bkkbob

yes, the distance is a bit far, lets all be serious about that. for me it's no problems because I rent a 'cycle wherever I go and crazy town is no exception. on the nights when I wanted to get hammered, i left the honda dream parked and jumped on a baht bus; 10 baht and 5 minutes later I was at the small soi that leads to walking street and was happy as a pig in shit, or a horny guy in pattaya. bring a business card from the front desk at all times in your pocket, because at 2 or 3 am when you are heading back you give that to a moto-taxi guy and you are home in no time, for 20 or 30 baht. yes, there are places closer to the action. yes, there are places closer to the beach. yes, there are better rooms and i personally like the pattaya centre better; their 1400B rooms are larger and more classy. however, I so much agree with the guy above who doesn't like to have his hand held and I like discretion and a staff that is not nosy and checking everything that I do. RG staff did not even talk to me once unless I asked them a question first and I probably had 15 girls in my room in 9 days. they are discreet and friendly and also look the other way when you bring back your date. in my 7 years of Thai travelling [and now living there half-time] I have never been ripped off by a lass and I don't plan on it now; I would just assume that they don't take ID cards and that MY business remains just that. at RG you can be anonymous; if that is important to you, stay there. again, better places to be sure and better located hotels, but I would still recommend this place and for 1350b it is a very good deal. Bob

I was directed to the RG from this board back in October and I just stayed there for 9 days and was quite happy with it. the main thing for me when I travel is discretion and this place could give a good damn about what you are doing at all times; they leave you alone, don't ask for ID cards, and are very friendly and courteous when you ask them something but leave you be when you don't. the room was very nice and the service was good, decent room service food until 11PM and the BBQ out front was also above average. the pool was nice and I spend lots of time there when i was not in my room screwing. the proximity to the nightlife is good and the rate of 1350 that i booked through here was indeed fair for the type of place you are getting. highly recommended; I would give this place a 9 out of 10 rating and thanks to all you guys who recommended it to me and to this website, for I never would have heard of it without you all. I think the owner is happy that you promote him up here and he has many customers from this board, I am sure. thanks again and happy holidays to all! bkkbob

yes, that helps very much and thanks because I will be staying at the Residence gardens. I agree AOL blows; i never use their browser; but they have a good mail program that I like and about 100 people know my multiple addresses; major hassle to change now. thanks again Bob

sorry if this is the wrong forum for this, but has anyone here ever tried to access AOL from your hotel rooms in BKK or Pattaya? I have a list of access numbers for both places but have never tried dialing up from my laptop....could come in very handy if these work. any ideas? how do you guys with laptops connect with the internet when you are in Thailand? which ISP are you using? thanks Bob

the 'new' building is the one to stay in if you can; not sure if it is called 1, 2 or 3. and I am not trying to talk you out of the Marriott; their rooms are certainly beautiful but seriously are smaller than the GP. I think you are paying for the name and the lobby there more than anything. I was in one of the rooms recently with a date visiting a friend who was staying there and I couldn't help but think 'this is nothing special, especially for 6000B per night'. Bob

you can save half the price of the Marriott and get a room just as nice at the Grand President on Soi 11 for 60 US per night. Internet in room and every room is a suite, and actually bigger than the standard rooms at the Marriott, which are 140 US per night. The Omni, which is near the Marriott, is 50 per night for a suite and has broadband for my laptop, which is an unbelievable convenience. why pay twice as much when you can get a room just as good with more room and better conveniences? Bob

just re-read your post and it seems as though you do indeed have the same flight time as i usually do; maybe even with Northwest? my advice above is still valid; although you say that the availibity of ladies is not really necessary, I feel as though since it will be your last night you may want to have some company. why sit in your hotel at the Amari alone when you can be at the Nana or the Dynasty with a cutie? hang with her until 3 or so, take a shower and get your ass up to the airport; you will be too wound up to sleep anyway. The taxi on Nana Tai can get you to the airport in 30 mins and you will be on your way to Tokyo; sleep on the plane. believe me, trying to sleep in a hotel from 11 or midnight until 3AM will just make you feel worse when the alarm goes off. Just stay awake, screw your brains out one last time, and head to the gate. have fun

you will never find a cheap hotel near the airport unless you know a local and they can find some type of guesthouse up around there. The Amari is the only real hotel there and is very nice and has broadband and a shuttle to the airport for free. but this costs between 4000 and 6000 per night. you really don't need to be 'near the airport'. taxis are plentiful in BKK and can get you to the airport in 25 minutes from Sukhimvit road between 9PM and 6AM, and in about an hour the rest of the time. Khoa San road is about the same time. so get a cheap room in either place and just give yourself 2 or 3 hours before your flight to jump in a cab and get to the airport. staying at the Amari or anywhere else you can find near the airport may only save you 30 minutes; what's the point? My Northwest flights to the states always leave at 6AM. My apartment is near Sukhimvit, and I leave at about 4:15 and I am in the check-in line by 445 and waiting at the gate at 5. you can do the same thing. of course if your flight is leaving mid-day you will have to leave yourself more time to deal with BKK traffic, but 3 hours before flight time should suffice. hope this helps Bob

while I will probably get a lot of disagreements and head-shakers since this IS a pattaya board, my opinion is that Bangkok is better for everything. To me Pattaya is the minor leagues compared to the big-time of the capitol, and there is just so much more to do and see in bangkok, even if you are not a daytime sight-seer. the nighlife in the greatest city in the world is fantastic and the place is always pulsating with excitement [and this was so much better 3 or 4 years ago before Thaksin and his thugs got put in office; Pattaya also]. I also firmly believe that the girls in BKK are hotter and better-looking, more fashionable and sophisticated, and not so country-ish as the Issan girls who end up in Pattaya. With that said, Pattaya is great place! Every person has to see that crazy city and it is indeed the 2nd [or maybe tied with Phuket for 2nd] best place in Thailand, IMO. So many girls that you are bound to find a few you like, and plenty of 'activities' to keep you busy day and night. It's also much cheaper for everything, from rooms to the girls' prices to food and other things. don't bother with the beach; if you want to go for a swim go to Jomtien beach. Pattaya is a fun place and there's no question you will have a good time there, but to me Bangkok is just miles ahead. why not a week in both? that's the typical advice I give to first-timers to the Kingdom who only have 2 weeks to spend. You could take 2 or 3 days in BKK right off and then spend 3 or 4 there before you leave. I am sure you will not be dissapointed. good luck Bob

Tabmule.....can you tell me more about the Dynasty resort? The bungalows and balcony rooms sound nice; are they suites? 10 minutes from pattaya isn't bad because I usually rent a 'cycle anyway, but is it in the direction of North Pattaya or Jomtien? their website is pretty incomplete. I don't always keep the new-girl-every-2-hours routine but it's nice to keep my options open, ya' know? I have a teelac in BKK so whenever i go to Pattaya or Phuket I tend to let loose. the rates for everything down there is so much better than bangkok and finding a girl for 500/st is very possible, so taking home someone from the mall in the middle of the day is not unheard of. bringing home someone else at the dinner hour and then again someone else at night is usually the drill, and I would hate getting shit from some receptionist with an attitude. thanks for the reply Bob

nautical inn is a great deal for 550B, corner of beach road and soi 10 near Mike Department store. great pool in a tropical setting, nice staff, decent rooms; clean but nothing special. the restaurant is pretty horrible......eat elsewhere. but this place is definately worth 550 and the location is good; 'Lets Relax' massage is next door and high-speed internet is 100 yards away. Bob

thank you leadbelly....that was a very hopeful response because I was already considering this place based on the great reviews up here. To be truthful i am no different from any other guy up here; I just like being discreet and want to bring as little attention to myself as possible. one of the reviews even talked about how the sabai lodge gave 1 guy the dirty looks every time he brought a new girl in there, and who needs that crap? I was a nautical inn guy for years; get a nice poolside room and keep your key with you and no one can see what the hell you are doing day and night. at 550B a night it really is a great place, but time to move on after staying there for 5 years. I was in the Pattaya Centre last year in a suite and liked it a lot, but i wasn't butterflying around too much on that trip so I really don't know how their policy is on multiple guests. Looks like Residence Gardens may be the winner and I thank every one up here for their responses. Bob

when in doubt, do a google search. my entry for 'bay breeze hotel pattaya' brought up several matches and the first one said this; Location : Situated on Pattaya 2nd Road, near Pattaya Beach go here; http://ash-hotel.com/baybreeze.htm and here; http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-...e+hotel+pattaya bob

thanks; I actually know of this place because I used to stay next door at the Nautical inn [great deal for 550 baht but now I can afford a wee bit better]. I will look into the Natural, which seemed to be a step up from the Nautical. Bob

I like the Oriental Mae Ping.....you can stay there through sawadee.com for about 1200B; very nice place and no problems with guests. the lobby is so big they have no idea who the hell is coming in and out. 3 restaraunts and a pool, laundy, central location, nice rooms. good place. Bob

sorry, you mentioned hotel rooms; if you are staying in Chiang Mai, book the Oriental Mae Ping; about 1200B per night and very worth it; nice rooms, pool, good location, 3 restaurants, nice staff; highly recommended.

Chiang Mai is very nice but boring; if you have a date with you than you may enjoy it more. It's got a very 'oriental' feel and is like a smaller version of BKK. just don't be expected to find the same wild times there that you find in Pattaya. Chang and Samui are very rainy during November; if you are a beach person, take her to Phuket instead. Very nice place; since you have a date, stay away from Patong and get a place in Kamala or Kata, where it is quiet and lovely. rent a moto and drive up the coast towards Bang Tao beach and enjoy the peacefulness. November until March is perfect there. Bob

no, nothing to hide, but when you screw a lot and have a girl coming over at 1PM, 3 PM, 5PM and 8PM, plus you come home with one at 2AM, it sometimes raises eyebrows, and there are some places that charge joiner fee's and give you shit if you have more than one guest per day. I prefer my privacy and by having an outside entrance where no staff can see what I am up to I think it's better; nothing fishy about that, is there? Especially in this day and age of the asshole 'volunteer police' and that Pattaya police chief sucking up to Thaksin, don't you think a little discretion is important? I do. thanks for these responses, guys; any others? I see the advertisement for the Residence gardens here and it looks like a nice place, albeit a little off the beaten path. The reviews are generally favorable and it looks like the staff is friendly and doesn't care about guests. any recent thoughts about this place appreciated. thanks again for the input Bob

Can someone tell me if they know of any hotels in Pattaya which have outside entrances, where the girls do not have to pass through a lobby? I tend to have several guests per day and would rather that my guests do not see anyone from the staff. Not a problem if the girls do not leave their ID's with the front desk, as I would actually prefer they never see reception at all. Bungalows that are detached from the main hotel are fine also; 1500-2000B is my range and pool preferred. thanks very much in advance Bob from BKK