Dingo

The main thing to do with a booking at Dusit, Hard Rock and Marriott, especially Dusit, it to book a Double. These days it sounds like Hard Rock and Marriott will let your guest in whatsoever while Dusit still are a bit more by-their-rules. Book the double room and your odds double... Bayshore and Bayview, Siam that is, forget it. Like someone said. Any hotel with Siam in the name, pay pay pay! Been staying at all of the ones above, and no doubt, Dusit win! Good size rooms, pools, gym, everything. One thing... no real good/fantastic restaurant. They have the best dinner buffet (Sat) i

Gazzahutch, I don't have the answer to your guestfriendly question but... A month ago I talked with a Kiwi who stayed there. He mentioned it was somewhere in the Residence Gardens area (he couldn't tell me, first time Thailand etc). All he knew was "several hundred meters before Sugar Hut". He was happy with the place but thought it was a bit "outside". I think he even mentioned that the pool was good size. He paid around 1000B. You are one the baht bus route but need them wherever you go (but you don't have to tell them where you're going since they will all take you to the South P

Ask for a room in the new wing. Can't stay closer to the action, cept for Nana Hotel.

SoCalGuy, I meant that Dusit is on the baht bus route so you just jump on the bus wherever you're going, with the exception of Jomtien. No need to discuss the fare. This has always been half the vacation for me. Out of 10 days now I've only been unlucky once with the baht bus going up Central/Klang instead of straight over the lights. The colour system is working just like everything in Thailand, not (green/yellow/red). Think it means something with Jomtien and Naklua rather than up central or not. The free bus is also working it seems. They have people on board but don't have a clue w

Sitting writing this at Dusit now. They started the work yesterday so I hardly heard any noise yet. The balcony doors are great but don't know how bad it will get. I'm out of here soon anyway. It's not the pool this time, it's extension of the gym. They also do some work at the 7th floor rooms but it doesn't bother us at the 6th floor. As mentioned, food is average cept for the Saturday night buffet. It's huge. Even better than most Bangkok buffets. It's 9xx B ++ but it's worth it once. Think Dusit is the best deal downtown Pattaya, all in all, if you want to pay a bit extra. I've tried

Take the Dynasty bus to Pattaya! 350B (I think) if not staying at Dynasty Resort/Inn Pattaya, free if you stay there.

If I remember right they do real half botles of wine, at least did. Not those small ones. They are among the best around.

I've heard that the DVD9 are made in a Chinese plant. Makes sense, you need a bit more than a burner to make them. People talk nice about the Fortune hotel mall in Bangkok when it comes to DVD9. Will take a look next time.

Some more soapy questions... Nansy, close to South Pattaya road. Still there? And, someone told me about a place at Pattaya Nua, North road. Anybody got a name for that one. I know there's a gay place there somewhere but this one was very female! Thanks!

I think people mean Chinese package tourist when being negative. Some good and bad experience with them. In Pattaya (Pattaya Centre Hotel) they behaved like idiots, while in Bangkok once, they were cool, even started a conversation in English. Think some of them are totally lost and needs to be told when to pee and shit, while others do the package deal to save money and will survive without the guy in front with the flag.

Where's the best place in town for DVD9 these days. Skipping Bangkok next trip and will buy them all in Pattaya. Still the shops on 2nd road close to the South Pattaya road? And, best place for a portable DVD with screen...? Thanks!

Thai have a 5000 NOK + taxes from Norway this summer. From straight after Easter to mid-June, and mid-august to 30.September. Some tour operators throw in 2 nights hotel for 5500 incl. taxes. And that is via Stockholm/Copenhagen...

I love the English subtitles on some of them. My favourite is American Pie 2 which I bought a few years ago. Filmed in a theater, then some clever guy is adding the subtitles. My copy has a 4 minutes gap in a conversation and then suddenly there's something he understands... It was "yes". Lately, I've been buying DVD9 in BKK. Recommended!!! You get all the extras etc.

Like Emil said, both AA hotels vary a lot in rates depending on how long you stay. Actually they are among a few on the Soi that gives you a discount if you stay for a while. AA on the beach road is cheapest and have lost some business over the years. Rooms a bit small and need some work done. The pool area is among the best in town when it comes to breeze and view. For swimming... well, it's about 5 meters long. A wild guess would be 650B(??) AA Residece, 100 meters up the soi... More expensive, around 850(?). Bigger rooms, ok roof pool, not to big. Think it's pure luck if you get

Forgot... Was talking bout JW Marriott on the Sukumwit

Make sure the miles are worth it. Sometimes they are not when it comes to hotels. Marriott is a 90-110USD hotel. Your 12,000 could be worth more on a strange flight somewhere (not Thai domestic). Just me 2B worth...

From February the seaview rooms (above the pool) will be sold as deluxe rooms (1200 baht?). Handy if you like to pay 200 extra for seaview. On the breakfast side... Both Lek and Diana do great all-you-can-eat. I love a grand English ones, but not in the morning... Where's the best Bloody Mary btw?

Thanks Emil! He He, could be one of those that will take a few years to complete. If they add balconies, have the pool on the seaside and don't charge them self out of the market - they could do well. I still haven't found "my" perfect up-market place in Pattaya. Dusit still does it for me but it's a bit too expensive for the seaview rooms (I bring my own fish to the fishmarket and don't need it guest friendly).

Anyone heard anything about the progress? Can't remember reading anything since Pattaya Mail announced the re-birth of the place. In September they started to remove the trash on the seaside of the hotel, and work had begun on the new shopping mall at the 2nd road side. Looking for something new on the accom side and will try it on a trip in the future.

When a friend talked to Sandy Spring some time ago they said that they sell all the rooms as Standard rooms these days but will later introduce Deluxe rooms at a higher rate with a seaview guarantee. So until then it's a mix of "first come" and whatever they have available.

I get eaten alive as well. What you should look for is the DEET %. I used to bring my own stuff from Scandinavia until I realized that every brand works fine as long as you get enough DEET. 15% should be enough. You can get stuff in Thailand that almost will burn a hole in your jeans. Don't remember but I think they start to mention cancer from 20%... Walk into Boots or Watson and they will have some great stuff. If leaving Pattaya, and heading for the "outback" try an intake of a Gin/tonic every 60 minutes to keep the malaria out!

No joiner fee at Dynasty. Only for a third person. So you should maybe try Penthouse Hotel or similar if you plan something dirty. Scandinavia sell Dynasty for 950B but I don't think they have an English page yet for their soi13 hotels. www.scandibar.com/hotell

You can always get Hard Rock from around 2500-3000B. Rooms are small but you have all the extras of a decent hotell. Guest friendly as well. Sandy Spring will not charge any extras for guests. But they are talking about calling their seaview rooms "deluxe" some time next year, and charge more. Today they only call their rooms standard and suites and you sometimes gets lucky with a seaview one for the standard rooms. If you don't care about all the extras at Marriott/Hard Rock etc. Do like SoCalGuy said, pick a smaller one like Areca, Sandy, Dynasty (noice these days).

Asked a friend who sell rooms for them and he checked again. The pool will be ready mid-November. Transport is free from BKK with 2 nights booked in Pattaya (Soi 13/Cliff). 350B for the Pattaya-BKK leg. Departure BKK is 12.30 (pm) and from Pattaya 2.30 (pm). Might be a bit wrong with the Pattaya time, can't even understand what I wrote when talking to him :-/

Try Moon River at the Thai Garden Resort, a few hundred meters up North Pattaya road from the Dusit/Dolphin roundabout. Don't know if it's a coincident but the bands playing there normally always do quite a bit Salsa/Latino stuff.