Gonzo

Sorry for the snide remark.

Piero, the Red Buses are still running but the Green Bus is history now and the Yellow Buses never even started. The Red Bus is a nice alternative to the bahtbus and it is 20 baht regardless of how far you want to go on it. It only goes in one direction though and at times it might require a bit of patience to wait for one to turn up. That can vary from 5 minutes to at least half an hour. It goes all the way from Jomtien Beach Road past Big C on Second Road, then through Naklua and from there to Sukhumvit Road. It goes along Sukhumvit Road as far as Soi Chayapuk, wheren it turns right and gets back to Jomtien Beach Road, next to the second police box. It is a good way to do a cheap 30 km-sightseeing trip or to get to Pattaya Bangkok Hospital or some of the larger supermarkets and other destinations on Sukhumvit. I recommend it. There is more to Pattaya than pussy and beer. Unlike the infamous Jiggy I do not object to pussy and beer, but it is a bit difficult not to do anything else when one is a long-term resident.

The correct fare to Jomtien from the bahtbus queue outside the school ground on the corner of Pattaya Tai (South Pattaya Road) and Pratumnak Road is 10 Baht. It is 10 baht to anywhere in Jomtien. The drivers will not argue but make sure you give them the correct fare, 10 baht if you are alone or 20 baht when with a lady. I live near Soi 11 in Jomtien and use that route every day. I see unfortunate new tourists making the mistake of asking the driver about making payment when they get off at their destination. They are often quoted 40 baht and higher and I have seen tourists handing over 100 baht bills with 20 baht change given in return. When you get off anywhere in Jomtien pay the driver your 10 baht and you will be right. Should you happen to catch a Jomtien bahtbus somewhere along Pattaya Beach Road (between the Dolphin Roundabout and Walking Street), then you will be expected to pay 20 baht per person, if he takes you to a destination past the Pratumnak-Pattaya Tai corner or all the way to Jomtien.

I don’t want to be impolite, but reading comprehension does not seem to be one of your stronger points.

I took the Ekamai bus to Bangkok last week and had intended to get off at On Nut. I was told at the ticket window and then again by the driver that they were not allowed to let pasengers off at On Nut BTS station any longer as traffic police were issuing fines to the bus drivers for making a stop at a place where it was illegal to do so. It is probably just another scam the boys in brown invented to make some additional cash for themselves. The drivers let a few of the passengers off at places where they thought it was safe to do so, but On Nut is a no no these days. Anyway, no big drama, I went to Ekamai and caught the BTS back to On Nut from there. I had made arrangements to meet a friend there. The Lotus Superstore (On Nut) has one of the best food courts in Thailand in my opinion. To my surprise and delight I found out there was an Air Asia ticket office right inside the food court and we managed to buy a ticket for her to Chiang Mai there and then. The return ticket to CM was a little over baht 3300. By the way, the sky train from On Nut to Morchit was 80 baht. There were lots of available meter taxis at Morchit. The taxi fare to the domestic terminal was 121 baht. After I dropped my friend off at the airport I took another meter taxi back to Morchit bus terminal. The taxi only cost 105 baht getting there and the Morchit bus terminal is a fair distance from the BTS. At the Morchit bus terminal, one can purchase a ticket to Pattaya for 117 baht using the Motor way. The sensible option is to ask for a 121 baht Express Way ticket, which probably gets you to Pattaya an hour quicker. The last bus from Morchit (Mo Chit) to Pattaya leaves at 7PM.

Montydog, Your suggestion sounds the best deal. I just rang the hotel on the number you gave me and they quoted me 650 baht per night. I had a look at my Chiang Mai map and the place is perfectly located. I get lots of opportunity to swim in Pattaya so a short while without a pool does not matter. Thanks to all the other guys as well for their replies. Cheers

Thanks for the tip. I will check it out. Next time we will win the Weltmeisterschaft instead of a credible third place. Any further suggestions about a decent place in Chiang Mai will be appreciated. Cheers

The Montri is a little above my budget. I have to keep paying rent in Pattaya whilst away from Pattaya. Thanks anyway.

Could someone recommend a decent hotel or guest house in Chiang Mai up to 1000 baht per night. It should be within walking distance (10-15 min) of the Night Bazaar as I dislike using Tuk Tuks

I’m renting one of Eric’s condos and I would like to recommend him as a landlord. All my dealings with him have been done without any problems and he has always fulfilled his promises. I have also managed to install ADSL (with TT&T) on an existing phone line in the condo I’m renting from him. The Jomtien Beach Condominium is an extremely well run complex with good security and maintenance. They also have two very nice swimming pools and a well-equipped gymnasium, which can be used for free. The location between Soi 10 and Soi 11 on Jomtien Beach Road is very good also.

Now I understand what you meant. You almost had me confused as well. Cheers

Lemons, I thought all passengers arriving at Don Muang (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) use the same exit? I thought you just had to walk a bit further after your plane arrived near Terminal 2. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Emil, Carpedium asked for detailed information about implants and root canal fillings. I don't think he is interested in a place where they are good at making dentures.

The place was recommended by a German expat from Naklua. I took a Thai lady there to get a bad toothache attended to. I was impressed by the high standard of dentistry and decided to get my teeth fixed as well. The greater distance from Soi 4 is a non-issue. The bahtbus on Beach Road will get you there in less than five minutes. Get off at Central Pattaya Road and walk less than 100 metres along Central Road on the right side until you get to the little soi connecting Central Road to Soi 7. Walk down that short soi and you cannot miss the clinic. There is a big sign Nappaporn Dental Clinic and the open-air counter facing the soi has signs advertising for Viagra and Cialis as well. Like Bill pointed out, the clinic is shared with her doctor husband, who uses the same waiting room and attends mainly to bar girls and punters from the surrounding bars. The joint doesn’t look flash and there are beer bars all around it. You can watch the goings-on in the bar opposite lying in the dentist chair. Some of the girls in the bar look a bit rough but so do the punters.

I had an Implant done at Napaporn Dental Clinic (Tel. O38-429357), Fax 038-427516), a little Soi between Pattaya Klang and Soi 7, not far from Tops Supermarket. June 2005: X-Ray of jaw at Pattaya Bangkok Hospital to establish the exact location of the main nerve near the roots of the teeth to avoid any damage to it during the surgical procedure. Late June 2005: Surgical implant (Nobel product made in Sweden). The stitches were removed a few days later. Took antibiotics for 5 days, no complications. Early November 2005: Surgical implant stage 2 (healing abutment, Nobel Select 3.5mm-5mm). Mid December 2005: Crown fitted The total cost for the implant (molar, rear bottom right) was baht 60,000. You will find a bit cheaper in some of the other clinics, but I like Dr. Napaporn as she is my preferred dentist and speaks very good English. The length of time between the different stages of the implant can be varied, but it is recommended to wait 2-3 months after the initial implant. I also had a root canal filling with a crown fitted for extra strength, total cost baht 12,000. I had another two crowns fitted to molars and also had all my old amalgam fillings replaced with porcelain or white fillings. I spent about 140,000 baht altogether. Similar treatment in Australia would have cost a multiple of that and I doubt if it would have been carried out to such a high standard

Plahgat pays a lot of attention to detail and is correct about the name. It is not a bad idea to collect the business cards from the various hotels to refresh one’s memory. There are five Sawasdee places according to the little map on the back of the cards. All are within a short distance of each other. It pays to read the hotel section on this board. Some of the better places I found were through information on here. One of the best places I found from good feedback from members was the Sabai Lodge in Soi 2. Another place I really enjoyed was the Sanya Apartments, right on the big market place just off Pattaya Tai and only about 50 metres from the bahtbus route on Soi Buakhao. It was an entirely different experience from staying in a tourist hotel and would probably not appeal to all members. I liked the different atmosphere living amongst mainly long-term stayers and expats. A lot of them have some very good stories to tell and are a wealth of information. Watching the Thais setting up the market early in the morning on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sunday and pulling it down again in the evening was also quite interesting. Sa-teef had discussed the place before I decided to give it a go in May and July last year. A Dutchman (Louis) and his wife Sanya run the place. Some of the rooms can be a bit noisy as there is a Thai karaoke bar next door. The rooms right on the top floor (13,14,15) are the best and relatively quiet at night. Another Dutch-run place right next to the market place, the Dolpin Apartments, is even better as it not facing the afternoon sun and there is no noise from a Thai karaoke bar. The Dutch expats living in Pattaya hold their monthly meetings there.

I would not stay there unless I was on a very low budget. In the same Soi there is the Bay Breeze Hotel, Honey Inn and Intown Holiday Hotel. They are better and only a little bit more expensive. They have a very cheap montly rate at the Sawasdee if that is what you are after. I think a friend paid 10,000 per month not so long ago. The place is adequate but not to my liking. If I wanted to stay in that Soi I would choose the Bay Breeze Hotel. It seemed to be booked out a lot when I stayed there about 18 months ago, even in the low season.

There are always two sides to a story indeed. Gary, maybe things did not work out the way you planned. Handshake agreements and a man’s word are not the way to go when it comes to doing any business deal. Have a look at Eric’s post. He gives his real name and his telephone number. I know because I am renting a condo from him and all is well. Eric is a very genuine person as far as I am concerned.

Hi Eric, I sent you a PM Cheers Gonzo

I will again stay at the S.K.House next month. 30 Moon Muang Road Soi 9, Tel. (O53) 418396. I stayed there 2 years ago and paid 650 Baht for a room right next to their nice swimming pool. I think their prices might have increased a bit since then. Thais run the place and they are a friendly lot and all speak good English. They also organise tours and have a cheap and good in-house restaurant. The place is in a very quiet area. The only thing I didn’t like was that they didn’t have good safe deposit boxes. They only had ordinary lockers near the reception area and you had to supply your own padlock. It’s about 5 minutes by Tuk tuk (50 Baht) to the bar area on Loi Kroh Road or the Night Bazaar. I took a girl from Pattaya on the bus trip to Chiang mai with me, which was a mistake. There are some very attractive and fair-skinned beauties available in Chiang mai and there is no need to bring your own. There was never a problem bringing a girl to the guesthouse. They will probably think there is something wrong with you if you don’t. Sigi

THFC, There are some very good treatments available for people with dyslexia. Do you have a stammer as well? Sigi

Hi there, The Lido is ideal if you want a quiet hotel very close to Walking Street. It is situated in the small Soi (Soi Lido) opposite the pier on Beach Road. There is a McDonald and a Starbucks at the entrance of the Soi that will help you find the place easily. Yes, the place was refurbished a couple of years ago. They were asking Baht 1000 for a room last November. I chose the Sabai Lodge instead, where I managed to get a room next to the Dolphin pool for Baht 850. I stayed at the Lido in 2002 for 6 weeks, before they refurbished the place. I enjoyed staying there. It was guest-friendly, quiet, had a very nice staff and very good security. They also have a very good travel agency run by the same hotel, Lido Travel. It’s right next to Starbucks in the same Soi. There is no swimming pool at the Lido Beach Hotel. The location is great if you are a fan of Walking Street and Pattayaland Soi 1 & 2. Sigi

A friend stayed there last Christmas for six days. He booked through their hotel agency in Bangkok and was quoted 700 baht per night. The reception added the joiner fee of 300 baht per night. He was clearly ripped off. If you look at the hotel revue section you will find another instance of the hotel staff trying to charge a joiner fee. I would never stay at a filthy dump like the Wecome Plaza. Sigi

Maka, It's alright if you don't mind paying the Baht 300 joiner fee. Sigi

I stayed at the Sabai Lodge (B Complex) for 8 weeks and only left yesterday. I got the cheap rate of 850 Baht because I arrived late October and paid in advance (monthly). The rate for the same rooms at the moment is 1450 Baht and they are fully booked. So are the rooms at the Sabai Inn accross the road (same owners). It could be possible to get a room for 2-3 days if there is a temporary vacancy. All work at the New Wing of the Sabai Lodge has been completed. I'm not sure if there are vacancies, but the rooms are expensive (3000 baht and more). A word of warning. New construction of a new hotel on Soi 1 has commenced and the location is right next to the B Complex of the Sabai Lodge. They are only doing the foundation of the new building at the moment and the noise is intermittent. Nevertheless, I wouldn't want to stay at a room at the B Complex facing the building site these coming months. Sigi