Rickshaw

I went there last night and didn't see the bar in the soi on the first left, mainly because I had not read the instructions well enough. The side soi is U shaped and to get to the bar, you have to go round the right angled bend and therefore you cannot see the sign from soi 10. If you carry on soi 10, you take the next left and it is just beyond the corner. Again, heading away from Sukhumvit on soi 10, it is easy to miss the sign because of the angles although turning round and walking back, it is bloody obvious. Anyway, it is a nice bar and I did have a good time, although like many bars in both Pattya and Bangkok, it was almost devoid of customers - as an indication, even I have been elevated to the ranks of "hansome man".

The sad fact is that they are killing ("they" being the police and the vigilantes) the small dealers and the users and so far, not the big boys and the kingpins. However, no matter what you feel about this way of cleaning up their terrible drug problem, there is a much bigger danger of the police and vigilantes killing any legitimate opposition to the president as evidenced by his comment after the killing of a journalist: "Just because you are a journalist, you are not exempted from assassination if you are a son of a bitch" This month, they are remembering the imposition of martial law by Marcos; it is a distinct possibility that they may be going the same way again. All very sad

My friend went to Australia and back in March (economy) this year with Malaysian and said that the flights were great, with alcohol throughout the flight...

I took my own - she said she was based in Palawan, but actually was from Palawan but lived in Manila. And turned out to be a total alcoholic which meant from that point of view, the trip was a mistake. But that's another story. I didn't see many lbs when I was there, but I didn't go to El Nido which is the prime tourist area and where, I imagine, you are most likely to find them.

Yes. BTW, for anybody following the signs to the May Hotel, it's what they are building at the back of the March hotel.

They have a sister hotel - March suites, soi 5 i.e. just behind April suites. It's new, same service levels, wifi is great but, and it is a great big but (single t), it is noisy both in and out. Inside it's noisy because it is popular with young Chinese who are not house trained in the widest sense of the word. The corridors are tiled and act act as a sound tunnel and the Chinese think nothing of standing in their doorways and shouting at the person standing in the doorway opposite. This can be at night or early morning or when they check out at 6am or whenever they feel like it. They just do not understand the concept of respecting other people's right to a quiet sleep. Maybe it's me, my age or just that I am becoming even more grumpy, but it really bugs me. And judging by the resigned rolling of the eyes when I mentioned it to the front staff, a lot of other people have the same issue Outside, they are constructing a new building just metres from the back of the hotel with its associated noise; at the front, on a huge vacant lot, they have started to break up the existing concrete which says to me that within a month or two, they will be building there as well. It's great if you are deaf or have a high tolerance to noise. If not, regretfully it is one to avoid.

My point is that they will (or did, 21 days ago) give you a completely different password for each machine in addition to the main password , but these new passwords last only 24 hours. So in my case, I had my room password for my computer, two individual 24 hour passwords for the phone and tablet and a separate 24 hour password for any guest who might be staying with me. Every day, I got 3 new 24 hour passwords.

But some people found this too much already.... But the interesting question is whether Tukcom in P. Tai will close, sell the land for development and move over to Harbor... in the meanwhile, there is now another source of cheaper electronics which will be more convenient for some to visit. Having said that, the traffic on Klang at the new mall is appalling since they are having to stop the normal flow both ways to allow cars into and out of the new mall, so if you go that way normally, be prepared for some lengthy delays - and no, of course, the authorities have not realised that you cannot slap a new mall onto an existing road and not change the road layout without there being chaos!

Some bigger IT shops are already there and there are plenty of cubicles for the smaller sellers

A new shopping mall has opened in Pattaya Klang, next to Foodland (between Third and Sukhamvit). It is not a thing of beauty, but two and a half floors are branded Tukcom Harbor

In my experience, this is most unusual. I have never been asked for oral with condom. Most of them will initiate sex without condoms, not oral with and they react with amazement when they see my condom pack. As for Thailand being better, I enjoy both; provided you do your homework on Pinalove (sister website to Thaifriendly), the Philippines is a bundle of fun, although I would recommend checking on video before committing to see someone. I have the abiding memory of the busty slim girl I talked to on PL turning out to have lost all her boobs, gained 15 kilos around her middle and changed her job from student to pig slaughterer, complete with video which she insisted on showing to me as we had coffee.

FYI. Oxford suites - you can ask at the front desk and they will give you as many wifi passwords as you like, but each one valid for 24 hours so you have to ask again the next day. Tea and coffee are available, but again you have to ask the room cleaners. Since I tip them every day, extra bits and pieces like this are always available. Floors above the half way mark have bum guns; lower floors do not (something to do with the water pressure and being an old - and somewhat tired - hotel). Some rooms have been upgraded, some haven't - always worth asking for an upgraded room. This is not the same as you being upgraded to a higher standard room but rooms ostensibly of the same level come as original or upgraded. Finally, if offered an upgrade to a junior suite, be aware that they are the curved rooms at the front of the hotel. Anything below floor 17 and you might as well be camping in P.Burgos in respect to the noise levels, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. Post finally, the doorman called Jericho is a fixer with everything to do with the hotel and a lot outside. A useful person to know and get on your side.

On occasion, in my long distant youth, I used to smoke weed on a shisha, but bubbled through vodka which, being impecunious spotty herberts, we then drank. I am sure that it helped make me the man I am today – which is probably a very good reason to ban it.