Getting to LOS in one piece, tips for surviving the flight

[Streetfighter887]

The worst thing about flying is the security. Dont get me wrong. We all need the extra security. There is never enough airport security. But GOD DAMNIT!

 

Last time I had my luggage carry on. They took my god damn mouthwash. Deodarant everything Liquid they could find. Even my effin perfumes. They even took my skin lotion.

 

The guard asked me, why did you try to bring this thru security. I said dude, my skin needs this fucking lotion, my armpit needs this deo. My mouth needs this mouthwash and so on. And you know what he replied? He said "Well, its mine now".

 

 

 

I like lighting a joint before the flight, somewhere outside the airport. When your high any shitty inflight movie is amazing.

[Luv2Phuket]

The worst thing about flying is the security. Dont get me wrong. We all need the extra security. There is never enough airport security. But GOD DAMNIT!

Last time I had my luggage carry on. They took my god damn mouthwash. Deodarant everything liquid they could find. Even my effin perfumes. They even took my skin lotion.

 

Funny story from a good friend -- he had a layover/plane change at Narita on his way to Seoul and had to go through security, etc.

Problem: he bought a bottle of cologne on the plane.

Basically, he spent $50 to get a bottle of cologne while on a place, get off and give it to security, because he couldn't carry it on his next flight (too much liquid)!

[thinkingallowed]

If you fly economy you can buy airport lounge access from loungepass.com or if you want to buy a pass that covers you for a full year look at prioritypass.com

 

This can be really good if you've bought a cheap ticket with a long layover. For example loungepass have a 5 hour pass in Dubai for £21. This gives you shower access, internet, food, drinks, magazines and a much more pleasant place to sit. £21 is not going to last you long in Dubai airport.

 

 

[mavriq]

Great post! My little bit of advice is for the return trip.... NEVER eat any seafood or Thai food that can be risky - I made that mistake and got sick (twice) just before boarding both flights. So now I eat McDonalds or something that I know is safe at least 12 hours before the flight - better to be safe than sorry. A 10 hour flight is bad enough without having to run to the toilet every 5 minutes!

 

My Thai wife tells me that street food is the safest as it is cooked fresh from the market and served hot. She says if you get food from a hotel or restaurant there is a good chance that it has been in a freezer for a while and may not have been thawed correctly.

 

After getting food poisoning from Sandalay hotel at Pattaya on one trip just before flying out I have had this "McDonalds before flight" rule ever since! (I have stayed at Sandalay many times and have only got food poisoning once so it must have been my unlucky day!)

 

One positive with the food poisoning was that it proved to me that my new "I will be your tilac forever" wasn't really in "love" as she didn't even make it to the airport to see if I was OK! (Thankfully I nipped that relationship in the bud before it started)

 

One more word of advice is if you have a TG at home make sure you check your bags and clean out any Thai numbers ... or your Thai sweetie at home will ring them up and see what you have been up to! Been there - done that .... and it wasn't pretty!

[mavriq]

Watch your visa too, you usually get a one month visa on arrival and the new Govt is VERY strict on visas! You can extend for 7 days by visiting Immigration in BKK but overstay more than 7 days and it is cell time .... even if you are about to board your plane! BKK's Immigration Office told me this in 2011 when I tired of all their officialdom and said "NO, I am not going to the other side of BKK to get my Thai wedding certificate - I don't care about the overstay....I will just pay the fine at the airport.

 

My Thai wife nearly had a fit that I lost my cool at Immigration and bowed to everyone in sight, restrained me and dutifuly went and retrieved the wedding certificate so I could have my visa extended. (Even then when I had an extended visa with receipt for the fine I was still taken aside at the airport before boarding!)

 

The new Govt wants to "clean Thailand out of overstaying foreigners" regardless of what country you come from.

[tommy11ny]

thanks for the info..im goin for my 1st time in september and this is the only thing I am not looking forward to

[LRanger]

If you have a transit stop - get a hot shower and change clothes. This has an amazing rejuvenating effect.

[eugenejerome]

Great post! Only one small change that I'd make is to bring a full-size pillow with you on every flight. You may look strange, but airlines rarely count it towards your carry-on allowance and they make it so much easier to sleep, especially if you've got a window seat!

[david555]

used latest flight to AMS from BKK , bought for little money (1500 BHT) a seat in a 2 seat row , .... and ofcours i sat allone.. because who would pay extra when flying allone to sit beside a stranger ... .so had very much space for me allone

BTW ; 2 rows behind seems somebody thought the same as also he sat allone

Edited July 15, 2012 by david555

[Thai1onjohn]

Very well done and great tips for that long plane ride,thanks...

[Toolman192]

Wow, absolutely an excellent forum.  I am a little OCD.  I use it positively.  I just made a list of key items I gleamed in Evernote so I'll be ready.  I have travelled quite a bit, but still got useful advise.  Biggest question is how to carry money there?  Assuming you don't want a record of all the transactions at Bars, massage Parlors, and GoGo joints, nor wanting to pay fee after fee, I assume you want to bring cash and do an exchange and pay one fee.  That being said I am concerned about carrying so much cash.  Any thoughts?  Do you get a Thai bank account and transfer funds and use a local ATM to take out Thai Baht?  Thanks,

[Luv2Phuket]

Wow, absolutely an excellent forum.  I am a little OCD.  I use it positively.  I just made a list of key items I gleamed in Evernote so I'll be ready.  I have travelled quite a bit, but still got useful advise.  Biggest question is how to carry money there?  Assuming you don't want a record of all the transactions at Bars, Massage Parlors, and GoGo joints, nor wanting to pay fee after fee, I assume you want to bring cash and do an exchange and pay one fee.  That being said I am concerned about carrying so much cash.  Any thoughts?  Do you get a Thai bank account and transfer funds and use a local ATM to take out Thai Baht?  Thanks,

 

On prior trips, I took the bulk of my money (about 2/3) in cash.  I used to take the other 1/3 in traveler's checks, but now I have an ATM card the refunds all service fees and does not charge a foreign transaction fee (with Schwab), so I expect to use that for maybe 1/2 to 2/3 of my money this next trip.  

 

LOTS of posts on here about the safety of hotel safes (no pun intended).  Knock on wood, I haven't had an issue, so I keep my money in the safe and take out a few bills to exchange each day.

 

Crisp 100s are easiest to exchange; the rates drop substantially for lower denomination bills.

 

Even though I keep going back to Pattaya, I have yet to take the time to open a bank account.  My trips are typically very short (10 days or less), and it's just as easy for me to use that fee-free ATM card.  If, however, I was going for 3+ weeks, I would seriously look into opening and funding a Thai bank account.

 

Just my 2 cents....I'm sure others' opinions/advice may vary

 

 

BTW, if you want info on the Schwab account, send me a PM and I'll send you a link.  I do NOT get any kind of referral fee -- I just think it's a great deal for U.S. residents who travel abroad.

[Toolman192]

On prior trips, I took the bulk of my money (about 2/3) in cash.  I used to take the other 1/3 in traveler's checks, but now I have an ATM card the refunds all service fees and does not charge a foreign transaction fee (with Schwab), so I expect to use that for maybe 1/2 to 2/3 of my money this next trip.  

 

LOTS of posts on here about the safety of hotel safes (no pun intended).  Knock on wood, I haven't had an issue, so I keep my money in the safe and take out a few bills to exchange each day.

 

Crisp 100s are easiest to exchange; the rates drop substantially for lower denomination bills.

 

Even though I keep going back to Pattaya, I have yet to take the time to open a bank account.  My trips are typically very short (10 days or less), and it's just as easy for me to use that fee-free ATM card.  If, however, I was going for 3+ weeks, I would seriously look into opening and funding a Thai bank account.

 

Just my 2 cents....I'm sure others' opinions/advice may vary

 

 

BTW, if you want info on the Schwab account, send me a PM and I'll send you a link.  I do NOT get any kind of referral fee -- I just think it's a great deal for U.S. residents who travel abroad.

 

Thanks footypjman!  Good Information.

[momomo]

Wow, absolutely an excellent forum.  I am a little OCD.  I use it positively.  I just made a list of key items I gleamed in Evernote so I'll be ready.  I have travelled quite a bit, but still got useful advise.  Biggest question is how to carry money there?  Assuming you don't want a record of all the transactions at Bars, Massage Parlors, and GoGo joints, nor wanting to pay fee after fee, I assume you want to bring cash and do an exchange and pay one fee.  That being said I am concerned about carrying so much cash.  Any thoughts?  Do you get a Thai bank account and transfer funds and use a local ATM to take out Thai Baht?  Thanks,

there's a ton of discussion on the money question. Afraid you're asking in the wrong thread though (which is for "surviving the flight", hence the title...) and I suggest let's not discuss further here.

Use the search function, especially in the Newbie forum and add to the relevant threads there.

Here's a selection to get you going:

 

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/151462-best-way-to-take-travel-money-to-pattaya/?hl=%2Bcarry+%2Bmoney#entry2168521

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/49732-setting-up-a-thai-bank-account-updated-jan-2013/?hl=%2Bcarrying+%2Bmoney+%2Bcash

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/120880-carrying-cash/page-2?hl=%2Bcarrying+%2Bmoney+%2Bcash#entry1880050

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/116228-safest-way-to-carry-a-large-amount-of-cash-to-los/?hl=%2Bcarrying+%2Bmoney+%2Bcash#entry1825782

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/113507-cash-or-travellers-cheques/?hl=%2Bcarrying+%2Bmoney+%2Bcash#entry1797487

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/104837-cash-or-card/page-2?hl=%2Bcarrying+%2Bmoney+%2Bcash#entry1697040

 

 

Edit: wrong quote.

Edited July 3, 2013 by momomo

[Toolman192]

With you!

[Luv2Phuket]

I just stumbled across this 5 year old clip today, but some VERY funny (and true!) stuff about advances in technology and how spoiled we have all become. 

 

Given that flying to Thailand in a seat that DOESN'T lie flat now seems like torture to me, I am CLEARLY part of the spoiled generation that he is referring to!  LOL

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paylIuu0e-I

[Toolman192]

I just stumbled across this 5 year old clip today, but some VERY funny (and true!) stuff about advances in technology and how spoiled we have all become. 

 

Given that flying to Thailand in a seat that DOESN'T lie flat now seems like torture to me, I am CLEARLY part of the spoiled generation that he is referring to!  LOL

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paylIuu0e-I

 

Wow,  Just watched.  I am a man of a certain age, and everything he said, struck a cord with me.  He is both true and hilarious!  Thanks for the link.

[Sexyfarangman]

 

BTW, if you want info on the Schwab account, send me a PM and I'll send you a link.  I do NOT get any kind of referral fee -- I just think it's a great deal for U.S. residents who travel abroad.

 

Please post the link.

[Luv2Phuket]

Please post the link.

 

http://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/banking_lending/checking_account

 

You have to open an investment account in order to get the checking, but no investment required (I keep $25 in mine).  

 

Also, you will link you primary bank account to the investment account, then transfer the money over to the checking account -- you can't transfer directly into the checking account.

 

Let me know if you have any questions

[vesmax]

great post... ....

i use jap airline and i have just join in there ff program they also in the (oneworld program).. have no idea how it works as of yet.. but with the way im flying now days.. it seem smart to get something out of all the miles..

btw.. i always have a book with me for the flights.. even though i bring an ipod, laptop, and such. i prefer books the most.

[anonone]

Great ideas in here.

 

One note of caution on the sleeping pill use. I ALWAYS wait until the plane is airborne before taking them. You don't want to be zoned out and unable to think if they have mechanical problem with the plane, causing long delays, new connections, etc.

 

I have seen it happen.

[MrDK]

The worst thing about flying is the security. Dont get me wrong. We all need the extra security. There is never enough airport security. But GOD DAMNIT!

 

Last time I had my luggage carry on. They took my god damn mouthwash. Deodarant everything liquid they could find. Even my effin perfumes. They even took my skin lotion.

 

The guard asked me, why did you try to bring this thru security. I said dude, my skin needs this fucking lotion, my armpit needs this deo. My mouth needs this mouthwash and so on. And you know what he replied? He said "Well, its mine now".

 

 

 

I like lighting a joint before the flight, somewhere outside the airport. When your high any shitty inflight movie is amazing.

 

 

Funny story from a good friend -- he had a layover/plane change at Narita on his way to Seoul and had to go through security, etc.

Problem: he bought a bottle of cologne on the plane.

Basically, he spent $50 to get a bottle of cologne while on a place, get off and give it to security, because he couldn't carry it on his next flight (too much liquid)!

 

One can argue the 3oz/100ml rules.

They are nonetheless the rules and it is the travelers responsibility to abide by them.

I have changed planes in Tokyo and Seoul many times and the rules concerning liquids have always been announced on the PA system prior to the duty free opening.

Using the "F-word" to reason with an officer I am sure will go a long way.

[jackels456]

Great post.  definitely some great advice.  And I also agree TSA has been getting really bad in terms of what they're letting across the scanning machines

[Crocket]

Great posts.

 

Tip if you a culprit.

 

WHAT REALLY PISSES ME OFF. - When collecting baggage from the carousel the twats that stand so close that no one else can see a firking thing making it impossible to identify there bags.

 

Why can't they all just stand 5m back walk forward when your bag comes around --- no it's peek between the shoulders of the twats, spot your bag, dive thro, then bang 3 or 4 around the legs trying to pull its off, nightmare!!!! Why it's no rocket science.

 

Well that's my tip / rant

 

No more sleeps flying today.

[thinkingallowed]

The worst thing about flying is the security. Dont get me wrong. We all need the extra security. There is never enough airport security. But GOD DAMNIT!

 

Last time I had my luggage carry on. They took my god damn mouthwash. Deodarant everything liquid they could find. Even my effin perfumes. They even took my skin lotion.

 

The guard asked me, why did you try to bring this thru security. I said dude, my skin needs this fucking lotion, my armpit needs this deo. My mouth needs this mouthwash and so on. And you know what he replied? He said "Well, its mine now".

 

 

 

I like lighting a joint before the flight, somewhere outside the airport. When your high any shitty inflight movie is amazing.

You can buy travel sized mouthwash, toothpaste, deodorant, skin lotions etc. Some come in security approved clear ziplock bags that are handy. As for "perfume" I always put that in my hold luggage and use the testers in duty free which apart from being a cheap charlie trick is a good chance to try new ones out.