.

[QUOTE=Cdd4100;2329370]I have a Thai GF, we are bored with discos every night. Last night she wanted a quiet place for drinking, listening to music, maybe live singer or group. She doesn't like jazz, too bad. I only know the Sukh scene. Any suggestions would be most welcome!![/QUOTE]Rooftop deck further down Sukhumvit? (tree something or other?

There is restaurant (never been inside) on Soi 11 just off Sukhumvit that plays live music, and the singer (s) is / are quite good.

I'm guessing your gf isn't from BKK? otherwise it would be quite easy for her to ask around and find out?

[QUOTE=Cdd4100;2329370]I have a Thai GF, we are bored with discos every night. Last night she wanted a quiet place for drinking, listening to music, maybe live singer or group. She doesn't like jazz, too bad. I only know the Sukh scene. Any suggestions would be most welcome!![/QUOTE]Rooftop bar "Long Table" of Column Hotel (Suk Soi 16) is great for a classy Quiet place with super views. I thought was even better than the State Tower, in terms of easy to sit at edge and look out over the city. Live music, but quiet, I am not so expert on.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2329764]Rooftop bar "Long Table" of Column Hotel (Suk Soi 16) is great for a classy Quiet place with super views. I thought was even better than the State Tower, in terms of easy to sit at edge and look out over the city. Live music, but quiet, I am not so expert on.[/QUOTE]She lives in BKK but only knows the disco scene and the Issarn show bars which I really like. Also we've gone to some German dinner and dancing place, was fun. She doesn't want to go to Khao San. There are tons of places in Chicago, etc. I can't believe such a big city as Bangkok doesn't have piano bars, places like that. Oh well, so it goes. There are things to do early evening but she works until 9 pm. Things are easier without a GF!

Thanks for giving it some thought!

[QUOTE=Cdd4100;2329370]I have a Thai GF, we are bored with discos every night. Last night she wanted a quiet place for drinking, listening to music, maybe live singer or group. She doesn't like jazz, too bad. I only know the Sukh scene. Any suggestions would be most welcome!![/QUOTE]I think the one Catire mentioned on Soi 11 is Zanzibar. On the left as you walk down Soi 11 away from Sukhumvit. Mostly outdoor seating, but some overhead coverage, so be mindful during Rainy Season. Casual, relaxed, somewhat romantic, candlelight tropical setting. Good food. Live music suitable for table chatting unless you sit right next to a loud speaker for the music.

My experience is very few Thai girls know about places like this unless they work the lower Sukhumvit area and have been taken there by Farang or Asian tourists/expats.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2329792]I think the one Catire mentioned on Soi 11 is Zanzibar. On the left as you walk down Soi 11 away from Sukhumvit. Mostly outdoor seating, but some overhead coverage, so be mindful during Rainy Season. Casual, relaxed, somewhat romantic, candlelight tropical setting. Good food. Live music suitable for table chatting unless you sit right next to a loud speaker for the music.

My experience is very few Thai girls know about places like this unless they work the lower Sukhumvit area and have been taken there by Farang or Asian tourists/expats.[/QUOTE]Interesting. Admittedly many years ago, but my Zanzibar experience was really poor. Mosquitos, food poor (can't remember fine details now unless I search for my very old review), service poor. I would have though Rosabieng in same Soi was much much better (if is still there).

I found it since Zanzibar is such a good search word (2011 ha ha):
[QUOTE=Syzygies;1164915]Zanzibar was totally shit, IMHO, although many will agree. There was nothing good about it. Get eaten by mosquitos while waiting a long time for unsatisfactory food, and pricey. Plenty of better places in the same Soi 11, like Rosabieng, limoncello, etc. Even the German Pub.

I would eat in a good hotel buffet when price and quality is right, but its important to find a good one. Not the Ambassador, for example. I used to enjoy one at Century Park Hotel in Pratuunam a few years back that was very reasonably priced. Its usually easier to just pick a good normal restaurant and avoid eating too much. Grand Millenium buffet was okay (perhaps a bit pricey).

2K sounds too high for a buffet to me. I would rather get a cheap bite and a sex session for same money. A work out at Mango is not fattening :D

I like Little Italy on corner Soi 23 for simple stuff. Their lamb cutlets are great. Unpretentious, basic, but good.

My favourite restaurant is Toaya Soi 33/1 (Japanese) very good value for money and super fresh suschi, which is difficult to find (closed Tuesdays).[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2329805]Interesting. Admittedly many years ago, but my Zanzibar experience was really poor. Mosquitos, food poor (can't remember fine details now unless I search for my very old review), service poor. I would have though Rosabieng in same Soi was much much better (if is still there).

I found it since Zanzibar is such a good search word (2011 ha ha):[/QUOTE]I have never noticed a mosquito problem there. I would not recommend Zanzibar only for the food but closer to the other criteria listed by the OP. I just mentioned the food in passing really. I don't believe the other restaurant options cited in your 2011 review qualify for any of the things asked for by the OP. That older exchange seems to have been only about places to eat in that area, something the OP this time didn't mention.

[QUOTE=Cdd4100;2329370]I have a Thai GF, we are bored with discos every night. Last night she wanted a quiet place for drinking, listening to music, maybe live singer or group. She doesn't like jazz, too bad. I only know the Sukh scene. Any suggestions would be most welcome!![/QUOTE]I just thought of another couple of alternatives that I have enjoyed for the criteria you listed. The first one is very different, but fits what you mentioned.

Open House on the 6th floor of Central Embassy at BTS Ploen Chit. It is only open until 12 Midnight on Friday and Saturday night (10 pm otherwise). It is an open style design book store with eclectic eateries and bars, some with high angle views of the surrounding city neighborhood. Typically on the weekend evenings there are a couple of small musical groups set up on opposite sides of the giant room. Might be soft jazz (sorry) or let's say hip standard ballads, stuff that fits the relaxed environment. It might even be chamber music sometimes. You brave enough for that possibility? Lol.

So, it has live music, bars, views, many food options if you do get hungry and is VERY different from the disco scene for sure. Grab one of those huge coffee table books on American Gangster Movies or whatever and flip through the pages with your girl on one of the sitting area couches while you sip your drink and enjoy the background music.

It can make for an evening I'll bet your girl has never had with any other man.

And then there is Escape on the top floor of the Glass Tower (I think. Or the Water Tower) in EmQuartier at BTS Phrom Phong. it varies, but that might often be more soft jazz music.

[QUOTE=Cdd4100;2329370]I have a Thai GF, we are bored with discos every night. Last night she wanted a quiet place for drinking, listening to music, maybe live singer or group. She doesn't like jazz, too bad. I only know the Sukh scene. Any suggestions would be most welcome!![/QUOTE]Depending on your ages which you didn't mention the basement of the Landmark hotel has a pub with generally older but ok music and decent food.

[QUOTE=Cdd4100;2329370]I have a Thai GF, we are bored with discos every night. Last night she wanted a quiet place for drinking, listening to music, maybe live singer or group. She doesn't like jazz, too bad. I only know the Sukh scene. Any suggestions would be most welcome!![/QUOTE]The girls from the office took me here. It was unique. FAR from quiet though.

[URL]http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/tawandang-german-brewery.htm[/URL]

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2329853]I have never noticed a mosquito problem there. I would not recommend Zanzibar only for the food but closer to the other criteria listed by the OP. I just mentioned the food in passing really. I don't believe the other restaurant options cited in your 2011 review qualify for any of the things asked for by the OP. That older exchange seems to have been only about places to eat in that area, something the OP this time didn't mention.[/QUOTE]I agree, I was not recommending those places to him. I recommended Column Hotel rooftop bar. Still at the time in 2011, I was extremely dissatisfied with Zanzibar for the things mentioned. Good food maybe would have saved it. I don't recall the music part now.

I have no longer any clue what I ordered, other than was a mistake. My conclusion was it was just a tourist trap. It is quite possible that years later, they have rectified the serious issues at the time. Would be worth check recent reviews on trip advisor etc.

I checked it. Some good reviews. Looks like people like the music and ambience. Food gets mixed reviews with some saying good, others saying bland and average, others saying they just received wrong stuff (normal communication problems ha ha). It may well be much improved over when I went there.

General agreement on too pricey.
[url]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293916-d804724-Reviews-Zanzibar-Bangkok.html[/url]

Food reviews are always iffy. Individual taste and knowledge of what the food should be like, varies.

Here is a site for rooftop bars:
[url]https://www.therooftopguide.com/rooftop-bars-in-bangkok.html[/url]

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2329863]The girls from the office took me here. It was unique. FAR from quiet though.

[URL]http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/tawandang-german-brewery.htm[/URL][/QUOTE]Aha! Yes, that place is a big favorite with local Thais. A must visit at least once. You're right, far from quiet. More like a Thai pop music riot in a giant beer hall. Be prepared to at least stand and dance at your table seat like almost everyone else.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2329886]I agree, I was not recommending those places to him. I recommended Column Hotel rooftop bar. Still at the time in 2011, I was extremely dissatisfied with Zanzibar for the things mentioned. Good food maybe would have saved it. I don't recall the music part now.

I have no longer any clue what I ordered, other than was a mistake. My conclusion was it was just a tourist trap. It is quite possible that years later, they have rectified the serious issues at the time. Would be worth check recent reviews on trip advisor etc.

I checked it. Some good reviews. Looks like people like the music and ambience. Food gets mixed reviews with some saying good, others saying bland and average, others saying they just received wrong stuff (normal communication problems ha ha). It may well be much improved over when I went there.

General agreement on too pricey.
[url]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293916-d804724-Reviews-Zanzibar-Bangkok.html[/url]

Food reviews are always iffy. Individual taste and knowledge of what the food should be like, varies.

Here is a site for rooftop bars:
[url]https://www.therooftopguide.com/rooftop-bars-in-bangkok.html[/url][/QUOTE]I only remember two items I had at Zanzibar, both were pretty good so I ordered them each of the 3-4 times I have taken a girl there; a spicy shrimp salad where the shrimp tasted almost as good as a decent quality lobster tail in the states and, for me, a very satisfying fettuccini carbonara. Maybe had some kind of ice cream dessert. Considering I believe they are selling the drinks, atmosphere and music more than anything, the food was better than I expected. But without the former elements, I would not go there just for the food.

The ladies seem to like it a lot. It touches a lot of bases many girls think of for a semi romantic dinner for two; candlelight, outdoors, tropical setting, live music, fruity cocktails. Many Thai girls have never been taken to that kind of place.

Looks like it is getting tough to stay in this country.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2331202]Looks like it is getting tough to stay in this country.[/QUOTE]Mr. E.

What office did he go to? The requirements have been in effect for some time since Embassy aren't handing out the affidavits any longer. If doing Income for the first time they might give you a month but certainly not the time frame you buddy is using plus the money has to come from pension and MUST be deposited into a Thai Bank. You can't show pension monthly statement from a local bank from home it must be deposited into a THAI BANK!

If your buddy is in Pattaya I have a source down near beach road and soi 13, haven't met them myself by a coffee buddy used them just a few months back and said 13,000-15,000 took his passport and come back in 2 days, when he did the retirement extension stamp was right in his book. He said he didn't have to have money put in the bank then removed as many services do just gave them the book that was it.

Might be the trend income only because for Bank deposit of lump sum 800,000 baht you need to season 2 months before and 3 months thereafter the amount can't drop below 400,000 baht this method you also need to when doing your need 90 days report bring your bankbook to verify you haven't taken the money out.

People don't listen until too late? A close friend just did his extension he used the 800,000 baht method, had it seasoned applied and got his extension a week later he said he took some money out to pay the bills, he got a SMS message from Immigration in Jomtien and told to come down to office when he did he found out his extension was cancelled due to the money withdrawn with the 3 months.

I am getting bored of the famous BJ bar at soi 8. Have done most of their pretty ones already.

Lollipop BJ bar at soi 10 is already closed.

I was looking for Kasalong and couldn't find it. Can some fine gentleman here help me get there through correct directions please?

[QUOTE=AssLover945;2331305]I am getting bored of the famous BJ bar at soi 8. Have done most of their pretty ones already.

Lollipop BJ bar at soi 10 is already closed.

I was looking for Kasalong and couldn't find it. Can some fine gentleman here help me get there through correct directions please?[/QUOTE]If you keep walking past that famous bar on soi 8, you'll see a small alleyway on the left that has a hair salon. Once you get back out into the sunlight, you can literally touch a gal that could be gobbling your knob in mere moments. It's seriously about a 15 second walk past L's.

[QUOTE=AssLover945;2331305]I am getting bored of the famous BJ bar at soi 8. Have done most of their pretty ones already.

Lollipop BJ bar at soi 10 is already closed.

I was looking for Kasalong and couldn't find it. Can some fine gentleman here help me get there through correct directions please?[/QUOTE]Are you talking about Lollipop?

I thought it was massage parlor.

Is it just BJ bar like 7-heaven?

[QUOTE=AssLover945;2331305]I am getting bored of the famous BJ bar at soi 8. Have done most of their pretty ones already.

Lollipop BJ bar at soi 10 is already closed.

I was looking for Kasalong and couldn't find it. Can some fine gentleman here help me get there through correct directions please?[/QUOTE]Would not take long to do all the pretty ones, if you could find one at all. Not sure why you would het bored if BBBJ was damn good. Perhaps she was not pretty at all.

Kasalong is probably officially in Soi 6. Can't miss it on walk through from Lollytas. It might be less than 50 metres away. Probably has better looking girls (not saying that much).

I've heard there is a limit on amount of entries per year? Is this true?

If so? How many?

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2331948]Would not take long to do all the pretty ones, if you could find one at all. Not sure why you would het bored if BBBJ was damn good. Perhaps she was not pretty at all.

Kasalong is probably officially in Soi 6. Can't miss it on walk through from Lollytas. It might be less than 50 metres away. Probably has better looking girls (not saying that much).[/QUOTE]Well I insist on BJ everywhere in oilies and the BJ bars, you definitely need to see fresh faces once in a while.

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[b][u]EDITOR'S NOTE[/u]:[/b] [blue]This report was edited to [u]remove text not in English[/u]. While I encourage contributions from all volunteers, the Forum is an English-only website. Please do not post reports in any language other than English. If you wish to post text in any language other than English, then please include a full English translation.[i]Thanks![/i][/blue]

[QUOTE=Biffduff;2331325]If you keep walking past that famous bar on soi 8, you'll see a small alleyway on the left that has a hair salon. Once you get back out into the sunlight, you can literally touch a gal that could be gobbling your knob in mere moments. It's seriously about a 15 second walk past L's.[/QUOTE]So it means Kasalong is at the end of the soi. Ok I will pass [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord901][CodeWord901][/url]'s and see if I can find Kasalong.

[QUOTE=Gargano19;2331931]Are you talking about Lollipop?

I thought it was massage parlor.

Is it just BJ bar like 7-heaven?[/QUOTE]Long time back it was a BJ bar named Lollipop.

Dunno what happened, one fine day I see the board of a massage parlour, so I don't go anymore.

Had a great BBBJ from a girl called Som at Kasalong. Petite, lovely voice, face and eyes. Sweet nature. Would have ST her if I'd had more energy after long flight. Wondering if she's still there for my next visit.

[QUOTE=AssLover945;2332195]Well I insist on BJ everywhere in oilies and the BJ bars, you definitely need to see fresh faces once in a while.[/QUOTE]I walk past L0litas and Kasalong almost every day or night and have seen several new girls sitting outside both over the past 2-3 weeks. At least a handful have what I would consider cute or pretty faces and fit, doable bodies.

Seems there has been an uptick in hiring a few new ones lately. The turn over and change in line ups at these places is not as notable as it is in most go-go bars, where it can look very different from night to night if not hour to hour. But lately I would not take a negative report about who or what someone saw while walking by once in a great while as a reason not to check them out more regularly. Based on looks alone, that is.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2332302]I walk past L0litas and Kasalong almost every day or night and have seen several new girls sitting outside both over the past 2-3 weeks. At least a handful have what I would consider cute or pretty faces and fit, doable bodies.[/QUOTE]I agree. I walked by there the other day and thought the girls were the cutest there that I have ever seen. The BJ bars normally have mostly dogs, but there were some nice girls seated out there saying "inside".

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2332137]I've heard there is a limit on amount of entries per year? Is this true?

If so? How many?[/QUOTE]You should use the general Thread. I used to average 7 free entries per year, each for 30 days max. And extendable to 60 for 1900 Baht at Immigration (in Chaeng Wattana or a province office). They decided to do a crack down, because they want more money coming in.

The official line now, is you get 2 free entries for 30 days each and extendable (at least for my country. Different for Indians) per year (Calendar year??? - maybe counted as the year before your entry). They "MAY" let you have additional free entries. Depends on if the airport officer likes you or not, or is in a good mood, etc. If you want more than 2 entries per year, you are advised (officially) to apply for a Visa.

You can get a single entry Visa from most nearby countries' Thai embassy or consulate. Unfortunately the requirements for documentation and length of time (how many days) taken vary. Jakarta was so difficult. Strike that one off. Maybe much easier in Laos, Cambodia, Singapore. They MAY want to see your flight itinerary, hotel booking, etc. even you don't know in advance what date they will complete the Visa, ha ha, so don't leave it till the last minute to get organised.

You can get multi entry Visa from your home country. I use a 6 month multi-entry Visa (requires evidence of money in the bank) when possible each year now and maybe 2 free entries on top of that. I will change over to a yearly Visa soon hopefully.

Hi,

Just wondering whether to buy lube in Europe and bring or to buy there. It's often advised to buy condoms before arrival and wondering if it's the same for lube- choice and quality of product.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2332338]Jakarta was so difficult. Strike that one off. [/QUOTE]So true. You never want to do anything visa related in Indonesia for any country. Even living in Indonesia, I would specially fly to Thailand, Hong Kong, or Singapore to get visas to any country I needed to go simply because Indonesia is such a pain in the ass to get a visa to anywhere.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2332338]
The official line now, is you get 2 free entries for 30 days each and extendable (at least for my country. Different for Indians) per year [/QUOTE]This is new to me. I thought you could get up to 6 free entries in a row before being questioned?

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2332362]So true. You never want to do anything visa related in Indonesia for any country. Even living in Indonesia, I would specially fly to Thailand, Hong Kong, or Singapore to get visas to any country I needed to go simply because Indonesia is such a pain in the ass to get a visa to anywhere.[/QUOTE]Huuuh, why? Surely you are dealing with the 3rd party Embassy which has nothing to do with Indonesian bureaucratic efficiency?

Cheers. G.

[QUOTE=Goferring;2332412]Huuuh, why? Surely you are dealing with the 3rd party Embassy which has nothing to do with Indonesian bureaucratic efficiency?

Cheers. G.[/QUOTE]Nope. Indonesian bureaucracy is alive and well in those embassies. I think it's probably fine if you are a local Indonesian, but if you are a visitor or expat, they rake you over the coals as always.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2332440]Nope. Indonesian bureaucracy is alive and well in those embassies. I think it's probably fine if you are a local Indonesian, but if you are a visitor or expat, they rake you over the coals as always.[/QUOTE]Ok. I forgot that 95% of said embassies are local hires so that would explain it.

[QUOTE=Penguin69;2332236]Had a great BBBJ from a girl called Som at Kasalong. Petite, lovely voice, face and eyes. Sweet nature. Would have ST her if I'd had more energy after long flight. Wondering if she's still there for my next visit.[/QUOTE]Went there at around 4 PM and as expecting a bevy of beauties, but found almost 50% fatties. Where were those slim, dusky ones that honorable members were talking about? 5555 anyway got one with a big ass and went up, SOP very similar to next door BJ Bar, price was the same too.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2332338]You should use the general Thread.

SNIP

The official line now, is you get 2 free entries for 30 days each and extendable (at least for my country. Different for Indians) per year (Calendar year??? - maybe counted as the year before your entry). They "MAY" let you have additional free entries. Depends on if the airport officer likes you or not, or is in a good mood, etc. If you want more than 2 entries per year, you are advised (officially) to apply for a Visa.
SNIP
[/QUOTE]An actual rule is that you are limited to 2 border crossings by land per year. Arriving by air without a visa has no official limit. However that experience is the luck of the draw. If you get the wrong IO stamping you in he or she can make your life difficult even to the point of denying entry. For all details about visas and rules I follow [URL]thaivisa.com[/URL].

[QUOTE=AssLover945;2332564]Went there at around 4 PM and as expecting a bevy of beauties, but found almost 50% fatties. Where were those slim, dusky ones that honorable members were talking about? 5555 anyway got one with a big ass and went up, SOP very similar to next door BJ Bar, price was the same too.[/QUOTE]LOL. A "handful" sprinkled over the day and night shifts of two BJ Bars would hardly qualify as a "bevy" of anything, much less beauties. In total, I'm guessing 25-30 girls work in those two bars, day and night shift.

Of course, the 1-2 acceptably cute or pretty girls working the day shift at Kasalong Bar might have been busy with other customers when you arrived at 4pm. I think that hour is more popular than most during the dayshift, btw.

That said, I don't recall the day shift at Kasalong Bar, which ends at 6pm when the night shift comes in, being a time when any of the newer and more appealing faces I have seen showing up lately. It would probably have been the evening shift there and both shifts at L0litas next door. And even then it is all in the timing for the 30-60 minute timeframe you arrive or walk by.

It stands to reason the better looking girls at any place like this will not be the ones lingering around outside with nothing to do as often as the less attractive ones. Actually, if ONLY 50% of an 8 or more girl line up at any time of the day or night at a BJ Bar are chubby or fat enough to be considered "fatties" but not grossly obese, that's a darn good line up.

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2332137]I've heard there is a limit on amount of entries per year? Is this true?

If so? How many?[/QUOTE]From [URL]https://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/thailand-entry-requirements.html:[/URL].

"The duration of stay in Thailand for persons who enter Thailand without a visa cannot exceed 90 days during any six-month period, counting from the date of first entry. ".

[QUOTE=Crazy4Thai;2332572]An actual rule is that you are limited to 2 border crossings by land per year. Arriving by air without a visa has no official limit. However that experience is the luck of the draw. [/QUOTE]They are in fact suggesting you get only 2 free entries per year now (guaranteed). I asked the Thai Consul and he is a friend of mine, and he admitted the Thai government wants to collect more money than before. That is why more than 2 free entries is frowned upon, but possibly. It is discretionary. The rule may not be spelled out clearly in writing, however officials start to ask questions when you try for too many freebies, as I experienced before. They should not be able to stop you, I was told by a guy who does it regularly, provided certain things, like you have a return ticket (ticket to leave Thailand), have hotel booking to show, and have 20000 Baht in cash on you. However exactly how many free entries will be allowed is not clear. You are safe on 2 per year, then gets more and more iffy.

In general you are expected to apply for a Visa after 2 entries because they want your money.

Border crossings are fine if you have a Visa allowing reentries (more than 2 possible I believe). Not recommended if you want to do free entries without a Visa. For free entries, I would suggest fly out and in (to be safe). I have certainly heard of border crossing guys refused entry, yet I have done it O.K. myself with a multi-entry Visa.

The big problem with all this stuff, is the rules are not spelled out clearly in writing officially to the level we would call clear. They often talk about rules for certain Visa which don't apply. Ask your Thai consulate to be sure. Better to be safe than sorry is my view. I want to maintain a spotless record, so am even loath to overstay a day or two and pay the fine. Habitually doing the wrong thing could get a red stamp on the passport. Not to be readmitted for some period.

[QUOTE=FLHawk;2332753]From [URL]https://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/thailand-entry-requirements.html:[/URL].

"The duration of stay in Thailand for persons who enter Thailand without a visa cannot exceed 90 days during any six-month period, counting from the date of first entry. ".[/QUOTE]Your link does not work properly. However the point is valid. Suppose you have been in for 60 days already. Next time stay another 30 days and attempt to extend, to 60 days. That might be refused due to the 90 days total rule.

I would be surprised if I never violated the 90 days per 6 months rule in the past, not being aware of it, and coming and going often. However would have to check my travel history.

If have clocked up 80 days so far, and come in again, not sure if will give you 30 days or just 10 days before having to leave.

The moral is simple. If you want to stay in Thailand for serious amounts of time, you best be thinking Visas. 6 months multi-entry Visa is a good option (and actually provides a max of 6 months plus 90 days if last entry is close to end of the 6 month).

Currently there is no official limit to how many "visa exempt" entries one can obtain per year by air. I personally had 5 last year with a total stay of about 7 months in total. Once you go above 6 visa exempt entries you do get flagged within their system which may or may not be an issue.

If your cumulative stay goes above 9 months on "visa exempt" entries per year I would be a little nervous, although you shouldn't have an issue if you only do it for 1 year. If you do it for more than 2 years in a row you are really relying on how the immigration official is feeling on the day. Most people will still get in without an issue however some get denied.

There are many "denied entry" stories on the thaivisa forum. The commonalty for being denied entry is more than 9 months annual cumulative stay over 2 or more years. Some people have done it for years and only a few have been denied entry so it just depends on the immigration official you get at the airport. Although there is no official limit on how long you can stay per year the denied entry stamp basically says "doesn't have the means" to stay in the country. The "means" refers to not having the appropriate long term visa rather than how much money they have on them or access to.

Interestingly most people that get denied entry usually fly back into a neighbouring country and then enter by land without issue. On thaivisa there is a whole list of friendly land crossings that will let you in even with a denied entry stamp in your passport and have stayed for years on simple short term visas. Visa exempt entries by land are limited to two per year. Smaller areas don't always follow the policy from Bangkok.

Even when you have a proper Tourist Visa obtained through an embassy in either single entry or multi entry form it still won't guarantee you can stay forever. It will probably lower the probability of getting denied entry however there have still been cases of people being denied entry on these visas on the basis of staying too long in the country. The embassy and immigration are different departments and immigration ultimately has the last say when entering the country.

If you are staying only up to 6 months per year then entering on a visa exempt basis won't be a problem. If anyone ever asks at immigration what you are doing in Thailand so often, just say holidaying. Any work, even as a digital nomad is strictly illegal, the answer is always "I am a tourist. I do no from of work here at all". If you are working remotely in Thailand no one will know or care. But never mention it at immigration as they will deny you entry at any mention of any form of work. Play along with what they want to hear. Do not mention that you even answer some emails while there. You do zero work or even think of it while in Thailand.

If you want to stay for more than more than say 8 months per year in Thailand on a long term basis then you need to look at a long term visa. If you are over the age of 50 then a retirement visa. THB 800 k in a Thai bank or verified income of THB 65 k per month into that account is a rough guide to what you need. If you aren't 50 or don't want to go through that BS, then the Thai Elite Visa program will get you a stay of 5 years for a one off payment of THB 500 k or 20 years for THB 1 million.

[QUOTE=EihTooms;2332749]LOL. A "handful" sprinkled over the day and night shifts of two BJ Bars would hardly qualify as a "bevy" of anything, much less beauties. In total, I'm guessing 25-30 girls work in those two bars, day and night shift.

Of course, the 1-2 acceptably cute or pretty girls working the day shift at Kasalong Bar might have been busy with other customers when you arrived at 4pm. I think that hour is more popular than most during the dayshift, btw.

That said, I don't recall the day shift at Kasalong Bar, which ends at 6pm when the night shift comes in, being a time when any of the newer and more appealing faces I have seen showing up lately. It would probably have been the evening shift there and both shifts at L0litas next door. And even then it is all in the timing for the 30-60 minute timeframe you arrive or walk by.

It stands to reason the better looking girls at any place like this will not be the ones lingering around outside with nothing to do as often as the less attractive ones. Actually, if ONLY 50% of an 8 or more girl line up at any time of the day or night at a BJ Bar are chubby or fat enough to be considered "fatties" but not grossly obese, that's a darn good line up.[/QUOTE]Wow, that is a bummer. Haven't been to a BJ bar in ages since there's much else to do. But it's reports like these that don't have me curious.

[QUOTE=BubbaBoy;2332881]Currently there is no official limit to how many "visa exempt" entries one can obtain per year by air. I personally had 5 last year with a total stay of about 7 months in total. Once you go above 6 visa exempt entries you do get flagged within their system which may or may not be an issue.

If your cumulative stay goes above 9 months on "visa exempt" entries per year I would be a little nervous, although you shouldn't have an issue if you only do it for 1 year. If you do it for more than 2 years in a row you are really relying on how the immigration official is feeling on the day. Most people will still get in without an issue however some get denied.

There are many "denied entry" stories on the thaivisa forum. The commonalty for being denied entry is more than 9 months annual cumulative stay over 2 or more years. Some people have done it for years and only a few have been denied entry so it just depends on the immigration official you get at the airport. Although there is no official limit on how long you can stay per year the denied entry stamp basically says "doesn't have the means" to stay in the country. The "means" refers to not having the appropriate long term visa rather than how much money they have on them or access to.

Interestingly most people that get denied entry usually fly back into a neighbouring country and then enter by land without issue. On thaivisa there is a whole list of friendly land crossings that will let you in even with a denied entry stamp in your passport and have stayed for years on simple short term visas. Visa exempt entries by land are limited to two per year. Smaller areas don't always follow the policy from Bangkok.

Even when you have a proper Tourist Visa obtained through an embassy in either single entry or multi entry form it still won't guarantee you can stay forever. It will probably lower the probability of getting denied entry however there have still been cases of people being denied entry on these visas on the basis of staying too long in the country. The embassy and immigration are different departments and immigration ultimately has the last say when entering the country.

If you are staying only up to 6 months per year then entering on a visa exempt basis won't be a problem. If anyone ever asks at immigration what you are doing in Thailand so often, just say holidaying. Any work, even as a digital nomad is strictly illegal, the answer is always "I am a tourist. I do no from of work here at all". If you are working remotely in Thailand no one will know or care. But never mention it at immigration as they will deny you entry at any mention of any form of work. Play along with what they want to hear. Do not mention that you even answer some emails while there. You do zero work or even think of it while in Thailand.

If you want to stay for more than more than say 8 months per year in Thailand on a long term basis then you need to look at a long term visa. If you are over the age of 50 then a retirement visa. THB 800 k in a Thai bank or verified income of THB 65 k per month into that account is a rough guide to what you need. If you aren't 50 or don't want to go through that BS, then the Thai Elite Visa program will get you a stay of 5 years for a one off payment of THB 500 k or 20 years for THB 1 million.[/QUOTE]Thanks for such a detailed info.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2332440]Nope. Indonesian bureaucracy is alive and well in those embassies. I think it's probably fine if you are a local Indonesian, but if you are a visitor or expat, they rake you over the coals as always.[/QUOTE]Stay off of any Indonesian airlines. I watched a Aljazeera report today on how bad the Indonesian government is and how corrupt the department heads are for following up on any maintenance complaints. The Air Asia that crashed in the Java sea had a faulty rudder system that was reported a number of times and never repaired. Not only that the flight was not authorized to fly on the day it flew. They just let it go. Some one got paid, I'm sure.

I know Air Asia is Malay but sama sama. They are just not that well educated to do the right thing. If you have ever used AA then you know how they beat the shit out of those planes. Turn arounds are fast and never a stoppage to repair.

Also many times I've flown AA and the exit doors have no one in the high priced seats. If there is an emergency who will open those doors? AA charges High prices because of the extra leg room, but ignores the fact that the seats are empty. Who allows that?

The only Indo carrier allowed into the USA is Garuda, which is government owned.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2334249]Stay off of any Indonesian airlines. I watched a Aljazeera report today on how bad the Indonesian government is and how corrupt the department heads are for following up on any maintenance complaints. The Air Asia that crashed in the Java sea had a faulty rudder system that was reported a number of times and never repaired. Not only that the flight was not authorized to fly on the day it flew. They just let it go. Some one got paid, I'm sure.[/QUOTE]But it is also on the pilots not to accept an aircraft they think to be unsafe. If a faulty rudder system was reported then it would have been in the log book, so the pilots would have known what they were getting into.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2334249]Stay off of any Indonesian airlines.[/QUOTE]There are plenty of airlines I will not fly. There are plenty of countries I will not transit. It does somewhat limit my options to and from Thailand, but IMO you got to stick with your convictions.

SL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2334249]Stay off of any Indonesian airlines.[/QUOTE]

That's just silly. Airlines in any country outside of sub-Saharan Africa are a few orders of magnitude safer than other modes of transport we routinely use (regular taxis, and don't even mention motorbikes), and life situations like crossing the street. Sure, an airline like Lion Air is statistically clearly less safe than Qantas or KLM, but in absolute terms, we're talking minuscule risks anyway.

If your tolerance of risk is so low that you'd avoid Air Asia or Lion Air due to unacceptably high risk, surely you're staying away from Bangkok taxis too, and cars in general? Not to mention dangerous activities like BBBJ or DATY?

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2334249]Stay off of any Indonesian airlines. I watched a Aljazeera report today on how bad the Indonesian government is and how corrupt the department heads are for following up on any maintenance complaints. The Air Asia that crashed in the Java sea had a faulty rudder system that was reported a number of times and never repaired. Not only that the flight was not authorized to fly on the day it flew. They just let it go. Some one got paid, I'm sure.

I know Air Asia is Malay but sama sama. They are just not that well educated to do the right thing. If you have ever used AA then you know how they beat the shit out of those planes. Turn arounds are fast and never a stoppage to repair.

Also many times I've flown AA and the exit doors have no one in the high priced seats. If there is an emergency who will open those doors? AA charges High prices because of the extra leg room, but ignores the fact that the seats are empty. Who allows that?

The only Indo carrier allowed into the USA is Garuda, which is government owned.

RL.[/QUOTE]I almost always research these things beforehand and I didn't with air Asia.

I just flew dmk to mnl and return.

Seems like a very shabby operation from flying with them.

I like to look for cheaper fares.

But sometimes (espec not always with hookers) you get what you pay for.

I just flew British airways round trip USA to Moscow.

I don't like anything about London, but I think they may have the best airline on the planet.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2334249]Stay off of any Indonesian airlines. I watched a Aljazeera report today on how bad the Indonesian government is and how corrupt the department heads are for following up on any maintenance complaints. The Air Asia that crashed in the Java sea had a faulty rudder system that was reported a number of times and never repaired. Not only that the flight was not authorized to fly on the day it flew. They just let it go. Some one got paid, I'm sure.

I know Air Asia is Malay but sama sama. They are just not that well educated to do the right thing. If you have ever used AA then you know how they beat the shit out of those planes. Turn arounds are fast and never a stoppage to repair.

Also many times I've flown AA and the exit doors have no one in the high priced seats. If there is an emergency who will open those doors? AA charges High prices because of the extra leg room, but ignores the fact that the seats are empty. Who allows that?

The only Indo carrier allowed into the USA is Garuda, which is government owned.

RL.[/QUOTE]Garuda is the only Indonesian airline I will travel with. For the sake of a few dollars I wouldn't risk my life or my loved ones flying with Lion, Meripati, Wings etc. They have a terrible track record with safety and regularly have incidents.

I fly Air Asia all the time. Is it because of the cheaper price? It's not always a lot cheaper if you add in your checked baggage. The reason I fly is because over half the time I get 3 seats to myself including recent flights to Japan and Korea. People aren't willing to pay 300 or 400 baht for the Hot Seats so they are left empty. I think that's a fantastic deal to be able to sit in the comfort of 3 seats. Just make sure you keep an eye on how full the flight is. If you see your flight getting full change to another date. On a full flight they start loading up the Hot Seats with people who only pay regular fare.

Same here. And the exit row hot seats add room and are often unoccupied. The flight attendants in their tight red outfits are pretty hot as well.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2334542]I fly Air Asia all the time. Is it because of the cheaper price? It's not always a lot cheaper if you add in your checked baggage. The reason I fly is because over half the time I get 3 seats to myself including recent flights to Japan and Korea. People aren't willing to pay 300 or 400 baht for the Hot Seats so they are left empty. I think that's a fantastic deal to be able to sit in the comfort of 3 seats. Just make sure you keep an eye on how full the flight is. If you see your flight getting full change to another date. On a full flight they start loading up the Hot Seats with people who only pay regular fare.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Crocodilexp;2334446]That's just silly. Airlines in any country outside of sub-Saharan Africa are a few orders of magnitude safer than other modes of transport we routinely use (regular taxis, and don't even mention motorbikes), and life situations like crossing the street. Sure, an airline like Lion Air is statistically clearly less safe than Qantas or KLM, but in absolute terms, we're talking minuscule risks anyway.

If your tolerance of risk is so low that you'd avoid Air Asia or Lion Air due to unacceptably high risk, surely you're staying away from Bangkok taxis too, and cars in general? Not to mention dangerous activities like BBBJ or DATY?[/QUOTE]By.

I am only sharing information that was presented on Aljazeria, if you have an issue with it, please google the documentary and see for yourself. I fly AA because there is usually no other or like the new Vietjet the seats are sold out because the tour groups buy them all because they are so cheap.

I had a customer many years ago that leased old planes to Indonesia. Planes that should be in moffballs, but there was a demand because they are so cheap. He said he would never fly in these. I remember flying Barac Air from Surabaya to Banjarmasin, that was an adventure. The plane shook and was so loud that you had to plug your ears.

You know you have a real problem with responding to posts. You do not need to criticize a person every time you respond. Suggesting I avoid Lion or AA was not mentioned by me, also why get on a rant about what I choose as for transportation? Many comments on this post and only you decide to make curt remarks. Chill out my friend, were all here to share.

RL.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2334542]I fly Air Asia all the time. Is it because of the cheaper price? It's not always a lot cheaper if you add in your checked baggage. The reason I fly is because over half the time I get 3 seats to myself including recent flights to Japan and Korea. People aren't willing to pay 300 or 400 baht for the Hot Seats so they are left empty. I think that's a fantastic deal to be able to sit in the comfort of 3 seats. Just make sure you keep an eye on how full the flight is. If you see your flight getting full change to another date. On a full flight they start loading up the Hot Seats with people who only pay regular fare.[/QUOTE]I only use the Hot seats if I'm going to Bali or a long flight. If just in Tland why pay the extra? It ain't cheap, and extra $45.00 and the food is very bad. I use only carry on for short flights. Watch the Aljazeria documentary and you will be surprised at the information.

RL.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2334542]I fly Air Asia all the time. Is it because of the cheaper price? It's not always a lot cheaper if you add in your checked baggage. The reason I fly is because over half the time I get 3 seats to myself including recent flights to Japan and Korea. [/QUOTE]Was suggested to me, by someone who works at the airport in a flight safety role, a genius scientist type (I could tell we was in the super smart category), that Air Asia should be your last choice. He pointed out that all the Air Asia flights in the world are not actually one company, rather it is a franchise type arrangement to use the common name. In his view the safety standards off some of the franchise members were below standard. I don't know what he knows, I just know he is brilliant and probably knows what he is talking about. He has an impeccable safety record with "his" flights obviously some other airline. I have not really looked into the Airline's safety record myself, since have only used them about once before to Djakarta.

I suppose this link is relevant:

[URL]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2908531/Ranking-world-s-dangerous-airlines-includes-troubled-AirAsia-Malaysia-Airlines-scores-highly-safety.html[/URL]

A quote from that page "Indonesia's AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashed into the Java Sea on December 28, killing all 162 people on board".

This would indicate that maybe only certain Air Asias rate low for safety, not all. So we can't blame the generic name in total.

Malaysian airlines is not on the low safety list, despite losing two planes in recent news.
I once flew KL to BKK on Malaysian. Would not do it again. Leg room was extremely low intended for midgets. I asked for Veg meal, and unfortunately was very dry curried potato (horrible) when I was expecting East Asian type food. That was bad luck. Was a long time ago, but never used them again. Not as bad as Ryan Air though (not relevant in this part of the world). I rate them as my worst experience ever, by a large margin.

I am not that keen to take airlines with lots of add ONS to the initial price, since I have a lot of luggage typically well over the norm, and often unsure if I will away a long time or short time. For this reason, I take an all inclusive type of airline usually. For others with little luggage, it will be different. Plus there is the issue of my frequent flyer points group.

Choice is difficult. Combination of price, convenience, flying frequently enough, right time of day, seats available, and safety, Freq Flyer, etc.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2332762]Your link does not work properly. However the point is valid. Suppose you have been in for 60 days already. Next time stay another 30 days and attempt to extend, to 60 days. That might be refused due to the 90 days total rule.

I would be surprised if I never violated the 90 days per 6 months rule in the past, not being aware of it, and coming and going often. However would have to check my travel history.

If have clocked up 80 days so far, and come in again, not sure if will give you 30 days or just 10 days before having to leave.

The moral is simple. If you want to stay in Thailand for serious amounts of time, you best be thinking Visas. 6 months multi-entry Visa is a good option (and actually provides a max of 6 months plus 90 days if last entry is close to end of the 6 month).[/QUOTE]The stamp that immigration puts in your passport is in essence a visa stamp. How can you enter Tland without a visa? And how do they know how many days you have been in country? Did I miss something in reading? So many confusing statements made on this issue. Thank you.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2334592]The stamp that immigration puts in your passport is in essence a visa stamp. How can you enter Tland without a visa? And how do they know how many days you have been in country? Did I miss something in reading? So many confusing statements made on this issue. Thank you.

RL.[/QUOTE]I re read my post. It does not read confusingly to me, although mentioned complex scenarios. However I know what I was trying to say. I define a Visa as when you make an application to stay in Thailand before arrival, and they place the Visa in your passport (a fancy page with numbers and dates and emblems and possibly your image for UK and USA). When I arrive with no Visa and get a 30 days stay automatically for free, others may call that Visa on Arrival, but since we filled out no forms, I did not regard that as a Visa.

I am guessing you were not referring to secretly crossing borders undetected, even your questions could have suggested that.

The Thai Consulate in my country is saying that people should expect only two free entries to Thailand per year (Visa exempt), new unwritten rule gradually coming in, and after that apply for Visas before entry (costing money). I am aware that some are getting away with more entries per year for free. It is not guaranteed. I have been questioned by official at BKK airport about 3 years back about my high entries per year, perhaps 7, and suggesting I had better apply for a Visa before entry next time.

I do not apply for the official "Thailand Visa on Arrival". That is for certain nationalities, not mine.

Many of us get a "Visa Exemption" or "Visa Waiver" to stay for 30 days. It is not officially called a Visa as far as I know. The passport merely gets an entry stamp, and they write what date we have to leave.

We can then pay 1900 at Chaeng Wattana or provincial office, to get a 30 day extension of stay. This time it requires forms to be filled in. It still is not really a Visa, but a bigger extension of stay stamp.

If I extend my stay, from 60 days (per entry) to 90 days, on my 6 months multi entry Visa, the extension is not a new VISA.

If you have a real VISA, it is a fancy thing glued to your passport and takes a full page typically. I got one for a very short Laos stay recently. That would be "Visa on Arrival".

Sorry if my English is poor and too complex at times. It happens. If you have a specific question I can try to answer that better, if have the experience. The rules are very complex and not really spelled out anywhere precisely. People always end up with additional questions not covered by the FAQ. e.g. there is a border crossing crack down, but I don't think it really applies to those having already got a proper Visa. Border crossings (on the land) are still being done really regularly by guys here long term. Was hard to find that information anywhere, on a web site. Crack downs apply more to people trying to stay long term in total without Visas, on the cheap.

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2334464]I almost always research these things beforehand and I didn't with air Asia.

I just flew dmk to mnl and return.

Seems like a very shabby operation from flying with them.

I like to look for cheaper fares.

But sometimes (espec not always with hookers) you get what you pay for.

I just flew British airways round trip USA to Moscow.

I don't like anything about London, but I think they may have the best airline on the planet.[/QUOTE]Czar.

Beg to differ British Airlines is a horrible airline. Both their 1st class and business class are crappy products. Frequent breakdowns and staff that absolutely does not give a shit plus there are the fuel surcharges.

Really hate to see someone recommend BA. I have flown 6 Soviet airlines that do a better job.

Fly some of the Asian airlines, UAE or other European airlines and you will never look back at BA.

Best.

Guido88.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2334592]The stamp that immigration puts in your passport is in essence a visa stamp. How can you enter Tland without a visa?.
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2334617]When I arrive with no Visa and get a 30 days stay automatically for free, others may call that Visa on Arrival, but since we filled out no forms, I did not regard that as a Visa.
[/QUOTE]Actually the stamp for a 30 day free stay is a visa exemption. So it's not a visa nor a visa on arrival.

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2334464]I just flew British airways round trip USA to Moscow.

I don't like anything about London, but I think they may have the best airline on the planet.[/QUOTE]I think British Airways is pretty crappy.

The best flight USA to Moscow used to be Singapore Airlines, and it was dirt cheap. Unfortunately, they stopped having that flight due to it being almost empty every time. I loved it because I could sleep across 4 economy class seats. Singapore Airlines is the best airline on the planet. It's normally expensive, but that one leg was cheap due to lack of Russian interest it seemed. I think it wins best airline in the world almost every year. And deservedly so.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2334717]Actually the stamp for a 30 day free stay is a visa exemption. So it's not a visa nor a visa on arrival.[/QUOTE]The term "visa exempt" can be confusing as it suggests the word does not apply to the stamp on your passport when not required to apply for a visa outside a country or upon arriving in the country I. E. The so called visa on arrival. However I bow to the superior authority on all such matters.

Cambridge dictionary: Visa. An official mark usually made in a passport that allows you to enter or leave a particular country.

Ergo Any stamp on your passport allowing you to enter is therefore a visa.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2334617]When I arrive with no Visa and get a 30 days stay automatically for free, others may call that Visa on Arrival, but since we filled out no forms, I did not regard that as a Visa. [/QUOTE]Actually S. You do as do all non Thai's fill out a form which shows your name, passport no. Age nationality where you are staying among other questions I. E. The TM 6. You may want to argue whether the TM 6 is a form or not but what else is it if not a form.

This is checked and used as the basis of your passport stamp allowing you to enter the country.

Also Visa on Arrival is a totally different process from both Embassy provided visa's and entry for citizen's from visa exempt countries. Its a similar process to applying at an embassy but it happens on arrival and is restricted to a limited number of countries.

The distinction of what is a visa is largely a matter of semantics but as I mentioned in another post I refer to the bible I. E. Cambridge Dictionary.

[QUOTE=Guido88;2334668]Czar.

Beg to differ British Airlines is a horrible airline. Both their 1st class and business class are crappy products. Frequent breakdowns and staff that absolutely does not give a shit plus there are the fuel surcharges.

Really hate to see someone recommend BA. I have flown 6 Soviet airlines that do a better job.

Fly some of the Asian airlines, UAE or other European airlines and you will never look back at BA.

Best.

Guido88.[/QUOTE]It was an awesome experience from start to finish, I must say I haven't flown those airlines you post but have heard very good things about them.

I must say BA was best compared to what I have flown over the last 51 yrs LOL.

I guess I need to get out more LOL.

They were super super nice from check in, in the USA to landing in the USA several mos later.

Awesome people, awesome service, awesome airline.

I'm just not accustomed to that!

I will say the British passengers are huge assholes but I can't hold that against the airline LOL.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2334717]Actually the stamp for a 30 day free stay is a visa exemption. So it's not a visa nor a visa on arrival.[/QUOTE]The correct terminology here in Australia is free Visa exemption, but a lot of people call it VOA, myself included, because you do not have to apply before travel.

I flew BA from Sydney to Singapore and it was decent. I usually fly Airasia or Scoot so I have a high tolerance for hardship so things which make ordinary people go into a rage on full service airlines do not even register with me. Also flew Singapore which completely ruined me.

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2334927]It was an awesome experience from start to finish, I must say I haven't flown those airlines you post but have heard very good things about them.

I must say BA was best compared to what I have flown over the last 51 yrs LOL.

I guess I need to get out more LOL.

They were super super nice from check in, in the USA to landing in the USA several mos later.

Awesome people, awesome service, awesome airline.

I'm just not accustomed to that!

I will say the British passengers are huge assholes but I can't hold that against the airline LOL.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=PointyStick;2335173] Also flew Singapore which completely ruined me.[/QUOTE]What did Singapore Airlines do to ruin you? One of the most respected airlines AFAIK.

My favorite airline is Lufthansa. For an Asian airline Cathay is the best although EVA is generally much cheaper and offers great flexibility in date changes and free seat selection. However, Taipei airport is one of the most boring in the world so even a 2 or 3 hour layover can be torturous.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2334592]The stamp that immigration puts in your passport is in essence a visa stamp.[/QUOTE]No, it is not, the entry stamp they put is a permission to stay. Different thing altogether.

Visas are issued by consulates / embassies abroad, with the exception of visa-on-arrival that a few nationalities (like the Indians or Chinese) can get at the airport and need to pay for. Visas are usually stickers, though sometimes a big stamp (half page) is used.

Visa is basically a document allowing you to attempt to enter a country, while an entry stamp (or an extension issued at immigration) is an is the actual permission to stay for a specified period.

Immigration can refuse you entry even if you have a valid visa (uncommon, but happens), or let you in without a visa (as they do for most Western citizens, for 30 days).

This is priceless. US airlines are so bad that even Soviet airlines are better. US airports are mostly awful too. First time I landed at O'Hara after leaving from BKK to HKG I felt like I couldn't touch anything without bathing in hand sanitizer. A GF from China is coming to visit this summer and I can't wait to hear her reactions to US transit systems and the poor girl is flying United.

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2334927]It was an awesome experience from start to finish, I must say I haven't flown those airlines you post but have heard very good things about them.

I must say BA was best compared to what I have flown over the last 51 yrs LOL.

I guess I need to get out more LOL.

They were super super nice from check in, in the USA to landing in the USA several mos later.

Awesome people, awesome service, awesome airline.

I'm just not accustomed to that!

I will say the British passengers are huge assholes but I can't hold that against the airline LOL.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=MichaelSamuel;2335369]This is priceless. US airlines are so bad that even Soviet airlines are better. US airports are mostly awful too. First time I landed at O'Hara after leaving from BKK to HKG I felt like I couldn't touch anything without bathing in hand sanitizer. A GF from China is coming to visit this summer and I can't wait to hear her reactions to US transit systems and the poor girl is flying United.[/QUOTE]In the USA transit unions are very very strong, wages are very very high.

That keeps profit margins very low.

Many foreign airlines can offer superior products because their overhead espec labor costs are miniscule (I'm guessing insurance is dirt cheap as well LOL) and dirt cheap airport fees and taxes.

Public transit is shitty because pro business politicians don't want to fund it (altho the unions are strong and wages are very high in major cities).

They prefer you use the pvt sector for any needs (include travel).

Most USA airports suck.

Because anti tax politicians don't want to pay billions for non stop upgrades, nor do the airlines.

Because they don't want to pay for something they don't even own.

Most of the rich don't use airport terminals they fly on pvt jets or the terminals would be much nicer!!

Lax is a garbage airport.

So this is their solution.

[URL]https://theprivatesuite.com/the-experience/[/URL]

[QUOTE=PointyStick;2335173] Also flew Singapore which completely ruined me.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2335316]What did Singapore Airlines do to ruin you? One of the most respected airlines AFAIK.[/QUOTE]BB. I think you might have missed the humor in Pointy Stick's response.

I'm spending 11 days in Thailand and wondering how I should break it up between Bangkok and Pattaya. From what I've read here Pattaya is a little cheaper, less crowded but the woman aren't as attractive. Does anyone have advice on how many days I should spend where?

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2335316]
For an Asian airline Cathay is the best although EVA is generally much cheaper and offers great flexibility in date changes and free seat selection. [/QUOTE]Unfortunately EVA is now charging a fee if you want to select a seat more than 48 hours before departure. Within 48 hours it's still possible to select a standard seat for free.

https://www.evaair.com/en-us/booking-and-travel-planning/fare-family/introduction-of-fare-family/#seat (click on 'Charges')

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2335316]What did Singapore Airlines do to ruin you? One of the most respected airlines AFAIK.

My favorite airline is Lufthansa. For an Asian airline Cathay is the best although EVA is generally much cheaper and offers great flexibility in date changes and free seat selection. However, Taipei airport is one of the most boring in the world so even a 2 or 3 hour layover can be torturous.[/QUOTE]Lufthansa is not my favourite, although the airline itself and the staff are not the problem. It's the passengers that are the problem.

It is very hard to get a seat getting up towards Christmas, when you need to change flight dates. So I prefer to be on Thai Inter. Lufthansa flights get a bit too full, for my liking. Plus older German passengers have little regard for others. They don't care if they are over weight and encroaching seriously into my seat space. They always lean very heavily on the back of my seat, causing "earthquakes", they don't care if crash into you while walking down the isle. Americans maybe loud, but are far more polite. Generalising, but many Germans act like they are kings of the world, and do as they please. Personal liberties. Just if they had a bit more consideration for others, but they are not really brought up that way. I think the younger generation are better.

Still they are probably low of the scale of passengers who stink (under arm BO), so some blessings. Being seated next to a stinky is the worst luck you can have I guess, or having drinks spilt on you by passengers standing with drinks.

My two really big hates are babies screaming or young children jumping around uncontrolled by parents, and if get unlucky to be close to a really stinky passenger. The airline with the worst staff maybe British Airways. Bad attitude. E. g. I asked for a tomato juice. They served it dark brown, with loads of Worchestershire sauce added and not sure what else. I simply said sorry but I ordered a plain tomato juice. They refused to give me a new one. That was just one thing. I was entering a plane doing something with mobile. The stewardess said I can't do that. Fine. She then started with a great lecture holding up those entering the aircraft. I said simply I know very well, I have turned it off, I don't need a lecture. She then started about she could have me thrown off the airline.

At one time I liked sitting behind a door for extra leg room, but this brings its own problem, If you have extra leg room, other passengers will start to insist on standing in your leg space, and naturally crash into you preventing sleep possibilities. If seated behind a bulkhead, many passengers will try to cross to the other side over your legs. Very irritating.

My conclusion. There are lots of thoughtless passengers on flights and certain nationalities are worse than others, generalising.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2335559]Lufthansa is not my favourite, although the airline itself and the staff are not the problem. It's the passengers that are the problem.

It is very hard to get a seat getting up towards Christmas, when you need to change flight dates. So I prefer to be on Thai Inter. Lufthansa flights get a bit too full, for my liking. Plus older German passengers have little regard for others. They don't care if they are over weight and encroaching seriously into my seat space. They always lean very heavily on the back of my seat, causing "earthquakes", they don't care if crash into you while walking down the isle. Americans maybe loud, but are far more polite. Generalising, but many Germans act like they are kings of the world, and do as they please. Personal liberties. Just if they had a bit more consideration for others, but they are not really brought up that way. I think the younger generation are better.

Still they are probably low of the scale of passengers who stink (under arm BO), so some blessings. Being seated next to a stinky is the worst luck you can have I guess, or having drinks spilt on you by passengers standing with drinks.

My two really big hates are babies screaming or young children jumping around uncontrolled by parents, and if get unlucky to be close to a really stinky passenger. The airline with the worst staff maybe British Airways. Bad attitude. E. g. I asked for a tomato juice. They served it dark brown, with loads of Worchestershire sauce added and not sure what else. I simply said sorry but I ordered a plain tomato juice. They refused to give me a new one. That was just one thing. I was entering a plane doing something with mobile. The stewardess said I can't do that. Fine. She then started with a great lecture holding up those entering the aircraft. I said simply I know very well, I have turned it off, I don't need a lecture. She then started about she could have me thrown off the airline.

At one time I liked sitting behind a door for extra leg room, but this brings its own problem, If you have extra leg room, other passengers will start to insist on standing in your leg space, and naturally crash into you preventing sleep possibilities. If seated behind a bulkhead, many passengers will try to cross to the other side over your legs. Very irritating.

My conclusion. There are lots of thoughtless passengers on flights and certain nationalities are worse than others, generalising.[/QUOTE]You forgot to mention the large guy that sits next to you and snores loudly. Even with headphones on it is very disturbing. I gave up on economy seating, it's all business class now. At my age I'm not putting up with all the bullshit in economy. Premier econ is a little better but the seats are to small, not long enough to get real comfortable.

And above all never book a flight on the mainland Chinese carriers, it will be the worst experience ever. The Chinese are new to travel and they are young with children that cry constantly. China Airlines is ok, Taiwan owned so more sophisticated, as is EVA.

If your spending 18-23 hours getting to BKK, give yourself the pleasure of business class, you will arrive rested, well fed and get the fast pass thru immigration. A little more money but your on your way to the big Asian money pit.

RL.

[QUOTE=RobertLong;2335804]You forgot to mention the large guy that sits next to you and snores loudly. Even with headphones on it is very disturbing. I gave up on economy seating, it's all business class now. At my age I'm not putting up with all the bullshit in economy. Premier econ is a little better but the seats are to small, not long enough to get real comfortable.
[/QUOTE]I had a not so fat German guy right next to me in Business class. I wanted to sleep. He kept ringing the bell for service, loud ding again and again, order another drink, noisy packets of nuts or crisps or whatever. Eventually after all those drinks he fell asleep, and then the snoring started. Was hopeless for me to sleep.

Snoring is bad but not one of the top most frequent big problems. You can try to stuff your ears with noise blocker (but only semi effective). Noise cancellers don't work for snoring I think. Wrong frequencies.

I eventually decided it is better to fly mainly in daytime so does not matter if did not get a good sleep. Hardly ever skip a fuck on first day / night in Thailand. I generally don't do extra long haul. 12 hour max flights for me these days. London to BKK is about my worst.

[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2335316]My favorite airline is Lufthansa. For an Asian airline Cathay is the best although EVA is generally much cheaper and offers great flexibility in date changes and free seat selection.[/QUOTE]Lufthansa? Haha. I haven't flown it in about 10 years, so maybe it has improved, but I have flown it about 10 times and I think that's one of the worst airlines Internationally. They have the smallest distance between economy class seats of any airline I have flown on International routes. I'm short, and my knees touch the seat in front of me on that airline. That's crazy. I can handle it for shorter flights like Jakarta to Bangkok, but I flew Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Buenos Aires once, 16 hour flight. I had the window seat and the guy seated next to me in the middle seat was around 6 foot 6. His knees had to be spread into both my seat area and the seat area of the guy in the aisle due to lack of space. Miserable flight, miserable airline. They did used to have the cheapest flight from Jakarta to Bangkok for only $200 usd roundtrip about 15 years ago so I would take that flight once in a while, but had it not been far cheaper than the other airlines I would not have taken it. I equate Lufthansa with the US carriers. Crap. When I fly business class on it, it's fine, but business class is fine on almost any airline other than Egypt Air or Air India.

Cathay is about equivalent to Singapore airlines (although Singapore Airlines has hotter stewardesses and is a bit better overall in my opinion, also I like the Singapore airport better than Hong Kong). Eva is good and a favorite of mine since it is cheap as well as good. The bread rolls on Eva are the best on any airline, not that that matters much. I like ANA too, but I don't like the Japanese food they serve. Korean air is also not bad. It does seem I prefer the Asian airlines, but Qatar Air, Emirates, and Etihad are all quite good as well.

All of the US carriers are crap as far as service, leg room, and amenities. I also don't like many of the European airlines. I avoid pretty much all of them including Lufthansa, KLM, British Airways and Air France. The best I have flown out of the European airlines was Swiss air. There are some good airlines in Australia, but the stewardesses are rarely ever attractive. All of the African carriers are crap. Even South African Airways is nothing special. Kenya airways is supposedly one the best in Africa other than South African Airways, but they always lose my luggage. I hear good things about Ethiopian Air, but I have never flown it. I haven't found a South American carrier that I would say is great, but there are some decent ones. When I'm down there, I just pretty much roll the dice and fly whatever has the best flight times.

Of course, all of us probably have a different opinion on the airlines based on personal experiences.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2335558]Unfortunately EVA is now charging a fee if you want to select a seat more than 48 hours before departure. Within 48 hours it's still possible to select a standard seat for free.

https://www.evaair.com/en-us/booking-and-travel-planning/fare-family/introduction-of-fare-family/#seat (click on 'Charges')[/QUOTE]Just like baggage fees, this is fast becoming standard practice.

Lufthansa charges a fee for advance seat assignment (Economy Class only).
There is NO fee if you select the seat 23 hours before departure.

For airlines, this is another revenue opportunity, although much less than the Baggage fee lottery.

BKKguru

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2335559]My two really big hates are babies screaming or young children jumping around uncontrolled by parents, and if get unlucky to be close to a really stinky passenger.[/QUOTE]Ya, babies you almost have to put up with but screaming kids who are uncontrolled by their stupid parents no excuse for. On my last flight cross country to Atlanta on Delta the broad next to me was so fat her blubber actually pinned me against the side of the airplane for five hours. She was ugly, too, and had no tits. It was all blubber. Airlines should force obese passengers to pay for two seats or upgrade to first class. Sheesh.

[QUOTE=Sydien;2335501]I'm spending 11 days in Thailand and wondering how I should break it up between Bangkok and Pattaya. From what I've read here Pattaya is a little cheaper, less crowded but the woman aren't as attractive. Does anyone have advice on how many days I should spend where?[/QUOTE]I am fairly inexperienced for both but I would personally opt to spend more time in Pattaya since it is easier layout for you to get the hang of in such a short time. If you have read up on Bangkok and prepared I think both works.

I been to Pattaya off season and saw plenty of pretty ladies so that shouldn't be a worry. Hopefully someone with more experience in both locations can provide more guidance.

Singapore Airlines is really hard to beat. I love their lounge in Singapore. But I can't always use them. Though I was fortunate enough to use some of the ladies.

I actually like Eva the few times I have flown them. Their prices are great the ladies are not too bad. Years ago, when I tried them, I hooked up with 2 of the ladies. They were unattached so they were able to show me around town.

[QUOTE=BKKguru;2335868]Just like baggage fees, this is fast becoming standard practice.

Lufthansa charges a fee for advance seat assignment (Economy Class only).
There is NO fee if you select the seat 23 hours before departure.

For airlines, this is another revenue opportunity, although much less than the Baggage fee lottery.

~BKKguru[/QUOTE]Experienced this with Qatar and KLM recently while travelling with my family. I have no problem if I don't get to sit next to the wife or friends when flying but both airlines where separating kids from their parents. We managed to get my wife and daughter seated next to each other but I witnessed other families, on different flight's, not being so lucky. I asked the guys at Qatar, who were the hardest to convince that young girls shouldn't be seated away from their parents on an overnight flight, do I tell them or contact the police upon landing if my daughter was molested in any way? When I said I would take a photo of the person seated beside her and ask to see their passport and explain what I would do if I felt that any discretions occurred did they make an effort to find a solution.

This practice has a lawsuit waiting to happen at the best outcome and a disaster at worst if a child is harmed.

[QUOTE=RobJones;2336158]Experienced this with Qatar and KLM recently while travelling with my family. I have no problem if I don't get to sit next to the wife or friends when flying but both airlines where separating kids from their parents. We managed to get my wife and daughter seated next to each other but I witnessed other families, on different flight's, not being so lucky. I asked the guys at Qatar, who were the hardest to convince that young girls shouldn't be seated away from their parents on an overnight flight, do I tell them or contact the police upon landing if my daughter was molested in any way? When I said I would take a photo of the person seated beside her and ask to see their passport and explain what I would do if I felt that any discretions occurred did they make an effort to find a solution.

This practice has a lawsuit waiting to happen at the best outcome and a disaster at worst if a child is harmed.[/QUOTE]I am bonking two airline hostesses on a P4P basis. Our pillow talk consists of stuff like the above. The airline sells you getting from A to be safely. All others are incidental they tell me. That includes seats. If there are children involved, most people would gladly change seats. I have done it several times and seen it done many times more. I have seen hostesses ask guys to change seats to facilitate others.

You, on the other hand, want to go all Rambo straight out of the traps. You sound like one of those guys who object to Arabs or others speaking Arabic on flights and definitely the type of guy who starts trouble and gives mongers a bad name.

If people wish to sit together, they can pay the premium to do that. I've had to sit beside grossly obese people who are so disgustingly fat one seat belt is not enough for them. I've been in punch ups on flights. All the airlinbe wants to do is move passengers from A to be and land in one piece. It is a crap job dealing with ass holes. It's only upside is I get good bonks at a cut price rate out of it.

[QUOTE=BKKguru;2335868]Just like baggage fees, this is fast becoming standard practice.

Lufthansa charges a fee for advance seat assignment (Economy Class only).
There is NO fee if you select the seat 23 hours before departure.

For airlines, this is another revenue opportunity, although much less than the Baggage fee lottery.

~BKKguru[/QUOTE]I have found once on entering an aircraft, that my seat assignment had been changed even after I had checked in without my permission, but maybe related to trying to seat families together. Sometimes a flight is changed to a different smaller aircraft too.

My company once booked me on KLM to USA as was supposedly cheaper. Unfortunately as I was a long time away from home, I had significantly more than the standard luggage allowance and maybe got charged 200 euros for extra luggage, making it not cheap at all. These days I prefer to book flights or hotels myself, or at least specify them, based on my special criteria which is not purely the price, but also flexibility to change, luggage allowance, etc.

For Hotels, proximity to work location and transport is very important. I hate wasting time travelling too much every day.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2336265]My company once booked me on KLM to USA as was supposedly cheaper. Unfortunately as I was a long time away from home, I had significantly more than the standard luggage allowance and maybe got charged 200 euros for extra luggage, making it not cheap at all. [/QUOTE]Funny, that's the exact same reason I haven't flown KLM in 20 years. They charged me a bullshit 84 euros for a tiny carry on bag that I have never had to check with any other airline ever. I bring it with me everywhere even to this day. I told them at the time that if they wanted to do that, I would never fly KLM again. They didn't seem concerned, so I have not flown them again and hopefully never will.

I still fly KLM because there are the odd flights KLM has that are dirt cheap. One example is Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta in business class with lay flat seats for 3600 baht. Jakarta to KL is slightly more at 4000 baht. Includes 2 free check in and 1 carry on bag. Economy is 1215 baht but with only 1 check in bag and a carry on. Pretty impressive price for a 2+ hour flight.

If other airlines offer true business class at these rates please let me know.

[QUOTE=PedroMorales;2336264]I am bonking two airline hostesses on a P4P basis. Our pillow talk consists of stuff like the above. The airline sells you getting from A to be safely. All others are incidental they tell me. That includes seats. If there are children involved, most people would gladly change seats. I have done it several times and seen it done many times more. I have seen hostesses ask guys to change seats to facilitate others.

You, on the other hand, want to go all Rambo straight out of the traps. You sound like one of those guys who object to Arabs or others speaking Arabic on flights and definitely the type of guy who starts trouble and gives mongers a bad name.

If people wish to sit together, they can pay the premium to do that. I've had to sit beside grossly obese people who are so disgustingly fat one seat belt is not enough for them. I've been in punch ups on flights. All the airlinbe wants to do is move passengers from A to be and land in one piece. It is a crap job dealing with ass holes. It's only upside is I get good bonks at a cut price rate out of it.[/QUOTE]I do not see why you have to pay a premium to sit families together? If they increased the fares to incorporate grouped seating I wouldn't notice an increase of $20 in $5000 worth of fares.

As far as protecting my family I will go "Rambo". You do not know my family dynamic's and I will not explain them here so I do take offence that you are quick to judge me and imply that I have some reason to hate Arabs? I actually think Aussies, my nationality are noisier on planes and can't get my earphones on fast enough!

The other passengers did gladly change seats but I do not see that as their responsibility because the airline does have a duty of care and I am sure that extends to more then just taking off, flying properly and landing safely.

In regards to giving others a bad name I haven't had an experience of a mid air punch up so maybe I am not such a big ass hole as you imply.

If you decide to start your own family revisit this situation and tell me you would allow your child to sit next to a total stranger on an overnight flight with the airline telling you to suck it up.

[QUOTE=RobJones;2336600]I do not see why you have to pay a premium to sit families together? If they increased the fares to incorporate grouped seating I wouldn't notice an increase of $20 in $5000 worth of fares.

As far as protecting my family I will go "Rambo". You do not know my family dynamic's and I will not explain them here so I do take offence that you are quick to judge me and imply that I have some reason to hate Arabs? I actually think Aussies, my nationality are noisier on planes and can't get my earphones on fast enough!

The other passengers did gladly change seats but I do not see that as their responsibility because the airline does have a duty of care and I am sure that extends to more then just taking off, flying properly and landing safely.

In regards to giving others a bad name I haven't had an experience of a mid air punch up so maybe I am not such a big ass hole as you imply.

If you decide to start your own family revisit this situation and tell me you would allow your child to sit next to a total stranger on an overnight flight with the airline telling you to suck it up.[/QUOTE]Most airlines allow you to buy seats together for a premium. If your seats are not allocated together, too bad as you did not pay extra to get them together. Although children, the old or the infirm are reasons to sit together, people always try to bend the rules so the airline has to be rigid. Some crew are ruder than others. Most are fed up of a minority of passengers bending the rules in ways big or small. My last flight, crew were complaining out loud of the huge size of the carry on luggage of the usual parasitical suspects. The future of airlines is budget and pay for every and all extras. Penny pinchers are making the same complaint about them (paying extra to be seated together) as you are here.

I was assaulted on a plane. Luckily I had one of the crew as witness and got the scum bag arrested (pushed over and then had my face squeezed when passing him). I have changed my MO and fly less often as I find those with entitlement issues to be pains both in the airports and on the planes.

The only upside, as I say, is I get to bone a few crew. And wonder why they put up with all the BS of their horrible job.

[QUOTE=PedroMorales;2336264] I have seen hostesses ask guys to change seats to facilitate others.
<snip>
If people wish to sit together, they can pay the premium to do that.[/QUOTE]"If people wish to sit together, they can pay the premium to do that. ".

You are missing the point. Three years ago, there was NO fee to select a seat in Economy Class.
It does NOT cost the Airline any extra Dollars to assign seats in advance. This is a ploy to grab more Dollars from the Economy Class passenger.

To be clear, I am only talking about full fare airlines, not Budget Airlines like Air Asia, Ryan Air etc.

As you point out, this does put an additional burden on the Cabin staff.
This excludes United Airlines, where Economy Class Passengers have the same status as garbage.

BKKguru

Maybe this had something to do with it.

Some interesting conversations on flying, but I can't recall when I flew on any airline without a preassigned seat and I would be damn pissed off if my fully paid seating was altered at the last minute by the airlines. On intercontinental routes I fly mostly Star Alliance: United, Swiss Air, Thai Air, ANA, etc or Sky Team: Delta, Air France, Korean Air, and China Eastern. In Asia I fly Air Asia, Thai Air, Singapore Air, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Air ect, but again all with preassigned seating and under most circumstances except an emergency, I would not fly any other way. I like the aisle (more leg room) and up front as much as possible for faster entry and exiting. On the intercontinental flights I pay up for more leg room. One time a pretty passenger asked me to change seats so she could sit with her boyfriend. Her seat was a middle seat several rows behind my seat. I politely told her why I wouldn't trade. I also don't like sitting next to babies. Most, not all make a racket at some point in the flight. But what I really don't like is sitting anywhere near someone who is sick and coughing. Wow that pisses me off more than just about anything. Hey take some medicine and cover your face, you ass hole.

But more important than all these pet peeves is the fact that flying used to be fun back in the day and it is a god damn pain in the ass now and the fault is mostly with the airlines. They are ass sucking bastards and they don't give a shit about their passengers comfort or repeat business. They only care about maximizing profit on every flight so they design the planes like cattle cars sticking as many passengers on a plane as possible and they construct tight scheduling algorithms to minimize empty seats on every flight. They have it down to a science. And they are always devising new ways to charge their customers ie squeeze more profit per ticket.

I will say this, however, that there is still a palpable difference between the Western Nation Airlines and the Asian Airlines. The Asian National Airlines are better. My preferred way to fly to BKK from Florida, USA is the Euro route because it is a couple of hours shorter duration that the trans Pacific route and because the plane lands in BKK in the morning instead of 9:30 or later in the evening with the Pacific flights. So, I often fly on a United Airlines ticket: Swiss Air MIA to Zurich and then Thai Air to BKK. The difference between flying Swiss Air or any Western country airline and flying Thai Air is amazing. The Thai stewardess are nice and actually try to make passengers comfortable. What a novel approach. 555. On my last trip I flew the Trans Pacific route free with miles on a Delta ticket. Delta was Delta per usual no surprise, but China Eastern Airlines which I flew from BKK to Shanghai on the 1st leg of my return flight was surprisingly nice. Will wonders never cease. But leaving BKK at 2 AM really sucks. Another reason why I don't like the trans Pacific route.

But when I am in Asia I fly all the local Asian carriers, again always with preassigned seating. So as for BKK arrivals and departures, I hate Swampy. Who doesn't? Their immigration lines are outrageous. To make visitors wait in line, sometimes up to an hour just to get their passports stamped so they can enter Thailand and spend money in the local economy is an insult. Compare it to Singapore or even Jakarta immigration. It is unbelievable. I realize I can buy fast track Thai entry. I might do that next trip although I have noticed on numerous entries that the lines are not that bad on the Thai Airlines arrivals from Europe. Anyway, to avoid the long immigration lines I tend to fly Air Asia in and out of DMk a lot for short flights to neighboring Asian countries. Much less hassle at DMK although when you fly that way you are stuck with mostly Air Asia. LOL. You can't win! They won't let you win. 555.

So this is my aviation blues. I hate flying. It used to be fun. It used to be adventurous. Shit, I remember before 9/11 I used to bring weed on board planes and smoke in the plane's bathroom. Hell, I remember when smoking cigarettes was allowed on planes and planes were usually only 75% full. Back then I used to fly Miami to Ams lying down, fully stretched out sleeping in my own entire 4 seat middle row. Those were the days. I would then lay over in AMS for a couple of nights, get stoned in the coffee shops and wander around the red-light district. And then fly off to BKK arriving on a half full plane in the morning BKK time. Nowadays, I don't care what WESTERN airlines you are flying with, it's flying by cattle car. But we put up with it because we don't have much choice and because we know that when we arrive in SE Asia we are actually arriving in the land of milk and honey. But I wonder what the profit margin would be if an Airline began flying a certain number of intercontinental flights charging more money for their tickets obviously, but designing the plane throughout with decent size seats and reasonable space between seats. Would the consumers support such an offering or is the public hooked on so called minimal pricing. I don't know, but it might be an interesting experiment for one Airline to try. Who knows? It might be profitable and then it could catch on.

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;2336644] But what I really don't like is sitting anywhere near someone who is sick and coughing. Wow that pisses me off more than just about anything. Hey take some medicine and cover your face, you ass hole.

But more important than all these pet peeves is the fact that flying used to be fun back in the day and it is a god damn pain in the ass now and the fault is mostly with the airlines. [/QUOTE]I remember very fondly a flight with Singapore air with two stunning hostesses, and also one very pleasant with North West Airlines, the great hostess helps a lot.

I almost always have caught a virus after a flight of 9 hours plus. I expect it every time. I recover much quicker in Thailand than elsewhere, probably due to humidity and heat. Maybe diet helps. Kissing Thai hookers seems a lot less dangerous than long flights for catching viruses.

Beware the Air Asia may have a bad safety record for Indonesian and Malaysian Franchises. Just a warning from my aviation safety engineer buddy.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2336630]Maybe this had something to do with it.[/QUOTE]The carry on KLM had me check (and pay 84 euros) that one flight is the same size as the smallest bag on the right of this photo. I almost left it. The bag and it's contents was hardly even worth 84 euros. They did that because the first leg of the flight was from London to Amsterdam and the plane they used for that flight was a tiny little puddle jumper propeller plane with hardly any room. But when I was on the flight, there was plenty of room for that bag in the overhead. It cost 84 euros because I had to pay for it to be sent all the way to Indonesia. I felt it was absurd to have to check that bag.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2336676]I remember very fondly a flight with Singapore air with two stunning hostesses, and also one very pleasant with North West Airlines, the great hostess helps a lot.

I almost always have caught a virus after a flight of 9 hours plus. I expect it every time. I recover much quicker in Thailand than elsewhere, probably due to humidity and heat. Maybe diet helps. Kissing Thai hookers seems a lot less dangerous than long flights for catching viruses.

Beware the Air Asia may have a bad safety record for Indonesian and Malaysian Franchises. Just a warning from my aviation safety engineer buddy.[/QUOTE]Flying from Bangkok to Manila.

A few minutes before landing the attendant starts spraying some very very strong chemical spray into the vents whilst walking past.

I am not easily bothered by these things, but I was choking uncontrollably as were others, I asked wtf are you doing?

She apologized and said it was health dept protocol? It was my guess they were aware of a very very ill passenger) it was very very strong, well before I even arrived to my hotel in manila I was getting very very ill and I didn't get out of bed for a couple of days.

I am not an infectious disease specialist, is anyone aware of any preventive measures that can prevent this? I was very ill, if not for the fact I was in manila.

And the admonition from mr tooms about medical "doctors" with crucifix wounds on their hands etc etc LOL I would have sought medical tx!

Post-script Thai hookers seems safe enough for me.

Its the ones in Mexico that get me really really ill.

Almost every visit!

[QUOTE=RobJones;2336600]I have some reason to hate Arabs? I actually think Aussies, my nationality are noisier on planes and can't get my earphones on fast enough![/QUOTE]I have found that some arabs have quite poor manners. Have you flown an arabic airline and sat on the aisle? I have had many bad experiences. Often, they stand up most of the flight right next to you with their butt in your face talking with their buddies seated across the aisle from you. That has happened to me multiple times. One time in business class on Qatar airways, I had the aisle and some Arabic guy stood next to me the entire flight talking to another Arabic guy seated next to me at the window (talking over me the entire time). I nicely asked the guy next to the window to change seats with me so he and his friend could talk, and he refused saying he liked the window seat.

Just recently, I flew Lion air to Bali. Some Arabic guys (obviously not upper class or very well educated from the way they acted) were on the flight. As we were getting on the flight, they actually pushed past people to get to their seats. They would not wait in the cue, they literally forced themselves past people to get to their seats. So odd. Then when the plane landed, they did the same thing. They got up and forced their way past everyone in the aisle to get off the plane.

I don't mind Aussies being loud. At least they stay out of my face and don't crowd my space. Indians do that shit too. I can be waiting in a cue and if there is an Indian guy behind me, he will be pushing right up against me. I can ask them to stop it, but they don't. So I let them go ahead of me and push into the person that was in front of me.

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;2336644] But I wonder what the profit margin would be if an Airline began flying a certain number of intercontinental flights charging more money for their tickets obviously, but designing the plane throughout with decent size seats and reasonable space between seats. Would the consumers support such an offering or is the public hooked on so called minimal pricing. I don't know, but it might be an interesting experiment for one Airline to try. Who knows? It might be profitable and then it could catch on.[/QUOTE]Natty,

You got your wish. The new offering is here and it is catching on fast.

It is called "Premium Economy". More leg room, a better seat with your own two armrests and drinks served in real glassware.

Lufthansa launched Premium Economy in January 2015. According to its CEO, it has been a super hit. On Lufthansa, these seats sell out fast.
Cathay Airlines launched PE recently. United is a laggard, but they too sense the business potential and plan to launch in the near future.

On a 8+ hour flight, if you cannot fly Business Class, then Premium Economy is the way to go.
Your two suitcases will fly free. And yes, you can pick your seats in advance without paying $30 or $35 per seat assignment.

BKKguru

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2336688]I have found that some arabs have quite poor manners. Have you flown an arabic airline and sat on the aisle? I have had many bad experiences. Often, they stand up most of the flight right next to you with their butt in your face talking with their buddies seated across the aisle from you. That has happened to me multiple times. One time in business class on Qatar airways, I had the aisle and some Arabic guy stood next to me the entire flight talking to another Arabic guy seated next to me at the window (talking over me the entire time). I nicely asked the guy next to the window to change seats with me so he and his friend could talk, and he refused saying he liked the window seat.[/QUOTE]This is hilarious! Having flown on Qatar and Etihad, this has been my experience too. 100% true.

The Arabs do not discriminate. They will do (what you described) regardless of who is sitting in that Aisle seat: white, black, oriental, eskimo.

This how they behave. It is cultural.

However, in Business Class, there is no reason to put up with this.
I would have called the Cabin Staff and asked them to relocate me or the guy sitting in the window seat.

BKKguru

[QUOTE=BKKguru;2336704]This is hilarious! Having flown on Qatar and Etihad, this has been my experience too. 100% true.

The Arabs do not discriminate. They will do (what you described) regardless of who is sitting in that Aisle seat: white, black, oriental, eskimo.
This how they behave. It is cultural.

However, in Business Class, there is no reason to put up with this.
I would have called the Cabin Staff and asked them to relocate me or the guy sitting in the window seat.

~BKKguru[/QUOTE]If it is a super rich Arab that is affected, the less-than-super rich Arab will be as meek as a mouse. Now, that is cultural!

[QUOTE=BKKguru;2336623]"...
This excludes United Airlines, where Economy Class Passengers have the same status as garbage.
~BKKguru[/QUOTE]Since garbage has preassigned location bins in their aircraft, it is entirely reasonable to infer that United treats Economy Class passengers worse than garbage.

[QUOTE=RobJones;2336600]I do not see why you have to pay a premium to sit families together? If they increased the fares to incorporate grouped seating I wouldn't notice an increase of $20 in $5000 worth of fares.

If you decide to start your own family revisit this situation and tell me you would allow your child to sit next to a total stranger on an overnight flight with the airline telling you to suck it up.[/QUOTE]I was flying with Singapore Airlines from Singapore to London one time with my wife and 5 year old daughter. They wanted to sit us all separately so I spat the dummy. Ended up with my wife and daugther together and me in the row behind. We were not happy.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2336688]I have found that some arabs have quite poor manners. Have you flown an arabic airline and sat on the aisle? I have had many bad experiences. Often, they stand up most of the flight right next to you with their butt in your face talking with their buddies seated across the aisle from you. That has happened to me multiple times. One time in business class on Qatar airways, I had the aisle and some Arabic guy stood next to me the entire flight talking to another Arabic guy seated next to me at the window (talking over me the entire time). I nicely asked the guy next to the window to change seats with me so he and his friend could talk, and he refused saying he liked the window seat.

Just recently, I flew Lion air to Bali. Some Arabic guys (obviously not upper class or very well educated from the way they acted) were on the flight. As we were getting on the flight, they actually pushed past people to get to their seats. They would not wait in the cue, they literally forced themselves past people to get to their seats. So odd. Then when the plane landed, they did the same thing. They got up and forced their way past everyone in the aisle to get off the plane.

I don't mind Aussies being loud. At least they stay out of my face and don't crowd my space. Indians do that shit too. I can be waiting in a cue and if there is an Indian guy behind me, he will be pushing right up against me. I can ask them to stop it, but they don't. So I let them go ahead of me and push into the person that was in front of me.[/QUOTE]I have no problem pushing back. Have had some of 'them try to cut in front of me on the mrt and bts platforms. I tell them there is a que and if they don't respond, I'll grab them. I've gotten in their grill in airports before as well.

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2336685]Flying from Bangkok to Manila.

She apologized and said it was health dept protocol? It was my guess they were aware of a very very ill passenger) it was very very strong, well before I even arrived to my hotel in manila I was getting very very ill and I didn't get out of bed for a couple of days.

I am not an infectious disease specialist, is anyone aware of any preventive measures that can prevent this? I was very ill, if not for the fact I was in manila.[/QUOTE]You want to avoid having direct contact with the A/C on Airplane. It recycles the air on board. Your best beat would be to wear mask with a decent filter, wash your hands, and avoid touching the eyes throughout the flight.

That spray is disgusting, irritating, but the active ingredient is usually permthrin which is essentially non-toxic. [URL]http://www.travelstart.co.za/blog/airplane-cabin-spraying/[/URL] Don't know about the toxicity of the propellants etc in the spray can.

For preventative measures to avoid getting sick from a fellow passenger, probably best is a well-fitted N99-rated face mask. I like this one, comfortable, with ventilation valves so the insides doesn't get soggy and has a type of carbon fiber that specifically helps catch and kill bacteria and viruses [URL]https://cambridgemask.com/[/URL].

And wash your hands often with soap and water before, during, and after the flight. Especially after passing though immigration with those fingerprint readers that so many countries now use.

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2336685]Flying from Bangkok to Manila.

A few minutes before landing the attendant starts spraying some very very strong chemical spray into the vents whilst walking past.

I am not easily bothered by these things, but I was choking uncontrollably as were others, I asked wtf are you doing?

She apologized and said it was health dept protocol? It was my guess they were aware of a very very ill passenger) it was very very strong, well before I even arrived to my hotel in manila I was getting very very ill and I didn't get out of bed for a couple of days.

I am not an infectious disease specialist, is anyone aware of any preventive measures that can prevent this? I was very ill, if not for the fact I was in manila.

And the admonition from mr tooms about medical "doctors" with crucifix wounds on their hands etc etc LOL I would have sought medical tx!

Post-script Thai hookers seems safe enough for me.

Its the ones in Mexico that get me really really ill.

Almost every visit![/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=CzarNicholas;2336685]Flying from Bangkok to Manila.

A few minutes before landing the attendant starts spraying some very very strong chemical spray into the vents whilst walking past.

I am not easily bothered by these things, but I was choking uncontrollably as were others, I asked wtf are you doing?

She apologized and said it was health dept protocol? It was my guess they were aware of a very very ill passenger) it was very very strong, [/QUOTE]It is for insects. So those from one country do not fuck up shit in another country. Maybe strong is relative. The only kind that I have smelled has a lemon scent and I actually like it. It is supposed to be sprayed toward the floor, not overhead or into vents.

[url]https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/spray[/url]

[url]https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-02-19/why-flight-attendants-walk-airplane-aisles-with-bug-spray/amp[/url]

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2336688]
I don't mind Aussies being loud. At least they stay out of my face and don't crowd my space. Indians do that shit too. I can be waiting in a cue and if there is an Indian guy behind me, he will be pushing right up against me. I can ask them to stop it, but they don't. So I let them go ahead of me and push into the person that was in front of me.[/QUOTE]There are quite a number of cultures that will go in front of you and cut off your path. I noticed it in Germany a lot, and of course the Chinese in Hong Kong etc. Are worst in world, and Thais push in too (not liking to queue in an orderly manner) but a less. The worst thing is to be on a boat or bus with Chinese tour groups and have them pushing and shoving the whole time when could be quietly queuing, and I just turn around and push back the other way. They then have a shocked look on their faces, like they don't understand. Even being at a self serve food setup, e. G. Hotel Breakfast with Chinese is a trial. Their culture is just totally incompatible.

Thais consider Chinese (from China not American Chinese) and Viets to be very ill mannered. Manners matters more in Thailand for sure. Thais abhor the hoiking and spitting and nose blowing accepted in other cultures. However nose picking in public is accepted.

In the sports pub, in general conversations, the Americans are louder than the Aussies in my perception, but the Aussies go bananas (loud) when cheering their sports team, which can be like a lightning strike when they yell. The English have easily the most foul language (that I can understand) from mid to lower classes with the "c*nt" word coming out a lot, so I wish they could keep their foul language to a much lower volume. It's embarrassing for other farangs. In general I find americans to be polite but loud. Being on a long train journey with a loud American woman talking non stop and in southern drawl was quite an annoyance for those wanting to nap.

Out in an Isaan province, all the locals speak in a very loud excited manner for general conversation, than I am not used to, and quite unlike Bangkok. Any quieter and you know it must be something secretive or furtive. In old days I did experience very loud southern Thais when drinking and partying too, so not just Issan people.

Working in Italy, I find them very loud and over excited too. Germans quiet. Scandinavians the best in the world in all aspects of manners I think.

One work colleague was Australian, and spoke so softly in a noisy environment, I could rarely hear him. Another Brit always spoke very fast with low mouth movement (like a ventriloquist) similar to Indians but with lower pitch and English accent. Probably more like Irish who speak with a closed mouth a lot. He was very hard to understand at times, and non native English speakers had little hope. Americans are easier to understand, if they stay away from slang, Ghetto vocab, and not deep south, as tend to speak slower and higher volume levels.

I think we all get irritated by behaviour well outside what we are used to in our own cultures. I like my personal space, which groups of Indians seem to stuff up in Billboard bar. They party too much in your face or nearly on your lap. Don't notice any other ethnic group annoying me as much. I can't be near groups that stink (whatever the origin or ethnic group), so could not queue at the money exchange with Arabs and could not be in a lift with them. So that rules out Soi 3 and Soi 5 Hotels quickly, any of the low odd Sois through to Soi 9 most likely.

I don't have a problem with those that are exceptions to the stereo type. I have Chinese, Japanese, English and Indian buddies, no problem. These would all be somewhat non typical for the group.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2337131]Being on a long train journey with a loud American woman talking non stop and in southern drawl was quite an annoyance for those wanting to nap.[/QUOTE]This bus driver presents a possible solution to that situation.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRQI2DEtu2I[/URL]

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2337134]This bus driver presents a possible solution to that situation.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRQI2DEtu2I[/URL][/QUOTE]I remember when this happened.

I don't believe he was arrested and didn't get fired LOL.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;2337134]This bus driver presents a possible solution to that situation.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRQI2DEtu2I[/URL][/QUOTE]Thailand has a special ear dewaxing service in hair salons. I strongly advise all not to take it. I could not hear my very soft work colleague any better than before after ear cleaning service. However those speaking nearby loudly e. G. Holding a by phone meeting nearby my desk, became like thunder claps. I was way better off having my hearing dampened by ear wax. Dampening helps in gogo bars too. Dampens mainly loud stuff and little effect on quiet sound. Earplugs have a very useful function.

I do value peace and quiet, not just in public libraries. Discos not fun for me. Too loud and many Thai discos have very poor quality sound and a very irritating DJ as well. Can't stand listening to 30 seconds of a good song, and them find it being blended into the next one. We were lucky to get some good song in the first place. Surely we could have nearly all of it, barring long introductions.

Once I bought ticket at Morchit bus station at Chinese new year in a pushing and shoving crowd. Fortunately I am tall enough to be still getting air when the shorties could be suffocated. After getting ticket, I barged my way out of the throng, and found that a puny Thai guy was being dragged along with me (without him having got to ticket counter yet), his arm was caught tangled in my backpack straps (no clue why his arm was there), so he got pulled long with me. A funny incident for me, but not for him. One would not think was possible but true. He probably weighed 55 Kg at most and me close to 90, so he could not stop my progress out of the crowd, and I did not notice the extra drag at first. Thought it was just the crush.

In stores we always find Thais trying to get served before their place in the queue and the serving staff accept it easily. Very normal. Even in Germany I notice staff prefer to serve the locals first, out of turn, at some places. So who gets there first wins philosophy does not always apply. Don't see thoroughly polite in turn systems much. At least at the Red Cross blood testing, and Immigration, we get queue numbers assigned. Think of the chaos without that.

With advancing age, we are less and less able to tolerate all the shit going on, without getting irritated. Remote quiet life maybe best.

I ask girls what their favourite foreign nationalities are. I guess I don't know the girls that like the Japs and Koreans that much. Most say they like Americans, Aussies, Kiwis, Danes (if they happen to have met any), but Europeans are less preferred overall. Maybe seen as more arrogant, selfish, stingy, impolite, black-hearted, or whatever.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2337156]I ask girls what their favourite foreign nationalities are. I guess I don't know the girls that like the Japs and Koreans that much. Most say they like Americans, Aussies, Kiwis, Danes (if they happen to have met any), but Europeans are less preferred overall. Maybe seen as more arrogant, selfish, stingy, impolite, black-hearted, or whatever.[/QUOTE]But all of those guys can't hold a candle in their eyes to what they perceive as the best in the world. Thai people.

No comments on the uppercut video? I have always said never hit a woman, but I had no sympathy for that woman getting a hard uppercut from that bus driver after she was loud, obnoxious, rude, then spit on the driver. Unfortunately, there are quite a few black women just like that one in the USA. I avoid them like the plague.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;2337131] Out in an Isaan province, all the locals speak in a very loud excited manner for general conversation, than I am not used to, and quite unlike Bangkok. Any quieter and you know it must be something secretive or furtive.[/QUOTE]They sound like a bunching of squawking crows to me.

Possibly the worst I have heard.

Back in 1991, I used to drink a lot of coffee (same as now), white coffee (with milk) but no sugar, back home. Milk makes a coffee very slightly sweet due to lactose.

Coming to Thailand, was a shock. They did not have Starbucks or the equivalent. There was a chain called black canyon, but a coffee is only as good as the ingredients, the machine, and skills of the staff. In short I tried, but was horrible.

I don't think Thailand heard of Arabica coffee. A lot of Robusta coffee tasting like brewed iron filings. There may have been non-dairy whiteners (from corn syrup or whatever. Never heard of in my country) around but getting real milk was a big problem. So I would be somewhere, maybe a soapy of caf and order a coffee with milk, no sugar. It came back and was disgustingly sweet. "I said no sugar". They would answer that they did not add sugar. So how come was so sweet? It was the can of milk. "I wanted real fresh milk". The answer always, yes "Nom sot (fresh milk) in the can" Ha ha. Not many here may realise than condensed milk cans here are not the same as in Farang countries. They contain at least 80% sugar and less than 10% dairy products. So "condensed milk" in Thailand is hardly milk at all, and mostly syrup. Completely useless stuff, and possibly would be illegal to label condensed milk in some countries.

Even today, non-sweetened iced coffee does not really exist in Thailand, but is possible for them to make it if the sales person is smart. I have occasionally managed to get it with no sugar, increased milk and greatly reduced ice.

Even today, on some Thai domestic airlines, they do not have any real milk, only coffee whitener powder (not made from milk). I don't drink sugar filled drinks, not even so called "fruit juices" (sugary), so actually can't really drink anything on some airlines other than water. Half the time their food snack served is not really decent enough to consider eating either. Thais are being served up a hell of a lot of junky stuff (sugary, starchy or factory processed), out on the street, whether it is a bowl of noodles, bbqed fish balls on sticks (whose knows what they are made from), Sweet Thai desserts, corn on the COB, pancakes with syrup, etc. Nothing available in the whole Soi I could consider eating tonight. The main food cart "to order" has Mondays off, it seems.

Thais really do eat a lot of rubbish and I suppose the farangs do too.

One day I was at a Mango shake stall. I said, hold the sugar syrup, hold the ice, don't add anything, don't need to put it in a plastic cup, don't wiz it, and don't add anything. I just wanted the sliced mango. One serving person refused, but the other was willing for the right price. Ha ha

Newbies may need to learn that if you order a sandwich in Thailand, they will always toast it unless you say otherwise. I thought a sandwich and toast were different things. LOL. Even a coffee scroll with icing on it, they will try to warm it up unless you say otherwise. A lot of culture shocks to over come. They would then serve the coffee scroll on a plate with a knife and fork, and maybe give you sachets of mayo and ketchup. All things in a coffee shop may be eaten with mayo or ketchup. I am always careful to specific no mayo on all sandwiches, Pizzas, burgers, salad, etc. whatever. Thailand is Mayo and Ketchup crazy. You could be served some salad swimming in a lake of Mayo. yes it happened to me at the Grand Business Inn in Soi 11, and I don't like mayo at all.

I have found the odd place where I can buy ground Arabica beans at a reasonable price (not easy) to make my own coffee in the hotel room with a funnel and filter papers and jug to boil water. So in the end I can manage some cheap reasonably drinkable coffee. Back in 1991, I did not have it solved at all, and even now arrive in Thailand with a lot of coffee in the suitcase from OS.

Fortunately fucking in Thailand works somewhat like in other countries, just we get a much longer session with the girl for the same price. In 1991 we got the whole night with a girl for what now maybe pays for a quick BJ only, even does not quite pay for that.