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I haven't tried it but it looks like the Khlong Toei BTS station is fairly close to the southwest corner of Benchakitti Park. @bkkmfj2648 gets extra points for doing his explorations in the hot season!

Thank you for a very interesting post on Oscar Wilde & a reminder of what a wonderful performance Edith Evans gave as Lady Bracknell in the 1952 movie. I will carp about just where Jack was found in the handbag: JACK [Very seriously.] Yes, Lady Bracknell. I was in a hand-bag—a somewhat large, black leather hand-bag, with handles to it—an ordinary hand-bag in fact. LADY BRACKNELL In what locality did this Mr. James, or Thomas, Cardew come across this ordinary hand-bag? JACK In the cloak-room at Victoria Station. It was given to him in mistake for his own. LADY BRACKNELL The cloak-room at Victoria Station? JACK Yes. The Brighton line. LADY BRACKNELL The line is immaterial.

The last Broadway show I saw was 'The History Boys' with Richard Griffiths & the original London cast in 2006 (?). So, at least my NY theatre-going ended on a high note. As the prices of Broadway shows kept rising, I more or less lost interest in the NY theatre. Now it's very hard to imagine paying the current nosebleed prices as there really isn't anything that seems worthwhile (to me). Incidentally, the Guardian's review of the Denzel Washington/Gyllenhall Othello described it as 'underwhelming' in spite of the ticket prices.

I had a case of food poisoning & I went to BNH in Feb 2024. The initial out-patient treatment was excellent. Then they recommended at CT scan ('just to be sure') & I agreed to do that. When I got the results of the scan, I definitely felt like I was getting the 'hard sell' to do further treatment which I wasn't convinced I needed.

I agree. Bumrungrad is supposed to be 'the best' so I would go there. I have had a couple of routine medical/dental problems taken care of there & I think that their care is excellent. There is something called a retinal or ocular migraine which causes temporary (1 hour?) blurriness in one eye but is not serious. Might be that.

My pre-Covid memory of the Phu Quoc Night Market was that they had open-air fish restaurants with spectacular displays of fresh fish & customers could choose what they wished to eat. I don't recall the Thai ice cream. What with the buses & the replica Venice & the like, it sounds like there are a lot of development & changes taking place on Phu Quoc. Thanks for the update!

Can you exchange the old USD bills for euro in Poland? You probably would get a better rate w/USD in Bangkok but euro are accepted at currency exchanges. It sounds like trying exchange those old USD notes is going to be a big, time-consuming hassle if you wait until you get to BKK.

Green Massage is open until 1 AM. Not sure how 'fresh' a masseur would be late at night, if he started working at (maybe) 5 pm.

Not for the first time in Thai journalism. According to Thairath, the victim stated that he was given the spiked drink by a 35 year old male in a white T-shirt 'looking like an LGBTQ' whatever that means. So, yes, a lot of questions left unanswered. Thairath article: https://www.thairath.co.th/news/local/2845487

Is Urban Thai a mixed shop or just female? Happy landings on your next trip!

Turkish Airlines has something similar in their Business Class (on their JFK-IST & IST-BKK flights). They generally have good fares, very good service & excellent food but the 2-3-2 seat layout offers good legroom but very little privacy.

My experience is that the Priority Lanes are never really crowded. I suspect that many Business Class passengers are unaware of this particular perk so they queue up in the regular Immigration line.

Very nice pics, thanks! I think that Hue is my favorite, w/Hoi An a close second. Da Nang is great (& affordable) beach, hang out destination. Have you been to Da Lat? I liked that a lot, too!

Works the same w/departures. The Priority Lane is down at the end of the terminal, past the regular Immigration entrance. Just show yor biz class ticket & they will let you in. Same-same for passengers +70. I just did it &, with the new automated Immigration kiosks, Security & Immigration checks take about 5 minutes. It's great!

I like Chiang Mai & think that touristically it makes a nice change from BKK. However, the gay scene needs a major infusion of energy (& money) as better bars, clubs & massage can be found in BKK, Pattaya or even Phuket. Shamelessmack, hard-working as ever, posted a number of reports on Chiang Mai at the end of January on his website: https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/ Unfortunately, i'd have to say that the reports are not encouraging.

Yes, I took the Airport Rail Link at rush hour from Suvarnabhumi to Phayathai about a month ago. 'Seemed like there were a lot of Thai commuters getting on & off at every stop on that line too.

It used to be that cab drivers at Suvarnabhumi would ask for 500 THB as an all-inclusive number for the trip into town but the last couple of times, in Fall 2024 & January '25, I have been quoted 600 THB instead. Also, going back more than 10 years, it seems like every Bangkok taxi was a Toyota Camry. On my last trip from BKK, I realized that the cab was an anonymous Chinese sedan which sort of looked like a Camry.

Sounds like Thai Immigration may be copying the Digital Arrival Card which Malaysia now requires of international visitors. With the Malaysian DAC, visitors must fill out an online application within 3 days prior to arrival & then wait (24+ hrs in my case) to print out the DAC. I think it is possible to fill it out the application in the Kuala Lumpur airport before queuing up for Immigration.

Thanks for being honest! It's difficult to know what to do if you are in a new place for the first time, if you don't speak the language & don't know the local rules are. I visited Sousse 10+ years ago & my luck was no better than yours.

Totally agree. The local currency is the Thai baht so why complicate things for such a small sum? I once observed a Korean customer offer a masseur in Soi 6 some S Korean won as a tip & the masseur refused to take it.

Don't know specifically about perio treatment but you could try the Dental Dept of Bumrungrad Hospital. I broke a tooth in BKK back in September & their treatment (on 4 visits) was excellent.

Interesting! That problem would never have occured to me.

My impression is that eyeglasses & frames are not much cheaper in Thailand than in the US, because of the import duties, I guess. I bought lenses in Phnom Penh from Owndays, a Japanese-based eyeware chain. They have several branches around PP. Good value & satisfactory service.

Excellent post! Hope that your diet situation improves soon.

Yes, Thai Airways used to use a wide-body for their 1 hour BKK - CNX service. Madness indeed! Business class wasn't that expensive (pre-Covid) so I would treat myself.