SabaiCedd

Yikes! 2 years since your last trip! you are badly in need of a Pattaya fix! Have a great time, you deserve it for such self control

Sounds great Bruce! glad your having fun, but try and stop off in Pattaya before you head home again...its an experience not to be missed I promise! ;D

Yes there is a side entrance into the rooms and you avoid the gogo totally. The rooms have a safe in the room, and they will supply a padlock but I would recommend getting your own padlock just for added security. Rooms do vary with what you pay but all are reasonable price anway :)

Anyone have any info on how Thai airways flights are fliing up at present?....many empty seats ??? My first time with Thai Airways on 5th June. Always used BA or Eva up to now.

Have a good trip! First time is always special ;D have fun

Yep Good point RICK69, We booked our rooms while in Pattaya, so didn't have a problem. I guess it may be harder doing it through the net. My only suggestion is to ask for Tim (speaks very good English) direct if your going to try by Phone.

Another useful thing I find is a dual sim holder...for nokia phones in particular, but probably do other makes. They are quite cheap in LOS and you can have both your Thai sim and UK or Home sim in at the same time and just change between sims as you need. In Thailand i mostly use my Thai number, but now and then need to access my UK number too. :)

Yep you make a very good point Bigfinger, it is the way some of these girls operate that makes you mad. Its a case of do not trust anything your told unless it can be proven...especially if it involves money, kids schooling, sick buffalo or any other ailment that could possibly cost you baht! Comes back to the old saying...you can take the girl out of the bar but not the bar out of the girl! We live and learn!

Oh Yeah! they have many ways of relieving your wallet of lots of Baht, and long after you leave LOS too if you are not careful ;D Its a learning thing every trip thats for sure!

Well worth the money. Cheap and good facilities for the what you pay I found, and Tim is helpful too. Handy having the Bar downstairs too should you not feel like wandering too far to find a friend for the night ;D Have Fun!

Yep you are right BigDUSA! We do tell them a lot of BS too, but they seem more clever at spinning tales than us...more practise I guess! As you say the illusion is powerful ....and dangerous too! It comes down to keeping your feet on the ground at all times and remember what their work is, but that is not an easy thing to do if you relax and allow them in.

From what I know it seems there's more than one girl at the bar using the same routine, same story etc ...so all I can add is Buyer Beware! It happens at all bars and its so easy to get caught up in the moment. SabaiCedd

Bigfinger can you say where this Lady has her home? Some of this really does sound familiar and the stories seem pretty much spot on! Timing fits in too.....I could be wrong but I am very suspicious by nature and having just had something very similar happen makes me wonder. SabaiCedd

Dont be confused! just do not do it! sure you are being tested, and if you want to carry on wallking around with all your private parts still intact then tell her how that kind of thing is not for you you know it makes sense!

Thanks for the info Grendel :) Looks like we made a good choice then! I cannot wait to get there now - seems I spend my whole life waiting for my next trip

Cheshire Tom Yep just started doing the same :) I used to do the package route as it seemed easier that way, but now I am doing the same as you and booking my own hotel/flight etc. Its a good idea of yours to use premier for the hotel, I will have to look at that for my next trip after March :) thanks for that advice Cheers SabaiCedd

Yep same as VasH, I am staying 20 nights in March. Email is answered same day, and no problems in arranging things including the car pick up at the airport. I have only read good things and for the money it seems a good deal. Baht bus into town is no problem and only takes a few minutes. Will report more once there :)

Cheshire Tom If you are happy paying 1000baht extra then there is no problem. Personally I dont like the way they treat the girls and hound you for this 1000baht, and lets not forget you have already paid a single supplement for having the single room, then they want another single supplement on top! The Dusit has only recently started this joiner fee idea, so not all the top hotels were doing it, they just picked up on the idea of making more baht out of us. I would rather give my baht to a hotel that does not do this kind of thing - its a personal thing after all, just as it is in how mu

Yep snakedr, thats why you had no hassle, as you booked with them direct through their US reservation number. Its the guys who book via a package that get hassled for the 1000baht joiner fee.

Snakedr, did you book the marriot as a package or direct? Hope this means a new guest policy with the Marriot then I will start staying there again :)

Stayed at the Dusit in October and they were actively chasing people for the joiner fee......no matter what standard the girl may be. If you have booked with a package you will be chased for the fee. Personally I think 1000 baht is too much. Its cheaper to find a second room at a budget hotel for sanuk purposes, but each to their own on this, if you think its worth it then pay. The hotel is a great hotel but It does bug me that they changed their guest policy. This was my favourite hotel, and I changed from using the Royal Garden/Marriot because they were chasing people for the joiner fee.

Latest I heard of the Marriot is if you book with them direct you are left alone, if you book with a package, then they will chase you for 1000 baht joiner fee. I stayed there once and it was too much hassle, so I then used the Dusit at it was guest friendly - that however is no longer the case as they too try and get 1000 baht joiner fee too! Maybe someone will have more up to date info, but I dont really see the Marriot changing its tactics now.

Yep, the masks and boots were in short supply when I was last in there too! Very quiet really, but things do change day to day as always, so worth a look.

useful Links Sprinter, thanks :)

This time of year its always better to have a reservation before you get to Pattaya. You could do the walk around once you get there, but its hit and miss on what you'll find. Residence gardens and lots of other hotels are not right in the heart of the action, but transport is easy generally, so dont let that put you off! Its a couple of minutes on a baht bus back into town.