anddy

I see, that's very, uhm, suboptimal I'd say, an airport that is unable to handle international transit passengers at all (with the Garuda exception you mentioned). Pretty stupid set up. But it is what is is.... Good to know though, just in case

Interesting and clever how you did that routing, sometimes one does need to outsmart all the booking engines... But why couldn't you stay in the international gate area and go to the departure gate right away? I gather because of checked luggage, which you obviously couldn't check through, therefore had to retrieve first and re-check in to the second flight. That highlights another reason why these days I ALWAYS travel with hand luggage only. Last time I checked in a suitcase (two large ones in that case) was when I moved to BKK. For any vacation, carry-on only. I believe vinapu does the same. Highly recommended. Don't need much on a holiday in a tropical country anyway! Sorry, bit off topic....

oh that's interesting, I found that business fares between BKK and Germany were MUCH more expensive when originating from BKK than the other way around (this is for direct, non-stop flights, as I'm not putting up with layovers). Maybe have to monitor that some more... then try business class, maybe you find enjoyment there (I think you can), especially since you say you have the money. Frugality shouldn't stand int he way, as you're actually getting value for money as the flight is soooo much more comfortable, with proper sleep lying flat. Once you've tried it, you won't want to go back. at least that has happened for me, I'm not doing economy for long haul flights any more.

technology like 3d images in gogo's or massage shops? Not going to happen. An image is just that, an image. Same as ipad images already used in some places but not not really commonplace Such images doesn't convey personality, warmth, demeanor, "chemistry" which are all essential for a very personal, intimate encounter. Which is why using the apps is great, but can much easier lead to disappointments.The app/online world is distinct and separate from the brick and mortar gogo abrsand massage shops. Gogo bars may or may not disappear with the older generations, but massage shops certainly will not. Besides, can't compare the gogo and massage businesses to hotels or taxi businesses - after all we still get our haircuts the old fashioned way, too. Personal services can't be replaced by technology, just being made more approachable maybe (an internet presence certainly helps)

Been at Ruen Urai just a week or two ago, it was pretty busy but I was able to get a table for two. I've eaten there numerous times and never found is deserted as a447a describes. As for the hotel, I have looked at the rooms not so long ago, looking for hotel options for a friend. Didn't like the rooms at all, really old and just not nice. The lobby and restaurant inside the hotel do look nice, true.

Personally, I don't care much about that, and at this particular place turnover is fast so the food doesn't sit there all that long to collect much pollutants. But it's certainly a valid point, yes.

also, it lasts longer because, unlike water-based lube, it doesn't dry out

Kenneth Barrett - 22 Walks in Bangkok: Exploring the City's Historic Back Lanes and Byways

Since you are conveniently staying in the Silom area, you have all the options for gay bars and clubs and saunas and massages right there. Bars: Silom Soi 4 is your go-to place. Several bars, with both indoor and outdoor seating. outdoot is more fun of course to people watch coming and going. All gay. Usually many people start the evening there with some drinks, then continue on to party at DJ Station around 11pm to midnight Clubbing: Silom Soi 2, a short walk up from Soi 4. Soi 2 is not really a "soi" as such ("soi" meaning small street or alley), but more an opening between two buildings. There you have about 6 bars wich are more club like with dancing. The most famous and fun of them all is DJ Station in the back corner on the right. That's a proper dance club, always somewhat busy even on weekdays, packed on weekends. Should be very busy before the holiday, too. You pay an entrance fee as you enter the soi and get 2 drinks coupons good at any of the bars/clubs in the soi. Sauna Mania is closest to Silom, walking distance actually. You should be happy there, but as someone said timing can be important (and difficult to predict). One night guaranteed to be very busy is Friday nights (naked night). Now sure what your exact dates are, but if you want company for clubbing, maybe I'll go with you. I live in the area :-)

judging by the frequency I go there (several times a week), this must be by far my favorite restaurant: 12 พี่น้อง or "12 siblings". It is a small, basic eatery which has the food ready-made out in large trays for you to select. You get a plate with rice and then on top of that a large spoonful of whichever dishes you select (usually three). They have kinda old, wooden tables and small stools inside, and it is common to sit with strangers as it is often packed. The food is all freshly made in the kitchen upstairs, so no need to worry about it being stale, let alone unsafe to eat. Very original Thai, very tasty. And, since it's all ready-made, it's real "fast food" - faster than McDonald's, only 100 times better. Cheap, too: rice with 1 item 40 Baht rice with 2 items 50 Baht rice with 3 items 60 Baht Staff are cute, fun and friendly. Sometimes the well educated and well spoken owner is there, a middle aged Thai guy with glasses who has lived in the US for ages and thus speaks accent-free English. Location: right outside Silom Complex. As you exit Silom Complex turn left, past the driveway to the parking garage then the second shop on the right. Impossible to miss with the food displayed right there. Open Monday through Friday all day from maybe 11am or so until about 10pm. Closed weekends.

I find that hard, if not impossible, to believe....

that would be me.... as for muscle guys commanding a premium over others: seems kinda obvious to me. They invest a lot of time and presumably money to get there, so they want some return on that investment. Fair enough. Whether or not the market (or rather, the relevant market segment of muscle lovers) is willing to grant that return is another matter, but the poll results suggest it does.

just a word of caution: this one is illegal in Thailand, so don't bring it into the country as a holiday read, or it might land you in jail.

Of course it is always good to have choices, but this seems not a viable option. Why would I forego the convenience of door-to-door service by Taxi for the negligible saving of maybe around 200 Baht (to Silom area)???? The only REAL competition IMO is between Taxi and ARL, but not because of price but because ARL avoids the traffic. The Limo does not, stuck in the same traffic as the Taxi (OK, granted, the meter will continue to run even when stuck in traffic, but big deal). Off-peak taxi is the only option I would ever consider. Have to consider inconvenience of getting to final destination from Limo's end point, too. Thanks, but no thanks.

sounds more like Schrödinger's cat than Buddhism lol

are you the same guy as the OP? Forgot your password huh? LOL

briefly getting back to the point of not having access to the natural learning approach outside Thailand: That's of course true, but at least (for those inclined to do so) you can get SOME glimpse of it through the AUA videos which are still on youtube in their youtube channe; called "algworld" (see https://www.youtube.com/user/algworld/playlists). The channel isn't maintained anymore, and the videos are old, but that is irrelevant, it all works still the same. Now, in algworld channel, the vids are a little unorganized, but I found someone who has collated them nicely into packages: ALG Thai 1 (3 hours): https://youtu.be/BYimqrlMi0g ALG Thai 2 (4 hours): https://youtu.be/RWC9jUEfjA8 ALG Thai 3 (3.5 hours): https://youtu.be/fI--skp9tjY ALG Thai 5-10 (4 hours): https://youtu.be/dZ7pLNesMso What's missing there (e.g. 4) is also missing in the algworld channel. So you actually get the complete package here, just easier to access. A total of over 14 hours, not so bad! Though beginners will struggle with the more advanced levels. But you can rectify that by repeatedly watching the beginner levels until you understand almost everything there and then move to the next level. That's how it works in the actual classes there, too, except obviously you don't watch the same class over and over again but get new ones each hour.

yes we are Had a feeling we were, but I guess I wasn't entirely clear myself

these two vids explain (first one) and demonstrate the effectiveness (second one) of the natural approach rather nicely, I find: https://youtu.be/eTVbdstastI https://youtu.be/fnUc_W3xE1w Now that I've been through it with so great success and virtually no effort (except time spent having fun in class), it remains a mystery to me why this approach isn't researched and applied more widely. And believe me, before I started the whole thing I was as sceptical about it as everyone else. The three main points making me choose this program were: 1. it caters to my laziness, no need to "study" in the traditional sense of vocabulary and grammar, and no homework 2. the promise of fluency that comes naturally 3. the ability to come and go to classes at will, no such thing as falling behind schedule when missing classes, as there is no teaching schedule. So skipping classes for, say, going on trips at any time, no problem. All 3 promises were kept. Further reading about it also here: https://beyondlanguagelearning.com/

you disagree? I don't get it. You say yourself you learned those languages "naturally", so you are living proof that approach DOES work. Now, having said that, of course you can go and study a language in the traditional way. I am not disputing that one can do that. What I'm saying is that it is much harder that way and actually takes quiet some mental studying effort. Since I was (am) too lazy to do any proper studying (including, god forbid, homework!) the AUA approach was appealing to me. That was a major selling point for me, and what I've been saying is that anyone on this board who happens to live in Bangkok (no other locations unfortunately) AND have the time AND the willingness to attend classes for an extended period of time DOES have the ability to EFFORTLESSLY learn Thai. That's a lot of preconditions, sure, but I've always just pointed out that it possible and that it has worked for me and countless other people over the decades AUA has been in business. So I also do agree with you that learning Thai from outside Thailand will be much more difficult. With that natural approach, as you yourself attest, there is no need at all for grammar. Language textbooks ALL follow some traditional approach or other, so they do include all that grammar stuff, which in all the non-natural learning approaches is probably indeed necessary. So are we in agreement or disagreement?

there you go, then you know how it works, can work, and should work!

entirely unecessary. Nobody EVER learned grammar for their first language while learning it (only later and unecessarily at school, only to be forgotten soon after). And me, I don't have a clue about Thai grammar, but I can still speak in proper sentences.

not really relevant to this thread, but for completeness' sake: R3 Sauna (now called Ratchada Sauna) is NOT closed. It did close after mentioned police raid, and from what I heard, reopened, closed again, but is now open at least since some time in September. This is from their very own Line account (they had a similar one in October):

yes Magic TOUCH is new and in Soi Na Wat Hualampong, I have passed it several times in recent days and wondered what that was all about, kinda odd location for a massage shop. I had no idea it was m2m, so I didn't even bother to take a closer look lol. Seems kinda pricey at 750 for a 1.5 hr oil, though. My go-to place for a quality massage (with no extras expected, though on occasion a HJ can happen) is The Prime in Silom Soi 6. Since they recently raised prices not much cheaper now at 650 for 15h oil, though.

that's because she was unable to tell you how exactly to produce the sound in your mouth and throat. That can be more important than just demonstrating how it should sound. That goes for tones and vowels alien to English and even consonants such as their version of "r". Tones, for example, have nothing to do with "tone of voice", but are throat positions, the tone follows automatically from that. Incidentally, I learned that piece of wisdom not from school, but from a youtube video by Stuart Jay Raj, who is incredible with languages. google translate is really bad for Thai sentences (single words can be ok, though that's always unreliable as it will be out of context), somehow Thai doesn't lend itself to automated translation. Would be interesting if that travis device is any better