Dingo

The new shop in front of AA hotel, Soi 13, was 600 or 650 B (memory error) per box of Dailies (30 days).

I have friends that keep going back to Amari, stayed there ten trips in a row etc. I think Dusit is better for the few hundred extra (sea view from 3900ish, Garden view 3300). I think Dusit is better than Marriott, Amari not. If you don't need to stay around the Marriott location, try Dusit. I don't know but many people find both Dusit and Marriott guest friendly as long as you book a double room, not single.

Royal Wing at the Cliff got the best indoor I've seen. But around 7,000... Cheapest will probably be Tim's. Or Inn House or Dynasty if outdoor will do. Should be a photo of them if you search this section.

Many hotels do this for your safety only. And are more than willing to skip it in the future if you sign a paper. Not sure about Sandy.

Cheapest place I have stayed with the OK'ish channels, was at Pattaya Centre, soi 12. This was 4-5 years ago and I will not reccomend the hotel anymore but the channel selection impressed me (after the struggle to get the remote to the room).

Just like anyone care... Yesterday, 16.30. Dynasty site, noise, rest of the street dead. Amari, this morning, they worked for one hour, then nothing. Can't hear them from Dusit anyway. I can hear the soi 4 building from my balcony, still the worst place I think. The ships in Soi 4 must be hell, but the chinese leave early in the morning I guess. Nothing happens at the two building sites down around Soi 8-9-10. They clear away concrete at one of the site but are done with with jackhammers. Got a friend who checked into Inn House yesterday but fail to talk to him yesterday. He can probably give more "boring" reports about this... "This has been another boring report from Dingo, for flb, Pattaya, Thailand" (always wanted to work for cnn or bbc)

Yesterday 16.00. New AA site dead, everything is cleared there. Next will be when the pilars are going down. Crab/Maison had a bit of noice but nothing to write home about and next to Dynasty was fine.. Jackhammers at Northshore is the worst at the moment, and the new Amari wing, or whatever it is. They must have problems at Amari, they seem to work every second day there. Oh, forgot. The new View Talay site. Quiet yesterday. Think they are done with the noice, only need to get all the old concrete away. Then the noice could start. Can't remember any hotels nearby, it's around Bayview.

Agreed, agreed. I get a more happy boss, a few more days, just to be online. I would go as far to say that my vacations got better after I started bringing a laptop. I got around, bought the cheapest one available that will allow reading mails and still manage a bit of net radio, and of course flb forum. Then I only use the 30 hours loxinfo cards, no need for anything faster. I always leave the laptop out, no matter if I'm staying in Soi 13, Dusit or the Cliff. That is half the vacation, not packing away the computer. Just buy a laptop wire and they need to break a "table leg" to steal it. Not safe, no money back on insurance, but it is a cheap laptop I can loose in worst case. There is something special about listening to net radio every now and then. The wonderful words about snowfall and trafic jams back home.

Now 20.00, first night of the Music festival. If anyone hope to have an early night, forget it. Holy Marcaroni that bass. Off to dinner anyway, no time for sleep.

My basic rule is. If a hotel cost around 2000 and more, it's time for Google. Just write in - "Golden Cockroach Hotel" pattaya rate - and spend 30 minutes looking through the rates. Do the same on cheaper hotels as well if you have time. ALL expensive hotels, almost without exeption will be cheaper if booked through an agent, or the net etc. Some of the cheaper ones as well. Then you call the hotel and try to get a good rate. The only problem with the cheaper ones are booking them. You need to call them most of the times. They will hardly reply to a fax, and get back to you on e-mail takes time in Thailand. Then you have the walk-in. Will get the best rates on the cheapest ones that way. Cept for the ones that are sold out all year around.

OK, my 2 stangs as well. Been through Soi 13 three times since Sunday. Maison site was quiet one day, the other day they were moving those metal things, 1 inch thick wire things they use in the concrete. Help, my English. That made some noise. Little noise from the AA site, but of course, this will be worst area in the future. But my guess, it will be build faster than hell. The AA owner got the money and friends so the buillding will be up in X months, me think. Soi 3-4. The Northshore building was very noisy two days in a row, today quiet. They have also teared down La Gritta at Amari, building something now, pilars on the way down. I'm at Dusit but can't hear a thing. Don't know how soundproof the Amari windows are. The music festival is worse than all this... aah. Only hope Tata Young will stay at Dusit so I get that as a bonus. Sexy Naughty Bitchy me... Will give another report if something happens, but it is worthless. It changes from day to day. The only reason I would avoid a place, is when the pilars (pillars?) are on the way down, AND when they clear the place before that (jackhammers).

Was a discussion a few months ago, with all questions answered. Scroll down or search. Bring the fish from Pattaya, very limited at Samet. Only "bars" at Wong Duan beach and Sai Kaew Beach. Sai Kaew most pretty among them. If you bring the girl of your life, consider some of the quiet once. 3-4 days at Samet can be a dream at the more quiet places, if the company is OK. Some beaches like Ao Wai beach, almost the last one from North, are typical for the quiet ones. One Restaurant, maybe one bar, everything close 11pm, but it's heaven. I would think every place is guest friendly, with almost none girls available

All the big ones have so called broadband. Dusit even wireless. Will try the Dusit wireless in a few days. With 500B per day it is hardly worth it. A guest house was mentioned a few weeks ago - Soi Diana? Try a search.

Have the time today so just to add a few more tip. With a kid I would choose… Hard Rock, if what the kid thinks about the place is most important. Very small rooms. A suite with bedroom/living room is around 6600-7000 baht, and could solve the problem (ugh) Largest pool in town, with sandy beach, water slide etc. Live music and music by the pool. Dusit Resort, because of the large property and several pools. Rooms are big, close to 40 Sq.m. no problem with space for an extra bed. Walking distance to Big C (Central festival centre) with cinema etc. Also quite close to Wong Amat beach. You are on the baht bus route so it’s easy to get around. Siam Bayshore, large property, ok size rooms and cheap’ish rates. Walking distance to the restaurants at Walking street. Love the pool at the beach side of walking street (windy) Royal Cliff, this is only if you can live with grabbing a car every time you need to head downtown. They have 150B cars or 60B per person minibuses into town. This is the nicest place in town, but 5 minutes outside town. The rates are fantastic but you need to add a few baths, and the struggle, every time you want to head down town. The reason why I don’t include: Marriott, like Emil said, got the shopping mall, Cinema, Ripley museum, video games etc. OK size rooms. I personally don’t like the style but it is personal. I miss the breeze by the pool and they charge too much these days. Reports the last months says it needs work done to the rooms (haven’t stayed there for 3 years). Amari, never stayed there but seen the rooms and property. Think Dusit is way better. Montien and Bayview. Only stayed at Bayview (several times) but seen the Montien rooms. Montien got the best pool. Bayview better rooms, but these places are actually nothing special. They are “nice”. And since I was so bored today, here are some rates… Hard Rock - 3600 ‘till 1 June – 3200 from 1 June Marriott - 4300 ‘till 1.May - 3800 from 1 May Royal Cliff - 2500 Sea View Main building, 3000 Terrace building. (April-Oct) Dusit Resort - 3400 garden / 4100 sea - from 1. April Bayshore - 3200 now - 2700 after 15.april. Amari - 2900 now - 2300 after 15 april I'm a Dusit fan but think the kid would love Hard Rock. Loved/hated by adults but kids love the place

Bayshore have a more quiet location and bigger rooms. But an 11 year old will probably love the Hard Rock. Rooms at Hard rock are real small, can't see them put in an extra bed there.

If you only have 10 days... Bruno's (on the way to Jomtien...) Mata Hari (2nd road soi 7) Grill Room (Royal Cliff)(just the soups made by the table worth the trip out) Au Bon Coin (Soi 5) Dusit resort Saturday Buffet (North end of Beach road) La Gritta (Italian at Beach road, Amari resort) (great steak) Scandibar's Ribs on Sundays (Beach road soi 13) And the Thai section... Nang Nual (Walking street) Somsak (soi 1) Shell Tangkay (Naklua Soi 12, the pier)

Also a shop at Dusit Resort, North Pattaya, if you can't find the stuff at Marriott.

Bayview and Bayshore are ok for the rates. Normally around 2000-2500B. BUT, they are not guest friendly.

The answer is "No". Throw it away! If you can get anything back, you failed to find the cheapest ticket around! What you want is the cheapest return ticket that will hurt you bad if you try to change it, cancel, etc. On Star Alliance/United it is booking class Q, V and down.

Just to add a few words to what Ender wrote... Taxi is great but it could be more confortable to grab a trip with a company (package). The reason is that they still run by the "we go when we have enough passengers", at least most of the year. If you book a trip with a minibus, it could save you some time in Ban Phe. Every hotel in Pattaya will sell you a trip. Malibu travel is the only one I know, 2nd road around Soi Post Office. BUT, and BUT, they will normally only sell you a trip and hotel at the Vong/Wong Duan beach. They own a few places there. If you want a bit of nightlife, if you can call it that at Samet, Wong Duan and Hat Sai Keow will be the place to go. Sai Keow Beach is a bit nicer. The pier in Ban Phe is called Nuan Thip. It's the last of the piers when you come from the North.

Dynasty actually have a "half secret" monthly rate. Never announced and not available through agents like scandibar. Don't remember the rate. Just try to e-mail them. downtown@dynastyinn.com

This one cumes late... In the good old days you should have picked the airline in an alliance that you use most. But these days you might want to look at their rules. You need tons of points to get into the Silver/Gold level with Lufthansa, IF you live in Germany. And Lufthansa don't give you that many miles anymore if you fly discounted monkey class. Think Q or higher is OK but I may be wrong. Thai have the lowest level to Silver/Gold, and only 50,000 for gold. AND the welcum gift is a return upgrade. Whatever you do, if you start flying to BKK monthly, go for a card. Go for the card of the airline you will fly most if you want to be considered upgraded. BUT, if it's Lufthansa I think it is more than 100,000 for gold, so pretty hard to get. I would consider Thai. All your answers are here... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ Have fun!

Clubman, Try to help me as well... I'm Chinese and trying to get rid of all the farangs at Twins. Dunno why he wants to stay at Sandy/Twins when Areca is best.

Sandy is guest friendly. They are supposed to charge a 300 for a third guest but haven't heard about anyone being charged.

Sandy. Don't have to cross 2nd road, 100 meters to TQ, the sea view from the sea view rooms, still almost brand new, no Chinese package tourists who don't have a clue about behaviour. Twins have a lager pool if you like some half-serious swimming.