johnk

I will be in Pattaya from September 29 through to October 8 and playing golf everyday with Soi 7 Fun bar. If anyone is in town and is interested come and have a game.

Back in March 2000 I slipped down a small mound on the side of the 3rd tee and fractured my right ankle. Well I did not know it was fractured at the time. I biridied the next hole and finished the round 11 over par on one leg. Since then I have had much worse socres on both 2 legs....

My favourites which have a good variety of golf courses and also have hire clubs available Fun Bar, Soi 7 on left hand side at bottom of soi. Play Monday through Friday during high season and most Sundays. Usually leave bar around 10:30am and no limit on tee times just turn up or put your name down on sheet before the game. Contact Peter on 087 815 0433. The Golf Club, Soi LK Metro. Play Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Early morning pickup, around 8:00am, and limit on tee times so need to have name down on sheet early as there are quite a few regulars. Contact John but don't have phone number The Bunker, Soi ChaiYapoon. Play Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Mostly expats, I think games are mid morning with early finish and presentation back in bar around 7:00pm. Contact Mick, was thinking of selling up when I was there in June, on 038 429 292. Traveller's Rest, Soi LK Metro. Play Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Leave early mornings and I have not had a game here for a while. I think they have a joining fee, 800 baht from memory. Contact Fergus on 086 056 7019. I have not tried these places but hear mostly good things although you need to be careful of bars like Lewinskis where they can have 48 starters and you may find yourself teeing off 2 hours after 1st group. Caddy Shack, Soi 17 South Pattaya. Play Monday, Wednesday and Friday leaving bar mid morning. Contact Bruce 081 865 3104 Outback Bar, on Siam Country Club Road 6 kms from Sukhumvit Road. Play Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Contact Bob on 087 941 2474. The Haven, on Siam 13. Play Monday, Wednesday and Friday leaving bar early morning. Contact Stephen on 038 710 988. Bowling Green. Play Monday and Friday. Contact Gareth on 087 932 8867. Lewinskis, Soi Pattayaland One (Soi 13/3). Play Monday, Tuesday/Wednesday, Friday and Sunday usually departing around 9:00am. The Beaver Bar. Play Monday and Friday. PJ Pool Restaurant, Soi Khao Noi. Play Tuesday and Thursday usually meet at 8:00am. Contact David on 083 368 1678. OK Corral, Soi Rungland. Play Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday usually depart at 9:00am. Contact Len on 01 949 1468. Tropical Berts, Soi 6 (Yodsak). Play Tuesdays and meet at 8:00am. Contact Derek on 09 034 0629. I think this covers the main ones. There are others like 3 Sisters, Café Kronborg, Jomtien Golf, Driving Range Golf Society, Donovans Golf, Storm Bar Golf.

I would consider a 25 sq metre room to be comfortable. The superior rooms at Pasadena Lodge are 26 sq metres and for me that space is more than adequate.

Are you referring to the one being built next to Pasadena Lodge? It was still under construction in June. I will be back again in a few weeks and will be interested to see the progress.

Some of the courses I always enjoy playing are Laem Chabang, Khao Kheow, Greenwood, Burapha, Emerald, Crystal Bay, Green Valley, Eastern Star. There are 20 or more bars that organise golf games through the week and it works out quite cheaply and you do not have to worry about organising anything. Just turn up in the morning. I usually play out of the Soi 7 Fun Bar but there are many alternatives like the Bunker, Caddy Shack, Haven, OK Corral, The Golf Club and many others. The first thing I do when I get into Pattaya is find a copy of the previous Fridays Pattaya Mail*. There you will find the advertised Golf schedule of at least 18 bars for the whole of next week. I then pick and choose which courses I want to play and try to get my name on list of people playing. I am almost certain it is the Pattaya Mail and I have torn a copy of the golf schedule from June in my wallet but the name of the newspaper is missing. If anyone is interested I can assist with the location and contact number for each of the bars advertising.

I have hired clubs from Laem Chabang and a few other courses and the sets are not too bad. I am a left hander and there is less choice but decent clubs if you are a right hander. You can also hire golf clubs from the pro shops along 3rd Road in Pattaya for 300 baht a day. You can probably negotiate a lower rate if you hire the set for a week or 2.

I enjoy playing most courses around Pattaya. Laem Chabang, Khao Kheow, Burapha, Noble Place are all very picturesque golf courses but not very challenging for low handicappers although Khao Kheow could be difficult on some days. I think the Plantation course at Siam is the toughest I have seen in a long time. I played it in June on a very windy day, no trees for protection, and balls one yard off the fairway were either lost or unplayable in the thick 'cabbage'. There is also the triple green which is a great novelty and the top level has got to be around 30-40 yards higher than the bottom level with I think 4 tiers on one of the greens. Other courses I would class as tough courses would have to be Treasure Hills and Pattana especially playing them off the back tees. We played Pattana a few days after the Asian tour event earlier this year and it was setup tough. No matter which course you choose you will enjoy. Can't wait to get back again in 3 weeks time....

Those photos bring back wonderful memories. I love playing golf at Laem Chabang and love the pro shop with the Jack Nicklaus memorabilia including the putter he used when he won the US PGA championship in 1980. It is a very challenging golf course with 3 unique 9's. I look forward to having a game there everytime I am in Pattaya. Hopefully I will get to play it again in 3 weeks time. I am also striving hard to break 80 there and I have only managed 81s and 82s so far.

I have used Agoda and before that Precision Reservations on a number of occassions. They have a user friendly website, friendly customer service and competitive prices on most hotels and have a simple rewards program you can use as a discount on next hotel stay or save up rewards to get a free room. I used Agoda to book a room in Singapore in 4 nights time. I always compare room rates on different websites and usually book using the cheapest option.

The difference in cost is only minimal and I like to get out and about in Singapore. Just like I spend 1 night in either the Hilton/Holiday Inn or Intercontinental in Bangkok after leaving Pattaya. For me as I live in Australia and Qantas is part of the Oneworld Alliance it makes sense to book all my flights on Oneworld Alliance airlines. Star Alliance and Skyteam do not have a domestic presence in Australia. From my perspective the following points I posted in another thread are very relevant.

Yes Qantas and British Airways have direct flights to Bangkok but I like to spend a night in Singapore. The cost of the airfare via Singapore is not much more than the direct option. I am almost certain that Emirates and Etihad do not fly direct Sydney-Bangkok but I would not even consider flying them unless they were part of the Oneworld Alliance.

I am a Qantas frequent flyer with Platinum status, equivalent to Oneworld Emerald. Some of the benefits are first class checkin when using any Oneworld airline, fast track through immigration and quarantine when arriving back into Australia, extra luggage allowance on Qantas flights, priority luggage tags on most Oneworld airlines, complimentary lounge access including first class lounges and in Australia I can get into the lounge even when not flying, 100% bonus on frequent flyer points when flying Qantas, Bristish Airways and American Airlines, accumulate frequent flyer points with partners like car hire and hotel stays, preferential seating including pre-allocating exit rows, occassionally get a personal welcome on board the aircraft and I have asked and received business class amenity kits and noise cancelling headphones when travelling economy, get first preference when flights are cancelled etc. The priority check-in alone is more than worth it. When I had no status I remember waiting in the economy queues in BKK airport for over an hour. Now I get served within 5 minutes of joining the queue. Lounge access is OK if you have a few hours to wait. Have a few champagnes and something to eat as the food on the aircraft is hit and miss. Last year I redeemed an Oneworld RTW award and since then I have almost accumulated enough points for another 2 Oneworld RTW awards. Just need to find the time to use them. The biggest negative is that you are tied into using the Oneworld alliance which does not always have the cheapest airfares but I can live with that for now.

Blame me! I am really sorry. I noticed the problem about 3-4 days ago and sent a PM to Martin. The problem was that anything posted to the members bar, other forums were unaffected, was not incrementing the post count. Martin said he would investigate the problem and try to correct the post counts. Seems to be OK now and apologies again....

I tried Mr Tooms service for the first time in March and it was a pleasant experience. Will definitely use his services again....

I would find it very stressing to put together an itinerary purely on Low Cost Carriers. I also come home with over 30 kgs of luggage which would cost an arm and a leg on Air Asia X and other Low Cost Carriers. There is also food and drink to consider which you need to pay extra on a Air Asia X and the added hassle of no in-flight entertainment. If these things do not bother you and the money saved is signigicant then go for it. I recently purchased a return Cathay business class airfare from Bangkok to Singapore for ~A$420 and a return Qantas flight from Singapore to Sydney for ~A$1000. I priced the same of sort of trip using Tiger/Air Asia, Air Asia X and Virgin Blue for the dates I wanted to travel plus taking into consideration the excess luggage and the trip would have cost me more than A$1,200. I prefer to spend a few hundred dollars more and have peace of mind.

The Louis Tavern Lounge in Bangkok airport is OK but nothing special. It reminds me of a fish bowl. There are adequate snacks and alcohol available. I am not sure if you can pay for access to the lounge at the entrance but you can certainly pre-purchase 3 hour lounge access from Lounge Pass for £25.00 per person. Is it worth it? I don't think so but then I already have complimentary lounge access with Qantas frequent flyer program as a Platinum status frequent flyer. Another way to access the lounge is via Priority Pass yearly membership. Recently I heard that you can get free access to Priority pass airport lounges if you have an American Express Platinum charge card.

The Air Asia X flights are OK if you live in Brisbane or the Gold Coast. If you live in Sydney or Melbourne then you are going to need 2 connections to get to Bangkok and since Air Asia X is a Low Cost Carrier it is advisable to leave at least 3 hours between each connection which makes for a very long trip to/from Bangkok. Also on the return flight from Kuala Lumpur an overnight in Gold Coast is required adding further to the cost. I recently researched airfare prices from Bangkok to Sydney and it is just as cheap to travel direct, or via Singapore, on a full service carrier.

I think a few airlines have already started trials or are proposing to have trials of mobile phone use. I would hate to see it implemented. An aircraft cabin is one of our few remaining mobile phone free sanctuaries. Who is going to ensure that all mobile phones remain on silent? The FAs? Most times after the meal service they are nowhere to be seen. Just look at the mayhem caused after a flight lands. Once people have switched on their mobile phones the "beep beeps" can be constantly heard from the back of the cabin. And most mobile phone keypads are very loud anyway so just restricting to SMS only does not mean that the noise level is going to remain at acceptable levels.

Pattaya Driving Range, Pride Driving Range and Diana Driving Range are easily accessible by baht bus. Also Pattaya Driving Range is within walking distance if you are staying around the Soi Buakhow area. The driving ranges in Jomtien are not that far away but I am not sure how close they are to the baht bus route.

I sent an email to the hotel complaining about the bed linen not been changed on a daily basis. They were really apologetic and informed me that the maids were not doing their jobs properly and have already been replaced. I guess there would have been other complaints. Anyway I have given the hotel another chance and have booked it for the second half of June. I also have a tentative booking for September that depends on the service provided during the next trip.

From my experience they are willing to discount the room rates for stays of longer than 3-4 weeks but the reduction offered will be minimal. Need to discuss with 'Ann'. Would this still be possible with the newly constructed building next door to Pasadena Lodge? I can confirm that there is an in room safe in the superior rooms. I did not check out the standard rooms.

Because there is no door just a glass window from floor to ceiling. The deluxe rooms at the front of the building have accessible balconies.

They do have a website now. Pasadena Lodge.

This is from an email reply about a request for a September/October booking back in February. Dear...Mr.John My name is "ANN"a member of "pasadena Lodge"staff, thank you for interesting our hotel,we have avalable superion room for you,so we will be to booking room for you on 30/09/08-07/10/08 is right ,superion room on september-octorber 800/night this price including 2 bottle of the water, this price in low season, but the price in high season begining november-march. right now we booking superion room,for you, if any change please give us notic. confirm your booking Looking forward to hear from you Best Regard ANN I stayed at Pasadena Lodge for 11 nights in March. I was reasonably happy with the accommodation and the staff/security are very friendly. I booked a superior room with big bed and I arrived at 1:00am. I was allocated room 402 and the security guard handed me the key. This was one of the rooms with the twin beds together and I woke up a few times through the night as I kept sleeping where the two twin beds meet and the bulge at the edge of the two mattresses was very hard on the back. I was able to change to 303 the next morning. Only 1,000 a night. Here are some of the pros The location is great The staff and security very friendly I took the same girl back to the room on 3 different nights and he took her ID card each time without me asking The shower head fell and broke during the second night and it was replaced straight away when I reported it in the morning It has an in room safe and the air conditioning and refridgerator all work perfectly OK. Note for some people the room is hot most times so you need the air conditioning on all the time It is very handy to have 2 bottles of water a day not for the cost saving but for the convenience The television has enough variety for an Englidh speaking person and the DVD player is an added bonus I found the room spacious in fact more than I needed and the bathroom is big with hot water available from both the shower and the tap over the sink for shaving Plenty of light in the rooms even with the construction next door The hotel offers a laundry service but I did not use it as there are plenty of them on Soi LK Metro The linen except for the bed sheets and doona were replaced on a daily basis with the staff cleaning and vacuuming the whole room. I noticed this as I was feeling sick one day and I remained in the room while 4 people were cleaning away There was no issue with noise from the bars at night but I think the bars were quiet most nights anyway even though there was plenty of people around Plenty of choices for food and drink within a 5 minute walk and 2nd Road is only a 10 minute walk away The superior room was only 1,000 baht/night and when I checked out I was given a thank you letter Some of the cons The staff do not speak great English but somehow managed to communicate OK When checking out they wanted to charge me for the shower head even though it was not my fault. I explained the story again and they let it go The construction in some areas appears to be flimsy. Don't lean too hard on the shelf in the shower area as it may fall of the hinges and break The doona and sheets are not changed every day. Not sure if they were changed at all but it seemed like they just swapped it around every possible way. I know this from the same burn mark that kept appearing in a different position relative to the bed The construction does start very early Monday-Saturday but is not a great problem as I was up early anyway to get ready for golf The wall between the bathroom and the sleeping area is some sort of frame with opaque glass with 2 sliding doors/sheets that come together There is a balcony but you can't get to it although not an issue for me The door has a lock but no latch or chain for extra security. I just put the lounge chair in front of the door but the security guard is there all night anyway For me the clean sheets and doona is definitely the biggest issue. Taking a girl back to the room and she stays overnight I want to sleep on clean sheets the next night. I don't mind paying extra to have clean linen everyday. So would need to come to some arrangement if I stay here again next time. The rest of the cons are only minor and not deal breakers. I am back again in June but not sure whether to stay here again or try yet another place. I think it deserves a second chance. Sometimes I think it is better the devil you know....