torrenova

You're confusing it with Smile Avenue. From Bt15,000 a month rent and Bt150,000 key money made it a near 30k a month for about the shittest location on earth. Not worth 5k a month.

Flights about 7 hours then 4 1/2. Good if you are on O/W or if mega cheap Better for direct or Etihad type at up to £1006+ more for sure.

Tom, The non imm visas offered by the agencies are the ones where you go get your WP etc. or on the back of marriage. They have never been, to my knowledge, the normal run of the mill ones from Hull.

Ibis walk is going to be a good 5 minutes from Nana but nowhere as far as the Woraburi.

I've done that, believe it not, ONLY in Bangkok! Nothing wrong IMHO with buying a 20baht sleeve of detergent and hand washing a few shirts, socks, and shorts/slacks. Hang dry and with the AC dehumidifying your room, clothes will be dry in the morning. BTW, most of the washing machines are simply sloshing the water around, not American quality. Some here are however "above" such chores but IMHO why spend 200-300baht on just a few items. Never under estimate the willingness of people here in Thailand to rip you off. Never. Just talked with a guy who paid 1200baht for a taxi to Nana Hotel from the airport, his first visit. Nok Nah, my experience is that the places which are either serviced apartments or have such apartments attached to the hotel, will have a decent US / Euro style washer drier which will heat the water from the cold or has a dual hot / cold intake. Some even have soap powder in the room gratis. I wouldn't bother except for perhaps two instances. Firstly when you are looking at a quick turnaround prior to check out or whatever or for the undies and the no iron stuff. Chuck it on when you are in the room and you're sorted an hour or two later. Not a deal breaker or maker for me but useful in certain places and at certain times. Far better than the hotel rip off prices.

Remember though that the boards are not one on one conversations, they are public and only pandering to the already converted is largely pointless. IF someone asks, bang a price list up and be done with it. Failure to do so only leads the non converted to think that you and the establishment are embarrassed and no-one is embarrassed by cheap prices are they ? Take the flak and move no. When you put your head over the top of the trench you must expect some incoming.

Around that hotel I think the general price for laundry is Bt80 to Bt100 a kilo. I know the place you are on about on the right hand side up Soi 8. Some hotels have washing machines in their rooms if you are so inclined.

I take your point especially if you are being ripped off on the electric for 2 or 3 times the true cost. Cleaning is usually extra as well and if you book the condo cleaners it is a right royal rip off for sure. However there are ways to reduce those costs. Speak to the cleaning ladies and you can usually come to an arrangement. The upsides are that you can get a great pool or pools, relaxation away from the silliness of the town centre and you are your own boss so to speak. Often more room, better facilities and the ability to have a night in an not feel like you are cooped up in a bedsit. Likely extras are 2k for electric, 2 or 3 hundred for water, change of sheets at about Bt100/150 a time. So probably around 5-8k a month tops. For the same room in a hotel, you'd be looking at the top end rooms and you wouldn't get those for 20/30k a month. I personally think that it is one of those things which you only appreciate after you have tried it. Better for longer stays of 3 weeks and up I agree.

Why not just rent a condo ? You can get some cracking deals at the moment. As for hotels, I'd be looking at somewhere around 15x their daily rate for the month.

These condos are way overpriced and the electric charges are way OTT as well. Prices were loony when they opened and I guess no-one fell for the idea. Agency dealing with them was some place on the ground floor of the building they are in on 3nd Road. As said, it involves giving money to Tony so I guess most won't be rushing.

Just used this guy last week Khun Mor (bloke) 087 629 3654 New model Toyota Camry. Used him from and to the airport and very good and very punctual (actually arrived 30 mins early to go back but no problem waiting).

I was concerned about the bathroom at these mini Ibis places but after just seeing the one they have in Phuket, I am no longer worried. For sure they are prefabricated but thankfully larger than the Japanese ones. Shower was in the apex of the unit and very small but manageable. TV was a Samsung LCD but only about 21", seemed very small. Overall, I think that if you want to spend lots of time in your room apart from sleeping or shagging then perhaps this is not the right place. But if you want newish things, clean, and don't mind it being quite small, then why not. Great value.

I emailed them once and they said the larger room was one of a kind and the others were smaller. Quick response to email. Didn't stay there because, like many in Thailand, they couldn't be bothered to go to Carrefour and spend Bt1000 on the cheapest electronic room safe and bold it somewhere secure. Of course, lots of other places are as stupid as they are and fail to offer this most basic of amenities.

But those Sawadee ones start at something like Bt250 or so per day so what do you expect ? Most of the sub Bt500 are utter shit. Decency starts around the Bt700 level, up or down depending on season.

Saving money for shagging ? Sure if he said he previously stayed in Bt1000/1500 a day places and now wanted somewhere cheaper for the month but when you get to 5k a month the next step down is the beach ! I know girls who live in more expensive accommodation than that. If you were paying 1k a month at Bt6 a unit then you were not using the aircon much. Baht buses are small change though I admit it all adds up. Most people though know they will use some wherever they live so not really an issue. Economising is buying some food and booze and having it at home. If you have a really shit place you cannot and you don't want to so you are forced to go out. It is a false economy. I also guess that someone on such a low accommodation budget is not into multiple go-go girls each night so at the other end of the spectrum there will be nights off or there will be a regular who maybe takes a weekly rate and the OP dabbles ST if funds allow. Just not many, if any, decent places at 5k a month.

You can probably get a condo in Jomtien in View Talay 1 or one of the other cheaper condos for about 10k to 12k on a single month deal. You will have to pay for services on top of that which will run another 2-3k I presume and cleaning / changing sheets / towels (hint here, buy some and launder them in the laundry downstairs as much cheaper than getting them to change everything). Get a crap condo in town or a house past Sukhumvit for 8k.

Thanks for posting the link but Accor are not exactly up front on their charges. On the hotel website you can see a rate of Bt1,830 which is around $49 at 37.34 but then there is another Bt323.91 (taxes at 17.7%) on top and if you want breakfast, then that is another Bt450++ per person !!!!! These rates are totally restricted with no changes or cancellations. If you want flexible, add another Bt700 per day. So by my reckoning, a flexible rate with breakfast for two would be around 4k a day. Way OTT for that place.

I just go to Catz for the free food on party days but have to make sure I'm there before Lazarus and the real balloon chaser brigade ! As for birds, Pie hits it on the head when he says it is a constant battle. Long gone are the days of too many girls and not enough jobs where you could get them to do what you wanted or just fire them and get a replacement. A good move on prices by the Pieman. Times are tough and I hope that those who benefit remember gestures like this when better times roll round again.

WOW and D2D slightly different business models. Though I've used both and D2D for years, most food does not travel well and you get an overpriced set of crap which they would not dish out in the restaurant. That is all restaurants. Better stick to pizza and McD etc. for delivery.

With electric at cost being Bt3.5 baht or thereabouts and a studio condo running bills of about Bt1500 or so, then a near doubling of the electric charge is going to add another Bt1000 at least. In hot weather or with an older a/c unit, work on 3k or so for electric. With 6k for rent and 3k rip off, you are well out of pocket and could easily stay in something nice in Jomtien for that price. The trade off is quality / location / price for sure. My advice is this. Given that you are obviously on a budget, you cannot afford to hit the bars and go-gos every night. Thus, if you live in a shithole, you will be forced to go out. If you have a nice place to live, you are happy to stay in, especially if you have a DVD and some cable TV. I'd go for somewhere in Jomtien, either in one of the View Talay places (doubt you'll get VT2 on short lease) but there are other places around. You get everything you need onsite including pool and some food options and the beach is near. Town is just a baht bus ride away, you don't need a bike for transport, laundry will be ok. The main thing is that you will not feel forced out each day. So if you are budgeting 8k and will get ripped for 1-2k on the electric you can pay about 8-10k and you'll save whatever your normal bar spend it without becoming suicidal.

Opey is crap. Well the room is. Rubbish water pressure from a cheapo shower unit. Everything in the room was as cheap as you could get. Not saying the JP will be any different but you have to wonder at the intelligence of some people who open a hotel and provide lock boxes where you have to bring your own padlock ! Basic electronic safes start at about Bt1000 and realistically should be in all hotel rooms.

You could stay in the Cherry Hotel on 2nd Road up the Soi from P72 on Walking Street about opposite Lucifers. Revamped over the last couple of years, no luxury for sure but cable TV, decent size bathrooms with tub, fairly new a/c and no joiners fees. About Bt5/600 a night. Pig and Whistle on Soi 7. Bt650/700 a night. No breakfast but restaurant onsite. Only one room with bathtub I think. Welcome Plaza on 2nd Road, fairly near action. Breakfast or not up to you but I would not as Bt100 or so a day and better options outside. OK if you have it included for 2 people but not worth Bt200 a day. Bathtub for sure. Some rooms refurbished. About Bt1000 a day. Apex - cheap but don't know about bathtub.

Where are the Ugly Brothers nowadays ?

I'd second Tom on ratestogo and also try agoda. You can list by area and then whittle it down.

If you mean the VC on 2nd Road at the top of Soi Marine then avid. It is arab central. Didn't know the guys at Witherspoons had opened the rooms - must phone Pat.