Emil

Owen, For me I've found that I'm spending less now than when I first visited Pattaya 4 1/2 years ago. It's not that I've cut back on what I do, it's that I've discovered where the best values are located. Also some things like how much shagging to budget for will likely decrease when your in your 60's compared to what you've been doing on a holiday when your 50. Another item that you have entirely no control over is the exchange rate, about a year back I only got 37 to 1. Last week it was 41 to 1 or about a 10 % increase in my spending power. The key to keeping your food cost low is to eat food that is grown or raised in LOS. Some examples eggs @ 2 baht each, bread @ 1 baht a slice, so 3 eggs and 2 pieces of toast will cost you 20 cents. The first time I went shopping at Carrefour I was pretty excited when I saw oranges @ 20 baht per unit thinking 50 cent for a pound, then I remembered a unit was a kilo so the oranges were less than a quarter a pound.

and if you wish to stay up to an additional 15 days its a simple process to get an extension at the immigration office in Pattaya for a cost of 1900 baht.

The place only opened a few months back. They might have some unit for sale but with the 49% rule you being a foreigner might not be able to purchase.

I see your now a member, welcome to the board. Those places that I mentioned on your earlier post for around 5K a month are newer and better rooms than this place. I wouldn't stay there for half the price that they are quoting you.

All this information will be obsolete if the new airport opens by October.

Let me add one more thing about Soi 7 for those that are fortunate enough not to have meet him. When I first joined this board back in the spring of 2001, Soi 7 was constantly the target of flamers for being an over spender and accused of paying too much to the TGs and driving up prices. Probably back then when he was a butterfly he would spend in a couple days what he now spends in a month. Its ironic that now he is used as an example of being frugal and living on the bare minimum.

I have yet to see that happen and I'm no Brad Pitt. One needs to not have a frown on his face but a smile and in a good mood. Also take frequent showers as the TG's are big on cleanliness. When you first get over there you will initially have to meet some in the traditional way. If they enjoyed being with you or are desperate for money they will ask for your number and give you theirs. Mark has your codo closed and when are you due back in LOS. wacmedia, Soi 7 was spending 20 K when he was renting, now that he owns the place it could drop or he could apply the 4k savings of rent on other things. I'm not suggesting that many could get buy on 20K, only that he has managed to do that even though he could be spending double and he prefers it to when he was living in the Bay area and working.

If your interested in bars or bargirls then you should become a boardmember where you'll have access to the member's forum.

Your figures work out to 127,000 baht per month for girls. Living there you can get by on alot less without a livin. You can get all the shagging you need without visiting any bars and paying barfines or ladydrinks. I witnessed OnMyWay collect a dozen phone numbers one afternoon by the Soi Buakaow night market is less than a half hour. All you need to do is get out of your room in the afternoon and chat up the TG's that smile at you.

Yes that is Soi 7 and as others have mentioned he can do it is because he doesn't drink and he has a TGF. He has gotten a little lazy here of late as he rides a motorbike except when he's doing his morning walks. He told me that he had 40,000 a month to live on when he first moved over the end of June but he's managed to get by on 20 K a month and is taking a trip to Cambodia later this week which is above the 20K a month. Like Owen mentioned the amount will vary from individual to individual. Here in the states some can get by driving a used Geo while others need a new Mercedes and some enjoy living in a $100,000 home and others need a home in excess of a million. What was good about his condo purchase was that he was renting the place for a few months when the owner offered to sell it to him. His monthly rent was 4k so if he had continued to rent he would have paid 300,000 baht in 6 years 3 months. Even if he gets tired of the place in a few years he should come out ahead.

When I was in Pattaya last week I saw them interviewing a person on TV connected with the Northshore project. At that time he said they only had 10 units left to sell in that project and that they were going to build another project just north of it that had 2 buildings, 1 60 stories and the other 50 and the only place that I could think of where they could build this would be around soi zero. As far as the water issue this could be easily resolved by piping in water or building a canal to bring in excess water from other parts of Thailand. Take a look at the southern California area which was a desert before they brought in water from the Owens Valley, the Colorado River and from northern California.

There are numerous places in Pattaya that have monthly rates much lower than what your being quoted. You can get then as low as 5,000 per month plus utilities.

I'm glad that Jack asked the question as the original poster didn't specifiy Bangkok and myself and others would have wasted our time providing some Pattaya recommendations. True some members from this board make a quick stop in Bangkok before and after our Pattaya trips however their is a big difference between a short hotel stay and a serviced apartment. I hope the original poster has asked the question on a Bangkok board.

It was and so far not a single problem.

On your next trip let me know and I'll rent you mine for only 150 baht a day.

Its a good distance to 2nd Rd and although from what I've read that they have a tuk tuk that will take you from the hotel I would be worried about returning late at night as there isn't much light or activity along that stretch of soi. Not a problem if they have rented a motorbike or are always traveling as a group. It's location will be greatly improved once they open that new mall and it has access to both soi 15 and 2nd Rd.

You shouldn't have a problem if you check in together and she's the only one you bring back to the hotel and dresses conservativley. Like others have mentioned those places are overpriced and if your paying 4 times more than another place I don't see 4 time the benefit. I would get a nice place like the Bella Villa or Sunshine Vista and with the money saved take her to the gold shop at the end of your trip if she took care of you well.

Over a year ago I bought a small "9 x "9 player for about $37 here in the states and took it over in my carry on. I've seen them on sale over in Pattaya at Carrefour for about 1500 baht. Easydude the availability of a DVD player would only be a tie breaker in my decision of which hotel to stay. If you don't want to pack one over and back, you can buy one and either resell it or give it to your favorite TG.

I see that your from the US so if your arriving at BKK on one of those late night flight forget about either bus terminal as they are closed. If you do take the bus go to Mochit by taxi (100 baht unless you use one that is based at the airport then it will be another 50 baht). It should take you about 10 minutes to get to the Mochit terminal and it is quicker than Ekamai as it located just off the expressway and you don't have to fight the Bangkok surface traffic both getting to the terminal and leaving. If your staying in the Sukhumvit area or visiting it from Pattaya use Ekamai. If your coming to Bangkok from Pattaya take the bus to Ekamai but get off at the first skytrain station and use the skytrain as its much quicker. Regarding the baht bus question once at the Pattaya bus terminal, you can always walk across the road and jump on a moving baht bus for 10 baht, if you see one with the yellow markings then it is only 5 baht.

I liked the Eastiny Place over the others. If you don't use the pool then I would recommend the Bella Vista over the others at 600 baht. Next year you'll have another option as the Eastiny Hotel on soi 7 will open.

Well Jack it sounds like you'll be there for the entire week of Songkran so wear your swimsuit when you hit the pavement and stay of the motorbike until its over.

The price of gold you see in the gold shops is tied to the international price of gold ( check the precious metals on the Wall Street Journal) which is currently at it highest in the last few years. I bought some last week when it was at 9850, saw it posted yesterday in the shops at 10,200 and 10,250. They will then tack on another 500 baht per baht of weight, this is the amount you have to negoiate with them. If your trading in some gold to purchase a larger piece they will give you less than the going rate. About 600 less, but this amount can also be negoiated.

Pete, I don't know what area you consider the action, but the Mercure is about a quarter of a mile to Pattayalands 1 & 2. From Pattayalands 1 & 2 your about a half mile to Soi's 8/7 and Walking St.