BigSwede

Not my business what anyone choose for himself or what level of comfort one wants when going on a holiday. Can just put my own opinion here and I think these rooms look absolutely a "scare". Ok - I can afford higher standard and could be told that for some folks money is a big issue. But this? In order to save money? The shoebox for 500 B or the Skytop room that really look like a dump? Your choice gentlemen - but sometimes I just dont understand the priority. I mean - for around 1500 B you can find a quite decent place and why not go for that and give yourself a bit "more"?! In the range up to 2500 B I would say there are many very comfortable places. And upwards there is of course no limit almost. But if you take 1500 B on an average and transform that to what it would cost you back home - I guess it is a very good deal. Another thing I dont quite understand is why not a landlord cares more about his place. The sagging skytop room could quite easily be made into looking if not perfect - at least better. It is not a big buck thing to fix curtains, wiring etc. But as I have seen so many times in Thailand: all these fellas who want to run "a business" of some sort and really dont have a clue. Well - but if people are happy living and paying whatever for a place like that so be it. I would never ever even go near it!

Looks nice value for money. I guess there is no swiming pool?

Hi - I have published this on another site - but since most of us travel around I think this can be of interest also for those reading the Pattaya pages. Avoid businesses who treat you bad! Here is my text: One of the many good points with this forum is that members inform each other so you either know where to go or what to use - or never touch!! This entry is a strong recommendation of "STAY AWAY"!! I wanted to book a hotel in Hua Hin. So sent a couple of requests to different internet booking sites. One of them - a site by name SIAMVISIT.COM said they had "free night offer". Interesting - so filled the form out and sent it. Some day later came back a reply with the highest price of all the sites! And not what they initially stated for the place! Also the bill was for all the nights and no deduction for the so called free nights! Forgot?? Dont think so! You have to fill in another form to get that. Tried that as well - and again this site showed it´s "seriousness". The so called "free nights" was all of sudden billed with breakfast charges of 600 baht per person and day!! Wow! I have stayed at that place before and in no way do the hotel itself charge such costs! So just a scam from SIAMVISIT to make people believe you get a "free night"! Since we are 2 it would be 1200 baht per day for "breakfast" in a 2700 baht room! What BS! Asiarooms wanted 2300 baht for exactly the same place - so no problem to go elsewhere! So I sent a mail to Siamvist saying that the proposed price was not correct. It should be at least a bit lower. Reply came that I had to use "the special form on their site". Since I had done that and it obviously didnt work - I told them in return that I could not get it to work and it was basically not userfriendly. The response I got in return: "well obviously you can't read" And nothing more! No signature etc. What a wonderful serviceminded company!! I have used internet booking sites now and then and they can do the thing if you know exactly what you want. But I have more and more come to the conclusion that it is better to be in contact with the hotel directly and avoid internet bull......rs as the one above. There are many others that have a degree of service and want to help - since they possibly run a business and need the income! My advise about SIAMVISIT.COM: Stay away! Dont feed people that are inpolite and treat customers like dirt!

I stayed at this place soon after it had opened and after 32 years of travelling in LOS - I think I have at least some experience of different hotels. This one is a hotel I will never return to! The room had a lot of errors, one was a flooding toilet that was never fixed though I repeatedly told front desk. Attitude from the staff, their training (non-existant) was however the worst. Customer service was not existing in their mind. And after I met the old english pinhead that owned/ran the hotel, I soon found out it was the same old story again. Expat retired, wants to set up business in PTTY, chooses the hotel world - even though he knows absolutely nothing about it. Ok - some guys with no demands for service may like it, we who wish to visit a HOTEL well serviced and organised - do NOT choose Whitehouse condo. It surprises me that they also do not seem to learn. By now they should have picked it up. But the house is obviously built by a scam artist since it has so many errors and wears down so fast. When I was there they also wanted to add a credit card charge of 4% on top of a already high price. Ridiculous! And when I refused to comply with that demand I was called names behind my back from that f----g english prick "running" the place when walking out the door! This hotel is one of the worst experiences I have had over all these years - and it is a VERY good advice to any bro to look elsewhere in PTTY! We dont need amateur hotel operators. There are plenty of places to choose that are a LOT better! Cheers!

Stayed many times at Irish Clock and can just say it is just everything I like! Highly recommended! And Steve running it is just the greatest!

Westin is a nice hotel with a good location. Have stayed there many times over the years. But they are way over the top now pricewise. I have no problem with prices as such since I can afford it. But 3 years ago I could book Westin at around 100-120 USD. NOW they are well over the 200 USD mark! Ridiculous to be honest. So I moved for a couple of years to another good place - and now I am moving on again to yet another place. Unfortunately prices in Bangkok has increased very much over say 3-4 years and I am wondering if everyone can afford it in the future. Or if the Suk area will just totally be invaded by ruskies, arabs etc....

I did the mistake of staying at that hotel once and can only say: never again! Building looks nice at a glance but it had a lot of errors and mishaps. My toilet were flooding the floor and despite first asking kindly and later demanding it to be fixed - it wasn´t taken care of, and you could not enter the bathroom without a dingy! No excuses, no offers of a price reduction. The owner is some english guy who really made me understand why Fawlty Towers was written - this fool was really Basil Fawlty! Did not have a clue of how to run a hotel and at departure demanded credit card charge of 4% DESPITE the leaking bathroom, shitattitude when bringing ONE gf to room and very noisy outside due to construction. Restaurant was a joke and the staff could not even serve a cup of coffee properly. I refused to pay the creditcard charge and he got very ugly shouting behind my back when leaving the dump. A real clown! And of course it has no pool which is a HUGE setback. Take my advice (30 years of travelling to LOS) there are MANY better places to stay without hassle and bring as many friends as you like! Choose and sponsor them instead! This place can perhaps be good when it is one day sold to a pro hotelman who knows what he is doing and where the hotel is located: puntertown!

After many years of hard work, own company and no need to worry about money. Always fly business or 1st class in good comfort - stay at best hotels and enjoy anything I want- go to LOS 4-5 times a year - where incidentaly I also own a company! Very lucky money is not the issue...life is too short to have worries about that as well!

Well - let me add my sad experience. Sure it is an ok building and should have possibilities to become something. But the management has obviously never run a hotel - or condotel as they prefer to call it. When I recently stayed there the staff was very unattentive and ignorant. Had a large waterleakage in bathroom. Told them again and again to get it fixed and did so politely. Finally they sorted it out. No appologies or reduction on the bill. Lots and lots of little stupid details that is amazing to see it has passed a serious planner. Doors for instance has to be locked manually by you when you leave! Forget it and just shut the door - and it is open! Also uses ancient key system instead of normal key cards. Awkward since you must leave in and take out of the reception all the time. There is no reading lamp by the bed. Internet hook up plug (which is good they have of course) is located UNDER the tv set, which means you need a long cord to connect your laptop. No wireless. The toiletbowl is ridiculously small and I have a normal butt. For the big guys it must be a strain! Had no hot water in shower first night. Day after explained by the idiotic comment that I had turned the faucet the wrong way!! Shows perhaps really well how they see customers. Noise from construction across the street very disturbing. And view is non-existant. Tried restaurant for small meals only. Service absolutely a joke. No other visitors there both times and I understand why. Noone took any interest in you and you had to hawler to get some attention. When I called for the waiter to ask for a cup of coffee - she brought the bill...... and was eyeballed and big sighs when she actually had to get the bloody cup of java. No training in customer relations there! It seems to me this all comes down to the poor management and it showed very clearly the last day. After staying several days I was prepared to pay with the ol´creditcard. The buggers demanded a 3% extra charge to accept the VISA!!!! I have stayed in numerous places all over Thailand for more years than I can count and this is a first! I clearly objected and now the tone shifted in a moment. Ol´uk chap running the place came out and asked if I had a problem with paying said charge. Of course. Then he showed temper and started yapping about that I had a discount on the room (not true - same price as listed by the entrance!) etc but finally as I continued to refuse the charge they finally gave in and angrily took it off. Very very bad manners and clearly displays the whole feeling of the place - no ambiance, no experience in the business and just generally a place never to return to to! They even suggested I go out and withdraw cash from the ATM!!! The old geezer continued to mumble behind my back as I left the place - never ever to return again! I actually cancelled a reservation I had planned for a later visit. There are many many more fun and friendly hotels to stay at in Pattaya. Stay away from this place. It is not worth the money - since it also includes shit service and a generally unproffessional attitude! Who would suspect bill padding on such a hangout! Blah! Edit in: I forgot to mention another great disadvantage in this place: No pool! Unbelievable how a place who clearly wants to to try and be of a better standard can leave such a commodity out! You need it and want it when in Ptty - trust me! So if you are planning a stay - make sure your hotel has one!

So if a guy is not weighing in at truckload pf pounds - as yourself - he is gay?! Could you explain that idea a bit closer? I am certain science would be most interested in sharing your intellectual points of view - especially since you seem to be able to express yourself so well.

It is certainly not difficult to answer the question some people sometime throw your way: "what do you really see in those TG´s..." Well - the immediate answer can be found around PTTY when seeing those fat white/redish farang ladies with asses big as north Australia...... swaying away. Compare with those slim, beautiful well-proportioned little bodies with perfect posture, tight little buts, long dark hair and smiling almond eyes.... ahhhhh And the question was - "what do we see........ ?! But the question still remains: why the heck does so many western women allow themselves to inflate into Goodyear blimps? Why not do something about it! It sure is not impossible! Just reduce the 5 pizzas a day and the 2 gallons of coke, donuts etc etc. A body never becomes like that by itself! And guys - sorry to break the news but there is so many calories in beer and hard liquour! Bellies dont grow out from thin air..... Think I´ll go for a beer now...

OK guys - I think this topic is interesting, because I think airlines basically are screwing their customers each and every day - more and more! They dont give a rats ass about your comfort or service either at airports or on the plane. One reason is of course that airline exec never have to travel in those sardine cans. And I really cant understand how air authorities in all countries can accept these circumstances - especially on charter! Ok - they will argue the price is the issue - but I dont buy that! GREED is the answer! The more cattle flesh you can press in there - the more buckazoids! And sure bus and 1st is toooo expensive. But I pay it. Otherwise I would never again fly to LOS or any other longhauls. When I was young couldnt afford it. Now older and with own company and can get away with it. Not all bros can and that triggers the basic question in this posting: If you take an average coach class ticket to LOS for approx 700 - 1000 USD -- how much could you accept as reasonable as add-on to get a business seat? 30% more? 50%? My idea is that if a bus stool was say approx 1200 usd - you could actually rearrange for instance the 747´s and have those seats in the entire plane! The airline would make more money, the public would think it is worth it and I am pretty damn sure that any brave airline who entered just one plane with that configuration for a test, either from europe to LOS or from US to the same, would be sold out -- ALWAYS! Am I wrong? Please correct me - but I think not!

I agree that all these fat white female whales being seen not only in PTTY but just anywhere - is just perfect to help you keep a diet --- you loose your appetite! However in all honesty: look at the guys as well! What has happened to the western man? I am not talking about a few pounds too many - but really fat bodies that look just terrible, not to mention the health dangers for their carriers.... What also is worrying is that it seems to become more and more the common look and applies to quite young persons. Has really the fastfood market made all this damage?! If so - things need to change. This cant go on, since it will be a major problem for so many - as they get older. There is also a clear danger that you can kill a small TG if falling asleep on top of her if your weight is around 120 - 150 kilos or more! So cut down on beer and food, do some excercise (just walking for an hour each day will slim down a body tremendously!) and get back in shape guys! Look at the warning signs walking around everywhere in PTTY! And dont get sour if you are one of them - do something about it! And dont do that scam of "fat is beautiful" - because it is not!!

I am still just puzzled why passengers year in and year out accept these lousy cattle transports - whilst airlines cry croco tears of how poorly they are doing and thus have to withdraw standards even more..... On short legs it is not that important, but when you are seated 12-15 hours it is just a shame how bad it is. I also sometime wonder how these really obese (fat..) guys you can see around LOS can actually fit into one of those tiny airplane chairs! And again - for so many hours! It must be torture for them - and even dangerous for the circulation! On long routes I have long since given up flying coach - just refuse to be packed like a sardine. Always go business or even first (can be done via earned milage points) and that is ok. The way it should be for ALL passengers flying more than 6 hours I think!

As a European and a big friend of USA I often feel ashamed of the signals sent out from certain groups towards the big country in the west. Especially France lives up to what we usually address the country here as: "The arabs of Europe". Always moaning and playing big stars, despite that they dont have much to be proud of. Their bacon saved by US twice in past century. Still very ungreatful and always hostile to the USA. They dont seem to realise that every caucasian american actually originates from Europe!? With this background if I was american: why the heck would I support the frogs with my business?? I am also a pilot and even if Airbus is ok functionally - I´d prefer Boeing at any choosen time! Very durable proven quality and reliable security. Personally I am very doubtful of the Airbus fly-by-wire and computer system for controls. Ok -sure it works mostly - but there has been to many incidents to make at least me feel 100% about it! As any aviation worker knows it is just a matter of time before a new system falls out of the sky. In the A380 case it will of course be devastating! Pilot as I am - I will choose 747 whereever I can for my own private trips! I know that aircraft pretty well and it is a trusted honest workhorse that will not kick your ass! A fantastic aircraft and still on my no 1 list!

My "problem" is that I have travelled too much and thus picked up a sort of "kinkyness". I want it to be nice, clean, comfortable and relaxed. If the hotel has 10 stars and an army of bowing servants is really insignificant to me. Take my word for it: I have been to Pattaya since the 70´s. Done it all - seen it all. Stayed at super hotels and super dumps..... After all these years and a rather ok wallet now in mature years (which means I can choose freely) I can only say that I was really charmed and taken by Residence Garden! You can see that it is managed by a professional. It´s relaxed atmosphere, nice pool, excellent rooms and no hassle "guest" policy - simply gives you best value for money! After all these years in Pattaya I have found my waterhole! I will always return there as long as it stays like this managed by a danish gentleman. If he sells it there might be a change - but that´s a problem we have to face then. Far away from it all? Not really. I found it very comforting that it was not adjacent to some beerbar or disco. Just go out the entrance - hop onto a bahtbus and minutes later you were downtown! I am VERY kinky and demanding - and I love Residence Garden!

Seriously: I have been flying around the world more times than I can count. In every uncomfortable seat available by those now whining airlines that think that all of us are just a piece of flesh and can be transported happily in a tight shitseat. It so irritates me the attitude of airlines and their shit service! The way economy passenger travels is below standard of immigration sailing ships from europe in the 19th century. I laugh at airlines having all the problems today and who blames 9/11 and other outside factors. Start to deliver decent service and comfortable rides and passengers will return and bring profits to the airlines. But those pinhead directors dont understand that since they never ride coach themselves! Force them to and much would change in the airline industry! I am older now and have a decent economy. I can afford comfort. When it is a short ride I always purchase economy-you can survive that. But on longhaules I always fly business or 1st class. Good check-in without long lines. Nice lounge. Comfortable seating and better service and food. I have had enough many fatties sitting next to me in coach making the trip unbearable! When I go from Scandinavia to BKK I always use Thai and sit in the upper section of the 747-400. It´s like being in your own living room and worth every extra penny! I work hard and deserve it. You only live once!

1. How much too much does your doctor weigh? 2. Maybe a good idea is that these fatties SWIM to LOS and leave the seating space to the normally shaped?!

Thanks your kind reply and tips! Much appreciated. It sounds that I have not made a bad choice and I can´t wait until it´s finally time to check in there. Morning april 10 - sooooon! Right now I am more wondering how the situation will be on the 11th and days after with the thai new year coming up. Never been there during that period - maybe everything will be closed - oh nightmare! As for transportation I think I have tried just about everything through the years. This time I think I´ll just negociate a taxi-meter from Don Muang and just squeeze my gentle 110 kg body into it, sit back and try to relax as the dear driver tries to reach warp-speed! Wrinkled and hurt when arriving to P, perhaps one can find some gentle dame to put comfort back to the said figure! ..... sigh

Thanks guys for a nice thread! Very informative. I was first time as a young man in Pattaya 1977 and believe me: to see it today is overwhelming.... how it´s grown! BUT - since we back then had all the fun around walking street I have somewhat come to consider it "home" and try to stay close everytime I am there - next week for instance! This time I will try RG and to me the description sounds just great! I can afford to stay at the very best places but I dont want all the hassle with bringing GF etc, so a laidback place is to prefer. I have also been disappointed many times at real s..t-places that first sounded so nice. Last year I stayed - unfortunately - at Haven and I have just one thing to tell all bro´s: STAY THEY HELL OUT OF THAT DUMP!! Unless you wanna meet Basil Fawlty real life..... Land at RG 10 april for a week. Any bro´s nearby that wanna have a brew or 2 with a relaxed businesstype guy: drop a line!

As you are talking about Residence Garden. have read a bit about the place and it seems ok, been to Pattaya many times and never really seem to find a good hotel - ok could live at one of the big 5-stars, but then the problem is with GF entry and I dont want that hassle. Will land next week and have booked Residence. Please tell me I havent made a mistake! Now should be lowseason in P - how quiet is it?