Up2u

I suspect he is a persona non grata on other sites and drags his problems/issues over here.

I think someone is having some fun.

True says it is complying with the morning period. http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2016/10/16/govt-deplores-foreign-media-coverage-bbc-coverage-blocked/

All the foreign news channels are working for me.

I am a member of the Pattaya City Expats Club which meets Sundays at Tavern by Sea on beach road by the Amari. I know a few members from New Zealand, many Aussies, Brits and Americans. The other club GB mentioned has more Scandinavian and German members. The meeting starts at 10:30 am with a breakfast buffet available before that. There is a monthly club dinner at various restaurants around town, club discounts for members, interest groups, etc., etc., etc. Everyone one is welcome. http://www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com https://www.facebook.com/pcecclub.org/

CNN had a "live" reporter at the hospital during the vigil and his death conducting interviews. This was a big news story here in Asia.

Just a note, if you were planning to watch TV, all foreign channels must show the same documentary about the King. I have Truevisions satellite, no CNN or sports channels.

I see many Thais eating at the Rompo market early morning and evening too.

I share Michael's view, for every story like GB's I know far more success stories but the key is the boy has a true interest in going just not to make a farang happy. AUA is not limited to Pattaya but has locations in other cities as well. AUA is very reasonably priced.

Yes, I agree with your comments and the classic formal Thai as taught by my Thai teachers in America would agree too. Then there is the colloquial Thai as spoken by bar boys/girls, taxi drivers, maids, etc. my kind of people (and probably from Issarn/Lao). My bf cannot roll his r's which is not that unusual. Arai becomes alai(what?), farang becomes falung(westerner), khrap becomes kap/kup(polite male particle). Well educated Thais can and do roll r's but you certainly won't hear them in Screw Boys. ☺️

The use of farang is not pejorative so don't get upset. Some think it comes from farangset which is the Thai word for a Frenchman. Many English speakers pronounce it, fa-rang, like "rang" the bell and is incorrect, or is not the Thai way. Phonetically it is more like fa-lung and if you listen carefully you can here yourself being referred to as "fa-lung" by Thai people.

I seriously doubt sex workers pay into the social security system nor do employers make matching contributions. My condominium here pays into the employees social security system (office staff, security guards, maintenance staff, etc.).

Sure, if you want to live in a cave.

The owner of BB and the Sand Bar are the same person. He bought both about a year ago and has upgraded and remodeled both.

If you are staying at BB Inn, you only have to walk 10 meters to the (new) Sand Bar restaurant which is the remodeled Sea Falcon restaurant. Excellent breakfast, lunches and dinners. Big improvement over the Sea Falcon IMHO. The area near the 7-11 is like a ghost town with the Bondi, Bookazine, TMB, GSB exchange booths all closed.

I used to leave the Ambiance for the airport in a taxi at about 1:00 AM,so arriving should be no problem in marked taxi. Arriving in a private car may be a different story.

There are other lodging options in Jomtien that are far more quiet than the Poseidon (and a lot cheaper, Venue, Tapas suites). The Pine next door to the Poseidon and all those bar birthday parties would drive me nuts. Unless you are a beach person I would stay in town.

In Thailand, you can't go wrong with a Toyota or a Honda. A Fortuner will cost considerably more than a truck but will pay dividends when you sell. Fords offer more bells and whistles but when it comes to service, reliability, parts, resale, etc. the edge goes to Toyota.

Every year, the car owner must pay road tax and mandatory liability insurance. You receive a sticker from the Transportation Office to place on the inside of your windshield as proof of payment. The government mandatory insurance, about 640 baht, has few victim benefits and as GB mentioned you are responsible for all shortfalls and lawsuits. Consequently, most of us buy supplementary insurance for our protection and I pay the the government mandatory insurance when I renew my policy through my insurance agent. When you first buy your car from a dealer, the first year's car insurance premium is often included as part of the deal. The policy is Class I which protects both you and the finance company. Should you later change insurance companies you must provide proof of insurance to your finance company. The "bluebook" is issued at the time of sale and has the legal owner's name (i.e., bf/your's or the finance company's). If you pay cash, you will receive the bluebook. If you buy secondhand and/or from a private party be sure there is a match between the name on the bluebook and the seller's Thai ID/farang's passport(that is the seller actually owns the car). When my bf sold his car he got a transfer form from the Transportation Office, cash was exchanged and the new owner took the form and bluebook to the Transportation Office. The process was quite simple and the entire system is not unlike our home countries. Should you buy a motorbike the entire process described is similar; the owner holds a greenbook instead of a bluebook.

As a side note, the BAC(blood alcohol content) for Thailand is .05. If bf or you get in an accident or get pulled over at a check point (like at Songkran) your insurance policy will not cover you if over the limit. Driver beware.

I have purchased two new Toyota's from the dealer over the last six years. First financed with 25% down with bf as co-signer, title in my name. Second currently making payments, my name, bf co-signer. Both cars are in my Thai will and given to bf upon my death. Have also made payments(indirectly) for two used cars which were in bf's name. Recommend buying new if you can afford it. Get Class 1 insurance so your car is covered for damage or loss with 200k bail bond. Insurance will not let you drive in another country. I have a Garmin purchased at SE-ED books, free lifetime map upgrades.

Check out the Grand Regent condominium building directly behind the St. Regis Hotel at the Ratchadamri BTS. Reasonably priced.

I agree, even though CS reimburses all fees I don't abuse the privilege and I find larger withdrawals more convenient. CS is cooperative in increasing your daily withdrawal limit when traveling too. I noticed Krungsri has a 30000 baht option on their ATM's.

You misunderstood. Use your CS ATM card and you get the VISA exchange rate (the network rate). This rate is better than what the Thai bank will charge for a cash exchange or wiring cash. VISA publishes its rates on the Internet and I know beforehand what my charge will be. Visa/MC give the best rates, followed by TT and then cash. Visa is slightly better than MC but both mirror XE. When I use my Mastercard cc or a Mastercard ATM card I get the same the same exchange rate. All my cards incur zero foreign transaction fees although CS is the only one that reimburses the Thai bank charge (150-200 baht). MasterCard also publishes its exchange rates which I check. In comparing exchange rates, the transaction time makes a difference as American branded ATM/cc's will be using an Eastern Time Zone clock.

You can use the airport ATM's from the major banks with confidence as the exchange rate will be the same as Bangkok or Pattaya. Just be careful about the DCC charge wherever you are. Enjoy your holiday!