First visit to Thailand

[Jollyblaze 0]

Hi there everyone! Nice and interesting forum I must say.

 

I'm Alex, Scottish, living in The Netherlands,

I will be flying to Thailand with Cathay Pacific the end of November.

 

Have done a lot of surfing to find all sorts of information on Thailand and Pattaya,

 

I will go directly to Pattaya from the airport (will the new one be operational then?)

and check into the Areca Lodge (anyone ever been there? airport pickup service 2000 baht, way too much?) near Soi Bukhao.

I will meet a girl there I met in a chatroom and kept contact with.

Will stay there for about 5 days and then travel further South, without or maybe with her, was thinking of Samui, Krabi & Phi Phi islands, or maybe Koh Chang to the North.

 

Could you please name some nice Irish pubs (e.g. Shenanigans/ O'Grady's), or any others that you would recommend.

Also, clubs, how are they, what type of music?

 

Take care all!

 

Cheers,

 

Alex

[davethailand 91]

Hi Jollyblaze.

Kilkennys on Walking st is a good place, (Tell the Tim manager i sent you and he owes me a beer for it)

Seriousley it has a nice comfortable atmosphere, good beer and food and its right in the middle of the action just down the road from The FLB and that blues place.

As far as disco's etc goes it depends what type of things your into, Mainly thai, mainly arabs dressed up like Eminem etc.

I've never been to Samui but if your going down that way its worth doing all 3= Samui, Phuket then Phi Phi.

2000bht is standard for most of the airport limo services, a bit more than some taxi's but i also prefer it to taxi's, The new airport won't be open when you arrive.

Edited July 12, 2005 by davethailand

[Jollyblaze 0]

Hi Dave,

 

thanks for the info, will check it out.

 

clubs, you mean mainly thai and arab visitors or music?

Arbabs dressed like Eminem lol

 

What about Western (countries) tourists, single ladies? E.g. Scandinavian, Aussies etc?

 

Guess there won't be many in Pattaya

 

Anyone here going in November or December?

 

Take care all!

 

Alex

[davethailand 91]

Hi Dave,

 

thanks for the info, will check it out.

 

clubs, you mean mainly thai and arab visitors or music?

Arbabs dressed like Eminem lol

 

What about Western (countries) tourists, single ladies? E.g. Scandinavian, Aussies etc?

 

Guess there won't be many in Pattaya

 

Anyone here going in November or December?

 

Take care all!

 

Alex

Don't worry, There will be all kinds of westerners etc in November, its the beginning of the high season, The disco's are ok, i was taking the piss about the arabs, depending on what music and crowd you like there will be something for you.

Nov is a good time to come here, i'll be here so keep in touch

[Jollyblaze 0]

Don't worry, There will be all kinds of westerners etc in November, its the beginning of the high season, The disco's are ok, i was taking the piss about the arabs, depending on what music and crowd you like there will be something for you.

Nov is a good time to come here, i'll be here so keep in touch

Will do, will check this forum daily.

 

will be there in 135 days

 

those 2000 bahts for the pickup service, too much?

Could also take a cab with a meter, or a bus, or the train, but that will take much longer, but is much cheaper

 

Do you know any more places to stay in the city center? Like the Areca Lodge, the girl/woman I know there works in the vicinity, don't want to be too far from there.

 

I have to go now,

 

Later!

[rkt 0]

Welcome to the board Jollyblaze.

 

Samui is definitely worth a trip and so is Phuket but I don't think Koh Phi Phi will have recovered from the effects of the tsunami.

 

If you like a quiet and relaxing couple of days with your GF try Koh Lanta.

 

 

Samui beach.

 

[explorer 0]

Could you please name some nice Irish pubs (e.g. Shenanigans/ O'Grady's), or any others that you would recommend.

The Queen Victoria on Soi-Yodsak is an excellent pub also, where local expats and tourists alike can daily be seen. I visit the place nearly every Sunday for their excellent "Sunday Carvery", which is a bargain at 320 Baht.

 

Opposite the same Soi Yodsak, there is a small Soi where you will find "Jameson Irish Pub", which is an nearly exact copy of the "Shenanigans Irish Pub" in South Pattaya.

 

Another nice pub is the "Pig and Whistle" on Soi-7 in South Pattaya, which serves great all-you-can-eat breakfast that keeps you going the whole day.

 

Cheers,

[rb 20]

The new airport won't be open when you arrive.

dave

sure you don't mean anytime in our lifetime!!

 

Jolly

welcome I'll let someone else tell you about the search option

along walking street of course is the FLB with the "ugly Brothers", live band

 

Dave (davethailand)has a great house band and guest appeances by patatya's own legend, geriatic LAM morris. that would be the Blues Factory, he's always got a couple cuties with signs pointing the way on walking street.

 

for a little more straight rock Climax beer bar right under Polo ago-go is ok

 

wait a second, your going to pataya to meet some one from an internet chat room

:frustrated

 

guess you haven't been to LOS yet

 

cheers

rb

[davethailand 91]

wait a second, your going to pataya to meet some one from an internet chat room

   

 

guess you haven't been to LOS yet 

 

cheers

rb

[exwannabe 1]

Will do, will check this forum daily.

 

will be there in 135 days 

 

those 2000 bahts for the pickup service, too much?

Could also take a cab with a meter, or a bus, or the train, but that will take much longer, but is much cheaper

 

Do you know any more places to stay in the city center? Like the Areca Lodge, the girl/woman I know there works in the vicinity, don't want to be too far from there.

 

I have to go now,

 

Later!

The pick-up services at 2000 is slightly pricy, but I would suggest you either take it or limmo service, not try and save about 10 Pounds by using a taxi (on your first trip, after a long flight).

 

if you take a limmo, it's not really a limmo. It's just a decent taxi that is chartered to take you there for a fixed price. Get one at the stand-alone counter near the door, not the "travel agency" type places along the wall.

 

All this will change with the new airport though.

 

The Areca is fine.

 

As far as convience location wise, anything in the rectangle of beach rd/ 2nd rd/ N Pattaya and S Pattaya is fine. You can naviagte this area by foot and baht bus with no difficulty (The Areca is just outside 2nd rd, about a 100m walk).

 

Last year the Areca filled up, you might want to reserve.

 

If you want other comparable hotels, check the review section (or search the archives). Here some are the obvious candidates near the Areca:

 

Sandy Spring

Lek

Dynasty

 

And a few more blocks away

 

Flipper

Estinay

[BigDUSA 71]

First time to Pattaya, if Areca can arrange a car have them do it. When your on the plane walk thru economy section and ask if anyone is going to Pattaya and wants to share a ride. Areca is a good place to stay.

[JohnnyK 28]

Whataver you do with the girl you met on the chat site, DO NOT under any circumstances give her more than 5000 baht a day!

[vanhalen 0]

Dear Alex

 

Why go straight to pattaya ???

 

Just my thoughts but from the airport go to the Nana Inn soi sam (3) at Sukhumvit Road Junction near Grace Hotel. it is a well run family hotel and costs 900 baht a night and dont mind you bringing girl back and will keep her card behind the counter for your own protection. A taxi will cost about 300 baht, less if you get thai girl to haggle for you from the airport to the Hotel ( Walk straight past the girls who try and organise your taxi for you 1000 bahts) Usually i hang back from the que and get a rogue taxi who has just dropped a punter off.

 

From there, Bangkok is your oyster with easy travel to Soi Cowboy by tuk tuk 50 baht max. Lots of nice girls and much more chilled out than Patong in my humble opinion. A stroll along Sukhumvit can be an eye opener for the first timer and a great initiation also

 

After a couple of days getting used to the scene, go to bus station and coach to Pattaya (2 hours 90 baht ifrom memory) and from there hotels are easy to locate.

 

Good luck with your trip

Edited July 17, 2005 by vanhalen

[Jollyblaze 0]

Hi there,

 

thanks all for the information.

 

This lady from the chatroom is not the main reason for me going there, need a holiday anyway :-)

 

Been chatting with her for about 6 months now, just want to meet her, have a drink, go to a club etc. etc.

[Jollyblaze 0]

I have another question:

 

What should I definately bring to Thailand, e.g.

 

amount of clothes etc. ? I will be staying for 3 weeks, with a backpack, not a regular suitcase.

 

And.......does the Areca Lodge have internet access, did not see it on their website

 

Bye,

 

Jolly

[Montydog 135]

Pack the minimum amount of clothes you need, there are loads of laundry’s and buying new is dirt cheap. But bear in mind that you will be changing your shirt & underwear a minimum of twice a day.

[Jollyblaze 0]

buying is cheap, ok, what about the sizes, I am 6"1 or 1m85

 

Anyway, when it is 35 C here in The Netherlands for a week, what is the difference there in nov/dec, thought is was the cool period (22-28 C) and less ( +/- 50% )humid?

 

Also, does anyone know if there are basketball courts over there, outdoor?

 

Thanks,

 

just going to get some zip-off pants now, bye

[knowntender 0]

For your size, ask for XXL or at least XL.

 

December is the only month of the year that is not hot and humid and weather in December is indeed quite comfortable.

 

No idea about November though.

[Jollyblaze 0]

I will arrive on nov 24, so guess it will be quite like december :-)

[DSbadger 0]

Jolly,

 

It has been said a number of times on this board, but it is worth mentioning to the newbie. When you are going home, getting back on the plane, you will need 500 baht to get the exit stamp. So bring at least that much in baht when you show up at the airport.

 

Cloths, I bring about 5 days worth, buy some there, and use the cheap laundry services. This will allow you more room to pack stuff you buy when your there.

[daz3 0]

Newbie,

 

Just come back from pattaya and had a fab time, FLB bar is the best, so friendly and great fun.

 

Which site do you use re your friend?

 

trying to hook up with one of the lasses i met out there

 

daz

[Jollyblaze 0]

use Yahoo and MSN messenger to chat with her, also both have a webcam, hate to say she's in hospital now and has been there since July 15th, will call her tomorrow,

 

I thought you also had to pay airport taxes when arriving in BKK, 500 TBHT

[Lex 0]

Jollyblaze

 

The Areca is a great hotel and they have internet but it's only dial up and slow dial up at that! But if you head out of the hotel and turn left towards 2nd rd, there's an internet cafe (also rents room) right next to the first bar you come to on the left. About 2 minutes walk. Has cheap 512k ADSL internet and webcams if you still want to do some chatting.

 

You don't pay any airport taxes on arrival but if you use the Areca's pick up service be sure that it includes the toll fares or the driver will sting you for another 100 - 150. You can get a taxi from the airport taxi rank for 1500 but the Areca's minibus will be more comfortable (if they use it and not a normal car)

[needitbad 0]

Good thread Jollyblaze.

As I will be arriving (first visit to LOS also) on Nov 20, I am interested in the same things you mention. Weather, clothes, etc.

I'll be needing to stay in BKK through the 27th, and then heading to Pattaya on Monday, 11/28 for two more weeks.

Man I'll tell you I can't wait to get to the LOS.

So it sounds as though it is a good idea to make hotel reservations, as the peak season is starting? I was wondering how Anna Jet is for accomodations. Anyboy know? I'm looking to spend around 20-25USD/day for hotel.

Anyway, thanks everyone.

[Soi7 1]

So it sounds as though it is a good idea to make hotel reservations, as the peak season is starting? I was wondering how Anna Jet is for accomodations

 

Can't say about the rooms but they had a shit load of lookers in the bar the other night