ajweiss1

Try the Mark-Land on Soi 1 and Beach Road. Some of the reasons: 1) Fairly large well kept room. Nice size bathroom w/tub. 2) Good Air Conditioning 3) Each room has a balcony with an ocean view. Ask for and odd numbered room because they have a nice north to south view 4) Restaurant on the 27th floor with a glassed in 360 degree view. Nice place to start the day with breakfast and very nice place to have an afternoon drink and watch a sunset with a companion. Breakfast is included in the price of the room. Room rate is listed as 1400 Baht but negotiable. 5) Very guest friendly. Even if more than one guest at a time 6) Glass elevator which some of the young ladies have never ridden in 7) Quiet at night but near the bars on 2nd Road 8) Near Big C 9) A street width from the beach 10) Nice pool area. Never very busy so it is relaxing and has a beautiful view of the ocean 11) Friendly staff 12) Good size tv with a number of channels I booked earlier in the year and negotiatied a rate of 1080 per night through Ultima Travel. I have stayed there 4 years in a row for about a month at a time each year. Just my opinion. ajweiss1@hotmail.com

A friend of mine is going to Pattaya towards the end of November. He has booked a room at Residence Gardens and a room at Sabai Lodge. He has never been to either hotel before and will be staying two weeks. He is not sure which one to stay at first? He doesn't know whether to stay one week at one hotel and another week at the other hotel? Can anyone provide any suggestions of one hotel over the other if both room rates are the same? Are the quality of the rooms the same? Is the staff as courteous in one hotel as the other? Are the pools equal? Is one in a better location than the other? Any up to date help will be appreciated. ajweiss1@hotmail.com

When I was in Pattaya last December, I stopped in a real estate office and asked if a foreigner could buy a house. I was told I could if I set up a corporation and had the title in the corporations name. They would help me with the purchase and recommend an accounting firm to handle filing the annual corporation return. They said I could buy a condo in my own name. I hope this helps but make sure you check it out for yourself when you go for a visit.

I have flown Northwest and Thai. I tried EVA Evergreen Deluxe for the first time last year. I am now hooked on the seats and seating layout. I am not tall but I enjoyed the extra room and the fact that each seat has its own monitor. The row I sat in only had two seats on each side of the cabin and none in the middle. Also, since you pay a little more and the seats are fewer, the chances are better that you won't be seating next to a crying child. Since I request an aisle seat, with the Evergreen Deluxe seating arrangement, I don't have three people trying to climb over me every few minutes trying to go to the lavatory. Each seat has it's own two armrests so you are not fighting with your neighbor. This is especially nice if you seat mate happens to be big and drunk and keeps trying to lean your way to sleep. The seats have footrests and tilted back so you can enjoy sleeping in your own space. I have booked my flight on EVA for November to make sure I get a seat in the Everygreen Deluxe area. ajweiss1

Dear Soi6: I have been doing the same thing each year before I went to Thailand. I would get my American Express Travelers checks at the Auto Club. I just read in their newest edition of their magazine that they have switched as of January 2003 to VISA travelers checks and no longer handle American Express Traveler Checks. American Express are the only type I would take along since I have never had a problem cashing them anywhere in the world. Oh well, it looks like I will have to go back to paying that damnable fee that the banks charge instead of spending it for pleasure. ajweiss1

Dear BigDUSA: You might try the Mark-Land Hotel. In my opinion, very nice hotel. They are on Soi 1 or 2. Just type in mark-land hotel pattaya and you should be at their web site. Also, go to Ultima Travel or Ultima Plus and contact them to try and get a better booking rate. Good luck! Sincerely, ajweiss1

Dear TopDog: I believe all the rooms have a balcony. Here is my 2 cents worth. Ask for a room on the odd number side. I ask for room 1003, on the 10th floor. The balconies have a north to south view which is a beautiful view at sunset or night, especially if you have a companion or two. I believe the even number side has a northern view, but since you are already at the northern end of Pattaya it doesn't seem to be quite as nice. Please don't misunderstand that I am saying anything negative about any room at the Mark-Land, just my personal observation so take it for what it is worth. If the odd side rooms were full and only the even number ones were available I would have no problem staying in them. In my humble opinion, any room at the Mark-Land is a very good value. Especially for the breakfast in the restaurant at the top of the hotel. Glass all the way around. I hope you get the opportunity to stay there. If you do, please E-Mail me and tell me if you think I am full of crap or if you enjoy staying there. I won't mind either way because each person has different taste. I think it is a good value, especially if you can get the rate that Ultima travel has gotten me. Sincerely, ajweiss1@hotmail.com

I stay at the Mark-Land every year for about 1 month. This year I booked my reservation through ULTIMA TRAVEL. I got a rate of 1,125 Baht. (ultima@loxinfo.co.th) I have only stayed in there standard rooms which is like a room at a nice hotel here in California. This room is spacious, with good A/C, a good sized tv with a good number of channels, a nice clean bright bathroom with a shower/tub. It has a well stocked refrigerator and very "guest friendly". No "joiner" fee. Nice balcony with a north to south view of the water. ajweiss1

Dear Rex: I recommed the Mark-Land Hotel on Soi 2. It is a very nice hotel, has a nice pool, right on Beach Road so getting transportation is very easy, walk up Soi 2 and across the street is Big C shopping center, at the end of Soi 2 is Classroom 2000 near Soi 2 and 2nd Road, about one or two Soi's south on 2nd Road are lots of beer bars, restaurants, etc. The hotel has nice rooms, a glassed elevator which is impressive to the Thai ladies that have never ridden in one, a very nice restaurant on the 27th floor that is all glassed which provides a beautiful view of Pattaya from north to south. The rooms are around 1200 Baht, which includes a nice buffet breakfast served in the glassed restaurant on the 27th floor. The hotel is at the north end of Pattaya so it is nice and quiet but a short baht bus ride to anywhere. The hotel is guest friendly no matter how many "guests" you entertain at one time. No "BS" joiner fees. I look forward to staying at the Mark-Land for a month each year.

Dear BigDUSA: The Mark-Land does have in room massage. The hotel is on Soi 1 in North Pattaya. The hotel charges around 1200 to 1400 per night. You might be able to get a better rate if you walk in. I am not sure. I have stayed at the Mark-Land 4 times and enjoy it very much. The rooms are large and very clean. They appear to be well maintained. The air conditioning works fine and does not require your key to be inserted to stay on while you are out. Each room has a balcony with a view of the ocean. Very nice for a romantic evening. The hotel has a nice restaurant on the top floor, 27th, where they also have tables and chairs outside of the restaurant. It is a very nice place to have a drink by yourself or with a companion and catch a sunset. The pool is nice and never crowded. They have an exercise room with different type of equipment. The hotel has it's own beauty salon where you can get a shave, haircut, etc. The hotel is very guest friendly and there is no "joiner" fee. I have been staying at the Mark-Land for about 28 days and I really enjoy staying there. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions about the hotel, let me know. Sincerely, ajweiss1

Dear Martin: I am the member that posted the review under "Mr. Audit". I stay at the Mark-Land every year. Last year and this year I will be staying there for 28 days. Needless to say I really like staying there. I consider the Mark-Land my home away from home. In answer to your question that is most important, in my experience, the hotel is very quest friendly. I have had the pleasure of bringing back to my room several lovely Thai ladies at the same time and have never had any problem. No charges, no snutty attitude by the staff, no harrassment of the ladies, nothing. The rooms, in my opinion, are large and airy. The a/c works very will. Every room has a balcony with a beautiful ocean view. The Thai ladies enjoyed the view. Another nice feature of the hotel is the glass elevator. Some of the Thai ladies that I meet have never ridden in a glass elevator, so it is a nice new experience for them. The hotel has a nice restaurant on the top, 27th floor. The restaurant is completely surrounded by glass walls. It is a beautiful way to start the day since this is where the buffet breakfast is served each morning. In fact, they have tables and chairs outside of the restaurant, and it makes a lovely place to bring a friend to have a drink and enjoy the sunset. I like the Mark-Land because being at the North end of Pattaya there is not the noise but it is only a baht bus ride away from the action. I could go on and on. If you have any other questions or would like any other information just E-Mail me. Sincerely, ajweiss1

Dear Wwax: The pool at the Mark-Land Hotel in North Pattaya, around Soi 1 and Beach Road is very nice. It is never crowded and being on the fifth floor it blends into a beautiful view of the beach. It appears to be very well maintained and there are ample chairs and lounge chairs. A nice place to read, write or swim. Sincerely, ajweiss1

I have stayed at the MARK-LAND Hotel on Soi 1 during 3 different trips to Pattaya over the last 3 years. In 2001, I stayed there for 1 month (November-December). My observations are as follows: 1) I found the price reasonable, for me. 1200 - 1300 Baht a night including a nice buffet breakfast. I don't mind paying a few hundred baht ($10 US) more for a clean quiet comfortable room 2) A large room with a balcony with an ocean view looking all the way down to the south of Pattaya 3) The maids were very nice and always kept me supplied with plenty of clean fresh towels for myself and the ladies that visited 4) The hotel, being at the north end of Pattaya, was very quiet 5) The hotel has a beautiful glassed in restaurant on the top, 27th floor, which is very impressive for an afternoon drink by yourself or a companion or two. This is also where the morning buffet is served and is very nice for starting off your day 6) The hotel has a nice clean swimming pool with a lovely ocean view on the 5th floor. The ladies have enjoyed this very much. The hotel also has an exercise room with free weights and other machines, a ping pong table, etc. 7) The hotel has a nice glass elevator. This was very impressive to several of the Thai ladies since they had never ridden in one 8) The constant Baht buses makes getting anyplace in south Pattaya just a couple of minutes away 9) The staff is very friendly and helpful 10) A well stocked refrigerator 11) Good quiet air conditioner 12) Nice size clean bathroom with a shower/tub 13) The beach is only the width of Beach Rd away 14) NEVER any hassels from the staff even if I have more than one companion with me going to my room. VERY GUEST FRIENDLY and no extra charge 15) A bank to change travelers check is not more than about 50 feet from the hotel so I get a bank exchange rate and not a hotel exchange rate 16) The hotel has it's own beauty salon where I can get a shave, shampoo and foot massage every day 17) Big C and the mall are right up the soi from the hotel so the walk is very convenient I look forward to staying there again this year for another month (November-December 2002)