FatherMojo

Mickeylo, Don't be too worried as for the most part the ladies seem not to care. However, there are a certain percentage of ladies who will decline because of skin color. No need to get upset about it, just move on and never buy her a lady drink again. Simple and Easy. On the other hand, like an earlier poster mentioned, some of the ladies will give you that "I like Chocolate man" gag. I tend to leave those ladies alone as they are really just trying some marketing gimmick. Lot's of chunky girls have used this line on me... Anyway, just get your arse on the plane and go to Pattaya. FatherMojo

Hey BK, I do not have all the answers but here are a few... I used Kasikorn Bank near Tuk Com in Pattaya. Just my passport and hotel address. Total time to set it up was less than 15~20min. Not sure as I have not traveled far and wide through Thailand. I'm a small potato and anything about 7~10k would be enough for me. 4. Ease of transfering funds from UK bank account to Thai bank. 5. Quickness in issuing the relevant cards, although I do appreciate it is Thailand. 6. Finally best interest rate although this is not so important as there would only be up to maybe 150000thb in the account at most.

You should call them or send a fax. They have a computer near the bar, but I never saw any of the staff using it. I have previously at the PineWing about 3 times. For your daytime fun it is just a short walk to Soi 6 or Big C. No charges for joiners. No in-room safes, but has lockers used as safety boxes located in a room just off to the side of the reception area. You provide the lock. I think the locker area closes at 10pm. Good cable TV with enough channels. The hotel also has a small quiet bar/restaurant on the ground floor which seems to do very little business. If you use the bathroom on the ground floor note that the light switch is on the rightside behind the door. Makes for good fun if you are in a hurry and do not know where to look. The place has an elevator. I like the room layout as the living areas and sleeping areas are separate. There's a small sofa, chair, coffee table and fan in the living area. If you are staying there, check the water temp in the shower as they use a heating system which can make it difficult to get the proper temp. If you are planning on staying there, ask to see the room and check the water temp to make sure you are satisfied. In the bathroom, one of the mirrors covers an opening to a shaft. Maybe this is used for maintenance or something. Most people seem not to have heard of this place as I never had a problem getting a room. Once I arrived and checked in around the 29th of December without a reservation. With the location being a 2~3 minute walk to Soi 6 and an 8 minute walk to Big C, you would think the place would be busier. FatherMojo

I have never stayed at this hotel, but always get a kick at reading the handwritten sign board in front of the place. Someone, in my opinion is very creative. FatherMojo

200 baht a day room cleaning = 6k for 30 days of cleaning. That amount is more than the monthly salary of a lot cleaning staff working at the various hotels around town. Smells like a suckers price to me. FatherMojo

Coming in on NW27 from Tokyo and looking to share a ride to Pattaya... FatherMojo

hoppalong, Ask the girls at the Welkom Inn... I have seen a few of them in HK and I am sure they purchased the least expensive ticket. Cheers, FatherMojo

Howdy, The place is guest friendly and a very good location on walking street. Some of the other posters mentioned that it is quiet and I can say that it depends on what time the bars nearby close. I was there during a busy time and the music played until 2 or 3am. If you are a night owl then no problem. Also, now that it is low season it probably is quiet with the bars next to it closing early-ish or not playing loud music into the wee hours of the morning. A good place and I recommend it. Note that the safety boxes are small, so travel light. Enjoy, FatherMojo

Thought I would give this a whirl... I'll be on NW27 out of Narita. Post here or PM me. Cheers, FatherMojo

2 nights ago my regular called me at 1am Thai time, 3am Tokyo time… Someone spiked her drink at Lucifer’s. Her symptoms were as follows: rapid heat beat, eyesight not clear, not able to think properly and hearing ability gone bad. Any ideas on which drug this could have been? She called me from just outside Lucifer’s scared to death. She grabbed a motosai went home and forced herself to throw up. I was on the line most of the time. She was upset and probably cried for about an hour while on the phone with me. She does not know if a Thai or non-Thai person spiked her drink. I spoke with her the next day and she is feeling fine, just a bit of a headache and stomachache from throwing up. Let this be a reminder to all of us to keep our wits about us on a night out. I am not a violent person but, people who spike drinks need to be beaten… severely. FatherMojo

From Tokyo I have flown on Air India - the cheapest and packed. Price was about JPY 40k - about USD 380. As I recall the flights are just on Wed and Sun. No personal entertainment systems in economy class, just the one big screen. But if you are looking for a cheap flight this is it. NW - Crappy schedule as mentioned by an earlier poster. That 6:05am flight back to Tokyo is too fcking early and getting in at midnight is no picnic either. Once I saw a punter in Nana with his bags enjoying the view before his early am flight back. On the plus side for NW, they are using Airbus planes which have video on demand entertainment systems for us po' folks in economy. You can start, stop, fast forward and rewind to your hearts content. The last price I paid was JPY 51k - about USD 470. Cathay Pacific - Great but you must transfer in HK. Last price paid was about JPY 70k - about USD 650. If you have enough time you could do a layover for a day or 2 to explore the sights and sounds of HK. And here is a web site which allows you to check prices and schedules. However it does not have information for JAL or ANA. Must be some sort of dispute. Anyway it will give you an idea of the prices. http://www.etour.co.jp/en/ Enjoy! FatherMojo

New Hotel/Apartment across from the Areca Lodge. The LK Metropole Tel: 66 3842-8100 Fax: 66 3872-0702 E-mail: lk_rsvn@yahoo.com http://www.rongraem-pattaya.com/lkmetropole/ While in Pattaya this past February I visited a new hotel called LK Metropole. Their map also shows a place called LK Mansion, maybe part of the same group. I viewed 3 types of rooms: studio, 1bdroom and suite. The prices ranged from 2,000 baht for the studio per night to an eye popping 5,500 baht for the deluxe suite. FYI - That is a little bit more than I payed for the Bayan Tree in Bkk a couple of years ago. Of course the room was not nearly that size, but it had 2 televisions. The studio was nice the 1br was good and the suite was huge, coming in at 168sq meters!! It was one of the biggest hotel rooms I have ever visited. Think about the party that could be had there. Think of the possibilities. As far as service, food, internet speed, staff attitude etc, I have no idea as I just popped in for a peek. The rooms I visited had hardwood floors, big beds and the 1brs and suites have kitchens. No in-room safes, safety deposit boxes. I was dazzled by the way the rooms looked. So those of you looking to upgrade to new digs, this may be the spot. Head to the ATM grab a wad, a big wad and head for the LK Metropole. After shooting your wad on the price of the hotel, walk around the corner to Lolita’s and do it again and again. At least one of the times you will be smiling. FatherMojo

People, I grabbed this off of the http://www.pattayacitynews.net web site dated 19 Feb 2005. Read and beware. Police Lieutenant Colonel Tidipong from Pattaya Police Station was called to the Maggie May Bar on Soi Chayapoon to investigate the death of a young woman in one of the 1st floor rooms. In room number 383/21 the body of Khun Pranne aged 25 who works inside the bar was discovered inside the bathroom. She had sustained serious burns to her neck suggesting that she may have passed away due to an electrical problem with the shower unit. Police spoke with the bars cashier, Khun Rachadar aged 34 who confirmed that the shower unit was brand new and after an initial inspection the unit appeared not to have an earthing cable. The combination of the water and the lack of earth on the unit is believed to have caused a power surge leading to the young woman’s death... A forensic doctor at the scene confirmed that death was caused by an electric shock. Does anyone know how to check if the grounding has been done? I remember reading awhile ago that someone posted that this type of thing was bound to happen if the grounding was not complete. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, FatherMojo

Moby, I have used No.1 Travel for the past few years and never had a problem. http://www.no1-travel.com Shinjuku tel 03-3200-8871 and located in the same building as the Don Quiote near ALTA. or http://www.etour.co.jp/en/ or http://www.hittravel.co.jp or http://www.air1travel.com Also, pick up one of those free rags... Tokyo Notice Board, Metropolis etc and have a look. And I think that many firms advertise in the Monday addition of the Japan Times. Have fun, FatherMojo

Brief Review of the De La Mer Hotel. www.hoteldelamer.net +66(38) 711005 fax +66(38) 711006 Just posted review in the Hotel Area. Cheers!

Does anyone have the phone number to the Del Mar Hotel on Walking Street. I checked the reviews, but did not see it. I have stayed there before and the one downside is that the safety boxes are tiny. One of the upsides is that you can sit on the crapper and watch the telly. Now that is what I call a well laid out room. I will try to post a review after I return next week. Cheers