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Wow. That seems crazy. Senso tried to get away with that too. But I think I will take my business somewhere else. The old management never required a minimum tip as far as I can remember. But I usually tipped in the neighborhood of Bt1000.

Under new management from late last year. Supposedly they did a bit of a clean up and remodel. The place was getting a bit dirty before then so a good scrubbing would have been a good thing. Under the previous management I went a few times and generally had a pretty good time. As Firecat notes, the rooms are large with large, low beds. Large shower-room attached to the room. Water temp and pressure was usually an issue. Maybe that's been corrected? a/c tends to blow right on the bed as well which seems to be par for the course but isn't always very comfortable. My last visit was an excellent massage by a beautifully toned guy in his early 30's or so who really knew what he was doing. But I suspect the guys come and go pretty frequently from all of these places. It's relatively easy to find on the small sub soi just off Silom.

I don't think Maxis is really any better. Seems pretty much the same as Dick's with regard to food and service to me. But I do enjoy the table just inside the door for viewing the dinner theater.

I check the Bangkok Post and Nation pretty much every day. I like to keep informed. I also listen to FAT radio (104.5) for a few hours each day as well. Of course I mainly don't understand what is being said but can pick up little bits and pieces. I just like the music.

I have always found the way Thais speak English to be charming. And anyway I realize that their English is a million times better than my very limited Thai. I know what you mean about the driving. I just sit back, put on my seatbelt and try not to pay much attention to what is going on outside the car. Of course not being the driver allows one to do that. I'll always remember my first time in Bangkok and the ride from Don Muang Airport down to the Tarntawan hotel. The tour company had arranged for a driver to pick me up. It was one of those awful old Volvo 960's that are still in use all over there. I had to basically close my eyes as we drove along the highway because we were going so fast just inches away from the other traffic.

You'll never meet nicer people anywhere than in SE Asia. They take hospitality very seriously. I love Thailand but I am not sure I could live there for a variety of reasons. But I will also agree that there is much more to Thailand than sex. While that is certainly a lot of fun I like the culture almost as much. :-) There is tons of ancient history and old temples everywhere, great music, good food, good shopping, good travel infrastructure.

I typically book direct with the property or chain's website. I may do some research in advance using other booking sites though.

In a case like this I think a Thai travel agent is probably your best bet. I would also have them price one way and round trip tickets to see what the difference is. If the RT is cheaper you can always buy that but not use the return.

Apparently his only hope for an appeal is if he comes up with some sort of new evidence. Not likely to happen. I don't imagine this verdict really changes much of anything. The red shirts will continue to simmer. If they are smart they will find a way to disengage from Thaksin because I think he ends up being more of a distraction to their cause than anything. His unclean hands taint their movement. And they have some very strong arguments about the way things have evolved over time. Another thing that hurts them is all of the "final showdown" talk. Whether that is a creation of the English language Thai press or something the red shirt leaders keep putting out there I don't know. But it makes them look like the boy who cried wolf when there are so many "final" events. They keep talking about having giant protests which keep getting postponed. That makes them look very disorganized. Will they manage to scrape together their big protest in a couple of weeks? Perhaps that will be the end if it doesn't materialize. Thaksin looks increasingly desperate despite getting half of his money back. Perhaps the greatest issue for him is the whole issue of "face". Despite the court's somewhat Solomonic decision, they still ruled that he was very corrupt. His bitter statement on TV today seemed to really bristle at that characterization. The longer he is out of the country the more marginalized he will continue to be. Appearing via video link isn't really a substitute for being there. And his talk of revolution last year put his followers in the line of fire while he sat cozily in Dubai. Do the people still in his camp want to be his pawns for his personal redemption? Or will they fall away as their own problems take precedence over that of this fugitive billionaire? Maybe he should join a monastery or something.

Dusit Thani is directly across the street from Lumpini Park. From there to Tawan is probably a 15 minute walk if you walk fast, particularly when the night bazaar is blocking all of the sidewalks. You may also want to consider a place like the Siri Sathorn or one of the other serviced apartments in that general neighborhood. It's on a relatively quiet street about 10 minutes walk from Silom. So, probably 20-25 minutes walk to Tawan. You get a good amount of space and your own full kitchen, etc. But I think they are not 60+ sq m. And cost is in the 3000++ region for their least expensive room. Lebua suites are probably more luxurious. I have read that Lebua is having a big sale on their rooms these days and your post bears that out.

you would need to set your account up for international roaming. You can do that with DTAC, but I don't know about 1-2-call. Then you need to know which networks they will work with in the country where you are. Not all countries will be possible.

besides, the baht bus driver's gotta eat too.

I would guess sinking a cruise ship is probably much easier to do by boat than it would be by plane. The pirates in the Gulf of Aden and certain parts of Indonesia have certainly proven that hijacking ships is not all that tough.

well, I think the government is waiting out the court rulings. They are hoping that once the courts agree to let the country keep Thaksin's billions that he will be wounded enough to stop some of his shenanigans. I have also wondered why they "allow" him to phone in and do his video links. I think ultimately the answer is they simply are not able stop him from doing so technologically speaking. If they could keep him quiet I think they would. The government missed an opportunity early on to try and win over some of Thaksin's followers. Now they are more hardened than ever. Of course the other side is not going to sit quietly by if/when he comes back to power. I have long thought that they could set a trap for Thaksin and his enormous ego. Let him run things and fail. And then see what the disillusioned masses do in response.

Exactly. It is total theater to make people believe they are somehow safer. These idiotic new rules making everyone sit strapped to their seats for the last hour with empty hands and laps is beyond stupid. If a terrorist really wants to blow up your plane why wouldn't he just do it 90 minutes before the end of the flight? Or immediately after take off? Where does it all end? I also have been reading on frequent flier forums that airlines are being required to shut off their IFE systems because of the real time moving map function. Real security with well-trained, properly paid security personnel would be a great idea. But all of these over the top measures that make flying even more inconvenient are just going to lead to more and more losses for the airlines as fewer people bother to put up with it all. And anyway, was the issue the screening he received at AMS or when he left Nigeria in the first place? Once you get past the first screening and are airside typically you can move to your departure gate without further screening.

those photos are gorgeous. I am in the midst of planning a long trip to Bhutan for next year. I am very excited about it. Here's a link to the reasons behind all of the phalluses painted everywhere. The Phallus : an arcane symbol

I prefer "introvert". :-)

I agree on the teaching thing. But 43 is very young to be "retired". You will definitely want to find some sort of hobby to keep yourself occupied and your mind engaged. Since you will necessarily been living in more than one place maybe you could have some sort of part time job when you are at "home" and just enjoy your time off when you are in Thailand. I am basically the same age as you. And while I would like to not be doing my current job, the money and benefits are too good. :-) Maybe when I hit 56 I will take that early retirement. I think after a short while I would be bored to death in Pattaya. So if it were me I would likely live in Bangkok instead where there is more culture and more things to do. I would imagine it is a good bit more expensive for what I would consider to be acceptable housing in the sort of location I would want to be in. But maybe not... And Pattaya is just a short drive away when/if you really need it.

Taxis are so inexpensive I am not sure how useful the train is really going to be. It may save some time at some times of day. Arriving late at night the taxi fare to the Silom area will be in the 400 range if you decide the take the toll way since that adds Bt70 and the airport pickup fee is Bt50. But it gets you door to door with minimal trouble. Unfortunately it is not "only in Thailand" that they use buses to get you to your plane. Stop off in Doha, Qatar and you will get to ride the bus from the plane to the terminal. And that is on "the world's 5 star airline" Qatar Airways or any other airline at that airport. I think the biggest problem is climbing the stairs in those situations. Vietnam Airlines uses lots of buses as well. I had to ride the bus to my plane at the Saigon airport as well as the small airports in Hue and Da Nang. It is ridiculous.

I had a very nice massage at Fan Club on Soi Convent right before I left Thailand the other day. My chosen masseur, Khun Bee, was excellent. He must have some actual training. He used a variety of techniques and included some stretching as well. Almost like a sports massage. He's not exactly my typical type, probably early 30s but with an awesome well-defined body, big strong arms, handsome. I usually go more for twinky boys. But this guy was just the ticket. The after-massage fun was fairly basic. I expect he is a top but he did ask me what i like to do. I tipped way too much but I was quite impressed with the massage and I was leaving the country so I had some cash in my pocket to dispose of. :-)

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Thais have incredible memories for faces. So perhaps it is not just your money that a boy remembers when he sees you again. I suppose if you have a particularly memorable face that could make a difference too.

I think I agree with that assessment. Cambodia is a one-party state. The opposition have been harassed and knocked virtually into submission. Hun Sen is all about consolidating his own power and wealth. Go through Phnom Penh and see all of the luxury houses he and his cronies have built and then go a few blocks and see the squalor so many people there have to live in. I'm not sure he is under the thumb of the Vietnamese at this point. I am a teeny bit surprised that the king went along with this appointment of Thaksin. I can't figure out what his angle is unless he is under Hun Sen's ultimate control. Maybe he would rather still be dancing ballet in Paris. It would be nice if the gay king would be benevolent. Certainly the people of Cambodia deserve some good leadership if anyone does.

I have used the Cambodia e-visa in the past and it was great. But I read recently that there was some big dispute over the service and that many people had been left high and dry. The company that built the platform got squeezed out and the agency that took it over was incompetent. At least that is what I seem to remember reading. So you may want to do some research before using that service now. I think most people going to Cambodia get a visa on arrival at Siem Reap or Phnom Penh airport.

Thanks for the in-depth review. I enjoyed the little bit of time I spent in CM a few years ago. Maybe it's time to go back.

According to reports on the other message boards Adams Apple is now reopened and apparently quite nice. I don't expect Chiang Mai would ever be allowed to become another Pattaya. Too many conservatives there I would imagine. And there's no beach.