PeterRS

Totally agree about Qatar. Since I usually fly through Doha to the UK, each round trip involves 4 flights and so I must have taken about 32 flights in recent years. The entire biz class experience is virtually as good as it gets. When I arrived in Doha in early March, the A380 was parked far from the terminal. But the premium class buses were more like limousines with individual armchairs for each passenger. As @TotallyOz mentions, the lounge at BKK is excellent with a very good selection of different types of food and drinks. The same is true of the on board catering. Never had a meal I did not enjoy and the wine list is excellent, especially the rose champagne offered on flights to and from Doha. I do find the lounge at Doha over large, though. Not surprising perhaps given that the number of passengers in the 11:00 pm - 2:00 am period is mega given that this is peak time for transfers.

Looking at the Skytrax review site both airlines are dropping down the rankings following the pandemic. Emirates was always higher than Etihad and remains so with an average rating now of 5/10 when it used to be 7/10. Etihad also used to have a much better reputation but is now at 4/10 and recent reviews are pretty dreadful. Pre-pandemic I took Emirates daily A380 from/to Bangkok/Hong Kong at least 2 dozen times when biz class tickets were cheaper than the cost of most economy tickets now. That was fantastic value. But the biz price is now 50%-70% higher depending on dates. Also I would not fly on Emirates 777 biz class as most aircraft still have 2-3-2 seating and seats which do not fully recline. I note that Qatar has just announced a 5th daily flight between BKK and Doha with some limited time reductions in biz class tickets between some destinations.

As @vinapu has pointed out, there are people movers along most of the routes from planes to Immigration. The actual amount of essential walking can not be more than about 100-150 meters. The morning rush hour traffic on the expressway into Bangkok is horrendous. The train is really the only option at that time and will be about one tenth or less of a taxi. There will be queues at the BKK station but trains depart quite frequently. I'd just join a queue until I could grab a seat - although the journey length is short.

Now we wait for the 250 army appointed Senators to determine if they will endorse the changes that the Thai people have clearly shown they desire. With Move Forward and Pheu Thai seemingly gaining their majorities from a largely youth vote (and young people persuading their family members to vote for them), will the ultra conservative nature of Thai politics finally change? Or will the Senators and the equally conservative Electoral Commission find a way to water down the election results or even nullify the vote? These look to be exciting times.

Strange, since you helped start it!

So you are extremely rude as well!

If I felt as you and not had vaccinations, given my age I would probably be dead by now! Your advice is unwanted.

This reminds me of my first ever visit to Thailand more than 4 decades ago. I was staying far from Suriwong and given the times I was somewhat timid about exploring. Then a tout offered to take me to a gay gogo bar and for the only time in my life I took him up on the offer. A long tuk-tuk ride later, I was in the somewhat notorious Stockholm bar near the foot of Langsuan - long before that street moved very upmarket. It was a large bar in an old Thai building, hardly any other customers and about a dozen boys dressed in jeans. The mamasan soon sat next to me asking my choice. Jet-lagged and unsure of protocol I said i was still not sure. She recommended I take two upstairs and let them do a show for me. And that's what i did. For one whose only prior experience of sex clubs was a couple of visits to the Reeperbahn in Hamburg and the saunas in Amsterdam, I was somewhat nervous. But the boys were great. As they were performing, one suggested I move to sit on the bed. It was not long before I was invited to join in the action. Given my inexperience of Thai bars, I loved it and even today it remains clear in my memory.

I have worn masks and used hand sanitizers virtually all the time in Thailand. My concern recently has been primarily the number of tourists visiting Thailand and the consequent possibility of somehow getting infected despite having had 4 vaccinations. Just over 2 weeks ago I was in Hong Kong for 48 hours. Although all restrictions have been lifted, again I wore masks. I know that most masks are far from foolproof, but I feel better wearing them. Then about 4 or 5 days after my return I started to feel unwell. Thereafter I tested positive and underwent a really bad week. For almost 3 days I had a very high fever and various lesser ailments. Worse, I had absolutely no appetite. For a week I was able to eat only a small bowl of cereal and fruit in the morning. By mid-week, I tried to drink some clear soup. After three spoonfuls I felt sick. All I could do during that week was drink lots of water, sometimes with electrolyte powder. Oddly, the really sore throat I was told to expect never materialised. It took 8 days before I tested negative over 2 consecutive days. The one good thing - if there is anything good about getting covid - is that I was at home. Had I been on vacation, it would certainly have ruined most of it. Perhaps ironically, I had tried to get a booster prior to a trip to the UK in early March, but was told by all the hospitals i contacted they had no stocks of vaccine. I certainly recommend that anyone presently living in Thailand, especially of the older generation, get a booster shot if available.

This is correct. It seems they will be at the back of the cabin - but that's a guess. There will be 6 pods - 2 banks of 3. So those in the lowest pod will rather have to crawl in. They will be available for 4 hours with only one session per booked passenger. The crew will then clean, install new bedding and turn around each pod. Cost estimate is in the region of NZ$400 - $600 per 4-hour session = US$254 - $380. Expensive given that economy fares on long haul flights have risen a lot recently. But as the attached article points out, a great deal cheaper than a restricted business class return which presently costs in the region of NZ$8,700 for the 16-hour Auckland/New York return flights for autumn this year. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/11/snoring-is-perfectly-natural-testing-air-new-zealands-world-first-sleep-pods

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The operative phrase here is "in recent years." When launched during the first Thaksin years, the Elite visa was I believe the first attempt with benefits to lure the rich. For years very few purchased one, it lost a lot of money and there were strong rumours the Elite visa would be discontinued. Yet it is now extremely popular. I believe this is primarily for two reasons. (1) the draconian increase of the annual savings requirement for retirees to 800,000/400,000 has had an effect on the numbers taking this route, largely because many also do not have pensions generating 65,000 per month (I certainly don't); and (2) the pandemic. While 600,000 for 5 years is expensive, the more so when you get nothing back at the end of the term, the 20 year option for 1 million is much more reasonable.

Being across from Nature Boys this was probably the building to which Barbiery re-located when it moved away from Suriwong opposite Soi Twillight around 2000. Unfortunatey it also changed its business model and one of the finest of all Bangkok's gogo bars died within a year.

Sorry I can't help much. Since the covid restrictions ended, i have been there for only 3 nights in January and 2 at the end of April. Only had one free night when I met up with a lovely guy from Grindr with whom I still keep on touch. Have not been to a sauna for a good 5 years now. I ditched Blued some time ago but there were still hits on all three other apps. I just did not have time unfortunately. Years ago I used to enjoy CE provided I went at certain times - mostly week-ends and sometimes early weekday late afternoons before dinner. It used to attract a few high-end tourists from mainland China in HKG for long week-ends shopping and clubbing with a sauna trip thrown in. These guys were mostly tall, in shape and on the gorgeous end of the spectrum. No idea of the clientele now.

Christianpfc is very much the expert when it comes to cruising and he has several times mentioned this area. Posts in recent years, though, have highlighted the decline of the area and that it is very much AYOR.

Lufthansa is a bit slow off the blocks. Many other airlines have already put some A380s back into service, some last year. SIA, ANA, Korean, BA, Qantas and Asiana are some of the others. Qatar has had a daily A380 to BKK for many months. And I don't think Emirates ever had a day flying during the pandemic without some of its A380 fleet in operation. Funny how most of these airlines announced with great fanfare they were basically taking their A380s completely out of service. How times change!

From what i have read in these columns, Boyztown is showing a few signs of some life, Sunee remains all but dead, the beach entertainment died years ago and I cannot imagine yet another beer bar opening in Jomtien Complex is going to arouse much interest. Interesting that two other chat sites which are much more Pattaya-centric have also seen a major drop in posting traffic recently.

Leaving Hong Kong last month, every check entering security and then immigration is now done by facial recognition. So simple and so fast!

OMG! If that's the case, let's hope he is not starting a trend!

Highly unlikely! What makes you think that? Even if he were, he clearly has no interest in Mae Sot now or he would have responded to recent posts.

Simple. guestbijbg ceased being a member ages ago!

Barring once again the importance of sufficient insurance, I'd have thought if the reports are true the police should be searching for the SUV driver as he/she is likely to be responsible for the medical costs. Another issue is: surely this is a case of Personal Accident Insurance rather than medical insurance. Yet another is that if you have a rare blood group, you need to ensure there are supplies of that group should you need them. Not sure how to achieve that, though.

Many years ago some short-time hotels had round beds with ceiling mirrors. They were fun as long as you were not short-sighted and needed to wear spectacles, though1

I agree with you. But when many thousands of travellers are arriving in the space of, say, 30 minutes at a peak time,and maybe 4 or 5 passengers are trying to use a cc that is not accepted and may not have another card and will object to having to get out of line and re-queue for a cash dispenser, you have a recipe for a lot of bad feeling bordering on anger. But then I am more of a glass half empty kind of person and our dear @vinapu is very much glass half full. But do remember that even in its last year prior to the opening of BKK, DMK had just 16 million passengers of whom 13.5 million were on domestic flights. By 2019 Suvarnabhumi was handling 53.5 million passengers. Quite a difference!

A further thought. Many countries have a form of tourism tax, Hong Kong for one. But that tax is usually levied by hotels and guest houses. This ensures that those who actually live in the cities/countries do not pay the tax. Admittedly some tourists escape paying it by staying with relatives. But generally it works very well and is easily accountable.