guismo11

A good point lolli, my friends have rooms on the 5th floor and are also paying the seaview rate, however, their view is rather obscured by a few big palms and the aa hotel on the right! But they do have a partial seaview. The view from the 7th, 8th & 9th i think are worth the money and i did confirm by email that i definately wanted 7th floor or higher- if you reconfirm ur preference when checking in then i am sure u can get what u want. But they do seem to have high occupancy rates in the seaview rooms, even in low season - they are full this coming weekend. If you are staying a sunday at the hotel, then i really can recommend the Sportsman pub next door for their sunday carvery. If you haven't ever sampled a proper english roast, then u have to make this ur first! Their sunday carvery consists of a choice of 4 different succulent roasts to choose from-there was beef 2 massive joints( one cooked slightly longer than the other to please most prefernces, a baked ham, lamb, roast chicken & bacon & meaty english sausages too. You can sample all if u have the room! Veggies include crisp roast potatoes, yorkshire pudding, mash, cauliflower cheese, broccoli, carrots and of course the gravies and sauces. You could also help urself too soups, salads & breads to start with. All for about 400b. They also have a big screen & plasmas dotted about the bar & seating area so if u ask nicely, i'm sure they'll let you watch that softball game u yanks love watching so much! Have fun mate!

Hi Lolli, I am staying at the Sandy right now in a seaview room on the 7th floor. The room cost 1400 per night as i have a membership card, although some may find this pricey for a hotel that doesn't include breakfast, has no in-room safe as well as slightly dated decor. However, the view is wonderful with full seaviews and a supersize balcony with furniture to enjoy it from, the staff friendly efficient & very accomodating to regulars & the free wifi works a treat too! Also, a soi13 location is by far the most convenient i've stayed at in pats - with access to baht buses in both directions & walking distance to royal garden plaza, the beach, walking st. & soi7. Pool is a good 'un too and the mini bar prices are & room service surprisingly modest - the chang being the cheapest at 45b and plenty of room in the fridge for u to stock up on with ur fav tipple. I think u could do a lot worse than to stay at this place.

Its in the middle of nowhere!!! Seaview??? its near 3rd road. Definately not the place for a newbie or for anyone planning on walking back pissed late at night. And the furnishings look cheap.

Rooms are dirty & everything is overpriced. Sure its a bit of fantasy but not a viable place to stay in my book. But hey, each to his own!

Yep, why faff around in Abu Dhabi when you can fly direct! The only negative with Thai is the lack of seat back entertainment - when are they gonna sort that out?

Best of Luck Amp!!!! Hope you get a swift all clear and are soon back in the kingdom enjoying the hospitality of strangers!

17 days till my 9th visit in 3 years! anyone else around between 19th June - 11th July???

Returning to LOS on June 18th. Have always travelled on Thai except for one instance when I went on Emirates but much prefer to go direct! Was gonna book EVA but it seems that the leg room is a real issue, I'm 6'3 and every inch matters! Not only is Eva an inch less than Thai at 33", but I read some reviews stating that due to the box containing life vests, even this 33" is severly compramised! Add that to the fact that the food sucks I decided to stay with Thai. The current price on www.westeasttravel.com is £446 incl. which I think is a real bargaiN!

Hi everyone, On my next visit, planning on spending a few days in bangers in addition to pattaya. Came across this hotel- http://www.unicograndesukhumvit.com/ and it seems great! with fantastically low intorductory rates for the standard of accomodation offered. My only reservation is regarding it's girl friendliness- has anyone stayed there who can confirm that it is g/f? many thanks in advance for any responses / views / opinions!

Fellow Mongers, Never stayed at Sabai Inn so unable to comment on their facilities however, have stayed at BJ Lodge. Bj is well located on soi 3 just a hundred yardsw from beach road. The soi itself is quiet and has a handfull of nice eateries, a laundry shop & an internet shop - noise from bars is minimal. Rooms are priced at 900b for a standard & 1000b for the seaview. Take the seaview & ask for a high floor. The hotel has a small swimming pool & a medium priced restaurant though the food is mediocre at best. The rooms themselves are small but well equipped and the bathroom is more a wet room than a bathroom with a very effective shower. The owner, William or BJ is an American - well, nobody's perfect! BJ runs the place along with his wife & two kids, his daughter is stunning but hands off fellas as BJ is very protective! As a family run joint, one would expect a family oriented atmosphere & although there were farang/ thai families staying there when I was there, they also cater specifically for mongers. Being family run, they are very friendly & will get to know you by name - they really are very nice people! The only negative aspect would be that the hotel & swimming pool are located opposite the Royal Cruise hotel which caters for package groups & day trippers. As a result, large coaches are always dropping off loads of japs & other asian tour groups right outside the BJ lodge. The car park where these coaches stand is right next to the swimming pool. During my stay, on more than one occassion, I found the deisel fumes, eminating from the idling coaches in the car park, to ruin my enjoyment of the swimming pool. The noise from their motors can be loud too. This occurred on a daily basis but shouldn't affect your sleep as the coaches are long gone by bedtime. All in all, the BJ lodge offers great value for money & unlike the whitehouse for example does not pretend to be something else! What you see is what you get!

Yo Alf, perhaps you are talking about: Inn of the Golden Crab; Ma maison; Inn House; AA residence; or perhaps The Lek Hotel out of the above choices, I would choose AA or as you said the Dynasty ain't bad- I like their walk in showers big enough for 2 or 3 or 1 fat yank!!!

Hey Scoot, It seems that the British manager is most pleasant when everything is running smoothly. However, as soon as he encounters any problems, he morphs into a Basil Fawlty type charachter who blames everything & everyone else rather than taking responsibility for his establishment! I never had a problem with noise at Sandy Spring. Inside the rooms, especially if you are on a high floor, you won't hear a thing from outside. However, if you are on your balcony, then there may be some noise from a few of the bars located on beach road. But this is more minor background noise rather than the constant hammering of construction noise! One negative point regarding Sandy Spring is that they do not provide in room safes, they only have safety deposit boxes at reception.

Hi Everyone, Just returned from a most enjoyable trip to the promised land! Spent in total, a month in LOS with 10 days of that in Pattaya. I have been to Pattaya many times & tried many different hotels but for me, soi 13 is the most convenient location to stay. On this occassion, I booked Whitehouse Condotel in advance ( no deposit required, email confirmation sent) for the entire 10 days & I would like to provide the members with a full critique of this newish hotel.... WhiteHouse Condotel ------------------------- I arrived at the hotel to be greeted by a cacophony of construction noise - not from outside the hotel but eminating from within. At the reception desk, while checking in, I asked about the noise only to be told that a new lift was being installed and that this level of noise, a terrible racket consisting of heavy drilling & banging & the sound of metalworks, would continue for 2 weeks! I should have turned around & headed out of the place there & then but was tired after a long journey & just wanted to chill a bit. The receptionist wanted full payment in advance but I hate this practise & decided to pay 3 days in advance as a deposit - and I'm glad that's all I handed over! I asked for a room far away from the noise & was lead to a room on the second floor. I had booked a deluxe studio & the room itself was spacious & new and consisted of a nice large comfortable bed, an electronic safe, tv with ubc channels, a green leather sofa & lazy boy chair, a kitchenette with large fridge, microwave etc, and a bathroom with glass shower cubicle. For this I paid 1800b / night. After a bit of unpacking, I tried to take a nap but the noise from the lift installation prohibited any sleep. I went to the bathroom & found that the toilet leaked everytime you flushed. I then decided to take a shower and found that the poor water pressure made it feel like you were showering ain a fine spray of mist! Went to the balcony and found that it overlooked a carpark. Dog tired by now, I decided to head to the beach to rent a deckchair & catch 40 winks! The hotel has no pool. The next morning, I was awoked with at 9am sharp by the continuing lift construction. The girl keeping my bed warm decided she could not hack the din any longer & fled soon after the noise started. I went down to try the 1 free breakfast they include free & wished I had gone elsewhere! The brekkie was cooked to order but was barely edible - all cheap local ingredients used. I endured 3 night of this before doing the sensible thing & checking out for the good old Sandy Spring. My stay at Whitehouse had been a total loss - although the room looked nice, nothing worked properly, the management were dishonest & clearly don't give a shit about their customers and in my opinion, the place is overpriced. My main gripes were: Why didn't the management inform me prior to check in that guests will experience high levels of noise due to the lift installation? Had I known in advance, I may well have chosen an alternative hotel but I would certainly have re-visited the hotel on another trip & been impressed with their honesty & customer focus. Nice room - cheap appliances When I complained ( politely) about the room defects - this included leaking toilets & a/c, low water pressure & no hot water, I was treated by the English manager like it was my fault or that he was doing me a favour letting me stay & how dare customers complain! [/b]Attitude to guests Complaints / requests were dealt with with a frown / scowl Lack of management honesty In addition to this, some of their policies were ill concieved- Joiner fee of 600b if taking more than 1 girl per day! why? The room was littered with signs TELLING guests not to smoke in the rooms as "it is bad for the health of others in the room" this is despite asking for a smoking room. Who are they to tell me what to do! Also, you've got to question the money grabbing attitude of the owner. Instead of openeing his hotel with all the facilities promised including a working lift & swimming pool, the owner has decided to be penny wise pound foolish by openeing before the hotel was complete & then pissing off customers with the inconvenience involved. How much disruption when work on the swimming pool starts. During my stay, I wasn't the only guest to leave early. Would I stay here again... not even if they paid me! Sandy Spring ---------------- After 3 nights of hell at the whitehouse, I made the short walk to Sandy Spring. I was greeted like a long lost relative by Khun Oy, the reception manager, who remembered me from my last stay a year ago. I had reserved a deluxe room at the rate of 1400b a night. My room was on the 7th floor, had a spacious balcony with a great sea view, a bathroom that did not leak & a shower that had a decent water pressure! The room itself was spacious, not exactly new but not really showing signs of wear & tear. The tv did not have ubc but there was a fridge, a hairdryer and a very large & comfy bed. At last I could get a good nights sleep! The hotel has a lovely pool too, a bar on the ground floor & although breakfast is not included, room service is cheap & fast & the lek hotel buffet is right across the road. One of the plus points of staying at the Sandy Spring is the excellent staff. Nothing was ever too much trouble, service was delivered with a smile & no-one batted an eyelid when I brought 3 girls back in the middle of the afternoon! All in all, the Sandy Spring is the friendliest & most accomodating hotel I have stayed in in Pattaya. The whitehouse could be a great place

Hey Billy, Will be in patters from 26th onwards, give us a shout if you want to meet up!

Hi Trevor, I'll be in BKK 22nd - 26th then Patters from 26th - 8th Oct Give us a shout if you want to hook up for some beers! On my to do list is: Lolitas Numerous go gos Soi 6 & some fishing. Take care fella!

I'm booked to leave from heathrow on thursday on thai airways. If the flight leaves as normal, then i'll be on it. Good luck to the people of thailand - it's sad that they had to get rid of toxin in such a manner but a little bit of inconvenience isn't going to dampen my trip or my support for thailand!

Yo Drift, Koh Samet is a great place to go for a few days, especially if the pattaya experience gets a bit too much for you! It's recommended tht you take a girl with you, I normally do & enjoy interviewing the prospective candidates! Pattaya BGs love going to Samet. I will be back in Pattaya in lte sept / early oct so pm me if you are around at the same time & we could head down together. I have stayed on both hat sai keow & hat vong duen. Both are fun with lots of watersports, bungalows, restaurants & bars to choose from. On sai keow I once stayed at samed grand view where, upon walk in, I negotiated a 2200b a night rate for a beach front bungalow. The bungalows themselves are quite basic but have a/c, tv, hot showers, double bed & a verandah just metres from the ocean. Breakfast is rather good ( not buffet) and is included. On Vong Duen I have stayed at Malibu, which can be booked in advance froma number of agencies in Pattaya or even ban phe. A 3 day /2 night package from pattaya for 2 people & including 2 nights stay in a deluxe bungalow & transport to & from your hotel in Pattaya, will come in at about 3000b each - 6000b total for a 2 night break. However, if were going back to vong duen, I might try out talebure resort, of which i have heard good things about.

Gus, How much did the taxes come to? I just booked thai 21st sept - 15th oct for £424 all in. The website saysprices from £310 but every single combination i put in came to £424 for thai & £425 for eva so i went for my preferred option. On where to stay -i know what you mean, soi 13 is fuckin' convenient. I have just booked whitehouse cond after tims failed to budge on a quote of 2500b. At 1800b, the whitehouse studio looks a steal! But I can also recommend the sandy spring. the seaview deluxe is spacious and the bed is positioned so that you can wake up with a bird in your arms looking out to the sea & the islands -pure class!

prince, weather is hot & wet girls are hot & wet hotel rooms... perhaps some are hot & wet but try to avoid those! You'll have no trouble picking up a guest house room such as queen vic for 300-450b An economical hotel room with bf such as sawadee court for 500 -700b A nice hotel room with a swimming pool such as lek hotel for 800 - 1000b And for about the 1200 - 1500 range you can get a well located boutique room such as that at tims or whitehouse condotel Check out www.hotelreslist.com for ideas

Dr Gonzo, You seem to know a lot about these matters so perhaps you might be able to advise... I have tried viagra & penagra, both bought from the afore mentioned 2nd road pharmacy. Both work well in terms of getting a stiffy and keeping it all night! Alas, the only complaint being that it becomes harder to cum & the orgasm is les intense. Has anyone else experienced this inconvenience? Is cialis better in that respect? cheers mate!

rainsberger, i once had the buffet breakfast at the apex. had a bad case of the runs after so severe tht it cost me a couple of days mongering. Wouldn't stay there if they paid me 500b a night!

erik, it's based upon your detailed feedbackand entertaining trip reports, on this and other forums, that I have decided I'll give 'em a go. i guess i'll just have to be patient and let them get around to it - in their own time! StJames, be sure to post a review... that's if you get a room! BTW, does anyone know if the rooms have balconies?

Gus & others also travelling from the UK, Also check out www.cheapflights.co.uk The best fare I found was £423.20 at www.ebookers.com flying direct with thai flying out on 21st Sept, but as you mentioned, this must be booked before 15th Aug & the max stay is 1 month. Now that I've saved so much on the flight, and get to fly direct, I can splurge on some really upmarket accomodation..... Apex hotel here I come!

after having read the positive remarks on this establishment, I thought that I should give them a try for my upcoming trip. I emailed them 8 days ago followed up with a back up email again 4 days ago & still no reply! Hardly inspires confidence.

picoman, I will be in pattaya in late sept / early october, the same time as my beloved tottenham hotspur return to uefa cup action after many years! being a yank, you probably have no idea what i'm on about... but any brit out there will tell you that us spurs fans hav waited a long time for this and if I blink I might miss it!