Sa-teef

"That's assuming your a cheap Charley and can manage a tight budget. " Many of us are waiting for your book to come out, BigD! Those royalty checks can keep you in beer as well I guess............ ~Sa-teef

You can make do on half that in a pinch, but 6k would be a nice safe and comfortable number. Just stay clear of the gold shops and don't ring any bells. Drinking in the bars is actually not particularly cheap in Thailand. If you are a big drinker you will have to watch your bin carefully. You can find a beer or thai whiskey/coke for 40-50 baht in the beer bars. Or you can spend three times that in locations with a lot of neon. Drinking for you, your buddies and guests can get out of hand if you hit the bars hard. Remember to save some money for that trip back to the airport and save a purple (500 baht note) for the airport exit tax. Pace yourself with just a small measure of care and you'll have a great time! ~Sa-teef

Some pics of Lido Beach Hotel superior double: Seating area is very comfortable: TV with dvd player: Good bed with very nice linen: Hope this helps with your decision. ~Sa-teef

Only if you like noisy, dirty and simply LOVE PURPLE ! If it's the best you can find online, I would make a reservation for three days and walk the area during the day to find something better. For 15,000 baht per month and nearly two months, even in high season, you should be able to find something very nice in an apartment. If you HAVE TO HAVE daily maid service I would guess it's a good enough deal at that price. The location is great IMO. You can hop any bus going north and get off at Pattaya South Rd and Second Rd, one block away from the Walking Street Arch. Get home via Second Rd and Soi Diana Inn. Easy. It's walking distance from Soi 7/8 area. Good luck, Sa-teef

Thanks for sharing the pics with us, duece! Happy bunch of guys, for sure! Although I actually prefer my own (also PG rated) pic of Thip's knickers: Great pics! ~Sa-teef

It's a ways away from your target area, but the Superior double room I had at Lido Beach Hotel on Beach Rd had a dvd player in it in May of this year. That was 1200 baht/night as I recall in low season. Emil's suggestion is probably sound advice IMO. I have a dvd/cd-rw on my laptop and with a 15 inch screen and the portable flat speakers I pack now it works nicely. My guests typically are happy with the latest knockoff music cd I buy while I'm in town, but a movie is nice sometimes. ~Sa-teef

Hi Toppie! I stayed at the Lido Beach Hotel in May for about ten days. I stayed in the superior room, not the regular one, but it was very nice IMO. VERY conveniently located to Walking Street (100 meters perhaps?) , surprisingly quiet since it is located down a small alley between McDonald's and a coffee place, and the rooms were kept very clean. A nice seating area with newer chairs in the superior room. Lock box downstairs, not a safe, and I never had any guest problems because I always used the side entrance with the elevator. My room was within a few steps of the elevator. Tip the security guard 20 baht and ask him about the side entrance. The breakfast was included but I seldom made it dowstairs to partake. There were a few ants in the dining room, but nothing to get upset about. Management wasn't very friendly or willing to discount, but they were competent. I've posted a review in the hotel review section under Vikingfan ( a name from another life) and I will see if I have any other pics suitable for this open section of the forum in a couple hours when I get home. I'd stay there again if I wanted to be on Beach Rd and close to Walking Street. ~Sa-teef

" Am I to believe your avatar is Mam from the Welkom?" Indeed it is, Nicky! Hard to forget a pair of headlights like that? I'm not nearly as much of a proper tour guide as some of our other courteous members. I'd would just do a google search of the names or be brave and show-up (assuming it's at a decent hour of the day). I'm always in Pattaya between May and November, so most places I walk into welcome me with open arms. Until they get to know me anyway.... Last time I showed-up without a reservation I just dropped my large bag at my friendly neighborhood ago-go where I trust the staff and set off on my search. Good luck! ~Sa-teef

A few other options if you're on a budget might be some of the new places on Soi Lengkee. Opey De Place has been open for less than one year: Same same Pailin House next door: And a new place next door to them called New Nikom Court just opened this fall: I haven't seen the inside of them, but they are new and in a inexpensive neighborhood. They are just 100 meters from the Soi Bhuekow/Soi Diana Inn intersection which is an easy place to find transport around town. I plan to check them out on my next trip. Dozens of shop houses with rooms in the immediate area as well if you want something inexpensive. ~Sa-teef

And coincidentally, the place right next door probably has the fastest, best connection I've found in Pattaya. Over two dozen nice new machines and they are always BUSY (that says something too I think) but they always had a computer available when I would stop by. Not the cheapest I've found but 30 baht/hour is a good price. It's just north of the Soi LK Metro back entrance on Soi Bhuekow. ~Sa-teef

SOMETIMES...good things come to those who wait! I JUST booked.....Minneapolis to Bangkok RT on United at airfare.com for $738.36 inclusive! Cheapest I've had (other than the free ones!) since SARS days. I was concerned that I had blown it by missing that earlier sale, but the tickets dropped again this weekend! It's a done deal now folks! The month of November in paradise! See ya there! ~Sa-teef

Yes, I was pleasantly surprised to see UA advertising ORD to BKK at $672 this weekend. Of course I'm shopping for the next flight within hours of returning! They also had MSP to BKK for around $870, over $400 cheaper then August when I last checked. Both of those were for November travel. The NWA picket lines were up when I got to Minneapolis Friday, so they are a definite grey area. American Airlines seemed to be edging toward UA prices out of MSP and ORD, so it's good for the consumer that UA will still have some competition in the Midwest. I don't know how long those prices will hold, but I'll likely jump on one of them within days. ~Sa-teef

BJ made me an offer about a month ago of any room in the place(that wasn't already full!) for 20k for the month. that's still 667 baht per day, and you could certainly do better for that length of stay at numerous locations. That being said, there are many pluses for the place as well. New, great location right on the Beach Rd end of Soi 3, electronic aircon and fan, in-room electronic safe, nice pool and a staff that speaks very good english. Girl friendly to the max, but takes and LOGS-IN and OUT the ladies' id's. The staff in this modest size (50-60 rooms I think) hotel got to know me in a few days and I always enjoyed my interactions with them. They kept things very clean and it would be noticable if they didn't since it was new. The manager resolved one small issue I had that same day. And their breakfast, while limited, was very pleasant out on the sheltered but open air dining room. It's small enough that it quickly feels like home. It's not a luxurious hotel, but they have some nice teakwood carvings and treatments in the public areas: I'll report back next week and see what kind of deal I can wrangle with them for a one month stay in person. ~Sa-teef

No, they still don't have a website, but the review page lists their e-mail address. I'm also told by a friend he is quoting 800/900 baht per day. the 600 baht was given during the first 30 days they were open and when I prepaid by the week. ~Sa-teef

I've stayed there. Haven't done such a thing before (wiring money for a hotel reservation) and doubt I would. It WASN'T very busy when I was there in May, so unless you are arriving late at night, it's a thai holiday or the first night is a weekend, I wouldn't send them an advance payment. ~Sa-teef

"LK Metropole is a very nice place Emil looked at the 1 bedroom and it is VERY NICE makes the President Group hotels in Bangkok look like motel 6. " No shit, jing jing? After your recommendation last year Larry, I've stayed in a couple of the better suites in President Solitaire in Bangkok on occasion and I was very pleased. Haven't decided yet which direction I'm going yet: it's either high-end or an apartment on Soi Buekow. Of course, with 48 hours before I leave it will probably be decided once I'm on the ground... Is LK Metro decidedly better than Pinewood? ~Sa-teef

Thai still has the 345's on their website schedule as non-stops LAX-BKK this fall, but who knows for sure with them? Strange to hear you didn't like the seating in the TG 777's...? The best thing about flying United out of Chicago to Narita or KIX is that they use triple 7's and the business class is one of the most comfortable seating arrangements I've ever flown! Head and shoulders above flying in the bleachers on a TG 747! The comfort level on the triple 7's is about the only thing that would get me to fly United anymore. Whether it's business or coach, I prefer them over 747's anyday. ~Sa-teef

I'm covered gentlemen, thanks! ~Sa-teef

Be sure you're talking the whole price though guys. The taxes really start to mount up these days. I found a discount price on Eva's website for my flight this fall Oct -Dec range, but the prices are: Flight $530 taxes 142 _________ total $672 That's BR0011 leaving LAX at 15:30 arriving BKK 02:05. 19 1/2 hrs out. BR0212 leaving BKK at 12:35 arriving LAX 14:05. 16 1/2 hrs back. I still have to shop for a MSP/left coast flight and that will be 125-200, depending on how much sitting around I'll tolerate. So with some screwing around, I can still get to BKK for $800-875, far better than UA at $1350+ I'm still considering some alternatives through Korean Airlines through Chicago just under $1k. But that still involves two airlines and Korean always has some long waits in sunny Seoul ! ~Sa-teef

""how to drink as cheaply as possible whilst groping girls for free"" Aw Dave, that's all that ANY OF US do according to some anyway..... I really enjoy Duncan's writing style actually. Interesting. "...unless they painted the staff as well. " Heaven help us! I hope not!! I like my TG's just the way they are, thank you. ~Sa-teef

Referring to SkyTop as one block from the beach is stretching it a bit IMO. While it may be technically correct, it is deceptive. Flipper, Honey Inn, Sawadee Seaview and many others are decidedly closer to the beach as I recall. And Dusit and Siam Bayshore would be close as well in the high-end market. "he's the guy you see in the walker with the big smile and the pretty 19 y/o nurse " In a few decades I fully intend to have a 19 yo personal attendent caring for my needs in LOS.... ~Sa-teef

That's one heck of a long block, BigD!!!!! For the first time punter Flipper Lodge on Soi 8 is a good value that will take the id's of the ladies and watch your back. They usually have a buy 6 get one day free thing going this time of year. Check out the hotel reviews on this site. And they really are a 100 meters from the beach. Eastiny and Bella Vista are also close in the Soi 7/8 area. There are LOTS of hotels within sight of the beach all along Beach Rd. Checkout a map of the city and I'm betting there have to be dozens...... ~Sa-teef

"Northwest's mechanics have voted to strike if they cannot reach a deal soon" Yes, they were talking about that just before I bought my shuttle to the coast last week, and I didn't want ANYTHING to do with NWA if that was in the offing! They had some decent round trip non-stop prices to LAX. I'm headed for the coast on the night of the 15th and that would have been just too close for comfort! NWA has said they can work around it with supervisors somehow if the strike happens but that's not very reassuring..... Do you want someone who's been flying a desk for a dozen years servicing your airplane? ~Sa-teef

Trust me, you will appreciate a front entrance with a hotel staff if you ever get a stalker as well! I've stayed at three places with side entrances that I can recall. ---The Pig & Whistle on Soi 7 has a side entrance that you can use to get upstairs without going through the restaurant. ---Sanya Apartments on Soi Buekow has a side entrance. It's the only entrance infact. ---The Lido Beach Hotel on Beach Rd has a service entrance behind McDonalds with an elevator that the security guard was kind enough to show me. I never did walk through the lobby with a TG the entire ten days I was there. The elevator stopped on the third floor ten feet from my room and it was seldom used by anyone else. ~Sa-teef

"but it's a fucking long way on 2 engines" I've been flying on United 777's (not the ER's) from Chicago to Narita Japan for the last three years and they haven't fallen out of the sky yet! That's thirteen hours non-stop on the westbound flight. I like the old triple 7's and I'm looking forward to seeing Eva's introduction of the 777-ER out of LAX. ~Sa-teef