SlipSlopSlap

Checked it out on last visit a month ago for future reference. The rooms are nice with kitchens, seperate bedroom etc. 2 pools, one out the back that looked like it wasn't getting any sun and a large pool out the front of the hotel. The biggest downer was the location. It is about a 10 minute walk to the bars/walking street, longer if trying to cross whatever is the name of that busy road. 10 minutes might not be a long walk, but i am used to staying in places like the Lek, Welkom inn, Sabai lodge etc where you have lots of entertainment as soon as you step out of the hotel entrance, with all the options of a quick baht bus to anywhere. I like spending my afternoons and early evenings wandering around the bars and in and back and forth to my hotel (get some A/C, swim, drag a ST back:-), a little shopping etc. The RG is stuck out in the boonies by itself, with NOTHING around it. Its in the burbs, no beer bars etc. Some BMs are going to flame me with 'Oh there is a mart just there' and 'if you go just here there is a little bar' but if you have ever stayed in the main 'strip' because of the variety and amount of entertainment with a minutes walk of your hotel, you would be dissapointed. Every little piece of entertainment would require a 10 minute trip, not a wander down a soi for amusement. If you go to Pattaya for that 'IN YOUR FACE' experience, you won't quite get it at the RG. If you want a quieter exeprience and understand there is no in your face entertainment, its probably good value.

Hi all, Thanks everybody for the responses. Chivas - will have a look. Bazle - I'm afraid I might get a little bored, but I'm also a lazy bastard who couldn't be bothered moving :-) Cariden - considered Jomtien, but a little too far away from the areas I like to prowl. Also, I like my prowls close to the room in case I need some A/C respite or a quick shit (yes, very anal about my toiletry!) dv34917 - Excellent comments on VT6, this was exactly the sort of feedback I was looking for and will make me rethink. I have looked at the BVP site and emailed them for some prices. The pics look good. One question; I assume there was no joiner fee? (I will establish this if I book, but have had mixed results ie Bayshore 1st visit no joiner fee, second visit I rang to double check and was told no joiner fee but when I stayed their they hit with it) Anyway, thanks guys for the ideas.

Hi, I know this has been done to death, but what the hell..... I am looking at a 12 week holiday next year from July - September. My stays in Pattaya have always been 2 week stints at places like: Siam Bayshore Lek hotel Welkom Inn Sabai Lodge (in that order as I worked my way down the beach!) For the longer stay I'm thinking a condo would be better (kitchen facilities - can't survive on american breakfasts and green curries for 85 days :-) and cheaper. Currently about the best option I can see is a Dancewatchers one bedroom in view talay 6 for 38000 per month plus electricity etc. The location is good, ie mid to south pattaya, next to Mikes shopping, has pool etc However,would still like to hear anyone else's experience/views with long stays in condos and hotels. My thoughts are that: - The condos do have hidden elec/laundry costs which might push up the avg daily rate to similar to a long stay hotel any. - have not really seen much discussion of condos in North Pattaya (but they exist?). - I quite like North Pattaya ( a little quieter during the day) ie soi 1, soi2 area, only a 10 baht ride to walking st - have heard of the dark side (never ventured to a bar on the Big C side!) might be fun? Any way, I would be interested to hear any experiences with 1 bedroom condo/pool cheap elec/laundry for sub 380000baht month in northen pattaya (I have started my homework, but the agents online mostly want 6 months to a year rental minimum and I would like to at least hear of an agent a boardmembr has dealt with and found OK. Thanks for any help. (PS especially of anything I may not have even yet considered ie I'm in the throws of looking at a thai bank account, closing up my house for 3 months and wondering if my car battery will survive :-) Thanks

Its been a few years since i stayed here, but the expat hotel http://www.expathotel.com/index.htm has a pool, is girl friendly with reasonable price (no guest fee). I'm thinking maybe the sort of hotel that charges what you are willing to spend can get a bit uppity about guests and want to charge you a guest fee?

Thanks for all the info guys, most appreciated. Regards SSS

Hi all, Seeing how its all about aussies in this thread, can I expand with a couple of questions: 1. Has anybody done a melb -> manila -> bangkok -> melb trip? I was thinking about checking out angeles on my next trip to pattaya. How much was it? Did one particular airline have better deals? ie does Philippines airline do better deals (do they still come to oz?) I've yet to get firm prices, but any thoughts most appreciated. 2. Money! I've always used traveller's cheques (note spelling, you septics Has anybody used Westpac ATM card with the little cirrus logo thing? And has anybody used it in angeles city. Thanks

Been to Pattaya in Oct a number of times (also in Feb). I like Oct! 1. Rain is only a few times during the day, washes away all the dust and scum on the streets that has been baking away for days. 2. Unless you are going to Pattaya to soak up the sun, who cares? 3. It is still warm when it rains, so you can happily swim whether it is raining or not (I mean in the hotel pool, I wouldn't swim in Pattaya beach for a bet!) 4. Oct is still low season. I'd rather have a bit of rain than the crowds at Christmas when the nice weather is. 5. You can still move around and do tourist shit, just carry an umbrella. (You'll see how unconcerned the stall holders etc are when those big drops start, they just drag a bit of makeshift cover over the stuff untill the shower stops. 6. Talk to a little darling about the weather and watch them shrug their shoulders together 'cause it is cold(!) and wet, and how much they would have liked to have stayed in bed.............then oblige them!!!!!!!!

Thanks torrenova. Welkom Inn is handy to nip back for a bit of airconditioning, shower, crap, dump your purchases (TGs?:-) or whatever while you are doing your prowls. It is also a bit dismal and something with a bit more luxury would be nice, so I'll see how I feel closer to the date. Thanks.

Thanks, mick, I think RG will be a contender for the next trip.

Hi mick, I would like your impressions of RGs location (please don't flame me about looking at the reviews etc, I know people like RG I just would like your impression) in terms of local amenities. I'll explain; I normally stay at north pattaya (welkom inn) because I like the local beer bars for afternoon entertainmet, BIG C is close, moneychangers around etc. All amenities are literally a few mins walk. And it is easy to catch a cheap, quick baht bus down to south pattaya for go-gos etc at night. I have read that RG is a little out in the boonies, but transport is easy to goet to FLB/south pattaya. Just what is it like immediately around RG? Any cosy beer bars, money changers (decent rates), cheap laundry etc etc. OR is there any advantages to the remoteness from 2nd road (extra cheap massages? :-) You impressions would be handy. Thanks.

Hi Adelaide, Pattaya is definately NOT a family holiday destination. The answer is that sex is everywhere that tourists are, because the majority of tourists to Pattaya are male sex tourists. If you want a 'straight' family holiday, go elsewhere. There are a few touristy places in Pattaya like the auqatic fun park and bowling etc, but these places are limited. More importantly, the beaches at Pattaya are dirty and not recommended for swimming (you'll see almost no swimmers there). What you will see at the beach as almost anywhere, is older, overweight males walking around hand in hand with a pretty, young thai woman. If you are not offended by this, no problem. The majority of night spots are pickup spots as well, although there are a few 'straight' places. So if you want a straight forward family holiday, go elsewhere. *BUT* if by liking the action you mean you indulge in the adult action yourself, then you can probably cobble together enough things for your kids to do, as long as you don't mind them continually seeing men with there escorts (your kids will not really see anything too risque unless they go into a nightspot). If you have seen the action in Nana plaza etc, Pattaya is just a very much larger version of the same activity. Its quite simple: if you want a family holiday in a place that is set up for families, go to Phuket or Ko Samui (but choose carefully as some hotel resotrs are dedicated to families and some aim themselves at the sex industry that also exist there). If you want some 'action' yourselves and don't mind the kids seeing men with prostitiues or literally hundreds of bars where the main activity is of the pay for play variety, you can find things for your kids.

I agree with fishingtime. Larscharlie, learn this site, realise it has poll facilities. I have no interest in visiting sites where you get bombarded with pesky ads etc.

Hi guys, A still open question. Why the green fruit Re the fruit reference, I have a feeling I read somewhere that farang sounds very similar to the thai name of a particular fruit, but I could be wrong. (Please, no flames from the thai veterens if I'm wrong :)) seeya

Peteboy, Like monkeyman, I think we all have similar stories. A few years ago on a particular occasion I was introduced to the (real) sister of a bargirl I was with. The sister had an attractive young Thai guy in tow, and was splashing the cash on themselves in the bar we were in. While the sister was all over the thai guy like a rash, my bargirl, without batting an eyelid, explaned to me that her sister was back in Thailand for a short time visiting the family by herself, as she had married a Swedish guy and had moved to Sweden. I asked the sister if she had found it difficult moving to a new country to live. She told me it wasn't, because she had never intended to stay overseas for more than a few years. And then turned her attention back to her Thai boyfriend.

Nidnohham, I think I have read somewhere that Katoey is slightly derogatory in the Thai language. You might want to check this with your Thai ladyfriend, she may have a more polite word. Cheers.