Yes ... I can say that I will def be going back to Thailand, when and to where I do not know, but yes, I will be back!
Now ... onto your q's.
Our Fantasea price did NOT include the buffet, as the girls I took were still quite sick and we figured they wouldnt eat their moneys worth of food! By memory the buffet price was about an extra $25AUD per adult and half that price for children under 12, but dont quote me on the price, cos I didnt take too much notice cos I knew we wdnt do it. Adults and kids were exactly same price for show only. Yes, in hindsight I think someone did mention about things to do before you go into the show. We did have an organised pickup, which I thought had allowed us plenty of time, but it ended up not being enough! Show started at 9pm and our pickup was at 7pm I think. If I went again, I wd def arrange my own pickup, taxi or whatever. Those fish were SCARY!!!! I have never seen fish as crazy or as hungry as they were. We di buy fish food to feed them and they then went even more spastic!!

Dont know why our driver sd we cdnt go up to Big Buddha, cos we did see a sign when we went to the elephants saying so many k's to the big buddha. I guess I cd have queried him but I just went with the flow - whatever!

Trav. cheques were fine, although in hindsight (once again!) I didnt really need them, as there were no probs with cash. Both our hotels had gr8 in room safes, so taking all cash wdnt have been a prob. Yes ... I did get them from the post office, as I think you had suggested. No fee to buy them, but also as you said, you cannot specify denominations. I got $1,500 worth and they were half $100 and half $50. I think if you go to Westpac to get them you can ask for all $100 cheques, but I also think you pay a fee to get them from Westpac, dont know what the fee is - that is what the lady from the PO sd anyway. Im pretty sure I worked out that the fee to cash them in Thailand was 33bt per cheque. If I went again ... I prob wdnt bother with them and wd take all cash, which is what I have always done previously. This time, I just got a bit funny and nervous about carrying around $3,000 in cash!!!!

As for a price guide - I will attempt to include a quick one in my 3rd and final JBR today. We found bargaining at Otop Mkts to be too much hard work. It was much easier to do it on beach road shops. I think we only shopped at Otop 2 or 3 times cos of this. As for Bangkok, we only shopped at MBK and at Chatachuk. Prices at Chatachuk were MUCH cheaper than anywhere else in Thailand, but it is hard work there, very very hot and crowded. We only lasted a few hours there, then ran out of money and cdnt find a money changer. Caught the skytrain there, it was gr8, cheap and a/conditioned. At MBK there are cheaper and dearer shops, unfortunately we didnt find many of the cheaper shops until after we had shopped at the dearer ones! So .... I will def tell you where the cheaper ones, thats if I can remember!!!!

More soon ... Kitty (Lindy)