Gaybutton

The closest I can find are: http://gmap.gits.net.th/en/projectInfo.asp http://www.bangkokairporttrain.com/index.html

I don't understand why many insurance companies don't have some sort of set-up that allows for giving the hospital the insurance card and you either pay the deductible or a co-payment, or whatever up front and the hospital then deals directly with the insurance company. Not everyone has the money to be able to pay everything up front and then wait for a reimbursement. For what it's worth, I recently spoke to a representative from the Muang Thai insurance company. I was told that for the first month after taking out the insurance policy, they pay nothing. The second month, you have to lay out the money and then they reimburse. They also told me that after the third month you don't have to pay anything up front and the hospital will bill them directly. That sounds good to me and I'm going to investigate that further with a friend who is Thai, but speaks fluent English. I'll let you know what I find out.

Suvarnabhumi Airport Link Sets Soft Launch for December 5 BANGKOK, Sept 5 (TNA) The long-delayed Airport Rail Link project, providing direct rail service to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport, will start providing free service to the public from this December 5 which coincides with the birthday celebrations of His Majesty the King, said State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Governor Yuthana Tupcharoen. People interested in free rides on December 5 may apply for tickets beginning October 1 at either the Airport Rail Link office or at SRT headquarters, Mr. Yuthana said. Test runs of the system have been conducted since February by Siemens, the manufacturer and installer of the rail system, and no problems have been found. However, independent engineers will inspect the safety system for the next three months and if no problems are found, the system will be ready for operation. The SRT board has also hired Deutsche Bahn International of Germany for Bt85 million to train Airport Rail Link staff. The board exports to launch the system on December 5, Mr Yuttana added. The 28-km rail link connects Suvarnabhumi International Airport in adjacent Samut Prakan province and the City Air Terminal in Bangkok’s Makkasan area. The Airport Rail Link is owned and will be operated by SRT, through a subsidiary company, which will administer the overall operations. According to a preliminary study, the fare for an express trip will be Bt150 per person, while fares for the City Line commuter trips, will vary from Bt30-50 per passenger. Transport for airport express riders and local commuters will run on the same track with the same equipment, but with a staggered schedule. Premium-fare express services will run on the hour between Suvarnabhumi Airport and City Air Terminal, while the City Line service will stop at six local stations along the route. (TNA)

I don't know what his problem is. But I do know what my problem is. I started this thread as a congratulations to Pattaya Players. Now it's turning into an argument. Can we please stop the arguing so that I don't have to end up locking the thread?

You missed it. They've already fixed it. I did at least have the presence of mind to make a screen shot of the major part of what was there:

I'll let the article speak for itself. Congratulations Pattaya Players! http://www.pattayadailynews.com/showanc_news.php?IDANC=0000000722

I check the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS web site every day. Imagine my surprise (and probably yours too) when I checked this morning. If you want to see what I'm talking about, take a look before they get a chance to fix the problem: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/index.php

That's exactly what I've spent two years trying to find! Thank you very much.

Who says I'm going to wash it off . . . ?

Can you tell me a URL for ordering one? I can't find anything.

I have an answer to that one. Last time I was in Bangkok I checked the top floor at Paragon. I was told they have them, but they're out of them. I was given a business card for a company called Verasu. Verasu makes them. If you look at their web site and call their customer service number, they can give you the locations where their products are sold. http://www.verasu.com If you need to ask for one in Thai, say: "KROO-ahng tahm polomai hang." The manager of the kitchen shop at Paragon told me that's how to ask for it. The literal translation is "machine make fruit dry." I'm going to first have a look at the Home Mart lvdkeyes mentioned. Hopefully, that will save a trip to Bangkok. I'd like to have one too. I bought mine in Bangkok on the top floor kitchenware shop at Paragon. In Pattaya, at the new Central mall, the top floor kitchenware shop in the department store carries them, and as I said, much less expensive than the one I bought at Paragon, and it's the same brand!! lvdkeyes, do you have a recipe for those sausage patties?

I'm sorry, but we don't close threads simply because some of the expressed opinions are controversial. I don't see that any posting rules have been violated, so there are no grounds to justify closing the thread.

Just as an aside, I think we owe Travelerjim gratitude for a lot more too. He does quite a bit that many of us know about and quite a bit that only a few know about. He is a great asset to the gay community in Thailand and he takes quite a bit of totally uncalled for abuse on some message boards, but is rarely thanked or praised for all he does.

A question that pops up every so often is a "where can I find . . . .?" whatever question. For example, a couple of years ago I had been looking all over the place for a bread machine. I had one in the USA and greatly missed it in Thailand. I looked everywhere and finally gave up, assuming I'm just not going to find one in Thailand. Then I posted about it. Within a few hours someone had posted that he was sure he had seen them sold on the top floor of the Paragon in Bangkok. Next trip to Bangkok I went to the Paragon and bingo! There it was. Needless to say I was delighted and I've been using that machine ever since. By the way, I now see them sold at the new Central shopping mall in Pattaya, and for several thousand baht less than I paid at the Paragon too. I thought I'd start a thread so that anyone who is trying to find anything, but can't, might post here and see if our board posters can help them find what they're looking for. I'll start with five things I'd love to find, if they can be found in Thailand at all: 1. Either an affordable bread slicing machine or some sort of slicing guide. For those loaves of bread I make in my machine, I still have to rely on good eyesight and good manual dexterity to get the bread slices to come out right. 2. American style sausage. I know American sausage can be found at Villa Market, but it's very expensive there. I had hoped maybe one of the food companies in Thailand makes it, but if they do I've never found any. 3. Italian sausage. I see several stores that sell sausage labeled Italian sausage, but when I've tried them, none have even come close. Where I worked, Mrs. Marazzo, a lady who is as Italian as it gets, used to come in every so often with her home made sausage and peppers for the staff. Man, do I ever miss that! 4. Corned beef. I see just about every other type of cold cut in Thailand, but I've never found corned beef. If it's here, I'd love to find it. 5. A store that sells clothing for those of us who are . . . well, let's just say those of us whose waistlines are a little larger than the sizes found in most stores in Thailand. Maybe someone knows where some of these items can be found. And, of course, if you happen to be looking for something, but can't find it, post about it here. Who knows? Maybe someone will know where you can find what you're looking for.

Maybe he should simply replace the words with "expletive deleted"

Curiosity got the better of me. This morning a friend and I tried the LK Renaissance breakfast. Both of us were greatly pleased. We got there at 7:15am and at that hour we were the only ones there. There was no music or TV, thank God, but the waitresses went right over to the TV to turn it on as soon as we sat down. We asked them to leave it off, which they did until more customers started coming in. The attached selection sheet is a copy of what appears on your table. Again you simply check off what you want (they supply a pen in case you don't have one with you). Everything is served as a single, although if you order eggs you get two of them. But if you order toast, bacon, sausage, or whatever, you get one. If you want more than one, then instead of checking off the space just write in the number of how many you want. If you want two pieces of bacon, write in the number 2 and they'll bring you two. Again, if you want more than what is on your order, all you have to do is fill out another sheet. The toast, by the way, is good quality home made bread and is served with butter and strawberry jam. The waitresses all are very friendly and speak enough English so that there will be no problems. Everything is cooked just right. This is one of the few places where I've gotten eggs cooked properly. The food comes out nice and hot, about 5 minutes waiting time if you order pancakes or French Toast. The bacon is cooked crisp. The sausage is the British style sausage, not those crappy little hot dogs. The pancakes and French toast are good quality and cooked just right. The home fries are hot and crisp. Not a hint of grease anywhere. You do have to order a minimum of one drink. We each had a cup of coffee . . . 40 baht for the coffee, but it's fresh brewed, not instant. The restroom is located in the adjoining hotel. There is an access door between the restaurant and the hotel. The restrooms are absolutely spotless. Both of us were greatly pleased. The food and service couldn't have been better. From now on, when I go out to breakfast, this is where I'm going. And if you're anything like us and get there early, if you drive a car you shouldn't have any problems parking right outside the restaurant. Just remember that if you get there after 8:00am, then the TV is going to be on. I don't know about the music. We left before anyone turned on any music. But if you want a truly quiet breakfast, then get there before 8:00am.

A woman, somewhere around 80 years old, a devout Catholic and family friend, had been coming to Thailand annually to teach English at a Catholic mission somewhere around Udon Thani. During her last trip she suffered a massive stroke. She was taken to St. Louis Hospital in Bangkok. They saved her life and according to everyone who was with her the care she received was outstanding. The point is that there is no "best" hospital in Thailand. There are excellent hospitals, but to me just how excellent they are depends upon the doctors and staff. I think most of us are aware of the reputation enjoyed by Bumrungrad. On the other hand, I doubt any of us believe GT is making up or embellishing his story. If he says it happened the way he described, then it happened the way it described. Just about everyone who has been to Bumrungrad was very pleased with the treatment and results they received. That's precisely the reason why GT chose Bumrungrad. He had no way of knowing what was wrong with his boyfriend and he wanted him checked out by the best of the best, where he knew he would receive excellent care. Well, he didn't get it. What he got was just the opposite. The treatment his boyfriend received wasn't what any of us would have expected of Bumrungrad. GT's story describes the kind of treatment his boyfriend might have received at Dachau General, but that shouldn't have happened at Bumrungrad. Quite frankly I think it is wrong that some people posting are making excuses for the way his boyfriend was treated or they are minimizing it by calling it a minor stomach ache, which means that he is entitled only to third rate treatment because the staff must have been dealing with "real" patients. None of us other than GT were there and he had no reason to make up such a story. I think it is totally unreasonable to assume GT overreacted to a minor problem. But even if he did, how does that justify the treatment his boyfriend received? I'm sorry, but a hospital has no business ignoring one patient in favor of another unless an emergency required it. A doctor has no business giving third rate treatment and follow-up to any of his patients. If nothing else, during that 30 seconds he spent with GT's boyfriend, if he was dealing with emergencies he could have said so. I wonder how many of you would like for GT to give you the name of that same doctor and then make an appointment with him. While obviously most of you who have been to Bumrungrad received excellent, high quality care, it is just as obvious that GT's boyfriend and GT himself were both treated miserably and I see no excuse for it. Would I still go to Bumrungrad? Yes, I would. It's a good hospital, but it isn't the only good hospital. What happened to GT is most likely an isolated incident, but if I find other, less expensive hospitals that also have a good reputation, then if something happens to me I'm going to have some decisions to make. Based on the posts I'm seeing here, now I would most likely choose Bumrungrad only if they have medical equipment that would be necessary to treat my case if the same equipment can't be found elsewhere.

I don't know that I'd go as far as that in a description, but not too many years ago the breakfast buffet there was very good and probably the best bargain in town. Unfortunately in recent years the quality has gone way downhill. When I do go out for breakfast, I won't go there anymore. What I enjoy about a breakfast buffet or an all-you-can eat place is the fact that you can have the food items you want at the quantities you want. I prefer that to many of the menu restaurants, although so far my favorite breakfasts are at the Continental Bakery, Lindas, and Papa David's. The best breakfast buffet I have experienced in Pattaya is at the Marriott. I have never tried the breakfasts at other high class hotels, mainly because I don't see a need to spend and arm and a leg for breakfast. In my opinion, the best brunch is the Sunday Brunch at Casa Pascal. You do pay an arm and a leg for it there, but every once in a while I think it's well worth it. If you're looking for a brunch splurge, don't miss it.

For you late risers, plenty of restaurants in Pattaya offer all-day breakfasts. I'm an early riser. It's rare for me to wake up and already can see daylight. I'm glad to know that at least a few restaurants start serving early. Bobby, at the LK Renaissance, said he is connected to both the LK Renaissance and the LK Meropole. He said they get a lot of Japanese tourists and they are very early risers, so the main reason the restaurant opens early is to accommodate them.

Would you care to share the name of the hospital? The only "Christian" hospital I know of in Bangkok is the St. Louis Hospital.

That's my whole point. You were fortunate enough to have the right doctor and the right staff. The part that's on my "I Don't Get It" list is the fact that GT's treatment was precisely the opposite. Why? The problem that creates is now nobody can be certain they will receive care similar to the care you received. They can only hope they will receive a similar level of care. No pun intended, but that's a bitter pill to swallow.

Don't forget her running mate . . .

GT's experience and some of the comments that thus far followed are very disturbing. Until now, based on my own experience and stories I have heard from others, I had full faith in Bumrungrad and it would have been my first choice if something serious occurred and I had time to go there. Now I'm not so sure. Unfortunately, this sort of thing seems to be typical of many Thai hospitals. Some people receive excellent care and others end up as GT did. Try as I might, I cannot come up with any kind of excuse or justification for the treatment GT and his boyfriend were subjected to, along with the prices, in comparison to other hospitals. I know GT quite well. For him to be this angry, as a matter of fact for him to be angry at all, then he had to have been pushed far beyond the patience a great many people would ever have tolerated. In my opinion it's not the hospital that matters. It's the doctors and the staff by whom you are treated that makes all the difference, no matter where the hospital is. Based on these stories, now the only reason I can see to single out Bumrungrad for treatment would be if there is a need for medical equipment that cannot be found in other hospitals.

I doubt that I'll be letting you know about breakfast any time soon. I usually don't eat breakfast at all. When I do I normally make my own at home. It's rare for me to go out for breakfast more than once or twice a month. But sooner or later I'll get there. I'll certainly try it next time I do go out for breakfast. If any of my friends want to give it a try very soon, I'll go. Yes, you're right. The LK Metropole is close to Soi Buakhao, not Third Road. I have now made the change to my original post to correct that error.