ozfatboy

It was an interesting piece in the paper, I wonder if it will change anything. I guess it depends on how much cas get exchanged with the MIB

I am coming back to BKK in March with a friend. I always stay at the Majestic Grande but thought we might get a 2 bedroom hotel this time around. The Grand Diamond looks great and the rates at about the same as MG, just further away. just wondering if anyone has stayed here before or knows anything about the hotel, especially being a little way from Nana not sure if they are girl friendly without a joiner fee.

Had a really bad case of this, took me months to get rid of it...Ended up having to take a strong dose of mobile disconnection antivirus combined with the ongoing treatment know as "spam" to fix the problem! Unfortunately it is highly contagious and moves through the western male population quickly and is very hard to contain once you have been in contact for three days or more. The best prevention is to take a full course of butterfly antibodies during your trip, keep control of the alcohol content and importantly “Keep Moving On” On a serious note, here is some information put out by the Travel Doctor here in Australia. It pretty much explains evrything you need to know. You can download the full 3 page fact sheet at: http://www.traveldoc...factsheets.html Hepatitis A This is a viral disease of the liver which is transmitted through eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. It is the most common vaccine preventable disease that occurs in travellers to less developed areas of the world. It is strongly recommended for travel to Thailand. Hepatitis B This is a viral disease of the liver that is transmitted via blood, blood products or bodily fluids. It is vaccine preventable. Hepatitis B immunisation is now part of the childhood immunisation schedule. Many adult travellers have missed this very important immunisation & travel may be a good reason for vaccination. The vaccine is currently provided to all children as part of our childhood immunisation program. Typhoid Typhoid Fever is caused by a bacteria found in contaminated food & water. It is endemic in the developing world & vaccination is recommended for travellers to areas where environmental sanitation & personal hygiene may be poor. The adventurous eater venturing ‘off the beaten’ path should certainly consider vaccination. Tetanus, Pertussis & Diphtheria Measles, Mumps & Rubella Tetanus is caused by a toxin released by a common dust or soil bacteria, which enters the body through a wound. Diphtheria is a bacterial infection of the throat & occasionally of the skin. It is found worldwide & is transmitted from person-to-person by coughing & sneezing. Pertussis(Whooping cough) is a highly infectious respiratory infection responsible for 300,000 deaths annually, mainly in children. Diphtheria & pertussis vaccines can be added to the tetanus vaccine. Because many adults no longer have immunity from childhood immunisation it is advised that travellers to less developed countries have tetanus, diphtheria & pertussis booster. Childhood immunisation coverage in many developing countries is not good. As such, travellers under the age of 40 years should have their measles, mumps & rubella immunisation complete. Those over the age of 40 years are most likely to have long term immunity from previous exposure as a child. Chickenpox This very common infectious disease can now be prevented through immunisation. Many people miss the disease in childhood only to have a significant illness as an adult. Travel puts one at higher exposure & if one cannot elicit a history of having had the illness a test can show whether at risk. Influenza Individuals intending to travel out of an Australian winter might consider the current flu vaccine at the beginning of the season. Exposure to illness in airports & commuter transport is common & exposure may ruin a much needed break. In fact, influenza is likely to be the commonest vaccine preventable disease faced by travellers. Malaria Malaria is transmitted by a night biting mosquito. The risk of exposure is low in Thailand, especially in the areas frequented by travellers, such as the beach resorts, Bangkok, Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai. While the risk is very low it is not NIL & why discussing your particular trip with a travel medicine specialist is important. Medications to reduce the risk of disease are not generally recommended but any illness which is fu-like in nature after returning should still be checked for malaria. Dengue Fever Dengue (pronounced den-gee) Fever is a viral disease with fu like symptoms that is transmitted by mosquitoes. There is no vaccine for dengue fever & prevention is based upon insect avoidance via repellents, nets & insecticides. Japanese Encephalitis (JE) Rabies Traveller’s Diarrhoea JE is a mosquito borne viral disease prevalent in rural areas of Asia & Indonesia that can lead to serious brain infection in humans. Risk is usually greatest during the monsoon months. A vaccine is available & is particularly recommended for adults & children over 12 months of age who will be spending a month or more in rice growing areas of countries at risk (or who repeatedly visit such areas). It is also recommended for people travelling to an area where an outbreak is known to be occurring. Insect avoidance should be considered the primary means of defence. Rabies is a deadly viral infection of the brain transmitted to humans. The disease itself is rare in travellers, but the risk increases with extended travel & the likelihood of animal contact. The best way to avoid rabies is too avoid all contact with animals. Dogs are the main carriers; however monkeys, bats, cats & other animals may also transmit the disease. Pre-exposure vaccination is recommended for extended travel & those who work with, or are likely to come in contact with animals. Up to 40% of tourists may develop 3 or more loose bowel motions a day within the first week of travel. A variety of germs can be responsible for this infection & a Traveller’s Medical Kit containing appropriate therapy can rapidly improve the symptoms. It is also important to follow the rules of healthy eating & drinking to minimise risks.

I visit Thailand normally twice a year and my hotel of choice in Bangkok is the Majestic Grande.In the past I have stayed at the Landmark, Marroitt the Grand just to name a few but always end up back here. I find the location great as I can walk through the carpark and into Nana with ease. The hotel is very girl friendly and go out of there way to make sure they take Id's and check everything is ok. The service is outstanding in all area's and they are happy to supply extra towels to my room at 3am in the morning which in the past I have found difficult in some hotels. The rooms are of high quality including larger towels, great bed and plenty of pillows. There is a central control on the bedside to avoid having to get up and turn off all those seperate light switches..just hit one and your done! The bathrooms are great including all the little shampoos, toothbrushes that those girls love to raid and a shaving mirror for me. As expected, inroom safe and you are given to security swipe cards which means you can leave one in the power unit so your room is at the right temperture when you return from a night out. I hate coming back to a hot room! My package included breakfast which they do really well with a great selection of foods and of course the egg station. Also had a buffet lunch there (too hung over to walk to far)which was quite good for just 300bt There is a business center in the hotel if you need to use a computer or you can buy internet time at 150bht per hour. Now I know its not that cheap but it is quite fast compared to many hotels and can be LAN or wireless connected. At the end of the day I use it to transfer money and check emails. There is a small pool if you need a dip, but thats about all...a dip and a relax on a deck chair..if your looking for more than that..what are you doing in Bangkok! To the fitness fans there is a full equipped gym with a staff member in attendence..visted there once, but the treadmill and a hangover just don't match, so I seem to give it a miss now. Now it's not a bottom end hotel, and I usually get a fairly large room. During October they have a special of book 3 nights get one night free...For the 3 nights I paid 9400bht, as I said not cheap, but a large room 48sqm with seperate shower and bath. There are smaller rooms also available at the hotel.