SAGuy

A+ here. But I remember reading that Asians have a significantly higher incidence of blood group A than Europeans, so maybe that has impacted the stats and created a bias? Clutching at straws again! SAG

Isn't that where that infamous group of LB pickpockets used to hang out? Maybe one of them was reincarnated? But you do wonder, how did the python get there in the first place? Cheers SAG

That's really interesting Ropey. I've spent a bit of time in Isaan and often wondered that if they are so close to their Laos neighbours, speaking the same language, following the same religion etc. then why are they now separate? I guess it must be similar to the US and Canada relationship? I wonder how many Thais know that their version of Buddhism is from Sri Lanka? I never knew that, I just assumed it was from India. Interesting stuff, it is a very complex country once you start digging. Cheers and thanks for the info. SAG

Wow, I never realised it was so widespread. I cant see the attraction myself, as the feathers etc. were off-putting. However the Thai blokes i was with we were really keen on them. I think I'll take some Mopane Worms for the next time I see them! Thanks for the heads-up Ropey, I've never been to the PI. SAG

Cambodia - that brings back memories. I went on a trip with some Thai blokes and apart from the obvious, their highlight of the trip was eating a Cambodian speciality - duck eggs, with a fully formed foetus inside. It appears that you cant get these in Thailand - they only have the chicken equivalents there. I cant say I tried that 'delicacy'. SAG

The 'insect wagon' turns up outside WN and CIB on most nights. It really sobers you up when you see the femme fatales who have been the objects of your desire all evening munching on all kinds of fried insects late at night. You can get a mixed assortment for as little as THB 100 and they range from passable, to crunchy to downright gross. I guess a bit like the girls themselves? I've never seen the ant eggs in BKK, but have had them in Isaan. They're white and taste sour. I guess its an acquired taste! SAG

Hey there Mike746...so am I! I was the one with a 'chum' at early breakfast this morning, as she had to get off to college. They did forget the towels yesterday! Cheers SAG

So on my last trip in Nov-Dec 2019 I holed up for 3 nights in this hotel in Huai Khwang with a civilian LB I know who was visiting BKK from Isaan. I chose this hotel as she wanted to be in this area and the last trip we stayed at the CMYK hotel, which is a weird place, but directly across the street. I'd rate this hotel as a 4 star, with modern amenities and a very nice room. Due to its location its a lot cheaper than what you would expect to pay around Sukhumvit. It is very conveniently located near to the Huai Khwang MRT station and theres a lot of Chinese restaurants on the main road, nearby. Breakfasts were the usual buffet style, with a mix of Asian and Farang food, but no complaints. The dining room is in the basement and one wall has a very large aquarium, which is fun to sit next to. Most of the guests were Asians, but a better mix than just the mainland Chinese who dominated the CMYK across the street. I booked it on Agoda and it was about THB 1,400 per night, which was very good value in my opinion. The only drawback was that the wifi wasn't great at night and so it was very difficult to have VoIP calls from there after about 1800 each day. Otherwise I would recommend it if you want to stay in this area and the black out curtains that they have ensure an uninterrupted sleep! The LB companion also approved! Cheers SAG

Hey Mad Max If you plan on taking one to Koh Samet and making a good impression, i.e. lots of selfie opportunities, then I'd recommend one of the 3 higher end resorts on Ao Phrae. They looked very nice, but the beach isn't so nice. However, the 3 LBs I was with all preferred these 3 to Ao Wongduean and called me a "Cheap Charlie" a few times, which made me laugh! Another suggestion for a more romantic getaway way would be Wongduean Resort at the other end of Ao Wongduean beach, which also looked very nice. Cheers SAG

Hahaha@hkaus Wrong choice of word - I should have written fluorescent, not effervescent. At the Naga Bar they have pots of this stuff lying around and the revellers come in and paint their faces and bodies. The group of Chinese seemed to really enjoy to. The 3 LBs not so much LOL. I asked about this later and they claimed it would take too long to remove at night. (You live and learn!). Mosquito mats are the small blue rectangles that you place in a plug-in receptacle that heats them up and they then dispense the Deet, which then confuses the mosquitoes and prevents you from getting bitten alive at night. I take them everywhere in the tropics and they work pretty well. The obvious draw back is that you need a power supply for them to work! Coils are more appropriate for outdoors due to the smoke. A couple of other tips I just remembered: The beach restaurants on Ao Wongduean close pretty early, so best to get there before 20.00 at the latest. All of the beach restaurants sell the fish and shellfish by uncooked weight, so you choose what you want, they weigh it and then cook it. Avoid the biggest place, where the fire show is. Its the busiest and has a double frontage, but is significantly more expensive than the others and thats also where the mainland Chinese tour parties go, so not conducive to a quiet dinner! I didnt see any LB action on the island, but the receptionist at the Samed Cabana Resort was one, so we manage to blag extra towels each day LOL. Cheers and have a Merry Christmas. SAG

1-8 December I took 3 LBs to Koh Samet for some R&R. (I had been in BKK and Isaan for 2 weeks). The rationale for Koh Samet was that I wanted a beach break and was tired of flying. Koh Samet ticks the boxes, its a quiet island, about 3 hours car ride from BKK and about 15-20 minutes by speedboat. ***Tip - don't wear shoes, as you may get dropped off on the beach, rather than at a pier, depending on where you are staying. I didn't want to stay at Sai Kaew, which is the biggest and busiest beach, as I had heard reports of hordes of Chinese tourists and non-stop noise from jet skis etc. I chose Ao Wong Duean as it seemed a good mix of some amenities, but not too busy There was a choice of 3 resorts and I chose Samed Cabana. I was happy with the choice and took 2 bungalows on the beach, which was well worth the premium over the bungalows set further back. The resort was about 85% Nordic types and 14.8% farangs with their teeraks, plus 1 farang with 3 LBs in tow! The resort was good value, a little bit tired, but I enjoyed the stay and so would recommend it. Breakfast was a bit repetitive, but the staff were very helpful and friendly. For dinners there are about 7-8 options on the beach. My favourite was a pace called 'Nice and Easy' towards the far end (300 metres away?) as it was the best value and had very good service. They had the usual fire shows on the beach and Chinese tourists were brought in just for dinner at some of the other restaurants. There were 2 mini marts in close proximity, so useful for beer and ice runs etc. ***Tip - take plenty of cash as very few places take cards. We went out a few times. The LBs liked a beach called Ao Phai which had 3 high end resorts. I preferred the laid back atmosphere at Ao Wongdeuan. One evening we went out to Naga restaurant, which is joined to Naga Bar and is very well known. The restaurant is a BBQ style joint, with all you can eat for THB 189/person, which was a great deal. The bar next door was busy with tourists painting themselves with effervescent paint. (Whatever floats your boat?) There's a number of tours you can take. I chose a 6 stops all day boat tour, which became much of a muchness, so would avoid the 9 stops version, as 1 beach becomes like all others after a few hours. The snorkelling was good fun. Getting around is by scooter (THB 100 per day) or the pick-up Songthaews. We rented one for a few hours and rode around the island. THB 1,500 for 2.5 hours. If you go into main town of Koh Samed from a beach resort you will need to pay the National Park Fee - which was THB 50 for Thais and THB 300 for farangs for 5 days. ***Tip - if you go island hopping or travel around on the land, make sure that you take your national park tickets with you. The park rangers jump out from behind bushes to inspect your tickets! If you don't have one, then you need to buy them all over again! In summary, if you want a nice relaxed break, this resort fits the bill. If you want a romantic get away, maybe Ao Phai would make more of an impression. I'd definitely go back to Koh Samet and probably this resort. ***Tip - take a few bottles of booze to drink on the verandah of your bungalow, as the prices on the island are 20-30% higher than on the mainland. ***Tip - take mosquito mats with you. The hotel provides one, but 2 in a room is more effective. ***Tip - ask the beach restaurants for mosquito coils under your table, as otherwise you will get bitten ***Tip - you can get to Ban Phae pier on the mainland by public bus, van or car. I chose the private car option and it was about THB 1,800 each way from BKK. ***Tip - you can get over to the island by public ferry, which only runs when it is full. Speedboats cost about THB 350/person ***Tip - if you don't like fish, then maybe not go! ***Tip - try and avoid weekends and public holidays - it gets noisy as that's when the Thais visit Cheers SAG

Hi there Mods. I just noticed that the content counter appears to be stuck, is anyone else experiencing the same problem? I've been stuck on 988, despite making additional posts, so it doesn't appear to be incrementing for some reason. Regards SAG

AirBnB? SAG

Ah ha Mike Then what you plan makes more sense then. I don't think that there will be a problem checking your friend into an Ibis, but just to be on the safe side, I always book a room for 2 guests, which normally doesn't cost any extra. The rooms are pretty small, but if its only for a short stay of a few days, then that shouldn't matter. Cheers SAG

Hi there Mike I've never stayed at that particular Ibis, so cant comment. I have stayed at other Ibis hotels. They're part of the Accor group and so you tend to know what you will get, just like McDonalds etc. The rooms at Ibis tend to be small and from memory, they only offer standard rooms, so there's little/no chance of blagging a free upgrade! I don't think you will go wrong selecting that place, but it does seem to be quite a trek to the fleshpots? I count 6 BTS stations to get to Nana? If it were me, and doing a last minute booking on Agoda etc. I'd choose a hotel closer to the action, somewhere between soi 4 and 20, as that will be less travel and what you save on hotel costs, may be lost on late night taxi fares etc. Just my 2 cents worth. Cheers SAG