CheshireTom

Isn't the US market the reason the fight is taking place there? Pattaya is 14 hours ahead of LV so a 4 a.m. - 6 a.m. start in LOS would be 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. in Las vegas.

Jerry, I think Arno's comments are perfectly valid. The PBG was touted (is touted?) as being Pattaya's answer to the Soi 7 Biergarten in BKK. If you made your way to the PBG expecting much of the same then there is every chance that you are going to be disappointed. Maybe Pete should just rename it PBG and do away with the Beer Garden bit, just as he did with the Freelancer Bar.

OK ....... I spoke to my neighbours over breakfast ........ what next? Sign in to Pattaya-Addicts?

It should be on between 11 am and, say .............................................. 11:10 am.

There you go again, Jock. You are quite specifically stating one of reasons Indians are discriminated against has something to do with events in the south of Thailand.

Just remember the fight's on the 3rd in Thailand.

Jock, It was you who introduced (post 28) the notion that Thais discriminate on the basis of reigion (Islam) into the thread and suggested a reason why (events in the south of Thailand). Some folk disagree with your assessment.

We used to come down and steal your sheep, but that's about it! Since we found out how to clone them (the sheep, not The English) we don't really have much reason to visit any more.

Nirvana Place is a good choice ....... it has two wings. Obviously the west side would be better for an afternoon shoot. The rooms are around 70 sq m and have good nets on the windows if you want to diffuse the light a bit. http://www.nirvanaplace.com/roomtype.php

Joe, You've got to laugh. I just had to do a double shuttle between KL and Songkhla to bring home the kit I'd been using down there for the last three months. I flew in and out of Alor Star in Kedah, just over the border. Not minding a bit of a party on my trips, I stayed in Dannok for a couple of nights since I was on the early morning flights. Funnily enough, except for me, all the customers in Bangkok Cafe, Bar Berry, Model Club etc etc were either Indian, Chinese or Muslim. Not only that, the bastards in the clubs were paying for a large beer what guys in Pattaya pay for a dumpy in some outside beer bar with a stereo. Funnily enogh, I didn't hear one girl complain about the religion of ethnic appearance of the punters. Oh, except for the one oddball farang. That said, it is interesting to note the responses you get from the girls when you ask why they don't work in Pattaya. I could go to Had Yai this weekend except that all the hotels are booked out by Malay Muslims because of the school holidays so I'll have to settle for Bangkok. Of course, if I go to any decent club along the length of Sukhumvit, I'm going to be pretty pissed off with the number of moneyed Indian guys hitting off with the best birds.

Of course, if I was to update the review, I would point out that the bar, pool table, flat screen TV and satellite service have bugger all to do with the owner of the Skytop. I would also point out that he, the owner of SkyTops, has introduced a 5 baht charge for patrons of the bar to use the Skytops toilets.

Here you go ..... apologies if the links to the pics don't work. The review was done a year ago but the comments are still pretty much valid. I know this should go in the hotels section but I can only link photos in that particular area rather than embed them in the actual post. Anyway, a fellow board member requested a review of the SkyTop Guesthouse in North Pattaya. Having a bit of time on my hands I took the time to have a look at it and compare it with another similarly priced guesthouse in the general area, the Seaside Guesthouse on Soi 3. The reason I chose the Seaside was that both properties are reported to have been fully refurbished recently and were similarly priced so it was a case of comparing like for like. I started another thread to find out what priorities other BMs had when booking hotels and from the responses managed to put together a reasonable scoring system that I've included in the comparison of the two properties. You may disagree with the number of possible points I allocated to each item (based on the BMs responses), and my opinions of how the two properties scored but it was as good a system as I could come up with to establish some sort of "value for money" rating. If you are disinclined to read the nitty gritty ........... overall Skytop scored 47% and Seaside scored 69%. I'm on a bit of a crap connection so I'll get the text in and add the photos later. Price (8) The best room at Skytop was offered at 850 Baht per night whereas the best room at Seaside was 800 Baht per night. Skytop does not advertise any discounts for long stays other than that they are negotiable in low season. Seaside’s published monthly rate is 20,000 Baht inclusive of all facilities incorporated in the daily rate. Score (8) – Skytop 5, Seaside 7 Location (8) Both hotels are located in North Pattaya, Skytop on 2nd Road (100m south of Soi 6) and Seaside on Soi 3 (80m from 2nd Road). There are a handful of bars adjacent to Skytop and the bars/restaurants of Soi 6 are 100m away). Tops supermarket is about 500m to the south from Skytop and Big C a similar distance to the north. The bar complexes of Soi 2/3/4 are 80m from the Seaside as are the 3 Sabai soapies and Big C is on the opposite side of 2nd Road. Score (9) – Skytop 4, Seaside 6 Access to transport (9) Northbound baht buses pass outside Skytop and southbound ones on Beach Road, some 300m away via Soi 6/1. From Seaside, northbound baht buses are on 2nd Road (80m away) and southbound on Beach Road (120m away). Score (9) – Skytop 6, Seaside 7 Proximity of 7-11/Family Mart (7) There is a 7/11 100m to the south of SkyTop. There is a Family Mart 60m from Seaside and a 7/11 a further 15m away. Score (7) – Skytop 6, Seaside 7 Pool (5) Neither property has a pool. Score (5) – Skytop 0, Seaside 0 Restaurant (2) Neither property has a restaurant although there are several in the proximity to both properties. Score (2) – Skytop 0, Seaside 0 Bar (3) Both properties advertise as having bars (or at least selling drink). The seaside bar is a modern purpose-built structure outside the entrance to the property. Other than a shelf holding some spirit bottles, I couldn’t identify any bar at SkyTop. Score (3) – Skytop 1, Seaside 3 Room Service (2) Room service is not sdvertised at either property. Score (2) – Skytop 0, Seaside 0 Joiner Fees (9) Neither property charges Joiner Fees. Score (9) – Skytop 9, Seaside 9 Quality of fittings/furnishings (7) The furnishings at SkyTop appear old and worn and the curtains provide no barrier to either light or heat. The furnishings at Seaside appear to be relatively new and of a higher quality. The double-lined curtains provide a barrier against light and are reflective to deflect heat. Score (7) – Skytop 3, Seaside 7 Physical security (8) There is a 24 hour presence at the entrance to the Seaside. There is no physical presence at SkyTop between 2-7 a.m. which means that the guests must carry their room keys with them if they expect to return during that period. Score (8) – Skytop 5, Seaside 7 Safety standards (9) Seaside has smoke detectors, fire alarms and secondary-circuit emergency lighting in place. The electrical system appears to be modern. SkyTop has no safety systems in place and the electrical system serving the shower is not of a standard that a guest would reasonably expect in any hotel. Both properties have metal handrails in their stairwells. Score (9) – Skytop 0, Seaside 8 Ease of booking (7) The owner of SkyTop was not available at the property to advise on rates/availability when I telephoned, nor when I visited the property. I booked the Seaside by telephone and met the reservations manager within 2 minutes of arriving at the property. Neither property has an online booking facility but both accept bookings by e-mail. Score (8) – Skytop 3, Seaside 6 Payment terms (6) Payment is up-front at both hotels. The Seaside accepts both cash and credit cards and it is up to the guest how far in advance he pays (one day up to the full length of his stay). Full refunds are offered for cancellations either before or during the guest’s stay (given 24 hours minimum notice). Credit is made in the same manner as the original payment i.e. cash for cash or credit card refund for credit card payment. I was unable to fully ascertain the payment terms at the SkyTop although a previous poster indicated that it was full cash payment up front and no refunds. Score (8) – Skytop 3, Seaside 6 Integrity of management/staff (0) I didn’t stay at either property long enough to make any judgement either way. However, all the staff at Seaside are uniformed whereas at the SkyTop it was impossible to tell who was a customer in the internet café and who was a member of staff. Score (0) – Skytop 0, Seaside 0 Safety deposit boxes (7) SkyTop has in-room safety boxes although they are not bolted to any anchor point. Seaside has safety deposit boxes ar reception and three lockable cupboards/drawers (with keys) in the rooms as part of the furnishings. Score (8) – Skytop 5, Seaside 4 TV (8) Both properties had what appeared to be 23” TVs in the rooms. Score (8) – Skytop 6, Seaside 6 Cable/satellite (6) Both properties claimed to have Sophon cable in the rooms. Score (6) – Skytop 3, Seaside 3 In-room internet access (7) I saw no evidence whatsoever of wi-fi cabling or routers at SkyTop. When I asked about connecting to the internet from the room I was advised to connect my laptop to the redundant telephone socket next to the bed. However, there is an internet café within the premises that offers one hour’s free net access to guests. Seaside has wi-fi routers cabled in to the 1st and 3rd floors. I was able to obtain a good signal/connection on the 3rd floor but the manager advised that the signal is not so strong on the 2nd floor. The wi-fi at Seaside is free to guests. Score (7) – Skytop 3, Seaside 6 Aircon (10) Both properties have remote controlled aircon. Score (10) – Skytop 10, Seaside 10 Elevator if more than two floors (6) Neither property has elevators. Score (6) – Skytop 0, Seaside 0 Leisure facilities (2) Seaside has a full sized, lit pool table in its own dedicated area and a widescreen TV (with satellite channels) and lounge area. No leisure facilities were evident at SkyTop. Score (2) – Skytop 0, Seaside 2 Mini-bar or fridge (8) Both properties have fridges in the rooms. Seaside includes 2 bottles of water daily, SkyTop does not. Score (8) – Skytop 5, Seaside 6 Size/Quality of bed and/or bedding (9) Both properties have double beds and, in addition, SkyTop has an extra single bed. The pillows and sheets at Seaside are white cotton (as are the towels) and they are professionally laundered. The duvet cover is cotton and colour coordinated with the rest of the soft furnishings. The bedding at SkyTop appeared to be of an inferior quality (synthetic or mixed cotton/polyester). Score (9) – Skytop 4, Seaside 7 Laundry facilities (3) SkyTop has an in-house laundry. SAeaside guests use one of the two outside laundries that are directly adjacent to the guesthouse. Score (3) – Skytop 3, Seaside 2 Cleanliness (10) The SkyTop appears from the outside to suffer from neglect and a lack of general maintenance as can be evidenced from the ripped and torn canopies that grace the building. Inside, it is a bit of a chaotic mess. It has been painted throughout in magnolia but its years of previously serving as a public building (Tourist Police Station) is apparent. The Seaside has been totally renovated in the last six months and painted in bright pastel colours. Score (10) – Skytop 5, Seaside 9 Telephone (2) Seaside has in-room telephones, SkyTop does not. Score (2) – Skytop 0, Seaside 2 No Smoking Rooms (3) Neither property offers no-smoking rooms. Score (3) – Skytop 0, Seaside 0 Balcony (2) A proportion of the rooms at both properties have balconies. Score (2) – Skytop 1, Seaside 1 Cooking Facilities (2) Neither property includes cooking facilities although the SkyTop did have a “push-top” type water heater. Score (2) – Skytop 1, Seaside 0 Quiet Surroundings (9) Being directly on a main thoroughfare the SkyTop suffers from a fair amount of traffic noise as well as from the adjacent beer bars until 2 a.m. However, much of the intrusive noise is down to the poor quality wooden-framed windows and thin curtains. Seaside did not appear to be adversely afftected to the same extent by surrounding noise. Score (9) – Skytop 4, Seaside 7 Parking Space (3) There is space to the front of SkyTop for the off-road parking of motorcycles. There is parking space opposite and to the rear of Seaside for parking. None of the areas are secured. Score (3) – Skytop 2, Seaside 1 Hot Water (5) Both properties have hot water feeds in their showers. I chose not to test the system at SkyTop due to the obvious poor electrical wiring in place. Score (5) – Skytop 1, Seaside 5 Overall Score (Maximum 200) Skytop 94 (47%), Seaside 138 (69%)

http://www.pattayatalk.com/forums/index.ph...73&hl=north

Ok, Jock. I hear what you are saying. The Thais are so racist towards Muslims and Indians that they have built a town that exists for no other reason than P4P. Their customer base? 75% Muslim and Indian (the other 25% is Chinese).

I think they have to be registered as making social security payments ....... not a lot of good for the unemployed folks. I don't think it's a monthly payment ........ the next one's not due until the next time the red-shirts decide to take to the streets.

Jock, You raised the point about the activities in the south, so you shouldn't get upset when people respond to you. I actually live in Songkhla, about 3 kms from your company's offices on Thanon Kho Yo and would disagree somewhat with your assessment/perception of how things actually are in that neck of the woods. Yes, there are warnings, just as there are warnings in London, Glasgow etc. In fact, you're more likely to get caught up in acts of Muslim extremism in Glasgow or Manchester than you are in Muang Songkhla. Fact.

bratpack, I quite deliberately didn't mention muslim extremists, only "Arabs, Muslim or otherwise". It's well-documented that many young guys attend Islamic schools in Pakistan, Indonesia and the Middle East but it's also equally well-documented that the insurgency is about nationalism, politics and cultural identity rather than part of some global Islamic Jihad. If you think it is then you're barking up the wrong tree.

You got any links to the stories? Except that they welcome the Muslims from Malaysia, Indonesia etc. AFAIK, no Arabs, Muslim or otherwise, have been bombing the south of Thailand.

I think I'll stick to the Euro Millions. Better odds of getting your money back.

I didn't say you were. I said agents, such as Tim. You quite specifically quoted Citadines and Centre Point as "offering deep discounts". That's why I chose them as examples. Prior to the airport closures they were regularly available at 1850 Baht and 2,500 Baht respectively. "The Landmark, Grand Hyatt Erawan, Citadines (all its BKK properties) and the Centre Point hotels are only a few of those offering deep discounts."

Or rather, doesn't go .............. What was the title of the thread again?

It comes in handy in Naklua.

nidnoyham, I'll have to settle for the 5.50 quid from the Euro Millions. Live to fight another day, and all that.

Many of the agents, such as the guy Tim, are advertising deep discounts but the reality is something different. Citadines and CentrePoint are a couple of examples. There are 50% savings to be made ........ against the hotels rack rate. It is wrong to suggest to members that the discounts currently available at places such as Citadines and CentrePoint represent savings of 50% of what was previously available. They do not. They are both offering savings of around 10% in USD terms from what was generally available in late January and prior to the Xmas peak season.