Dingo

Probably to late but... Both Big C and Royal Garden have their Levi's shops. Mike's also got a shop looking a bit less offical. 501 will cost you around 2200 Baht in those shops. They seems to be a bit lighter/thinner than in the real world.

Quite strange. I remember a few reviews. Tried a search as well with nothing. I remember some say a bit run-down, others totally happy with the place.

If you have a laptop and a modem you're fine. (maybe expept old AA). Just get a 30 hours package from loxinfo or others. Connect to the phone and dial away. You only get charged per call in Thailand (cept for some hotels of course, ask!)

Dave, Great, take-away-Lam? For 10 grand, let him show your new neighboor what a Fender can do...

More or less same as the others. Dusit got roughly the same but they have a max 500 Baht per day. The reason why I still live on 30 hrs Loxinfo Will probably still take a few years until they realise that everybody got it, and it should be free, as in the "West".

Terror or not, Royal Cliff will still be my choice when doing a 3 days-out-of-town. Madness to pay the Sheraton rates. Hmm, but will of course try it one day.

deanjames, It is still out in the blue when it will open. For the last trips I have timed the travel time between 45 to 65 minutes. So expect a great saving time when it cumes to travel time. When it will open?... It will open!

You can pay your way through immigration. If no one can dig up the details I will try. Think it was around 2000 Baht. Outbound you get access to the LH lounge. Totally waste of money.

I like to stay near the night market and normally stay at Royal Princess. It's around 1900B on the net per night with breakfast. OK rooms, pool, gym etc.

When AA started falling apart he build AA Residency, now I think he is building a new one again. Got a friend checking in @ old AA next week, will check with him.

Bet you mean the stuff the Scandis put under their upper lip? If so: Should try the Globertrotter place since the Swedes always have their lip full (someone tell me where... Soi 9'ish?). If you fail, talk to someone at the Scandibar, Soi 13 ish, beach road. I can help you in Feb/Mar if you can wait...

I'm on the 4th glass of wine but can't figure out if you are traveling or a GF. Sounds like you so be careful unless you have the right Visa. You will most probably not be allowed to board in the UK when returning to BKK if you can't show them a return ticket. Happend to me once in UK, and once in NZ or Australia (don't remember). I had to dig out the other ticket to show them.

Don't search only one. You will get diffrent rates. I'm on Star Alliance and sometimes save 1000 NOK through lufthansa.no compeared to many other sites when flying SK/TG/LH Just been trough them all for a feb trip and BA is 4600 + around 1000 in taxes. Lufthansa was around 500 NOK more. SAS is trying to get 9xxx from us... Norwegian pesetas are around 8 NOK to the Euro, 6.3 Baht to the 1 NOK. If you do a search at wideroe.no ebookers lufthansa.no (if SA) and gotogate.no + the others mentioned you should get the idea. The great deals in Norway are normally from Easter Sunday -

7th and 8th floor are 2500B

Q is fine with most (all?) Star alliance cards. V also sometimes. W starts to get you into "trouble".

SAS have them (power) in Business. In Eco Extra I think they share one between two seats. Monkey class "no have".

Just for your calc. One of the cheapest online sells Dusit at... Garden 3400B Sea 4100B Tax included, no B'fast. Not from the UK myself. Tried to dig up great rates before when it comes to Maldives, Dubai, AND Dusit Pattaya (where I always stay). Seems like the best deals are always with a flight involved from the UK.

Isabella, Royal Cliff have managed to be smart enough and priced their products just at the edge. They know that a guest will head downtown if the charges/prices are wrong. Like you said, one big problem with hotels like that is breakfast/lunch. A Breakfast at the Cliff, Dusit and the rest of them will set you back 5-600 baht per person, and that is before the ++. Here comes the wonderful bakery in... Ready-made sandwiches at 50-80 baht (Salmon sandwich at Dusit is 85 Baht in the bakery). So, pick up a sandwich on the way to the pool and suddely your 5 star stay breakfast is down to 50-9

Isabella, I have never stayed at Bayshore but had a look at a room there around 8 years ago, and 4 years ago. That room was about average for a Pattaya room in size. Don't dear to guess sq.m. They have a very nice garden/pool area with slides and another pool on the walking street side of the hotel. The down side will be at daytime when everything is a taxi ride away. I have stayed 3 times at Hard Rock, and they really surprised me with the size of the rooms (small). Last time we had a suite for the 6xxx baht and that did it all... I am thinking in the way that you need an extra bed for a

Isabella, Your kid will love Hard Rock, probably think it's the coolest place on this planet. But it is not worth it when it comes to the rooms. Again, the kid will not mind. Bayshore got a huge room compared to Hard Rock, but apart from the pools -nothing a kid will remember. If you don't mind the small rooms, and don't mind the extra cost of Hard Rock - Hard Rock it is!

On a more serious side... No place in Thailand gives you more value for money than Pattaya. Royal Wing is available at the net from around 7000 Baht (low season) for their 1 bedrom suites with Jacussi and all. Roughly what an average motel cost back home (well, almost). It's honeymoon heaven. Apart from the breakfast (5xx ++), all drinks and food around Wing/Royal Cliff is quite OK'ish priced. Only way to keep people from running away probably.

Forgot to add. Lot's of people like Marriott better than Landmark these days. Around 500B more but the regular rooms are suppose to be nicer than Landmark. On the other hand, another 7-800 more will get you the junior suite at Landmark, and they are among the nicest I've seen. I stayed at all 4 room types and "Junior" wins. I swear to Landmark but Marriott gets the thumbs up by many. Your wife will love Huntsman Pub and the Phillippino band there (my gf's main reason for Landmark). Just make sure you don't try the beer buffet in there, it's dangerous (4xx ++) all you can drink. Think it was

Hard to find great deals when it comes to Landmark these days. From 4000 B on the net. Don't think the regular rooms are worth it, but the suites from 5500 B are great. I always use thaihoteldiscount.com - Been cheapest the last years. http://www.bangkok.thaihoteldiscount.com/landmark.html You pre-pay the first night through asiabanks website. Never had a problem. Then they contact you after check-in for the rest of the payment (if you stay more than 1 night).

If your travel agent can offer you Bayview, then they will also offer you Siam Bayshore, the sister. Bayshore got better pools, if that counts. Bayshore is also closer to (actually at) Walking street. Another thing about Bayview. A huge Condo will be build next door. It will be living hell when it starts I guess. Bayview and Bayshore have the same rates but Bayview have cheaper Sea View rooms. Both hotels are very nice, but not guest friendly, Both in the 2,500 Baht range through Internet.

Make sure you get a written guarantee if staying at Bayshore/Bayview. They are together with the Cliff famous for being among the most un-friendly places in town. Also careful with Nova. They don't get the best reviews these days.